Bookish Notes: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

 


Why the heck I choose to read Cormac McCarthy's The Road as my last book of the year I don't know. But once I started reading, couldn't put it down. McCarthy's writing pulled me deep into the apocalyptic world of the man and boy and their journey through a devastated world, bleak and dangerous, full of obstacles to overcome from nature itself and the people left behind. I began to wonder what and why? Why did the man need to get to the coast? What was he expecting to find there? Who was he expecting to find? When they found safe places with water and food, why didn't they stay here. What would I have done in his place? I, for one, would have hunkered down in the bunker and stayed there. What was this great need to keep going? It was bleak and dark, but full of perseverance, hope, love, and goodness in the face of evil. I'm glad I finally read it. 

"He pulled the boy closer. Just remember that the things you put into your head are there forever, he said. You might want to think about that. You forget some things, don't you? Yes. You forget what you want to remember and you remember what you want to forget."


 

Guest Post -James M's review of DOCTOR WHO THE MOVIE (1996)


In 1989, a sci-fi phenomenon went off the air. Seven years later, the story finally continued... for one night only before it was resurrected for real nine years later.

Welcome back to the Whoniverse, friends. CVGWJames here, today we will be discussing the 1996 Doctor Who movie starring Paul McGann as the eighth incarnation of the Time Lord known as The Doctor as the Seventh Doctor's era with Sylvester McCoy properly comes to an end.

In the years between Classic Who's cancellation and this movie, there had been many attempts to bring back Doctor Who while many people attempted to make Doctor Who into a movie. Eventually, after many attempts and much work, we got this. So, what's the story?


Sometime well after the events of Survival, The Master has been executed on Skaro during a trial held by the Daleks, The Doctor's most feared enemies in the universe, and The Doctor himself is taking what is left of his Time Lord rival back to Gallifrey. However, death is not the end, especially for someone like The Master.

As The Doctor travels through the time vortex to Gallifrey in the TARDIS, a worm-like creature that is The Master gets loose and causes problems with the TARDIS' controls, causing the TARDIS to land on Earth in 1999 well before New Year's Eve. The Seventh Doctor steps out into San Francisco, only to end up getting shot by a pair of gangsters in the midst of a gang war going on.

Not long after, medics rush the wounded Doctor to the hospital and surgeon Grace Holloway is called in to help. However, due to a lack of understanding regarding The Doctor's Time Lord biology, the medics fail and The Doctor seemingly dies...

But once again, death isn't the end. The Doctor regenerates in the morgue into his eight incarnation and leaves after finding some clothes, but is confused about his own identity slightly. Meanwhile, The Master takes over the body of a man named Bruce and plans to find a way to prevent himself from dying. The Doctor meets Grace many hours later and tries to convince her that he's the same person she operated on in the hospital, but believing him is very hard due to his different appearance.

The Master enters the TARDIS and meets with a young man named Lee, who met The Doctor earlier and helped get him to the hospital before becoming curious about the TARDIS. The Master lies to Lee, claiming that The Doctor is a villain who stole his regenerations, which he is trying to get back from him. 

While with Grace, The Doctor recovers his memories and declares that he is The Doctor while kissing the surgeon. But when The Master accesses the Eye of Harmony, he locates his nemesis right when the world starts facing some disturbances. New Year's Eve 1999 is under way and the beginning of a new century is about to happen, but the end of the world must be prevented.

The Doctor visits a New Year's Party and finds the necessary component -an atomic clock- needed for the TARDIS and gets to it while being pursued by The Master, but not before Grace gets infected by part of The Master during an encounter with him and knocks out the Doctor while doing his nemesis' bidding. The Doctor reawakens in the Eye of Harmony chamber, where The Master is ready to steal The Doctor's regenerations.

Lee speaks with The Doctor about what The Master told him, but The Doctor tells Lee that The Master is lying to him. "HE'S RUN OUT OF LIVES AND NOW HE WANTS TO STEAL MINE!" The Time Lord warns, the Master dismisses Lee and uses Grace to open the Eye of Harmony as only human DNA could apparently open it. 

With everything set, The Master ascends to a platform opposite of The Doctor, who tells Grace to reroute the power in the TARDIS to close the Eye of Harmony before the end of the world happens and The Master steals The Doctor's regenerations. Grace leaves to the control room as The Master begins to absorb The Doctor's remaining regenerations, declaring, "I can feel your thoughts, Doctor. I can see your memories." 

Grace reroutes the power and the TARDIS achieves temporal orbit, preventing the end of the world as the new year begins. The Doctor gets free from his bonds and scuffles with The Master, who falls into the Eye of Harmony by the end of the fight. Don't worry, he'll be back in eleven years. *Spoilers*

The Doctor joins Grace and Lee outside the TARDIS to witness the fireworks display unfolding, he then parts ways with them and the movie ends with the Eighth Doctor in the TARDIS leaving Earth as he goes back to reading a time travel book his predecessor was reading at the start of the movie while the record playing a song starts repeatedly saying "time" and The Doctor says, "Oh no, not again."


Final thoughts:

For a film meant to revive Doctor Who, this was very nicely done, despite being a failure. It managed to gain some interest in the Doctor Who brand and played its part in the (eventual) revival of the show over 9 years later. Paul McGann continues to play The Doctor in audio adventures and finally reprised his role onscreen in 2013 for a 50th Anniversary episode prequel known as "Night of The Doctor. This movie is worth watching and is a must see for anyone into Doctor Who, now I must bid you goodbye and Happy New Year. As of this post, we are nearing the end of the Doctor Who movie's anniversary year and 2022 is about to begin. Farewell, Whovians.

