People who like to think

This anthology of Niteblade Fantasy and Horror Magazine features the editor's choice selections of fiction and poetry for the past year, as well as Christmas stories inspired by Marge Simon's cover artwork. The stories run a full gamut from horror-tinged fantasy about a particular mad hatter to teenage ghosts seeking a second chance at life. The book has a bit of everything across the realm of speculative fiction. Two of my own works are included, "Christmas Bloodbath" and "And Yet Stars Still Existed."

My favorites included "Christmas's End," a short-short that beautifully captured the emotions of Mrs. Claus as she awaits her husband's return, and the poem "Of Warmth, Of Dragons."

Current Mood: thoughtful

Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 448

B&N Synopsis

Pendergast-the world's most enigmatic FBI Special Agent-returns to New York City to investigate a murderous cult.

William Smithback, a New York Times reporter, and his wife Nora Kelly, a Museum of Natural History archaeologist, are brutally attacked in their apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Eyewitnesses claim, and the security camera confirms, that the assailant was their strange, sinister neighbor-a man who, by all reports, was already dead and buried weeks earlier. While Captain Laura Hayward leads the official investigation, Pendergast and Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta undertake their own private-and decidedly unorthodox-quest for the truth. Their serpentine journey takes them to an enclave of Manhattan they never imagined could exist: a secretive, reclusive cult of Obeah and vodou which no outsiders have ever survived.

Always good to see Pendergast back in action, and this one was quite a good read. However, I would like to see the authors return to more of the original style and not as far-fetched as this one tended to be. Also, can we please see Viola Maskelene again? I liked her. Constance, too!

Books completed: 40/50
Pages completed: 12,915/20,000


Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 607

B&N Synopsis

The war against Voldemort is not going well; even Muggle governments are noticing. Ron scans the obituary pages of the Daily Prophet, looking for familiar names. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses.

And yet...

As in all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate -- and lose a few eyebrows in the process. The Weasley twins expand their business. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Classes are never straightforward, though Harry receives some extraordinary help from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince.

So it's the home front that takes center stage in the multilayered sixth installment of the story of Harry Potter. Here at Hogwarts, Harry will search for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort -- and thereby find what may be his only vulnerability.

Current Location: home

Book #95 -- Becky Citra, Never to Be Told, 217 pages.

This is a story about life, and death, and what makes a family a family, whether they're related to you or not. It's about being young and growing old. Oh, and it's about ghosts. Did I mention the ghosts? Go read it now!

Progress toward goals: 356/365 = 97.5%

Books: 95/100 = 95.0%

Pages: 23681/25000 = 94.7%

2009 Book List

cross-posted to 15000pages, 50bookchallenge, and gwynraven

The Hiding Place
Corrie ten Boom
219 pages

Corrie ten Boom and her family operated an underground movement in Holland during World War II, providing safe passage to Jews during the German occupation. Corrie's father owned a watch repair business; Corrie and her older sister Betsie remained unmarried and assisted their father in the shop. They were well-known for their kindness and hospitality, so it was natural for neighbors to turn to them for help. As they developed connections with others involved in the movement, their operation increased in scope and required both more sophisticated methods and more caution. A secret room was built in the house to hide the occupants in case of a raid. A buzzer system was installed to alert occupants to a raid or other emergency, and drills were held to ensure people could hide without leaving evidence. Signals were arranged to communicate when it was safe to enter the house.

The ten Boom family performed an important ministry during the war, but eventually the authorities became aware of their work and the family was arrested and taken to a political prisoner camp. Corrie and Betsie ten Boom spent nearly a year in a series of prison camps, under appalling conditions. Their deep Christian faith was key to survival. After the war, Corrie set up rehabilitation centers in the Netherlands, lectured about her experience, and taught others based on the Christian Gospels and themes of forgiveness. Corrie ten Boom's faith and ability to forgive are an inspiration; it takes an extraordinary person to survive such a harrowing experience and be able to forgive your persecutors.

The Hiding Place was an interesting memoir from a dark time in the history of humankind. ( )

Book 30: A Caress of Twilight by Laurell K. Hamilton - 326 pages
 
My little synopsis: With her harem of lovers/guards, Merry is now set with the task of not only getting pregnant with an heir in order to beat her cousin Cel to the Unseelie throne, but of protecting herself and her own before Cel gets out of prison. Back at work for the Grey Detective Agency, she is called upon by Maeve Reed, former Goddess and member of the Seelie court, who has a strange request for Merry and her men. Moreover, someone has let loose the evil Nameless and large numbers of people are turning up dead under mysterious circumstances that Merry knows has more to do with the Sidhe than the police are willing to admit. Never a dull day for an Unseelie Princess!
 
