 |
| In the Artist’s Studio (1892). Frederik Vermehren (Danish, 1823-1910) via Books and Art |
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Worth a Thousand Words: In the Artist's Studio
Well Said: Jokes and Government
I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.I don't have to say why this never gets old, do I?
Will Rogers
I Can't Wait to Read ...
These are far enough in the future that I can't get a Kindle sample, but I've been waiting and waiting and waiting ...
City of Strangers (Luis Chavez #2)
by Mark Wheaton
This one's so far in the future that they don't have a cover for it yet. Or a description. I'm not surprised since the first book, Fields of Wrath, just came out in January.
You might remember I loved that book for the tough, gritty mystery and the nuanced look at priests. I especially loved Father Chavez. I'm really hoping this book upholds the promise of the first!
From behind bars, a disgraced Wall Street financier has arrogantly hinted at the existence of a stolen fortune that by all rights should not exist. But if it does, Gibson Vaughn has vowed to return the money to its rightful owners. He’ll have to stay one step ahead of a horde of ruthless rivals who also have claims on the fortune. And behind it all lies Poisonfeather, a secret that just might get Gibson killed—or worse.
Sixth Watch (Night Watch)
by Sergei Lukyanenko
I thought we were done! New Watch was supposed to be the end of the series. Not that I'm complaining, of course.
"the Prophets have all reached the same chilling conclusion: The world will end in five days’ time. To ward off the apocalypse, an ancient council called the Sixth Watch must be assembled. After both Light and Darkness select their emissaries, Anton must enlist the unwilling aid of the four other Great Parties: the Vampires, the Witches, the Form-Takers, and the enigmatic Foundation. "
Tried by Fire: The Story of Christianity's First Thousand Years
by William J. Bennett
I loved Bennett's "American: The Last Best Hope" so much. It was rare to find an even-handed history, praised by conservatives and liberals alike, which was thorough but didn't bog me down with so many facts I couldn't keep track of the story. Fingers crossed, this history of Christianity does the same!
"the riveting lives of saints and sinners, paupers and kings, merchants and monks who together—and against all odds—changed the world forever. ... Challenged by official persecution, heresy, and schism, they held steadfast to the truth of Christ. Strengthened by poets, preachers, and theologians, they advanced in devotion and love."
Bright Smoke, Cold Fire
by Rosamund Hodge
You know how much I loved Hodge's first two books, Cruel Beauty and Crimson Bound. She's got a real talent for evoking a familiar story but telling us something completely original. This one uses Romeo and Juliet as a springboard and I really can't wait to see where it takes us!
"When the mysterious fog of the Ruining crept over the world, the living died and the dead rose. Only the walled city of Viyara was left untouched.
The heirs of the city’s most powerful—and warring—families, Mahyanai Romeo and Juliet Catresou share a love deeper than duty, honor, even life itself. But the magic laid on Juliet at birth compels her to punish the enemies of her clan—and Romeo has just killed her cousin Tybalt. Which means he must die."
The Hanging Tree
by Ben Aaronovitch
I discovered this series last year which pulled me back into urban fantasy, something I thought was impossible. Peter Grant is a young constable who doubles as apprentice to Inspector Nightingale, England's last wizard. I know, it sounds quite typical. It isn't though. Aaronovitch gives us a fresh look at London as well as urban fantasy.
"The Hanging Tree was the Tyburn gallows which stood where Marble Arch stands today. Oxford Street was the last trip of the condemned. Somethings don't change. The place has a bloody and haunted legacy and now blood has returned to the empty Mayfair mansions of the world's super-rich.
City of Strangers (Luis Chavez #2)
by Mark Wheaton
This one's so far in the future that they don't have a cover for it yet. Or a description. I'm not surprised since the first book, Fields of Wrath, just came out in January.
You might remember I loved that book for the tough, gritty mystery and the nuanced look at priests. I especially loved Father Chavez. I'm really hoping this book upholds the promise of the first!
Poisonfeather (The Gibson Vaughn Series Book 2)
by Matthew FitzSimmons
Another one so far in the future that there's no cover. Since I wrote last week about new, fun books I had on tap, I actually read one - The Short Drop, which was FitzSimmons' first book. I found it a tightly written, suspenseful book and really enjoyed it. So naturally I want more!
by Matthew FitzSimmons
Another one so far in the future that there's no cover. Since I wrote last week about new, fun books I had on tap, I actually read one - The Short Drop, which was FitzSimmons' first book. I found it a tightly written, suspenseful book and really enjoyed it. So naturally I want more!
