Sleepy, Sleepy
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Education, Fun, Geekery, Reading
I stayed up WAY too late last night studying programming. Yes, for fun. That’s my idea of fun, anyway. I’ve been yawning all day as a result, and I should already be in bed tonight because I need to be up early tomorrow. So this will be brief.
I’ve been enjoying correspondence with a dear old friend over the last few days. Isn’t lovely how, with some people, you can be out of touch for a decade and pick right up where you left off as if no time at all had passed?
I got to visit both a bookstore and a library today. I’m a happy bibliophile 🙂
Tags: Books, bookstores, Friends, Libraries
Last Library Visit
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Fun, Reading
Plinky asked, “When was the last time you visited a library?”
About a month ago, when I renewed my Gwinnett County library card so I could check out digital items from that library. Dekalb County’s library doesn’t have e-books yet, and they make up 99% of my book reading habits these days.
I adore libraries. I have good memories of them that go back to being 5 years old or so and visiting a Cobb County library branch that had a playground as well as a good children’s section. Mom was willing to take us there pretty frequently over the next three years, since the books kept me busy and the playground kept my sister, and eventually my brother, busy.
One of the first things I do when moving to a new place is find the closest library and get a card. Any time I see a new library, I want to stop, even if I can’t get a card. I’m just curious as to what THIS one will hold, what it’s like inside. I adore the peace and quiet, the reverence for learning in libraries. They’re lovely retreats, but most could use more comfy chairs.
Setting Up Shop
Posted by Cyn | Filed under NaBloPoMo, Needlework
Plinky asked, “If you were going to open up a shop, what would you sell? Food? Clothing? Books?”
Books and needlework items! My former partner and I used to dream about opening a combination book/stitching/gaming/coffee shop.
Of course, independent bookstores are nearly dead, and even Borders is dead now thanks to Amazon.
Little needlework shops have almost totally disappeared, because they can’t compete with the prices Michael’s and Joann Crafts can offer, or provide the same range of products that internet shops can provide.
I’d need a partner to run the gaming side, and I doubt there’s a whole lot of profit for that. The one gaming shop I ever visited regularly was The Warroom in Norcross, and it is long gone. The people who ran that place certainly seemed to know what they were doing.
Coffee shops have to compete with Starbucks, but that part was less for itself than as an adjunct to the rest. They only seem to have any hope of success if they have some kind of special draw, like live music (which I love anyway)
We talked about combining our passions knowing that any one of those things wouldn’t stand alone, and thinking that perhaps they could make it in combination.
We knew it was a dream, though — just a dream, nothing more. It would take a lot of capital to even start such a thing, much less keep it going. Then there was the little matter of me being 1) disabled, and not up to working even a part-time job, much less putting in the hours it takes to making a go of a small business; and 2) an introvert who doesn’t deal with a lot of people well.
It’s good to have dreams, though.
Review: Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Reading
Ghost Story: A Novel of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Of course I (along with all Jim Butcher’s other fans) have been absolutely dying to read this book ever since finishing Changes. Sam Chupp and I have been talking about how there could possibly be another book that occurs after Dresden’s death. Of course, the novella included in Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Files was very good and got along quite well without Dresden, but that probably wasn’t going to work for an entire novel.
Sam hasn’t even started Ghost Story yet, so I can’t gloat at home. I was actually right in some of my speculation! I’m being non-specific so as to not give too much away, even though I am hiding this review behind spoiler warnings on GoodReads in case he does read it and remember what I had said (which is highly doubtful). But I feel like bragging somewhere, so you, dear readers, have to put up with it.
Jim Butcher deserves major praise. Ghost Story is amazing. Dresden has become such a powerful wizard that few enemies are truly a challenge, and wiping out the entire Red Court with one spell was an amazing feat. What do you do for an encore to that? Having Dresden immaterial and operating without magic does seriously push him, and that makes for a fascinating tale. Being able to keep a series fresh in its thirteenth volume says a lot for Butcher’s talent. I think Ghost Story is the best Dresden Files book yet, and I’m looking forward to book fourteen even more!
Tags: Books, Dresden Files, Jim Butcher, urban fantasy
Maybe It Isn’t the Flu
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Family, Fun, Health, Reading, Relationships
Katie seems to be feeling a bit better. She slept through most of the day, and just got up a few minutes ago (right at the end of my and Sam’s date) feeling like she could eat something. Solid food, even! That’s progress. Since she didn’t have any antivirals, I don’t think this was really the flu. She should still be much sicker if it was. I’m not at all unhappy about that. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Books, brain fog, date night, Katie, library, Reading, Sam
‘Partners in Necessity’ by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Reading
ETA: This otherwise cryptic post was a response to a Plinky prompt that asked what book I’d take if I were called to jury duty today. I can’t imagine why their “share with blog” function doesn’t include the prompt!
