This week I haven't done much at all- mostly, I've been trying to figure out how to do my daily tasks by using my right hand as much as possible. Of course, now that I'm doing that, I'm worried that it, too will fail me, but I guess that's something I'll just have to risk. My left arm, in general, has been beastly this past week, which is why I was scarcely seen on the interwebs, except to lodge complaints about its functionality on Twitter. Touching a keyboard is painful, but holding a video game controller doesn't even seem to hurt much. It still baffles me.
Recent Acquisitions (or the Piling of the-Piles):
the-pile Additions:
I think I ordered these from Better World Books in March, but they arrived shortly after my last Fortnightly Update. With this shipment, I now have a bookshelf full of Anne Bishop's works to finish off while I wait for the price for Marked in Flesh to drop. I also picked up some of C.J. Cherryh's fantasy books, because her Faded Sun Trilogy was so rich in worldbuilding for science fiction. Daggerspell has been on my to-read list forever on Goodreads, likely due to it being authored by a female (I'm a bit biased). I was surprised to find The Language of Threads in such fine shape- it looks like it came straight off of a bookstore shelf and was never read. I picked that one due to Gail Tsukiyama tearing my heart out with The Samurai's Garden, which was a just plain beautiful book.
The Language of Threads by Gail Tsukiyama
Daggerspell (Deverry #1) by Katharine Kerr
The Dreaming Tree (Arafel #1-2) by C.J. Cherryh
Fortress in the Eye of Time (Fortress #1) by C.J. Cherryh
Bridge of Dreams (Ephemera #3) by Anne Bishop
The Pillars of the World (Tir Alainn #1) by Anne Bishop
Shadows and Light (Tir Alainn #2) by Anne Bishop
The House of Gaian (Tir Alainn #3) by Anne Bishop
the-invisible-pile Additions:
I found myself on an ebook buying spree due to delicious deals at the evil empire that is Amazon:
Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death (The Grantchester Mysteries #1) by James Runcie
I bought this because I'm absolutely addicted to Masterpiece Mystery's take on the series (Grantchester). I'm hoping that it has a somewhat similar feel to the books.
Sing the Four Quarters (Quarters #1) by Tanya Huff
I've wanted to read another of Tanya Huff's books, but since this one was on sale for very cheap as a daily deal, I may start with it. I'm curious about it, as I've read The Naming/The Gift by Alison Croggon, which is a similar in theme YA fantasy and liked it a lot.
Midnight Riot [AKA Rivers of London in the UK] (Peter Grant #1) by Ben Aaronovitch
True story: as with many (many) books I picked up before I found Goodreads, I found a later book in this series and bought it, thinking it was the first in the series (this happens a lot with me). Anyway, now that I have the actual first book in the series in my grasp, I expect to be entertained with a fun urban fantasy, especially given Charlaine Harris's endorsement/blurb.
Dreamsongs Volume I (Dreamsongs #1) by George R.R. Martin
I almost skipped this one, but then decided I needed another George R.R. Martin book in my stockpile, just in case Winds of Winter will take forever and a day to write, which looks to be the case as of now.
Currently Reading:
I'm supposed to be reading Belladonna, but with my hands being cranky, it's a bit of a chore. I have a feeling I'll be picking up something else to read soon.
Finished These Books:
Ship of Magic (Liveship Traders #1) by Robin Hobb
I liked this one, though it didn't quite reach the heights of Assassin's Apprentice. I've been chipping away on a review for it, though it is taking a while to come to fruition.
A Kiss at Midnight (Fairy Tales #1) by Eloisa James
Think Cinderella set in the Regency era. I really enjoyed this book's take on the tale, though something about it didn't quite merit 4 stars.
Much Ado About You (Essex Sisters #1) by Eloisa James
With this one, there were too many threads to it to make it enjoyable. I think what I disliked most was the characters really didn't behave the way I expected them to, and beyond that, it took a while for me to differentiate the four sisters distinctly. The author claims Little Women as this book's inspiration, which I can see, but it really didn't impress me as much as I thought it would, given my like for A Kiss at Midnight.
La La in the Library has a review of an adult coloring book, along with a giveaway!
Heather @ Based on a True Story shares her DNA Results, which makes me wonder about what my own might be if I ever save up enough to do it.
Megan @ The Never Ending Book Basket shares her lovely experience with Amazon, just in case you thought you might be safe posting your reviews there. Personally, I don't post reviews there unless the book is 4+ stars because of trolls.
In My Life:
I repotted much of my minion army, resulting in this lovely conglomeration in the sun porch:
In pet news, George learned to plank/hunt birds from inside the house:
I think his icy blue eyes give him away.
