Sunday, August 11, 2013
Dress Shopping
Today's the first (and last?) day of wedding-dress shopping for me. I have an appointment at MB Bridal up in Greensburg, PA. It's a locally-owned store with a huge selection, so I'm really hoping to find something I like there. I really have no idea what style I want, so I imagine I'll be trying on a variety of silhouettes. I'll be going with my mother, my aunt, and my future mother-in-law, which is as large as an entourage as I'd ever want. I'm a bit anxious and a bit excited about it. Mostly, I'm already tired thinking about how long of a day this could be, since the shop is two hours away..
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
"Life After Life" by Kate Atkinson
Whoo! I'm halfway through my reading goal for this year, and I have a week of vacation coming up where I should be able to more than catch up. Lucky number 13 was "Life After Life" by Kate Atkinson.
I first got interested in this book after hearing this author interview on NPR. I'm so glad I decided to read this novel; it's really kept me pondering and thinking long after I've put the book down for the day.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Why I Cringe Every Time I See a DIY Project Using an Old Wooden Pallet
I spend a lot of time on Pinterest looking for DIY projects, and one thing you see a lot of on the Pinterest "DIY & Crafts" section is projects that "upcycle" old wooden pallets.
This (usually) horrifies me, because these projects often seemed destined for interior spaces and never seem to mention the dangers of using pallets.
This (usually) horrifies me, because these projects often seemed destined for interior spaces and never seem to mention the dangers of using pallets.
Monday, June 24, 2013
"The Plantagenets"
My Good Reads blog tells me that this book has put me two books behind schedule. I'm not really surprised, because it takes me quite a bit longer to read most non-fiction, and this one was 500 pages.
I don't think it will be a problem to catch up on my reading at Pennsic and make up the difference.
Book Number 10:
"The Plantagenets" Dan Jones
While it took me a while to get through the book (at least in comparison to my reading speed with fiction of a similar length,) it felt like a concise overview of the Plantagenet dynasty.
I did find the title a bit misleading, as the inclusion of the word "Queens" led me to believe the author might have given some weight and importance to the few female figures in the period, but even such interesting and wonderful figures as Eleanor of Aquitaine weren't given much consideration. I understand that, in the scheme of things, the political realms that this book focused on were a man's world, but, again, the title indicated that this book might have a bit of a different perspective. Alas, I read 500 pages devoted to the male figures.
Still, it's a period of history I knew little about before reading this book, and Jones managed to keep the various plots and allegiances and exchanges of power compelling and accessible. I believe all historical figures were treated justly, as Jones was able to construct or relate reasonable theories for even the most atrocious and seemingly insane actions of typically vilified kings and also tempered his sections on the typically revered kings with the areas in which they fell short.
I would not recommend this book to people who are unaccustomed to reading non-fiction, because even though Jones fleshes out most of the main players, he moves quite quickly through time and keeping track of all the exchanges of titles and land can be exhausting. If, on the other hand, you have an interest in history and don't already have a good knowledge of the politics of the period and the early history of England, I think this would be an excellent place to start. Of particular note is the section at the end of the book where Jones has recommended reading to flesh out each era and some of the people he discusses in his book. I'll be adding several of these titles to my list of books to read.
I don't think it will be a problem to catch up on my reading at Pennsic and make up the difference.
Book Number 10:
"The Plantagenets" Dan Jones
While it took me a while to get through the book (at least in comparison to my reading speed with fiction of a similar length,) it felt like a concise overview of the Plantagenet dynasty.
I did find the title a bit misleading, as the inclusion of the word "Queens" led me to believe the author might have given some weight and importance to the few female figures in the period, but even such interesting and wonderful figures as Eleanor of Aquitaine weren't given much consideration. I understand that, in the scheme of things, the political realms that this book focused on were a man's world, but, again, the title indicated that this book might have a bit of a different perspective. Alas, I read 500 pages devoted to the male figures.
Still, it's a period of history I knew little about before reading this book, and Jones managed to keep the various plots and allegiances and exchanges of power compelling and accessible. I believe all historical figures were treated justly, as Jones was able to construct or relate reasonable theories for even the most atrocious and seemingly insane actions of typically vilified kings and also tempered his sections on the typically revered kings with the areas in which they fell short.
I would not recommend this book to people who are unaccustomed to reading non-fiction, because even though Jones fleshes out most of the main players, he moves quite quickly through time and keeping track of all the exchanges of titles and land can be exhausting. If, on the other hand, you have an interest in history and don't already have a good knowledge of the politics of the period and the early history of England, I think this would be an excellent place to start. Of particular note is the section at the end of the book where Jones has recommended reading to flesh out each era and some of the people he discusses in his book. I'll be adding several of these titles to my list of books to read.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Eighth book of 2013
Skipping ahead a bit (and I'll probably skip back to talk about "Chew",) we come to the eighth book I read this year.
