Book review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

3.5 stars for Unearthly. 

What I liked: Clara, her family, her interactions with her peers, and the Angel mythology which permeates the book. 

Issues that made me not rate the book higher: Angel bloods are supposed to be extremely rare and yet there just HAPPEN to be two of them (besides Clara's family) in the town they move to for Clara's purpose? Yeah that didn't really work for me. Also, Angela makes me suspicious.

Would love to get more back story on Clara's mom & <3 the romance between Clara & Tucker.  Looking forward to the rest of the series.

Updates & such

So many things have been constantly cropping up since the Summer that my poor little blog has been severely neglected.  But because so many things were happening and I was so stressed out, a step back was needed & helped immensely.  I have also cut WAY back on my Facebook time (I'm down to maybe 5 minutes a day) as well as took FB off my phone.  There was just too much drama from too many people so the downtime from FB & my blog was definitely needed. 

On to the updates :-)  Lightning is allergic to dust mites & is now on medication targeted specifically for that allergy.  He may also be asthmatic, but the allergist needs to look into that more before trying a new asthma inhaler with him.  It's also increased my home work load as I'm having to launder his bedding every week now rather than every other week.  We're working on getting a dust mite pillow slipcover & mattress slipcover to help the rest along, but it's got to fit into the budget, and right now it doesn't.

Dare and Bess are both doing very well and enjoying school.  The furballs (dog type:  Luna & Twinkie, cat:  Rowan) are showing their age, but still seem to be enjoying life.  Twinkie has lost the bulk of her hearing, but can still see well enough.  Both of the dogs have joint issues in the winter, so we've done what we can to ease that.  I bought a couple of buckets so I can give them warm water baths on the warmer Winter days so they aren't miserable with cold water & we have non-stinky dogs.  Rowan's in the best shape of the furballs, but she's also the youngest.

Donald is going overseas in January & will probably be back around June.  It's going to throw a real wrench in getting anything done at the office, but it may actually help with the budget.  We'll get family separation pay for each month he's gone & hopefully will get a discount on our Verizon bill since he'll be on military orders.  It's going to be a crazy time, but we'll get through it.

Thanks so much to Zaira for tweeting me about the Jessie episode on Narcissism.  I'd been looking for a way to start talking to the kids about Narcissism in general so they had some clue what it was, and this was a great platform to begin with.  It was very kid oriented and I was able to not mention the N at all in reference to the show...it was more "what would you do if someone made you feel like Bertram's mother made him feel?"  So informative to see the kids' reactions, too.  Bess is going to be eleven in January and she's turning out to be just as curious as I am.  She's beginning to ask more questions about why Grandma doesn't like me & why I don't like spending time with Grandma.  It leaves me walking a very fine line between being honest with my daughter & demonizing her Grandmother, but I'm trying very hard to let her make up her own mind.  It's not easy, but I think it's the best thing I can do for all of my kiddos.

In other NPD news, Donald & I have come to a much needed understanding.  I realized one of my biggest gripes is that he never EVER discusses the issues he has with his mother with the kids.  In my mind this leaves them wide open to not know how to deal with the manipulation and emotional abuse.  So I talked to Donald about how he needs to talk to the kids about what to do if someone (not specifically Grandma, because he's not ready for that yet) makes them feel bad or hurts their feelings so the other person can feel better about how they see themself.  He agreed that he needed to start doing that, so now we're BOTH in our own ways talking to the kids about how to care for themselves.  That's pretty freaking awesome :-)

Summer goodies

Just a short post to share some of the recent things I've concocted in the kitchen.  First up are the cold coffee drinks.  Still love to have my caffeine fix when it's hot, but I CANNOT drink hot coffee in the summer.  So here are some lovely frappucino type coffee creations you can make at home.  (I'm trying to avoid Starbucks because geez they're expensive!)

The first recipe I happened up on is for a caramel frappucino which you can see here. Although I have tweaked it a bit to my own tastes the standard is pretty good.

Next up is a Mocha Cookie Crumble frappucino that I pretty much Squeed over because of the chocolate fix.  

And then I found ALL THE COFFEE THINGS and my brain kind of shut down for awhile.  But feel free to explore the coffee goodness LOL.

