leahbird keeps up the good fight in 2015 (1)

My name is Leah and I live in Tennessee. Until 6 years ago, I was a Cultural Anthropologist. Now I am doing a little bit of everything whenever it strikes my fancy. I farm, I doula (Foothills Birth Services), I sell cloth diapers at a wonderful baby boutique (Bohemian Baby), I spend as much time as possible with my niece Addy, who is the coolest person ever! Oh, and I read when time and mood allows!

As for my reading tastes, I read a lot of light fantasy (more urban/modern than Lord of the Rings and the like), dark humor, children's classics, myths and fairy tales (especially really good retellings), dystopian fiction, books about books, young adult novels (NOT Twilight), British humorists like Evelyn Waugh and P.G. Wodehouse, and non-fiction books about food, sustainability, organic/natural farming, and homemade/DIY ways of doing things. I got into audiobooks a few years ago and now enjoy those immensely.

“She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain.”― Louisa May Alcott
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need."― Cicero

*Note: Descriptions are not mine, but culled from LT or other sources. Thoughts are all me.

Best Books of 2014

1. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
2. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
3. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
4. Saga, Vol 1 by Brian K Vaughn
5. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
6. The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman
7. The Paper Magician by Charlie Holmberg
8. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley
9. I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
10. The Interrupted Tale by Maryrose Wood

Hi Leah! Hope you have a great new reading year!

Hi Leah! *Hugs*

Hi neighbor! Wishing you lots of great reading in 2015.

Welcome back!

Happy New Thread!

You said the magic word, PG Wodehouse, so I thought I would say hello and good luck in 2015! :)

Thanks everyone and HAPPY NEW YEARS!

>8 rosylibrarian: I was hoping to start my year off with a Wodehouse, but they were the only books off my Christmas wishlist that I didn't get this year! So, I'll have to wait a bit and buy them for myself.

A friend posted this to me on Facebook today and it made me so happy. Naturally, I had to share with all of you.

I was an occasional lurker last year on your thread so I thought now was a good time to say "Hello" and that I am looking forward to following your thread in 2015!

Dropping in to mark my place and say Happy New Year!

Happy new year Leah!

Leah



Happy New Year from your friend in Kuala Lumpur

>10 leahbird: I think that would be an excellent way to meet people. Drinks are so fleeting, but a book would always remind you of that moment. (Well...unless you don't want to remember that moment because he/she was a total creeper, ha!)

>8 rosylibrarian: P. G. Wodehouse IS the magic word! Oh, I want to read more of him!

>10 leahbird: I've seen that post a couple of time before and I agree so much. I'd be much more inclined to start chatting with someone who buys me a book! And you know you have something (reading) in common with the so you're already off to a good start. And what a person reads says more about them than what they drink.

Welcome back!

Happy New Year, Leah!

More thanks for lovely new years wishes. Everyone in this group is just so sweet.

>11 lkernagh: Glad you de-lurked! There's always room for new people around here.

@rosylibrarian and @PawsforThought, which Wodehouse series are you most fond of? I've read a bit of Jeeves and a bit of Blandings and some short stories of the others. My Wodehouse goal is to read all the Jeeves and then move on to Blandings.

I'm absolutely stealing this for my thread. Now we just need some way of getting the idea out to the wider population.

>20 lunacat: I'm thinking of making up posters to hang in bookstores. And another to hang in bars saying, "Go to bookstore, see sign, follow instructions, find true love."

>21 leahbird: The campaign starts now ;)

>19 leahbird: The Jeeves and Wooster books are my favorite, although to be honest I haven't ventured outside that series very much. The Adventures of Sally was really excellent though. One day I will get to Blandings.

>19 leahbird: I've only read Jeeves & Wooster, but both the Blandings books and Psmith books look like a lot of fun. I'm hoping to buy a few more Wodehouse books this year, and when I've got the J&W ones, I'll check out the others.

I remember really enjoying the Psmith books. I intend to read the Jeeves series and the Blandings series in order someday -- I'm sure there are ones I've missed.

Returning your visit, Leah. I'm hoping to read my first Wodehouse this year but we'll see what happens. :)

Maybe we should do a group read of some Wodehouse since so many are into his books.

Can I just jump in and say that my favorite stand-alone Wodehouse book is A Damsel In Distress? Followed by The Small Bachelor. I like Jeeves better than than Psmith or Blandings books, but any Wodehouse is a good Wodehouse!

Sandy K

Hi Leah!

I'm only read one Wodehouse, but I loved it and want to read more eventually...

>28 sandykaypax: Please do! I've not read either of those so I'll check them out.

>29 norabelle414: Hiya Nora.

>30 scaifea: His books are always delightfully ridiculous and charming.

>27 leahbird: A Wodehouse group read sounds great! I guess there will be one in December since he's the male author Paul chose for that month in his British Authors challenge. I have a feeling I won't be waiting until December for another Wodehouse. I love to listen to the audio of his books, and I still have several waiting on my Overdrive wishlist.

Who reads those Carrie? A good narrator could make those some very fun audiobooks.

I don't think I'll make it to December this year before reading Wodehouse either so maybe I'll get something together. And then we can all read another with Paul in December. ;)

>33 leahbird: Jonathan Cecil reads most of them. I've listened to one or two read by Martin Jarvis. They're both good narrators.

Wodehouse is such a treat! I haven't read many of his works and tend towards enjoying the TV adaptations. Jeeves and Wooster are my personal faves - cannot go wrong with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. Last year we watch the TV adaptation of Blandings and found it to be a hoot. I would be up for any kind of Wodehouse group read if there is enough interest.

Has anyone ever played The Jack Dann Game? I'd never heard of it before that Tor.com piece but it's super fun.

This explanation from a commenter made the most sense to me: "The most common type is a title of the form 'The {Adjective} {Noun}'' which can be reinterpreted as 'The {Noun} {Transitive Verb} {Author's name}'."

Examples of this:

Two Sisters Gore Vidal
The Gilded Chain Dave Duncan
The First Wives Club Olivia Goldsmith

So, here are the ones from my library:

This Is Where I Leave You Jonathan Tropper
Egg and Spoon Gregory Maguire
The Paper Magician Charlie Holmberg
The Peculiar Stefan Bachman
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire JK Rowling (poor Jo)
Fire Kristin Cashore
Eleanor and Park Rainbow Rowell
Rapture of the Deep LA Meyer
Dust Hugh Howey
Meant to Be Lauren Morrill (which is particularly funny since this is my friend who writes under her maiden name)
Spindles End Robin McKinley
One of Our Thursdays is Missing Jasper Fforde
Ella Enchanted Gail Carson Levine
You Suck Christopher Moore and Bite Me Christopher Moore
My French Whore Gene Wilder
Oliver Twist Charles Dickins
Scoop Evelyn Waugh
The Call of the Wild Jack London
We Have Always Lived in the Castle Shirley Jackson
The Craft of Baking Karen DeMasco
Feeding Poultry Gustave Heuser
Many Friends Cooking Terry Touff Cooper
Let's Kill Uncle Rohan O'Grady

Feel free to post any good ones you find amongst your stacks!

>27 leahbird: I would be totally down for a Wodehouse group read. Jonathan Cecil is my favorite narrator for his books.

>36 leahbird: I have never heard of that game. I will have to check out my stacks.

Leah! Hello! I'm finally thread-visiting, and here I find Woodhouse discussions, my current favorite cultural shift, and the Jack Dann game! What delightful madness.

1) I adore Wodehouse. He can always cheer me up after a grim day. And he was about the ONLY thing I took from my modernist lit class in grad school.

2) I'm right there with you on the buying people books instead of drinks thing. I think I shall make it my mission to talk my local indie into setting up a display for that. Lol. It would totally work.

3) I always want to add unusual punctuation in the Jack Dann game, but then it would be a different game all together. But I could end up with things like... The Stars! My Destination: Alfred Bester.

Just entertains me to no end.

PS: The Subtle Knife Philip Pullman.

(Poor Philip Pullman, he never stood a chance.)

:)

>38 beserene: I do what I can to encourage the madness to stay delightful, but it has a mind of it's own. ;)

I too want to punctuate entries in Jack Dann. Sometimes you just have to leave it implied. I think my current favorite from the above list is The Call of the Wild Jack London. It makes me wonder if they've ever tamed a Jack London and, if so, if their calls are different than the wild ones.

>39 beserene: So many authors get a really rough deal in this game, for sure. Who knew writing books would open one up to such grisly ends?

