Luxx's Monster Mash: Thread 2

After that last disaster I realized it was time for a new thread, and a fresh start.

Now, let's decorate the walls.


"The Photographer's Wife" by Nadar, 1853

Another monster to haunt the thread: "The Nightmare" by John Henry Fuseli








The List of Links
Biblio Beau, the second home for all my reviews
First Thread

Books Read in 2011 (101 Books. Major Events: Birth of Third Monster, Poor health and a death in the family)
Books Read in 2010 (100 Books. Major Event: Second Adjunct Position Obtained)
Books Read in 2009 (145 Books. Major Event: Birth of Second Monster)
Books Read in 2008 (61 Books. Major Events: Birth of First Monster, First Adjunct Position Obtained)
Books Read in 2007 (85 Books. Major Event: Finished my MA in English Lit)

List of Books Read in 2012

1. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. 1.1.12. *****
2. English After the Fall by Robert E. Scholes. 1.1.12. ***
3. "Rules for Virgins" by Amy Tan. 1.2.12. ****
4. Green River Killer by Jeff Jensen. 1.3.12. ****
5. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. 1.5.12. *****
6. "The Crazy Old Lady in the Attic" by Kathleen Valentine. 1.6.12. ***
7. Stitches: A Memoir by David Small. 1.8.12. *****
8. Feynman by Ottaviani and Myrick. 1.9.12. *****
9. The Last Vampire by Christopher Pike. 1.11.12. ***
10. Inside the Victorian Home by Judith Flanders. 1.16.12. ***
11. Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud. 1.17.12. **1/2
12. Black Blood by Christopher Pike. 1.17.12. ***
13. The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan. 1.17.12. ***1/2
14. The Terrible Axe-Man of New Orleans by Rick Geary. 1.24.12. ***1/2
15. A Taste of Midnight by Lara Adrian. 1.27.12. ***1/2
16. Darker After Midnight by Lara Adrian. 1.28.12. ****

17. Lothaire by Kresley Cole. 2.3.13. *
18. Oedipus the King by Sophocles. 2.7.12.
19. Ex Libris: Confessions of an Common Reader by Anne Fadiman. 2.10.12. ****
20. Cinder by Marissa Meyer. 2.11.12. ****1/2
21. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood. 2.14.12. ***
22. Wither by Lauren DeStefano. 2.21.12. ****
23. One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. 2.21.12.
24. Timeless by Gail Carriger. 2.24.12. ****

25. A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison. 3.1.12. ****1/2
26. Torso by Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko. 3.4.12. **1/2
27. Fair Game by Patricia Briggs. 3.10.12. *****
28. Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead by Christina Miller. 3.14.12. ****
29. Habibi by Craig Thompson. 3.15.12. *****
30. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. 3.24.12. ***

Hi Luxx. First spot goes to me - yippee, congrats on new digs

Thankee and welcome!

Oh, my pride!

I started running this week, thanks to the amazing phenomenon that is a mother willing to do pretty much anything. In this case, "anything" is coming to my house on her lunch break twice a week to watch the monsters while I jog (her fiance comes as well - they have lunch together everyday).

I've had a bit of a rocky start because of little things, but overall it's been a success because I actually went out every day I intended to.

But oh man, was today rough. My C25K app on my iphone doesn't work if I manually lock the phone - or even if I put it in a pocket, apparently - so today was the second time that I ended up walking far longer than I should have during one interval (the program pause and I didn't realize it).

The worst, though, was falling down like a buffoon. I tripped on something - could have been the sidewalk, could have been my own feet - and ended up skidding to a stop on one side. I haven't had scrapes like this in probably 15 years.

A very kind couple stopped as I was picking myself up to see if I was ok, which I thought was very nice. The absolute worst part is my embarrassment, followed by my shattered iphone. Gah, just what I don't need to do right now - buy a new phone (I found very quickly that the shattered front creates nice glass splinters...).

Oh no! You poor thing! So sorry about the phone and the scrapes and bruises.

*Waves* Hi there, Luxx. I'm starting to think 75ers are naturally accident-prone. Hope the scrapes heal quickly! Maybe you can tell people you fell off your motorcycle, when you were jumping over a bus with it. 8-)

Ugh. I hear you on the scrapes, Luxx. I was running last summer, tripped on the sidewalk and totally wiped out. Big scrape on my left should and right knee. Made trying to fall asleep really difficult as I roll over quite a bit. Hope you heal quickly!

Good for you, Luxx--iphone injuries and all, it's great that you're sticking with it! One of the first times I took Willow with me in the stroller, she threw a toy out of her lap and I tripped over it and sprained my ankle. I run without her now :).

Hi Luxx!
Don't think I'll take up running after all :)
That ground sure comes up to meet you dang fast, doesn't it?
Healing hug for you! You may need it when you wake up tomorrow :(

Yes, concrete hurts a lot more when you're an adult. Ouch. I already knew that running is actually bad for you ;)
The boys will be impressed by mom's war wounds I'm sure!

I love The Nightmare.

Thanks for the sympathy, all. I felt so foolish, but ultimately I'm so glad I kept going instead of turning back just then.

Apparently one can replace a broken iPhone for $149 at the Apple store. Not that it's money I really want to spend, but at least I won't cut my thumb when I check my email.

Maybe you can tell people you fell off your motorcycle I like it.

9 - Someone suggested that I get a big stroller to take all of the boys, but I just can't imagine pushing 88 pounds of monster plus a stroller! Good for you for getting some healthy me-time

11 - Brooks is particularly interested in my scrapes (and broken phone).

I ran cross country for brief time in high school, and I've never forgotten how wonderful I felt by the time I stopped. I am looking for that feeling of well-being once again. \

12 - Me too, but I don't know much about it.

I couldnt help but think of you and your last review today when I read this passage...

She was dressed in rich materials- satins, and lace, and silks-all of white. Her shoes were white. And she had a long white veil dependent from her hair, and she had bridal flowers in her hair, but her hair was white. Some bride jewels sparkled on her neck and on her hands, and some other jewels lay sparkling on the table.

Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

I mean, he could have just said "she was wearing a wedding dress" :)

Hey Luxx - Sorry about your running accident! No fun! The shattered iPhone just seems like it was adding insult to injury. Glad you were able to replace it. That's awesome that you're running - I'm trying to start a workout routine, but finding some good time is making it difficult.

Stephen - What makes you think the 75ers are accident-prone? Luxx trips while running; my kid almost breaks face and gives me a concussion. . . ??? ;)

Sorry, so sorry Brit. I didn't mean it in a negative way. Please don't accidentally hurt me by knocking that electrically charged lamp into my lap, and do you have to hover over me with that steaming pot of gravy? Are your shoes tied, and do you really need to wear that viking helmet with the pointy horns? Oh god, I'm SO sorry if I upset you. Eeeeek! *Runs screaming out of the room*

((Hugs)) for Luxx. . .please take care of yourself. I hope Caro is not rubbing off on you!

#16

Perhaps I shouldn't point out that while her shoelaces ARE tied.....they are sadly tied together.......just loosely enough to allow for some speed to be gained.

It seems that I did something to my ankle, but I don't think it's related to my fall because it's my heel and the back of my ankle. Oddly enough ... my heels make it feel better. Not really what I would have expected.

15 - Time is truly precious when you have so much on your plate. I don't think I'd be doing it if my mom didn't volunteer her lunch break.

14 - Ha! Yes! "And now, class, which description is stronger?" ...

16 - Sounds like cooking with the boys.

>14 LovingLit: I know next to nothing about 19th century fashion, but is it possible that at the time Dickens wrote that, the notion of an all-white wedding dress was out of the ordinary? Hence the full description of something most of his readers could not extrapolate from "She wore a wedding dress."

Congrats on being able to get out there and start running again! Sympathies on the phone... but at least you kept going :)

I am looking for that feeling of well-being once again. --> It will come in time! I love hearing when people have a fitness goal and are actively working toward it... makes me excited for them! :D

Good Morning. Yep, still morning here in Tallahassee as I post.

Glanced quickly through the posts ... skim ...good friends ...child care provided ...running ...fall ...ouch ... sincere sympathy from all and sundry ...wishes of healing and restoration ... back to parenting et al without physical pain ...temporarily, at least ...then lingering pain ...and yes, running again.

Good for you, woman.

See someone knowledgeable if the heel & (don't you just love ampersands?) back of the ankle don't feel pain free soon. You will thank yourself that you did take care now when you inevitably grow into an old woman like ME, even though it is a hassle to make and go to a professional visit when you are so actively parenting. Maybe there are "sports doctors" of good repute in your vicinity that you will learn about from your friends who run.

BTW - I lurv the thread monster presiding over your thread. I think I glimpsed him late last night, as a matter of fact, sitting on my tummy after our overly indulgent Super Bowl bash of home grilled hot wings, five layer Mexican dip with organic white corn chips and topped off with a small organic pizza. Yeah, I'm sure that's the same dude. Did I mention Shiner Bok beer and Rose Sparkling wine? No wonder. No kidding.

Lovings, R

BTW, if you like Diane Keaton as an actor, catch up with her as a writer. Your admiration might increase somewhat.

Then Again is open and also subtle.

Worthwhile use of my time and energy.

20 - Megan's response is a joke continued from my last thread (complaining about vague descriptions of "old fashioned" clothing). If I remember correctly, it was Victoria who first made white wedding dresses popular, and it became a tradition at that time.

Thanks for your support, Faith!

And so good to hear from you, Ruth. My heel is feeling much better now, so I think I can skip the doctor for now. But rest assured that I would seek attention for anything prolonged - I've known too many runners who have ruined their joints because they thought they could "work through it."

>24 London_StJ: Oh. Now I just feel silly. :) I'll go back to my own thread quietly.

No! Don't leave! I just wanted to put her comment in context.