And last but not least, I made some pretty awesome banana bread that was even fairly healthy.  Happy Summer cooking, y'all!

Banana - Nut Bread

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 small)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg white
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
baking spray with flour (this stuff was pretty awesome)

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until blended.

Combine flour & next 3 ingredients; stir in pecans.  Add flour mixture to banana mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 3 inch loaf pan coated with baking spray w/ flour.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour & 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack; remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

Book review: Ten Days by Olivia Mayfield

3.5 stars for Ten Days. This is a retelling of a short story by E. M. Forster according to the author's note. I've never read the original story so no idea how close to the original idea this one is, but props to Ms. Mayfield for the retelling.

This was also my first foray into the "new adult" category that has recently come out. I wasn't sure what to expect in regards to how different it would be from "young adult" literature, so this could be regarded as a learning experience for me. The sexuality was more than with YA, but less than that found in most adult romances. Basically, I think any 17 year old would be fine reading it, but that may not be the case in other new adult books. (And really it just depends on the maturity of the person reading the book.)

The premise of the story is that humanity has moved underground and is entirely dependent on a machine, which has taken on deity aspects throughout the book. It's kind of a standard story from what I remember of high school literature, but the heroine is likable and the reader can tell she is really trying to find her place in the world. I was a bit appalled by the sheer rampant death and destruction at the end, but I believe that was again an homage to the original story.  Overall the story was a pleasant experience and I'll be looking for more from the author.
            

The Suckage of being a Responsible Adult

I've been doing the on/again off/again thing with my blog.  This has been a very trying year so far in that I'm so very, VERY tired of constantly having to explain to Donald why he needs to continue to work on his boundaries with his mother.  It really feels like I'm living in the office all the freaking time.  If I'd wanted to be a counselor 24/7 I'd have gone into mental health rather than marriage & family and looked for an inpatient psychiatric ward.  Ugh.  Not loving it.  At All.

Anyhow, the fabulous Jesse Blayne wrote another of her very insightful blog posts In Good Company which made all kinds of light bulbs go off in my head.  Donald does not discuss his frustration with his mother to the kids.  EVER.  Now, I'm actually fine with him not talking about what bothers him about what she says/does/breathes around him.  What I'm not fine with is that it has never occurred to him to discuss with the kids (or let them discuss) things the MIL has done that bothered them.  Every single visit with the MIL leads to the boys getting upset in some fashion because of her obvious favoritism of Bess.  Has he ever talked to them about this?  No...but that shouldn't really surprise me because he (unlike the INFJ that I am)  doesn't ever see patterns and apply them to his own life.  (Getting off that tangent & going back to the current one...)

So guess what I'm going to start doing?  I'm going to start encouraging the kids to talk about anything that bothers them about the MIL.  Because they deserve to be listened to and to be able to reason things out in their own ways.  (This is something Donald was never allowed as a child so it's a very foreign concept for him.)

Also (this is where the title of the post comes in) had an interesting conversation with Bess about the MIL regarding a nickname the MIL had created for Lightning during a visit at her home.  Lightning apparently was reminding her of her youngest son (who she buts heads with all the time) and so she created the nickname of Gumpy Pants #2 for him & thought it was hilarious.  Because neither I nor Donald was there, Lightning was called this oh so charming name for over a week.  After the kids got home Lightning let me know he didn't like the name.  I talked to Bess about it today and asked her what she thought about it.  Bess said that MIL couldn't have meant anything mean by it because she loved her grand kids and tried not to be mean to them. (Did you catch that - tried NOT to be mean to them.)  So we talked about how making up nicknames that make fun of people aren't very nice and that it wasn't very nice of MIL to make up that name for Lightning.  Yay, right?  Until I realized the same principle applied to my nickname of Borg Queen for the MIL :-/  Which kind of sucked.  A Lot.  *sigh*  So in order to set the good example (even though my kids don't read this, let alone KNOW I have a blog) I'm going to refer to my MIL as either MIL or the N (narcissist for those who don't know) and leave off with Borg Queen.  (At least on the blog...probably not in my head.)