I liked this book, if not as much, than 90% as much as the first book. It seemed a bit slower and less seemed to happen though I'm not sure this is actually true. Again, the sex scenes are over the top, and if I hear Merry describe any part of her body as moon-like again, I'll deck her. Nonetheless, I do find this series engaging. The first part can drag a bit as Hamilton seems to waste a bit of time re-introducing things (I personally think that if you start a series midway through than its your own fault if things don't make sense - going over what happened in previous books is a waste of time). However, once she finally gets into the story, it’s good. Her harem of men are all delightfully funny and intriguing in their own way - I can't quite pick a favourite just yet. And I liked Andais more in this one - sure, she's sadistic and insane, but I felt she was more vulnerable and showed more humility in this one. Overall, I think this series has promise, but given what I've read in the reviews of later books on facebook, I'm not holding my breath for it to get better and better!

 
Currently reading:

-           From Modernism to Postmodernism: An Anthology by Lawrence Cahoone – 600 pages

-           The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 2: The One Tree by Stephen Donaldson – 472 pages

-           Seduced by Moonlight by Laurell K. Hamilton – 367 pages

-           Next by Michael Crichton – 540 pages

-           The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory – 486 pages

-           Angels and Demons by Dan Brown – 620 pages

-           Nightlight: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon – 154 pages

Current Location: Seven Hills, Brisbane, Australia
Current Mood: sick
Current Music: Pieces of You - Ashleigh Mannix

Title: CUT
Author: Kawai Touko
Genre: Yaoi
Themes: Abuse, depression, school life, BDSM, cutting, scars, violence
Book details: Manga, 200 pages
Rating: 5/5

Summary: Sakaguchi is in a sexual relationship with his step father that is abusive, but he enjoys the pain because it helps mask darker memories from his past. He then meets another student who also has a troubled background who may be the person to help him stop his self-inflicted pain.

My Review:

I first read this story a long time ago and thought it was time I did a reread.

Eiji's story is so horrible. What's sad is that I can see that happening in real life, and unfortnutely there are a lot of parents who feel that way towards their children. Chiaki's story is also sad, but in a different way. What Chiaki puts himself through because of guilt is the worst part. It's sad that the only way Chiaki knows how to comfort Eiji is through sex (and pain for himself).

I love how by the end they both came clean about why they did the things they did. They both wanted to move on because they had each other, and they couldn't go on properly if they could hide behind their past. The end of chapter five totally made me cry!

The epilogue is an awesome ending. I love how the scars of the past are still there, they both know they probably always will be. But they're still happy together, they get through it together.



Currently Reading
To Read
Read

Current Mood: okay
Current Music: Butterfly Boucher - Never Leave Your Heart Alone

Title: Hunter x Hunter volume 5
Mangaka: Yoshihiro Togashi
Genre: Shounen, action, adventure, supernatural
Book details: Manga, 192 pages
Rating: 5/5

Baka-Updates Manga Summary: Hunters are a special breed, dedicated to tracking down treasures, magical beasts, and even other men. But such pursuits require a license, and less than one in a hundred thousand can pass the grueling qualification exam. Those who do pass gain access to restricted areas, amazing stores of information, and the right to call themselves Hunters.

My Review:

I really like the inside illustration - Killua as "dark" and Gon as "light"! And yet they both have a bit of the other in them.

We see another side of Killua here, one you'd not think possible for him. Rereading this just makes me realize how great the story is. I love watching the characters change and grow like this, knowing what the futuer holds! Gon is awesome in this volume, particularly chapter 37! It's so awesome to see him defend Killua, getting angry like that for his friend. ^_^

ROFL, and the 'dress up Gon' game! I love the editor's note: 'Is it just me or does a lot of these dress-up clothes seem ecchi?'. ...It's not just you, editor-san.

More Hisoka creepy face too! Perhaps the creepiest because of the ah, innuendo. XD

Gon's temper really shines through in this volume...

( Spoilers )

Current Mood: okay
Current Music: The Dears - You and I Are a Gang of Losers

Tell me how great I am. Anonymous allowed- you cowards. All screened in case there is a meanie lurking about. And be creative- greatness should not be reduced to one adverb! (bish ain't got no lipstick!)