"Mistborn" by Brandon Sanderson
The Final Kingdom is a dark and depressed land. Ash falls from the sky and flowers and green plants are rare or extinct. Society is heavily stratified, and most people are slaves, dejected and without hope. But then a prisoner escapes and becomes a daring criminal. He assembles a crew and comes up with an impossible plan.
First of all, I really enjoy Sanderson's world building in general. I read "The Way of Kings" a couple of years ago, and in both that book and this one, he manages to create entirely new and different worlds with their own rules, creatures, and mythology. And while each has a different feel, none of them are inaccessible or so convoluted as to distract the reader (assuming the reader has read fantasy books before.) Sanderson's use of imagery is strong, and while I would say that his world is quite unusual for a fantasy world, he made it easy for me to picture.
In "Mistborn," Sanderson does some really interesting things with the way magic works. I don't want to give anything away, but it has it's own logic that is fairly easy to follow, and this logic is integral to the plot. Moreover, while he does have include the occasional exposition about the rules of magic, he manages to present it in an interesting way that keeps it light.
I also appreciate his tendency to mix up the traditional "good versus evil" trope with a good bit of gray area. While there is certainly a hero (or two) and a villain (or two,) even these characters are tempered with ambiguity and given a full and complex personality. I know this is almost standard in fantasy novels these days, but it still feels worth pointing out, since I still read plenty of fiction where good is good and evil is evil and blech.
I should also point out that this is the first book in a series, and the fifth book is due out next year. While I purchased and planned to read the second book in this series before I even started this one, I think you could read "Mistborn" as a stand-alone novel and be completely satisfied. Yes, a lot is left unresolved at the end, but that's how I like my stories.
"Mistborn" by Brandon Sanderson
The Final Kingdom is a dark and depressed land. Ash falls from the sky and flowers and green plants are rare or extinct. Society is heavily stratified, and most people are slaves, dejected and without hope. But then a prisoner escapes and becomes a daring criminal. He assembles a crew and comes up with an impossible plan.
First of all, I really enjoy Sanderson's world building in general. I read "The Way of Kings" a couple of years ago, and in both that book and this one, he manages to create entirely new and different worlds with their own rules, creatures, and mythology. And while each has a different feel, none of them are inaccessible or so convoluted as to distract the reader (assuming the reader has read fantasy books before.) Sanderson's use of imagery is strong, and while I would say that his world is quite unusual for a fantasy world, he made it easy for me to picture.
In "Mistborn," Sanderson does some really interesting things with the way magic works. I don't want to give anything away, but it has it's own logic that is fairly easy to follow, and this logic is integral to the plot. Moreover, while he does have include the occasional exposition about the rules of magic, he manages to present it in an interesting way that keeps it light.
I also appreciate his tendency to mix up the traditional "good versus evil" trope with a good bit of gray area. While there is certainly a hero (or two) and a villain (or two,) even these characters are tempered with ambiguity and given a full and complex personality. I know this is almost standard in fantasy novels these days, but it still feels worth pointing out, since I still read plenty of fiction where good is good and evil is evil and blech.
I should also point out that this is the first book in a series, and the fifth book is due out next year. While I purchased and planned to read the second book in this series before I even started this one, I think you could read "Mistborn" as a stand-alone novel and be completely satisfied. Yes, a lot is left unresolved at the end, but that's how I like my stories.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
"Silver: Return to Treasure Island"
As promised, here's a review for one of the books I read earlier this year.
I think this is the one the most people wanted to hear about, so I decided to start with it.
"Silver: Return to Treasure Island" by Andrew Motion
Motion does a decent job of recreating the feel of "Treasure Island," but he in trying to incorporate the societal changes that occurred in the real world between the time when the two books are set, he loses some of the sense of adventure and the unknown that the original book invoked. In this book, there are fewer colorful characters to be found on the ship's crew, and the first-person narrative style, while well-done, removes some sense of suspense and mystery.
While it seems realistic for the narrator (the son of the original story's Jim Hawkins) to say, at points, "So-and-so told me this later," or, "Don't worry. So-and-so survived," or "So-and-so later suffered a terrible fate," doing so removes a lot of suspense for the reader. I often found myself rushing through bits of text just to get past what he already said would happen.
Still, I did enjoy the book and the journey back to Treasure Island. There was some swashbuckling and danger, and there were exotic animals and, yes, a few pirates to contend with.
