The Fabric of the Cosmos

A few days ago I stumbled upon booksfree.com, a website with a similar principal to Netflix or Blockbuster but for paperback books and/or audiobooks, and I can't begin to say how thrilled I am. My local library has a really poor selection of books to choose from and I'm awful about returning the books on times so the whole "keep as long as you want/need" thing really works for me. I just made my first two "rentals" - somewhat by accident; I didn't realize they'd immediately ship the first two books in your queue *headdesk* - and will see how it goes during my 30-day free trial.

I really hope it works out, though. It's somewhat expensive (for me, anyway; I'm broke) but it'd be worth it in the long run because I spend a small fortune every year on books. If I can cut back by using this service (or swapping books), I'll be pleased as punch. 


On a different note, I had my first DNF (did not finish) of the year and on a popular book to boot: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah E. Harkness. I don't even know for sure why I couldn't finish it and that confuses me. A lot.

At first glance this book seemed like it was right up my alley or at least an alley close to mine and it should have been smooth sailing. But it wasn't. In the first few pages of the book, I found myself struggling to get into it and questioning some of the writing choices. I also found myself annoyed that the author just plopped out the fact that the main character was a witch without any lead in. It was just "so-and-so is a witch with witch-like people around her". My response: "all right, good to know *walks away*".

Perhaps my expectations were too high for this or I experienced that disconnect I sometimes get when I don't have the actual book in my hand (I was reading it on my Kindle Fire) but as a rule, if I struggle with reading something for more than a few pages, I put it aside to read at a different time. I ended up adding it to the bottom of my booksfree queue. Maybe I'll be able to finish it another time.


Lastly: Whitechapel. My good graces this show has absolutely become my newest addiction. I watched Series 2 and 3 this weekend (all I can say is: Kent, my heart aches for you) and then went hunting for fic...and found there's barely any! It's such a shame too because not only is the show lovely but it's choking on its own fic potential. I mean: murder, mayhem, and sexual tension, how can this show stand itself?!

Ah, well. I'll keep holding on and hoping. Or try to find someone to fangirl with. ;) 

I don't know how many people are following news on Thor and Captain America but ComingSoon.net has a really great article about both, which you can find here.

I have to say, I knew it was going to happen but I'm glad to see Hawkeye make a cameo in Thor. It would be too much like a loose thread if he wasn't in it, even if it is just a 'look, hawkeye! oh, you blinked and missed it' moment.

Also, okay, this might be a little rantish, but I'm loving where Captain America is going. I really don't understand all the fanboys/girls out there who have been bitching and moaning that the trailer looks like shit. I think it looks all sorts of shiny. I mean, now that I've had time to think about it, I even like the cgi on Evans.

What's more is that they are, apparently, starting the film in present day, at least briefly, and that sounds brilliant because it's going to be a badass moment when they find Cap's shield buried in the ice!

Today I officially closed my first ever fannish e-mail account that I've been using since I've been a regular part of fandom; it was harder to do than I thought. There were so many fan memories associated to that e-mail -- my first RPG, my first fic, my first community; HXT Lightening, Cathy, Passo, the KG website, etc. -- that I almost didn't want to close it. But, like everything and everyone else, I've moved to another e-mail, another pseud, and I rarely use that for anything but spam. So I closed it.

It was hard, but a bit refreshing. Almost like I was closing a chapter in my fannish life. :)

Borrowing this from I don't know how many others:

Please don't use any of my entries, whether public or private, on your Facebook or Twitter account. I will not and do not give permission for it. If I find something I posted on your account, I will ask you to remove it.


This will likely not change in the future as I'm highly uncomfortable with the idea that just anyone could stumble upon my posts, even though the majority of them are not friend-locked. 

Well I've been struggling lately with my to-read list. Not because I don't have plenty of books to read - I do, I really do - but because I've been sidetracked with the amount of fan fiction I've been rec'd lately. Seriously, I've been reading fan fiction nonstop trying to trim down my to-be-read fan fiction folder but haven't really made an appreciable dent in it. I find that rather alarming because I don't want to suffer burnout - it's happened before - but what can you do aside from try to pace yourself?

Admittedly, I don't have to read it all right now or even any time if I don't want to but it's still easy to get swept up in a Fan Fiction Haze (FFH - we have a support group, yo) and felt like your mind is bending or turning into mush. *tries not to drool* :P

Anywho, I did start in on two new books this week that will count towards my overall goal but I really felt that I should have had them out of the way by now. I keep getting sidetracked by fan fiction. Mostly Merlin based *points to icon*. I have a weakness for Arthurian Legend (well, okay, to be fair, while I was growing up I was drowned in this kind of thing thanks to my mother's love of castles, knights, etc. etc.) or any legend at all. It doesn't hurt that BBC's Merlin is about as gayilicious as you can get *shifty eyes*.

That Said, the icon by thelake :



Is something I heartily agree with.

Anyway. Back to the books.

