Chapter 1 http://www.amandadownum.com/tdc1.html
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Random Browsing in the Wee Hours of the Morning
Had trouble sleeping so I've been doing a bit of random reading online on topics ranging from the revolutionary war, language from the 18th century, dancing dogs on you-tube, author's playlists, just who/what is Jericho Z. Barrons, Tru-Blood trailer, how to make a will, and finally to the short story, How To Talk To Girls At Parties, by Neil Gaiman. The story was nominated for a Hugo Award in 2007. The Hugo Awards, given annually since 1955, are science fiction's most prestigious award. At face value, this is science fiction, but is metaphorically in your face.
What are your thoughts on this? Neil Gaiman is better than awesome sauce.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
I really do need to finish the Harry Potter series. I've only read the first two.
People I know that've read Harry Potter love the series, and I'm not talking children. Surgeons in the OR are reading Harry Potter in the lounge while waiting for their cases to be set up. One surgeon that I remember in particular is in his fifties and married. I asked if he was previewing the book before his children read it. He informed me he didn't have any children, and that the book was his! I had to promise to read the series!
New Moon Niblets
Twilight the movie left a lot to be desired, but I confess to getting goosebumps whenever I see ads and posters for it, and the latest promos for New Moon. They remind me of how I felt while reading the Twilight trilogy.
Anyway, get some goosebumps with some New Moon nibblets from a talented fan and Hollywood.
Initially critical, I found myself being pulled into a current I couldn't escape no matter how strongly I fought against it, railing at the silly, insecure, illogical Bella Swann. But I just couldn't put the books down, and to this day I still wonder why. Perhaps because first love is illogical and silly? Exciting? Painful? Bittersweet? And doesn't insecurity take root within us during those tumultuous teen years?
The books are certainly not literary masterpieces, but they're not meant to be. Together they tell an entertaining story. And that wasn't a typo. To me, the series will always be a trilogy because Breaking Dawn was...well, never mind. I have my own ending to the saga using up valuable synapses in my poor wee brain.
Another thing sucking up what little cerbral current I have is contemplating Stephanie Meyer's wealth. Oshi. (That's a word I made up for things that boggle me brain. If it's a word in another language, I'm genuinely ignorant of it and too lazy to research it, but I do claim this word as my own, uttering it under my breath when I'm amazed, astonished and astounded. Or baffled, bemused and befuddled.) I wish I had that paycheck, donchya know?
Anyway, get some goosebumps with some New Moon nibblets from a talented fan and Hollywood.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
The Drowning City by Amanda Downum
This book caught my eye while browsing on Amazon, so a good cover goes a long way to attract attention. Maybe it's because the woman on the cover isn't revealing the predictable tattoo, store bought breasts, or looking lusty and seductive. Maybe it's the intrigue of the sword, black scarf and cape. Or maybe it's the pirate feel of the entire image, and the weather is heating up--always a good time to read something piratey! Arg! Whatever is, it slowed me down enough to read the synopsis, and I was sold. I'm so excited about this book that I made a countdown for it. I know zip! about the author, but that adds to the fun. Seriously though, this woman on the cover means business and I can't wait to hear her story...
Symir -- the Drowning City. home to exiles and expatriates, pirates and smugglers. And violent revolutionaries who will stop at nothing to overthrow the corrupt Imperial government.
For Isyllt Iskaldur, necromancer and spy, the brewing revolution is a chance to prove herself to her crown. All she has to do is find and finance the revolutionaries, and help topple the palaces of Symir. But she is torn between her new friends and her duties, and the longer she stays in this monsoon-drenched city, the more intrigue she uncovers -- even the dead are plotting.
As the waters rise and the dams crack, Isyllt must choose between her mission and the city she came to save.
About the Author
Amanda Downum was born in Virginia, and has since spent time in Indonesia, Micronesia, Missouri, and Arizona. In 1990 she was sucked into the gravity well of Texas, and has not yet escaped. She graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in English Literature, and has spent the last ten years working in a succession of libraries and bookstores; she is very fond of alphabetizing. She currently lives near Austin in a house with a spooky attic, which she shares with her long-suffering husband and fluctuating numbers of animals and half-finished novels. She spends her spare time making jewelry and falling off perfectly good rocks. To learn more about the author, visit www.amandadownum.com.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Holly Black's, A Modern Faery's Tale Series Gets a New Look
Holly Black's, A Modern Faery's Tale series, gets a face lift, and the covers are brilliant! This is the first YA faery tale I've read in a while; it was gritty, and dark, and frightening, but real on so many levels. Of the three, Valiant is the most dear to me, and left me wanting more of Val and Ravus.
Check out the books, and see why YA is not just for the younger crowd. The series was a wonderful surprise.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