-CVGWJames




 

BW52: 2021 Reading Wrap up

 


Happy New Year! Come on in, help yourself to a snack, a drink, find a comfy place to sit while we talk about books.  This year turned out differently than planned, but that's quite all right.  There's a quote I saw somewhere that said "Time is never wasted, it's just spent on something else." I was talking with another BAWer the other day and the thought crossed my mind, that we come to some books, when we are ready to appreciate and enjoy or learn from them. We can make all the plans we want, but it just may not be that book's time yet, and need to put it aside for another day until it is. Sometimes you'll know, other times, it will be a matter of trial and error, and maybe the third time will be the charm.  This year wasn't the year for some of my chunky wanna reads and I gave up, intending to still read them at some point.  So on to answering our wrap up questions for this year. 

What were your reading goals: 

To read more physical than ebooks - Failed. I lost track at some point and I'm not counting the Nora Rereads. 

Read at least 12 non fiction - Failed with only three completed. 

Read 10 books in 10 categories -  Win, win, and only had to change a couple categories.  

In January decided to reread the books I currently own from Nora Robert's bibliography.  Win Win. Reread several series and spent a lot of time in Ireland. 

Last but not least, finish Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Win Win. Happily I did finish the Memory of Light, the last book in the series.  I don't know why it took me years to do so when I devoured the Outlander series a couple years ago in a matter of months.  I think it's because Jordan's series was a dense, intense, massive undertaking for the characters, it took time to absorb between each reading.  That's my theory and I'm sticking with it. LOL!  Maybe I'll binge read it one of these years when I have nothing else to read.  Ha Ha! 

How many books did you read?  The official goal is 52 but usually read twice as many. 100 or soNot really sure since I counted all the series as one book. 

Did you explore outside the box, delve into new worlds or take comfort in the old.  Yes, definitely

Let your fingertips doing the walking, sorting through your TBR stacks, reading whichever book caught your eye or yelled the loudest for your attention.  Nora's books yelled the loudest. LOL!

Did you heed the call  of your dusty books calling your name, whispering read me, read me. Unfortunately I didn't heed the call this year. Soon, my darlings, soon

That's not creepy at all, is it? Only a bookworm would understand and listen.... *grin* 

What was your most entertaining read of the year?  I think it is The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, a new to me author. Addie makes a deal, her soul to live forever, but didn't realize part of the deal was that no one would ever remember her. The moment she left someone's sight, they forgot who she was. Imagine waking up in the morning and the person she's with had no idea who she was. 

The most entertaining series of the year is Darynda Jones Charley Davidson series  which was hilarious as well as charming about Charley who is the Grim Reaper and a part time investigator. The dead help her solve crimes and her knowledge makes the police might suspicious.  I binged the 13 book series within a couple weeks and will definitely be rereading. 

Which stories stuck with you the longest:  The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. It was beautifully written story within a story within a story and you never were quite sure which world was real. Also The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. The story drew me in with its vivid imagery, and you can almost feel the bite of the freezing snow, and played on your emotions with plenty of love, fear, and anger, as well as evil and hope and magic.

Which characters did you fall in like or love with?  So many.  The Bridgeton clan in Julie Quinn's series and The Dove sisters in Karen Hawkins Dove Pond series. 

Which stories or characters made you want to dive into their world and live there?  Ireland has always been a big draw and a mystical land and I would have loved to live in Talamh with the characters from Nora Roberts Dragon Heart Series.  And I'd love to live in the Library from Genevieve Cogman's Invisible Library series.  

Which story surprised you: My Christmas Number One by Leonie Mack.  I was in the mood for a cozy romance and what I got instead was a poignant story about two characters, singers from different cultures, both affected by long term grief, brought together to create a Christmas song. 

Which story made you reflect: Matt Haig's Midnight Library where the character was given a chance to try on another life to see if anyone of them was better than the one they had currently. 

Which story made you laugh out loud:  Darynda Jones Charley Davidson series. 

“After a long pause in which he took the time to blink several times, he asked, "You named your breasts?"

I turned my back to him with a shrug. "I named my ovaries, too, but they don't get out as much.”

Which story made you cry:  I had five hanky moments with several books including My Christmas Number one, Karen Hawkins A Cup of Silver Linings, Also The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George.

"What task do the departed want us to do?  

"To carry them within us-that is our task. We carry them all inside us, all our dead and shattered loves.  Only they make us whole. If we begin to forget or cast aside those we've lost, then..then we are no longer present either.  All the love, all the dead, all the people we've known. They are the rivers that feed our sea of souls. If we refuse to remember them, that sea will dry up too."

Which story irritated the heck out of you?  Charlaine Harris Real Murders, the first book in her Aurora Teagarden series. I couldn't make up my mind whether I disliked Aurora or the writing which drove me crazy with all the telling vs showing. There were several times I almost quit reading because Aurora annoyed me, but liked the premise and didn't have a clue who committed the murder, so was pleasantly surprised.

Which story made you want to keep reading?  I immersed myself in Jennifer Armentrout's world in the Blood and Ash series.  Really fat books at 600 some odd pages each full of vampires, wolves, gods, deities, royalty and magic.  And of course, hot sex.  #1 From Blood and Ash, #2 A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, and #3 The Crown of Gilded Bones which are all so very good. But damn, it ended in a cliff hanger and now I have to wait until the next book comes out in a year or so probably. I really hate that. 

Which stories inspired web wonderings and lead you on rabbit trails? The Sworn Virgin by  Kristopher Dukes. I had to find out if there really was such a practice 

Which stories would you read again and again?  So many, I can't narrow it down to just a few. 

One book you think everyone should read?  The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern.

Where in the world and through what time periods did your reading adventures take you? Outer space, Victorian era, England, Russia, Ireland, Albania, France, South America.

Stats wise, I read 30 new to me authors, 26 known authors of which 44 were female and 9 were male. 

All in all, now that I've reviewed the year, I'd have to say it was a very good reading year. I discovered some great authors and read some very interesting series. 

~Cheers to a wonderful reading new year and new adventures.     