I wouldn’t worry too much, as I can be fairly sure that I’ll never be PICKED for jury duty. Last time, they asked, “Does anybody here have any problem with upholding ANY law?” I said yes (there are some really stupid laws on the books!) and was immediately dismissed.
Partners in Necessity is long, and it’s good “comfort reading” for me (one of the few books I ever re-read).
If I were ever actually put on a jury, though, I don’t think I could possibly carry enough books with me unless I had a Kindle.
Tags: Books, jury duty, Plinky
Jane Austen/Other Book Recommendations?
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Reading
Um, I’m wanting something to read, and the libraries are being very slow about fulfilling my hold requests, so I’m looking for old stuff that’s good and probably on the library shelf just waiting to be loved. I think I might try some Jane Austen, as I recently realized that I never have, but the excerpts I’ve seen are wittier than I expected. I’m not fond of romances or “chick lit” or such things, which is where I’ve place her books.1
If I’m going to try them, where should I start? Any other authors/books you think I should try?
I don’t care to read doom-filled, depressing stories. There’s enough of that in the real world, and I can always go look at the news. I want to read about smart, likeable people doing interesting things while bantering wittily. Humor is important, but goofy slapstick nonsense looses me. I HATE HATE HATE “do something obviously stupid, try to get out of the resulting mess” plots.
I’ve read Lois McMaster Bujold, thanks 🙂 Well, all the Vorkosigan universe stuff, anyway. Her fantasy books have never interested me, for some odd reason.
Thank you 🙂
1 I think to some extent I got her all mixed up with the Brontës when I was a teen, and damned if I wanted more of that nonsense.
Tags: authors, Books, Jane Austen, Lois McMaster Bujold
Tired Now
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Health, Kvetching, Reading
I had a pain doctor appointment last week, but wasn’t up to going. So Sam rescheduled it for me, and I headed across town today.
Apparently this was the day for “fitting in” everybody who has canceled an appointment in the last Goddess-knows-how-long, because I arrived to find no parking (even on the street in front of the practice). Patience was rewarded, and I got a spot that opened up as someone left, and was still 20 minutes early for my appointment.
I was seen shortly before the woman who came in after me, after stopping to glare at me from her streetside parking space (hey, it wasn’t as if she had been in the lot waiting or anything!). Her appointment was actually 15 minutes before mine, so I have no idea why they saw me first.
Still, I was very glad to have my a back-up ebook on my PDA, because it took over 2 hours to get out of there. They usually run absolutely on-time, so I only had one “normal” book with me, and I finished it.1 That office is always so overheated, so I was really dozy by the time I left.
Sam and I agreed that I had no business driving very far, so I got some fruit and water and went to his workplace. I had a brief nap, then he was off work and we were off to fill my prescriptions. We committed naughtiness by grabbing pizza for dinner, but it was yummy naughtiness.
This is the man’s “Old Farts” gaming night, when he meets up with some of his buddies and they play whatever they can agree on. The girl is going out with friends to see Watchmen (again), so I think I may be going to bed early.
First, I need to close some tabs in my browser, but I wanted to share the links with you! (You’re SO lucky!)
Elf Detection 101: How to find the hidden folk of Iceland.
Read the stories on the Nebula ballot!
It’s Read An eBook Week! So celebrate by downloading some of the free eBooks listed on their site 🙂
1 And then gifted it to someone who had been waiting before me and was still unseen when I left, who kept moaning about having forgotten to bring a book.
Tags: Books, elves, short stories, whinging
Urban Fantasy Poll/Contest
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Reading
Like urban fantasy? Want to win a $25 gift certificate? Go vote in the Urban Fantasy Land Readers’ Choice Awards, then post a link from your own blog/site.1
1 Contest ends 30 January 2009
Tags: Books, Urban Fantasy Land
I’m Allergic to Our Bedroom
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Health, Home, Reading
More specifically (I hope), something in it. Not Sam, happily, but every time I go in there, I’m all stuffed up within a few minutes.
We keep that room closed and have a window a/c unit in there, because the house a/c just doesn’t keep up so well.1 I’m wondering if there’s something about the air not circulating to the rest of the house that’s causing dust to settle in there?
The cat is seldom allowed in the room at all, and we don’t have any other pets. There aren’t any plants in the room.
We haven’t been using the air cleaners, because I can only get their filters by mail-order and just didn’t get around to getting new ones. I guess I need to order them and see if that helps.
Bah.
In nicer news, the girl and I went to the nice library today. I had gone through my “to-read” shelf at Good Reads and requested a bunch of books. More of them than I expected came through all at one time, whereupon I learned that they allow a maximum of 75 books to be checked out at once. Whoops! I had to put two back.
I have plenty to read now, though!
1 We had to put a unit in Katie’s room, too–it really wasn’t factored in to the tonnage on the a/c unit when someone finished a former garage, and it doesn’t have enough ducts. Now we need one for the guest room.