The end of the month already?

How is that possible? Where did January go?

It's been a rough month, for a whole bunch of reasons I won't bore you with. There is one thing I will mention because I believe in the power of positive thinking and I want all the positive vibes headed a certain way that I can get.

The beautiful boy up there is my niece's horse, CE My Sonny Zip, barn name Sonny. That's my niece up on him, during a show a couple of summers ago. He's the apple of her eye. I love him too, but I love her more, of course.

Friday night, when my niece was at the barn with him, alone, he slipped and got one of his rear hooves stuck beneath the bottom rail of the arena. He cracked his hoof open from top to bottom and there are several radial cracks along the bottom, too. I can't really explain it but I can tell you that it is a serious, serious injury. Hence, the talk about positive thoughts. Please, if you can take a moment, send some their way.

The niece got Sonny when he was three. He's nine now, so they've had six years of bonding and love and they are both hurting right now. There's no way of knowing the outcome because, in spite of how big and tough a horse is, their hooves are incredibly delicate and foot problems have been the downfall of more than one horse. Hopefully Sonny will come through it with flying colors but it's going to be a long, hard haul for them both. All of the positive energy we can funnel their way will be humbly and deeply appreciated.

Now, onto things a little less dire.

I managed to only read three books this month, but one of them was almost 700 pages and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I plan on doing my reviews tomorrow in order to get caught up.

Winter here has been screwy, to say the least. Last week it was in the 30's and we had rain. This week, sub-zero windchills and a little snow. Craziness to say the least.

Anyway, life, as they say, goes on. I'm hoping for a better month ahead in so many ways and I hope y'all are doing well.

In Memory

From Yahoo News:

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Bestselling novelist Robert B. Parker, who created the Spenser detective novels that became a television series, has died at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, his representative said on Tuesday. He was 77.

Parker, who wrote nearly 40 novels featuring the tough Boston private investigator Spenser, died on Monday, said Michael Barson at publisher G.P. Putnam and Sons. The cause of death was unknown.

No more Spenser.

I've followed Spenser, Susan, and Hawk through almost every one of the close to 40 novels Parker wrote featuring them. I'll miss these guys terribly.

Spenser was the ultimate good guy. He fought for the little guy, protected the weak, and always followed his own code without fail. He was strong but vulnerable, especially when it came to the love of his life, Susan. Their love was what everyone should have; true, honest, complete, and always faithful. Hawk, the trusty sidekick was so much more. Strength made cool behind a taciturn facade, he was always there for Spenser in spite of the fact that they came from opposite sides of most things.

Parker had a way of distilling things to their barest essence but his story would still grab you and pull you in. He was a master of dialogue; in fact it seemed like his entire story was told in dialogue that flowed; it was never stilted, never trite, and more often than not packed a punch when it needed to.

As I've said; I'll miss them terribly.

Thanks, Mr. Parker for giving them to us.

Mount TBR

I forgot to include this in my wrap up, but here it is:

I managed to read 57 books from my stack of TBR books. It was better than half of all the books I read, which thrills me. I'm doing away with both the buying ban and the TBR list but I'm also going to keep plugging away at what's left. I'll do a purge in the next couple of days to get rid of the ones I know I won't be reading and see where I'm at. I'm thinking it'll be less than 30 books, which I can live with.

It's about time for a wrap-up, isn't it?

So, last year was a great reading year for me. Over the course of my first two years doing this, I read, if I remember rightly, 76 and 75 books. This year, I managed to read 102. I have no idea why the increase but I am thrilled. One hundred books was a sort of unattainable goal for me; I didn't think I'd ever be able to do that well. But, I did.

So, here's a quick review so I can clean up my side bar:

January:

9. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
8. Hunter's Prayer by Lilith Saintcrow
7. Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs
6. Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs
5. Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs
4. Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs
3. Night Shift by Lilith Saintcrow
2. Monday Mourings by Kathy Reichs
1. Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs

Favorite for the month: The Glass Castle, a finely written tale about the horrific childhood of the author. And, obviously, Kathy Reichs was my favorite new author of the month. She does an excellent job with her mysteries, told from the viewpoint of a forensic anthropologist.

