It's time for my annual blogging break. I'm home in Indiana for Christmas. Looking forward to seeing Arthur's first Christmas with the family. We have a ton of activities left before I return to California. I'll be back to active blogging after the New Year.
Dusty Bookshelf Reading Challenge Wrap-up
I completed this challenge back in September by reading 15 books that had been sitting on my shelves for way too long. Some of them has been there for 5+ years! I'm so glad I finally got around to reading some of them, especially Thomas Paine, Bachelor Girl, The Passage, and The Angel's Game.
Official read list:
- Almost America by Steve Tally (1/14/13)
- Thomas Paine by Craig Nelson (1/28/13)
- Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine (1/12/13)
- The Passage by Justin Cronin (1/20/13)
- Thin Air by Rachel Caine (2/22/13)
- The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins (7/7/13)
- When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason (8/5/13)
- Selected Stories of O. Henry (8/18/13)
- The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (8/20/13)
- The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (10/20/13)
- Gulliver’s Travel by Jonathan Swift (10/3/13)
- Bachelor Girl by Betsy Israel (9/10/13)
- Gale Force by Rachel Caine (9/9/13)
- Cotillion by Georgette Heyer (9/14/13)
- The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (9/8/13)
EotY Readathon -- Wrap-up
Progress so far:
- Pages read this period — 34 (Tanglefoot) + 912 (Vanity Fair) + 320 (Sanditon)
- Pages read total — 2354
Comments: Tanglefoot was creepy, Vanity Fair was a bit of a letdown, but I finished strong with Sanditon.
Goals:
- Read three books √
- Read 1000 pages √
- Review all books read √
- Knock out 5 reading challenge spots √
TBR Pile:
- Boneshaker by Cherie Priest √
- Tanglefoot by Cherie Priest √
- Sandition by Jane Austen √
- Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray √
- Any of the 4 nonfiction library finds √
Sunday Sunset #41
Listening To: Lots of Christmas music on Pandora. I need my fix!
Book finished: Inside the Creative Studio; B is for Baby; Universal Rights Down to Earth; Final Jeopardy; Boneshaker; Tanglefoot; Vanity Fair; Sandition
Reading: Nothing currently... I'm taking a bit of a break and will start my 2014 TBR pile soon.
MakingLists: Finished my list of activities with the boys for break. Our calendar is filling fast...
Crafting: Right before I left for vacation, I attended December stamp club. We made two adorable non-Christmas cards and a treat holder. I love love love the eiffel tower card using new Valentine's themed stamps. And the designer paper behind it is too cute. I might actually have to buy it. The shovel card is using the 2013-2015 colors. I really need to get that ink and cardstock... January club order!
Watching: Before I left California, the book club ladies and I went to see The Book Thief. We read the book for club a few months ago. I thought it was an amazing novel. The movie was good. I wouldn't say absolutely great. It left out a few key serious scenes (plane crash, march of prisoners {second time}). I have to admit that I was in tears by the end.
Picture: Arthur and I flying back to Indiana...
Last Video Roundup for 2013
The editing on this video is utterly amazing!
Christmas carol fun
Another crazy music compilation for your enjoyment
Love Jon Lajoie, otherwise known as Taco.
Have to include a Mental Floss list
Happy Holidays everyone!
Back to the Classics Wrap-up Post
I've finished this one! Woohoo! I really didn't think I was going to make it. I left Vanity Fair until last and it is quite a chunkster. Somehow I finished it with time left. I completed all 6 required categories and 4 of the optional categories (no Russian classic for me), which entitles me to 2 entries for the big drawing.