Current Mood: silly

Hi. ^^ This is my first post, but ive been lurking for about a year now. You guys got me through the winter here. =P I live in western australia, and we've in the middle of our summer. My garden is looking fabulous and my tomatos are starting to ripen so I thought Id post some pictures. This is my second year with a garden, although I helped my parents in theirs a lot growing up. I mostly like to grow edible things.

( Pictures! =) )

While we're on the topic of holidays that don't suck, me and mine want to wish you all a fun, fanged and ferocious holiday.  In that spirit, we offer up this music video (such as it is) of "Gina, the Red-Fanged Vampire."

Book #93 -- Joseph Bruchac, Night Wings, 192 pages.

An adventure novel about a young Abenaki boy and his grandfather forced by an unscrupulous monster hunter to guide him in his quest for a mythical treasure guarded by a beast sacred to the Abenaki people. It's very well done, with the right blend of traditional and modern; material and spiritual.

Book #94 -- R. L. LaFevers, Flight of the Phoenix (Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist, Book I), 134 pages.

The first adventure of Nathaniel Fludd, born into the intrepid Fludd family, famous explorers and Beastologists. Nate doesn't think he has what it takes to be a Fludd, but he'll find he's full of surprises. Quite a fun YA book.

Progress toward goals: 356/365 = 97.5%

Books: 94/100 = 94.0%

Pages: 23464/25000 = 93.9%

2009 Book List

cross-posted to 15000pages, 50bookchallenge, and gwynraven

I know things are slow this time of year but I thought I'd go ahead and pose a question, even if I don't get around to planting till later. I live in north Florida, zone 8B, and I have a small area by my driveway/gate that is begging for a plant. It's a difficult spot - it's shady, sandy, and usually dry except for when it rains (the gutter spout is right next to it so I'm sure it would get overflow). Any suggestions?

Current Mood: bored

"The Faithful"

By D. A. Stafford

I killed you at Christmas
And I'm gaining old: snow white horses lay dead drifting up toward the beach of stone:
A backwards stance, I try to turn away:
Another blind man's fondle: hold me, suddenly, sainthood gripped
In vice.
"So say all those who had once fallen, they say, 'please stay, you clown.'"

Caught before tripping up: a camera's glance, a hidden eye pierces reflection,
Affection, and paints me front to back in white, garish light.
"Trust me to close on in. Trust me to tell you the correct words."

Dust forever, you lift your parting words an octave: screams me
Round, the knife speaks:
You kill me. You are killing me. You will kill me.
You breathe possession: it is a scent not to be compromised.
I am always wrong, and Christmastime's infection is no
Exception.

Caught before falling down: a carrion bird sneaks a peek and winks, amused:
The flash of affection grows brittle, breaks upon the touch of skin:
"You seemed raped, unknown: a dead voice," she mused.

If only you could come to me, wipe the beach clean of stone and horse.

Title: Dreamside
Author: Graham Joyce
Year: 1991
# of pages: 254
Date read: 11/6/2009
Rating: 3*/5 = good


Description:

"It began as an experiment in college -- a seemingly harmless investigation in to 'lucid dreaming,' the ability to control one's dreams. Ella and Lee, Honora and Brad: four students linked by youthful longings, all four of them game for something new.

But the dreams turned more and more real -- and when the four of them learned how to meet one another on Dreamside, the experiment began to engulf their waking lives. Then, in a spasm of violence, they flew apart, fleeing from Dreamside and from each other.

Now, ten years later, the dreams have returned to upend their adult lives -- and, most frightening, to drag the four of them back into one another's company. Worse, they each need the others' help.

The dreams of youth fade, if you're lucky. If not, they can consume you -- and they will." -- from the inside flap

My thoughts:

This book was an interesting look at lucid dreams and what happens when dreams invade reality. I like the interactions between the characters as they struggle to understand what happened years ago.

Progress:

I really liked A Taste For Death. James writes extremely well, moves the plot along, and delves deeply into the psychology and motives of the characters.

My interest was captured from the beginning, with the surprising friendship between the spinster, Emily Wharton, and the street kid, Darren Wilkes. Even though it wasn't central to the plot, I found it quite intrigueing.

I definitely plan to read more of this author's work! I can see why she is so highly regarded.

I made it. I know the year's still not quite over and I'm deep into The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver so there may be a few additional titles, but I made it to 50 books and that makes me happy.

