It's Monday....and I'm back - sort of.

Here we are again - it's a Monday.  I've never been crazy about Mondays, even during the summer on my work "vacation" (in this case, meaning two months without pay, meaning we don't actually get to go anywhere...{boohoo} would be nice to be able to afford to go even on a small trip.  I'm hoping to make a day trip to the beach soon).  Because even during the summer, each Monday brings me closer to the start of another year of working - which I used to love, but now the only thing I like about it is the kids - definitely, I haven't been enjoying one of my supervisors.  But then - at least I get to do some things that are fun.  The library work is fun.  Lunch duty - while frustrating at times, can still be fun, especially when the kids are all playing and enjoying the day.   I know I'm sounding a little em0 about things - but it's a passing thing.

I missed the last Monday post because of some emotional dips - I lost a grandfather (he was 106 years old), who I was only able to see a few times - and even then only because other people paid for me to fly to Panama twice.  For that I'm completely grateful.  But it's kind of sad to know he's gone, and to know that my mom has taken it very hard.  But life goes on for the rest of us, so far anyway.  So we all need to make the most of our lives, which is something I've been trying to do - and trying to remind my husband for at least 25 years (we've been married for 34 years, but he's turned into a bit of a bitter guy when life gets tough-and that's hard to live with - shit, now I'm sounding bitter, damnit!)

So let's get to it! Enough with the Emo Nemo shit.

But now - it's time for...  It's Monday, What Have You Been Reading? hosted by Sheila of Book Journey.  Unfortunately, I can't link yet to a Monday post for Book Journey, so I'll temporarily link to the Book Journey site.

In the last two weeks I finished reading: 

**remember - click on covers for excerpts or website**

Sabaska's Tale

by J.A. Campbell

teen fantasy (with the coolest horse ever).  At first available as an e-book, you can now purchase this in print, via CreateaSpace.  Worth buying people, especially if you AND any teens in the family like horses! (and good writing)

On Basilisk Station

by David Weber

SciFi (the first Honor Harrington novel)

I enjoyed it - even with the occasional lengthy explanations of...stuff. ;)

Pretty Sacrifices

by Devin O'Branagan

Y/A,UF (post pandemic plot)

Show Dog Sings the Blues

by Devin O'Branagan

(What if your show dog gets mixed up with her sister, the working ranch dog?) A fun novella.

at website (remember to click on cover) scroll down for the excerpt

Roil

by Trent Jamieson

fantasy (OMG - what a strange world!)

What a strange, weirdly good book.

My Current Reads:

I'm currently reading a book on my Kindle - the second Honor book, The Honor of the Queen, which seems to be slower going than the first...Just when I thought I was done....here comes more.  Which is okay - because it's pretty interesting.

I'm also working on another David Weber book - one in print, called In Fury Born - it's a book and a prequel all packaged into one thick novel.  Unfortunately - THIS one seems to have way more lengthy

info dumps for such things as weapons, military positioning, political background, the inner thoughts of Alicia's pleasure or displeasure of her weapons, etc.  That makes it hard for me to keep going, but I want to -because I know if I can get through that, there's action coming up.  I finished the prequel part, and that was pretty good....but I just keep dozing off when I'm reading those damned pesky info-dumps.  Damnit! Weber - ease up on those, huh?  Click on the cover for the prologue - this is why I want to keep reading....

One more book that I'm taking in smallish doses - 
The First Casualty
by Mike Moscoe aka Mike Shepherd
Interesting SciFi, telling a story from two main character's pov.
No excerpt from Shepherd's website - which needs to be updated.  According to his book page this is out of print, and yet I just bought it recently at a bookstore - brand new, not used. 

Well - that's enough for now.  I'm tired, frankly.

Rainy Monday rolls around....

It's entirely possible that I'm becoming a bit obsessed with LOLCatz, but just look .... how can anyone help it? My three captions...(I'm not as inspired as some are)
it may be rainy, and a Monday... that doesn't mean we can't enjoy it! except for the dreary clouds, the wet rain (is there any other kind, but wet?) and the achy bones and muscles. But I did get a lot of reading done!

Time again for our favorite weekly blog/book meme - It's Monday, What Are You Reading? Hosted by Sheila of Book Journey.....

current reads:

for some reason, I'm not very excited about either of these....yet. Probably because I just finished a marathong reading of four books from a very well written series.

Whatever the reason, for some reason I've started with the third in a SciFi series (Kris Longknife, Defiant) by Mike Shepherd. It's okay, just not a commanding a read as a few other SciFi books I've read - Yet - but then I did just finish Saintcrow novels. Maybe I should find the first and start with that one. I also just started Deadworld by J.N. Duncan and even though I've barely started in on the third chapter, it's not grabbing my attention. Which is a shame, because it sounds interesting and just look at the cool and sexy woman with the huge....gun. LOL - Should be good, right? Except it's hard to picture an FBI agent wearing stilletto boots and chichi tank top like that, nevermind that I rarely see any police type women stretching along a building like that......Still like the cover though. I'm hoping that I end up liking this novel, I see that sequels are out - or at least book two is out, and book three most likely is coming.
just finished:
This is most likely why I'm not getting into the current reads. I've read four of the Jill Kismet series,** back to back - taking time out only to review Redemption Alley. Other than that review, I seriously went from the ending of one to the next. The only problem I had with this type of marathon reading is finding a couple of phrases or descriptions repeated in a couple of the books, but really - compared to the enjoyment factor that's small, even micro potatoes, right? Yep!

Flesh Circus, Heaven's Spite and finally ending the series with Angel Town....oh man, what a blast...literally. I should know better than to try to read other paranormal, or urban fantasy reads after reading a fave author, especially after reading four in a row from a fave author. After that, unless there's another fave author already lined up for reading, other books just kind of fade in comparison. It's like drinking fresh strawberry or cherry juice, then trying a sip of water. It's like eating a wonderful cheesecake and then taking a bit of a soda cracker. It's like spending a weekend with your grandchildren and then having a quiet day to yourself..(wait, that's actually a good thing, sometimes - haha). Whatever, I'm sure you get my point. I should be looking for a palate cleansing non urban fantasy or non sci fi book. It's the only way.
I believe I've just talked myself out of my current reads....nah - I'm going to concentrate on the Kris Longknife novel, even if it is the third. There's not a lot of info-dumping going on, so that's all good.

I found this pic on this page, is themed as a psych case study - go read it, it's pretty good
**a little grandchild note here - look at the covers of the Jill Kismet novels, and you'll see that Jill is represented with lines and a very white face, body. I noticed on the back of one of my Kismet novels, that Jills face had suddenly became very.....tanned. Her face was carefully colored in with a light brown marker....Since my grandson was the only person under 18 around the house this weekend, I asked him. He's three years old, by the way.

Me - Elliott, did you happen to color on grandma's book?

Elliott - yes. I made her pretty for you.

Me-....umm, thanks. (it was a pretty good job for a three year old - he stayed in the lines.) Oh boy! At least he did it for me, right? :)