Guest Post -James M's review of SPIDER MAN (2002)


Salutations, nerds and fans. CVGWJames here and we're back to review something unrelated to Sonic, a Marvel movie. But not just ANY Marvel movie or superhero movie, its SPIDER-MAN starring Tobey Maguire as the web-slinging fella himself. Released in 2002 and directed by Sam Rami, Spider Man was a smash success and helped rejuvenate the superhero movie genre, eventually paving the way for the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008 with the release of Iron Man while scoring two sequels.

In light of the nearly earth-shattering Endgame-level SPIDER-MAN NO WAY HOME featuring Tom Holland's Spider Man meeting Tobey's Spider Man and 2012 Andrew Garfield's Spider Man through multiverse madness and with Spider Man's 60th anniversary looming, it is time we look back at the film that revitalized the superhero craze and landed Spider-Man on the big screen. SPIDER-MAN!

Side Note: Before we start, I will say that before we got this movie, there were many attempts to get a Spider-Man film off the ground for decades with James Cameron writing the script for his own R-rated Spider-Man flick at one point until things didn't work out. Now, onto the story...


Synopsis:

Peter Parker is a nerdy kid from Queens, New York, who is socially awkward, but attends school like everybody else. He's in love with his long-time crush Mary Jane Watson and his best friend is Harry Osborn, they both attend high-school together. 

One day, while on a field trip to a genetics university, after meeting Harry's father Norman (who's something of a scientist), Peter is taking photos of Mary Jane Watson when a radioactive spider lands on his hand and bites him. Wouldn't be a Spider-Man story without the classic "Peter getting bit by a radioactive spider" deal that's been part of his backstory since 1962, which is what ALL Spider Man origins should involve, am I right? *Glares at the Japanese Spider-Man show*

After returning home to his Uncle Ben and May Parker's house, Peter feels feverish from the bite and passes out in his room as his body begins to change. Meanwhile, Norman is faced with his company Oscorp being shut down by the millitary and volunteers himself for an experiment in a laboratory.

However, things don't go well during the experiment after Norman takes a performance enhancer as he passes out and his heart stops for a time. But when Norman wakes up, he attacks his assistant Doctor Stromm and basically kills him. At this point, this is where Spider-Man's most iconic supervillain known as the Green Goblin is born.

The next morning, Peter wakes up and notices that he's changed. Not only does he no longer need glasses, but he's muscular too. After heading to school, Peter discovers he has improved reflexes (when he catches MJ and a food tray after she slips) and can shoot webs from his wrist. An incident with his webs involving a food tray quickly lands him in a fight with Flash Thompson in the school hallway.

"I don't wanna fight you, Flash." Peter says as he tries to get out of the situation.

"I wouldn't wanna fight me neither." Flash replies.

So, Peter fights Flash and beats him. Then he runs off and learns he can climb surfaces like a spider can before he figures out how to shoot webs from his wrist. The night afterwards, after talking with MJ, Peter watches her go for a car ride with Flash in his new car and decides to enter a wrestling event to earn money for that car with his powers.

On the day he goes to the event after making his wrestling suit, Peter has a little chat with Uncle Ben, who then delivers the iconic; "With great power comes great responsibility." Peter then enters the wrestling match with the wrestler Bonesaw and initially tries to use the name "The Human Spider" as an alias, only for the wrestling announcer played by Bruce Campbell to change it to... "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN". Buddy, you just planted the seeds without knowing it.

Peter battles Bonesaw, who is no pushover, and at one point says, "That's a cute outfit, did your husband give it to you?" Oh, Peter, you're such a sissy, aren't ya?. Going off track, Peter defeats Bonesaw but, when he gets the money, he ends up getting less than what the ad promised since the promoter's a bit of a jerk.

As Peter is leaving, a thief named Dennis Caradine arrives and steals the money. However, when someone begs for Dennis to be stopped, Peter, out of revenge against the promoter for cheating him on the money, lets the thief get away. "I missed the part where that's my problem." He tells the man, not knowing that letting Dennis get away will have consequences, and suffer the consequences he does.

While Peter is leaving the wrestling place, he discovers that his Uncle Ben was shot by a carjacker and is dying. Ben barely has enough strength left to hold Peter's hand and say his name when he dies in front of the young man, who cries and then goes after the car thief. But when he confronts the car thief at a warehouse, it turns out the thief is none other than the same guy he met earlier.

Dennis pleads with Peter, who is outright furious with him for killing Uncle Ben. Oh, Peter, little do you know this isn't the case with who killed your uncle. Peter attacks Dennis, who trips over a pipe and falls to his death on a pier below, Peter heads home to mourn the loss of Uncle Ben with Aunt May. Sometime later, during a millitary flight suit test, Norman Osborn as Green Goblin attacks and kills the test pilot along with General Stromm and other millitary officials.

In the days following Uncle Ben's death, Peter graduates high school with Harry while Mary Jane breaks up with Flash Thompson during the graduation after the ceremony and Norman begins to get closer to Peter, seeing him as almost like a son to him just like Harry. After the graduation, Peter once again mourns the loss of Uncle Ben as Aunt May comforts him. He later reviews his old wrestling outfit and soon fashions himself a new outfit, one that everyone knows very well.

Under the new alias of Spider-Man and deciding to take the "with great power comes great responsibility" saying of his uncle to heart, Peter begins fighting crime in New York and takes out many criminals. Opinions about Spider-Man are mixed but his actions catch the eye of the Daily Bugle and its editor J. Jonah Jameson, played by remarkable J.K Simmons.

"If he doesn't want to be famous, I'll make him infamous!" Jameson remarks during a conversation with his employees.

Peter decides to put his photography skills to use and starts taking photographs of himself as Spider-Man for the Daily Bugle after seeing an ad in the paper for someone to photograph Spider-Man. Peter gives his photos to Jameson, who makes him a freelancer for the Bugle. Meanwhile, Norman Osborn finds himself facing a dilemma as the Oscorp board members declare that he's being voted out and will no longer be chairman. "DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I'VE SACRIFICED?!" Norman yells.