Angel & Faith: Season 9 Book Review

This series comes after Buffy the Vampire Slayer:  Season 8 graphic novels.  I've been really looking forward to it and so far it has not disappointed.  Here are the reviews:



4.5 stars for Live through This. Breezed through it in one night & definitely did not regret the purchase. Angel is his usual mopey, humdrum self (I'm a Spuffy gal), but Faith really managed to bring it. I loved her evolution in Buffy Series 8 & she's making me root for her even more in this establishment. I don't think it's too spoilery to mention Giles very much has a place in this collection (since he's on the cover and all.)  For anyone who's a Giles fan, this series gives a ton of background info on our favorite Watcher.  Can't wait for the next compilation to come out ;-)



4 stars for Daddy Issues.  Didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the first volume, but there was some GREAT back story on Giles. Plus, Drusilla (you have to read it to get the awesome factor of this.) Faith is and has been the major pull of this series for me...Angel is just too damn broody. I'm intrigued to see how this Giles resurrection may play out and don't for a minute believe something naughty didn't transpire between Faith & Giles during their time together. Plus....Willow!   Impatiently awaiting the next Nook edition ;-)



Family Reunion gets 4.5 stars And gets favorite status because it has all 3 of my favorite characters from the Buffyverse: Giles, Willow, & Faith. Now to be fair there is only a mention of Giles, but we've gotten so much background info on Giles from this series that I'm counting it anyway.

Connor's back in this installation and he isn't the least bit annoying (perhaps it was the lack of Cordelia.) The gang + Willow travels to Quor'toth to bring magic back to the world because it is slowly imploding without it. Willow agrees to give Angel the scythe of Slayerness to help in his quest to resurrect Giles because Giles died while holding it. Faith is wonderful and has really kept this series going for me as the Broodiness of Angel is not something I enjoy. (He's actually much easier for me to take as Angelus b/c he has a sense of humor along with the evil.)

Quor'toth manages to bring out the BAD in the gang, and it's interesting to see how they all handle it. I'm literally waiting on the edge of my seat for the next issue which is SUPPOSED to bring back the King of all Watchers...I'm really hoping they manage to somehow take 20 years off him when they bring him back. Cuz I'm totally shipping Giles and Faith since season 8 of the Buffy graphic novels ;-)

Book review: October Daye series 1-6

So I read through the first 6 books in this series not once, but twice.  And in the interest of not having to do 6 different blog posts, I'm combining all six books into 1 blog post ( because it makes my life easier.)  I <3 the world Seanan McGuire has created here, although I wasn't hooked until the third book.  Without further ado, here are the reviews:



 3.5 stars. First outing with October "Toby" Daye series. Love the world building, fae intricacies, and Shakespearean references. Love Toby who kicks ass and takes names, but wish that she was better at taking care of herself (its the counselor in me.)

Other characters I <3 - Tybalt (hello yummy king of Cats), Sylvester & Luna, Dare, & the Luidaeg (she's the perfect blend of old power & nursery rhymes. I adore her.) Figured out the major plot about 3/4 through, but it didn't stop me from enjoying the book. And people will die in this series. People you will grow to love will suffer. It's not as dark as Game of Thrones, but it's just dark enough for me. Can't wait to read more ;-)

        

The second in the October Daye series gets 3.5 stars. In this book readers got to meet a Cyber Dryad, learn how a Bannick cleans, and see Toby's car blow up. We also get to learn more about Toby's maybe relationship with Connor (which I'm on the meh side of.) More fun awaits with Tybalt, the Luidaeg, and Quentin (of which all three characters I'm a huge fan of.) While I didn't guess all of the plot line, I guessed enough not to be totally surprised by the identity of the murderer. This was another fun romp into the realm of McGuire's Fae.



5 stars - Wow. I liked the first two October Daye books, but this one just blew them out of the water. Everything came together and meshed seamlessly in this book. And adding a Firstborn as a childhood bogey that Toby has to bring down? That was pure genius. I had chills by the third chapter in and had to take breaks for silly things like eating & taking care of the house/kiddos. You will not be able to put this one down.