My final read list:
- 19th Century Classic — Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (12/18/13)
- 20th Century Classic — The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (1/24/13)
- Pre-18th or 18th Century Classic — Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift (10/3/13)
- Classic that relates to the African-American Experience – The Color Purple by Alice Walker (6/24/13)
- Classic Adventure — The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (11/22/13)
- Classic that prominently features an Animal - Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne(9/10/13)
- Re-read a Classic — Emma by Jane Austen (5/22/13)
- Classic Non-Fiction title –The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (9/8/13)
- Classic Children’s/Young Adult title — The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (4/30/13)
- Classic Short Stories – The Selected Stories of O. Henry (8/18/13)
Mount TBR Final Checkpoint
From My Reader's Block:
Wow. We're almost done with 2013 and it's time to get ready for the Final Mountaineering Checkpoint. Where does the time go? I'm ready to hear how all our mountain-climbing team members have done out there on Pike's Peak, Mt. Ararat, Mt. Everest....whichever peak you've chosen. Checkpoint participation is absolutely voluntary and is not considered necessary for challenge completion.
For those who would like to participate in this checkpoint post, I'd like you to at least complete the first of these two things. And if you feel particularly inspired (or generous about humoring me this holiday season), then please do both.
1. Tell us how many miles you made it up your mountain (# of books read). If you've planted your flag on the peak, then tell us and celebrate (and wave!). Even if you were especially athletic and have been sitting atop your mountain for months, please check back in and remind us quickly you sprinted up that trail. And feel free to tell us about any particularly exciting adventures you've had along the way.
2. My Life According to Mount TBR: Using the titles of the books you read this year, please associate each statement with a book read on your journey up the Mountain. I have given my titles as examples.
Are you male or female?: The Lady Vanishes Describe yourself: I'm one of Four Lost Ladies Describe where you currently live: In the Shadow of Gotham If you could go anywhere where would you go?: London Particular Your favorite form of transportation: Mystery Train What's the weather like?: Mist on the Saltings Favorite time of day?: The Small Hours of the Morning (i.e. late at night) Your relationships: Slippage You fear: the Black Widow What is the best advice you have to give?: The Mountains Have a Secret If you could change your name, you would change it to: Mary Poppins My soul's present condition: A Private History of Awe
I made it to the top of my mountain! Finally! Last year, I failed miserably... This year I only went for 60 books or Mount Kilimanjaro. I am happy to say that I reach the peak this month. My final read list:
- Wanted by Mark Millar (1/2/13)
- Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi (1/2/13)
- Ill Wind by Rachel Caine (1/12/13)
- Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine (1/12/13)
- Valley of Silence by Nora Roberts (3/17/13)
- Morrigan’s Cross by Nora Roberts (3/3/13)
- Dance of the Gods by Nora Roberts (3/9/13)
- Chill Factor by Rachel Caine (1/13/13)
- Firestorm by Rachel Caine (2/16/13)
- The Hostage by Susan Wiggs (5/22/13)
- The Mistress by Susan Wiggs (6/4/13)
- Thin Air by Rachel Caine (2/22/13)
- Windfall by Rachel Caine (2/11/13)
- Change of Fortune by Jen Turano (1/3/13)
- One Day by David Nicholls (1/29/13)
- A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (1/9/13)
- The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (1/24/13)
- Almost America by Steve Tally (1/14/13)
- Locke and Key Vol 1: Welcome to Lovecraft (1/4/13)
- Locke and Key Vol 2: Head Games (1/4/13)
- Locke and Key Vol 3: Crown of Shadows (1/5/13)
- Locke and Key Vol 4: Keys to the Kingdom (1/6/13)
- MWF Seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche (5/31/13)
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain (6/23/13)
- The Firebrand by Susan Wiggs (6/13/13)
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker (6/24/13)
- A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (7/26/13)
- The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen (8/17/13)
- The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason (7/13/13)
- Rises the Night by Colleen Gleason (7/15/13)
- When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason (8/5/13)
- The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason (8/1/13)
- As Shadows Fade by Colleen Gleason (9/5/13)
- The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (9/8/13)
