Monday Malarkey - The Internet blows up, Christmas arrives early, flamingos fight, and bookish things

Last week, the internet felt a little like a flamboyance of flamingos. Those guys really like to fight. And, the internet was aflame with controversy. We'll talk more about that in a moment. First, the usual dose of malarkey. Also, yes, I went to the zoo with my camera. 

Last week's posts:

• Me on the Floor, Bleeding by Jenny Jagerfeld (review)
• Catch-Up #3: Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming (review), The Giver (review and F2F report)
• Fiona Friday: Basket Case (cat photo)

Last week I read exactly one book:

• Ballistics by Billy Collins (poetry)

Currently reading:

• Big Fish by Daniel Wallace - Last week, ugh. It was not a good one. I "grazed" or as Andi refers to the process of reading bits of one book then another then another, "taste-tested" numerous books. I thought Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje was going to be the one that hung onto me, but I was wrong. There's still a bookmark in Divisadero and I'm hoping it still will click, but it wasn't till Big Fish that I finally read without drifting off, looking at the dust that needs to be wiped off the fan or stopping to think about something entirely unrelated to my reading material in the middle of a passage. Lord only knows how many books I abandoned. When it takes you a week to read a small volume of poetry, you know something is off. I will probably finish Big Fish, today. Then, we'll see what happens. For now, I'm grateful to Daniel Wallace for breaking a bad spell.

Ditched, but only temporarily:

• Hieroglyphs - ed. by Finn and Cramer - I misplaced this book so many times that I've decided to temporarily pull it off my sidebar while I clean the mess known as my TBR pile, which has spread out like a second carpeting (thanks to all that grazing). No wonder things are getting buried. I enjoyed the first story in Hieroglyphs and absolutely will continue the reading but having it in my sidebar without getting beyond the opening story for 3 weeks has finally intimidated me enough that I don't want to keep looking at the image, so I'm going to take it down and put it back up when I've made some decent progress.

Recent Arrivals:  I've had so few arrivals in recent weeks that I neglected to put this category at the top, where it typically goes. I got Christmas books! This week's arrivals:

Unsolicited from Sterling Children's Books (and very welcome!):

• When, When, When will it be Christmas? by Cathy MacLennan
• A Pirate's Night Before Christmas by Philip Yates, illus. by Sebastia Serra
• The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, illus. by Tom Browning
• The Great Reindeer Rebellion by Lisa Trumbauer, illus. by Jannie Ho

I'm particularly excited about The Night Before Christmas because the new granddaughter I think of as Tiny Anonymous Human (since I'm not allowed to post photos or mention her name) definitely needs her own copy of The Night Before Christmas. I can't wait to read it to her! But, alas, I have some waiting to do.

From a friend: 

• Out by Natsuo Karino

Movies:

We watched Bringing Out the Dead (1999), the movie version of Joe Connelly's fabulous novel (which is still sitting in my sidebar, but no worries . . . this one won't let go of me; I'll get around to reviewing). And, we watched the last halves of two other movies, which we happened across while flipping channels: Cactus Flower (a 1969 film I've heard of but had never before viewed starring Walter Matthau, Ingrid Bergman and Goldie Hawn, very entertaining) and Air America (an old favorite starring Mel Gibson in his glory days and Robert Downey, Jr. before he did drugs, got arrested, spent some time in jail, got his act together and became the fabulous creature he is, today).

In other news: 

We finally made a drink from Momosas by Paul Knorr. It was like dessert in a cup.  Yum!!!

Special message for e-book lovers and Colleen Gleason fans:

Colleen's Victoria Gardella Vampire series is being re-released in e-book form and The Rest Falls Away is on sale for a mere 99 cents for Kindle only until Thursday, Oct. 23.  Don't you love the new covers? I'm pretty sure I passed some of the earlier titles on to friends so I'll be buying copies of the new e-books. I've had regrets about not holding onto the entire series.