From behind bars, a disgraced Wall Street financier has arrogantly hinted at the existence of a stolen fortune that by all rights should not exist. But if it does, Gibson Vaughn has vowed to return the money to its rightful owners. He’ll have to stay one step ahead of a horde of ruthless rivals who also have claims on the fortune. And behind it all lies Poisonfeather, a secret that just might get Gibson killed—or worse.
by Sergei Lukyanenko
I thought we were done! New Watch was supposed to be the end of the series. Not that I'm complaining, of course.
"the Prophets have all reached the same chilling conclusion: The world will end in five days’ time. To ward off the apocalypse, an ancient council called the Sixth Watch must be assembled. After both Light and Darkness select their emissaries, Anton must enlist the unwilling aid of the four other Great Parties: the Vampires, the Witches, the Form-Takers, and the enigmatic Foundation. "
by William J. Bennett
I loved Bennett's "American: The Last Best Hope" so much. It was rare to find an even-handed history, praised by conservatives and liberals alike, which was thorough but didn't bog me down with so many facts I couldn't keep track of the story. Fingers crossed, this history of Christianity does the same!
"the riveting lives of saints and sinners, paupers and kings, merchants and monks who together—and against all odds—changed the world forever. ... Challenged by official persecution, heresy, and schism, they held steadfast to the truth of Christ. Strengthened by poets, preachers, and theologians, they advanced in devotion and love."
by Rosamund Hodge
You know how much I loved Hodge's first two books, Cruel Beauty and Crimson Bound. She's got a real talent for evoking a familiar story but telling us something completely original. This one uses Romeo and Juliet as a springboard and I really can't wait to see where it takes us!
"When the mysterious fog of the Ruining crept over the world, the living died and the dead rose. Only the walled city of Viyara was left untouched.
The heirs of the city’s most powerful—and warring—families, Mahyanai Romeo and Juliet Catresou share a love deeper than duty, honor, even life itself. But the magic laid on Juliet at birth compels her to punish the enemies of her clan—and Romeo has just killed her cousin Tybalt. Which means he must die."
by Ben Aaronovitch
I discovered this series last year which pulled me back into urban fantasy, something I thought was impossible. Peter Grant is a young constable who doubles as apprentice to Inspector Nightingale, England's last wizard. I know, it sounds quite typical. It isn't though. Aaronovitch gives us a fresh look at London as well as urban fantasy.
"The Hanging Tree was the Tyburn gallows which stood where Marble Arch stands today. Oxford Street was the last trip of the condemned. Somethings don't change. The place has a bloody and haunted legacy and now blood has returned to the empty Mayfair mansions of the world's super-rich.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Monday, March 7, 2016
Friday, March 4, 2016
Thursday, March 3, 2016
On My Kindle - fun, new stuff
Just last week I was wondering why the only interesting fiction I could find was all from the turn of the century. And not the recent turn of the century.
I love Rafael Sabatini, Edgar Wallace, and H. Rider Haggard, but eventually you want something that's new.
Suddenly I've got new books out the wazoo. Now Lent is kicking in with a vengeance because my "add on" was to finish half-read books and read books that have been pressed on me, "you'll love this!" Not to mention book club and podcast obligations. Believe me, I'm reading as fast as I can!
I want to get to these books now! Here's a quick look see in case any of them hit you just right.
The Brotherhood of the Wheel
by R.S. Belcher
"... a small offshoot of the Templars endure and have returned to the order's original mission: to defend the roads of the world and guard those who travel on them.
Theirs is a secret line of knights: truckers, bikers, taxi hacks, state troopers, bus drivers, RV gypsies--any of the folks who live and work on the asphalt arteries of America. They call themselves the Brotherhood of the Wheel."
Knights Templar in big rigs? C'mon! This is begging me to read it!
I found this when looking for Bronson Pinchot's latest narrations on Audible. If I thought I could handle the violence or sex audibly, I'd definitely listen because Pinchot is superb. But I know I'll want to skim or skip those parts. So I chose this for my March book purchase (yes, I'm still trying to limit my book buying ... and mostly it works!)
I'VE READ IT: and can't recommend it.
Just One Damned Thing After Another (The Chronicles of St Mary's)
by Jodi Taylor
"Behind the seemingly innocuous façade of St Mary's, a different kind of historical research is taking place. They don't do 'time-travel' - they 'investigate major historical events in contemporary time'. ...