During the Unity Day festival, the festivities are ruined when the Green Goblin arrives and starts attacking on his glider, causing chaos and killing the Oscorp board members out of revenge while putting people in danger. Thankfully, Peter steps in to protect the present MJ, who's dating Harry, and fights Green Goblin for the first time. "WE'LL MEET AGAIN, SPIDER-MAN!" Goblin yells as he retreats following the battle.

Following the event, Norman has a conversation with his Goblin self in a mirror and Goblin suggests that Peter could be an ally for them. The Green Goblin attacks the Daily Bugle and demands to know from Jameson who is the one taking photos of Spider-Man, who arrives on the scene and Jameson accuses of working with the Goblin.

Goblin gasses Peter and takes him up to the city rooftops, where the two talk and Goblin attempts to persuade the web-slinger to join him. "Think about it, hero!" Goblin sneers before flying away. Peter later saves MJ from a group of thugs attempting to... take advantage of her and they finally share their first kiss in an iconic scene as Peter hangs upside down as Spider-Man.

One day, while saving a baby from a burning building, Peter once again encounters the Green Goblin, who started the fire and again tries to make him join his side. "Are you in or are you out?" Goblin asks.

"You're the one who's out, Gobby! Out of your mind!" Peter quips.

"WRONG ANSWER!" Goblin attacks the web-slinger with spinning blades, one of which scratches Peter's arm, before he leaves the building while Goblin curses the hero for saying no to him. Peter and Norman arrive at the penthouse to join MJ, Aunt May and Harry for Thanksgiving dinner but tensions arise when Norman notices a cut on Peter's arm and leaves, secretly coming to the conclusion that Peter is Spider-Man while insulting MJ during a tense chat with Harry about women.

Goblin deduces the best way to get to Peter and make him suffer is to hurt his loved ones, despite Norman's protests. The villain attacks Aunt May's house while she's praying and May lands in the hospital, but she survives thankfully, and Peter realizes what is going on. While chatting with MJ in Aunt May's hospital about Spider-Man, Peter holds her hand and Harry sees them when he walks in, leading to him telling Norman (and the Goblin) about everything.

Aunt May wakes up and has a heart to heart with Peter about MJ and his feelings for her. Motivated by the discussion, Peter goes to call MJ on the phone only to end up learning that Green Goblin kidnapped her when Goblin's voice cackles on the other end of the line; "Can Spider Man come out to play?"

Green Goblin holds Mary Jane hostage on the Roosevelt Bridge and Peter arrives as Spider-Man just after the Goblin damages a tram system and takes the tram holding many kids in it hostage as well. "This is why only fools are heroes..." Goblin declares, offering Spider-Man a choice, "Because you may never know when some lunatic will come along with a sadistic choice; Let die the woman you love or suffer the little children."

Goblin drops MJ and the tram, telling Spider-Man to choose. Peter saves MJ along with the tram at the same time as the Goblin attacks and the New Yorkers defend their hero, throwing junk at the Goblin, who drags Peter to an abandoned hospital on Roosevelt Island where their final battle of the movie begins. And the fight is brutal, Goblin shows no mercy and lets Spider-Man have it. 

Side Note: This fight actually pushed the PG-13 rating, especially since Peter was going to spit blood from his mouth, and the fight was going to be more intense. But to ensure the film got a PG-13, the blood from Peter's mouth had to be digitally edited to just spit. 

As he beats Spider-Man down, Goblin tells him what he's going to do to MJ when its all over and threatens to finish her slowly. This enrages Peter and gives him the strength he needs to let the Goblin have it to, he beats him and punches him relentlessly until the villain cries out in Norman Osborn's voice, unmasking himself and pleading with Peter to help him and be like a son to him.

When Peter tells Norman that he has a father whose name was Uncle Ben, its revealed that the Goblin was pretending to be Norman and attempts to attack him with his glider. Peter evades and Norman gets stabbed by his glider blades, the man known as Norman Osborn dies, but not before telling him not to tell Harry about it.

Sometime later, at the graveyard, Peter and MJ chat again by Uncle Ben's grave and MJ asks Peter if he loves her while kissing him at one point. Knowing that he can't put her in danger as Spider-Man, Peter declines and walks away while MJ begins to suspect he might be Spider-Man. The film ends with Peter in his outfit swinging through New York City.


Final Thoughts:

Since its release in 2002, Spider-Man has been seen as an unforgettable movie masterpiece and a treasure by many Spidey fans, superhero fans and Marvel fans alike. Having seen it twice, I do see why it still holds up in many people's hearts after over two decades since it released. 

Sam Rami is a Spider-Man fan and the movie under his direction oozes with that Marvel passion most of the Marvel movies have, it is a very good movie that is worth your time if you want to sit down and watch a superhero movie like this one. 

Tobey Maguire has gone on to be a fan-favorite Marvel movie actor and is seen as the OG movie Spider-Man, which is true unless you count the made-for-TV movies from the 70s or 80s. After all these years, he's still synonymous with the web-slinger so much, I hear tell that some people hear his voice in their head when they read Peter's dialogue in the Spider-Man comics. Rosemary Harris played Aunt May fairly well and some people also apparently imagine her voice when they read the comics.

Willem Dafoe's casting as the Green Goblin was a swell idea to a degree at the time and J.K Simmons went on to play Mr. Jameson in many more Spider-Man projects such as the rest of the trilogy, a few cartoons and finally reprises his role in the MCU as a new variant of Mr. Jameson himself.

My final thoughts? Well, its fun, its got charm and its an inspiring superhero story. Could it be one of my favorite superhero movies? Sure, of course it is, man. Now, I must go. 

See you next time, true believers. Excelsior!

-CVGWJames

Writerly Wednesday: No one knows

 



No one knows 

when the introvert, 

the quiet one, 

the one who stayed 

on the periphery, 

the one no one 

could hear,

the one who hide within

the babble of voices, 

shimmied out of 

her shell. 


