Hullo-hullo-hullo!

Yes, I haven't blogged in awhile. There is a very simple explanation for this--I mean, aside from being busy generally, which is basically my constant state so it isn't really worth commenting on it.

The keyboard that I had been using wasn't working. Most of the keys on the bottom letter-row didn't work, and a few others beside that. This made things like typing blog entries difficult. Yes, I could do it in a lab or on a friends computer, but I didn't consider blog entries to be so essential as that.

But when I was home this weekend my wonderful mother had found a different keyboard for me to use which works--Glory Glory Alelujah! So now I can actually write blog entries. I've been doing some reading, but I don't think that I'm going to try to catch the book blog up to where I am, I'm just going to pick up from here. I don't have time for a book blog anyway, let alone making up missed book reviews.

Life is good, this semester has been a busy but awesome one. I'm basically done with my generals classes, so all the classes I'm taking this semester are classes that I want to take, so even though I have a very full schedule (seventeen credits plus work) I'm enjoying it.

I recently discovered that comics/graphic novels are awesome. Where have they been all my life? Hiding behind stupid stereotypes, it seems. Humph.

I am very, very close to having the mission papers complete. Speaking of which, I'm going to go work on those right now, so I'll just make a sound like a hoop and roll away.

Most of the books I've read this year

If you know me well at all, you know I'm not particularly organized. So I'm pretty pleased with myself for this mostly-complete list. I'd keep good track of my reading for a few weeks, then completely forget and have to go back and try to remember. Sometimes I'd remember all I'd read, and sometimes I just wouldn't. Despite my lapses in book-tracking, I believe this list to be mostly-complete.

I'm counting 115 titles here, though I might be slightly off. Most of them are novels, and I read most of them cover to cover, though there are some exceptions--a few short stories, novellas, or re-reads where I skipped the less interesting parts (though most of my re-reads were cover-to-cover), and several audio books while working.

115 titles--thats approximately 9.5 a month, 2.3 a week, or .3 a day. Looking back, that seems about right.

These are in reverse order--so I have recently started and not yet finished the first two titles here, the first book I read this year is at the very bottom of the list.



Unfinished: The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner; Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

