Sunday, October 30, 2016

Fortnightly Update #22: More Book Shipments and the Weird Twists of 2016


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

the-pile Additions:

I placed an order with my favorite online bookstore, Better World Books during their used book sale, but then I had to place another order with them when I finished Star of the Morning, because I liked it so well I needed to find out how the characters would fare. I paid approximately $2 or less for each of these, and Better World Books has free international shipping.


Chalice by Robin McKinley
The Door in the Hedge by Robin McKinley
I need some happy books in my life, and Robin McKinley tends to write them, so I chose Chalice and The Door in the Hedge as they had the highest ratings of her available/on sale books.

The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman
Rather self-explanatory, as Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors- I'm amassing a horde of her books so I'll never run out. The cover for this one is gorgeous.

The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin
I read this one as it's fairly short- see my impression under 'Finished These Books'.

Windhaven by George R.R. Martin and Lisa Tuttle
This appears to a science fiction about an accidental space colony that somehow made wings out of their old spaceship that allows humans to fly. Though it's different from Tuf Voyaging, I'm hoping I'll like it just as much.


The Mage's Daughter (Nine Kingdoms #2) by Lynn Kurland (pictured below in Currently Reading)
Princess of the Sword (Nine Kingdoms #3) by Lynn Kurland
A Tapestry of Spells (Nine Kingdoms #4) by Lynn Kurland
I bought the rest of the first Nine Kingdoms trilogy and the first book of the next, just to keep my shelves full. I'm enjoying Lynn Kurland's take on fantasy that has just enough romance to tempt those who like it into reading more.

Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman
Fortune's Daughter by Alice Hoffman
Again, my Alice Hoffman collection is slowly growing. I tend to read her books whenever I have a reading slump because they rarely disappoint me.


The Blood Mirror (Lightbringer #4) by Brent Weeks
This is a new release I preordered at Barnes and Noble so I could get a signed editon.

the-invisible-pile Additions:

None!

Currently Reading:



As a treat to myself this year, I preordered this book, so I also got it signed! I'm reading this slowly, because there are a lot of revelations in this book and my brain is slow to process anything right now.


Yay for a normally proportioned female on the cover of a fantasy book! I'm about halfway through this and I hope to finish it before the end of October. I want to get my Goodreads reading challenge done early this year so I can concentrate on more celebratory things.

Finished These Books:




As I mentioned two weeks ago, this is an unusual paranormal romance in terms of the depth of the worldbuilding. It didn't quite make it to four stars for me, but it was very close, and I recommend it to those who like paranormal romance and science fiction.


Out by Natsuo Kirino
I wasn't sure if I'd actually finish this when I started it, but I did (and in a timely fashion). This was the perfect thriller to suit my mood... and normally, I do not like thrillers (as evidenced by the pile of them I've read one chapter of and tossed aside).


The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin (Links to my Goodreads mini review)
Though this looks by all appearances to be a children's book, it really isn't. It's more suited to the young adult or middle grade age range, though it's really more for George R.R. Martin fans who must read everything he's written (like me). If you're interested in his books but don't want to read A Game of Thrones, I'd start with Tuf Voyaging or Fevre Dream rather than this one.


There are some gems in this collection, though it starts a bit weak. I read this as Mini Macabre Review Monday fodder, but it does do nicely as a seasonal read as well.


I expected to rate this five stars, especially given how much I loved Frankenstein despite my low expectations of it, but though Dracula started strong, it didn't stay that way for me. It's a bit disappointing, as I am a huge fan of vampires and Dracula-inspired books, but the style in which it was written (diary entries, letters, and the like) made it difficult to trudge through at points. Not to mention all the women in the book are pretty darn incompetent. 

In the Blogosphere:

La La @ La La in the Library shares her and other bloggers' inexplicable experiences in her Saturday Evening Conversations: Ghost Stories post.

Vee @ IFoundMyselfReading posts How to Review a Trans Book as a Cis Person. I found this very helpful.

I think I forgot some posts, but I'll get to them next time.

In My Life (Weird Twists):

George isn't as sainted/innocent as he looks
If you had asked me in April what I'd be getting in the mail from the DMV at the end of October, I would've thought immediately it would be my driver's license, as that was what I was studying for. Instead, I went to the doctor last week and asked her to fill out a form for a temporary disability placard to put in my mom's car. We had been using my mom's temporary placard she got from her hip surgery because of my severe difficulties walking, but it was due to expire. My doctor noted that I'd filled it out for another temporary placard, and said I'd probably need a permanent one instead, because she didn't think they'd be able to resolve my gait difficulties in six months (the lifespan of a temporary disability placard).


I finally have an appointment with the University of Utah Neurology Department, which is currently set for January 30th, 2017. If we're lucky and someone cancels, I might be able to snag an earlier appointment, if I'm quick enough to answer my phone.

