Instead of writing this half-brain-dead on Sunday, I decided for quality control purposes to save this for Monday, when I'd actually gotten some rest. My weekend plans were interrupted when my mom grew concerned over my 89 year old grandmother's health, and I chose to tag along with her back to Montana to make sure my grandma was okay. As luck would have it, my grandma's health got better before we left, but I was glad I got down to see her despite not being able to sleep for approximately 32 hours (insomnia isn't the friendliest companion).
Recent Acquisitions (or the Piling of the-Piles):
the-pile Additions:I actually found some winners at a thrift shop in Idaho recently (must be all those garage sale leftovers):
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber
This was a miniseries on tv a while back, but being I like to limit screen time I chose not to watch it despite my interest. Basically the plot of this follows a prostitute in Victorian London as she makes her way through society. If this is done well, it could be awesome, despite being a heavyweight hardcover.
Lord of the Isles (Lord of the Isles #1) by David Drake
This book has a low star average on Goodreads, but I've been known to love books that aren't particularly that popular before. As you may be able to tell from the cover, it's epic fantasy, and another heavyweight hardcover.
Local Girls by Alice Hoffman
I read anything and everything by Alice Hoffman, and I didn't yet have the pleasure of having access to this book.
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
A WWII historical/contemporary fiction that has a high star rating on Goodreads. I've had some awful luck with historical/contemporary mixups before, but I have a good feeling about this one.
the-invisible-pile Additions:
Last night I checked the prices on my Amazon wishlist, and discovered two titles I've been wanting to read were available at a discount, so I snagged them:
Darkfever (Fever #1) by Karen Marie Moning
Everyone buzzes about this series, and I have a nasty habit of not liking the uber-highly-rated paranormal romance. We'll see if I like it or not.
Hounded (The Iron Druid Chronicles #1) by Kevin Hearne
Since I've become an urban fantasy devourer, I needed this book to complete my collection of need-to-read urban fantasy series(es). I'm excited, since it's supposed to be Celtic mythology, and I like Celtic anything.
Ransom (Highlands' Lairds #2) by Julie Garwood
This wasn't on my wishlist, but was a Daily Deal, and since Julie Garwood is one of my favorite authors as far as historical romance, I chose to click buy.
Currently Reading:
The Sleeping King by Cindy Dees and Bill Flippin
I'm about halfway through now and I'm focusing most of my reading energy on this (since it's a review copy), but for epic fantasy it's really starting to go by quickly. I like that there aren't just a few set 'races' of people who exist, every time I read I get to see some other type of humanoid. Some of them remind me of the Elder Scrolls races, though.
Kesrith (The Faded Sun #1) by C.J. Cherryh
Still reading this too, although I'm more focused on the review book. I love that the humans are invading the aliens' planet and not the other way around.
Finished These Books:
The Suffragette Scandal (Brothers Sinister #4) by Courtney Milan
Even though I loved the characters, the ending was a little too la-dee-dah (yes, that is a technical blogging term) for my taste. I love historical romance in that you can make some headway in making history more fair, but for me, the ending was pure fluffy fantasy. I wanted my fluffy fantasy ending with several ounces more realism.
Since I've been not doing too well blogging myself, I haven't properly done the rounds to check out what everyone else was up to. You'll have to come back in a few weeks, or check my Bloglovin' profile for all the saved posts.
In My Life:
It has been mighty smoky in these parts (southeast Idaho) for the past week due to all the diligently burning wildfires. I'm sure most of the Northwestern US is the same, so I'd like to thank all those firefighters who help Smokey Bear out in his quest to quell wildfires. I can't stand to be outside myself, so I can only imagine working with flames nearby is hell on earth.
My mom and I decided to assassinate a bush we mutually loathe (with a burning passion) in our front yard area, in order to plant some more roses. We actually have a surfeit of roses, though we certainly like the look of them better than a miserable-looking red twig dogwood. I try to put in plants that would actually be used in landscaping when our house was built, back in 1903.
Until next time,