....trust me to start talking about something completely out of context......
:)

Just saying hi!

Cheering you on in the running dept! I was never a cross country gal. ONLY sprints, and I especially like chasing soccer balls around the field. : ) Sorry about the phone.

>26 London_StJ:, 27 No, I'm not leaving a huff — I just felt really stupid because I actually read that whole conversation in your last thread and it STILL didn't ring a bell with me here. Talk about short-term memory! And Megan, you weren't out of context at all. Most people reading probably knew exactly what you were talking about. I'm just a little spacey these days. Carry on!

But at least I learned something (re when white wedding dresses became popular). So it wasn't a total loss. :)

Good for you for starting to run, but boo for the fall! Hope your boo-boos are healing

Total boo for the fall!

I went out today for my scheduled jog, got through my warm up ... and nearly fell on my first stride of actual jogging (from weakness, not tripping again). Yikes. My ankle has been getting better each day, but apparently not well enough to actually run on it. I am so incredibly disappointed, but I did still take the opportunity to take a brisk 20-minute walk, if only to enjoy the sunshine and leave the monsters to my stepfather.

30 - Victoria very greatly influenced fashion, much like Elizabeth, and a lot of her ideas have persisted.

Victoria is also responsible for the popularity of using drugs during childbirth; she swore by chloroform when she had her own children.

Sorry about the ankle--that's so disappointing! Hang in there. It WILL heal! Not sure about the chloroform, but since my first delivery was induced and lasted three DAYS, I definitely wanted drugs by the end, yay Victoria!

Heh, I had three c-sections, so I was pretty happy for drugs, too. ;)

18.
Title: Oedipus the King
Author: Sophocles
Pages: 100 pages
Genre: Greek Tragedy
Medium: Anthology - Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, & Writing
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: February 7, 2012
Rating:

It never loses its charm.

Reading Managing the Monstrous Feminine on the heels of Oedipus the King has called Freud into the picture fairly predominantly. I must admit that I never really studied Freud, and so my knowledge and experience is only passing, but I find it difficult to understand the credibility of his theories. What I have read of his work is based nearly entirely on anxiety, and anxiety of sexuality at that. I don't mean this sarcastically, but I can't help but think he must have had an incredibly disappointing and stressful sex life.

I took a literary theory course in undergrad on gender and sexuality and we spent some time reading Freud. I spent a lot of time ranting about the ridiculousness that is the theory of penis envy. Hope your class discussion on Oedipus is good. :)

I know very little about Freud as well, but only because what little I have heard is so ridiculous that I can't imagine why I would ever bother with such nonsense.

Because it is SOOOO entertaining! (I was a Neuro/Psych major so I learned quite a lot about our friend Sigmund.)

Psychology is such a curious thing. As I've said before, the brain is such a magnificently complex thing and I think our attempts to quantify it in such simple terms.

I think we can, perhaps, study the most primitive aspects of our brain. Things like reactions to pain, or base fears, are things simple enough to define in a scientific way. However, behavior psychology? Ugh, what a complete and utter waste of funds. Let's put that money to more efficient use please.

The psyche is just too fluid. You can't put boundaries around it. You could spend 100 years doing behavior studies on people and come up with the perfect formula to determine a person's psychological makeup, and then 10 years it'll no longer be true. I don't believe people today think the same way as they did in the 50's, do you? The psyche is ever-changing, not only from generation to generation but year by year and in every individual. It just seems like a futile and pointless effort studying it. It's EXACTLY why I avoid books on the topic. It's just not worth it, for me.

One curious thing about Freud and his ilk, however, I think they have a tendency to project their own thoughts into their theories. Take penis envy, probably it's not so much that women wish they had penises but that FREUD wished they had penises. His desire for a peniled* female paved the way for his penis envy theory.

*That's a word, right? :P

The basic fact is, we are prehistoric man living in a world that has extended beyond the evolution of our brains. It's trying to keep up, but in doing so, things go wrong. We are not SUPPOSED to become as advanced as we are, as quickly as it happened, and for our world to change so rapidly around us.

I've come to the same conclusion regarding projection, Stephen, and it actually makes me sad: from what I've gathered, it seems like there was very little joy or pleasure in Freud's life. Who can live (well) with that level of fear and anxiety? That overwhelming disappointment and guilt?

I can surmise that my own professors of theory felt similarly about Freud, since he was largely missing. I took several courses on theory and gender and sexuality, and I can't say that I "missed" much for the lack of The Interpretation of Dreams.

On a personal note, I am glad that I've grown and changed over the years. I wouldn't want to be the same person I was at 16 or 20, and I'm sure that by the time I hit 30 I'll be glad for further progress.

40 - I think there is a lot to be said for recognizing - and not fearing - our own impulses and instincts. Michael and I often talk about this in regards to having children (in general, not necessarily our specific children). For example, biological drives and why we react "x" way when babies cry, the reason why newborns tend to resemble their fathers, etc.

Who can live (well) with that level of fear and anxiety?

From experience, mostly alone and unhappy, although the internet helps. It's a nice substitute, anyway... :)

Oh, trust me, I understand - I have an anxiety disorder that sets off panic attacks at a single word. I was more feeling sorry for Freud's personal life. ;)

ack, I just finished reading about the siege of Leningrad, talk about living with fear and anxiety.
I know nothing about Freud (apart from Bill and Teds excellent Adventure when they call him "Freud Dude", rhyming it with Dude.....oh and penis envy...that was his theory wasnt it?)

Penis envy, fetish (the reason for it), the subconscious, Oedipus complex - all Freud. I'm sure there's a world more than that.

Bum.Mer. My sore heel? Apparently it's a fracture. Braievwavnjcxd35845rtg. I just went to Righttime and they wrapped my leg up like a mummy and gave me crutches, which is oh so convenient in my townhouse.

Ugh.

Sorry to hear about your heel! I was going to make a gag about being jealous about penis envy but I though it may get misinterpreted.

Luxx

So sorry to hear of your accident. Fractured heel..ouch.

Regarding Freud, way back when in my college days, the profs really pushed his theory...It sounded very silly to me.

Paul: We can be jealous of eachother's penises, if you like.

Okay, yes, I guess that can definitely be misinterpreted too.

Do you think we can have vagina envy? I'm totally jealous I can't smuggle things into other countries in my ample love pocket.

Sorry to hear about the fractured heel, Luxx! Ouch. :(

Stephen hahaha that's one photo that is not getting uploaded!
Ewww re: the means of transcontinental transportation device. I guess all guys would like to be a gal for a day or two to make hay while the sun shines.

Stephen: I'm totally jealous I can't smuggle things into other countries in my ample love pocket.
Ample love pocket!??! LOL
Cos we all smuggle things all the time, just cos we can :)

Luxx: your pain threshold must be fairly high! Going running on a fractured heel? Even walking on a fractured heel? Yikes. How long is the healing process supposed to take? And how's that going to work with a baby and 2 other littlies? (I seriously need you to answer that one as am looking at foot surgery as soon as my name comes to the top of the list so will be in the same predicament)

Unfortunately, I have no answers regarding healing just yet. Righttime is a non-emergency clinic that takes care of minor stuff when you don't have time to see a regular doctor (it started as a pediatric office, and now sees everyone). They put me in a soft cast and said to stay off of it until I can see the orthopedic specialist next week. :-/ I'm guessing the regular doctor will confirm that it even is a fracture (it hurts enough for me to believe it) and go from there. I've been running around with the babies all week and see no reason to change it now, but Michael actually got mad at me tonight for not using the crutches.

And now I'm feeling nosy - why do you need foot surgery? Nothing too serious, I hope (although mommy-off-her-feet is serious enough!).

48 - Apparently Freud has suggested that men are afraid of literally losing themselves during sex like they figuratively do. Less "love pocket" more "man-eating monster."

Which brings me again to Managing the Monstrous Feminine and vagina dentata.

I jokingly refer to my Latvian-potato-farming feet as such because they are very broad....bred to be so as not to sink in the potato fields :) But in fact I have bunions on both feet and the hideousness of them is only eclipsed by the pain that I now feel in both feet every day :(
Its like a headache all over your foot and comes with the added bonus of also hurting at night.
Hopefully the surgery will be covered by our public health system, if not we will have to have a cupcake sale!

I broke my ankle playing soccer when my youngest was still crawling and in diapers. I couldn't carry him to the changing table while using crutches, so we had a makeshift changing table on the floor and I would bribe him with a trail of cheerios to crawl over to the pad. He loved it!

Hope you heel (get it?) quickly!! And Megan, too!

Apparently Freud has suggested that men are afraid of literally losing themselves during sex like they figuratively do. Less "love pocket" more "man-eating monster."

Haha. Well that is a horrifying prospect... =P

Wow. His research must have involved some extraordinarily large love pockets.

Dude - that super sucks about your heel!! Hang in there! I could not imagine having 3 little boys and a broken heel. Although, I'm sure something like will happen to me eventually!

Argh. Stay off that heel!!! I fractured my foot about 17 years ago and it took longer than normal to heal because I kept trying to "do things myself" and didn't use the crutches enough. Eventually it healed just fine, but it was frustratingly long getting there. Listen to Michael! Use those crutches!!!

What Faith said, Luxx .... I suffered a fractured heel myself years back and I know it's not fun, but if you want it to heel more quickly, keep off it and use those crutches.

Ouch, Megan! I hope the surgery is covered, too.

53- Great plan! Thankfully the big two are very helpful with the baby.

56- well, you've already made it through a baby-induced concussion!

57/8- my butt is parked on the couch right now. It seems like a good time to pick up knitting again.

Maybe Freud's problem is that he never met the right love pocket?

Maybe I would be more encouraged to seek out love pockets if they came with cheese & pepperoni and only took 2 minutes to heat up, like Hot Pockets.