>36 leahbird: I'll play! Just in my TBR collection:

A Plague on Both Your Houses Susanna Gregory
The Girl of His Dreams Donna Leon
Fire and Ice Dana Stabenow
All But Forgotten L. James Emch
Death Threads Elizabeth Lynn Casey
She Stoops to Conquer Oliver Goldsmith
The Grave Gourmet Alexander Campion
Paging the Dead Brynn Bonner
Loverly Dominic McHugh
Five Quarters of the Orange Joanne Harris
The Bean Trees Barbara Kingsolver
Forgotten God Francis Chan
Death Dines In Claudia Bishop
Crazy Love Francis Chan
Dare to Die Carolyn G. Hart
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew Margaret Sidney
The Winding Ways Quilt Jennifer Chiaverini
Good and Dead Jane Langton
The Secret Anna Enquist
If Books Could Kill Kate Carlisle

Gotta watch out for those Orange Joanne Harrises, you never know what they might do next. And I wonder if Claudia Bishop is a nice town to visit this time of year. But I'm really concerned about whatever Kate Carlisle did to Books to make them so mad. ;)

Here's another one I'm concerned about:

Invitation to Murder Elizabeth Bright

>43 cbl_tn: HAHAHA!

Sometimes I wonder why I never have money for long. This is the answer.

I received two tea related Christmas gifts, one lovely hand drawn mug from my future SIL and a cute tea strainer from my sister. This meant I needed to buy some loose leaf tea since all I usually have is bagged. Here is the detailed downward spiral:

- Order 5 tea samples from The Tea Spot
- Buy my favorite tea, Twinings Lady Grey, in loose leaf form
- Decide I really want to try this one tea from The Republic of Tea
- Begin drinking so much tea that I want to avoid white sugar so I research until I decide I need stupidly expensive and not easy to get raw sugar CUBES (because cubes are what Maggie Smith would use)
- Come to the conclusion that I hate using the hot water thingy on the coffee maker so start looking for other options
- While looking for other options, find and buy a second adorable tea strainer (a deep TEA diver!)
- Have no good way to take tea to work with me in the morning so head to TJ Maxx to see if I can score a travel mug with built in infuser
- Leave TJ Maxx with two new tea cups, a glass jar for the sugar cubes when they finally arrive, and a travel mug with infuser
- Still need to find the perfect tea kettle but can't decide between metal and glass. And maybe I should get a French press for home use. But I also need a neat storage solution for all this tea stuff. I wonder if Herriott Grace makes a super expensive, hand crafted wood tea box?
- Realize my tea stash is at 3/4 so obviously it's time to start buying more.

Research is not my friend. I am a very good researcher. I find EVERYTHING. And then I need everything. Because once you research and now the best of the best is out there, how can you settle?

This happens with books too. I research all the editions until I know exactly what I want and won't settle for anything else. Even if that book has to come from England and cost twice as much as the copy I could get locally.

Is there a support group for this?

Welcome to the world of loose leaf tea. It's delicious!

>45 leahbird: Is this the deep tea diver one you've bought?



I've seen it and it's so adorable. I'm sticking to my non-cute strainers, but jeez, it's tempting.
Also, I'm trying to find my perfect tea tins (I've actually found them but actually getting my hands on them is proving a bit difficult).

Oh, have you seen the manaTEA yet? It's one of my favourites.

Leah, I know exactly the sort of problem you mean. Mine usually occurs with books -- case in point, I just spent an hour and $85.00 on BookOutlet.com (17 books!) but whilst I was shopping there I was, of course, cross-referencing prices on Amazon and ended up ordering two more books on Amazon... because reasons. And then, of course, I started looking for more bookshelves because more books and this will end in disaster. Or a very large credit card bill.

And that manaTEA is so very, very cute... I only got three teapots and a tea strainer for Christmas, I could use more tea stuff, right?

I think there might be something wrong with us. But I'm kind of okay with that because I like books. And tea. :D

>47 PawsforThought: Ohmygosh, that's adorable!!

>46 MickyFine: It sure is. I always assumed my tea at home was less superior than the tea shops I loved in New Zealand because I wasn't steeping correctly, but turns out tea bags are full of the rejects of the tea world. I've still not mastered to perfect cup, but it's soooooooo much better.

>47 PawsforThought: The one I got is by Fred. I will most likely upgrade to the metal one but I'm trying (and failing) to keep costs down until I know this isn't a fluke tea obsession month. ;)



>48 PawsforThought: I almost bought the manaTEA as well. The only thing that stopped me, because I seriously love manatees, is that I don't love the ones that rest on the cup rim. Mr. Tea has to hang by one arm to get completely submerged so I hope the Deep Tea Diver is more to my liking.

>49 beserene: That sounds EXACTLY like me. It's how my LT wishlist got to be over 1000 books. I'd go looking for one thing, find a million more, and just pop them on the wishlist for future purchase. But I do also buy copies of books I already own because I like the edition they are presented in which is nuts but so lovely.

>51 leahbird: You don't want to know what my Amazon and Bookdepository wishlist look like. Or my browser bookmarks.

Does anyone have any books published by Gollancz? They have some SERIOUSLY lovely covers of Terry Prachett's books and I'm thinking of taking the plunge into Discworld. I've just never seen one of their books in person so I don't know about quality. I've been burned in the recent past by falling for a cover and then finding the book itself was very poorly put together.

And, yes, this is another research experience gone wrong. I just wanted to get a copy of The Sleeper and the Spindle that @tapestry100 recommended and then went to price check on Book Depo and then saw prettiness in the corner and then fell down the rabbit hole and am going to spend way too much money. Damnit.

So, I bought

The Sleeper and the Spindle for myself and a friend
Good Omens because it's beautiful
The Colour of Magic
Equal Rights
and Mort

And then I popped over to Amazon and bought The Inimitable Jeeves and Carry On, Jeeves, so if anyone wants to read Wodehouse with me I'm prepared.

Yaaaaay Discworld! Don't give up if you don't like The Colour of Magic, because you might like the later books better.

Yes, I agree with Nora about Discworld -- yay! And don't give up, it is delightful.

Those all sound like excellent, necessary purchases to me. :)

>56 norabelle414: I remembered our previous conversation about Discworld and looked for the Tiffany Aching books in this edition but unfortunately the rights to all the later books are held by another publisher so they aren't available in this lovely format. There is speculation that Transworld might release the rest of the books to match this set so I'm holding out hope. I hate mismatched series editions.

But I figured I'd go ahead and get the first book in a couple of the story arcs to get a well rounded appreciation for the whole of Discworld. I'm forewarned that The Colour of Magic and Equal Rights aren't the strongest of the series, but I can't bring myself to skip ahead.

>57 beserene: You're just encouraging me so you can justify your own shopping spree, but I'm going to pretend that it's completely sound advice from someone with more willpower than myself. ;)

I mean, look how pretty these covers are! I'm already obsessed and I haven't even read the damn Discworld books yet.

Equal Rites is one of my faves.

Oh good. Word on the net was that it wasn't a great intro to the Witches, but I put more stock in your opinion than the net so I'm more excited about it now.

>61 leahbird: I mean maybe it's less good than some of the other Witches books, but still it's feministy and amazing.

What Nora said.

Also, I'd already gone on my own spree. So there. :p

I am not at all sure what that proves, actually, except that I shop a lot. And am an enabler. :D

I love the manaTEA!

I'm desperate to get my friend (who has adopted a pug) this, but she doesn't drink loose leaf tea:



PUG IN A MUG!!!!!!!!!!!!

I, uh, bought some more tea. Because, um... Surely there is a good explanation here.

And since I'm being totally honest, I'm currently looking at a French Pres. As cute as the Deep Tea Diver is, and it really is, I don't love it in practical use. Which is a huge bummer. It holds less tea than I'd like, it doesn't seem to steep as well as Mr. Tea, and it's quite hard to get all the used tea leaves out of.

I came here hoping you had bought more tea stuff and I was not disappointed :-)

I have a few cutesy tea infusers, but I don't use them very often for all the reasons you mentioned. I usually use my plain metal ball, or my new fill-it-yourself tea sachets, or more often one of my teapots with a built-in infuser (I only have two! Don't get any ideas about me.) I highly highly recommend the glass pots with built-in infusers. They're very inexpensive. I have the large one from IKEA that I posted on my thread last week, and I also have a small one from World Market like this:

I have been looking at that one from World Market, it's the Bodum one right? The only thing holding me back is the size. I really just want to make one mug at a time. That one holds up to 1L doesn't it? I just think that might be too big for what I need. I've been looking at the Bodum 12 oz presses and am leaning in that direction. But now I'm doing research on a good kettle and, what do you know, the one I love is Le Crueset and $65 ON SALE.

>65 leahbird: I'm not really surprised by the issues you have with the deep tea diver. Novelty tea infusers are often problematic. I stick to regular infusers of the "ball on forceps" variety". From IKEA, so dirt cheap but works well. Had mine (I have several) for years and years.
I'm planning on getting a French press, too. My best friend uses one when she makes tea and it works great, and you can use it for coffee too (though you might want to wash it more carefully before and after to make sure you don't contaminate the flavours).
Haven't found one I love yet, though. Please post pictures when you find yours.