There are at least four books that I own and feel guilty about not reading this year. Maybe I'll get to them early enough in 2010 to get them done. So here is my list:

1. The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World, by Niall Ferguson. 1/1/09
2. Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food, by Jan Chozen Bays, MD, 1/3/09
3. Just After Sunset: Stories, by Stephen King, 1/3/09
4. Bread Body Spirit: Finding the Sacred in Food, Edited by Alice Peck, 1/11/09
5. Foods Jesus Ate and How to Grow Them, by Allan A. Swenson, 1/23/09
6. Unholy Business: A True Tale of Faith, Greed & Forgery in the Holy Land, by Nina Burleigh, 1/25/09
7. Company of Liars, by Karen Maitland, 1/31/09
8. House of Happy Endings: A Memoir, by Leslie Garis, 2/5/09
9. I Never Thought Addiction Could Happen to Me, by Loree Taylor Jordan, 2/6/09
10. Patty's Got a Gun: Patricia Hearst in 1970s America, by William Graebner, 2/6/09
11. The Kiss: A Memoir, by Kathryn Harrison, 2/7/09
12. Dread: How Fear and Fantasy have Fueled Epidemics from the Black Death to the Avian Flu, by Philip Alcabes, 2/21/09
13. No one belongs here more than you: Stories, by Miranda July, 2/22/09
14. A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland, Indiana, by Haven Kimmel, 3/1/09
15. An American Trilogy: Death, Slavery, and Dominion on the Banks of the Cape Fear River, by Steven M. Wisw, 3/9/09
16. Love Junkie: A Memoir of Love and Sex Addiction, by Rachel Resnick, 3/12/09
17. Dooms Day Book, by Connie Willis, 3/20/09
18. Wishful Drinking, by Carrie Fisher, 3/21/09
19. This Boy's Life, by Tobais Wolff, 3/28/09
20. Normal Eating for Normal Weight: The Path to Freedom from Weight Obsession and Food Cravings, by Sheryl Canter, M.A., 3/29/09
21. Five-Finger Discount: A Crooked Family History, by Helene Stapinski, 4/11/09
22. John Henry Days, by Colson Whitehead, 4/30/09
23. Brother I'm Dying, by Edwidge Danticat, 5/3/09
24. Middlemarch, by George Eliot, 5/14/09
25. Apples and Oranges: My Brother and Me, Lost and Found, by Marie Brenner, 6/7/09
26. Fierce Attachments: A Memoir, by Vivian Gornick, 6/12/09
27. The Solitude of Self: Thinking About Elizabeth Cady Stanton, by Vivian Gornick, 6/15/09
28. Women In Utopia: The Ideology of Gender in the American Owenite Communities, by Carol A. Kolmerten, 6/21/09
29. The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton, 6/26/09
30. The Situation and the Story: The Art of Personal Narrative, by Vivian Gornick, 6/30/09
31. Born in the Wrong Country, by Milton Lee Norris, 7/3/09
32. Go Tell it on the Mountain, by James Baldwin, 7/12/09
33. Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human, by Richard Wrangham, 7/26/09
34. The Fallen Man, by Tony Hillerman, 8/9/09
35. My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands, by Chelsea Handler, 8/12/09
36. Man Versus Nature: The Field & Stream Guide to How to Stay Alive in the Outdoors, by Howard Earl & Frederic T. Jung, 8/14/09
37. The Locked Room, by by Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö, 8/20/09
38. Underworld, by Don Dillio, 9/6/09
39. The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David Kessler, 9/11/09
40. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, 9/27/09
41. Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity, by Kerry Cohen, 10/1/09
42. Killing Castro, by Lawrence Block, 10/26/09
43. The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner, 11/8/09
44. Unafraid of the Dark: A Memoir, by Rosemary L. Bray, 11/17/09
45. Descent into Chaos: The U.S. and the Disaster in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia, by Ahmed Rashid, 11/21/09
46. Silas Marner, by George Eliot, 11/29/09
47. It's All About You: A Daily Comic Strip, by Tony Murphy, 12/2/09
48. Cousin Henry, by Anthony Trollope, 12/3/09
49. Madam Bovery, by Gustave Flaubert, 12/13/09
50. Landscape for a Good Woman: A Story of Two Lives, by Carolyn Kay Steedman, 12/16/09


--

Current Mood: bouncy

101. The Ghost Road- Pat Barker, 276 pages, 5/5
Final part of the Regeneration trilogy. Although this isn't my favourite book of the series it's probably the one I've gotten the most out of, just because I know so much more about WW1 than I did when I read the first one. Definitely recommended.

102. A Prayer For Owen Meany, 637 pages, 5/5
This really was an outstanding novel. Owen Meany grows up believing he is God's instrument. His best friend thinks nothing of it until his death when it becomes clear that everything in his life had a purpose. This book was funny and tragic and a real page turner.