Meet the disaster-magnets of St Mary's Institute of Historical Research as they ricochet around History. Their aim is to observe and document - to try and find the answers to many of History's unanswered questions...and not to die in the process."
I'm fairly sure that when your mother tells you she's laughing continually at a really fun Daily Deal, you have to buy it. You know. For conversation. Hey, that's my story and I'm sticking with it. Also, time travel. And humor. And super cheap. So that was a done deal.
Amends: A Novel
by Eve Tushnet
A month in rehab would be stressful enough without a television audience. When the ramshackle cast checks in for "Amends," a new reality series about alcoholism and recovery, they don't know if they've been cast as villains or potential redemption arcs. Over the course of the show they learn what God sees when he shuts his eyes, how to appreciate the comforts of hallucination, and what it looks like when a wolf fights a troll. A conservative journalist woos a homeless Ethiopian visionary. A teen hockey star licks a human heart. And a collections agent pays some of his own oldest and saddest debts.
From backhanded compliments to accidental forgiveness, "Amends" proves that there's a place you can go when you've given up on reality: reality TV.
Not my usual thing. At all. Reading about alcoholics is dreary in the extreme (The Shining aside). But I was curious because it was Eve Tushnet and it was fiction. She certainly sticks the entry because the Kindle sample was enough to make me go for the whole enchilada. Also self-published and cheap for Kindle. Which were the final deal makers. Via Brandywine Books.
The Short Drop
by Matthew FitzSimmons
A decade ago, fourteen-year-old Suzanne Lombard, the daughter of Benjamin Lombard—then a senator, now a powerful vice president running for the presidency—disappeared in the most sensational missing-person case in the nation’s history. Still unsolved, the mystery remains a national obsession.
For legendary hacker and marine Gibson Vaughn, the case is personal—Suzanne Lombard had been like a sister to him. On the tenth anniversary of her disappearance, the former head of Benjamin Lombard’s security asks for Gibson’s help in a covert investigation of the case, with new evidence in hand.
Mentioned by a friend who was reading it free with her Kindle read everything subscription (whatever that is called). Not having that, but tempted by the preview, it's my free March library choice for Kindle Prime.
I'VE READ IT: and liked it a lot.
Unforgettable
by Eric James Stone
In the near future, a fluke of quantum mechanics renders Nat Morgan utterly forgettable. No one can remember he exists for more than a minute after he's gone. It's a useful ability for his career as a CIA agent, even if he has to keep reminding his boss that he exists.
Naturally there are complications beyond that brief description. This preview kept me coming back month after month until I finally gave in and got it. Imagine growing up when your mother forgets you if she leaves the room for more than a minute.
I really enjoyed his short story collection Rejiggering the Thingamajig which contained the incredible That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made. So I'm a fan.
Envy of Angels: A Sin du Jour
by Matt Wallace
In New York, eating out can be hell.
Everyone loves a well-catered event, and the supernatural community is no different, but where do demons go to satisfy their culinary cravings?
Welcome to Sin du Jour - where devils on horseback are the clients, not the dish.
Ok, this was just because I was in buying mode and it was one of the Daily Deals. But the preview looked fun, which seemed to be my main criteria. in this book spree.
Jennifer the Damned
by Karen Ullo
When a sixteen-year-old orphan vampire adopted by an order of nuns matures into her immortal, blood-sucking glory, all hell literally breaks loose.
Ok, not on the Kindle but free because the author sent me a review copy. I'd had my eye on this one for a while.
A teenage vampire, adopted by nuns, who goes to Catholic school, and yearns for the chance to take Communion ... with many reviews at Amazon praising it as "literature, rich with vampire lore and intertwined with Catholic doctrine." Right down my alley.
I love Rafael Sabatini, Edgar Wallace, and H. Rider Haggard, but eventually you want something that's new.
Suddenly I've got new books out the wazoo. Now Lent is kicking in with a vengeance because my "add on" was to finish half-read books and read books that have been pressed on me, "you'll love this!" Not to mention book club and podcast obligations. Believe me, I'm reading as fast as I can!
I want to get to these books now! Here's a quick look see in case any of them hit you just right.
by R.S. Belcher
"... a small offshoot of the Templars endure and have returned to the order's original mission: to defend the roads of the world and guard those who travel on them.