Even weirder twists:

Yes, these are the two best pictures I was able to take of poor Keisha
The Dorkie doesn't appreciate when I take photos of her in her new sweater, which I loom knitted in my free time. I used Homespun Cherry Blossom yarn (if I remember the color name right), along with some glittery fun fur yarn I picked out last year for her collar.


Since I don't like using metal canes (because click-click-click-click-click with every step you take) which come in all sorts of wild colors, I decided to knit my cane a sweater with fall colors. I had some leftover Homespun yarn in some sort of ombre color that fit the bill. Basically, this entire loom knitting section is all Homespun yarn- I used to not like it, but lately the colors of it have won me over.


After I finished that, I thought I'd make a hat or a bag with the remaining yarn. I think this will end up a hat, if I don't mess it up.

Is anyone else crafting this time of year? Which books have you been reading lately?

8 comments:

  1. Awww Dorkie looks adorable with her new sweater! Your cane is also looking very snazzy! I've been working on my knitting this past week as well and I finished a blue ruffle scarf and am currently halfway through a purple ribbed scarf. I haven't heard of loom knitting but it looks really cool! I know how to knit regularly, purl, and crochet but I haven't done loom knitting. I'll have to see if I can try it out sometime! Happy ready for your next fortnight, Litha!

    Laura @BlueEyeBooks

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    1. Thanks- I'm not sure she actually appreciates it, but she might if she has to forge through snow drifts this winter. ;) Your scarves sound gorgeous! Loom knitting is the only way I know how to knit- diehard knitters disapprove of it, as it's somewhat of a shortcut, but my hands can't handle much at this point. Happy Halloween!
      Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Laura!
      ~Litha Nelle

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  2. Oh my Keisha! She will be happy for it when it is below zero outside. Ha ha. I have never seen a smnall knitting loom like that before. It interests me. I crochet mostly in the winter when being out and about is not my thing (which reminds me I need to get a bottle of vodka because once it is cold out my Friday Night Martini Girls are on their own, ha ha). I can knit, akso, but only a couple of simple stitches, so beyond making plain scarves and pot holders, I am worthless. I love handspun yarns. I love how organic they look. Thanks for the pic of George, too. I have been missing him.

    You got quite a stack last month! If I keep liking Alice Hoffman's books as much as I like Faithful, I will be starting to collect them in hardcover, too! I can see why they would help in reading slumps. I was interested in the main character right away and reading the story is effortless.

    I didn't love Dracula either, but I was the opposite. I didn't like the beginning and liked the back half better. I found out during all the Halloween themed reading that I prefer short stories when it comes to Horror and really dark Fantasy. I have already bought another ebook anthology for next year.

    Sorry I haven't been around much, October is a brutal month for me because I do some freelance make-up gigs to get extra Christmas gift money. It starts with our annual zombie walk on First Fruday and ends with the Halloween charity balls the weekend before Halloween. I usually get roped into some costuming too. I am not very good at saying no. Ha ha. I plan on comment spamming the posts I missed.

    I am happy to hear you have a solid appointment at the university!

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    1. Keisha isn't happy now- and now is all that matters to a Dorkie. ;) My loom is actually 28 inches, but I have one that's about 8 inches or so for socks and small items. It took me a while to learn different techniques for loom knitting (the internet/youtube is a huge help) but the Dorkie sweater technique was actually my own idea, as I couldn't find an easy way anywhere else.

      I'm grateful I stocked up on happy books. I love Alice Hoffman's old hardcovers, as the back of the dust jackets all have a picture of her during the time it was published in. Someday I'll have to take a picture and feature it in a post- they're rather neat.

      I like short horror stories to- sometimes, I'll find a good horror book, but if I'm reading a horror book that isn't so good, I end up wasting a lot of time on it. Short stories I can read in their entirety in under an hour, so it isn't as much wasted time.

      I think our busiest months are November and December because of the traveling and the planning that takes. Feel free to spam as much as you like. ;)
      I'm glad I have an appointment, too. I've had my fingers crossed that I might be able to get in sooner, but we'll see.
      Thanks for stopping by and commenting, La La!
      ~Litha Nelle

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  3. And I keep forgetting to say thank you for the shoutouts, there was one last time I forgot to acknowledge, too!

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    1. You're welcome- I'm sure I've forgotten some of mine before, too. :P
      ~Litha Nelle

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  4. Also, while I am thinking about it, you should link up your Fortnightly Updates with The Sunday Post. You don't have to call it The Sunday Post. Everyone keeps whatever they call their updates.

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    1. I'm a bit reluctant to do that because of the sheer amounts of spammy comments I see on meme posts- I try to not judge, but whenever I see "Nice post, here's mine" I wish there were an option to block that person from ever seeing my blog (laugh out loud). I guess I'm a bit of a reclusive blogger. ;)
      ~Litha Nelle

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