I started reading Bram Stoker's Dracula on Tuesday. The style it's written in - journal entries with vivid descriptions - took me a while to get into and enjoy but now that I'm past the initial 'er, whot?' faze, I'm enjoying myself immensely. The descriptions are surprisingly rich (if not a little pedantic, though I realize the neccesity of it). I'm going to reserve my overall opinion until I'm finished but really I don't see a reason why I won't enjoy it to the end.

The other book - this one an audiobook - is actually The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks that I'm finding strangely informative and not just from a what-if-zombies-rose kind of way. It gives quite a bit of useful information as well as making you think about what you would do in a survival situation. Also, you know, it's zombies, which right up my alley. The problem, of course, is that it's an audiobook and so I only listen to it while at the gym. I only go to the gym for an hour a day, four-five times a week, and the audiobook is over seven hours long. It's going to take me a bit to finish it.


Oh, and, before I forget, the numb3rs_awards  are once again open. I'm not nominated this year (it was exciting last year to be nominated!) but I'm still excited because I use the nominees as a kind of guide to what NUMB3RS fan fiction to read. I'm lazy when it comes to checking communities so this time of year I get to load up on fic (and Don). I'm happy! XD

I've been thinking about writing another Don Eppes/John Sheppard story like my previous 'Eppes in Atlantis'. Not a sequel, necessarily, but maybe something in the same universe. The 'Las Vegas' episode of Stargate Atlantis really works well since, you know, Rodney was an FBI Agent. Oh...man...now I'm going to have to write it. ...

I am now, officially, a Christian Bale fan for life! I'm sure most of everyone knows about the whole hissy-fit thing he threw on the set of Terminator: Salvation, which basically made him look like a 1)Prima Donna and 2)Big Ol' Ass but have you heard the remix of his rant?

It's HILARIOUS AWESOME!

I did the best workout of my life jamming to him cursing up a storm. Seriously. I'm sharing it with pretty much everybody. XD

Download it here:
hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=49EBV76R


Oh, and, profanity is ALL OVER this thing so, you know, be aware!

Well, I officially finished reading Daddy-Long-Legs a few days ago. I loved it just as much as I thought I would. It was witty, humorous, and romantic. Just what I needed.

Now, however, I'm in a crunch as to what my next book should be. I decided, long before I picked the number of books, that I would allow myself to include a few (just a few!) audio books in my list. Not many, mind you, because as much as I adore audio books, it takes me forever to finish them. I tend to only be able to listen to them late at night (they're on my ipod) or during a workout and, let's be frank, most audio books are 8+ hours long, usually more. It'll take me weeks to finish a long-ish book.

Though, let me just say, if you like Stargate SG-1 or Stargate Atlantis I highly recommend getting the Big Finish audio books. They're wonderful, with sound effects and extra characters who come in to do audio themselves. Excellent.

Anywho, as my list stands:

1. Black Powder Wars by Naomi Novik
2. Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster
3. Worst Witch by Jill Murphy (audiobook)

3 / 135 (2.2%)

I honestly don't know what to read next. I've got the Pendragon Cycle by Stephen Lawhead on my ereader but...

I'm totally not in the mood.

*sigh*

I'll figure something out.


Onto a book meme...

What was the last book you bought?

Empire of Ivory by Noami Novik.

Name a book you have read MORE than once

Ella Enchanted. I love that book. It makes me feel good about life.

Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?

Not answering on the grounds that it's personal in nature. Damn you, book meme. *shakes fist at it*

How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews

It's usually a combination of summary, cover design, and reviews.

Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?

I like both, equally.

What’s more important in a novel - beautiful writing or a gripping plot?

Gripping plot. The prose might be wonderful but if they're boring, it's all for naught.

Most loved/memorable character (character/book)

John Constantine. He's so unbelievably fucked-up and he's supposed to be a "good" guy.

Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?

Iron Man Comic, Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks, Power Play by JM Snyder

What was the last book you’ve read, and when was it?

Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster

Have you ever given up on a book half way in?

Oh god, yes. Confessions of a Shopaholic. It was god awful. WHY DO PEOPLE LIKE IT?!

I've always firmly believed that I am, at heart and by nature, a romantic person. Not show-ily romantic or obviously romantic but I do enjoy romance and all that it entails. Having said that, today on a radio show they were talking about romance and what your romantic ideal is (which lead to many a discussion) and I can only come to one conclusion:

I am not, nor shall I ever be, a traditionally romantic person. At least by feminine standards, which is the only standard which I can judge myself because I am, in fact, a female. Male standards differ greatly...or so I'm lead to believe.

In any case, most of the romantic ideals shared involved, invariable, the following:

1. Silk. Be it silk sheets, silk nightgowns (negligees?), etc.
2. Satin. Much like the silk.
3. Flowers. Invariably red roses. Petals scattered on the bed,etc.
4. Champagne. Usually chilling.

Now, to a normal person, I suppose that must sound heavenly. (That's what all those in the discussion said - "oh, how romantic!") but, really, that sounds like a steaming load of Mills and Boon to me. I'll break it down again, with my own commentary.