>67 leahbird: Ouch! That's certainly not cheap (but then Le Creuset isn't known for being cheap, so...)
Are you getting a stove-top kettle? Or an electric one? I know a lot of people like "charm" of stove top ones what with the whistling and all, but I personally can't stand them - they're so loud. Electric all the way, and they're so fast, too!
My dream kettle is a De'Longhi, which isn't cheap either, but when I get a better paying job that's going to be my present to myself!

I am a slave to Le Creuset. It's so irrational to love pots and pans because they are pretty but I can't help myself. Thank god they are wonderfully made and extremely functional because I don't think I could talk myself out of loving them even if they were crappy. I love Staub too.

I'm looking at a stove top. I had an electric kettle but must have sent it off to charity since I can't find it anywhere. I had looked at replacing it because it was very convenient, but I can't find a decently priced electric one that doesn't have so much plastic in it. If I'm going to drop decent money, I'd rather have a kettle that I don't have to worry about plastic or the heating elements going bad.

>67 leahbird: No, that one from World Market is the "glass infuser teapot" and it is pretty small. The description online says the total volume is 23oz but that's if you fill it allllll the way to the brim, and includes the volume of the tea. For me it makes about a mug and a quarter.

I do notice that the Bodum sets are on sale at World Market at the moment. That's clearly a sign!
I also got my water kettle from World Market, the $15 enamel tea kettle, and I love love love it.

>70 leahbird: It's not irrational! It's natural for humans to be drawn to pretty things. And why shouldn't we be? I'd much rather have a life full of pretty things that I love (and that are maybe a bit more expensive than others) than one full of boring and ugly things that I don't like. Always go for pretty (as long as it works well, of course!)
Neither Le Creuset nor Staub are "my style" but I can understand why people are drawn to them.

Oh, I've just discovered that Bodum has a gold/brass French press. My poor heart can't take the prettiness! I am SO going to lose this battle with myself. We wants the precious!

We have David's Tea in Canada and I love their single mug infuser

Leah, you inspired me to go to World Market and buy a ton of tea paraphernalia today. Thanks for that.

>73 MickyFine: I got a tea sample from @Jenni_Canuck in my LT Holiday Card Swap so I've been checking them out. They have a lot of strange but intriguing blends. Although, I can definitely say, the ones with candy in them are certainly not for me.

I almost bought a very similar mug infuser but I like to use my leaves for a second up, typically hours later in the day, and these just seemed like they would be messy for that. But very handy otherwise.

>74 norabelle414: BWHAHAHA! My plan is working! Now, I need a list of purchases and your first impressions on their usefulness.

I went ahead and ordered the small 12 oz Bodum press since it wasn't a bad price. I think it will end up being my favorite for the morning when I'm in a hurry to get tea in mug and out the door. I'm most likely going by World Market tomorrow on my way home from visiting the godkids to pick up more goodies: possibly a kettle, certainly some tins, and maybe one of the little infuser pots you recommended. But World Market is dangerous at the best of times so I'm scared what damage I will do now.

>75 leahbird: ALL the tea stuff is on special at World Market right now. I got 2 tins for holding tea (though I'm considering going back to get more), another one of the small infuser pots to give to my dad, a bag of loose wulong tea, a glass jar of some fancy pants organic black tea that came with its own scoop, some more tea sachets, a mug with a mustache on it, two bags of coffee (the real reason I went to World Market in the first place), and fropifrutti candy, and soap, and earrings, and some candy and cookies from the clearance section.

They also have a bunch of new rolling carts. Including one that matches the two I already have, but it has wooden drawers instead of shelves. *drool*

So you're basically saying I REALLY shouldn't go.

No it is urgent that you go to World Market. I will be going back tomorrow.

>76 norabelle414: I got one of their rolling carts for Christmas. I've always wanted one and now that I have one I'm not sure what to do with it. They are so cute though!

All this tea talk is making me reassess my tea related items. Clearly I do not have enough gadgets. I did get a very cute tea box for Christmas which made things look much more organized in my kitchen versus all the various boxes I used to have lying around. It's baby steps...

>79 rosylibrarian: I keep things I am working on in my cart, like whatever books I'm reading and my knitting projects and mail that needs to be sorted, etc. and I drag it around my apartment depending on where I am going to work (couch, bedroom chair, dining room table, etc). And Rory likes to hang out on the bottom shelf, but not while the cart is moving. I also find it very handy for moving things from room to room to put them away.

You should go to the tea gadgets section of World Market too. And buy one of everything.

>79 rosylibrarian: Clearly I do not have enough gadgets.
There's no such thing when it comes to tea.

Well, crap. I'm going to World Market on Sunday... the tea sale will probably be over by then.

I guess I will just have to change my plans. Because you really cannot have too much tea stuff. :)

>82 beserene: I don't know how much of it is actually on sale; most of the tea stuff is just being featured (new items, special displays, etc.) since it is tea-drinking season.

Ah. Good distinction. That might actually save me from myself. :D

I hardly ever make it to World Market any more. I don't make it into Knoxville very much.

I don't either Lori. I was supposed to go this evening, but I was supposed to be on my way back from Chattanooga and it was reasonably on my way. Since I didn't end up going to Chattanooga, I never made it up there. But I'm making myself go after work tomorrow. I could talk myself out of it until my favorite bamboo plastic tupperware bowl cracked in the microwave tonight. That I really can't abide, so I've got to go to World Market for a replacement. And tea stuff while I'm there. And a wire fruit basket. And maybe some other cute things I saw on the website... Don't want to have to go back any time soon, now do I?

>72 PawsforThought: World Market has that brass French Press on sale! http://www.worldmarket.com/product/bodum+chambord+copper+8-cup+french+press+coff...

Can you get World Market sent to where you live?

>87 leahbird: That's copper, not brass!

Ahh, yes. Too bad I couldn't read last night. ;)

There was a request to share a picture of the new man in my life, so I'm obliging. Here ya go @cbl_tn!

His name is officially Pepper but we were calling him Pup while we decided on a name and I'm afraid Pup might have stuck. Really, he is my dad's dog, but as always happens, I've totally stolen him. He is a 10 week old Blue Australian Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler).

>89 leahbird: Yes, you got me all excited! :P But thanks for letting me know anyway.

>90 leahbird: Awww! I love when people post pictures of their pets. So cute! I love his coloring.

>90 leahbird: Awww

Oh, adorable!!

>90 leahbird: How sweet! It looks like he and the monkey are already inseparable.

Adorable dog, Leah. And I say that as a cat person. :P

I come over for all the Wodehouse talk, and end up staying for the tea! Such I lovely time I'm having on your thread! I've quite a few tea pots and strainers, but keep coming back to this one:

I find it's perfect for making one mug of tea and is very easy to clean. I use a tea ball for my big teapots.

Dropping a star and hope to swing back through soon!

>97 michigantrumpet: That's the kind I use, too. It's simple, effective, easy to clean and dirt cheap.

92-96 Thanks, we love him already! Although, he came with a tummy full of worms and the new (much better) food he's getting at my parents house means that we've been dealing with some exploding puppy butt issues.
He's finally getting back to normal so hopefully true house training can begin again. We will all be so grateful.

>97 michigantrumpet: and >98 PawsforThought: I bought one of those at World Market yesterday. Because I have no self control. I also bought a blue kettle, two sampler tins of tea, 3 tea tins for storing the loose tea samples I ordered elsewhere, some flowering tea balls, a cute little Dutch tin with caramel wafer cookies in it mostly because I wanted the tin, two bamboo plastic bowls to replace the one the cracked, and assorted food items.

I was thwarted in the purchase of the little infuser pot Nora recommended and the Republic of Tea Downton Abbey teas I wanted to get for my mom because I happened to go on a day that the store was being restocked and most things were still in packing crates in the back. I was not pleased. How dare they have a ramshackle tea section on the day I specifically wanted to give them all my money?

I was somewhat mollified when I got home to find my French Press had been delivered (I LOVE IT!) as well as some other tea samples (I promise these are the last ones for a while) and the Weck jars I ordered to make my own Cup-o-Noodles in!

I am now officially on a spending freeze. I mean, I'm still waiting on 8 books to come in.... but that totally doesn't count since I paid for them like a whole week ago. Right?

>99 leahbird: Sounds like you had a tea splurge. I like tea, but I prefer coffee. I had some very good jasmine tea while I was in Raleigh.

>99 leahbird: I want pictures. Now, please.

>100 thornton37814: This whole year has been a tea splurge. It's out of control. I can't drink coffee anymore because it just tears my stomach to pieces. I used to be a total coffee hound though.

>101 PawsforThought: When I get home I'll try to get a good picture for you. ;)

Ok, here is my shame.