19.
Title: Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader
Author: Anne Fadiman
Pages: 162 pages
Genre: Essays
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: February 10, 2012
Rating: ****

Anne Fadiman's collection of short essays on reading and literacy has won a LibraryThing stamp of approval, and I don't believe I can say anything that hasn't already been said. I found Fadiman's text to be good fun, and, as many other LT members, could certainly sympathize with much of what she says.

My particular delight, however, came in proofreading for the copious errors in her text immediately following the chapter on her compulsive proofreading...

20.
Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Pages: 400 pages
Genre: Science Fiction/ Fairytale Retelling
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: February 11, 2012
Rating: ****1/2

Marissa Meyer's retelling of "Cinderella" in Cinder is without a doubt my favorite fairytale retelling to date. Casting the protagonist as a cyborg in a plague-cursed futuristic world allowed Meyer to remain faithful to all of the traditions of the story while introducing her own creative elements. There is nothing surprising in the text - her "twists" can be spotted in the first fragment in which they are introduced - but the narrative remains interesting nonetheless. Cinder is good fun for anyone with an interest in fairytale retelling.

Foot pain...my constant companion for the past 33 years. So much fun, oh my yes indeedy do. *sympathy smooch*

Wonderful reviews, as though you need telling, you writer-in-waiting, you.

xoxo Padre

My particular delight, however, came in proofreading for the copious errors in her text immediately following the chapter on her compulsive proofreading...
That's it, I'm off to see that with my own eyes :) How funny

62 - Sir, you have my deepest sympathy. :( At least a walking boot will give me some relief. Final diagnosis: compression fractures of the heel. OH, and I'll have you know that I downloaded all six books you linked on Facebook - ha!

63 - It may just be the Kindle version, but I found it very amusing. It must be driving her crazy!

I'm so sorry to hear about your on-going foot fiasco!

As far as the Freud thing, he fell out of fashion with literary theorist a while back, thank the gods (now it's all about Foucault and Lacan and Derrida - or at least it was 10 years ago - what are folks reading these days?). I used to love pointing out to my students, when discussing Oedipus Rex, that there's nothing new under the sun - Freud lifted the basis of his ideas, it seems, straight from a comment from Jocasta: she actually says at one point to Oedipus that all men want to kill their fathers and marry their mothers. Freud was just crazy enough to take what seems to be a desperate statement of attempted persuasion (she doesn't want her son to pursue his disastrous line on inquiry any more) and builds his crackpot theories. Sheesh.

I've heard soooo many good reviews of Cinder, I must be crazy for not picking it up yet. Even though it's sitting by the couch. I hope the hype doesn't end up disappointing!

66 - I hope so, too! I don't remember seeing anything about it before and, honestly, I bought it because I liked the cover (for once). It was really my kind of fairytale - I prefer my princesses capable in some way.

65 - Freud got very little attention when I was in grad school (I finished my MA in December of '07), but Foucault and Derrida and Lacan all earned attention in my theory courses.

They were especially interesting to read as part of two theory-driven Shakespeare courses I took at AU: Shakesqueer and Tyrannosaurus Rex. Both were led by an amazing professor, although I'll say that about two out of three former Shakespeare professors.

*passes out from cuteness overload*

Happy V-Day, kiddo!

No, no...don't stop. I could look at those beautiful boys all day.

So I guess your running career is stalled for a bit, Luxx. I hope you get good news from the real Doc this week. At least you don't have to crawl on the floor leaving a Cheerios trail this time. Too funny!

I especially love the one of little middling with the sunlight behind and a glint in his eye :)

Wildlife photos cute! Three boys aren't you tired, I mean, lucky?

Oh, love the pictures - your boys are so handsome!

Thanks, everyone!

I told Brooksie that he's cute, and his response was, "Yeah, I know."

Punk.

The great part about having three boys, and having them so close together, is that they keep each other entertained. It's amazing. B and Max are close enough to really play together, and they both love to mother Victor. Their chemistry is everything I hoped for when we decided to stack 'em.

The doc confirmed that a) I have an extra bone in my ankle which led the first doctor to misdiagnose a fracture and b) I actually have compression fractures of the heel. Which makes sense, considering that's what hurts.

So now I'm stuck in a walking boot, with only one pair of shoes that are the right height for me to avoid hobbling. The horror! I think I'm going to use my office hours to go shoe shopping. And hair-accessory shopping, because I'm trying to ward off the desire to get a boy cut tonight.

Um, what? An extra bone? How does that work, exactly?

Boo for bum foot. Yay for shoe shopping! Hope everything heals up quick. I will have to try Cinder eventually as I've heard mostly decent stuff about it.

What a shame to get an injury like that so soon after getting back into the running. An extra bone in the ankle sounds interesting.

I've heard only good things about Cinder, must add it to my tbr. You might like Margo Lanagan's new selkie novel Sea Hearts.

76- the extra bone is just hanging out somewhere in back and doesn't really impact anything. Kind of interesting to see, actually.

I'll have to keep an eye out for Sea Hearts, thanks! Timeless comes out very soon, though, do that will probably come first. ;)

Hi Luxx- Thanks for sharing the photos of the boys. Good looking guys. Cinder looks like a lot of fun.

*smooch*

I finished a knitting project!



I taught myself to knit for my 19th birthday, but never made anything more than big practice blocks that were great for keeping my hands busy. However, my super-crafty and awesome Gram a) just re-taught me how to crochet and b) turned me on to Starbella yarn, so I jumped in and knit a scarf she had just made as well. I stupid-love it, and now I want to make a few more in different colors.

In other news, I showed B how to sew last night, using yarn and a yarn needle, and plastic canvas. Holy cow the cuteness. I can't wait to get him to actually sew in a straight line. ;)

21.
Title: Born Wicked
Author: Jessica Spotswood
Pages: 272 pages
Genre: Historical Paranormal Fiction
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: February 14, 2012
Rating: ***

I had hoped to win a copy of Born Wicked when it was available as part of the Early Reviewers program, so when I came across it as a recommendation on Amazon I hopped on it. The premise is one I find highly appealing: an alternative history focusing on eighteenth-century "America," re-visioning Puritan control as the Brotherhood, whose intention is to suppress and eradicate the original race of settlers, the witches. Against this backdrop, Spotswood introduces the reader to Cate, a witch, who struggles with the need to protect her witch sisters against society, as she promised her dying mother.

Really, it is all very promising. But I found the novel to be rather forgettable. Literally, as it turns out, since I had forgotten I finished a book for a handful of days. While there is an attempt at intrigue and suspense, I found that the major conflicts were not developed to what I would have felt was the full potential. In a sense, I really just wanted more: more character development, more relationship development, and a greater involvement on the part of the antagonistic Brotherhood.

Born Wicked is generally entertaining, but it's not a series I will be actively pursuing.

I'm currently suffering through a free kindle download right now - Stained - and I'm about ready to turn it over for something more rewarding. Life is too short to read unsatisfying books.

I gave up another free download - Conquering Darkness - just a few pages in because of the terrible writing. While I am still very intrigued by the idea of a memoir written by the wife and daughter of a convicted serial killer (I want that side of the story!), the writing was so atrocious that I couldn't even give it a chance.

Great looking masterpiece you've constructed there Luxx, looks beautiful. Love the hair do too :)
Is a yarn needle a big thick needle? Big bro has been showing a lot of interest in my needles and thread (on the odd occasion they show themselves for some mending). He might like to try some sewing himself Im thinking.

Love the scarf - great job!

Charlie pretends to knit with me in the evening, so I need to kid him a kiddie set, I think...

84 - That would be awesome. My Gram first taught me to crochet at a fairly young age, and I hope to get the kids started equally early. The site where I ordered the starbella has a number of kid sets.

83 - Yup! A yarn needle is a large plastic needle, apparently used to finish knitting projects (although I use them to thread ribbon and elastic when making, say, kid pajamas). Here is what I picked up for the monsters, and here is the plastic mesh I'm using. B picked up on the whole thing pretty quickly - "Now put the needle in an empty hole and pull it through, then flip it over and do it again!" He didn't like to pick holes close to each other, though, and I didn't dissuade him from his method.

SO SO SO agree on Conquering Darkness. I am soldiering on because I really want to know what happens next, but it's getting to the point where I stop for longer than I start.

I managed five pages. Blech.

Luxx
You are so darn talented. I love the scarf. And, as always, I love,love, love the monster photos.

Oh, thank you my dear. I'm so glad to see you here.

I dont believe Ive ever seen a plastic needle! Or is it that I just haven't been looking hard enough? Cute methodology speech from Brooks. I love the things kids say.

The scarf is gorgeous! And your boys are so cute. I love the very first photo, of Max looking intrigued and slightly sceptical at the same time. I suppose it's faster to cover the canvas if you pick holes further apart :-)

90 - I've started collecting B's sayings to put in his yearly photo book - he's such a ham.

91 - Thanks! And yes, I suppose picking the furthest hole is practical. ;)

AH! I just realised that the Good Doctor is wearing a Labyrinth tshirt in one of his photos! Does it say on there "the babe with the power"? I love that film and used to chant that song with my friends endlessly as a kid. he he, good memories, and great kiddie outfit!

Yes it does! That was his holiday gift from my best friend, inspired by our mutual love of Glam-rock David Bowie in a codpiece The Labrynth. I recently shared the film with the boys... ;)

Yes, I have it on DVD too....might be a tad scary in parts for my little one just yet. He walks out of the room and peeks around the corner to watch (but not watch) the scary cat hiss and screech on one of his cute kids stories. If I'm not in the room he'll call me in to watch it with him :)

And Yes, Bowie's pants are rather tight in that film aren't they?!

95 - I have to admit, for all of the talk of his pants, it's really his hair and makeup that does it for me. ;) Ha!