February:

13. Kitty Raises Hell by Carrie Vaughn
12. Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs
11. Play Dead by David Rosenfelt
10. Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand by Carrie Vaughn

Short month, short reading list? I have no idea what was going on that I only managed to read four books. Patricia Briggs would be my favorite author read this month, by far. Carrie Vaughn has started to disappoint me. I hoping her new one will change that trend.

March:

26. Mercy Falls by William Kent Kreuger
25. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Kenigsburg
24. Valley of Silence by Nora Roberts
23. Dance of the Gods by Nora Roberts
22. Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts
21. Driving Force by Dick Francis
20. Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega, Book 1) by Patricia Briggs
19. Under Orders by Dick Francis
18. Decider by Dick Francis
17. Winter Study by Nevada Barr
16. As Shadows Fade by Colleen Gleason
15. Come To Grief by Dick Francis
14. Widow's Walk by Robert B. Parker

From four to thirteen. Quite the welcomed change. I finally read Nora Roberts and found I really enjoyed her. Nevada Barr gave me another villian that made her book an excellent but difficult book to read. I revisited some old favorites, Parker and Francis, and overall enjoyed the month.

April

36. The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library by Alice Kimberly
35. Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman
34. Star Born by Andre Norton
33. A Secret Rage by Charlaine Harris
32. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
31. The Shack by William P. Young
30. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters...
29. Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz
28. Execution Dock by Anne Perry
27. Copper River by William Kent Kreuger

April was a bit more normal with ten books. Anne Perry re-entered the picture, which was wonderful. Dean Koontz was so-so and I revisited another old favorite, Andre Norton, who began writing Science Fiction back when women didn't. Charlaine Harris gave me a story about rape and its aftermath that was difficult to read but well done and William P. Young got me thinking about my relationship with God in a completely new way. Not a bad month.

May

43. The Hard Way by Carol Lea Benjamin
42. A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle
41. The Day The Sun Rose Twice by Ferenc Morton Szasz
40. The Demon's Librarian by Lilith Saintcrow
39. Borderline by Nevada Barr
38. The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong
37. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher

An interesting thing occurred in May that I don't believe had happened before: a book left me so ambivalent that I didn't write a review. That was The Hard Way by Carol Lea Benjamin. But, I read L'Engle, which more than made up for it. I also read an interesting look at the first nuclear test plus some of my favorites. It was a nice, comfortable month.

June

47. Made to Be Broken by Kelley Armstrong
46. Thunder Bay by William Kent Krueger
45. Dragonspell by Donita K. Paul
44. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Another short month but an overall good one. I enjoyed each of the books I managed to read. Armstrong once again managed to write a story that I enjoyed with characters that drive me nuts at times. I wish I knew how she does that.

July

59. The Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce
58. Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce
57. Wolf-Speaker by Tamora Pierce
56. Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce
55. Blood Debt by Tanya Huff
54. Blood Pact by Tanya Huff
53. Blood Lines by Tanya Huff
52. Blood Trail by Tanya Huff
51. Blood Price by Tanya Huff
50. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
49. Surrender All by Joni Lamb
48. Red Knife by William Kent Krueger

Apparently consistency is not my thing; from four to twelve. Not that I'm complaining. Red Knife by Krueger was an amazing story that blew me away. He dealt with a difficult subject and did it amaziningly well. Speak was an amazing story about another difficult topic. Huff gave me a vampire who didn't sparkle in the sun and Pierce gave me a realm of magic that I loved visiting.

August

67. Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
66. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
65. The Edge Chronicles: Beyon the Deepwoods by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
64. Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
63. Tigers Confidential: The Untold Inside Story of the 2008 Season by Andy Van Slyke and Jim Hawkins
62. When Darkness Comes by Alexandra Ivy
61. The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein
60. Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian

At eight books, it was a typical month. My first three reads were all vampire stories, none well enough done to be standouts. Stephanie Plum was Stephanie, which may be getting a little old and I discovered another wonderful world of werewolves written by Kelley Armstrong, who continues to write stories with characters that drive me to distraction. The best of the month was Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison, which was also the beginning of a new, wonderful series about my favorite characters - witches, vampires, and werewovles.