I was brewing tea (Lady Grey) in the French Press while I was taking pictures which is why the plunger is up. (Also, the FP did not photograph well in the kitchen light with the other things around it, so I'll try to get a better picture of it in action next cup I make, just for your Paws.) Those three tins next to the mugs are the ones I got at World Market and they house the 6 white sample packets there in the front. The round tins with the gold lids are 4 mini tins stacked on top of each other. My beautiful sugar is in the glass jar with the wood lid and the little white tin is the one that came with the caramel wafer cookies (which I'm currently eating with my tea). Not pictured is the cute owl tea pot, mug, and tea bag dispenser that I only just today remembered my sister bought me LAST Christmas, the mug my soon-to-be SIL gave me and the Mr. Tea my sister gave me THIS Christmas, since they are all in the wash.

And I am not buying anything else for the rest of the year. Or at least until February. Late January at the extreme earliest.

ETA: Here's a picture when the FP was empty where you can actually see it. It makes ones perfectly size cup and is glorious.

I have a hard time resisting tea things too. We need to meet for tea sometime!

That would be lovely Carrie! I don't know all the hip tea spots anymore so you may have to recommend somewhere. I'll check my schedule and see if we can make it happen. We should get Lori to come down too!

Hi, Leah! I'm Kirsten, just making the 75ers rounds a few folks at a time, dropping stars along the way. Love the idea of the Jack Dann game - here are a few of mine :)
What We See When We Read Peter Mendelsund
The Crimson Petal and the White Michel Faber
Land of Love and Drowning Tiphanie Yanique
Two Boys Kissing David Levithan
The Cuckoo's Calling Robert Galbraith

>103 leahbird: Ooooh! I spy a Twinings Lady Grey tin. That's my dream tea tin (but the colour/type of tea is unimportant). Have proven difficult to find empty ones in prime condition online.

Lots of lovely stuff. The round tins next to the mugs are SO pretty, and if I could deal with round tins I'd get them for myself in a heartbeat.

>105 leahbird: Have you ever been to The Wild Plum Tea Room in Gatlinburg? I haven't, but it looks really interesting. It's closed until March, but it could be a Spring Break adventure. There's also The Paris Apartment Boutique & Tea Room in Western Plaza. I haven't been there either. Western Plaza isn't quite as exciting as Gatlinburg, but it's fairly close to McKay's.

Ooooh, tea! And I love the peacock cup!

>106 kgriffith: Hi Kristen! Great entries in the Jack Dann game!

>107 PawsforThought: I saw you were looking for them in the Tea Group and was going to offer to send you mine but they are the 100g and you wanted 200g, correct? I'll probably go through these at a fair rate if you want the smaller ones.

>108 cbl_tn: Both of those sound good, the first for awesomeness and the second for tea AND books!

>109 scaifea: The peacock is my favorite right now!

I came to Chattanooga to do Christmas (finally) with the godkids and look what I got! They know me so well! (Or stalk me on Facebook to keep track of what I'm into at the moment.)



I was totally looking at this the other day and didn't take the plunge. See, self restraint comes with rewards!

I have a book review to post as well, but it will have to wait for later.

>110 leahbird: Oh, that's so kind of you. I was originally only looking for 200 g ones but realized fairly early on that 100 g would be perfect for the teas I drink less often.
But I'm really strict about not revealing personal info about myself online (only two people on this site even know my real name) so I feel a bit iffy about giving anything away. Nothing personal, I've just had issues with being contacted by people I'd rather not be anywhere near and a recent home invasion didn't help either...

>111 leahbird: Oh, and the tea journal is very cute. I can't justify buying it for myself but I do have a tea-crazy friend who has a birthday coming up and I'm yet to buy his present.

>112 PawsforThought: I understand. I used to be wary online and didn't give out even my first name, but I've "met" so many people online in the past few years that I have developed close relationships with so I've been more forthcoming with some.

You could see if there is a drop site I could mail to. I'd only need your last name and town.

Leah, My brother's family got me some tea from a shop over in Waynesville, NC that was apparently in the square area -- at least I think that is what they said. It's supposed to be pretty good. When Jeff and I were meeting for lunch in Winston-Salem, we went into a tea shop in the same shopping center that was wonderful. I haven't been to the one in Waynesville yet, but perhaps I'll make it there so I can see if the one that is actually halfway close to us is as good.

Sounds like a great plan Lori!

1. The Glass Magician by Charlie Holmberg


Description: Three months after returning Magician Emery Thane’s heart to his body, Ceony Twill is well on her way to becoming a Folder. Unfortunately, not all of Ceony’s thoughts have been focused on paper magic. Though she was promised romance by a fortuity box, Ceony still hasn’t broken the teacher-student barrier with Emery, despite their growing closeness.*

When a magician with a penchant for revenge believes that Ceony possesses a secret, he vows to discover it…even if it tears apart the very fabric of their magical world. After a series of attacks target Ceony and catch those she holds most dear in the crossfire, Ceony knows she must find the true limits of her powers…and keep her knowledge from falling into wayward hands.

The delightful sequel to Charlie N. Holmberg’s The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician will charm readers young and old alike.

*Minor spoiler for the first book contained in this description but I went ahead and hid it for those, like myself, who are sensitive to that sort of thing.

Thoughts: It took me longer than I would have thought to get around to reading this follow up to The Paper Magician. I think I was afraid that all the flaws I found in that book would be repeated here and that all that I loved about the first one wouldn't be enough to overcome my disappointment. Luckily, that was not the case. Many of the issues of pacing from The Paper Magician were overcome and the relationships are unfolding at a much more acceptable and believable pace.

That doesn't mean this one was perfect. I mean, what is? There were a few elements that felt a bit more implausible than anything else in a book about magic should feel, but they were mostly the kinds of things you find a the majority of books about someone with special abilities; namely that they always know more than is reasonable for them to know and they always manage to do things that no one else has ever done before. But, I read fantasy enough that these things just make me twitch and then I move on.

I thoroughly enjoyed the direction this series has gone in even if some of the developments left me quite sad. It was no where near as unique as The Paper Magician but it was an admirable continuation. If it had tried to be too much like the previous book it probably would have just made that one feel cheaper.

I'm greatly looking forward to The Master Magician, which is due out in June. Also, apparently these are out in paperback format now, I somehow missed that. No hardbacks which is disappointing, but I'll probably buy the paperbacks even though I don't care for that format at all.

Rating: 3.75

Liked: 4
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 4
Writing: 4
Auden scale: 3

I never bothered to put my reviews from my threads into the Review box on the book page. It never bothered me until now, when I keep wanting to look at a particular review and have to go hunting for it, so I decided to fix the problem. This has meant going back through my old threads. My in-thread reviews from pre-2012 are not worth saving, but as soon as I joined the 75ers that year, things got all neat and organized.

There has been the added bonus of rereading old threads. It's proved to be quite a lot of fun! I highly recommend it sometime you find yourself with nothing to do.

WARNING: Do not attempt to reread old threads if you do in fact have something you need to do. It's a black hole!

Oh yes. Completely a black hole. Days and days of black hole.

2. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (read by Neil Gaiman)


Description: Young Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria—even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that old stone wall, Tristran learns, lies Faerie—where nothing, not even a fallen star, is what he imagined.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman comes a remarkable quest into the dark and miraculous—in pursuit of love and the utterly impossible.

Thoughts: I saw the movie based on this book when it came out several years ago but I barely remember it, not even enough that, upon listening to this audiobook, I can say whether it is fairly true to the source material. I'm also surprised that it's taken me so long to get around to reading this lovely story from one of my favorite authors.

Everything about this was charming. The explanation of how Wall and Faerie fit into our world, how the ordinary and the extraordinary mingle so effortlessly and then go about their business ignoring the other, the genuinely likeable as well as the insidious characters, the multiple political layers and groups that aren't allowed to overshadow the heart of the story. I found it all so enjoyable. Wish we'd gotten more than just a glimpse of the years after the Market at Wall, but I guess we can't get everything we want.

And Neil Gaiman reading his own work was wonderful. His voice is so nice anyway and here you can tell his love for the story makes the reading of it that much more exciting and pleasurable.

Rating: 4.14

Liked: 4
Plot: 4
Characterization: 4.5
Writing: 4.5
Auden scale: 3
Audio: 5

>121 leahbird: That review is precisely how I remember the story. You captured the charm so well that I may need to revisit it but in audio this time :)

I spent over two hours in Barnes & Noble yesterday trying to spend $35 in gift cards. Why is it so hard for me to buy books in book stores anymore? I can't seem to make my head work and make any kind of decision. I guess I've just gotten so used to thinking of a book and searching for it and perhaps being inspired by that book on to others instead of browsing. I finally settled on Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire, which I was loving when I started in last year but didn't get it finished before the loan expired, and Queen Victoria's Book of Spells edited by Ellen Datlow and Terry Windling, which is an anthology of Gaslamp Fantasy with stories by Gregory Maguire, Catherynne M. Valente, Jane Yolen, Tanith Lee, Theodora Goss, and many others. Of course, I now see Queen Victoria's Book of Spells in hardcover on Amazon and wish I had it instead of the paperback that I bought.

