Sunday, August 21, 2016

Fortnightly Update #17: A Conversation and a Sci-fi Spree


In case you don't follow me on Twitter (where I randomly rant), I was interviewed by La La in the Library for her Saturday Evening Conversations post- it's full of interesting facts like how I've been writing a book for 12 years... and I just realized that I've been writing one book for over half my life. I'm fairly obsessive about writing.

Recent Acquisitions (or the Piling of the-Piles):

the-pile Additions:

None! (Though I have another Better World Books shipment en route- I need something to cheer me up).

the-invisible-pile Additions:

None!

Currently Reading:


I've picked up several books (and even books with short stories), but this is the only one that's held my attention for more than a few pages. And the reason why it's held my attention? The heroine may be having incestuous thoughts about her brother, who is currently sharing her body due to magical meddling reasons. Hmm...


Magic Binds (Kate Daniels #9) by Ilona Andrews 
Expected publication: September 20th
This is much less controversial- Kate and Curran are simply the perfect couple. That's all I have to say about this one so far.

Finished These Books (My Sci-fi Spree):


Oryx and Crake (MaddAddam #1) by Margaret Atwood
I was a bit disappointed with this one, but given I had a depressed mood starting it and that it is a semi-depressing book, it wasn't the best book for me to read in the first place. It reminded me a lot of The Heart Goes Last. I think my favorite of Atwood's will always be Cat's Eye (which isn't sci-fi dystopic at all).


Though this one was cute, it didn't quite strike me as much as Carriger's previous series about Pru's parents, The Parasol Protectorate. I wish this one had more going for it other than being a light steampunk romp with a pinch of romance, but it doesn't.


Tuf Voyaging by George R.R. Martin
This was the most enjoyable book I've read in the past few weeks- it's set in space and it has plenty of cats, along with other mysterious critters. Tuf's wisecracks kept me smiling even though the past few weeks have been tough for me physically and mentally. It's also the only book I've fully reviewed thus far.


A Fall of Moondust by Arthur C. Clarke
Imagine this- you're vacationing on the moon when disaster hits, and your cruiser/tourist bus has been buried beneath the moondust (a mercury-like substance they theorized covered the moon prior to man setting foot on the surface). Though I found the premise intriguing, I didn't relate to the characters, and therefore, I didn't care much what happened, or how it happened. This is a good read, but would be more appreciated by people fascinated with the technical elements (even though I found many of those questionable as well, but again, this was published in 1961).

In the Blogosphere:

Val @ Innocent Smiley does a guest post at The Fox's Hideaway about Shattering Stigmas on mental illness and her Chinese heritage.

Kritika @ Snowflakes and Spider Silk is planning a new series of posts on Bookish Eats. Sounds yummy!

Erin @ The Paperback Stash reviews Alfred Hitchcock: A Brief Life by Peter Ackroyd. Her review intrigued me so much it went straight to my want-to-read list.

If you're in need of a smile, stop by Michelle @ True Book Addict's Cat Thursday - Olympics! post. George currently holds the best napping record in our house.

In My Life:


I'm still walking as though my legs will go out at any minute. Since I noticed my walking has steadily degraded, I saw my doctor, who sent me for an MRI of my brain. I learned I'll be likely waiting until October for a neurologist appointment, so I'm hoping they find something definitive on the MRI so I could possibly be helped now, instead of later. I went in for the MRI Thursday, but my doctor's office was closed on Friday, so I figured I would have to wait for the results. Then she called on Friday, leaving a vague message. We called her back, and of course she wasn't there.

I'm frustrated with my healthcare at this point, because I am now using a walker instead of a cane most of the day just for safety reasons. I usually exercise on our stationary bike, but though I used to be able to have it on the third resistance level and pedal 5 miles, I'm now using no resistance and I can barely pedal one mile. As a person who previously enjoyed being outside and going for walks, these symptoms have not been easy to deal with. It's been at least 27 days since I last walked semi-normally, and I feel like I've been living out a bad dream ever since then.

Is anyone else on a specific genre-reading spree? Which hobby have you persevered with the longest (I'm fairly sure mine is writing)?

4 comments:

  1. I didn't care for The Heart Goes Last, but still plan on reading A Handmaid's Tale. I have put Tuf Voyaging on my tbr! I think I might hold the record for napping in my house, but don't tell anybody. I really hope you can get your medical all sorted out soon. Sending good energies. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Heart Goes Last and The Handmaid's Tale aren't a lot alike from what I recall- the only pet peeve that seems to tank everyone's opinion of The Handmaid's Tale is that there are no quotation marks for dialogue. People really seemed to hate that, but it didn't bother me at all- I guess I just pay attention.
      Yay- I hope you like Tuf Voyaging! George wasn't as relaxed last year, but this year he has days that he thinks are "nap days". I have to wonder if that's due to his "hyper cat days" where he terrorizes the dogs trying to get them to chase him. ;)
      I haven't heard anything from my Doctor yet, despite my mom calling them lots. I don't know what's up with that. :/
      Thanks for stopping by and commenting, La La!
      ~Litha Nelle

      Delete
  2. I hope you receive some answers when you get your MRI results back. I'm thinking of you.

    I am not currently on a genre-reading spree, although I am anxious to get my next to books read so I can go on one. I really need to dive into something fantasy based . . . My current read is a book club pick, and it's not at all what I'm in the mood for.

    I love that you are writing a book. :-) Does reading count as a hobby? That would be at the top of my list of longest held hobbies. Writing would be up there too. I am not writing a book, but I do have to write--whether it be blogging, journaling, writing poetry or stories or even letters . . . It's one of my stress relievers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We're still waiting on my MRI results- I don't know what's up with the doctor's office I go to, but it's like pulling teeth to get them to call back. :/
      I thought I'd feel restricted with my sci-fi challenge this summer, but it hasn't been that hard for me to read sci-fi. Finding sci-fi books I would rate higher than 4 Stars is more of a challenge. I hope it isn't too long before you can read some fantasy fiction.
      I never thought of reading as a hobby (although I list it as one in my about section), but I guess you're right! I must think I'm a professional reader by now. ;) Writing is a great stress reliever- I always read or write before bed and I seem to sleep better that way.
      Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Wendy!
      ~Litha Nelle

      Delete

Feel Free to Express Yourself:
Agree? Disagree? Have something to add?

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...