B went through a stage where he cried over the lion mascot of some film maker or another, but he tends to take things in stride. Maybe it comes from having such a creepy mommy, but he's not easily frightened by monsters and skeletons and things of the like. Sometimes he'll get nervous and look to me with questions like, "What are they" or "what are they doing?!" and I try to answer as matter-of-factly as possible so that he doesn't panic.

For example, I was watching an episode of "Once Upon a Time" on my laptop, and he caught sight of Hansel and Gretel shoving the witch in the oven.

"Mommy, are they shoving the witch in the oven?!"
"Yup."
"... Why are they doing that?"
"She tried to eat them."
"Oh. Is she a bad witch?"
"Yes."
"Oh. Ok."

Similarly, when he saw a screen werewolf for the first time:

"Mommy, what happened to him?!"
"He's a werewolf." (deadpan)
"Oh. Ok, he's the big bad wolf."

My SIL made a comment about the werewolf in Harry Potter being too frightening, but it didn't make my little monster blink.

I love how different kids are - it serves as a great reminder that they are actually little people.

Just watched a trailer for the Lincoln, Vampire Hunter movie. It looks cool, but I'm still suspicious. Do you watch the BBC version of Being Human?

Also, like the painting. I already had that one cut out and in my writing notes; it inspired me.

I just caught a commercial for Being Human today, and only vaguely registered that it was a vampire show. I generally don't feel like sitting down when shows are on, so I only ever watch tv on Hulu or Netflix. Is Being Human any good?

>96 London_StJ: ha, classic, looks like Brooks is chilled about monsters! Wilbur caught a glimpse of boxing on the TV as I was trying to switch it over to put a dvd on for him and he asked why they were hitting each other. Mortified that he had seen that, I said it was because they were mean animals whose violence was sanctioned in the name of sport. He didn't comment, but it is fairly obvious what my thoughts are on boxing!

When Charlie gets scared at something we're watching, he just gets ups, walks over to the tv, shuts it off, looks reprimandingly at me and says, "Too scary, Mommy. Too scary." Ha!

99, 100 - I love it!

Brooksie's biggest fear right now is mommy and daddy fighting - which is particularly strange because Michael and I don't actually fight. Actually, I think we've had two or three fights in all of the years we've had children, and he's been witness to none of them. However, we do pick on each other playing around, and I've been known to say things like, "Oh, I'll eat your face."

Yup, things that apparently shouldn't be said around toddlers.

Now when we pick on each other he raises his eyebrows at us and says, "You're just playing, RIGHT MOMMY?"

Sorry to hear about your foot! Hope you don't have to wear the boot thing too long!

Love the pictures of the boys! Super cuteness!

Netflix has Being Human, the first three series. We've been running through them. Vampire, Werewolf, and Ghost in the same house as compatriots. I think you'd like it. Do the BBC though, not the American

103 - Thanks for the rec, sir! Now that DA is coming to a close I'll be looking for something.

102 - Thanks and thanks! The boot isn't great, but it's faaaar better than a permanent cast.

22.
Title: Wither
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Pages: 384 pages
Genre: YA Dystopian Fiction
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: February 21, 2012
Rating: ****

The dystopia of Laruen DeStefano's Wither is at once alien and strikingly familiar. In a world suffering the consequences of human development (including genetic manipulation, for one thing), it is rumored that only the former North American continent has survived natural disasters - and the population is dwindling as new generations die in their 20s. s

In this world young girls are frequently kidnapped as "brides" for the young and wealthy, and are forced to live in polygamous households working to produce future generations in the "hopes" that a cure will be found and society can recover.

Wither is appropriately bleak, and the protagonist is (usually) sympathetic, although I quickly found that the most appealing characters did not include Rhine. While not as energetic as The Hunger Games, Wither is worth a try for fans of dystopian literature.

I've had my eye on Wither for a long time, but I read too many bad YA dystopias last year and got sort of turned off the whole genre. After seeing your comments about this one, though, and Cinder earlier, maybe it's time to get back into it....

>105 London_StJ: The Handmaid's Tale meets The Road...grim.

I've been avoiding Wither partly because the cover really freaks me out. It actually reminds me of something I saw on twitter on the weekend: "Judging by the covers for YA dystopian novels, only things that will survive the apocalypse are hair product and prom dresses." :)

>105 London_StJ:: I enjoyed Wither more than most of the dysoptias I read last year (or in 2010? I can't remember...), though I found myself unsatisfied with the world-building. I wanted more information on the logistics of how the world functioned. Still, I liked the book, even though upon reflection, not a whole lot happens over the course of the novel...

Luxx, I see lots of pictures of boys and books. Life is good! I haven't knitted in years. I used to take the red line into work in Boston for a couple of years and I would knit to and from. Lots of relatives were happy recipients! Now, I don't even know where the needles are and all my yarn has been used in art and science projects.

: "Judging by the covers for YA dystopian novels, only things that will survive the apocalypse are hair product and prom dresses." And eyeliner! Hahaha. The cover almost kept me away, too.

I wanted more information on the logistics of how the world functioned. I felt the same.

all my yarn has been used in art and science projects. The toddlers are learning how to sew with mine...

*Sigh* Non-reading content ahead. Sorry for the long ramble, but it helps me think to get it all out in one narrative...

So, I came up with a plan to get us out of our current (too-small) house. This plan includes renting a slightly-larger house for five years, and then buying the house we want.

The problem is that my plan includes renting out our current house for two of those five years.

The "problem" part is Michael's refusal to consider renting out the house. "I don't want to be a landlord," he says (even though it's likely that I would manage it, since I'm the one who currently manages finances).

This could work. I really really think this could work. Sure, we'd have to fix a few things around the house in order to rent it, but they're things we'll need to fix for us anyway (ok, plus painting, but I have no problem doing that myself). Tenants request minor repairs? The companies ask for a reserve of less than $500 to cover it, organize all repair efforts, and coordinate with owners for larger problems. The companies also handle court proceedings for tenants who don't pair their rent, and the companies are not paid if the house is empty.

This is also my last semester working outside of the home; from the summer on I'll be teaching only distance courses, and will no longer be paying childcare. If the house sits empty for too long my income can cover the rent of the bigger house, and our financial situation would be exactly as it is now.

I need to talk him into this.

PS. The fact that my part-time childcare costs could cover the rent of a townhouse just blows my mind.

Hm, sounds like a workable situation. Maybe you could email him what you wrote and ask for a round-table-discussion about it? Childcare costs freak me out too. Luckily for us middle class incomes get a subsidised child care rate for under 3's, and 20 hours per week free for 3 and 4 year olds.......its supposed to encourage mums to go back to work.

HE LIKED THE IDEA! HE LIKED IT!

*swoons*

The numbers made sense to him, and the idea of a management company won him over without a fight at all. Wow. This could really work!

Childcare: B goes to preschool 3 half-days a week, and I pay $415/mo (501 NZD, apparently). I pay my SIL $13/hour (15.7) to watch the small two. That's a steal, really. Toddler care (preschool) is about $900 USD/mo, and infant care is $1000+/mo for full time care. That would be $33,600 (40,607) a year for all three. And that's why I'm going to work at home...

Our state has some of the highest childcare costs in the country. :-/

Did you ever consider hiring a nanny? Those childcare costs are crazy!

My SIL is technically my nanny - I can't imagine how much more expensive it would be for "professional" care. Oy.

WooHoo!! So glad he agreed!

I think I just fainted! $33,600 a year for childcare?! That's crazy!
So happy for you that your hubby agreed! Good luck with your plans :)

Wow... WOW. Yes, staying home to work makes a LOT of sense right now. I hope everything works out... it sounds like you've thought it through very, very well.

Best of luck with THE PLAN! Sounds like a winning situation. We are doing something like that now, although not for child care reasons. When the market tanked we bought into a bigger house and now we are waiting (could be years yet) for the market to come back up before we sell the old house. We have had very nice tenants so far. The last group was a set of nuns!!

Hey there, Luxx. I see your boys haven't stopped being adorable yet. I'm convinced LT moms have the cutest kids ever.

121 - I think bookish types just bake beautiful babies.

120 - We bought our condo right before everything went to bleh, so now we have to save the funds to even break even. :-/ Not great, but at least we'll be more comfortable in the meanwhile.

118/9 - I have spent the morning sending emails to my department heads to confirm my request for all distance learning courses; my primary college came back with the confirmation that the student demand for DL is high, so it shouldn't be a problem at all.

Michael is just as excited about this as I am. Now we are going to start making the necessary repairs, beginning with replacing the HVAC system. It has twice now leaked and damaged the condo below ours so it needed to be replaced no matter what, and it's even more incentive if we can bill it as new to tenants/buyers.

Great news on getting the green light on renting. Property managers will make it heaps easier for you to do as well. There's always a solution - you just have to come to it in your own time. Nice work!

Hopefully you'll get some nuns to rent it out like Berly had!

23.
Title: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Author: Ken Kesey
Pages: 320 pages
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Penguin special edition
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: February 21, 2012
Rating:

I still love it, and it's still received very well in the classroom.

24.
Title: Timeless
Author: Gail Carriger
Pages: 416 pages
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Preordered
Date Completed: February 24, 2012
Rating: ****

Two years after her birth, Prudence is largely what a reader would expect: precocious, energetic, opinionated, and able to steal the immortal traits of any of her supernatural caretakers during nocturnal hours. The Maccon/Akeldama have their hands full, and seem to be enjoying it every minute. But when the vampire Queen of Alexandria calls for an audience with "the abomination," the Maccons realize that they feel an absence of something more, and decide to honor her request, each for his or her own reason. What follows is typical (and, five books in, slightly-stale) Carriger antics as various collections of characters run into various foreign problems.

There are three things that make this book worth considering: a relationship finally blossoms for characters who desperately need companionship, the condition of Queen Marakata, and the conclusion itself.

Don't let the unfortunate photograph on the cover turn you away (what happened to the wonderfully elegant fashions and models from the first three? Oh, so unflattering) - fans of the series will want to read this conclusion.