Theirs is a secret line of knights: truckers, bikers, taxi hacks, state troopers, bus drivers, RV gypsies--any of the folks who live and work on the asphalt arteries of America. They call themselves the Brotherhood of the Wheel."
Knights Templar in big rigs? C'mon! This is begging me to read it!
I found this when looking for Bronson Pinchot's latest narrations on Audible. If I thought I could handle the violence or sex audibly, I'd definitely listen because Pinchot is superb. But I know I'll want to skim or skip those parts. So I chose this for my March book purchase (yes, I'm still trying to limit my book buying ... and mostly it works!)
I'VE READ IT: and can't recommend it.
by Jodi Taylor
"Behind the seemingly innocuous façade of St Mary's, a different kind of historical research is taking place. They don't do 'time-travel' - they 'investigate major historical events in contemporary time'. ...
Meet the disaster-magnets of St Mary's Institute of Historical Research as they ricochet around History. Their aim is to observe and document - to try and find the answers to many of History's unanswered questions...and not to die in the process."
I'm fairly sure that when your mother tells you she's laughing continually at a really fun Daily Deal, you have to buy it. You know. For conversation. Hey, that's my story and I'm sticking with it. Also, time travel. And humor. And super cheap. So that was a done deal.
by Eve Tushnet
A month in rehab would be stressful enough without a television audience. When the ramshackle cast checks in for "Amends," a new reality series about alcoholism and recovery, they don't know if they've been cast as villains or potential redemption arcs. Over the course of the show they learn what God sees when he shuts his eyes, how to appreciate the comforts of hallucination, and what it looks like when a wolf fights a troll. A conservative journalist woos a homeless Ethiopian visionary. A teen hockey star licks a human heart. And a collections agent pays some of his own oldest and saddest debts.
From backhanded compliments to accidental forgiveness, "Amends" proves that there's a place you can go when you've given up on reality: reality TV.
Not my usual thing. At all. Reading about alcoholics is dreary in the extreme (The Shining aside). But I was curious because it was Eve Tushnet and it was fiction. She certainly sticks the entry because the Kindle sample was enough to make me go for the whole enchilada. Also self-published and cheap for Kindle. Which were the final deal makers. Via Brandywine Books.
by Matthew FitzSimmons
A decade ago, fourteen-year-old Suzanne Lombard, the daughter of Benjamin Lombard—then a senator, now a powerful vice president running for the presidency—disappeared in the most sensational missing-person case in the nation’s history. Still unsolved, the mystery remains a national obsession.
For legendary hacker and marine Gibson Vaughn, the case is personal—Suzanne Lombard had been like a sister to him. On the tenth anniversary of her disappearance, the former head of Benjamin Lombard’s security asks for Gibson’s help in a covert investigation of the case, with new evidence in hand.
Mentioned by a friend who was reading it free with her Kindle read everything subscription (whatever that is called). Not having that, but tempted by the preview, it's my free March library choice for Kindle Prime.
I'VE READ IT: and liked it a lot.
by Eric James Stone
In the near future, a fluke of quantum mechanics renders Nat Morgan utterly forgettable. No one can remember he exists for more than a minute after he's gone. It's a useful ability for his career as a CIA agent, even if he has to keep reminding his boss that he exists.
Naturally there are complications beyond that brief description. This preview kept me coming back month after month until I finally gave in and got it. Imagine growing up when your mother forgets you if she leaves the room for more than a minute.
I really enjoyed his short story collection Rejiggering the Thingamajig which contained the incredible That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made. So I'm a fan.
by Matt Wallace
In New York, eating out can be hell.
Everyone loves a well-catered event, and the supernatural community is no different, but where do demons go to satisfy their culinary cravings?
Welcome to Sin du Jour - where devils on horseback are the clients, not the dish.
Ok, this was just because I was in buying mode and it was one of the Daily Deals. But the preview looked fun, which seemed to be my main criteria. in this book spree.
by Karen Ullo
When a sixteen-year-old orphan vampire adopted by an order of nuns matures into her immortal, blood-sucking glory, all hell literally breaks loose.
Ok, not on the Kindle but free because the author sent me a review copy. I'd had my eye on this one for a while.