September

79. Night Work by Steve Hamilton
78. Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre
77. Redemption Alley by Lilith Saintcrow
76. Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs
75. Relentless by Dean Koontz
74. Interred with Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell
73. Shadowfall by James Clemens
72. The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts
71. The Hollow by Nora Roberts
70. Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts
69. Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich
68. The Good, The Bad, and The Undead by Kim Harrison

Kim Harrison continued to impress me, as did Nora Roberts with her ability to tell gripping trilogies, this one dealing with an ancient evil that visits a town every seven years. Shadowfall was a pleasant, wonderful fantasy adventure and Interred with Their Bones was brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. Did I mention it was brilliant. I fell in love with the main characters and cannot wait for the next in the series. The old stand-bys were great and I enjoyed Hamilton's adventure into a world not crafted in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

October

84. A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison
83. Every Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison
82. Silks by Dick Francis and Felix Francis
81. The Memory of Water by Karen White
80. Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Another short month but a wonderful one with a visit by an old favorite (Francis), two by a new favorite (Harrison), a romping pirate adventure, and an absolutely lovely, sad story by Karen White.

November

93. Going Rogue: An American Life by Sarah Palin
92. Ice Hunter by Joseph Heywood
91. When Demons Walk by Patricia Briggs
90. 206 Bones by Kathy Reichs
89. Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich
88. White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison
87. The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison
86. Rough Country by John Sanford
85. For A Few Demons More by Kim Harrison

Nothing bad in a month devoted to writing instead of reading, so I'm more than happy with my total. Kim Harrison was wonderful, as were Briggs and Reichs. Heywood is new and I think will become a favorite and Going Rogue cemented my opinion of Governor Palin.

December

102. Then and Now: The Changing Face of Sault Ste. Marie by Bernie Arbic and Deidre Stevens
101. Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
100. Heat Wave by Richard Castle
99. Night by Elie Wiesel
98. Dear Mr. President by Dwight Young
97. All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot
96. Stolen by Kelley Armstrong
95. A Christmas Secret by Anne Perry
94. Flesh Circus by Lilith Saintcrow

I finished up the year with nine books. The most impressive, without a doubt, was Night by Elie Wiesel. It's an amazing tale of one of the worst times in the world's history. The last, which I didn't review, is a pictorial look at the past and the present of my small town. I enjoyed it a great deal.

So, it's out with the old and in with the new. I'm excited to see what this year brings and I should be finishing my first two books in the next couple of days, one a real chunkster.

The Great White North

People often wonder why anyone would chose to live in this place that I do.

I am minutes away from Canada, nestled on the shores of Lake Superior and the St. Mary's River. We are not easy to get to but you cannot surpass the beauty of this place... not even when it's frozen.

A friend took the shot above on her way to the dogsled races this past weekend.

It captures the lonely, wild beauty of this place.

And that is why we chose to live here.

Childhood memories...

Art Clokey, the man who invented Gumby, died Friday. He was 88.

He was also responsible for a part of my childhood.



Thanks, Mr. Clokey.

Friday Fill - ins 58

1. There are places in my mind where I just don't want to go.

2. A brisk westerly wind will blow those clouds away.

3. Standing in the shadows of my mind.

4.Boy, oh boy.

5. He went out tiger hunting and came back with a pet monkey!

6. Please keep my mind from wandering.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to trying to keep warm at work, tomorrow my plans include cleaning and watching Duke play basketball and Sunday, I want to relax and have dinner with my family!

Idiot authors need not apply

So, there's this blogger that I know, who shall remain nameless unless I'm told otherwise, who recently received several boorish comments to a review on the site. They came from the book's author and the review wasn't nuclear in origin. It simply said, to paraphrase, that the book wasn't the blogger's cup of tea.

I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I can't think of a better way for an author to guarantee I'll never pick up one of their books than to see that author threaten a blogger with a lawsuit over a review. Bad reviews are part of the business and we may not be professional but we're entitled to our opinions.

There are too many books out there for me to waste my time on one written by an idiot author who goes out of the way to prove themselves an idiot.

How about the rest of you?

Happy New Year

Welcome 2010.

For an extended version of my thoughts, check out my post here. Keep in mind, however, that it's my political blog and I call things as I see them.

Here, I'll say this:

Finally, my hopes for the coming year are simple: I hope it is a year filled with peace, love, good will and good cheer for us all. May we have what we need, give what we can, love without limit, and continue to reach for that star, whatever it might be.

Also, check here for a look at my university's Banished Word List. It might make you smile.