Falling Free, by Lois McMaster Bujold
A Civil Campaign, by Lois McMaster Bujold (best-parts-version re-read)
Crown/Court Duel, by Sherwood Smith (best-parts-version re-read)
Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Sherwood Ring, by Elizabeth Marie Pope
The Perilous Gard, by Elizabeth Marie Pope
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Taming the Bicycle by Mark Twain (Librivox)
They and I, by Jerome K. Jerome (Librivox)
The Winter Queen, by Boris Akunin
Told After Supper by Jerome K. Jerome (short story/novella?) (Librivox)
The Sign of the Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Librivox)
A Scandal in Bohemia (short story) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Gaudy Night, by Dorothy Sayers (again)
A Study in Scarlet, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Librivox)
The Winter Prince, by Elizabeth Wein
Crocodile on the Sandbank, by Elizabeth Peters
Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Librivox)
Fire (short story collection,) only Robin McKinley's stories though
Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley
the Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
My Father's Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannett (librivox)
Lord Peter (short story collection) by Dorothy Sayers
Ben Hur, by Lew Wallace (Librivox)
Have His Carcase by Dorothy Sayers
Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold
Prauge Counterpoint by Bodie Theone
Vienna Prelude by Bodie Theone
Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers (again) (Librivox)
The Game by Diana Wynne Jones
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (librivox)
Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy Sayers
Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers
The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers
Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy Sayers
Five Red Herrings by Dorothy Sayers (didn't finish)
Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy Sayers
Unnatural Death by Dorothy Sayers
Clouds of Witness by Dorothy Sayers
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
The Curse of Chalion by L M Bujold
Memory by L M Bujold
Mirror Dance by L M Bujold
Brothers in Arms by LM Bujold
Borders of Infinity (novella) by L M Bujold
Assasins Apprentice, by Robin Hobb
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (librivox)
The Prisoner of Zenda, by Anthony Hope (Librivox)
Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K Jerome (librivox)
the Pinhoe Egg, by Diana Wynne Jones
Conrad's Fate, by Diana Wynne Jones
The Lives of Christopher Chant, by Diana Wynne Jones
Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers (librivox)
Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
Once On A Time by A. A. Milne
The Man Who Would Be King (short story) by Rudyard Kipling (librivox)
A Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Burnett (librivox)
Amaranth Enchantment, by Julie Berry
The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit (librivox)
Persuasion, by Jane Austen (librivox)
The Story of the Treasure Seekers, by E. Nesbit (librivox)
Anne of Avonlea, by L. M. Montgomery (librivox)
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery (librivox)
The Scarlet Pimpernel, Baroness Emmuska Orczy (to family)
Peter Pan, J.M.Barrie (librivox)
Little Dorrit, Charles Dickens (Librivox)
Austenland by Shannon Hale
Crown (and Court) Duel by Sherwood Smith
Eldorado, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy (librivox)
The Elusive Pimpernel, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy (Librivox)
I Will Repay! by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel (short story collection) by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
(To Deidre and Jocelyn) The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner
Sir Percy Leads the Band, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Nausicaa part 1 (graphic novel) by Hayao Miyazaki
The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy (librivox)
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas (librivox)
The Queen of Attolia, by Megan Whalen Turner
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
The Stone Fey, by Robin McKinely
Airborn, Kenneth Oppel (audiobook)
The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. IT WAS AWESOME. THE MOVIE IS TOO.
Bone Volume Two: The Great Cow Race by Jeff Smith (graphic novel) (oh, and I read the first one awhile back and forgot to add it.... :-})
Tales from Outer Suburbia, by Shaun Tan (short story collection with AWESOME paintings, ARC)
The Stonekeeper (Amulet, Book 1) by Kazu Kibuishi (graphic novel)
The Perilous Guard, Elizabeth Marie Pope
Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J. K. Rowling
Inkdeath, Cornelia Funke
American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Yang (graphic novel)
Inkspell, Cornelia Funke
Night, by Elie Wiesel
Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke
Howl's Moving Castle, to Deidre and Annie (unfinished)
The High King, Lloyd Alexander
Taran Wanderer, Lloyd Alexander
The Castle of Llyr, Lloyd Alexander
The Black Cauldron, Lloyd Alexander
The Book of Three, Lloyd Alexander
Peony in Love, Lisa See
Neverwhere, Niel Gaiman
The Demon's Lexicon, Sarah Rees Brennan
The Graveyard Book, Niel Gaiman (read to me by Annie)
The King of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner (to Deidre)
The Mysterious Benedict Society, Trenton Lee Stewart (unfinished)
The Empty Kingdom, Elizabeth Wein

Books Read this summer

I was just glancing over old blog posts when I saw a post I'd completely forgotten about from last April, saying what books I thought I might want to pick up over the summer. I thought it might be interesting to say which of those I actually did read.

Of the rather long list of books I thought I might like to try reading over the summer, these are the ones I did actually read:

Jane Eyre
The Book Thief, by Marcus Zuzak I started but didn't finish. I did enjoy what I read of it and plan to finish when the Book Chooser Says To.
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver is another I started but didn't finish--I really liked it, but then the library recalled it. *grumble* Annie brought back her copy for me to read the next time she went home, but by then I'd kind of lost my momentum with it, yanno? But this is another that I fully intend to finish reading in the future.
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas
Ben Hur by Lew Wallace I didn't actually read during the summer, but I did shortly after school started. Well, I listened to it anyway, which counts in my book.
Kenneth Oppel's Airborn books.
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
More Diana Wynne Jones--specifically The Game and re-reading the first and third volumes of the Chronicles of Chrestomanci... and maybe some other stuff that isn't coming to mind at the moment...
I didn't read The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor, but I did listen to Through the Looking Glass, and the original should be even better, no?
I gave Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett another try--one of these days I'll be able to understand her prose. Maybe.
the Lord Peter Wimsey Books--oy my Lord Peter. I am so glad that I did pick these up... :D:D:D
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emma Orczy--Karen Savage is my Hero





Not a bad list. Of course I read many other books this summer, but these are the books that I did end up reading that I had on my summer reading list. And probably nobody is interested in this but me, but ah well.