A teenage vampire, adopted by nuns, who goes to Catholic school, and yearns for the chance to take Communion ... with many reviews at Amazon praising it as "literature, rich with vampire lore and intertwined with Catholic doctrine." Right down my alley.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Worth a Thousand Words: Pear and Pond
 |
| Callery pear and pond in Mount Tado, Yōrō Mountains, Kuwana, Mie, Japan. |
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Monday, February 29, 2016
Cruz and Rubio Should Take Lessons from John Oliver
Not only was this takedown of Donald Trump hilarious, but I found it cathartic.
Worth a Thousand Words: No Chocolate for You!
 |
| A possible Maya lord forbids a person to touch a container of chocolate. Via Wikipedia |
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Dropped my iPod. Shattered the Screen. Yep - it's Lent.
Curse you, dry hands!
I'm now somewhere in the five stages of grief.
Podcasts, audiobooks ... how the deprivation already grips me!
I'll take this as a chance to enter Lent more deeply, while I send my baby off to specialists for glass replacement.
I'm now somewhere in the five stages of grief.
Podcasts, audiobooks ... how the deprivation already grips me!
I'll take this as a chance to enter Lent more deeply, while I send my baby off to specialists for glass replacement.
Friday, February 26, 2016
Well Said: Never mistake for malice ...
Never mistake for malice that which is easily explained by stupidity or incompetence.That certainly is the charitable way to interpret many of the frustrations that people put in our way.
attrib. to Napoleon Bonaparte
Worth a Thousand Words: James Abbott McNeill Whistler
 |
James Abbott McNeill Whistler by William Merritt Chase via Art Renewal Center Museum |
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Well Said: The test of bureaucracy
If the first person who answers the phone cannot answer your question, it is a bureaucracy.We'll ignore the irony of the purveyor of that wisdom, shall we? It does make me think again fondly of the three companies I can call who are unfailingly polite and always have the answer: Discover, Chase Bank, and Republic Wireless.
President Lyndon Johnson
Most others fall far short.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Blogging Around: Random Things
Going Whole Hog
Doriana Giustozzi and Raffaele Petterini have adopted a 100lb boar, Pasqualina in Foligno, Italy. The caring couple gave the hog a home after finding it desperate, undernourished, and close to death in the woods. Now the bulky animal gallivants freely around their house.There is a delightful slideshow for this story in The Telegraph. Thanks to T for the heads up on this after seeing the Wild Boar photo here last week.
Roses = Secrecy
Sub rosa literally means "under the rose" in New Latin. Since ancient times, the rose has often been associated with secrecy. In ancient mythology, Cupid gave a rose to Harpocrates, the god of silence, to keep him from telling about the indiscretions of Venus. Ceilings of dining rooms have been decorated with carvings of roses, reportedly to remind guests that what was said at the table should be kept confidential. Roses have also been placed over confessionals as a symbol of the confidentiality of confession.I had no idea that roses symbolized secrecy. For that matter, I never knew the meaning of sub rosa, while I'm busy breaking silence! This is from the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day which I receive in email. It is only email subscription I have and I read every one of them. They almost always have some interesting tidbit I didn't know.
How Do You Keep Your Wedding Vows When Everything Changes?
That was only the beginning of what felt like a series of deaths over the next several years. Al came home after six weeks in the hospital. He walked with the aid of a leg brace, a cane, and a gait belt. He had almost no use of his left arm. I comforted myself with the thought that on the inside, he was the same old Al. My sweet, funny, and compassionate husband was still alive, and that’s what mattered most. Over time, however, I started to see that he had changed on the inside as well.A powerful and thought provoking article from Word Among Us.
Al suffered from chronic brain fatigue that made him need to take long naps. He was often confused, and his short-term memory was impaired. Most difficult for me was the decline in his emotional capacity. Not just our physical intimacy but our whole relationship no longer had the same depth. The closeness I had shared only with Al, my partner for life, seemed to be gone.
Worth a Thousand Words: Transfiguration
 |
| Icon of transfiguration (Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, Yaroslavl), 1516 |
Is this what his prayer was always like? Glowing, God's glory all around him, praying with saints all around him? It is fascinating to meditate upon this.
I love this icon because it strives to portray the unportrayable, but taken together with the Gospel (which strives to describe the indescribable) perhaps we can get a glimpse of Jesus at prayer.
Well Said: Religion and Politics
I have heard that in some debating clubs there is a rule that the members may discuss anything except religion and politics. I cannot imagine what they do discuss, but it is quite evident that they have ruled out the only two subjects which are either important or amusing.
G.K. Chesterton,
Appreciations and Criticisms of
the Works of Charles Dickens
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)