- Gale Force by Rachel Caine (9/9/13)
- Bachelor Girl by Betsy Israel (9/10/13)
- Cotillion by Georgette Heyer (9/14/13)
- Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder (9/17/13)
- Cape Storm by Rachel Caine (10/1/13)
- Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift (10/3/13)
- Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine (10/5/13)
- Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (10/7/13)
- Her Ladyship’s Companion by Evangeline Collins (10/9/13)
- The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman (10/9/13)
- Iron’s Prophecy by Julie Kagawa (10/10/13)
- The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (10/20/13)
- Rose of Fire by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (10/21/13)
- Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (10/27/13)
- The Billionaire Wins the Game by Melody Anne (11/3/13)
- Saving Wishes by G.J. Walker-Smith (11/7/13)
- 100 Days in Deadland by Rachel Aukes (11/11/13)
- Love and Friendship by Jane Austen (11/11/13)
- The Watsons by Jane Austen (11/13/13)
- The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry (11/16/13)
- Jane Austen and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron(11/20/13)
- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (11/22/13)
- Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh (11/26/13)
- Boneshaler by Cherie Priest (12/14/13)
- Tanglefoot by Cherie Priest (12/15/13)
- Vanity Fair by Thackeray (12/18/13)
I'm so excited that I actually finished this one. I'm joining for next year, but am decreasing my goal due to my reading time limitations.
FF #44: New Year Party
Last Fashion Friday post of 2013. I felt it was appropriate to do a New Year's themed outfit. The dress is an obvious choice for the shine and dance-ability. I thought I would shake up the whole look with blue shoes. They blend yet stand out. I didn't want to have predictable black or silver shoes to go with the dress. I thought about red, but I love the coolness of the blue with the shine of the dress, clutch, and jewelry.
$72 - topshop.com
shoescribe.com
dorothyperkins.com
Mimco earrings $120 - mimco.com.au
Pieces black ring $14 - pieces.com
Quote Wednesday -- Lewis
"Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again." - C.S. Lewis
I've reached that age. I love a good fairy tale. I love the whimsy, the out of this world, the extraordinary. I love getting lost in something not real.
Sandition by Jane Austen
Title: Sandition
Author: Jane Austen
Genre: Classics
Pages: 320
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Jane Austen; 52 Books -- W52
How I Got It: iBooks free download
Sanditon might have been Austen’s greatest novel had she lived to finish it. Its subject matter astonishes: here is Austen observing the birth pangs of the culture of commerce, as her country-bred heroine, a foolish baronet, a family of hypochondriacs, and a mysterious West Indian heiress collide against the background hum of real-estate development at a seaside resort.
Instead of reading one of the continuations or completions of the novel by another author, I stuck to Austen's fragment. I was really getting into the story of the little seaside town of Sanditon and its quirky residents. I wish that Austen would have continued, the novel holds such promise. We have a mysterious character, a few potential romances, a grand scheme, and all the usual meddling neighbors. Really a fun little read...
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
Title: Vanity Fair
Author: William Makepeace Thackeray
Genre: Classics 1847
Pages: 912
Rating: 3/5 stars Movie: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Classics -- 19th Century; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading; Rory Gilmore (Perpetual); 1001 Books (Perpetual)
How I Got It: I own it!
Scorned for her lack of money and breeding, Becky must use all her wit, charm and considerable sex appeal to escape her drab destiny as a governess. From London’s ballrooms to the battlefields of Waterloo, the bewitching Becky works her wiles on a gallery of memorable characters, including her lecherous employer, Sir Pitt, his rich sister, Miss Crawley, and Pitt’s dashing son, Rawdon, the first of Becky’s misguided sexual entanglements.
Filled with hilarious dialogue and superb characterizations, Vanity Fair is a richly entertaining comedy that asks the reader, “Which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? or, having it, is satisfied?”
Hmmm... I thought i would like this book more than I actually did. The story is good. The characters are good. But I guess I just don't really like Thackeray's writing style. There's something about the prose that annoyed me throughout the book. Still, I would recommend this novel to those who already have a love of the 19th century classics.