Final note:

Since I've had a couple very bad reading weeks . . . actually, 3 weeks, now (I've read a whopping 5 books in 20 days) and last week was just a Bad Internet Week, with various controversies and stupidity making me want to simultaneously rant and step away, I am going to avoid the computer for a couple weeks. I may drop in and write a review if I feel like it. But, there's not all that much left in my sidebar and apart from the backlog of children's books (most of which I need to reread before I can review them) it seems like a good time to take a mental health break for the restoration of my reading mojo and soul. I've found I need breaks from the Internet more often, now, no matter what's going on, but last week really did me in. Again, I may still drop in to write a review or two. I'm merely granting myself permission to step away for a couple weeks.

Happy Monday!

©2014 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason

Is that a gorgeous cover, or what?  

The Clockwork Scarab is the first in a new Young Adult Steampunk series by Colleen Gleason known as the "Stoker and Holmes" series. Evaline Stoker is author Bram Stoker's little sister and Mina Holmes is the niece of Sherlock Holmes.  The two young ladies are asked to investigate when a girl their age turns up dead and another goes missing.  A scarab is the factor in common at each site.  

Since The Clockwork Scarab was my first foray into the bizarre alternate reality known as Steampunk, I have to admit I had a terrible time just getting used to the idea of a world in which electricity is outlawed and all sorts of crazy gadgets are run by steam.  Next to thwart my efforts was the fact that Evaline Stoker is not only the sister of a real-life author but also counts Victoria Gardella, a fictional vampire hunter created by Gleason, as her ancestor.  And, then, of course Mina is the niece of a fictional character. It all makes one's head spin a bit.

As the misses Stoker and Holmes begin their investigation, something entirely unexpected turns up: a time traveler, who mentions that electricity was never really outlawed . . . not in his world, anyway.  He is also puzzled by the fact that one of the two young ladies is related to a fictional character. 

Lordy. Seriously, there was a bit too much adjustment necessary for the reading of The Clockwork Scarab.  Eventually, though, I got used to the many oddities of the book and began to enjoy the storyline.  Right away, the misses Stoker and Holmes discover a shadowy society of young women led by a person of indeterminate gender who is seeking to resurrect an Egyptian goddess. 

I won't tell you any more about the story but basically you have two girls investigating the deaths of their peers, a time-traveler from just a couple years beyond contemporary time and a secret society.  Mina has been taught well by Uncle Sherlock and it's quite fun to read her observations but Evaline threw me a bit.  She has the skills and strength of her ancestor but there aren't any vampires around.  The Gardellas have nicely nipped that little problem in the bud.  So, she's basically a Victoria Gardella-alike who wears split skirts and tucks sharp objects in various hidden places on her person but her part in the investigation boils down to knowledge of society girls, chasing down clues dropped by a shifty character who may or may not be Cockney and beating up on bad guys when necessary.

****UPDATE****

While The Clockwork Scarab didn't work for me and I felt iffy about recommending it (see my original thoughts, below), Colleen shared a very upbeat letter about her latest book on Facebook and I asked if I could post it, here, to give you an opposing viewpoint:

"Hi Colleen! Merry Christmas! I just wanted to share with you the difference you have made in my daughter's life. [She] has always hated reading, which is hard for me to understand since I have always loved it. (As the daughter of a librarian and working as an editor/proofreader for 16 years, it comes with the territory!) 

"I have always thought that if I could just find something that [my daughter] would enjoy reading, it would open her eyes to all the places reading could take her. Well, we found that in your book, The Clockwork Scarab. She loves it! She told me that she was up til 5:00 this morning, reading, because she just couldn't put it down! That's a first!! Keep up the awesome work, [she] needs more reading material!"

Iffy on recommendation - I had trouble getting into The Clockwork Scarab. Although eventually I did feel like it picked up a bit and I became accustomed to a world of steam-powered funky gadgets and the strange assortment of characters, there was still a mind-bending aspect -- too much going on, too bizarre the way those elements were placed together.  At Goodreads, I gave it an average 3-star rating. 