103. Dissolution- CJ Sampson, 439 pages, 2.5/5
I'd heard great stuff about the Shardlake books but this was really not for me. All but one part of the whodunnit ending was obvious way before the end of the book and one particular thread of the plot was extremely annoying. I don't think I'll bother with the others.

104. Movies In Fifteen Minutes- Cleolinda Jones, 401 pages.
I bought this in a hurry for my mother for Christmas but when I got home and saw what it actually was and that it was written by an LJ'er I decided to keep it for myself. It's hard to explain what the book is exactly so I'll just direct you to Troy in Fifteen Minutes which is an example of the style and humor of the book.

Books: 104 Pages: 29141

Current Mood: busy

At a loss about what to get the vampire on your list?  Chloe Neill chimes in with a fabulous list of gifts that don't bite, even if their recipients do!

A VAMPIRE'S HOLIDAY WISH LIST

A couple of weeks ago, the fabulous readers over at my Yahoo boards were offering up holiday gift suggestions for the characters in my Chicagoland Vampires series.  That got me thinking--what's an appropriate gift for the vampire on your holiday list? Here are some ideas!

1. Sunscreen: I think this one speaks for itself.

2. MP3 Player: Vampires spend a lot of time unconscious, especially in the summertime when the days are long and the nights are short. An MP3 player--preloaded with Gothy goodness--will keep them occupied.

3. Corset and blood-red high heels: There are few vampires (Merit excluded) who don't appreciate the appeal of a fabulous corset and pair of blood-red high heels. What modern vampire doesn't enjoy the chance to play sexy she-vamp?

4. "Property of Vampire" stickers:  Since vampires do spend so much time unconscious/undead/underground, help them protect their belongings by gifting some "property of vampire" labels.

5. Kevlar: No one likes a stake through the heart, least of all vampires. Offer up a Kevlar vest to keep the immortal heart beating.

6. Perfume-of-the-Month Club {http://www.club-offers.com/perfume-emporium/mini-perfume/}: If your resident vampire falls into the "undead" category, a little freshening up probably isn't a bad idea. Hold off the "eau de undead" by ensuring they receive a new bottle of perfume or cologne each month.

7. UV Resistant Clothing: Clothes that help repel UV rays could come in handy in the event your vamp needs to make a daytime run. 8. Subscription to "Blood": Help the vampire in your life stay up to date on the latest hematological research with a subscription to the medical journal Blood.

9. Vampire Dating Guide:  It can be hard to meet that special someone when sunlight fries you to ashes. So give your undead friend a dating guide to help them avoid the pitfalls of fanged courtship.

10. Angel: Seasons One - Five: David Boreanaz + Vampire hero. 'Nuff said.

Hope these ideas are helpful! Best wishes for a safe, happy and stake-free holiday!

Chloe Neill
Author of the Chicagoland Vampires series
SOME GIRLS BITE
FRIDAY NIGHT BITES
TWICE BITTEN



Also look for FIRESPELL, the first in her Dark Elite YA urban fantasy series forthcoming in January 2010!

I know ... you've been wondering ...

We put up the tree about a week and a half ago, with nothing on it, and they ignored it. Suddenly, at the end of the week, it became the most fascinating toy ever and the day was punctuated by the soft thud of Nicodemus falling out of the tree again. (Rosa climbs the tree but being an exceedingly good climber climbs down again. Nicodemus, as we may recall, tends to leap first and sod the consequences.) We decided to raise it onto the blanket box as Nicodemus was also skidding into the tree head first. This proved not to be a great move as it now became A Challenge, and had to be climbed every available waking moment. While it is a fairly robust tree, even a robust tree eventually begins to sag under the attentions of a substantial cat, and Nicodemus is a substantial cat, although he is not yet a year old. Hence my need to repair the tree this morning with some well-aimed blows of a rubber mallet, bending things back into place, after Nicodemus perched on them for longer than was sensible. (He does look quite good in the tree, but don't tell him I said that.)

The Krumps are now banned from the bedroom except under severe supervision, as PK has decorated the tree (though we have not used our favourite crystal icicles and drops for fear of damage) and we would like it to stay upright and relatively unscathed. In honour of his banishment, Nicodemus went and experimentally cleared the mantelpiece downstairs, sending ornaments and candlesticks flying, after which he and Rosa retired to the book room to sulk.

We have had insufficient snow to keep the Krumps more than marginally amused, but they seem to like what they've seen of this snow stuff so far, to judge from the interesting tracks in the garden, and brought in a reasonable amount of it on their floofs.