No one knows

the one who always 

listened,

at ease 

with her place in 

the well 

of shadows, and thoughts

swimming 

through her brain.


No one knows

the introvert, the quiet one,

who found a place to be, 

to rest, to live, 

to dream.


The introvert, the quiet one, 

lived among the rest,

content 

with those  

who lived externally. 


No one knows 

what came between

except she found 

her voice.

And burst, 

quietly of course, 

and reached 

politely, of course,

between 

the lines, 

On to the scene,

And took her place 

in the light. 

Bookish Notes - I'm in a literary fiction mood.

 



Once again I have a physical book, an ebook, and audiobook in progress. I used to be a monogamous reader and wouldn't think of mixing and matching, but now enjoy the variety so when I get tired of one, I can turn to the other. 

I started listening to Tom Hanks Uncommon Type in the car which are literary short stories. Enjoying his humor.  For some reason I thought it was non fiction but the first story made me realize it wasn't when he mentioned watching Netflix with a date and I was like, what a minute, he's only a couple years only than me and Netflix didn't exist 30 years ago.  *facepalm*  

Currently on page 165 on Wolf Hall. Yes, reading very slowly and only at breakfast time. It's keeping me from devouring the whole story in large gulps and not remembering most of it.  I'm at the point where poor Thomas has suffered many losses and the cardinal is in a world of trouble. 

Quote of the day:

"He say to her, "I wish we have a baby, it seems such a long time since there was a baby in the house."

"Don't look at me," Johane says.

He does, of course. He says "Does John Williamson not do his duty by you these days?"

She says, "His duty is not my pleasure."

As he walks away, he thinks, that's a conversation I shouldn't have had." 


I was in the mood, so dove into Cormac McCarthy’s  post apocalyptical story, The Road finally.  It’s one of the books on SWB’s Well Educated Mind fiction list of which I’ve read 13, I think.  I have to keep better track. Anywho, his writing immediately drew me in and the imagery really paints a dark story of hope and survival. 

"A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other."



  


In the Icelandic tradition - our JĆ³labĆ³kaflĆ³Ć°iĆ° - Christmas Book Flood

 

Merry Christmas 



I kind of went overboard this year.  You know how they said to shop early because product and shipping will be in short supply and take a longer period of time.  Nope, I think they fudged it.  I bought early and bought often. Hubby did the same.  Happy birthday, Jesus. We celebrated with lots of love and happiness. 


Right around Thanksgiving, Paul McCartney's memoir in music, THE LYRICS, was released and I immediately went to the store and bought it. Expensive, but well worth it. Hubby and I will get hours of enjoyment out of it. A couple years ago, hubby mentioned Dan Alexander Audio book and I saved it to my own private wishlist, nudge nudge wink wink, in hopes that someday it'd be available and the price would go down. Well, it became available but the price didn't go down, but I got it any way.  Hubby was surprised and amazed that I remembered something he'd mentioned so long ago.  Score! 


Second score of the evening was the Sonic Encyclospeedia.  Once James opened that present, he was a goner for the rest of the evening. The one who'd had his hand out excitedly for gift after gift said "I'll open the rest of my gifts in a while." 



My book haul held a surprise from my brother. The entire Super Powered series which amounts to about 3400 pages. Hopefully like the Wheel of Time series, they won't take me several years to read. The rest all historical fiction. I look forward to diving in.   Oh, and did you notice the bookends. 


 

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not:"

for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.  ~ Linus Van Pelt, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Many blessings to all this Christmas season.  


Guest Post -IDW Sonic Issue 47 review



More IDW Sonic goodness is here as Christmas looms. The three part camping story is at an end and Evan Stanley wrapped it up nicely with no interference from SEGA/Sonic Team to hold her back. The forest fire plot was taken care of without issue and the girls are safe, but now we have a new story before Issue 50 coming up and it apparently involves the Chaotix.

Evan Stanley writes masterfully and her art is the best of the best, IDW Sonic has provided some sweet writing and colorful art just like its successor Archie Sonic did in various degrees. Sonic's 2021 is coming to an end without anything crazy happening (Colors Ultimate aside) and his thirtieth anniversary has been very successful just like his previous anniversaries.

That's all I have to say, folks!

-James. M









Bookish Notes and Links - JĆ³labĆ³kaflĆ³Ć°iĆ° is coming.

 


Christmas Eve is almost upon us and and it's time to JĆ³labĆ³kaflĆ³Ć°iĆ°.  I've added a few more ebooks to my virtual stacks thanks to some awesome Kindle deals.  Nick Magnus's The Cat and the City, Doris Lessings, Grass is Singing, Jack McDevitt's Ancient Shores Magnus Fly's City of Dark Magic, Ursula Le Guin's The Dispossessed, Kate Quinn's The Huntress,  William Faulkner's Snopes Trilogy, and Jon Sweeney's Thomas Merton: An Introduction to His Life, Teachings, and Practices.  Yes, I know... When will I find time to read them all. 

I'm 100 pages into Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall and once I got used to her writing, enjoying the story and historical aspects.   Mantel has a way with imagery and loved this line:  " Their bodies breathed out the faint borrowed scent of sun and herbs."  I also like Thomas Cromwell's dry wit.  I think this is one book which will take me to the end of the year to finish.  It's not one to speed read through.  

Web wanderings today:  

 20 recommended reads for those who dream of traveling to Iceland

Sadly Joan Didion has passed away

It's not to late to read more Christmas stories:  25 Best Christmas Historical Fiction Books for the Holidays

Some weekly challenges to spice up my reading life:  52 weekly challenges from Bookriot - looks like fun. There are so many on the list I want to do or have already started. 


New York Public Library has suggestions for every one of Bookriots Annual Read Harder Challenge

Hugo Awards, Astounding Award, Lodestar Award 2021 Announced.  Martha Wells Network Effect won. The nominees included Piranesi by  Susanna Clarke which I have on my shelves as well as  The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin (Still haven't finished the Fifth Season), The Relentless Moon by, Mary Robinette Kowal (Will have to check this one out as well as Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir.  And last but not least, Black Sun by  Rebecca Roanhorse which I'm looking forward to reading soon. 