I think this is the one the most people wanted to hear about, so I decided to start with it.
"Silver: Return to Treasure Island" by Andrew Motion
Motion does a decent job of recreating the feel of "Treasure Island," but he in trying to incorporate the societal changes that occurred in the real world between the time when the two books are set, he loses some of the sense of adventure and the unknown that the original book invoked. In this book, there are fewer colorful characters to be found on the ship's crew, and the first-person narrative style, while well-done, removes some sense of suspense and mystery.
While it seems realistic for the narrator (the son of the original story's Jim Hawkins) to say, at points, "So-and-so told me this later," or, "Don't worry. So-and-so survived," or "So-and-so later suffered a terrible fate," doing so removes a lot of suspense for the reader. I often found myself rushing through bits of text just to get past what he already said would happen.
Still, I did enjoy the book and the journey back to Treasure Island. There was some swashbuckling and danger, and there were exotic animals and, yes, a few pirates to contend with.
Catching Up
Well, I have fallen way behind on this thing, both in terms of writing reviews for all those books I've read and in terms of keeping it updated with other exciting projects that I'm working on.
I'll add more book reviews later today. I'm up to 10 books for this year so far, but I probably won't write a review for each of them.
After "Kraken," I read:
"Silver: Return to Treasure Island" by Andrew Motion
"Chew: Volume 1" by John Layman
"Death Masks" by Jim Butcher (the fifth book in the Dresden Files series)
"Mistborn" by Brandon Sanderson
"State of Wonder" by Ann Patchett
"The Book of Lost Things" by John Connolly.
Phew. That's a lot to catch up on. If there are any there that you particularly want a review of, let me know, and I'll prioritize it.
The book I've just started is non-fiction, and I haven't read a non-fiction book so far this year. This has been a conscious choice; I really like reading history books and science books, but they take me a lot longer than fiction to get through, so I know that reading them will make it harder to reach my reading goal. Oh, well. This one sounded too good to pass up, but it's a long one, too. It's "The Plantagenets" by Dan Jones. It's (shockingly) about the Plantagenet dynasty in Europe.
Other things I've been doing:
I'm engaged! So, wedding planning is going on. We're going to be having a pretty small ceremony and reception at Phipps Conservatory. I'm very excited, but I'm trying to limit my discussion of it on Facebook and the internet since I won't be able to invite many people. I am doing a few crafty things for it, though, so I'll probably post a little bit more about it on here.
Getting ready for Pennsic! Since Eric can go this year, I'm making a few bits of garb for him as well as making a few more bits for myself. This is the first time that I'm trusting patterns/tutorials that other people have posted online, so it'll be interesting to see how that goes. I'm a little worried about it, because I HATE wasting fabric, and if something doesn't turn out and the fabric's already been cut, I'm going to have to find another project to make with the fabric pieces. There may be a quilted should bag or something.
I'll add more book reviews later today. I'm up to 10 books for this year so far, but I probably won't write a review for each of them.
After "Kraken," I read:
"Silver: Return to Treasure Island" by Andrew Motion
"Chew: Volume 1" by John Layman
"Death Masks" by Jim Butcher (the fifth book in the Dresden Files series)
"Mistborn" by Brandon Sanderson
"State of Wonder" by Ann Patchett
"The Book of Lost Things" by John Connolly.
Phew. That's a lot to catch up on. If there are any there that you particularly want a review of, let me know, and I'll prioritize it.
The book I've just started is non-fiction, and I haven't read a non-fiction book so far this year. This has been a conscious choice; I really like reading history books and science books, but they take me a lot longer than fiction to get through, so I know that reading them will make it harder to reach my reading goal. Oh, well. This one sounded too good to pass up, but it's a long one, too. It's "The Plantagenets" by Dan Jones. It's (shockingly) about the Plantagenet dynasty in Europe.
Other things I've been doing:
I'm engaged! So, wedding planning is going on. We're going to be having a pretty small ceremony and reception at Phipps Conservatory. I'm very excited, but I'm trying to limit my discussion of it on Facebook and the internet since I won't be able to invite many people. I am doing a few crafty things for it, though, so I'll probably post a little bit more about it on here.
Getting ready for Pennsic! Since Eric can go this year, I'm making a few bits of garb for him as well as making a few more bits for myself. This is the first time that I'm trusting patterns/tutorials that other people have posted online, so it'll be interesting to see how that goes. I'm a little worried about it, because I HATE wasting fabric, and if something doesn't turn out and the fabric's already been cut, I'm going to have to find another project to make with the fabric pieces. There may be a quilted should bag or something.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)