1. Silk Sheets/Negligees. While lovely textured, I don't find silk synonymous with romance. Plus, I don't like the idea of slipping and sliding. Personally, give me a lovely set of soft cotton sheets (white, as per my own preference) and I'm happy as a clam. In fact, soft cotton sheets is rather romantic, in my mind, since I attach the experience with comfort and safety.

2. Satin. Lovely textured but not decidedly romantic, honestly; though I admit I find this one kinky, in the right atmosphere, and therefore fun to play with.

3. Flowers. I find the idea of giving flowers, in and of itself, romantic in nature (if given between significant others or those who are dating - don't you wish words like 'courting' were still around?) but I don't find scattered petals on my pillow particularly romantic and mourn the loss of what might have been a lovely flower. Don't get me wrong, if someone were to do that for me, I wouldn't throw up a fuss and I'd think it was sweet but...just give me the flowers. It's romantic, sweet, and simple and doesn't necessitate the massacre of flower buds.

4. Champagne. I'm not a big drinker, by default, and tend to find most alcoholic beverages...gross...for lack of a better term. I'm one of those people who like the flower drinks. You know the ones, that don't actually taste of alcohol and tend to be sweet? Or a nice wine that isn't bitter. So, yeah, I'm more of a Coke-Cola bottle chilling than a champagne person. Or, oh oh, you know what would be good? Cream soda chilling. Same color as champagne, fizzy and sweet. Lovely combo, that.


But, as you see, apparently I'm not traditionally romantic (and therefore somehow less than those who are traditionally romantic...or so I was told). Personally, I find my own quirkiness refreshing. (Is that really egotistical to say?)

I don't know. I like going off the beaten path as far as romance goes. I mean, expensive restaurants and jewelry are nice but doing them as a standard for what is romantic seems fairly...superficial? limited?...to me.

Of course, all that being said, I've pretty much come to the conclusion that in this day and age, romance went the way of chivalry and is fairly dead. Or at least is considered "old school" and so is not "trendy" enough for most of todays generation.

Makes me wonder if I was born out of my time but then I fear any time that doesn't have indoor plumbing and everyone doesn't bathe at least once a week (more I hope!). Oh god, could you imagine being a woman back in the dark ages? *shudder*

You know what, I'm quite happy to be where I'm at. I'll just have to hope another 'old soul' finds me and romances my quirky little pants off.

This morning I woke with the realization that sometime during the night, the entire city and beyond was a land of fog and wetness. You, literally, couldn't see someone standing two feet in front of you if you tried. Which, let me tell you, made for some interesting driving.

It's rather like starring in your own horror movie (very much like, "The Others" with Nicole Kidman_) but with thicker fog. I wish I could take a picture to properly showcase just how foggy it is (*cue horror music in the background*) but every time I've tried, the picture was just a white-ish mass and didn't look that impressive.

Even when I was in San Francisco, which is laid with fog routinely, it wasn't quite as thick as this and dissipated by mid-morning. It's going half two and the fog is, if possible, getting a little thicker. It rather fits my mood, though, so I'm not complaining.

In fact, it's kind of fun. Idiots on the road aside. Maybe I'll take a picture later, if it dissipates some, so all can see. It's rather beautiful and murky, in it's own way.

Anyway. Enough of that.

I've decided that, much like previous years, I'm going to participate in one of those read x-amount of books in a year. This year - the Year of the Ox (my year, mind you) - I'm going to be ambitious and read 135 books, if possible.

It seems likea lot of books but I read quite often and faster than most. Any spare moment I have - in the car, during lunch breaks, etc. - is usually accompanied with reading a few pages of a book.

The past few years my goal - which I don't think I've ever really posted on here to any extent - was only to read 50 books, which isn't a great sum and I've always accomplished.

The large increase this year is only due to, truthfully, the fact that my lovely sister bought me a Sony Reader and therefore makes reading all the more easy and convenient.

I admit to starting of the year with two re-read - which I won't be count - by Naomi Novik, to refresh my memory on the goings on in the book so my first official read was...

Black Powder Wars by Naomi Novik

Which I happened to love despite the fact that a good portion of it was grim for the war and Laurence and Teremaire. I'm putting of reading the next one, Empire of Ivory, until I'm able to get my hands on Victory of Eagles so I don't have to wait impatiently.

My current read I'll be done with by tonight, no doubt, and is absolutely heavenly:

Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster


I had no idea that the movie - which is likewise heavenly and one of my favorite movies of all time - was book but in hindsight it makes perfect sense. I'm reading through the pages like they're going to disappear and smiling all the way.

The book itself is much funnier than the book movie (sorry guys, I'm taking cough medicine and obviously it's not so good for my writing skills) and just as cute so I'm thoroughly satisfied with it. I'm going to have to find the movie and buy it. I've tried in the past but could only find the black and white version. I want to color one as well, darn it!

I highly recommend both the movie and the book for those of you who want to read a romantic-esque comedy. They both make me wish that movies like The Major and the Minor (1942) and The Enchanted Cottage (1945) were both books.

Anyway, down to the nitty gritty...

Books of 2009:

1. Black Powder Wars by Naomi Novik
2. Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster

2 / 135 (1.5%)