Don't remember if I share this one before.   How Nancy Drew Solves Crimes.  Will come in handy for an upcoming challenge on 52 Books. Nudge Nudge Wink Wink.

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Because Reading's 2022 Bookish Resolutions Challenge -- I'm all in.


I've been reviewing my wins and fails for 2021 which I'll post about later and trying to figure out how to be more organized for 2022. I have all these grand plans, particularly when it comes to writing and my WIP.  However, as I do every year, I fail brilliantly, usually because I over plan, instead of keeping it simple.  This year I'm definitely keeping it simple. In the midst of planning for next year, I found  Because Reading's 2022 Bookish Resolutions Challenge, thanks to Bev at Reading Challenge Addict.  Love that the hostesses Michelle and Berls have a combination reading, book blogging, and writing challenge and quarterly check in's to see how you are progressing.  

The rules are:

  • Create between 5 or more resolutions related to books/book blogging/writing (there are examples below but you can make up your own)(you can have as many resolutions as you would like, there is no limit) 
  • Create a signup post and add it to the Linky on this post (sign up before Feb 28th)
  • Since this is a year long challenge we ask that you pick goals with some longevity. Pick a goal that will take you no less than 6 months to complete.
  • Once your goals are set you cannot change them.
  • Three time a year we will have an update to see how you are doing. March 1st, June 1st and September 1st. The last update will be the wrap up post.
  • For each goal you complete you get one entry into the giveaway that will be in our wrap up post on December 31, 2022
  • The Winner will be picked randomly so the more goals you complete the better chance you have to win the $5 Amazon Gift Cards at the end of the year.
So.... My resolutions or goals for 2022 writing.  

1) Complete revisions on my current WIP - Red Thief. I'm at the halfway mark and the length is probably going to end up being 100,000 words by the time I'm done. I've been revising in passes,  filling in plot holes, writing new scenes and revising prior scenes.  I've never edited a novel length story before, just flash fiction and posts. It's taken longer than I expected, however the learning curve has been interesting and illuminating.  

2) Write every day - I gave up doing morning pages for a while but recently started again and realized the pages were where I worked out problems with the story, talking to my characters and brainstormed ideas for flash fiction, and poems. Now I know why I was feeling blocked. I was doing it to myself. 

3) Write A to Z and back again weekly blog posts.  

Book wise, 

4) New year buying ban - won't buy new books or downloading freebie ebooks for at least 6 months. 

4) MT TBR challenge - Read at least 48 physical Fiction books from my own TBR stacks. Not including rereads. 

5) Personal Nonfiction challenge - Read 12 Non fiction books from my own TBR stacks, both physical and ebook and audiobook. 

I think that's about it. I'm sure I'll think of more later. 

Thank you to Michelle and Berls for hosting. 

  

2022 Book Challenge: Mount TBR Reading challenge - reading from my own shelves

 


I try to start out the year with a book buying ban and usually fall off the wagon by April. For 2022, vow to forgo all the kindle freebies and Book Bub deals offered along the way; which is very hard to do by the way.   I usually end up going on a book buying binge at the end of the year to hold me over.  I've already preordered New Releases by my favorite authors.  Can’t resist those.  For 2022 I'm determined to hold out longer since my shelves are overflowing, double and triple parked and so many are calling my name.

I’m going to join Bev at My Reader’s Block Mount TBR 2022 and shoot for Mt. Ararat and Read 48 books from my TBR Pile. She has a Virtual Mount TBR challenge as well.

WK 51: Sunday's Book Babble - 10 x 10 Challenge Completed

 


Books, books, and more books. I set a goal this year of completing a 10 x 10 reading challenge, ten books in ten categories.  Happy to say I met the goal although I did have to change a couple categories. The Nuns category didn't work out and it turned into First in the series. And Magic changed into Paranormal. Officially I'm calling it at 100, although I read a lot of series for the Nora Roberts Revisit but only counted each series as one.  I'll follow up with stats in another post. I think I lost track of which were ebooks and which were physical, but I'm pretty sure the majority are ebooks as  my physical stacks didn't diminish by much. In fact, I think they had babies because I seem to have more than I started with at the beginning of the year.   

The 10 x 10 Categories are: 

AR - Alternate realities 

DRAGONS - Dragons and other fantastical beasts  (Dragons)

FINES - Fines and Misdemeanors (Crimes in libraries, bookstores, and elsewhere)

FL - Fictional Librarians 

HEART  - Be still my heart  (romance, romantic suspense,  etc)

NEXT in the series

PARANORMAL – Paranormal and urban fantasy

PAST - Into the past (historical fiction)

REVISIT - Nora Roberts

WORLD  - Around the world (exploring other cultures, translated books, etc)


Alternate Realities

1. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars - Christopher Paolini ( 856)

2. Stars Uncharted  (#1 Stars uncharted) - S.K. Dunstall (Space opera)

3. Midnight Library - Matt Haig (AR, TIME TRAVEL, Librarian)

4. Wheel of Light (#14 WOT) - Robert Jordan (900+  MAGIC)

5. The Mortal Word (#6 IL) - Genevieve Cogman 

6. The Last Watch (#1 Divide) - J.S. Dewes (Space opera)

7. The Exiled Fleet (#2 Divide) - J.S. Dewes (Space opera)

8. The Starless Sea – Erin Morgenstern

9. Dark Archive (#7 Invisible Library) - Genevieve Cogman


Dragons 

1. Baking Bad (#1 Beaufort Scales)- Kim M Watt  (England: Leeds, Skipton)

2. Dragons of Dorcastle (#1 Pillars of Reality)- Jack Campbell  

3. Dirty Deeds: Urban Fantasy Collection - Faith Hunter, et al)    

4. Dragons in the Earth - Judith Tar (Arizona)

5. Tea with a Black Dragon - R.A. MacAvoy 

6. Elder Races series (1 - 8)  - Thea Harrison 

7. The Becoming (#2 Awakening) 


FINES 

1. A Borrowing of Bones (#1 Mercy Carr) - Paula Munier 

2. The Madness of Crowds (#17 Armand Gamache) - Louise Penny 

3. Deadly Deception (#3 O'Halleran Security International series - T.J. Logan 

4. Deadly Secret (#1 O'Halleran) - T.J. Logan

5. A Cold Dark Place (#1 Cold Justice)- Toni Anderson 

6. Secret Chapter (#6 Invisible Library) - Genevieve Cogman 

7. Dark Archive (#7 Invisible Library) - Genevieve Cogman

8. Phantom Evil (#1 Krewe of the Hunters) - Heather Graham 

9. A Bad Day for Sunshine #1 Sunshine Vicram) - Darynda Jones 

10. Faithless in Death (#52 In death) – J.D. Robb

11. Forgotten in Death (#53 In Death) – J.D. Robb


FL – Fictional Librarians 

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – J.K. Rowling

2. Real Murders (#1 Aurora Teagarden)- Charlaine Harris  

3. The Colour of Magic (#1 Discworld)  - Terry Pratchett 

4. Lost Plot (#4 Invisible Library) - Genevieve Cogman 

5. A Hidden Fire (#1 Elemental Mystery) - Elizabeth Hunter 

6. Eyre Affaire (#1 Thursday Next) - Jasper Fford 

7. Case of the Missing Books (#1 Mobile Library) - Ian Sansom 

8. Ink and Bone (#1 Great Library) – Rachel Caine 

9. Books can be Deceiving (#1 Library Lovers) - Jen McKinley 

10. Library at the Edge of the World (#1 Finfarran Peninsula) - Felicity Hayes McCoy 

11. Murder at the 42nd Street Library – Con Lehane

12. Book Charmer (#1 Dove Pond) - Karen Hawkins 


HEARTS

1. Last Chance Matinee (#1 Hudson Sisters) - Mariah Stewart

2. Spoiler Alert - Olivia Wade

3. Driven to Distraction (#1 Road to Love) - Lori Foster 

4. Brighten Honeymoon (#2 Weaver)- Sheri Cobb Smith 

5. Peculiar Pink Toes of Lady Flora - Jayne Fresina 

6. Hush - Cherry Adair (Reread)

7. Invisible Husband of Frick Island - Colleen Oakley

8. Troublemaker - Linda Howard 

9. The Woman Left Behind - Linda Howard

10. Love in the Afternoon (prequel Dove Pond) - Karen Hawkins

11. A Cup of Silver Linings (#2 Dove Pond) - Karen Hawkins

12. Legacy – Nora Roberts 




Next in the Series – Completed 

1. A Good Day for Chardonnay (#2 Sunshine) - Darynda Jones 

2. Bridgerton series (#1 - 8) - Julia Quinn 

3. Hexing with a Chance of Tornados (#2 Grimm Cove) - Mandy Roth 

4. Last Guard (#5  psychangeling trinity) - Nalini Singh 

5. Lover Unveiled (#19 BDB) - J.R. Ward 

6. Spellcasting with a Chance of Spirits (#3 Grimm Cove) - Mandy Roth 

7. Sugar House Blues (#2 Hudson Sisters)

8. The Goodbye Cafe (#3 Hudson Sisters)

9. When Sorrows Come (#14 October Daye) - Seanan McGuire 

10. Wild Sign (#6 Alpha and Omega) -  Patricia Briggs 


Nora Roberts Revisit 

1. Ardmore Series (Ireland)

2. Born In Trilogy (Ireland)

3. Bride Quartet 

4. Calhouns: Catherine, Amanda, and Lila

5. Calhouns:  Suzanna and Megan 

6. Carnal Innocence 

7. Chesapeake Bay Series (1 -4)

8. Cousin's O'Dwyer Trilogy (Ireland)

9. Garden Trilogy - #1 Blue Dahlia, #2 Black Rose, #3 Red Lily 

10. Inn Boonsboro Trilogy - Nora Roberts 

11. Key Series 

12. O'Hurley Born Anthology (The Last Honest Woman and Dance to the Piper)

13. O'Hurley's Return Anthology (Skin Deep and Without a Trace)

14. Sanctuary 

15. Three Fates Trilogy

16. Three Sisters Island series 


PAST

1. Brighten Honeymoon (#2 Weaver)- Sheri Cobb Smith 

2. Peculiar Pink Toes of Lady Flora - Jayne Fresina

3. Bridgerton series (#1 - 8) - Julia Quinn


Paranormal or Urban Fantasy - completed

1. Archangels Light (#14 Guild Hunter) - Nalini Singh 

2. Book of Secrets (#1 Oracle) - Melissa McShane 

3. Claimed (#1 Wolven) - J.R. Ward 

4. Cloudy with a Chance of Witchcraft (#1 Grimm Cove) - Mandy Roth 

5. Fireborn (#1 Souls of Fire) - Keri Arthur (REREAD)

6. First Grave on the Right 1 -13 (#1 Grim Reaper) - Summoned to the Thirteenth Grave (#13) Charley Davidson Grim Reaper series by Darynda Jones.