And NOW I shall go do homework. Actually, I'm going to have dinner first. And THEN homework.

Life couldn't possibly, not even probably, life couldn't possibly better be!

The Last Week-or-so--in bullet points!

-The trip to California was great and relaxing. I got to read The Scarlet Pimpernel to my mom and siblings (see book blog) on the drive and they enjoyed it. (Of course. Sir Percy is Made Of Awesome.)
-visiting cousins is fun. Its great to be back with my roommates though. We have Good Times.
-When I did laundry after getting home from CA I made a discovery. My Art Nerd tee-shirt officially has a big smudge of Thalo Blue on the back. I figure, it was only a matter of time. It was going to happen sooner or later. I'm just not quite sure how it did happen.
-The Book Slump continues, but thank goodness for Librivox.org, Karen Savage and the Awesomest Job Ever.
-I think that Conspiracy of Kings should come out sooner. Or that I should get an ARC. I should probably work on that...
-A cleaning check on FRIDAY? Fortunately it was a light one and I woke up early enough that I got all my cleaning done, and they didn't look too closely.
-I think this is the first year in several that I will NOT be participating in any parades. Have fun with that, guys!
-I love the Court Jester. It is an awesome movie.
-little babies are fun to sketch.
-ANNILYN CAME TO VISIT. AFTER SHE SAID WE WOULDN'T SEE HER UNTIL AUGUST. WE SCARED HER FAMILY WITH OUR DELIGHTED SCREAMS. ANNILYN, DON'T STAY AWAY SO LONG EVER AGAIN.
-made Rolo cookies for the first time today. Yum.
-a weekend to do whatever I want. I've done some baking, watched a movie with the roomies.... reading, painting, and more of the same will follow I'm sure.
-I still need to take reference photos for Noah's Ark.... mom, if you could upload the ones that we manages to get that would be MARVELLOUS.
-I love Tonks and Sunny. One day, I will have my own house. In it, there will be birds, books, a studio, a kitchen, and a dance floor. And maybe somewhere to sleep.

Whats going on? OBSESSIONS! What fun. I love obsessions.

So maybe you're wondering whats going on with my life. I certainly haven't said a whole lot about it. So, I'll tell you.

I work.
I read.
I eat.
I read.
I sleep.
I read.

I love life.

I am currently caught up in two obsessions, which is quite fun really. Its always nice to have something to get excited over, what? (Sir Percy is rubbing off on me.)
One obsession is an old one, the Queens Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. The King of Attolia has been my favorite book since I first read it a couple years ago. Well, guess what. You never will, so I'll tell you--just over the last few days, the title, release date, cover, and blurb were discovered by the Sounis livejournal community. So now I'm extremely happy, in a rather hyperactive way, for A Conspiracy of Kings, coming Winter 2010. Less than a year. I can wait that long, can't I? Marvellous title. And we get more Sophos--I miss Sophos! But its looking like he'll be a major player in this next book, along with other such awesomeness. :-)



The other Obsession, as you may have guessed if you've looked at the book blog, is The Scarlet Pimpernel. I'd read and enjoyed the book before, but this time I got caught up and curious, and guess what--there are over 13 books about that Demmed Elusive Pimpernel! YES. Sir Percy is AWESOME. And guess what. The Musical will be at Hale Center Theater in a couple months! I am DETERMINED that I will see it when its there. I WILL. (*HINT HINT*) I've been listening to the Original Broadway Recording on Rhapsody.com, most specifically The Riddle which is and AWESOME, dramatic song, which I think fits the story extremely well.

