Space Station Mir

25. Necessary Evil by Ian Tregellis Publisher: Tor Release Date: April 2013 Ian Tregellis is one of my favorite new authors. The Coldest War hooked me with the first line, "Wizards do not age gracefully." The final book in the triptych, Necessary Evil , is no slouch either for poignant turns of phrase. The protagonist, given his own voice for the first time, summarizes the book poetically; "Who was I but a scarred and sweaty madman railing against the woman who twirled history around her fingers like so much yarn?" That woman, the "raven-haired demon," the "witch" with "wires in her braids," is Gretel, and she is not only the most fascinating character in Tregellis' triptych, but one of the most compelling villains in fiction. From the first time I learned of her incredible ability to read the future (more accurately, the lines of possible futures) and to shift it one way or another, I wanted to know more. In Necessary Evil...

Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Top Ten Most Memorable Secondary Characters 1. Philippa Gordon from the Anne of Green Gables series, specifically Anne of the Island "Phil" seems like an awesome friend. She's charming, talkative, friendly, and always getting herself into mischief. I'll never forget the time she chose which hat to wear by spinning around with a pin or the time she told Anne, "Nine times out of ten I can outshine you, but on the tenth night..." 2. Art3mis from Ready Player One Art3mis is a kickass girl gamer who refuses to be sidelined. She fights her own battles and doesn't let romance distract her. 3. Ismene from Antigone I can never get Ismene's fate out of my head. The poor girl gets hanged because her sister breaks the law. I always wonder what would have happened if Antigone had just listened to her and bidden her time. 4. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter There's a fabulous cast to choose from in HP, and I'm n...

Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Top Five Things That Make My Life as a Reader Easier 1. Hold That Thought Bookmarkers For marking important lines without marring my books! 2. Bookmooch Getting rid of books I don't want/need, getting books I do want/need, and holding points in reserve for books I can get in the future when I theoretically have more space. Yay! 3. My bookcases and my organizational system Where would I be without my bookcases, where I know how to find each book? (Now if only I could get the rest of them out of the boxes...). 4. Other Readers I love getting recommendations for books from friends, family, acquaintances, people on the street...I'm not picky. 5. Artificial Light Thank you Thomas Edison. Top Five Things That Make My Life as a Book Blogger Easier 1. LibraryThing I enjoy using the "Currently Reading" feature on my blog. 2. Amazon Associates I don't ever make money with them, but I like using the images of books. And...

23. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine Ella Enchanted remains one of my favorite books from childhood. Unfortunately, Gail Carson Levine has never matched it in years since. Fairest comes the closest. Aza has dull black hair, pasty skin, and lips a revolting blood-red. She's spent years dodging insults while working in her adopted family's inn. She grows up in Ayortha, the neighboring country to Ella's Kyrria, but unlike Ella, she at least has a loving family and a singular talent. Like most Ayorthans, Aza has a beautiful voice, but unlike anybody else, she can throw her voice and make it come from anywhere, a phenomenon she calls "illusing." One thing leads to another, and Aza is introduced to the beautiful new queen of Ayortha, who hails from Kyrria and well, has need of Aza's particular talents. The well-intentionedly malevolent fairy Lucinda gets involved and some events get rather gritty for a fairy tale, though it follows the basic story in the end (...

24. The Queen's Lover by Francince du Plessix Gray, Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini and Tandy Cronyn I don't often listen to audio books, but this may be the book that changed my mind. The Queen's Lover had been on my TBR list since I read this review . Although after having read (listened to) the book, I disagree with the reviewer's conclusion. Don't read this book for its "wistful romance." Read it for its incredibly detailed, nuanced account of the French Revolution and Europe's response! Edoardo Ballerini and Tandy Cronyn voice the roles of Count Axel von Fersen and his sister Sophie, respectively. The division of the two voices in the book may have suited it particularly for audio. I also noticed that du Plessix Gray tended to repeat facts and recount moments. The effect was realistic, as that of an older man reminiscing, but may have proved too dull in a book, whereas the reminders proved less tedious when listened to. Sort of like the ...

I have been reading this summer and some of these below, I've already reviewed or mentioned. There will be more to come on that front, but just to keep up with the official numbers: 20. Small Steps by Louis Sachar 21. Loser by Jerry Spinelli 22. Eggs by Jerry Spinelli 23. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine 24. The Queen's Lover by Francine du Plessix Gray Also, Short Story #3 3. The Miniature Wife by Manuel Gonzalez I didn't have time to read more than the titular story in the book I borrowed from the library. Ay carumba, it was terrifying! Imagine a combination of Honey! I Shrunk the Kids , Gulliver's encounter with the Lilliputians, and the end of any run-of-the-mill horror flick, and you've got a pretty good idea of where this is headed. Gonzalez has a clean, sardonic prose that reminds me of soulless male narrators from Ishiguro to Rushdie. It's not my favorite style, but I imagine many modern-literary types would be intrigued.

19. Wanderlust by Elisabeth Eaves Wanderlust has a particular significance to my life right now, as I just finished a job, picked up a suitcase, and began a trip around the country to visit friends and find employment. Although I finished the book a couple months ago, I often still turn to the pages I've marked (with convenient sticky markers like these , you didn't think I'd really deface a book, did you?)and marvel how much I can identify with the author. I'm also jealous; she's traveled in Egypt, Yemen, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and more. She's lived in Vancouver, in Paris, and in New York City. But this book is more than "a love affair with five continents" or even a series of love affairs with a wide range of interesting and international men (though there's that too). Eaves reflects on her motivations, strengths, and failures, in prose that sounds like the ruminations of a particularly thoughtful and word-associative friend. T...