I was a big fan of the Victoria Gardella Vampire series so I chose to hang in there; but, the story was, unfortunately, also not wrapped up enough to suit me and that is the main reason I don't feel comfortable heartily recommending The Clockwork Scarab.  I'm okay with series books as long as they leave you with some sense of completion. The Victoria Gardella books were wrapped up well.  Hopefully, this is a one-off, the way the book ended up teasing the reader without providing a sense of completion.

©2013 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason

When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason
Copyright 2008
Signet Eclipse Paranormal Romance
354 pages

[Max] must have understood her desire, for he glanced at Kritanu. "Would you care to surrender the blade to Victoria? I do believe she wishes to stab me." His smile was nothing more than a flash of teeth.

Kritanu relinquished his weapon and stepped back as Victoria hefted it in her hand. She was used to the shorter khadara knives, or a long slender epee. But this was a much more serious blade. Heavier, and it would move differently.

"Perhaps you'd best don some protection," she returned, slicing the blade experimentally in front of her, from shoulder to floor. She adjusted the angle of her wrist and felt the weapon balance more comfortably.

Max snorted. He riposted back at her with a deep swipe that stirred the air. "I look forward to fighting unfettered--for I have no reason to hold myself in check matched against you." He moved neatly to the side when she brought her blade up again, and the metal weapons smashed together.

All right! That's the kind of scene I gobble up. I can't help it; I'm a total fan of Colleen Gleason's writing. When Twilight Burns contains absolutely everything I love about The Gardella Vampire Chronicles -- the action, adventure, romance, swordplay, two hunky heroes and the feisty heroine. Regardless of how many times I say, "Vampires are not my thing," there doesn't seem to be anything Colleen can do to turn me off. There's violence, yes. And, there are a couple of graphic sex scenes. But, I adore the characters. I admire Victoria's strength and appreciate the way she shows her human side, worrying about whether she's made the right choices but willing to sacrifice her innermost desires to aid humanity. My heart thumps wildly over the dangerously moody Max and I drool at the thought of the always-slick Sebastian.

In the fourth installment of the series, the romantic aspect takes a turn that I'd hoped it would eventually take. Colleen has opened a separate site for discussion (apart from her regular blog entries) and I don't want to give anything away, but the danger from Victoria's experience at the end of The Bleeding Dusk has not passed completely and there is a new threat: vampires with access to a formula that allows them to stalk people in the full light of day. Enough said. You must read the series to appreciate it.

Thumbs, fingers and toes up. I cannot wait for the 5th book.

Other reviews (If you've written a review, let me know and I'll provide a link):

Carl's mini review and interview at Stainless Steel Droppings

Stuff as Dreams Are Made On

Sticky Post! A Colleen Gleason Drawing!!!

The winner of the Colleen Gleason book drawing is . . . (drum roll):

#7 - aka_nik of Keep This on the DL

Congratulations, Nikki! I'll get in touch with you to ask which book you'd like to own. You're going to love it, I promise.

I never did post about my chat with Colleen, but suffice it to say she's a very busy chick. You can keep up with Colleen's schedule via her blog or website (which includes a place to sign up for her email list, her schedule of appearances and info about ordering "Powered by Vis Bulla" t-shirts, as well as info about the books). Note info about tomorrow's live webcast.

The release date of When Twilight Burns is tomorrow! And, it's great. I'm reading it. I still can't decide between Sebastian and Max. What a rough decision that must be for poor Victoria. Sebastian? Max? Sebastian? Max? Oh, the agony. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you really should just rush right out and buy the books.

Links to my reviews of Colleen's first three:
The Rest Falls Away
Rises the Night
The Bleeding Dusk

The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason

The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason
Release date: February 5, 2008!!! Good luck, Colleen!
Signet Eclipse
Paranormal Romance
346 pages (ARC)

What led you to pick up this book? I would have bought it, anyway, of course. But, Colleen had her publisher send me an advanced reader. Did I tell you Colleen is uber cool?