Happy reading, take it easy with the blogging (says my undead left arm), and make sure to enter my blogiversary giveaway (there's a few free entries available)!
Your post was wonderful and looks like you were to able to get quite a bit of reading done. Sorry your hands are bothering you. I hope they get better soon. <3
ReplyDeleteYes, it's been a pretty good time to read for me. Thanks for your well wishes, I hope you have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting, Michelle!
~Litha Nelle
I feel for you. I want for you to feel better and you to be in no more pain. If only it were that simple. :-(
ReplyDeleteI haven't yet read any of your new Better World books, but they all sound good. I keep forgetting that Anne Bishop has written quite a few books.
I really like what I've read Tanya Huff and hope you enjoy Sing the Four Quarters. I've read all the books in that series and enjoyed them. It was years ago though.
I've been seriously considering doing the DNA test to check my ancestry. I've always been interested in my family tree and think it would be fun to know more. I'll have to keep in mind what Heather said about Scotland and Wales likely coming up as Ireland--I may see that too, given I can trace part of my family to a Scottish Clan. Anyway, cost is my big deterrent too.
That is terrible about what happened to Megan. I don't post reviews to Amazon. Although I do use Goodreads, which I know their affiliated with. :-(
I hope your arm is feeling better soon! Have a good rest of the week!
Well, if I had no pain, there's no guarantee that I'd even be a book blogger. It would be an alternate reality! But, I appreciate the sentiment. ;)
DeleteI hadn't realized she wrote series other than the Others and her Black Jewels, which are the only two I hear talked about, much of the time. I hope I enjoy Sing the Four Quarters, too: it looks like an interesting read. At first, I thought it was self pubbed due to the cover, but it looks like they made a new cover for the ebook version.
I think DNA tests/results would be terribly interesting to have, given my penchant for watching Finding Your Roots and Who Do You Think You Are, among other such genealogy oriented fare. If I could swing it, it might be better to have my mom and one of my brothers tested, as that would tell more about the variances in my maternal and paternal lines (apparently having a Y chromosome is useful for some things).
I felt so bad for Megan when I read her story! It's a shame that Amazon has the monopoly on ebooks, as I would switch if you could get as many ebooks at B&N/Nook.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Wendy! I hope you have a great week as well!
~Litha Nelle
Sorry about your arm! I had a really bad fall about 30 years ago and I mangled my shoulder. It still gets very bad sometimes and I basically can do zero with the entire arm. That is why Sebastian bought me my first Kindle Fire tablet. You type with one finger of one hand, so your bad arm can stay immobile. I have gotten so good at blogging with them (I have two Fires now) that even when my shoulder is doing well, I still blog (and everything else internet related) on my Fires! The latest model is only $49.99 with free shipping, and my sister waited for a sale and got her's for $39.99. The resolution isn't as good as with the bigger Fires and the HD Fire like my other one, but it is still pretty good. You might want to save your pennies for one, especially if this is going to be an ongoing, or reoccurring thing with your arm.
ReplyDeleteThe Gail Tsukiyama books sound interesting. I will have to check them out. I love George's eyes so much! I hope you are having a better week than before. :)
I do use my Fire to comment (sometimes), but it is difficult to type more than a few sentences (for me) on it. I've been looking into alternatives like Dragon software (dictation software) but it doesn't look that reliable- I'm hoping with enough rest and practice typing sessions, my arm will acquiesce to my typing desires with little pain. I have the Fire HDX, which has been my favorite- I upgraded from an HD. They are useful little things. For now, I think I'll just scale back the blog posts, but thank you for the advice. This useless arm thing is a pain!
DeleteGail Tsukiyama writes short books in a way that makes it feel like it's a long book- they pack a punch. I'm hoping I like the Language of Threads as much as the Samurai's Garden.
George has such telling eyes- they don't keep secrets. My mom thinks he has the most gorgeous eyes, though I'm partial to my dog Torrie's eyes. And you are most welcome for the shout-out- I try to advertise giveaways I like.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, La La!
~Litha Nelle
I have Dragon. I have had it for a couple of years, but I haven't tried it out yet. It is just sitting in the box. When I do get it up and running, I'll tell you if it works well or not. :)
DeleteMy mom says they use it for kids at her school that have trouble writing their thoughts down. However, since she teaches math, she doesn't know how well they work: any firsthand info would be helpful. :)
Delete~Litha Nelle
And for goodness sake! I forgot to thank you for the shoutout. :D
ReplyDelete