I'm the same, I was trying to add a single book to my amazon order to get free delivery but it took me forever to decide. I don't think I'd be able to buy a book brand new in a proper bookshop now because I'd be too aware I could get it cheaper second-hand, online or on my Kindle. I guess I like to get the most for my money. As we don't have any independent bookshops near me, it's not as if I can even feel justified in the expense because I'm supporting one.

>123 leahbird: I have this same dilemma. I got a $50 gift card to B&N and I can't for the life of me figure out what to buy. I will put something in the cart and go, hmmm, well I could just get that at the library or it's probably on Overdrive... I'll probably end up buying a candle, ha ha!

*coughcough*

>124 lunacat: There is an indie bookstore here in town that I'd like to support more, but she sells mostly secondhand and apparently no one in this town reads, or reads and then discards, the books I want! I'd love to believe it was the latter but I'm quite sure it's the former. She has ordered a few things for me in the past but they cost so much and take so long to get here when the temptation of Amazon pricing, availability, and 2 day shipping is right there in front of me. I used to feel worse about it, but that's hard to do these days. My soul is corrupted.

>125 rosylibrarian: I seriously considered just buying a bunch of Harney & Sons tea since they had so many varieties. Fortunately for my book buying, they only had sachets instead of loose leaf so I was forced back across the aisle to look at books again.

>126 norabelle414: I was typing about almost buying tea while you were dropping your nicely subtle hints! Great minds.

>127 leahbird: Harney & Sons tins are SO PRETTY! Have never tried drinking their stuff so no idea if it's good or not.

Speaking of tea... If I may be so bold as to highjack Leah's thread a little does any one of you, my dear fellow tea lovers, have a good recipe for chai if one wanted to make one's own mix? I've only bought the instant variety (sacrilege, I'm sure) but the closest place to get it is AGES away and it's really expensive.

Harney & Sons tins really are quite beautiful. I was excited to try their tea but was thwarted by the sachets. I'd just order some but I've put myself on a strict no-buying-anything-for-at-least-a-week plan, and no more tea until at least the end of the month.

But after that, I think some Harney & Sons tins will look lovely on my tea shelf. ;)

Oh, an hijack away. I don't like chai but I know several others around here do so hopefully they can hook you up.

>130 leahbird: Ooh, are you sure you can make it two weeks without tea shopping?
I really need to top up my tea cabinet. It's depressing at the moment.

This thread is making me want to go make a "spot of tea."

I can't wait to get home from work and make a nice strong cup!

And just because I'm not actually spending money on tea doesn't mean I'm not "tea shopping." My unpurchased carts are just getting bigger and bigger in the interim. ;)

Like Like Like!

I try not to ask people around here to shell out money for something, but I need this to happen so badly that I'm shameless right now. Please Please Please check out the Kickstarter page for What We Do in the Shadows and pledge any amount you are willing. I've wanted to see this film since I first started hearing about it probably 2 years ago and it might finally make it to the states! I really really love Jemaine and Taika, love New Zealand humor, love mockmentaries, love everything related to this in so many ways. I NEED this movie to come out near me.

And if you are one of the lucky people in the rest of the world who might already have access to this, go see it and think of me. I will be over here stewing in pure jealousy.

Boy, I wish I a problem buying books in book shops. Because that never happens to me. And I'm pretty sure that Tomm wishes I had that problem, too. Ha!

I love all the loose tea strainer discussion - with great images - happening here! I haven't quite gone full into loose teas but I do have a tea ball and occasionally stop in a local tea shop, Special Teas .... the smell in the shop is absolutely heavenly.

We use an electric kettle which gets a lot of use as we use a french press when we brew coffee. My folks has a stove top kettle and you can definitely hear that whistle anywhere in the house when the water comes to a boil!

>73 MickyFine: - I do like that!

>90 leahbird: - Awe, he is so darn cute!

>117 leahbird: & >121 leahbird: - Great reviews!

Whew.... I am now all caught up. Happy weekend, Leah!

>138 lkernagh: I'm happy to be hosting the Tea Talk. It gives me lots of new things to want to buy. ;)

My Discworld books from Gollancz (via Book Depo) have finally arrived and they are LOVELY in person. I'm so happy with them. They are cloth textured paper on board with foil accents in the cover images. I just want to pet them all.

They were so pretty that I instantly started The Colour of Magic last night and brought it to work with me today (because Sundays are the slowest days ever).

It's pretty glorious outside today. I'm stuck at work now but I didn't have to come in until 4 so I ran some errands and then went to the park. I sat in the car and read more of The Colour of Magic and let the wind blow through the windows and the sun shine on me. Lovely.

I do have a question for Discworld readers: was The Colour of Magic written in novel format or was it originally published some other way first? I only ask because there are no chapters, just large chunks of narrative broken up into seemingly different tales. It reads almost like a serial. It's not an issue really but it's making finding stopping points a little tricky.

It was a beautiful day to be out, wasn't it? I work the evening shift today so I was out a good bit of the afternoon. I had to go to Fort Sanders for my weekly allergy shots. There were lots of pedestrians taking advantage of the excellent weather.

Well, I just got an unexpected promotion, which comes with slightly better pay and more hours. The only negative is that I'll be working in the Knoxville store so hello 45 min commutes again. I guess I'll get a lot more audiobook listening time.

>142 leahbird: I don't envy you the commute, but congrats on the promotion.

Thank you. I'm excited.

I finally got through my project of getting reviews into the reviews field today. Now I just need to finish moving my wishlist books over to my wishlist account and I'll feel much better about the state of my LT.

Oh, wait, I lied. I've also got to go through all my books and add the new ones I've forgotten to add since Christmas and identify the ones that somehow slipped through the cracks. I've noticed at least 3 in the past few weeks and I'm worried there are more. But THEN all will be well.

Until I buy more books.

Oh, congrats on the promotion!!

>144 leahbird: I'm really bad about not adding e-books as I download them. I need to do that. I also got an ER book in the mail yesterday that I haven't added yet. Hopefully I'll remember to do so tonight. I'm just pretty distracted at the moment because Jeff's mom is heading to surgery in a few minutes.

Today, my best friend Lisa became a naturalized American citizen. It's been a long and often bumpy process but we're all thrilled that she's officially one of us and never has to worry about her status again. It was a beautiful and emotional moment when she took her oath.

If you ever have the chance to go to a citizenship ceremony, I highly recommended it. The very palpable joy for these new citizens is truly awesome and very special.

>146 thornton37814: Lori, I hope all is well with Jeff's mother and that your worry burden is getting a bit lighter.

>147 leahbird: I've been to two, about 4 months apart. The one in Knoxville for a long-time colleague was just as you described. It was one of the happiest occasions ever. The one in Texas for my sister-in-law was a happy occasion for us, but the presiding judge was so negative about the US that by the time he finished talking It seemed like there should be a line forming for those who wanted to leave the US.

How is it almost the end of January, I'm only now making my way around the threads? (I hang my head in shame...)

>59 leahbird: WHERE DID YOU GET THE BEAUTIFUL EDITIONS? Those covers are GORGEOUS.

I got the Gollancz editions from Book Depository for really decent prices. They are quite as lovely in person, so you should totally buy them! ;) They even have bound bookmarks. My ONLY complaint is that the spines are very firm and I'm having to work the book open slowly and deliberately, but that's a small thing.

>151 leahbird: Oh dear. Those are decent prices... I think I see some Pratchett in my future!

>151 leahbird: Gah, they've got Mort in that edition for £7.99. I want. I don't need, but I want.

The only downside is that this lovely edition stops at Jingo. The rights for the rest of the books are held by another publisher so there is no guarantee that any of them will be available in a similar edition. I'm holding out hope that since this collection was done in collaboration with Sir Terry he might have the pull to encourage the other publisher to complete the set. Because I will need them. I'm not even through the first book yet and I'm already pretty sure I need them all.

>152 tapestry100: And be warned: they are even lovelier than they look here because the highlight colors are done in foil and catch the light so nicely. On The Colour of Magic it makes the fire look a bit flickery and the dragon kind of glistening. Very nicely done.

I'm considering slowly purchasing them, starting with the Death books as they're my favourites. Maybe I'll do one a month this year. Or maybe I'll splurge. Decisions decisions decisions. What with wanting these, and wanting my own copy of Saga, the GN I've just fallen in love with, and I might be quite poor by the end of January if my willpower falters.

Saga, Vol 1 is my favorite GN in a LONG time. It was spectacular. I've been less enamored with the subsequent ones, but I'm not giving up on it any time soon. I just saw the first hardcover deluxe edition in the bookstore the other day and was VERY tempted by it. It's lovely.

Saga is spectacular. I have all four volumes published so far. Vol 4 is the first book in years that I've bought without having read at least part of it beforehand.

