Monday, July 25, 2011
Who's your mama?
Over the weekend, I got behind on the number of fish I wanted to measure. Last week, I set myself a goal of measuring 22 individuals per day. At the start of my day, I was 38 individuals behind. I was just hoping to make up the 38 because I thought there was NO WAY I'd make up the back work plus do today's before my hand and wrist pooped out on me. Well, I'm a rock star, because I measured 65 fish today, which puts me AHEAD by 5. At eight measurements per fish, that's a total of 520 measurements. My wrist and hand are hurting, but I'm very proud of myself.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
There is no good or evil, save in the way you see the world
12. Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters #1) by Juliet Marillier
This book was a reimagining and expansion of a traditional Celtic myth called "The Swans." A friend of mine had told me that this book made her cry, and I'll admit that I had my doubts.
Yeah, I came close to crying.
The story is set in Ireland and Britain at a time when the Irish still practiced the Old Ways but the Britons had converted to Christianity. The evil step-mother enthralls her new husband and drives a wedge between him and his seven children (six boys, one girl). The children have great ties to the magic of the forest in which they live (one son is clearly destined to be a druid), and they gather together early one morning to perform a ritual and ask the Lady of the Forest to help them break the spell Lady Oonagh (what an evil sounding name) has over their father. But Oonagh interrupts the ritual and turns the boys into swans. Sorcha escapes into the forest thanks to the split second warning and shove of one of her brothers. Sorcha is only twelve, but the Lady of the Forest tells her she can save her brothers. She must make six shirts using the stems of the very spiny starwort plant, and when all six are finished, she must slip the shirts over the necks of each swan to break the spell. There's just one teensy weensy catch -- she can speak not a word until the spell is broken, nor can she tell her story to anyone via any means (writing, sign language, pictures).
This is very much a story of "What can happen to this poor girl next?" The plot is ever-changing but always interesting. The characters are fully fledged (no pun intended) -- you love the ones you're supposed to like and despise the ones you're not supposed to like. I made Mom laugh when I told her I wanted to poke one character in the eye with a very sharp stick. My only complaint is that I did not get to witness the punishment of that particular character. I found myself not wanting to work on my research so I could keep reading. Haven't had book do that to me in a long time. I just hope the next one is as well crafted.
This book was a reimagining and expansion of a traditional Celtic myth called "The Swans." A friend of mine had told me that this book made her cry, and I'll admit that I had my doubts.
Yeah, I came close to crying.
The story is set in Ireland and Britain at a time when the Irish still practiced the Old Ways but the Britons had converted to Christianity. The evil step-mother enthralls her new husband and drives a wedge between him and his seven children (six boys, one girl). The children have great ties to the magic of the forest in which they live (one son is clearly destined to be a druid), and they gather together early one morning to perform a ritual and ask the Lady of the Forest to help them break the spell Lady Oonagh (what an evil sounding name) has over their father. But Oonagh interrupts the ritual and turns the boys into swans. Sorcha escapes into the forest thanks to the split second warning and shove of one of her brothers. Sorcha is only twelve, but the Lady of the Forest tells her she can save her brothers. She must make six shirts using the stems of the very spiny starwort plant, and when all six are finished, she must slip the shirts over the necks of each swan to break the spell. There's just one teensy weensy catch -- she can speak not a word until the spell is broken, nor can she tell her story to anyone via any means (writing, sign language, pictures).
This is very much a story of "What can happen to this poor girl next?" The plot is ever-changing but always interesting. The characters are fully fledged (no pun intended) -- you love the ones you're supposed to like and despise the ones you're not supposed to like. I made Mom laugh when I told her I wanted to poke one character in the eye with a very sharp stick. My only complaint is that I did not get to witness the punishment of that particular character. I found myself not wanting to work on my research so I could keep reading. Haven't had book do that to me in a long time. I just hope the next one is as well crafted.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
A poem for today
Fish heads, fish heads
On my screen
Fish heads fish heads
Measuring
I know -- don't quit my day job
Monday, July 18, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
I forgot to pull a quote
11. Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs
A friend recommended Patricia Briggs to me a few years ago, and I pretty rapidly went through the first three books of her Mercy Thompson series. Like the Hamilton I finished a few days ago, it falls into the urban fantasy genre. The third book put poor Mercy through hell, and she's trying to cope with that in this fourth book in addition to being on a vamp's hit list. These books aren't as memorable as the great literary classics, but they're good for a mind candy read. I didn't like this one as much as I remember liking its predecessors, but to keep me occupied and to keep my weary hand off my mouse, it was acceptable.
Still haven't decided if I'm calling the JADRC.
A friend recommended Patricia Briggs to me a few years ago, and I pretty rapidly went through the first three books of her Mercy Thompson series. Like the Hamilton I finished a few days ago, it falls into the urban fantasy genre. The third book put poor Mercy through hell, and she's trying to cope with that in this fourth book in addition to being on a vamp's hit list. These books aren't as memorable as the great literary classics, but they're good for a mind candy read. I didn't like this one as much as I remember liking its predecessors, but to keep me occupied and to keep my weary hand off my mouse, it was acceptable.
Still haven't decided if I'm calling the JADRC.
Friday, July 08, 2011
Get up, get up, or you'll die!
10. Hit List by Laurell K. Hamilton
This is the latest installment in the "Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter" series. This series was my first foray into the now burgeoning "urban fantasy" genre. I liked this book because LKH got back to a plot driven story. Readers who are fans of her sizzling and . . . creative . . . sex scenes will be disappointed because this volume had only one, and it was fairly tame. I really loved reading this one (I read about 75% of it in one day), but the conflict resolution at the end was a little too . . . quick? I've kind of gotten used to LKH writing a fairly lengthy (upwards of 100 pages) climax so we get lots of details and lots of back-and-forth in the fight. We get to see Anita's vulnerabilities and how she deals with them. This ending was so Mary Sue. There was no real struggle -- and when one is dealing with the Mother of All Darkness, the mother of all the vampires, one expects a great deal of struggle.
Laurell, I respect you a great deal. I think I've read 98% of your published works. But that climax and resolution? Not up to your par. *shakes head sadly*
Book 4 of the JADRC. I'm thinking about calling this one on account of the nine-year-old's decided lack of motivation. As of the holiday, she STILL hasn't finished her first book. More about that in a different post.
Saturday, July 02, 2011
It carries the conviction of a true note in a beautiful melody . . .
9. Women in Celtic Myth by Moyra Caldecott
This interesting little book shares tales of strong women from the Celtic tradition. Most are moral commentaries on those most human tendencies from greed to love. The last two read like fairy tales, complete with happily-ever-after, but still speak of the ancients if you look carefully. Each tale is followed by a "Commentary" that helps to clairfy the symbolism so important to the Celts. This was a fast and fun read.
Book three of JADRC