Movie:
The movie was much more enjoyable than the book, probably because I didn't have to be annoyed by the writing style. I loved this lengthy adaptation. Reese Witherspoon is great as Becky Sharp, although I think she's nicer in the movie than the book. Romola Garai is great as the meek Amelia. And I so love Rhys Ifans as Dobbins. Overall, a few changes from the novel, but I still really liked it.
Top Ten Tuesday -- New to Me Authors 2013 Class
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!
I love finding new-to-me authors each year. Of course, their back catalogs always make my TBR list even longer, but it's worth it to discover great talent. I only found six authors to highlight, but they are good ones...
- Neil Gaiman -- Okay, okay, not really new to me in 2013. But this past year, I really came to appreciate his writing. I can't wait to read everything else he has ever written.
- Sarah Addison Allen -- I love her magical realism... Need to read the rest of her books.
- Justin Cronin -- The Passage was amazingly terrifying. I really need to read The Twelve.
- Colleen Gleason -- I really really enjoyed the Victoria Gardella series. I finally downloaded the first in the next related series. Can't wait to read it!
- Laurie R. King -- A book club friend recommended her mystery series and I really liked it. We also saw the author speak at the local library (she's based in the Bay Area).
- George R.R. Martin -- I finally jumped on the band wagon and made it through the first three books. I plan on reading the fourth in the Song of Fire and Ice in January.
Arthur: 2 Months (9 Weeks)
Look who's 2 whole months old! Seems like yesterday that he arrived and now he's mastering skills left and right.
Likes: Talking, still. Even more cooing and gurgling going on over here. He also really loves bath time. We have a routine of how we do bath time. As soon as I lay him down on the towel in the bathroom and start the water, he gets so excited. He loves to scrunch down in the water and kick his legs everywhere. And he really enjoys the lavender lotion massage afterward bath time. Christmas music, especially Bing Crosby's "White Christmas"
Dislikes: Vaccinations (obviously!), waiting for a bottle to be made (so impatient!), tummy time (still not his favorite).
Sleeping: We're back to decent sleep. Usually he goes 3-4 hours during the night, but sometimes we get a 5 or 6 hour stretch in there. Overall, he's been good about going right back to sleep after feeding, but we've had a few fussy nights. I think starting him in his crib on day one was a great idea. He usually takes naps out in the living room, but I'm thinking about starting to transition him to crib naps (after our Indiana vacation of course).
Eating: Fairly consistent with our feedings now. In a 24-hour period, he usually drinks about 32 ounces of formula. Right on target for his age.
Playing: He's starting to attempt to hit his toys. No real development yet, but I can feel that it's coming.
Doctor Visit Stats:
- Weight: 13lbs, 6oz (75th percentile) -- Such a solid baby!
- Length: 24 3/4" (99th percentile) -- Yep, you read that correct, 99th percentile! I have one long baby. He barely fits into 3-6 month clothing because of the height issue.
- He had three shots and one oral vaccination this time. Took them like a champ! Thankfully the nurse was super quick and we got them done in just a few seconds. He screamed when it happened, but as soon as I could pick him up, he quieted down. He was a bit fussy for the rest of the day, but nothing too horrible. He just needed more cuddle time and his pacifier.
Medical Milestones:
- Smiling √
- Cooing and grunting √
- Rolling over -- not quite...
- Holding head up √
- Following objects with his eyes √
- Staring at faces √
Pretty decent for our developmental checklist. He scoots around on his back, but isn't super interested in rolling over. I find him in all kinds of orientations in his crib throughout the night. I imagine the rolling over will come soon. I'm just afraid that once he masters that, the crawling won't be far behind...
Schedule: Still not much of a schedule, but we have started putting him in his crib for "bedtime" around 7:30-8:00pm. Some days we also do a bath around 7:00 to get the routine started. By 7:45pm at the latest, he gets a bottle and then is rocked to drowsiness. This has seemed to work well with only a few nights where he woke up right after I put him in the crib.