Summarize the plot but don't give away the ending. The third installment in the Victoria Gardella Vampire series takes place in Italy, as Victoria takes over the job of Illa Gardella (top vampire killer) and goes in search of a missing key to open the door of a long-locked laboratory. Victoria, aided by Max and still unsure of the loyalty of her dubious sometimes-lover, Sebastian, fights both vampires and a demon who has returned to earth.

What did you like most about the book? I love everything about this series, but particularly the action, the setting (love the time period), the characters, the dilemmas Victoria must face as a woman and the courage with which she faces each new challenge. Also, Colleen's writing is impeccable. I always feel like I'm completely immersed in the time and place; suspension of disbelief is simply not an issue.

What did you think of the characters? I adore the characters. All of them. I love the vampire slayers and it's easy to work up a fierce desire to stab the bad guys.

Share a favorite scene from the book: I can't! I'll give everything away! But, my favorite scene is right near the end and has to do with Victoria, Max, Sebastian, Beauregard, dripping blood, holy water. I can't even begin to tell you what a fabulous ending this book has.

In general: Better than the second book (which I loved), less graphic sex, more development of an already-terrific cast; a tremendous thrill-ride of a novel. Don't let the "romance" categorization put you off; the Victoria Gardella series is heavy on action and too fun to miss.

5/5 - A little slow at the beginning, but once it gets going you'll need a safety belt. It's one heck of a fun ride.

Second DNF of 2008: The Pickwick Papers because I realized I was skirting the book, avoiding it. Too saccharine? Too useful as a doorstop? Too many books at once? Probably a combination. But, I've decided that since it's almost February, I'm just going to move right along. Dickens and I will get together another time. Sorry, Chuck.

Just finished: Who Creamed Peaches, Anyway? by Stevi Mittman

Current weather conditions: Gusty. I'm going to have to shut down because the power is flickering, darn it. So much for evening computer fun.

Be good and eat all your Wheaties,
Bookfool in bad weather (with flashlight)

A Men Meme , a Million Miles, a Mail Delivery, a Mega-cool Contest and More

If only it wasn't true.

Lynne tagged me for the following meme . . . and you can't help but love the description:

“Ten Literary Characters I Would Totally Make Out With If I Were Single and They Were Real But I’m Not, Single I Mean, I Am Real, But I’m Also Happily Married and Want to Stay That Way So Maybe We Should Forget This.”

Hahaha. I love it. This is a much harder list to come up with than I imagined. I tend to forget the characters in a book pretty quickly, so I had to really work at it. Here's my list:

1. Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice (Colin Firth would do fine)
2. Ranger from the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich
3. Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind
4. Either Sebastian or Max in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles by Colleen Gleason (or both, but not at the same time)
5. Joe Morelli from the Stephanie Plum books
6. William Ferrers from Sense and Sensibility (not the actor - the character)
7. Cavin of Far Star from Your Planet or Mine? by Susan Grant
8. Dr. Powell from The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier
9. Reef, also of Your Planet or Mine by Susan Grant? (and How to Lose an Extraterrestrial in 10 days, which I haven't yet read)
10. Edward Cullen from Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

That was fun! I'm supposed to tag a few people. Les, Colleen (because she had to have gotten her inspiration for Sebastian and Max somewhere), and Kookiejar, tag, you're it!

Speaking of Colleen and her wonderful novels . . . Kailana has a contest going and the prize is a $25 Amazon gift card, a Vis Bulla t-shirt and a copy of Colleen's next book, The Bleeding Dusk. Not an ARC but a real copy with the gorgeous purple cover. Signed and everything! Oooooh, ahhhhh. In order to enter the contest, you need to either write a fan fiction, draw a picture, or take a photo relating in some way to Colleen's novels - the Gardella Vampire Chronicles (read the full details at Kailana's blog). And, of course, if you haven't read them you really ought to just run right out and get the first two, anyway. So, Kailana has given you added incentive. Very cool. Don't you think Colleen must have done something good to garner such fantastic cover art? I never cease to be amazed by her knock-out covers.

