Jeff can't understand what is happening to him. He was having a great summer and now, ever since the accident, everyone has been ignoring him. He starts thinking about what happened leading up to that time to try and figure out what has happened...
A very short story about a child reliving his carefree summer, the kind that most of us grew up with... up to a point.
Page count: 15p/16,226p ytd/197,264p lifetime
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
65:120 Not That Kind of Wizard by Stefon Mears
Harkin was sure he was in trouble following his previous military assignment but instead, the King rewards him with his own command of a small troop of soldiers and orders to take a single, elderly man across the border on foot into enemy territory. Harkin is sure that this man must be a wizard of some sort to warrant this kind of order but every time he asks him for a simple spell to make the trek easier, the man simply shakes his head and says "I'm not that kind of wizard". Who is this person and why is it so important that they get him across the border then? Harkin is about to find out that some questions you don't really want to know the answer to.
A nice short story that definitely serves as a cautionary tale for those dealing with unknown situations.
Page count: 19p/16,211p ytd/197,249p lifetime
A nice short story that definitely serves as a cautionary tale for those dealing with unknown situations.
Page count: 19p/16,211p ytd/197,249p lifetime
Monday, May 26, 2014
64:120 A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin
The 5th book in the Song of Fire and Ice series. Part of this is set at the time as A Feast For Crows but deals with what is going on with Arya, Deanerys, Tyrion, Jon Snow, Davros Seaworth, Stannis, Melisandre, and some new characters to the books like Reek and Quentyn Martell. Towards the end it merges again and we find out what is going on in King's Landing and with Cersei although not much about Tommen. The main focus on this book is with Jon Snow and King Stannis and what is going on in the North and at the Wall and also what is going on in Meereen with Deanerys and her dragons. That is probably the most compelling storyline right now as her dragons are becoming wilder as they grow larger which is causing her grief enough but then her personal mission to free all the slaves and keep them free which is keeping her in Meereen rather than heading back to Westeros is fascinating. How to balance out what she feels to be right and just when so much of the world is against you. I admire her for her passion and really hope she gets a better ending than so many of the people in these books. Otherwise, lots going on and it leaves off with a couple of cliffhangers (go figure).
I'm really glad I didn't have to wait between books four and five as the wait now is going to be torture enough. I'm also really glad I finally read this one as there were things going on in the TV show that while it's supposed to be covering book 3 right now are actually not really talked about until this book (Reek is a great example of that). I understand why they changed things and don't object at all as it makes sense but I'm glad I've now caught up with the reading so I don't get so confused. Now I'm in the same place as everyone else who has been reading these books, waiting, waiting, waiting, for the next one to come out. *sigh*
Page count: 1,016p/16,192p ytd/197,230p lifetime
I'm really glad I didn't have to wait between books four and five as the wait now is going to be torture enough. I'm also really glad I finally read this one as there were things going on in the TV show that while it's supposed to be covering book 3 right now are actually not really talked about until this book (Reek is a great example of that). I understand why they changed things and don't object at all as it makes sense but I'm glad I've now caught up with the reading so I don't get so confused. Now I'm in the same place as everyone else who has been reading these books, waiting, waiting, waiting, for the next one to come out. *sigh*
Page count: 1,016p/16,192p ytd/197,230p lifetime
63:120 Uncle Stone Teeth and Other Macabre Poems by Stefon Mears
A short collection of macabre poetry. Uncle Stone Teeth appears to those who have a deep hatred and desire to see someone suffer as a result, and the results are not pretty. There are poems of zombies and witches and horror-movie slashers, some written in observed forms like sestina and others simply free-form.
I will admit to giggling at several of these and then grabbing my teenage sons' phones to download them to their kindle apps to share but I also understand I am not "normal". Several just tickled my idea of the perverse, especially 'Bang'. Then again, I just helped my 15-year-old write zombie/cannibalistic/nuclear winter haikus as well as helping him with how to research and write a short story based on a pair of hired assassins with great detail including answering questions about what tool I would use for dismemberment. I'm actually hoping I can use these poems to help teach that same child about poetry since more classical poetry tends to put him to sleep.