Painting

So today, instead of reading or watching Avatar or doing whatever after writing my review of The Count of Monte Cristo, I painted. Working mostly on those angel paintings I started awhile ago and will probably hate soon (come save them before I give them flying lessons, mom, because I'm running low on unused boards and canvases and Hated Paintings are almost as good) and a new one, which is mostly finished because its small and simple and was basically just a "I haven't painted in awhile so I'm gonna take things easy to get into the swing of things" painting.

Lisa watched most of the time I was painting and I was actually able to mostly forget she was there, which was a good thing, or I would have been all self-concious and stopped painting. Though apparently watching me paint is rather entertaining...?

I took this picture and sent it from my new phone, just by the way. I'm still trying to get used to the new phone.

Oh Yeah. I have a Blog.

This week has been a good one. I started my new job, and it is wonderful. I'm being paid to look at and make pictures. Sweet. There are some catches/difficulties--I can't just draw whatever I want, of course--but thinking of ideas to fit the assignment is kind of fun in its own way. Challenging, yes. But enjoyable.

Though I did make a rather stupid mistake yesterday. Or this week, I guess.

You see, I've stayed On Call at the bookstore--not because I wouldn't want to work my other job full time, but because they asked me to. And I rather like the bookstore's employee discount. And having access to ARCs. And books in general.

So anyway, my bookstore supervisor asked me to help in the bookstore Friday evening because of Womens Conference. So I tried to calculate the hours I worked that week so that I could work that evening without going over 40 hours. Unfortunately, I didn't count the hours correctly. I was thinking of the week as starting on Monday... forgetting the fact that I worked Saturday, and Fridays are pay days. So Saturday was part of this work week.

Fortunately before clocking in at the bookstore I went and asked how many hours I had, just to make sure--and I found that I'd already worked all my hours, because the hours I thought I'd kept free to work that evening I'd worked on Saturday. Ugh.

So I went and told the General Book people what had happened, feeling immensely stupid and apologetic. Then I walked home to eat.

As I walked I was thinking, now what am I going to do? I feel stupid and guilty and just plain bad for letting my supervisor down, I didn't plan anything for this evening because I was going to be working.... I guess I could just read... thats it!

I hurried and ate at home and headed back to the bookstore. I told the people at the general book desk that I wouldnt be shelving or anything and wouldn't be technically working, but I would be reading against the back wall in case anyone needed help finding stuff in the Childrens Section.

I had brought Dandelion Wine and The Poisonwood Bible with me, but I decided to read something else. Shelves of books were at my disposal. Having talked to my mom about the book The Perilous Gard the night before, I had that book on my mind, so I went and grabbed Elizabeth Marie Pope's other novel, the Sherwood Ring, which I read 2/3s of while I was not-really-working-but-avaliable-to-help at the bookstore (I only ended up helping one person, but I felt less stupid by being able to slightly make up for my stupid mistake) and I finished it when I got home afterward.

But sitting in a bookstore not as an employee for a few hours is not really such a good idea for me, or at least my bank account if you know what I mean. I went home not only with a shiny new copy of the Sherwood Ring, but also a pretty copy of Jane Eyre (There are four or five editions in the bookstore, I chose the one that didn't have an ugly painting on the front. I'm one of those shallow people that judges books by their covers) and a hardback copy of The Princess Academy from the bargain table (one that they forgot to put the Newbery sticker on. I was looking for one that had a less-rumpled sticker, and I was very happy to find one with no sticker at all.)

I've got to take advantage of my employee discount while I still have it, eh?

Speaking of books, Emily and I are starting a Book Review Blog. We're still in the process of getting it up and running, but we've both got a book review up. Predictably, mine is much more rambly and much less to the point than Em's, but what can I say? When it comes to books, I get pretty rambly.