In latest news . . . it's Million-Mile Monday (for us, anyway)! Meaning, Delta's Sky Miles program sent hubby a note saying he has reached a million miles of travel with Delta Airlines and he gets a free gift. Well, cool. But, think about it. That's one airline we're talking about. A million miles in 20 years. 50,000 miles a year. At an average of 50 weeks per year (let's just assume he actually stays home for two weeks a year), we're talking 1,000 miles per week. Since 2001, the airlines have downgraded the number of miles they award. That makes it 1000+ miles - not just a thousand but at least a thousand miles a week, on average, that my husband has traveled since our move to the Deep South. And, my Huzzybuns does not just fly with Delta Airlines. Is it any wonder I feel like I've been a single parent for my entire adult life? I looked at that card and thought maybe the husband ought to give me a gift for putting up with him. So, I went to the Delta site and picked out the free gift, a cute little roll-on suitcase. And, you know who will be here when it shows up on the doorstep . . . moi. I feel like I should insert an evil laugh, here. Except, you know, the husband said it was fine if I picked the suitcase out for myself. It would almost be more fun to feel like I'm being sneaky.

It's also Mug the Mailman Monday! Although, I didn't have to mug him because he very kindly delivers. Point being, I got a book in the mail, today. Ask anyone about that and they'll say, "So, what else is new?" Okay, yes, books frequently come and go by mail, here. But, this one is special because I won it from j.kaye in a drawing. It's always ridiculously exciting to win something, especially when you're enough of an airhead to have already forgotten by the time it arrives (yep, that's me). I've tucked her note inside, so you can see it:


J. Kaye's review made it sound like loads of fun, so I'm hoping I'll get to this one, soon.

Currently reading: A Vision of Murder by Victoria Laurie. Figured I'd try to squeeze in one more RIP novel. This one has something to do with ghosts, but I haven't gotten that far, yet.

The book I most want to get my mitts on, as soon as possible: Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje

A random photo that I happened across while looking for photos of autumn leaves (but it was taken in December . . . in Louisiana):


Makes you want to break out the paint set, doesn't it?

Must go. My cat needs me. Happy Monday or Tuesday or Whatever Day You Read This!

Bookfool in a good mood

If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name by Heather Lende and a whole lotta linky stuff

While he talked, I looked through the open door at two eagles circling in the warm breeze high above the water. Although I've seen thousands, the sight of an eagle in flight still moves me in a way I can't explain. It's like a prayer. In Tlingit legend, all animals, rivers, and even places have spirits, just like people. Tlingits believe that human and natural spirits are not separate but intertwined and that those spirits move throughout time and space. A child who is named for a grandmother is so closely linked to the elder's soul that she is even called "Grandma" by her parents. In the same way, an old man's "uncle" can be an infant.

I fanned myself with the funeral program and wondered if eagles and spirits and mountains and maybe even strange lights and meteors are God's way of getting our attention. Do we feel God's presence because we are looking for him, or do we feel it because he is looking for us?

The minute I closed If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name, I thought, "Oh, man, this one's going to be hard to review." It's not so much that there's anything complex about the book. The fact is, I enjoyed it so much that I'm not certain I can do it justice.

If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name is a memoir written by tiny Haines, Alaska's obituary writer, columnist and radio commentator. She has a family of 6 (5 children, 1 husband) and volunteers for just about everything. She's spiritual, reflective, outdoorsy and loves where her family lives. Because she writes obituaries and spends a lot of time interviewing the survivors, a great deal of the writing in her book is wrapped around various deaths. But, it's not morbid or depressing in any way, although the stories are often touching (as in, "Pass me the Kleenex, would you, babe?"). Instead, Lende brings the characters of Haines to life and ponders what it all means - life and death, beauty and God, family and friends and how they all interact in a tiny town where you can skirt around people but they'll still know all about you and probably what you're up to while you're avoiding them.