I'm first in line for that one at the library, but it's still on order. *waits impatiently*

It just came out this week, and I believe that was even sooner than originally announced. I'm beginning to rethink my stance on libraries, though, for my casual fiction reads. It's been well over a decade since I checked out a library book, and I don't even know what they carry these days!

*adjusts "I Am a Librarian" badge* Libraries are pretty awesome (she said with only a little bias) and tend to carry just about everything (depending on the size of your library), they're usually willing to consider requests for material that they don't have, and they'll often bend over backward to get you stuff they don't have through ILL. Public libraries in the US have been pretty hard hit as of late with cut budgets but they're still doing awesome stuff that would blow your mind. I really love this vid about libraries: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohKEWTXk0F8

I tend to favor academic libraries; I can lose myself for hours just wandering the stacks. Working in my community library as a teenager make me a little too "obvious" when I went in, and since I prefer solitude and privacy when reading I stopped going. I have gone back to use the quiet room for paper grading, and it was perfect.

...I love the idea of a library having a quiet room when it used to be that the whole library used to be the quiet room...
Our local libraries are fantastic and carry heaps upon heaps of new and old books of all kinds. Love love love the library.

It does seem kind of strange, doesn't it? They have a glassed-off "reading" room with comfortable chairs and big desks to work. My guess is that it's most useful when there are a bunch of kids in the library; it's pretty much a cavern, and I can only imagine how much noise my own monsters could generate if they were to find a book on, say, dinosaur trains. Oh man.

Luxx - Judy mentioned that one of my favourite films The Searchers was a better film than a book and I think the same goes for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest which is one of Jack Nicholson's greatest performances. For me a good rather than a great book but most definitely a great movie.
Enjoy what's left of your weekend and rest that aching foot.

I was also a librarian pre-Willow, and have noticed that being so closely connected and aware of my local library has definitely changed my reading habits: we go several times a week and I always have a stack waiting to be picked up (gotta love online holds!)...even if I don't end up reading them all, I 'browse' is a much wider variety of subjects now than what I used to. I'm reading more now than I ever did as a teacher, hee hee. Plus, we rent 99% of our movies from the library, and I am down to buying a book or two a year, as opposed to a book or two a month. Seriously I am in love with my library system...we've being toying around the idea of moving North, and the first negative on my list of pros and cons was 'I'll lose the library'.

133 - Our local library just introduced Kindle books as well, so it's again looking more and more appealing. Once I am working from home I will likely make use of the library for quiet grading space, so I think I'll have to steal a few minutes to check out what they have that might catch my eye. I probably spend over $50/mo on books (mostly Kindle, these days), and it would be nice to use that money for other things, considering how unlikely I am to go back and read the ebooks I've purchased.

132 - I love both the movie and the book for different reasons. I am a huge Nicholson fan, and I'll actually be showing parts of the movie in class this week.

Help! Anyone know where to oil a Husqvarna 905? I've lost my manual.

I found this: http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/87838178-husqvarna-viking-huskylock-905-9...
But it looks like it'll cost you $10 to download. Might be helpful to have the manual around, though...

*smooch* Too miserable to comment intelligently, but wanted to leave a "W00t!" for the house situation.

Restraining myself from talking about zoning for noise in public library spaces. My current job is an internship exploring library space and library space usage. I could literally write pages about noise levels in libraries (and in fact, will be doing just that at work this week). Suffice to say, while libraries provide some quiet space, that's not all they're about anymore. Now, I'll just go back to my corner.

I found that link too, Amber, and it looks like I may have to spend the $10 if I can't find my original copy. I'm hoping it's tucked in a closet somewhere, although I can't exactly get on my ladder right now to look.

Smooches, Padre.

Oh dear, Micky - good luck this week.

Husqvarna 905?
Is that a chainsaw? Or a sewing machine? You'd be equally adept at operating both I'm sure. As adept as I would be inept.

I wouldn't be able to read without my local library, so obviously I'm a huge fan. They posted a noticed recently that they'll be offering e-books soon as well. Oh well, I guess I can forgive them for one flaw. :P

Stephen, what I find most appealing about library ebooks? No late fees! (At least, that's what I would assume...)

140 - It's my wonderful, largely trustworthy serger. Oh man, did that thing change my sewing life. I was busy today making girl (!) pajamas as a thank you for Michael's host-family in Memphis (he had to travel and stayed with friends).

My library doesn't charge late fees for books. :D

You assume correctly. Library ebooks just disappear at the end of the loan period. :)

144 - Huzzah!

143 - Oh, my library charges late fees, and I racked up more than my fair share when I was a kid...

How about a local repair place? They may have a manual for you to peruse, and I'm certain they'd know how to oil the machine...

I don't have a serger, but really really want one. Sigh. My Singer machine has a stretch stitch that I use and then just cut off the seam allowance, but to have a real, honest-to-goodness serger... Again I say Sigh.

I have an inexpensive standard Singer that has done me very well for seven years now; I love that thing.

I bought my serger ... four years ago? I think? And I love love love it, although they require regular maintenance which I let slide for four years. Yikes. I had to spend half of the cost of the machine to have everything fixed (they vibrate a lot).

My embroidery machine hasn't worked since I was pregnant with Max, and I could never talk myself into spending the money to have it repaired.

Late fees are a pain, especially if you really want to finish the book and its due. Do you keep the book and pay, or abandon and search for it again at a later date!? Tough call :)

Sounds like an industrial sewing machine is just right for you Luxx, all that sewing you do. I borrowed my mum's to make some yoga bolsters a few years ago. Straight lines I can do :)

My problem right now is finding time and space. Max refuses to nap in the room he shares with Brooks, so he ends up sleeping on my bedroom floor so they can both get some rest. Of course, my bedroom is where all of my sewing supplies are, and even though the machines are portable, it's more trouble than it's worth to lug everything down to the dining table just to have to lug it all back after quiet time.

Boo.

I won't have this problem in the new place. :) Meanwhile, I have a Tudor gown that has been awaiting stitching for over a year now, a new set of Monster pajamas to make, and a quilt I want to get done for the birth of my first nephew in April.

New place. New place! Wont be long now til your cramped monster haven is but a memory. You'll be chuckling over how you managed in no time. And while you're doing that you will be working on your plan for the house you will build with the sewing room and library room and a play room.

150 - I hope I hope I hope! I still haven't had confirmation from my grandmother yet, so I'm still a little nervous about it all (for example, my mom was *shocked* that they said we could rent with our pets, but my grandparents *know* we have a dog and three cats and have never mentioned the pets). I've been looking around at other rentals, too, just in case. Renting from my Gram would be the most secure position, but Michael is so on-board now that he's determined we will move "no matter what" this summer.

I found two historic homes for rent in our range. :) It would give Michael a very long commute, though, so they're on the way-back burner.

I am exhausted today. I spent the day doing two things: washing all the textiles that I could to be rid of the secondhand smoke once and for all, AND ... fighting with Max. Totally duking it out. I am torn between feeling guilty at how much I've yelled today, and simply tearing my hair our because he's being so difficult. This morning he sat outside of Victor's room, while the baby was sleeping, screaming "OPEN THE DOOOOOORRR!"

B was in their room reading, and looked up from his book incredulously and said, "Max, Victor is sleeping."

It didn't improve as the day went on, and he refused to nap just as adamantly as he demanded the baby's door be open. I haven't given in to either.

>151 London_StJ: Hopefully he doesn't put on his wolf suit or perform a wild rumpus. My sympathies on the uncooperative child syndrome going on in your house today. :(

Ugh. I have those I-feel-like-I'm-yelling-too-much-but-oh-my-god-he's-driving-me-batshit-crazy days too. Totally sympathize right now.

Luxx- I think you were one of the 1st ones to recommend Feynman. I finished it today and it was excellent. It got a bit dry in the last 4th, my eyes glazed a little but overall it was a pleasure. So, thanks!

Does it help to know that every single one of us who has ever raised a kid *totally* gets your feelings, and their cause, and the absence of a win-win solution?

Cause we do.

Hey, it gets better - at about age 21 or so... :)

Big doin's at your house, Luxx :)
Sounds like things are going in the right direction and you have some space to look forward to! YAY!
Wishing you good luck and stamina.
By next Christmas, it will all be way behind you! LOL
Fun times ahead...

152/3/5 - Yes, the sympathy does help, actually. The only thing worse than the behavior would be the discovery that it's just my kid, and therefore something I messed up royally.

156 - Oh, thanks a lot. ;)

154 - I'm glad you liked it! I have his letters on my shelf as well...

157 - Thanks! I like to fantasize about future furniture arrangements when I'm frustrated about something around here.

I'm so stoked: my brother and sister-in-law just asked me to be their birth photographer for the birth of my first nephew.

!!!

They're not even letting their mothers be there, but apparently I was the one person they were both comfortable having there. Awesome.

>151 London_StJ: I am so glad to hear you say that. I have had a similar day today and I hate getting so cross. But I dont want to give in either....and it is so good to hear that other people go though it too as sometimes in the "sanctuary' of your own home you feel like everyone elses kids are well behaved and only have to be told once, and that I must be the one doing it all wrong.
*sigh*
Clean slate for tomorrow, and I certainly earned my vino tonight.

>159 London_StJ: that is a huge compliment, well done!

Dude. After reading about your nightmare day with your monster, mine went nutso last night and threw a couple of massive tantrums. Gah! I was so glad when bedtime rolled around and, after giving us a fight over that too, we finally got him into bed and quiet. Sheesh. Maybe there's something in the almost-spring air...?

And congrats on the nephew-photographer gig - very cool!

I was so glad when bedtime rolled around

You and me both. Whew, what a day. He made up for it by being sweet during story time (cuddling into my lap, etc), and then shattered that by screaming at me over his blanket. "Max, do you want covers?"
"Yes!" So I cover him.
"NO COVERS! NOOOOO!"

