The "To-Read" Pile at a Glance

I saw this on Edi's Book Lighthouse and thought it was a great idea. He put up pictures of the next books he plans on reading so I figured I'd do the same. The only difference is that he will actually finish his books and some whim will have me reading something completely different.

I really wish I had his dedication. :)

Anyway, the plan for the next month or so is to either finish or continue some of the series' I've been working through. All but two of the books pictured below are either the next book in the series I need to read or the end of a series.


Part 1 (from left to right): An Autumn War and The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham, The Machinery of Light by David J. Williams, and Return of the Crimson Guard by Ian C. Esslemont

Yes, I'm finally planning on finishing The Long Price Quartet. I wouldn't blame you if you thought I forgot, but I finally found a copy of The Price of Spring and didn't want to continue without it.


Part 2 (from left to right): CassaStar by Alex J. Cavanaugh, Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch, The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King, and Flight to the Savage Empire by Jean Lorrah and Winston A. Howlett

That last one you'll find out more about soon; at least as to why I'm reading it.

The beautiful background color in the pictures is courtesy of my wonderful law library desk. Just love the color choices.

Media Commentary or It's Slug-Bug not Slug Volkswagen

I just needed to get some things off my chest. Yes I've had too much time at work to watch mindless TV, but I don't know what I'd do without Hulu. I apologize that this will have little to no relation to SFF. Sorry.

Has anyone seen the Volkswagen commercials that have been playing lately? Some type of Volkswagen car zips by and an onlooker slugs his neighbor saying "Blue one", "Red one", "Green one" and you get the picture. Here's an example:



Now, when did it become okay to slug on any Volkswagen? Last I checked it was Slug-Bug and that was it. Have the shotgun rules changed on me too? I sure hope not because I still wait to call it until you're within eyesight of the car.


This is another clarification point but on reality TV's inbred 2nd cousin, America's Got Talent (or insert other country's name). I submit that any solo singer should be banned from the show. Isn't there already a contest solely based around singing? I think it's called hmm...American Idol. I realize the name's a bit similar, but why do singers do so well on this show?

Not to mention, I have a hard time trusting the judges anyway when they let this guy through to the semi-finals:



I can understand letting him go through the first round, because it's funny (at first), but letting him go on? Like I thought this show had any credibility to begin with.

Now, my wife "forces" me to watch So You Think You Can Dance. At least that's what I claim to anyone who says otherwise. :) But, what if dancing were a superpower that you were born with/gain? That's something that the League of Extraordinary Dancers (The LXD) attempts to answer:



I thought it was a cool idea and pretty fun to watch especially since episodes are anywhere from 4 to 13 minutes long and there are 7 out so far on Hulu.com.

Ahh, I feel better now.

Some Books in the Mail

Received a couple series finishers in the mail as well as an ARC from Alex J. Cavanaugh. Will be reading all of these soon. :)

The Machinery of Light by David J. Williams [US] [UK]

Goodreads: "With The Machinery of Light, David J. Williams completes his furiously paced, stunningly imagined trilogy—a work of vision, beauty, and pulse-pounding futuristic action."

Very excited for this one. Absolutely loved the first two. (Book 1, Book 2)




CassaStar by Alex J. Cavanaugh [Available October 19, 2010]

Dancing Lemur Press:

To pilot the fleet’s finest ship…

Few options remain for Byron. A talented but stubborn young man with a troubled past and rebellious attitude, his cockpit skills are his only hope. Slated to train as a Cosbolt fighter pilot, Byron is determined to prove his worth and begin a new life as he sets off for the moon base of Guaard.

Much to Byron’s chagrin the toughest instructor in the fleet takes notice of the young pilot. Haunted by a past tragedy, Bassa eventually sees through Byron's tough exterior and insolence. When a secret talent is revealed during training, Bassa feels compelled to help Byron achieve his full potential.

As war brews on the edge of space, time is running short. Byron requires a navigator of exceptional quality to survive, and Bassa must make a decision that could well decide the fate of both men. Will their skills be enough as they embark on a mission that may stretch their abilities to the limit?

The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham [US] [UK]

Goodreads: Fifteen years have passed since the devastating war between the Galt Empire and the cities of the Khaiem in which the Khaiem’s poets and their magical power known as “andat” were destroyed, leaving the women of the Khaiem and the men of Galt infertile.

The emperor of the Khaiem tries to form a marriage alliance between his son and the daughter of a Galtic lord, hoping the Khaiem men and Galtic women will produce a new generation to help create a peaceful future.

But Maati, a poet who has been in hiding for years, driven by guilt over his part in the disastrous end of the war, defies tradition and begins training female poets. With Eiah, the emperor’s daughter, helping him, he intends to create andat, to restore the world as it was before the war.

Vanjit, a woman haunted by her family’s death in the war, creates a new andat. But hope turns to ashes as her creation unleashes a power that cripples all she touches.

As the prospect of peace dims under the lash of Vanjit’s creation, Maati and Eiah try to end her reign of terror. But time is running out for both the Galts and the Khaiem.

Finally Some Baby Pics!

It's been a little crazy since last Thursday, but Dylan is finally here and pretty dang cute if I don't say so myself. We had to go for a C-section, but we're definitely thankful for modern technology because Dylan and Aubrey are both doing great.

Above is us right after the C-section.

Here's when we first brought him home and since grandparents were taking the picture, of course mom and dad were immediately cut out. :)

Review - Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk

My review of this awesome book just went up at OTBSFF. Enjoy. :)

We have a Winner!

First, I'd like to thank all who participated and CSN Stores for letting me give out one of my favorite games.

Okay, I fully understand that odds are, no one's read any of this, so I'll just get to the point. The winner is...

Simcha Lazarus

Congrats Simcha! I just sent you an email, so let me know your address and I'll have the game sent ASAP.

Thanks again to everyone who's joined in.

Ticket To Ride Giveaway Still Open

Just a reminder about the Giveaway for Ticket To Ride Europe. I'll leave it open for a couple more days and then I'll announce the winner next week. Follow this link for rules about entering. Thanks for everyone who's participated already!

Review - The Ninth Avatar by Todd Newton

My review of The Ninth Avatar by Todd Newton is up at Only the Best SFF.

Review - The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman

Finally got this review written. It proved quite difficult to write actually what with the polarizing effect this book has had. The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman review at Only the Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy.