Category Archives: Reading

Contests, Reading, Those Cats

Wireless woes

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Argh – my wireless connection hasn’t been very stable for the past few days. Consequently, I’m behind on bloglines again and am a little frustrated at how many attempts it took me to get this post (such as it is) together. Fortunately, after an hour on the phone with tech support last night (aka “Dad”), things should be a lot better now. Just too many wireless networks in my little corner of the metropolis, apparently, all of us fighting for the same few channels.

Contest Update
Lisa has a lot of patterns from her LYS closing – leave a comment at Lisa’s blog for Libby (owner of the LYS), and you could receive a pattern or patterns.

Karrie’s having Fake Rhinebeck Post contest – if you didn’t go to Rhinebeck, go stashdiving and get excited again about yarn you already own! Post a picture and blog about it before midnight (PDT), October 27, and you could win a fibery prize.

Reading Update
Gone with the Nerd, Nerd in Shining Armor, and My Nerdy Valentine by Vicki Lee Thompson. Formulaic and trashy – but I’m enjoying these silly books anyway… although My Nerdy Valentine was my least favorite so far.
The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires by Katie MacAlister. I got the giggles when I saw this title at the library. It was a “meh” read, which was pretty much what I expected. 🙂
Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley by M.C. Beaton. Finished this one and started the next… and put that one down after 20 pages. I just can’t get sufficiently engaged in Agatha Raisin…
Seize the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Ok, I admit it – I’m completely addicted to the Dark Hunter books now and wish I’d been reading them in the correct order instead of skipping a few here and there.
D.A. by Connie Willis. This young adult science fiction book was ok (the moral of the story wasn’t subtle at all!), but so short that it seems far better suited for a short story collection than as a standalone novel.
Lost in Austen by Emma Campbell Webster. Ever wondered what it would be like if Jane Austen has written her novels as “Choose Your Own Adventure” books? Wonder no more! 😉 A cute premise that seems to owe some inspiration to Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next novels, I’m glad I got this from the library and didn’t purchase it.

“Why, yes, I did gobble down the big kitty. You won’t be hearing any whining from him anymore.” *burp* -Mayhem

Randonymity, Reading

Lunching with Chaos (and Deb!)

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We had sunshine on Saturday! It was lovely and warm, and I enjoyed a pleasant wander around my neighborhood. Alas, the clouds returned on Sunday.

Reading
Air by Geoff Ryman. This was an extremely well-written science fiction novel about the effects of new technology on traditional cultures.
Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener by M.C. Beaton. A gift from Mrs. Pao – it took me a while to sympathize with Agatha, but now I’m interested to see what happens in the next book.
Dragonswan, “Phantom Lover” (in Midnight Pleasures), Night Play, Dance with the Devil, Sins of the Night, Unleash the Night, Dark Side of the Moon, Fear the Darkness (free online short story), and The Dream-Hunter by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Dark Hunter novels – what can I say? Supernatural, trashy (oh, so very trashy) – fortunately, the writing and editing keep improving as the series goes on. Actually, it looks like The Dream-Hunter is the start of a new series.
Something Rotten: A Thursday Next Novel by Jasper Fforde. I’ve now reread all the Thursday Next novels and enjoyed them muchly.

Lunching
On Friday, Deb brought over salads and Caribou mochas (soy for me, of course) to kick off a pleasant afternoon of lunching, conversation, and knitting. Chaos joined us…

“Oh, man, that looks tasty, even if it isn’t tuna.” -Chaos

“See how cute I am? You know you want to feed me, no matter what Mom’s telling you!” -Chaos

“What I wouldn’t give for some thumbs about now…” -Chaos

Knitting, Reading

In which I finish another pair of socks (no surprise, that)

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Amy and Miss T came over to knit on Tuesday and brought me Chipotle! They got party favors. 😉

Reading Update
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. This is the first book of the Twilight Saga and after reading it, I’m itching to read the next two! This is a young adult vampire story with a few twists, set in the Pacific Northwest. I couldn’t put it down.
Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter. I know there are a few *a-hem* P&P fans out there… I picked this up because of the title and brought it home because of the intriguing premise outlined on the back cover. Most chicklit is just “ho-hum,” but this was quite good – if you’re a P&P fan, I recommend it!
Nerd Gone Wild by Vicki Lewis Thompson. Totally trashy romance, picked up for $0.25 at the “withdrawn” shelf at the library. It was silly, it was fun, it was trashy – and I might pick up another one or two of her other Nerd novels.
Wish You Were Here: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown. Actually, I believe this was the first Mrs. Murphy mystery. It took me a while to get into the book, but it turned out to be a decent read. I’m told that the series sort of falls apart after a certain point…
24 Declassified: Vanishing Point by Marc Cerasini and 24 Declassified: Chaos Theory by John Whitman. I read these not expecting much, but Chaos Theory was darn good (and not just because of the title). It would actually make a really good episode of 24.
The Fourth Bear: A Nursery Crime by Jasper Fforde. This is the second book in the Nursery Crimes series, which spun off from the Thursday Next novel The Well of Lost Plots. A different cast of characters, but I’m enjoying this series as much as I do the Thursday Next novels.
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agness Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. This was laugh out loud funny – I can’t believe I hadn’t read it before!

Knitting Update
For all the relaxing I’m doing, I sure don’t seem to be accomplishing much knitting. Puzzling, that. Anyway, I finally finished a pair of 9-to-5 Socks using Trekking 167 (a new color).

“Hmph. They aren’t a MGWT, that’s for sure!” -Mayhem

“But I suppose they are acceptable as a cat bed.” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

“I told you so!”

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Leave Jodi a comment by October 13 letting her know that you’re a sock knitter, and you could win some bright hand-dyed sock yarn!

Darlene’s having a contest to win a skein of STR, and if she gets 50 comments, she’ll give away a second skein (mysteriously described as being her favorite sock yarn). Leave her a comment about your favorite sock yarn and sock pattern to participate.

Reading Update
Fantasy Lover, Night Pleasures, and Night Embrace by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Yes, yes, finally reading some of the Dark Hunter novels! I liked the first two (Fantasy Lover and Night Pleasures) quite a bit more than Night Embrace. I’ll have to see how the next few compare…
Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander. I recently found used copies of some books I read as a kid and plan to reread them. This had to be the first, since there’s a black cat on the cover. 🙂
The Eyre Affair, Lost in a Good Book, and The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde. It was definitely time to reread the Thursday Next novels. I must admit, after suffering through Wuthering Heights, I got a lot more out of the WH character rage counseling session in The Well of Lost Plots. Hee hee. Here’s a favorite quote from that book:

I kicked off my shoes and flopped on the sofa next to Gran, who had fallen asleep over the sock she was knitting. It was already a good twelve feet long because, she said, she had “yet to build up enough courage to turn the heel.”

What sock knitter hasn’t been there, eh?

Ok, that’s it for today. I kinda overdid it yesterday on the computer and am definitely a bit worn out! Maybe I’m not quite ready to whittle away those unread blog entries yet…

“I told you so, Mom! You need to take more naps!” -Chaos

Knitting, Reading

Monday meanderings

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Reading Update
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater. I remember loving this book as a child. When I found it in the library’s sale bin for $0.25, it was obviously time for a reread.
Dead Copy: A Cauley MacKinnon Novel by Kit Frazier. Found this Austin, Texas, mystery in the library’s “New Books” section and enjoyed the read enough that I’m sad I didn’t read the first book before this one. I’ll get over it. 🙂
Scoop: A Cauley MacKinnon Novel by Kit Frazier. The first book that I read second… Cauley writes obituaries for an Austin, Texas, newspaper and is looking for a big story to help her move up the ranks at the paper. Of course, she gets a bit more than she bargained for when she finds that story…
The Penguin Who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews. Penguins and llamas and hyenas, oh my! The latest Meg Langslow mystery is another madcap read.
My Sister Is a Werewolf by Kathy Love. Apparently this is the most recent book in a series about three brothers who are vampires. This book focuses on their werewolf sister and the veterinarian she falls for.
Accidentally Engaged by Mary Carter. A wonderfully fun romance about psychic Clare Ivers – this was completely madcap and unpredictable. I’ll definitely read more by Mary Carter!
Hot Wheels and High Heels by Jane Graves. Very trashy – but I read the whole thing, so…
Thunder Bay: A Cork O’Connor Mystery by William Kent Krueger. The latest book in this northern Minnesota mystery series focuses on Cork’s old friend Henry Meloux’s surprising past. I enjoyed this book more than I have the last few in the series.
A Charmed Death (Bewitching Mystery, Book 2) by Madelyn Alt. I swear I read the first book in this series (The Trouble with Magic), but either I missed it in my blog updates, or I read it before I started tracking my reading through the blog. This light paranormal mystery about Indiana witch Maggie O’Neill should not be confused with Charmed to Death, which is about Iowa witch Ophelia Jensen!

Knitting Update
I finished my Los Monos Locos on Saturday!

*sniff sniff sniff* -Mayhem

“These are acceptable.” -Mayhem

Contests, Dyeing, Reading, Tunes

Now I have a song from Cloud Cult stuck in my head…

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…since I’m pretty sure most of you haven’t ever heard of Cloud Cult (a local Minneapolis band), you’re completely safe. Unless, of course, you want to go listen to the song (“Take Your Medicine”) and see if you can get it stuck in your heads… Since some of you actually clicked on links to notorious earworms last week, I know you like to live dangerously. 🙂

Anne in New Zealand would like to send some goodies to whoever leaves the 300th comment on her blog.

Sorry my posts haven’t been very energetic lately. I’ll fill y’all in on why in a few days. Hopefully you can hang in there for a while!

Reading Update
Witch Hunt: An Ophelia and Abby Mystery by Shirley Damsgaard. Sweet and fluffy paranormal mysteries set in small-town Iowa, about a librarian who’s a witch – I’ll keep reading these (and not just because there’s a black cat in the books).
Electric Blue by Nancy Bush. It was harder for me to get into the second Jane Kelly mystery than it was to get into the first (Candy Apple Red), but once I did, I enjoyed this light read.
Touch of Darkness: Darkness Chosen, Book 2 by Christina Dodd. I’m enjoying this series – I know it will be at least four books (based on the premise outlined in the first book) and I’m already waiting to find out when the next one will be published!
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie. I’d read this before, but I was looking for a light and fun read and Jennifer Crusie rarely disappoints.

Dyeing Update
On Saturday, Jeanne, Miss T, and I converged on Deb’s house for a lovely day of conversation, dyeing, knitting, eating, drinking, and laughter. Here’s what we dyed – I didn’t use any black and only minimal purple! Hopefully none of you hit your heads falling off your chairs in shock. 😉

“This isn’t as hard as you all think it is. Go try it right now! I’ll wait.” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Make it stop! Make it stop!

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Don’t forget to enter my contest! The deadline is today (September 19) at 5 pm CDT.

Suzanne’s having a contest – show her or tell her about your favorite knitting spot, and you could win some sock yarn.

Becka’s curious about your favorite sewing or crafting tool – leave her a comment, and you could win a lovely handmade ornament. She’ll randomly select a winner on September 24.

So on the drive up to the cabin Friday afternoon, I started listening to Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. I’ve never read it it before, but after reading about Heathcliff being “the most hated character in English literature” in various Thursday Next novels, I’ve been meaning to find out why.

Well. This is certainly a novel filled with much mewling and whining and carrying on and people willing themselves to death hither and thither. And Heathcliff truly is a cruel, arrogant fiend. But even worse… ever since I started listening to the audiobook, I’ve had the Kate Bush song “Wuthering Heights” going through my head (here’s the video if you’re brave or foolish). Yes, indeed, ever since Friday afternoon, no matter what else I listen to instead, I hear Kate Bush warbling, “Heathcliff, it’s me, Cathy. Come home. I’m so cold! Let me in your window. Heathcliff…”

Make it stop! Make it stop! Argh!!!

“NOOOOO!! NOOOOO!! I don’t want that song stuck in my head, either, Mom!! Run away!!!” -Chaos

“Moooooooooom!! That song melted my ears!!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!” -Mayhem

Contests, Randonymity, Reading

You know I hate knitting thumbs…

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Don’t forget to enter my contest! Deadline is 5 pm CDT, Wednesday, September 19.

Diane’s curious about fair judging – guess which two of her items won blue ribbons at her local fair, and you could win sock yarn! Leave your guesses by September 24.

Sarah’s hosting a preemie knit-a-thon in gratitude for the knitters who clothed her tiny PeeWee when she was born premature. There are all sorts of ways to participate in her knit-a-thon and contest before November 29, such as knitting items for your local NICU.

Reading Update
Whack A Mole by Chris Grabenstein. The most recent John Ceepak mystery is another good read (well, duh, I guess, since I’ve read the three-book series in less than two weeks, eh?).
Deadly Advice: An Advice Column Mystery by Roberta Isleib. It was ok, but will I read any others when they come out? This was the first Advice Column mystery, in which psychologist Rebecca Butterman tries to figure out how her next door neighbor really died. I admit to picking this up simply because it had a condo, a cat, and a blog in it. 😉
Troll Bridge: A Rock’n’Roll Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple. Trolls and boy bands and dairy princesses and butter heads, oh my! This fantasy was a quick read that will be particularly fun for those familiar with Minnesota.
Scent of Darkness: Darkness Chosen, Book 1 by Christina Dodd. This series is about a family that can turn into predatory animals due to an ancient pact with the devil – the age old struggle of good and evil and how neither are purely one or the other. Well-written, but avoid if plentiful steamy scenes aren’t your thing!
The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes by Anne Stuart, Jennifer Crusie, and Eileen Dreyer. The three orphaned Fortune sisters are witches denying their often inconvenient power and on the run from their murderous aunt. Things get a bit complicated when their true loves turn up. More with the steamy scenes here! *fans self*

What Did I Buy?
Yesterday I mentioned that I did purchase something for myself at the Goods for the Woods craft fair in Grand Rapids (birthplace of Judy Garland!). Well, y’all know I hate to knit thumbs…

“Wow, Mom, this is some darn spiffy knitting. When did you do this? I must’ve missed it entirely.” -Mayhem

“Are you done with the pictures yet?! I have important things to do.” -Mayhem

“I see what you mean, Mayhem.” *sniff sniff sniff* -Chaos

“Nope, Mayhem, Mom sure as heck didn’t knit these. These are made from some pretty slick wool blankets. Tricky of her, eh?” -Chaos

Contests, Randonymity, Reading

Everybody needs black kitty pants!

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Holly’s having another destashing contest! Leave her a comment about a pattern you’ve knit multiple times and you could win a skein of Manos Cotton Stria and a lovely dpn case. Contest closes midnight, PDT, September 14.

Reading Update
The Ever-Running Man by Marcia Muller. The latest Sharon McCone mystery is a compelling read – I thought I had things figured out more than once, and I was wrong!
Final Payment: A Posadas County Mystery by Steven F. Havill. It looks like Havill has written quite a few mysteries set in Posadas County, New Mexico. I picked this one up because it featured a cross-country bicycle race, but I might have to check out some of the others.
“Alpha and Omega” by Patricia Briggs, in On the Prowl. This short story focuses on one of the tangential werewolves from Briggs’ enjoyable Mercy Thompson series.

Recently, Amy gave me some good-natured grief about helping her find some wonderful Day of the Dead goodies. 😉 What I didn’t tell her is that I saw the Day of the Dead nightgown at Target while I was buying some black kitty cropped lounge pants for myself… Tragically, the matching black kitty shirt was not a good fit for my body type.

“My goodness, these kitty beds come in no end of shapes and sizes, don’t they?” -Mayhem

“Are these black kitties?!” -Chaos

“You are so right, big kitty! Hmph. Doesn’t Mom have enough black kitties already? I mean, she has me, um, us.” -Mayhem

“Really smooth, May, really smooth… not.” -Chaos

“Ow!” -cat on crop pants, under paw…

Contests, Randonymity, Reading, Viewing

The Baleful Glare of the Cat Chaotic

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Mrs Pao and Pao are back in the UK, if you’re curious to see and read more of their adventures in the US. Can you believe they lost weight on vacation?!

Becky’s looking for ideas on how to use some Rowan 4-ply yarn. Leave a comment with your suggestion by September 16 and you could be randomly selected to win a prize.

Reading Update
Aunt Dimity: Detective, Aunt Dimity Takes a Holiday, Aunt Dimity: Snowbound, Aunt Dimity and the Next of Kin, Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea, and Aunt Dimity Goes West by Nancy Atherton. Have I mentioned how much I like this cozy series? 😉 The only thing that could make it better was adding a black cat – oh, wait, that happened. And the most recent book takes place in Colorado, Kristi!
Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde. It always takes me a few chapters to get back into Fforde’s rollicking Thursday Next novels, but it is definitely worth it.

Viewing Update
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Colin Firth in a fountain instead of a pond – I know that must whip you ardent fans into an utter froth! 😉
Flatliners. I haven’t seen this movie for many years (probably since it came out in 1990), but it was still enjoyable – the hairstyles were only slightly distracting. And maybe it’s just me, but some of the scenes out in the city reminded me of The Lost Boys and of another film I can’t quite nail down… Maybe Blade Runner?! Something darkly atmospheric and rainy like that.

“Oh, how you will pay for this, Mom. This is much worse than that guy sitting on my cat tree.” -Chaos