>148 leahbird: She made it through the surgery fine, but she had a little bit of a problem in recovery with one of the medicines. They adjusted it. She had a rough day yesterday, but she seemed to be better today.

>154 leahbird: That post sent me into the Nervous Twitches. No guarantee that they'll complete the set?! Horrifying.

I know, it's pretty terrifying and tragic. I'm lying to myself enough to think it'll happen.

Is it February yet? I need to buy tea. I have about one cup of Lady Grey and Mango Ceylon left and both are necessary for life now. The Mango Ceylon is one of the sample tins I bought and I've been drinking it more than all of the others this week. So good.

>162 leahbird: Only a week left now!

3. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett


Description: The beginning of the hilarious and irreverent series that has more than 80 million copies worldwide, The Color of Magic is where we meet tourist Twoflower and wizard guide Rincewind, and follow them on their always-bizarre journeys.

A writer who has been compared to Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, and Douglas Adams, Sir Terry Pratchett has created a complex, yet zany world filled with a host of unforgettable characters who navigate around a profound fantasy universe, complete with its own set of cultures and rules.

Thoughts: I have been wanting to read Discworld for several years and just never could manage to take the plunge. I was sure I would love it but it's SO MANY books. I'm not disappointed now that I've finally started and look forward to many hours of happy exploring.

I was warned (here and on many blogs across the net) that The Colour of Magic was not a very strong example of the Discworld books. It is stressed in many many places that reading the books in chronological order, starting with this one, isn't really recommended. So I was nervous.

Now I'm just thrilled that the books in my future must be really stupendous because I really quite enjoyed this weird story of Rincewind and Twoflower. It wasn't perfect, for sure. It started a little too abruptly and jumped forward a bit too much going into the last section. There were episodes that I would have liked to play out a little more in depth. But it's just so cool. Weird and funny and creative. This probably won't prove to be my favorite installment if everyone is to be believed but I am really happy that this is where I started. Can't wait to read more.

Rating: 3.67

Liked: 4
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 4
Writing: 3.5
Auden scale: 3

Since I didn't think I was going to be reading these in chronological order, I, without realizing it, bought books 1, 3, and 4. But now feel like that might be what works for me, so I've already queued up book 2, The Light Fantastic, on the Kindle to start reading when I get home tonight. I'll have to place another big Book Depository order soon to grow my Discworld Collection.

>164 leahbird: I've never really understood people saying that TCoM isn't a strong example as I love it. Maybe it's because I determinedly read them in chronological order but it's a favourite of mine.

Now you've inspired me to reread some of my favourite Discworlds. I'm weirdly envious of you getting to read them all for the first time. Everyone had their favourite ones and for me, the Death books are in a league of their own, but others love the Gods, the Witches or the CityWatch. Whichever end up being your chosen ones, you are in for such a treat.

I have a feeling that I will like the Death books. I liked the character of Death in this one and I always loved Death's scenes in Good Omens. It's pretty clear that, while Gaiman and Pratchett have both written about a character who is Death, that Pratchett's vision won out there, although that Death is a bit darker than the Discworld Death so far.

But I'm also really excited about the Witches since those books have high praise from many sources.

For the record, I am quite enjoying reading the Discworld books in order.

The Colour of Magic is one of my favorites, but it wasn't my favorite until I went back and re-read it after having read several other books in the series. It's a good book, just not a very good introduction to the series, IMO.

I gave up on The Colour of Magic because I couldn't get into it. Just didn't resonate with it. I did find it funny but had to give it up in the end. Hopefully I'll read some other Discworld books at some point and get sucked in that way. I really hope so.

>166 leahbird: I've never enjoyed the Witch books as much as the others, but that's the joy of Pratchett's books, there are so many and each category has its own fans. I'm thoroughly psyched to embark on a reread now, and I think I might buy the Gollancz editions, one a month till I run out of those published in HB as those editions.

>167 norabelle414: One of the blogs that I read about reading order said a similar thing. He hadn't read them in order to begin with, finding The Colour of Magic a little underwhelming. He then decided to reread the entire series in one year, this time in order. On that reading, he found many things that endeared him to some books he had thought of as weaker originally.

And then he went and recommended some other reading order altogether and confused his point. I think I'm going to stick with chronological order until I've at least read one from each main series and then, if I feel like it, allowing myself to run off on series tangents. Mostly because I don't know if I can make it through 29 more books before reading the ever popular Tiffany Aching.

>169 lunacat: Yeah, it's nice that there's a little bit of so many different things.

4. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (read by Carolyn McCormick)


Description: Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide, the third expedition in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In Annihilation, the first volume of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition.

The group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain, record all observations of their surroundings and of one anotioner, and, above all, avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.

They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers—they discover a massive topographic anomaly and life forms that surpass understanding—but it’s the surprises that came across the border with them and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another that change everything.

Thoughts: I really don't know how I feel about this book. I had imagined it would have a similar feel to Wool, which I loved, and maybe my comparisons of the two made me enjoy this one less. It does have a similar slow, deliberate unveiling quality but somehow Annihilation feels more vague and therefore less substantial somehow.

I also felt that it wandered a bit in it's language, was too flowery and descriptive in some places, which seems hard to accomplish in such a slim volume. It gives the impression of misdirection, probably intentional given the nature of the story. You get all this detail about some things and end up with no good answers about what is actually going on.

For me, it also had an element of horror, in the feeling of being watched and in the little we are told about what is happening, but all the scary stuff is off the page, only seen in the aftermath or from a feeling of scientific detachment.

And I still just have no idea what is really happening. I have theories. I have things I'd like to be right about. But I just don't know. It's so weird.

I do think, however, that I should have read this rather than listened to it. First because there are some passages that contain one of the expeditions main findings that I feel needed more scrutiny from my via the printed word. I think I missed a lot of possible foreshadowing in not having those words in front of me. And secondly because Carolyn McCormick was not a good narrator for this. Her voice is fine but it felt like a reading at a library almost, not a personal account of what happened to The Biologist. A more impressive reader probably would have made this easier to follow, but here it was just off somehow.

I'm still intrigued enough that I went straight into listening to Authority, which is luckily narrated by someone else, but if this volume isn't clearer somehow I don't know if I can stick it out.

Rating: 3

Liked: 3
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 2.5
Writing: 3
Auden scale: 3
Audio: 3

>170 leahbird: All this talk is making me want to reread Discworld... I don't think I've ever actually read the series in chronological order, I've just dipped in. Some bits I've read several times (the witches and especially Tiffany Aching are my absolute favorites) and others I'm not sure I actually bothered to read (I think there is a copy of The Last Continent around here that I never even cracked). Sometimes when you swim in that series, you feel like you are soaking up the characters by osmosis.

But hey, let's just add that to my reread list, which is already swelling. I've just finished rereading Mary Robinette Kowal's Glamourist Histories as far as it goes, am in the midst of rereading the complete Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series so I can get to the last few that I hadn't read previously, and I want to reread the Temeraire series to get to the last one that I own but haven't read... so why not a 30+ book series to go with that?

Let the giggling insanity commence!

Do IT! I reread Amelia Peabody once, start to finish. It's only 19 books but it felt like it went by in a flash.

You're an enabler. I knew I liked you. :D

I totally am. Unfortunately, so are all the people I work with. And everyone here. Basically, I should just start ripping up my paychecks when I first get them.

5. Authority by Jeff VanderMeer (read by Bronson Pinchot)


Description: After thirty years, the only human engagement with Area X—a seemingly malevolent landscape surrounded by an invisible border and mysteriously wiped clean of all signs of civilization—has been a series of expeditions overseen by a government agency so secret it has almost been forgotten: the Southern Reach. Following the tumultuous twelfth expedition chronicled in Annihilation, the agency is in complete disarray.

John Rodrigues (aka "Control") is the Southern Reach's newly appointed head. Working with a distrustful but desperate team, a series of frustrating interrogations, a cache of hidden notes, and hours of profoundly troubling video footage, Control begins to penetrate the secrets of Area X. But with each discovery he must confront disturbing truths about himself and the agency he's pledged to serve.

In Authority, the second volume of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, Area X's most disturbing questions are answered . . . but the answers are far from reassuring.

Thoughts: I was so confused by the vague eeriness of Annihilation that I was really unsure whether I should continue listening to this trilogy. But, I had them all in an audio omnibus and I had SO MANY QUESTIONS that I just kept going.

And I'm still unclear about how I feel. There is something very interesting and weird and creepy going on here but either it's genuinely too vague to be good or I'm not smart enough to get it. The bits that actually drive the story and the mystery forward are great but there is all this static mixed in, made up of personal background that may or may not be important, misdirection that just confuses me, and some jumping around the timeline that is meant to ramp up tension but seems to just be leaving me lost.

Some of the big reveals in this installment I had pretty much figured out, but what they really mean and where this is heading are completely out of my depth. But I think it's good. Maybe. I guess I won't really know until Acceptance.