Out and About: We stayed close to home this week as it was freezing for the area (mid 30s at night, mid 50s during day). I ran a ton of errands in preparation for our trip, but Arthur mostly stayed in the house...
- Post office and coffeehouse -- Nice little walk on a chilly day
- Doctor's office -- 2 month visit
Look who's two months old this week! Highlights from our photo shoot:
Project Life November and December
I've only been at this for a few weeks, but I've already learned so much about what to do and what not to do. My main realization is that I need to make PL work for me and just me. I've looked at so many different examples of styles and usage and they all look amazing. But, I can't get too wrapped up in copying some other's design. I need to make PL work just for me. It comes down the fact that I like simplicity. I don't like a lot of clutter, a lot of layering, a lot of embellishment. While it can be very pretty, that's just not my style. My simplistic uncluttered style is evident in my pages so far. I like clean photos and relatively clean inserts. Although I am experimenting with adding some washi tape accents in the coming weeks. Secondly, I really loving taking a bit of time each Sunday or Monday to do my layouts. I figure out what pictures I want, where to put them, and which inserts to use. Then, I journal and put the inserts in the pages. The photos will be printed later, but I've already got each spread 90% done by Monday night. As an extra bonus, working on my pages is a nice break from mommy duties. I can focus just on me for 30-60 minutes.
Thirdly, while I would love to have my pictures printed instantly, I have accepted the plan of printing monthly instead. I just don't know if home printing is worth the money and hassle at this point. I save up my pictures until Walgreens or Snapfish or Shutterfly have a good deal and then print them. So far, so good.
Fourth, I have added a ton of PL related products to my Amazon wishlist. While I love everything I see, I have limited my list to my favorites. I just need to remember to not get too stash buying happy that I over supply myself.
Fifth, taking pictures of my pages while in their plastic sleeves is tricky. To get better pictures, I've resorted to taking the pieces out, laying them on the desk, and then photographing them... Much better looking on the blog.
Finally, I joined a Studio Calico class starting in January for extra motivation and inspiration. I've heard about so many people losing momentum at some point in the year. I want to make it all the way. And having a bit of extra help will certainly be a great idea.
Nov. 4 - 10
Highlights: This week was all about hanging out near the house... As for the design, I stuck with my basic design of 4x6 prints and 3x4 inserts. I added the day of the week stickers to my weekly highlights for the family album. I'm trying to add more embellishments to my pages, but haven't quite figured that out yet.
Nov. 11 - 17
Highlights: Arthur turned one month old this week. I made sure to add the special 1 month inserts to his pages to highlight the occasion. For the family album, I stuck more toward the pictures speaking for themselves. A little bit of embellishment on these pages.
Nov. 18 - 24
Highlights: A couple of trips outdoors this week. Arthur and I went to two new parks. I love discovering new places around here... The holes you see were pictures that somehow didn't get printed by Walgreens. I have about 10 different photos that didn't print, but were clearly on my order. I had to call, complain, and get them to reprint my photos. I just haven't stuck them back into the albums yet. I added a few word stickers to the family album. I don't want to over embellish my pages. I like the cleaner look.
Nov. 25 - Dec. 1
Highlights: Arthur and I started our weekly walks at Shoreline with the mom's group. Shoreline is a gorgeous park with gorgeous views. We are really loving the walk, socializing with other moms and babies, and lunch at the cafe afterwards. I caught some great Arthur expressions in this week's photos. For the family album, I started including my photo-a-day challenge photos. When they don't easily fit into the spreads, I have collecting them into their own inset page for the end of the month.
Extra bonus: I added in a Thanksgiving insert for Arthur's photo shoot with the turkey hat. I didn't want to lose out on including other photos just to get these adorable ones in... An insert seemed like the perfect way to go. I plan on doing another insert for Christmas photos.