I'm firmly on Team Tybalt for the series for many reasons, but the simplest is Connor simply couldn't keep Toby alive & Tybalt can. Until our girl can learn to take care of herself (which is looking impossible at this point) she needs someone who will keep her alive. Connor isn't that someone. Plus...King of Cats.

May! May is filled with the stuff of awesome and I'm hoping we get to keep her for some time. Also, Spike! Who doesn't love a little rosebush shaped cat?

There will be rescues, revelations, and many, many tears along the path to Babylon. This one hooked me for the long run with Toby & Seanan McGuire.

          

4 stars - It seems like loads more stuff happens in each book since book three...and I'm loving it. We've got a ton of characters by the end of this book that weren't there in the beginning & I do love my character driven plot lines ;-) So you'll get to meet Walther (very cool professor/alchemist), Raj comes back (he's just as fun as Quentin), we get MUCH more of May in this one (& she's a hoot!), and so many other interactions I can't remember just now. 

Toby does her very best to get herself killed (as usual, unfortunately. Her allies are getting ever more determined to keep her alive, so hopefully we'll continue getting books about her.) There is running (always the running with Toby. Maybe Seanan could write a Doctor Who reference in one of these for all us Whovians.), racing against time and poison, and endings you may not have anticipated.

Connor is well, he's meh to me because I think he's dwelling more in the past than in the present where Toby's concerned, but he doesn't totally suck here. Tybalt (who is my latest book crush and I swear Seanan based him on Mr. Darcy *sigh*) is clever, alluring, honest, and saving Toby's life...really too many times to count at this point. Here's hoping she wakes up and smells the pennyroyal soon.           

 

5 stars - Read through this twice before I could write the review. This thing will grab you, pull you into the Faerie world, bring to you tears and terror, and make you want to do it all over again. What a freaking ride!

So very much happens in this book it's hard to narrow it down enough to put into review format. You're going to get back story on the selkies, the Roane (sp?), and the Luidaeg. You're going to learn what madness can drive a person (or a pureblood Fae) to do. You're going to see the lengths Toby Daye is willing to go to for the protection and safety of those she loves. And if you have any emotions whatsoever you're going to cry. A lot. There's a ton of info. on the Undersea Fae in Toby's world here (that was pretty awesome) as well as a run in with a former member of Devin's family. You just need to read it.

Okay, spoilers below.....you've been warned.

I'm not a fan of Connor. He reminds me too much of people I know in my real life and I wouldn't choose to put anyone with him who had an ounce of independence. But...Connor does good in this book. And I was actually sad for and because of him (for once.)

Tybalt! If I wasn't already team Tybalt I would be after this book. <3 the chemistry between Tybalt and Toby that every other character in these books is aware of except for Ms. Daye herself. (To be fair I think most of that is because Toby knows as a changeling she doesn't have any real chance with him...or does she?)

I can't wait to find out more about the mysterious Arden the Luidaeg mentioned as well as what happens in a year when the Luidaeg calls the selkies' time due. This series just gets better and better!

5 stars - Again, read through this twice before writing the review as I just wasn't ready to leave Faery quite yet. Toby is acting with absolutely no regard for her own life in the beginning of this book and her friends fear for her. I believe it was stated that they believed she was trying to join Connor and they were opposed to this idea as they really wanted to keep her around. ITA with that and just lapped up all the Tybalt goodness in this book. One of the things I love so much about Tybalt is he calls Toby on her shit. He doesn't put up with it and doesn't bow to her. They fuss and squabble, but always have each others' backs. If you're a Tybalt fan you need to read this book. Yesterday.

Other things that happened: holy crap Etienne (Sylvester's stick in the mud knight) becomes a real person! That was pretty awesome to see. Quentin and Raj get to hang out (they're always fun.) Someone in Tybalt's court is trying to overthrow him, and Duchess Riordan raises her snotty ambitious head into the game. It's non-stop pretty much from the time Toby runs into some kids in an alley until the end.

The Luidaeg makes a few appearances, but not as much as in One Salt Sea. There are areas of Faery coming to light which haven't for centuries and we get to see just how much damage Toby can take in her new and improved Fae body. Can't believe the next book doesn't come out until September, 2013!