Bronson Pinchot is a much better reader than Carolyn McCormick was, but the language in these books is melancholy and melodic which doesn't exactly lend itself to a great listen. If you are going to get into these, I think I'd recommend reading them rather than listening.

Rating: 3.07

Liked: 3
Plot: 3
Characterization: 3
Writing: 3
Auden scale: 3
Audio: 3.5

So, if there is a trilogy in which the first two books are more confusing than truly engaging and, finally, in the third book things start to become clearer and the first two make more sense in retrospect, is it a good series or a bad one for allowing the first two books to be less than engrossing?

I can't decide. Usually its the other way around, that the first book is great and the later ones less so. Then you are already hooked and can forgive some things easier. But if it takes 3 books to finally really hook you, that seems like you failed at your goal.

Tonight was an emotional night. We took Addy's baby pony, Bran, to a friend's farm to be weaned. Raisin got caught in a fence 2 weeks ago and badly damaged her back leg. She has been recuperating slowly but the inactivity has been driving 7 month old Bran nutso. She's gotten so stir crazy that she's taken to ripping Raisin's bandages off, getting her head stuck in gates, and kicking and chewing on her stall boards. Ideally we would have put weaning her off for a few more months, but she's old enough to do it safely and Raisin really does need to be left in peace to heal properly.

But it was SO HARD. Bran is such a spoiled little doll and hopped right up in the trailer without a care, certainly not suspecting that we were taking her away from her mom and everything she's ever known. When we got to our friend's farm, she was a sweaty mess from the panic attack she'd been having the whole way. We stayed with her for a good while to help her settle and she was much calmer, but her scared, sad nickers as we left the barn broke my heart. It's only a few weeks but I know I'm going to worry about her constantly. She's in very good hands but it's hard to know that she and Raisin are upset and confused and there is nothing you can do to comfort them.

I am too soft for farm life sometimes.

>178 leahbird: Oh, poor little baby! Hope it goes well and she settles soon so she doesn't have to be stressed about being away from her mum and you.
And Bran and Raisin are the cutest names for ponies!

Sending hugs to you and Addy. I hope the time passes quickly until your reunion with Bran. I'm such a softie when it comes to animals. My mother forbid me from watching Lassie when I was a little girl because I always ended up sobbing.

Ugh, weaning. Possibly the hardest thing about breeding/raising youngsters. It's so hard to get it right, and to minimise the stress for mare and foal. I'm sorry it was so hard for Bran and Raisin.

The way it gets done over here at the studs is by far the best in a domesticated environment. All the mares with foal at foot are put out in a huge field together with a couple of nanny mares, and slowly over a few weeks, the mares get taken away from the foals one at a time. All the foals have their friends for comfort, and the nanny mares to be in charge, so they don't feel the same levels of stress.

Alas, not possible in cases with a single mare with foal though. I remember we had one mare who was definitely NOT athletic and who had never managed to scrabble over a fence over 2ft, who jumped a 5 bar gate in order to try to get back to her foal when we were trying to wean it. Not ideal.

My best friend is about to go through it with 'her' foal (it was bred for her to ride) at her work. He's seven months now and they've been starting to talk about it, but I think they're going to hold off for a little while. They do have the advantage of his grandmother to act as a nanny mare, who foal spends more time with than his own mother when out in the field, but I'm not sure how they're going to arrange it.

Anyway, I hope both Bran and Raisin settle soon and adapt to their new situations.

Thanks for the well wishes for Raisin and Bran. Thankfully they are both more settled today but still calling for each other sporadically. Bran was apparently quite clingy with Jim this morning but wasn't running herself ragged anymore.

>181 lunacat: We definitely would have left them together longer and done a slower transition if Raisin hadn't gotten injured. As you said, we never would have been able to do it as gently as the stud farms can but we had planned a slower separation. My brother's mare, Hope, loves Bran and we had planned to turn her out with Hope a little bit more every day and then take Raisin and Bran both to Jim's farm for a few days before bringing Raisin home. But as soon as we started turning Bran out with Raisin resting in the barn, she got herself into all kinds of trouble trying to get back in the barn (head stuck in a gate, leg through a fence, upside down next to a water trough, etc) and Raisin ended up popping a few stitches when she tried to kick the stall door down to get to Bran's panicked whinnies. We had to make the call that it was safer for both of them if we just seperated them completely. Not my favorite idea but I have to rationally tell myself they will be fine and back together soon.

I am relieved that they both had decent nights and seem to be settling. Fingers crossed.

6. Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer (read by Carolyn McCormick, Bronson Pinchot, and Xe Sands)


Description: It is winter in Area X, the mysterious wilderness that has defied explanation for thirty years, rebuffing expedition after expedition, refusing to reveal its secrets. As Area X expands, the agency tasked with investigating and overseeing it--the Southern Reach--has collapsed on itself in confusion. Now one last, desperate team crosses the border, determined to reach a remote island that may hold the answers they've been seeking. If they fail, the outer world is in peril.

Meanwhile, Acceptance tunnels ever deeper into the circumstances surrounding the creation of Area X--what initiated this unnatural upheaval? Among the many who have tried, who has gotten close to understanding Area X--and who may have been corrupted by it?

In this last installment of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, the mysteries of Area X may be solved, but their consequences and implications are no less profound--or terrifying.

Thoughts: Still so very very confused. Still can't decide if there is some failing of the writing to make this coherent or if I'm somehow just missing something I should be understanding. This installment definitely has SOME more concrete ideas but there is so much metaphysical guessing and atmospheric and personal musing that I can't wade through it.

Here's what I'm piecing together:

- About 30 years ago, the S&S Brigade either attracted something alien to the lighthouse on the Forgotten Coast or released something alien that had been trapped in the glass of the beacon. I still can't tell if they did this deliberately or accidentally or whether what was released was what they were looking for all along or something they just stumbled upon while looking for something else. Nor do I know if Henry was an agent/devotee of the alien thing from the beginning or if he was infected in some way by it's release and then transformed into Copy Henry. Jack Severance was marginally in charge of the S&S Brigade, which was an offshoot of Central, but again, was this something they were trying to bring about or just a byproduct of them poking around?

- Saul was infected by the "thorn," which was clearly unintentional since Henry seemed distressed by it. But what was the thorn? How did this weird plant relate to the beacon? How did whatever alien thing caused all this end up trapped in a beacon anyway and WHAT WAS THE FREAKING POINT?

- Gloria/Cynthia/The Psychologist/The Director grew up on the Forgotten Coast but was saved from the event because she was away at her father's. Was she infected when she went across the border with Whitby? Or was she somehow protected by her connection to the place, by her connection to Saul? Obviously she was infected with the light at some point but it's so unclear.

- WHAT THE CRAP WAS WHITBY? Which Whitby came back across the border with The Director? It doesn't seem to make sense that it was Copy Whitby because surely Copy Whitby wouldn't be having such weird breakdowns but why would Real Whitby be lying on a shelf in the attic with the stairs closed? And what was up with rubbing Jack's hair? That scene was creepy as fuck.

- So, the theory put forward in Acceptance is that some alien race made this weird connection with the Earth, somehow created "The Door" to transport whatever came through it to another planet or dimension, used "The Border" to hide the fact that Area X wasn't actually a place on Earth and then died off? Leaving this weird pseudo world to convert humans into messed up creatures FOR NO APPARENT REASON? WTH?

- So, when Jack went into the light, apparently changing into some creature, something changed? But what? When Copy Ghost Bird and Real Grace go walking back to the Southern Reach are they walking in the alien copy world or actually heading back into the Real World?

- Laury is weird. But is he real? Is he a copy that doesn't actually know his purpose? Or does he and his purpose is just to ensure that expeditions continue to funnel across the border? Why was he the only one from his expedition to survive?

- But again, WHAT WAS THE POINT?

I just don't understand. 30+ hours of listening to this story and I feel hardly any more clear about it that I did when I started. When I started listening to Acceptance I thought things were coming clearer because we were getting the story of Saul and the creation of Area X and getting to learn about The Director and what drove her but then it all just fell into confusion and didn't get anywhere.

Rating: 2.75

Liked: 2.5
Plot: 2.5
Characterization: 3
Writing: 3
Audio: 3

Have any of you played The Room or The Room Two? It's an awesomely addictive puzzle game for tablets and smartphones. The worst part is that you can complete each game in a few hours. It needs to be WAY longer because I could happily play all the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbGaddIZzVs

>184 leahbird: I played The Room a couple of years ago on my dad's iPad, and meant to play the sequel, but haven't gotten to it yet. You post reminded me that I had some iTunes credit left from Christmas, so I went ahead and bought both since they are relatively inexpensive.

>185 foggidawn: Yay! And The Room Two is a little better and a little longer than The Room. Also creepier. I feel like a total wuss getting the shivers from an app but the atmosphere of these games is so perfectly eerie that both times I've started to feel like someone was watching me while I played. Very cool.