7. Halfway to the Grave (#1) - Jeaniene Frost 

8. Kingdom of Shadow and Light (#11 Fever)  - Karen Marie Moning  

9. True Dead (Jane Yellowrock) - Faith Hunter 


World - Completed

1. And Then There Were Nuns - Jane Christmas (Non Fiction) England - Isle of Wight, Whitby)

2. Bear and the Nightingale - Katherine Arden  (Russia) 

3. Cousin’s O’Dwyer series – Nora Roberts (Ireland)

4. Library at the Edge of the World (#1 Finfarran Peninsula) - Felicity Hayes McCoy (Ireland)

5. Little Paris Bookshop - Nina George (France)

6. My Christmas Number One - Leonie Mack  (London/South America, e)

7. Peculiar Pink Toes of Lady Flora - Jayne Fresina (United Kingdom)

8. Sworn Virgin - Kristopher Dukes (Albania)

9. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V.E. Schwab (France, 1700's to Present)

10. The Riviera House - Natasha Lester  (France) 


WK 50: Sunday's Book Babble - A to Z and back again project


It's week 50 in our Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks quest.  For 2022, I'm introducing a new year long reading and writing project called A to Z and back again.  One word beginning with that letter every week as we work all the way through the alphabet forward, then back to A. The word of the week will be announced with each Sunday's post.  There will be numerous ways to play which include reading a book with the word in the title; read alphabetically by author or title; includes the emotion or action or characteristic or job of the character or the story; find a synonym or antonym; form an aptigram or antigram; Create a story or poem and let your thoughts fly. How you do it is up to you. 


To give you an example, since we are on week 50, we'd be on the letter c. 

The word of the week: Chivalry.   Make of it what you will. 

******

I finished J.S. Dewes The Last Watch.  Once I read the excerpt on Amazon, had to buy it.  Once I started reading it,  couldn't put it down. After I finished the book, I immediately ordered The Exiled Fleet.  Dewes did a marvelous job of creating a story  with military misfits exiled in an outer space station on the edge of the galaxy. A cast of characters you wanted to root for, descriptive writing which as a whole, mind and gut wrenching events which made for a great story.  

J.S. Dewes Divide series, The Exiled Fleet.

“The Sentinels narrowly escaped the collapsing edge of the Divide.  They have mustered a few other surviving Sentinels, but with no engines they have no way to leave the edge of the universe before they starve.  Adequin Rake has gathered a team to find the materials they'll need to get everyone out.  To do that they're going to need new allies and evade a ruthless enemy. Some of them will not survive.”

Talking about chivalry, I think that Adequin is the female equivalent of a knight, tries to take care of her troops, protects the weak, etc. so even though I didn’t plan it this way, synchronicity is at work.

I finally dove into Wolf Hall and enjoying so far.   Have to read it a little bit more slowly to get all the nuances and enjoying the doses of wit and humor mixed in.  Love this description “Their bodies breath out the faint borrowed scent of sun and herbs.”

I added three more Agatha Christie books to my virtual stacks: Cat Among the Pigeons (Hercule Poirot #32) Peril at End House (Hercule Poirot #8) and The Mystery of the Blue Train (Hercule Poirot #6), as well as Juliet Gauvin’s The Irish Cottage: Finding Elizabeth. 


 I decided to join a Poetry reading challenge for 2022 and subscribed to Poem a Day and read at least one poetry book. Robert Frost here I come.  I’ve been getting a chuckle out of the poets comments on some of the poems of the day, because some try to explain what they were thinking and some feel like they missed the boat.
 

Bookish Notes and Links - 200 Books that Shaped 200 Years of Literature


During my dinner break at work I was perusing the internet and decided to share the wealth tonight with more book lists.  So much temptation.  I discovered shopping early for Christmas in order to make sure things get here on time has lead to spending a whole heck of a lot more money, because I keep seeing one more thing, then one more thing. My guys are going to be spoiled this year.  

Have you seen Red Notice yet? Fun movie. Red Notice and the Art of the Heist books about heists. 

The Center for Fiction confabs to determine the 200 Books that Shaped 200 Years of Literature.

A list from France - 100 books of 2021 (thank goodness for google translator)

Now I'm meandering slowly (is that redundant?) through Tor's list of 100 Speculative Fiction Titles to Add to Your Reading List

WK 49: Sunday;s Book Babble - Space Opera


 

It's week 49 in our 52 Books Quest and I’ve just started another space opera, The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes:

 “The Divide.  It’s the edge of the universe. Now it’s collapsing—and taking everyone and everything with it.  The only ones who can stop it are the Sentinels—the recruits, exiles, and court-martialed dregs of the military.

At the Divide, Adequin Rake commands the Argus. She has no resources, no comms—nothing, except for the soldiers that no one wanted. Her ace in the hole could be Cavalon Mercer--genius, asshole, and exiled prince who nuked his grandfather's genetic facility for “reasons.”

She knows they’re humanity's last chance.”


Loved this article on Tor about A Year in Books Not Yet Read

I'm pretty much the same way. I peruse my shelves of unread books, , go down memory lane, think about why I chose it. 

 "There’s a story like these behind every unread book, just like there’s a different kind of story about every book you’ve finished, whether that story—the story of your experience of the book—is about how it made you angry, made you cry, made you think about how writing works, made you want to read more fiction or more history or more stories unlike no stories you’d ever read before. We don’t just read stories; we create our own stories around them. Even, I think, when we haven’t read them. Yet."

Makes me want to return to being a monogamous reader, paying sole attention to the story I'm reading, instead of splitting my time between several.  After all, the book may have been waiting in the stacks for a long time and deserves it's moment in the limelight. 


We watched National Treasure: Book of Secrets Saturday night which was excellent.  

Bookish Notes: The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

                                                         

I started listening to Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea in the car and loved the narrators, their voices perfect for the story. One for the in between stories and another for Zachary's part of the story. I'll probably be listening to it long in to 2022 as I don't drive very much. LOL!  I was home for a couple days and had gotten to a part of the story that intrigued me, so picked up the book to read and couldn't put it down. 

A Starless Sea is a story within a story within a story about a story. Endless time, myths, fables, the moon, fate, life, love, adventures, bees, hearts, swords, acolytes, guardians, doors, doors, and more doors. Well written, captures your imagination, with plenty of sensory detail to keep both your mind and your senses engaged. Beautiful story and totally enjoyed it. One of those books I'll enjoy reading again.  

And if you haven't read Morgenstern's Night Circus, it's just a well written, intriguing, delightful read.