I walked away and let him work it out on his own. Sheesh.

Clean slate for tomorrow

And that's one of the great things about rough days as a parent - these little people don't really hold on to anything, so each day is a fresh start.

>159 London_StJ: W00t!

Oh my.

I was going to pick up a book for my Kindle, until I came across this unfortunate message:

Author's Note: 18+ only, please, as some of the subject matter is not suitable at all for younger readers. Also, a few comments noted book starts slow before reving up. The beginning becomes something different by the ending which is how it was written, but fair disclaimer to readers who hate slow starts . . . this one does lay a foundation before it gets going that some may find slower than to their liking. Lastly, The Ghosts of Varner Creek is more than a ghost story. It could fit into a number of genres . . . historical fiction, southern fiction, mystery, paranormal, and family drama. So for readers seeking a straightforward horror novel, I wouldn't want to disappoint as this isn't really in that category. I thank you in advance and hope you enjoy the book.

Authors censoring their readers? What?!

Also, if you need to make a note to warn readers that your book starts slow then I'm going to assume your writing is poor as a whole.

Apparently I'm not a fan of hearing from authors directly; what a turn-off.

That appears to be an author who would be well-served by NOT reading the reviews on her book. I mean, really, I've read reviews that said a book was slow, or nothing happened, and had to check that it was the same book I read because that was not my experience at all. But she's let a few reviews second-guess how she wrote her novel (or what genre it should fit into) to the point she feels she has to justify it, and now is discouraging who knows how many other readers from even trying it. Bad news all around.

Of course, it's also possible that the book just stinks. :)

I agree with your assessment; she seems to have taken Amazon reviews as reader gospel, which is never a good idea. Readers's tastes vary, and it's impossible to suit everyone. It would be better to try to change techniques in the next book than address readers so informally and unprofessionally.

Note to self: review A Perfect Blood when next at a computer

I'm looking forward to see what you thought about A Perfect Blood as I just read it myself.

25.
Title: A Perfect Blood
Author: Kim Harrison
Pages: 448 pages
Genre: I don't even know what they're calling this genre this day. I used to call it generically "Horror"
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Preordered
Date Completed: March 1, 2012
Rating: ****1/2

Once upon a time, I swore off this series; I was frustrated with the recycled plots and Rachel's inability to progress and cope. However, I received the last Hollows book as part of the early review program, and Harrison won me back with progress and resolution.

A Perfect Blood continues some of that progress and development, and while some of the angst and emotional turmoil is still there it is well-tempered by the actual plot.

What is most compelling about A Perfect Blood are the antagonists: their mindless hate and extremists efforts are frightening.

I'm learning to like the new Rachel, and learning to enjoy the series again.

>168 London_StJ: one that didn't start slow I take it....
>164 London_StJ: Terrible form to run down your own book like that. Dont publish it if you dont like it I say, or at least dont express your misgivings about it to potential buyers!

169 - I just feel that speaking so directly to your audience is sophomoric at best; it reminds me of anxious classmates in freshman creative writing. I like that there are opportunities to publish that don't include impressing some random executive, but I guess the flipside is a more casual relationship between readers and authors that I'm not personally comfortable with.

It's similar to why I avoid celebrity gossip: I don't care one fig about their lives as actual people - I just want them to successfully create fantasies worlds I can indulge in from time to time. What they do off screen is not part of that fantasy.

This morning I have accomplished a few batches of baby food, put the beginnings of vegetable broth in the slow cooker, and just put pots de creme a l'orange in the fridge. Yum. No clue what's for dinner, but I have dessert covered.

Hi Luxx- I wanted to let you know I did my mini-review of Feynman and hopefully I can turn a few more people on to it. Thanks again for the nudge.

171 - You've been on my mind lately because I've been reading Torso.

Glad you liked Feynman! Habibi is on my list, too, thanks to you.

It's so green! Also, boys are adorable as ever. Hope you're having a relaxing weekend, Luxx.

Oh, excellent pictures!

How were the pots? What was for dinner?!

LOVE the coffin cake. Makes my mouth water thinking about it.

The coffin cake is amazing and delicious-looking, and those are some adorable pictures as usual. The black and white one is perfect, very classy, and it looks like some old photo from the early 1900's or something. :)

175 - Michael and I enjoyed it, but the kids not so much. ;)

Max did, however, enjoy the clam chowder I made for dinner. I'm shocked he even tried it!

Thanks for all of the kind words.

26.
Title: Torso
Author: Brian Michael Bendis and marc Andreyko
Pages: 280 pages
Genre: Graphic Novel
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Preordered
Date Completed: March 4, 2012
Rating: **1/2

The subject of Torso is the 1935 slayings in Cleveland, when a serial killer left a string of dismembered bodies and ultimately evaded capture.

Bendis and Andreyko have chosen a singularly gruesome subject for their endeavor, and the production is lackluster. The illustrations are drenched in black ink to the point of being visually stunted; instead of being stark and dramatic the pages are instead nearly impossible to distinguish. Compounded with this are a number of very unfortunate typographical errors (the incorrect "their" versus "there," for example) that became very distracting.

I've wavered between two-and-a-half and three stars, and ultimately settled on two-and-a-half for the physical headache.

Being from the midwest and growing up land-locked, I'm nervous about cooking with any sort of seafood, but I'm a big fan of clam chowder - sounds delicious!

Ugh... so, stay far, far away from Torso... o_O

180 - Not one I would recommend, unfortunately. And it sounded so promising! About halfway through I was just annoyed by how hard I had to focus to make out anything in the illustrations.

179 - This recipe actually uses canned clams, which I rather abashedly admitted to my seafood-shop-owner stepfather. ;)

It's even better the next day.

I paired it with this rosemary bread, which is one of my favorite bread recipes right now.

Woot! I just received an acceptance letter for an Evolving Motherhood conference in NY. This will be my third conference in eight months, and I have a stack of CPFs that I'm hoping to apply for as well.

Speaking and publishing is a lot less expensive than seeking further education.

"Monsters In Mud' sounds like a great title for a book.

Again, I so enjoy the photos you post!

Congrats on getting accepted for the conference. That's super exciting!

183 - That'll be the title of my autobiography. Good to see you!

184 - What's funny is that I was thinking about it yesterday, and had assumed my proposal was rejected.

Yes, congratulations on your acceptance at the conference!

Yay - congrats!! I always have mixed feelings about acceptance letters to conferences; first, Yay!, but then, Dag, now I have to write a paper...

Luxx- Thanks for sharing the photos! What a happy bunch. I never could find a copy of Torso. My library only had the original text version. To bad, it didn't work for you. The true-crime GNs, I have read have all worked so far.

187 - Ha! Yeah, it can get to that, but I'm using a project I've wanted to research for awhile now, so I'm happy for the motivation.

188 - I've loved the medium for true crime so far, so Torso seems to be an exception for me

Hi Luxx. You are such a nice mom to let your kids romp in the mud!! Love the pictures, as usual, and I will have to remember the coffin dessert next year for Halloween (my favorite holiday next to Christmas). Congrats on the conference acceptance. What are you going to talk about?

My favorite pet-subject: evolution and alternative reproduction in gothic fiction.

Oh my.

I'm watching the documentary "Flesh and Blood"; it's changed my opinion of my own squeamishness. I've never actually seen a number of these procedures before, and I had to look away a few times. Fascinating stuff.

You're coming to NY on work-related travel? Dare I hope that you can escape someone else's boooooooooorrrrrrriiiiiiiinnnnng talk to say a hello to a lonely, depressed, unloved old man? Wait...to be sure...you mean NYC, right?

I do in fact mean the city - I'll be at the Museum of Motherhood. I should be getting the conference schedule this week, and if it works out I'd love to say hello! I'll probably just be in town for the day, but I plan on taking the train in early in the morning and then leaving at some point in the night/evening. I did so for a meetup last Christmas and it worked out very well.

Gadzooks, there's a Museum of Motherhood? No. Really? Where?

ETA 84th and First! LOL Well, my friends Andrea and Chris never told me about MOM before, and they're a few feet away!

I opened the Amazon product page for the yoga mats I decided to buy for the toddlers, and turned it to Max.

"Max, what color do you want?" I, for one, was super excited. He frowned at me.
"Watch Thomas."
"Yes, I know you're going to watch Thomas. But first, what color do you want?"
He frowned and pointed at the tv. "Watch. Thomas."
"Yes, watch Thomas. What color do you want?" I held the computer up so he could point. Which he did, saying, "Square!"
"Very good, Max - that is a square. But what color square?"
"Black!"
"Black? Really?" In my mind I'm thinking, wow, you are mine!
"No, no black."
"Oh, what color?"
"Yellow!"
"There is no yellow. Do you mean green?"
"PURPLE!"
"Great! Purple!"
"No purple."
"Max, what color?"
"Orange square."
"Orange, then?"
"No. Yellow."
"Ok, do you mean the yellow-green?"
"Green."
"Do you want a green one?"
He looked me straight in the eye and very definitively said, "Yes."
My sister-in-law laughed at this point and said, "I think that's an answer!"
So we went with the olive green.

Brooks was easier. He took one look and shouted "blue!" and went back to his lunch.

195 - Oh, delightful!

I had never heard of it before, but I'm under the impression it's fairly new. I found the CFP on the Penn listings for English (very useful source, that). It sounds like good fun.

Your paper sounds like good fun...the conference could go either way. Possibly very Birkenstocks-and-afterbirths, possibly po-mo and academically dry as a popcorn fart.

You shall shine more bright in these contents
Than unswept stone besmeared with sluttish time.

*glances at clock to see how long before Crypto gets the precise ref*

*faints*

Shakespeare? From Padre?

Who are you?