>186 leahbird: Ooh, good! I will not play them tonight, but soon...

The power just went out. I thought I was going to be spared after hearing two transformers blow earlier and not even a flicker in my power, but then it just went off unceremoniously. Here's to hoping they cut it off while turning the other back on and it's short lived.

I am, however, greatly appreciative of my Kindle and smartphone in these situations. I could never manage to read by candle or flashlight but I can read my Kindle in the dark just dandy

>188 leahbird: Hope your power is back on this morning. The outages in the Morristown area have mostly been short-lived. Carrie's power is out at the moment. She has gone to one of the buildings on her campus where they have a blazing fire to keep her and Adrian warm.

Still no power. Luckily I do have a fireplace and a wood stove so it's not too cold in here. Unfortunately my steep driveway is a solid sheet of ice. My phone died sometime in the night so I had to sit in the car for a while to charge it to let work now I'm stuck. But it could be worse! I've got reading to do!

>190 leahbird: I understand about the steep driveway. I have one of those which is still a sheet of ice. I'm afraid to go out to try to treat it because I have a knee injury that I don't need to aggravate. I have been unable to find anyone who clears driveways. Fortunately I just found out that we are closed again tomorrow. We have additional snow on the way as well, so I guess I might as well wait to see if I can get all of it removed at once. I'm not looking forward to those sub-zero (or barely above 0) temps later in the week. It's supposed to be below zero where I live although I think channel 10 is saying 1 for Knoxville.

My power came on around 10 this morning. The main campus didn't get power until afternoon. We were closed all day today and are delayed until 10 tomorrow. I had so much trouble with my asthma today that I'm taking theday off tomorrow to rest.

How have things been over your way today? We had more snow here, with a window of sunshine this afternoon that melted a little of the ice off of the tree branches. I hope that will lessen the likelihood of more power outages from the wind. We've had strong enough winds here to blow snow into my car port and onto my car and my steps. I don't have a railing to hang onto so I will have to be very careful when I go outdoors.

It was off and on most of the day. We had two bouts of total white out and the roads were iffy when I went into town at 1. But on my way home at 6:30 it was mostly clear again.

Stay safe.

Stay safe over there. We are supposed to have more snow and ice before the big thaw.

7. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion


Description: MEET DON TILLMAN, a brilliant yet socially challenged professor of genetics, who’s decided it’s time he found a wife. And so, in the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs the Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a sixteen-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers.

Rosie Jarman is all these things. She also is strangely beguiling, fiery, and intelligent. And while Don quickly disqualifies her as a candidate for the Wife Project, as a DNA expert Don is particularly suited to help Rosie on her own quest: identifying her biological father. When an unlikely relationship develops as they collaborate on the Father Project, Don is forced to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that, despite your best scientific efforts, you don’t find love, it finds you.

Arrestingly endearing and entirely unconventional, Graeme Simsion’s distinctive debut will resonate with anyone who has ever tenaciously gone after life or love in the face of great challenges. The Rosie Project is a rare find: a book that restores our optimism in the power of human connection.

Thoughts: This was this month's Book Club pick. I actually recommended it since I had this weird inexplicable urge to do a Valentine's theme for February. I hate Valentine's so I don't know what got into me. Anyway, I'd head that this was fun and charming so we decided to give it a try.

And I did find it fun and charming. I know a few people similar to Don, maybe not as extreme, but with related tendencies that can make life difficult. I liked Don. I liked how he was able to analyze himself as well as others without much judgement.

But one thing kept bothering me: I don't like how Simsion portrays Don's ability to change. Don just decides that some of his lifelong quirks aren't compatible with his goals so he changes them with almost no fallout? If Simsion really is trying to represent someone on the Autism spectrum, I think this is a bad way to go with the story. For many people on the spectrum, making those kinds of changes would have come with overwhelming anxiety and stress, not a casual dismissal.

I was also starting to worry about the message this book was sending, that changing yourself for someone else made you a better and happier person. I read a little preview of the sequel, The Rosie Effect which mostly relieved my fears, but I wish this book was a little less content to show that being someone you aren't will make you happier.

But this review is harsher than I meant it to be. I did enjoy reading this. There are many quite hilarious scenes and most of the characters are likeable and genuine (except maybe Gene). And I am curious enough about what happens next that I already put the next one on hold.

Rating: 3.6

Liked: 3.5
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 4
Writing: 3.5

>196 leahbird: I may have to read this one just for the DNA angle.

ETA: The public library has it in hardback, in large print, and in audio (CD).

>186 leahbird: I just finished playing The Room 2, and I agree, it was creepier! But fun. I hope they make another sequel soon!

The Room Three is in the works, but it seems to take them forever to make and I want MORE NOW!

Glad you liked it.

ETA: AHHHHH!!! The Room Three has BOOKS IN IT!! Screenshots here. And it's due out Spring 2015!

ETA2: And apparently now you can play The Room on desktop via Steam. It's a little more $$ than the mobile app but I bet it's super cool on a bigger screen.

>199 leahbird: It does seem to take them a long time, but I can understand that with the quality of the graphics in the games.

I had about 4 inches of snow on my car today. I had to come in to open the Maryville store when all the other girls called out. From the house, the roads looked pretty clear but that was quickly proven an incorrect assumption. It took me 40 mins to go 7 miles. The roads didn't seem to be particularly icy, they were just so covered in slush and snow that you couldn't see where the road ended and the ditches began. I'm not looking forward to the drive home.

I am so over winter. My paycheck is going to be so sad this time with so many days out for road conditions and power outages and freezing temps.

>201 leahbird: I'm definitely "over winter." Not looking to round 5 today.

Snow report: Since 7pm when I took some trash out, about 6 inches of snow has accumulated on the trash can. It's so deep in the yard that it was higher than the belly of my medium sized dog. It's beautiful, fluffy white snow that made me smile despite myself but I'm worried how much is still coming down.

I feel bad for the kids that have been out of school the better part of two weeks that are going to have to make these days up later when the weather is lovely. And all the businesses, like my store, that are taking a big hit from all the closures and bad roads.

>203 leahbird: Carson-Newman is being creative. Most of the teachers are using the course management systems to teach the classes. Some have created video lectures. Others have assignments. Some are flipping a few things to where some of the things they'd planned to do in class will be done outside class.

Chanel 10 is running a story about South Doyle High using technology for instruction doring the snow days. They interviewed the teacher I had for Algebra II and Calculus my junior and senior years. That was his first two years of teaching so my mental image of him is much different than he looks now! He married one of my classmates a few years after we graduated, but she never had him as a teacher.

>205 cbl_tn: I wonder how that works for students who lack the Internet and/or computers at home.

8. The Sleeper and The Spindle by Neil Gaiman


Description: A thrillingly reimagined fairy tale from the truly magical combination of author Neil Gaiman and illustrator Chris Riddell - weaving together a story with a thread of dark magic, which will hold readers spellbound from start to finish. On the eve of her wedding, a young queen sets out to rescue a princess from an enchantment. She casts aside her fine wedding clothes, takes her chain mail and her sword and follows her brave dwarf retainers into the tunnels under the mountain towards the sleeping kingdom. This queen will decide her own future - and the princess who needs rescuing is not quite what she seems. Twisting together the familiar and the new, this perfectly delicious, captivating and darkly funny tale shows its creators at the peak of their talents. Lavishly produced, packed with glorious Chris Riddell illustrations enhanced with metallic ink, this is a spectacular and magical gift.

Thoughts: Thanks to David's (@tapestry100) recommendation, I ordered this Neil Gaiman short story. Let me first say that the artwork is gloriously beautiful even in it's black and white line drawings and fits the story perfectly. The purchase was worth the cost for that alone.

Otherwise, this is a really interesting and compelling re-imagining of familiar tales. The prose and the tone are beautiful. But it feels like the germ of a really really brilliant story, like a first draft that just happened to turn out quite great but needs to be explored more. It's just too sparse. Maybe if it had been included in a collection of other similar stories it wouldn't feel so incomplete, but present here on it's own, in it's loveliness, it needs a bit more meat.

But who am I to complain about Gaiman. Apparently this is my year of Gaiman as I'm working my way through a lot of his books I'd never gotten to before.

Rating: 3.91

Liked: 3.5
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 3.5
Writing: 4.5
Art: 5

If you are in to Gaiman and enjoy fantastic illustrations I would highly recommend Dream Hunters by Gaiman with illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano.

>208 Oberon: I haven't read any of the Sandman series. I really want to but my library does not have a good selection of them and I'm not sure if I'm up for the investment to buy them myself. Is Dream Hunters stand alone enough that I could pick it up without having read any other Sandman?

New thread with TWO new reviews!

>209 leahbird: Dream Hunters stands alone. While it is related to the Sandman series it really isn't part of he main narrative arc. You can certainly read it without reference to the rest of the series.