Dec. 2 - 8
Highlights: A pretty quiet week at home. For my photo-a-day pics, I added each day's theme on washi tape. I love the look and it utilizes more of my craft stash. The cut out heart was a random chip board piece that was lying around. I love how it stands out against the dark background in that picture. Plus, lots of regular day-by-day style journaling.
Dec. 9 - 15
Highlights: Arthur turned 2 months old this week! I had to include his 2 month photo shoot pictures. If you look closely, the monthly stats insert isn't filled out. I finished doing that yesterday. I wanted to get his stats from the doctor's appointment. Since we didn't do much this week, I condensed my day-by-day journaling inserts into one weekly highlights insert. This allowed me to include more Arthur and photo-a-day pictures.
Music Monday -- iPod Shuffle December
Since I've finished my 101 Faves series for Music Monday, I thought I would do something complete different. I turned on my iPod, hit shuffle, and recorded my first 5 songs.
"Feel Again" by OneRepublic (Native)
"Eyes Wide Open" by Gotye (Making MIrrors)
"Dakota" by O.A.R. (Stories of a Stranger)
"Mrs. O" by The Dresden Dolls (Yes, Virginia)
"The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most" by Dashboard Confessional (MTV Unplugged)
Today's Music Monday will be the last until after the New Year. Next week, I am starting my traditional holiday break to spend time with family and friends and recharge for 2014. But never fear, I'll be on the lookout for some great new music during that time period.
Tanglefoot by Cherie Priest
Title: Tanglefoot (Clockwork Century #1.5)
Author: Cherie Priest
Publisher: A Tor Book 2011
Genre: Steampunk; Zombie
Pages: 34
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Steampunk; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading; 52 Books - W51
How I Got It: I own it!
Stonewall Jackson survived Chancellorsville. England broke the Union’s naval blockade, and formally recognized the Confederate States of America. Atlanta never burned. It is 1880. The American Civil War has raged for nearly two decades, driving technology in strange and terrible directions. Combat dirigibles skulk across the sky and armored vehicles crawl along the land. Military scientists twist the laws of man and nature, and barter their souls for weapons powered by light, fire, and steam. But life struggles forward for soldiers and ordinary citizens. The fractured nation is dotted with stricken towns and epic scenes of devastation–some manmade, and some more mysterious. In the western territories cities are swallowed by gas and walled away to rot while the frontiers are strip-mined for resources. On the borders between North and South, spies scour and scheme, and smugglers build economies more stable than their governments. This is the Clockwork Century. It is dark here, and different.
This was a creepy creepy little story. I was expecting a steampunk adventure like Boneshaker. Instead, I got a steampunk horror story. This one definitely pushed my creep out buttons. It involved something that looks human, but isn't human. Holy crap! Nice little story, but I really would have liked more...
Clockwork Century
- #1 Boneshaker
- #1.1 Clementine
- #1.2 Tanglefoot
- #2 Dreadnought
- #2.5 The Living Dead 2
- #3 Ganymede
- #4 The Inexplicables
- #5 Fiddlesticks
- #6 Jacaranda
EotY Readathon -- Update #2
Progress so far:
- Pages read this period — 173 (Boneshaker) + 160 (Universal Rights) + 176 (Final Jeopardy
- Pages read total — 1088
Comments: Really enjoyed Boneshaker and my two nonfiction reads. I am going to guess that my reading pace will start to decrease. Baby Arthur and I are traveling back to Indiana on Tuesday and will be there until the new year.
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
Title: Boneshaker (Clockwork Century #1)
Author: Cherie Priest
Publisher: A Tor Book 2009
Genre: Steampunk; Zombie
Pages: 416
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Steampunk; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading
How I Got It: I own it!