I expect a number of feminist debates, but as it is a multimedia conference I think there will be some fascinating artistic and performance pieces as well.

Hopefully no one will actually try to give birth as performance art; that really rubbed me the wrong way as a mother.

I like the sonnets. I don't like *any* plays as reading material, and precious few as viewing material, unless there's nekkid mens on the stage most or all of the time.

Birth as performance art would make me mad. It trivializes the central act of human existence. That, me hearty, is WRONG in my little parochial worldview.

Hmmm, someone who would give birth as a performance piece would not be the shy type. I would not be queueing up to see it that's for sure.

I couldn't have said it better myself (about birth as performance, not Shakespeare). Not only that, but that the artists intend to make their child's whole life "performance art."* I don't yet have the words to express just why I find this so abhorrent, but it has a lot to do with the notion of notoriety: no matter what, that child will be known for this one thing that his or her parents decided to making splashingly public. No matter who or what that child becomes as an individual, he or she will always be known first for the actions of the parents.

I think of my children as people. Right now they are little people under my care, and it is my right and privilege to influence certain things (we named them, for example, and I refuse to let them wear character clothing because I dislike it). But no matter the choices I make right now, my boys will still become individuals, and will have the freedom to define themselves as adolescents and adults. Hell, they can even change their names!

Making a child a thing - whether that is a work of art or a child star - takes away that immediate right to individuality, and, whether the child continues the lifestyle established or seeks to deviate, that child will be in for a battle (and one they may not be prepared for).

Sure, from the outside children like Dakota Fanning and Emma Watson seem to have survived in one piece, but for every Watson or Fanning there are five Lohans or "Honey Boo Boos".





* I like the comment left on the article I linked: "She is a legitimate performance artist. Children should not be props or used as art pieces."

Ack ack ack! I couldnt watch that youtube link, it looked too hideous from the 15 seconds I saw :(

I cant add anything to what you wrote, apart from saying that on this point: I don't yet have the words to express just why I find this so abhorrent
you do a pretty good job Id say!

Tell me, what are you feeding Victor for breakfast these days? I need ideas.

I was trying to work it out as I wrote. ;)

Victor starts with a waffle while I get all other breakfast assembled, and then usually gets some fruit of some kind. He'll either eat a banana or some other fruit mix chunks/puree. I've been making all of his foods and freeze it all in ice cube trays for easy measuring; I'd say he gets four ounces of fruit with his waffle, or six ounces (or two bananas) if I'm not giving him finger food. He also loves yogurt, and pretty much anything he can weasel out of my bowl/off my plate.

I am having such a hard time with finger foods, though - I just can't remember what I gave the boys. Plus, he's such a voracious eater that he gets very angry about his inefficient his own efforts are.

What are you guys doing?

Today? Half a piece of dry toast....half a jar of banana/mango baby food, and a cracker. (boring but needed to use up the last two).
He usually has toast and then fruit (pureed or mashed), or porridge (rolled oats) mixed with some fruit. I have some baby cereal that needs to be used up so have been giving him that the odd day, but finds it blocks him up a bit so leave it to every few days and always serve with pears (he hasn't tried yoghurt yet).
But these are my only options really. Just making sure I wasn't missing out on some revolutionary North American baby breakfast that I've never heard of!

*snort* Nope. It's pretty trendy to do homemade and organic right now, but you could always try giving him a babyccino.

(I see no harm in giving the kids steamed milk with a shot of something sweet, but I draw the line at actual coffee - decaf or no.)

I loved Annabel Karmel for finger food ideas with Willow. It seems like a billion years ago now, but looking at the pictures of her eating...she was especially down with the little pancake roll thingos and green eggs (w/ spinach). Nowadays, she's all about the green smoothies for breakfast. Almonds/Spinach/Pumpkin puree/Frozen Fruit is the all time favorite, but if it comes with a straw she's game to try it :).

>206 London_StJ: HEHE, the link wouldn't load (Ill try again later) but I get the gist from your comment!
Almost all cafes here serve "fluffies" which were just the froth left over from the milk steaming process to make a cappuccino. But have now morphed into elaborate mini hot chocolates with lollies on the side and chocolate sprinkles on top. From .50 to upwards of $2. I dont bother as they usually just get spilled anyway!

>207 willowsmom: Wilbur is a fan of pancakes rolled up with savoury goodies inside. But I can now imagine a little tyke being able to grab a roll in his fist too ....

207 - Thanks for the link, and the ideas!

I should try the smoothie idea for the big ones - it would probably be a good way to get them to eat the fruits and vegs that I can't get them to eat now.

208 - What it most comes down to for me is that I have no intention of taking the kiddos to a coffee shop. That's my time alone! (The link was a newspaper article that basically says that Brooklyn residents have stolen the catchy name from Australians, and are serving "babyccinos" (everything from steamers to foam to actual decaf cappuccinos).

27.
Title: Fair Game
Author: Patricia Briggs
Pages: 293 pages
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Preordered
Date Completed: March 10, 2012
Rating: *****

Like Kelley Armstrong, Patricia Briggs is one of the more reliable authors of the genre; her novels are consistent in character while still encouraging development and growth, and she well-balances the expectations of new readers and old. In Fair Game the reader finds Anna and Charles in the midst of some personal turmoil: Anna can feel that something is wrong with her mate and is afraid he is hurting himself more than Bran may realize and Charles, haunted both literally and figuratively, shuts her out in a misguided attempt to protect his wife. Thinking a change of scenery and occupation may give the couple time to heal, Bran sends them to assist the FBI in their quest for a serial killer who has been taking out supernaturals since the 70s.

While Anna is not quite the spitfire that Mercy can be, her reclaimed strength makes her an excellent protagonist.

Thumb!

Patricia Briggs is awesome. I listed her as a favorite new author last year. Can't wait to read this one! Yay!

28.
Title: Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead
Author: Christina Miller
Pages: 330 pages
Genre: Paranormal Chick Lit
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Mentioned by richarderus
Date Completed: March 14, 2012
Rating: ****

Christina Miller's witchy tale is running on standard fare: cue one more-powerful-than-she-realizes witch with a serious crush on fattening foods and a spell of forced celibacy, a hunky but gay best friend, and circumstances beyond her control that both guide her path and inform the reader of contemporary Wiccan beliefs and practices.

But, despite the predictability of these elements, the story itself is delightful. While the protagonist is not one I felt a connection with, the story itself was humorous and engaging, and the conclusion wasn't exactly what I predicted, which made it all the more fun. While I could certainly do without the (admittedly minor) lecture material (on spelling tools, for example), Miller's explanations are less intrusive than some others and can easily be overlooked by those "in the know."

Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead is god fun, and it's a steal of a Kindle buy.

Sounds like a fun one, and one you must have read in what, about 20 seconds? Wow you can churn through them!

So, I am gearing up for some beach reading (spring break in 1 1/2 weeks!) and added Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead to my Kindle. Okay, and added Fair Game in case I get through all the others I have already. No pressure or anything. Just cause your recs are half my intended reading for my week away!! LOL

I'm going to check on some Patricia Briggs books, thanks to your recommendation. I think I'll try and find the first book in the series...

Karen O.

Karen, I really enjoy both her Alpha and Omega series and her Mercy Thompson series; the latter is much older, so there are a greater number of books.

I believe she writes more traditional fantasy as well, but that's not really to my taste so I haven't sought it out.

Berly, that sounds like my kind of spring break! You can thank Richard for Tillie since he's the one who brought it to my attention in the first place.

A librarian at work asked me today what I was reading, and I unabashedly answered "paranormal chick lit!" It's just what works for me - and apparently you, too.

Megan, bah, it all comes down to how content the monsters are - and how much grading I have to get done. My work was done for several days, so I got to relax with a fun book!

I've read everything Briggs has written including her traditional fantasy and I love it all.

Oh, me too--Patricia Briggs has some great older works, like The Hob's Bargain, which is a standalone, and the Raven's Shadow duology. But Luxx, you are correct--her earlier works definitely aren't paranormal chick lit :).

I've read both of those, happily -- I should look her up and see if she has any others I haven't read. Mercy Thompson is a favorite character of mine!

I'm more of a vampire/witch girl with a side of werewolf, and I'm much less interested in fae and other (what I consider to be) traditional fantasy characters and worlds. Still, I think it's pretty cool that Briggs is able to successfully wear so many hats; I think her flexibility speaks to her strength as a writer.

I think you meant "hats." (as in "wear so many hate"??) And I agree with your assessment. : )

What are you talking about? *whistles innocently*... ;)

Ha! I assumed it was just some sort of jargon that I didn't understand!

Nope! Just another typo in a long history of the darn things...

>223 London_StJ: haha, just cottoned on to your skulduggery

29.
Title: Habibi
Author: Craig Thompson
Pages: 672 pages
Genre: Graphic Novel
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Rec'd at Contentious Issues conference
Date Completed: March 15, 2012
Rating: *****

Habibi is both the Arabic word for "my beloved" and a masterful work of art by Craig Thompson. The graphic novel is a lush, brutal, and unconditional love story about two slaves in the middle East. The protagonists of Thompson's tale are as intricate as the script with which he illustrates his pages, as full of flaws and humanity as they are full of love and dedication to one another. Their beginning is a seemingly unusual one, and their relationship grows and shifts as the two struggle through tribulations and abuse.

Habibi is not for those easily disturbed by graphic material; as one can imagine, the lives of two slaves in the Middle East are not marked by kindness and luxury, but a very harsh - and often graphic - reality. Still, there is much beauty to be found both in the story being told, and in the stories they tell. I found the text to be mesmerizing, and found myself lost in the story and the images used to relate it.

Highly recommended.

This one has me keen - again! I will have to satiate my interest and just get it out from the library I think.

Megan, it was first recommended to me by a colleague, and then again by Mark here on LT. I am so glad I finally read it, although it feels wrong to call it "delightful," which is my instinct...