Page count: 30p/15,176p ytd/196,214p lifetime
I will admit to giggling at several of these and then grabbing my teenage sons' phones to download them to their kindle apps to share but I also understand I am not "normal". Several just tickled my idea of the perverse, especially 'Bang'. Then again, I just helped my 15-year-old write zombie/cannibalistic/nuclear winter haikus as well as helping him with how to research and write a short story based on a pair of hired assassins with great detail including answering questions about what tool I would use for dismemberment. I'm actually hoping I can use these poems to help teach that same child about poetry since more classical poetry tends to put him to sleep.
Page count: 30p/15,176p ytd/196,214p lifetime
62:120 Who Was King Tut? by Robert Edwards and True Kelley
A simple, non-fiction account of what we know of King Tut's life and death, the burial process, and the discovery of his tomb and what that meant. There are a lot of illustrations and several chapters have extended pieces to go more in-depth on side notes like religion or Lord Carnovon. It focuses more on discovery than the actual treasures and includes a floor plan of the tomb, why it was so hard to find, and why he was buried where he was.
An interesting read that managed to keep my 8-year-old's attention as we read it and went more in-depth into the finding and excavation of the tomb than the other books on ancient Egypt we had read.
Page count: 112p/15,146p ytd/196,184p lifetime
An interesting read that managed to keep my 8-year-old's attention as we read it and went more in-depth into the finding and excavation of the tomb than the other books on ancient Egypt we had read.
Page count: 112p/15,146p ytd/196,184p lifetime
61:120 Hunt for a New Life by Stefon Mears
The Count's second son has always shown a talent for magic, but his is a gentle magic made for calling wild beasts than the flashier fire magic that the mages want to see so he is turned away as an apprentice and is now heading how to face the choice of being a soldier or becoming a priest when he spies the golden rabbit of legend. His hopes soar for a third option, that of presenting this most prized rabbit as a token to his lady and escaping the fate that seems to be in store for him. There is a different destiny laid upon him however, as he is about to find out.
A nice little short story about how even when our choices seem set, fate may have something else up it's sleeve for us.
Page count: 15p/15,034p ytd/196,072p lifetime
A nice little short story about how even when our choices seem set, fate may have something else up it's sleeve for us.
Page count: 15p/15,034p ytd/196,072p lifetime
Sunday, May 25, 2014
60:120 Karma Girl by Jennifer Estep
Carmen Cole has dedicated the last several years of her life to unmasking the superheros and ubervillians that have cropped up all over the country when at last, she is hired by one of Bigtime's major newspaper to do the same for their superhero team, Fearless Five. After unmasking the first of the FF, Tornado, who then goes on to commit suicide Carmen loses her passion for her task and is relegated to the society fashion pages until the night that she is kidnapped by the ubervillians of the town and threatened with dire things if she doesn't unmask Striker, the leader of the Fearless Five, within 30 days. Now she must try to unmask those that hate her above all others which becomes extremely ironic when Striker starts following her around and protecting her. What other choice does she have if she wants to survive?
This story is cheese central with the majority of secret identities screamed at you from miles away and no real major plot twists. This is a bubblegum book, no two ways about it, but it's a fun campy read perfect for when you just want to stop dealing with everything else getting thrown at you and escape. The one surprising thing for me is that while there is some inner-monologing it is not nearly as repetitive as what we get in the Elemental Assassin series which says this author can write with less of that. Oh, how I wish she would figure that out soon because that is my biggest beef with that series.
Page count: 360p/15,019p ytd/196,057p lifetime
This story is cheese central with the majority of secret identities screamed at you from miles away and no real major plot twists. This is a bubblegum book, no two ways about it, but it's a fun campy read perfect for when you just want to stop dealing with everything else getting thrown at you and escape. The one surprising thing for me is that while there is some inner-monologing it is not nearly as repetitive as what we get in the Elemental Assassin series which says this author can write with less of that. Oh, how I wish she would figure that out soon because that is my biggest beef with that series.
Page count: 360p/15,019p ytd/196,057p lifetime
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