The result is a quiet book of anecdotal reflection very much like Anne Lamott's writing, with the kind of wacky set of characters you only meet in small towns. I laughed and cried while I read it; in the end, as I closed the book I was snuffling and wiping away tears when the youngster walked into my bedroom. I told him about the ending and he nodded. He knew exactly why I was really crying - why the end of the book hit me in that way - and he was nice about it, even though he thinks I'm a complete sap. Okay, he knows I'm a complete sap.

Just before her planned book tour in 2005, Heather Lende was literally run over by a truck while biking. She's still alive, thank goodness, and writing another book. I would have been really heartbroken if there had been a tragic ending after reading about life in small-town Alaska through such a remarkable, warm-hearted person's eyes. You can read all about her, here. Or go to the home page of Heather's website. But, I'd recommend that you read the book. It's beautiful. I wish she lived next door to me.

5/5 - huge thumbs up

In other news: The spouse has just written me an email: "Okay, Sydney is on the short list of places to visit." Geez. Didn't I tell him that? I distinctly recall saying he could just take me along and drop me off in Sydney because it's one of the coolest places on the planet, judging by everything I've read about it. He has been longing for my camera the entire time he's been in Australia. And, I'm not so sure I shouldn't have just sent it with him. I did get some cool lizard, moth, little green leaf-imitator and bird photos. But, Australia is apparently rather exotic. He has sent me photos of spectacular sunsets, funky birds, and a very toothy crocodile. I feel kind of bad for hogging the good camera. Here's the crocodile:


With my camera, he could have gotten photos that a crocodile dentist would appreciate.

Meanwhile, I'm taking photos of exciting things like bluejays:


But, hey. Nice action, eh? Just one more day till we fetch the spouse from the airport!!

I'm still stalled at #44 in my "100 Things About Me" post. I'm not sure there are 56 more things worth mentioning. In fact, I keep looking at my list and thinking, "I should delete that one. And, that one."

Sitting here typing and a message has just come in . . . Yippee!!! Wahoo!! Another terrific Estella's Revenge ezine is online!! I've got two reviews in this one:

What I Believe by Norma Fox Mazer and
Held at a Distance by Rebecca Haile

My interviews with Colleen Gleason and Simon Van Booy have been delayed partly because Andi said she already had plenty, partly because I fell down on the job, and a little bit because I couldn't get in touch with anyone when I finally decided to scramble and get my act together. So, if I disappear and only two people hear from me (namely, Colleen and Simon) for a few days, it's because I have never missed a deadline in my life and I just blew it. Can I cry husband-on-the-other-side-of-the-world stress?

Recently Walked in the Door:

Fugitive Pieces - Anne Michaels
Hotel Du Lac - Anita Brookner
Blowing My Cover: My Life as a CIA Spy - Lindsay Moran
Hurricane - Karen Harper (thanks to the wonderful, generous Book Fairy Barbara)
The Secret Life of Lobsters - Trevor Corson
The Ocean in the Closet - Yuko Taniguchi

It was already on my Non-Fiction Five Challenge pile, but I just moved The Writing Life by Annie Dillard to the top, thanks to the fact that Heather Lende mentioned it in If You Lived Here, etc. I figure if she enjoys Annie Dillard, I will. You'll be the first to know the verdict.

Is it just me, or does it seem like I'm always being spotted by these guys and glared at?


Okay, off to do the laundry, gather the recyclables, tidy the house and read. Hope you all have a peachy day!

Bookfool, anxious to have a husband back in the house (and not merely because he cooks)

Author, Author

Author photos!! I've got them!

Here's Colleen Gleason, posing with a copy of Rises the Night:


And, below, Simon Van Booy, signing my copy of The Secret Lives of People in Love (which I managed to spill water on, as I left it on the nightstand and someone knocked the bottle over; Simon says that makes it more special; but, it took an annoying two days for the book to dry out, during which I was unable to read for fear of tearing pages):