Hello Linda dear! So good to see you around.

30.
Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Pages: 400 pages
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: March 24, 2012
Rating: ***

More than a book about a circus, Morgenstern's The Night Circus is a narrative about questions, knowledge of self, and the role of external factors - including, for example, entertainment - in the shaping of the self. Character growth is what is most appealing about this story.

But book hype is a fickle beast, and can do just as much damage to a readership as it can propel an author towards stardom. The Night Circus is one of these books that, for my own reading, was not helped by the raving reviews I have been hearing from trusted reader friends, and I can't help but wonder if I would have rated the book higher had I not heard such illustrious praise for the book before reading it myself.

I, for one, did not find the first part of the story compelling, and was not captivated by the tale until 22% (thanks, Kindle) of the way into the text. At that point I was indeed hooked, and was fairly greedy in my reading. While I continued to loathe the occasional shifts to second-person narration (what seemed to me to be a cheap authorial trick rather than a successful narrative device), I was able to quickly gloss over such meaningless moments to get back to the true meat of the story. However, like the beginning, I found that the conclusion of the novel was dull and unnecessary, and could easily identify the point at which the novel could have concluded more successfully. I found the end to be too traditional for what is supposed to be such an nontraditional space, and was rather disappointed.

While I enjoyed the book much more than I initially thought, I am equally glad that I was able to borrow the novel from the library.

>230 London_StJ: I frequently find that I account for the hype in my value equation, even knowing I shouldn't. I think it's inevitable that, upon hearing the praise that's being heaped on a book, some of us will have our "oh, yeah?" follicle erect its sturdy little hair.

The Ginseng Hunter has managed to do that for me (scathing review forthcoming), and I went from 5* to 3.5* in the course of reading the angst-over-easy no-meat breakfast taco that is Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Both are beautiful objects, and feature interesting ideas, but dayyyyummm.

I've come to learn that people's tastes are far too varied for me to trust reviews. Now, I will *try* a book that LTers recommended but I go into it with little expectation about liking it myself. There have been just as many hits (A Discovery of Witches) as misses (Major Pettigrew's Last Stand.)

232 - It's so funny that you mention Major Pettigrew, because I nearly picked it up this weekend due to all of the LT hype. It's very true that opinions vary pretty widely in this group, and even if two people love one book it does not mean they will equally enjoy another. One thing I've been happy about, though, is that picking up books based on the reviews of LTers has helped me broadened my reading horizon, and I've found some real keepers.

231 - some of us will have our "oh, yeah?" follicle erect its sturdy little hair. Yes, exactly. I can chalk it up to my ornery nature. ;) I remember enjoying Peculiar Children, but a great deal of that is probably due to the presence of the photographs - I'm a sucker for those kinds of details.

The best part about reading this last book ... is that it was a library book. The first library book I've read since I was a small child, as a matter of fact. Huzzah and hooray for ebooks offered by the library! My neighborhood library isn't really a place I want to go (but hot damn do I love academic libraries), so I'm ecstatic to have a chance to borrow books without the awkward social interaction that always comes with a public library trip.

Nice review of The Night Circus, couldn't have said it better myself. Really really couldn't have....you have a lovely way with the word!

One thing I've been happy about, though, is that picking up books based on the reviews of LTers has helped me broadened my reading horizon, and I've found some real keepers.

TOTALLY agree. The variety of my reading has expanded exponentially due to LT. Yeah, sometimes I wonder what the appeal is for a book but then other times, wow, a book is all that and awesomesauce.

234 - Ha, thanks! I actually hesitate before posting any reviews because of the high quality we see around here. I can't compare, but I also want to share my own thoughts...

235 - Yup, that's how it goes for me, too.

the awkward social interaction that always comes with a public library trip

No self-checkouts at your library then? ;)

I love the awkward social interaction that always comes with a public library trip! Well, okay fine, I don't interact with anyone, but I always imagine the librarians see me coming in the doors and think "Oh noes, that one creepy guy is here again!"

Oh, I would not go to the library if there were no self-checkouts!
I would send Frank all the time to get my reserved books, as I do sometimes when I don't feel like leaving the house.

Wow, I'm so very glad it's not just me.

Libraries and grocery store checkouts: two awkward situations that I just don't want to endure. I don't know what I find it so stressful (I don't have the same discomfort in college libraries), but I do. There is no self-checkout in the neighborhood library, but they had them at my grad school and I loved it (of course, a full seven floors of stacks didn't hurt my love of the place).

Libraries and grocery store checkouts: two awkward situations that I just don't want to endure
Is it the ridiculous small talk or the fact that you know the talker is totally faking it and doenst give a rats about how your day has been?

Clearly, you all need to start shopping at my neighborhood grocery store, where the checkers barely acknowledge there is a human being standing in front of them, let alone try to engage you in chit-chat!

Funny, library and grocery store checkouts are the only places I am comfortable. No one ever tries to small talk me. Ever. Again, it's the creepiness I think, people tend to go silent when I'm in the vicinity. Although a librarian did try to small talk me once, which was met with incredibly awkward ohs and hms.

Hi Luxx! I always enjoy your reviews! You liked Habibi more than I did, (although I did like it) and I liked The Night circus more than you! Hey, that's what makes it all interesting, right? Can't be boring.

Hi Luxx

Attempting to delurk... Responding to the baby food post from above...Have you heard of Baby Led Weaning? It is the premise that you start with finger foods and that the baby can eat just about anything that you eat. No need to start with purees. We've done a combo and Owen has done great. It can be a bit messy though.

I haven't heard of the book, but I have heard of the principle, and I think it's great. I never really saw watery purees as being much good to begin with, and Victor seems to agree - he likes his food like I like my babies: chunky with plenty of nibbly bits. But he does have one problem with self-feeding, and that is his own lack of efficiency. Kiddo gets so angry when he has to feed himself his entire meal, with the exception of his breakfast waffles. It's actually kind of funny from where I'm standing...

Poor beautiful Max! Cool boot though, hope he doenst have to wear it for long.

Poor Max! Funny though, when I broke my arm I first picked a green cast, and later when I needed a new one put on I chose purple! Obviously he has good taste in color. :P

Thought I'd stop by and say hi!! Love your review of Night Circus . May I add to the hype of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand?? It was one of my favourites and still is!! It still is a fav of mine!

What a couple of cuties!!! I feel for little Max! I broke my wrist and my foot a couple of years ago, and man, it was a hassle! And I'm a grownup. I always thought a cast might be fun - but it sure wasn't!!! Lesson learned! :)

Oh no! Poor Max! I'm dreading the day that Charlie first breaks something, and it *will* happen, I'm certain - he's such a daredevil. Sigh.

The really scary part is wondering what Victor has in store for us. B had black eyes, so Max had to one-up him by breaking a bone, and now Victor will have to make his own splash.

Oy.

We have an appointment on the first Thursday of April and I'm really hoping the cast comes off then; Max begs me for a shower every single night, and listening to him say, "Mommy, sock off. Please, help, Mommy, help! Help sock off" just breaks my heart.

Deb, it's next to go on my library reserve list (I can only reserve four at once).

I never thought broken bones were that bad, really. I broke my finger in a soccer game in, I think, 2nd or 3rd grade and I played the rest of the game with it like that, and then didn't go to the hospital until later that night. I also shattered my elbow and the most painful part about it was the idiot doctor making me do a contortionist act to get X-rays, despite the fact that I was on the edge of vomiting and passing out from the pain. Its scrapes that are the worst. Taking a layer of skin of one's knee is the absolute worst injury imaginable, pain-wise, I say!

For me it's migraines, followed by nausea. I just can't handle nausea, and I feel like a complete invalid when I have a migraine.

In addition to the monster in a cast I also wanted to share a baking adventure - what a friend called "Willy Wonka's worst nightmare." Here's the circus cake I made for B's class last week. Oh man, that was fun.

> 245: These pictures make me want to hug Max, poor boy!
(And I am usually not very fond of kids, but he looks so adorable! Especially on the last picture.)

He has a personality to match, too.

I'm not always fond of other people's kids; even though I have children (and adore my own) I'm not really a "kid person." I find that I have very different expectations in regards to behavior, and I'm only truly comfortable with specific families.

I am fond of one of B's classmates; she usually greets me with conversations like this:

"Why are you wearing so many lipsticks?"
"I like lipstick."
"Oh." *grin* "I like lipsticks, too."

"Why are your boots soooo loooooong?"

It's adorable.

That cake! Did you have the monsters in a play pen for the 5 hours it must have taken to bake/assemble/decorate all that? Or were you just up til the wee small hours? It is an awesome creation that's for sure.

I vowed to give up birthday cake making for my biggest angel ever since I was told my rocket cake for his third birthday looked like a penis. *sob sob* I simply cant to decorating. And here I was thinking I was artistic.

But I reckon with your layer cake, it'd me as much about the making as the decorating, so I mught just give it a go one time, and be sure to credit you if it turns out good, and not mention you if its a flop :)

Oh, I hate cake decorating. I'm terrible terrible at it. That's why I like layer cakes - you can make them impressive without having to worry about fancy piping or special shapes. I've had to make a few dinosaur cakes in recent years, and they're pretty much a disaster. Bleh.

I made the circus cake in the, er, 3-4 hours my partner took the boys to his stepmother's. It was glorious - I was able to work straight through and put it all together before they got home.

Uninterupted time to do pretty much anything these days is priceless!

Tell me about it. I can't even find the time to mop the floors (let alone do any of the other 100 things I had to do today) because I'm stuck policing the two-year-old's nap. I am so incredibly frustrated right now.

I prescribe: *deep breath deep breath* repeat

Ohmygosh, that cake is fantastic! Thanks for sharing the pictures!

261 - You're absolutely right.

262 - Thanks! It certainly wasn't perfect, but the kids got a big kick out of it so I called it a success.

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