Maternal love faces formidable challenges in this stellar steampunk tale. In an alternate 1880s America, mad inventor Leviticus Blue is blamed for destroying Civil War–era Seattle. When Zeke Wilkes, Blue's son, goes into the walled wreck of a city to clear his father's name, Zeke's mother, Briar Wilkes, follows him in an airship, determined to rescue her son from the toxic gas that turns people into zombies (called rotters and described in gut-churning detail). When Briar learns that Seattle still has a mad inventor, Dr. Minnericht, who eerily resembles her dead husband, a simple rescue quickly turns into a thrilling race to save Zeke from the man who may be his father. Intelligent, exceptionally well written and showcasing a phenomenal strong female protagonist who embodies the complexities inherent in motherhood, this yarn is a must-read for the discerning steampunk fan.
I had heard mixed things about this series, but I found that I really enjoyed the story of Briar and Zeke and their journey inside the wall. Somehow I didn't realize that each book in the series is set in the same world, but doesn't follow the exact same characters. My understanding is that characters overlap. Once I understood how the story was structured, I liked this one even better. I was afraid that there just wasn't enough story of Briar and Zeke to continue for six books and a novella. Thankfully that is not the case.
As for this volume, it started off a bit slow, but once the action started, it never stopped until the last pages. While the rotters were a good villain, they stayed mostly in the background. We quickly learn that the living inhabitants of the walled city are much more dangerous. I loved the simultaneous paths of Briar and Zeke. I loved when they eventually interacted with the same colorful characters. I was rooting for their success throughout the entire book. Overall, it was a very satisfying steampunk adventure novel. I've got the novella on tap for my next read!
Clockwork Century:
- #1 Boneshaker
- #1.1 Clementine
- #1.2 Tanglefoot
- #2 Dreadnought
- #2.5 The Living Dead 2
- #3 Ganymede
- #4 The Inexplicables
- #5 Fiddlesticks
- #6 Jacaranda
A Bushel of Videos
Okay, not an actual bushel of videos, but here's a few for you to enjoy this week... Just gorgeous.
2013 Pop Hits Mashup. I am so addicted to these...
I love his voice... This is just amazing.
Honest trailer for Home Alone. Good lord this is exactly how I watch this movie now.
Gotta love the Muppets
More Nerdy Nonfiction Mini Reviews
I don't really have a lot to say about these two books, so I thought I would just do a mini review post.
Title: Universal Rights Down to Earth
Author: Richard Thompson Ford
Publisher: Norton and Company 2012
Genre: Nonfiction -- Government
Pages: 160
Rating: 3/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Nerdy Nonfiction - Government; Fall into Reading
In Universal Rights Down to Earth, acclaimed author and legal expert Richard Thompson Ford reveals how attempts to apply “universal” human rights principles to specific cultures can hinder humanitarian causes and sometimes even worsen conditions for citizens. In certain regions, human rights ideals clash with the limits of institutional capabilities or civic culture; elsewhere, rights enforcement leads to further human rights violations. And in some countries, offending regimes use human rights commitments to distract attention from or justify their other abuses. Ford explores how our haste to identify every ideal as a universal right devalues rights as a whole, so that even the most important protections—such as that against torture—become negotiable.
Interesting topic, but it felt a bit dense in parts. More lecture than an enjoying read. Only for fans of political theory.
Title: Final Jeopardy
Author: Stephen Baker
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2011
Genre: Nonfiction - Technologhy
Pages: 288
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Nerdy Nonfiction - Technology; Fall into Reading
Final Jeopardy traces the arc of Watson’s “life,” from its birth in the IBM labs to its big night on the podium. We meet Hollywood moguls and Jeopardy! masters, genius computer programmers and ambitious scientists, including Watson’s eccentric creator, David Ferrucci. We gain access to Ferrucci’s War Room, where the IBM team works tirelessly to boost Watson’s speed to the buzzer, improve its performance in “train wreck” categories (such as “Books in Español”), and fix glitches like the speech defect Watson developed during its testing phase, when it started adding a d to words ending in n (“What is Pakistand?”).
Really enjoyed reading about the story of Watson. It didn't delve too much into the software, but maybe that's a good thing for non-tech nerds like me. Fascinating story...