A Little Bit of My Heaven...

Since I just did a 'sifting thoughts' post, I'll make this a quick one.

There's a Facebook site dedicated to my hometown. People have been sharing photographs there of the town and the surrounding environs and I came across this absolutely amazing photograph:

That, my friends, is why I chose to live in a place where winter has been known to last 7 months and subzero temps have some times lasted an entire month at a time.

That is Lake Superior, in winter.

I have no idea who took this amazing shot but I'm going to try and find out because I'd like to get a professional print of it.

I look at this photograph and I can feel the peace and quiet of The Greatest of The Great Lakes surround me.

I can feel the background chatter fall silent.

I spend my work time answering to other people; their demands, their problems, their headaches and it overwhelms me at times.

This place is solitude. It is calm. It is magic.

And I wouldn't give it up for anything.

Sifting Thoughts...

I have no idea how long it's been since I've done one of these but here goes...

The photo below was taken by a man I think everyone should know and read. Until recently he was embedded with troops in Afghanistan. His name is Michael Yon and you can find his dispatchs here. He is not without controversy but he reports what he sees and what he feels and he is passionate about the troops. He also takes the most amazing photographs I've ever seen. This one was taken in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Check him out, if you're interested.

We are definitely in the midsts of spring here and it was an early one. Things have greened up beautiful and it won't be long until the trees have budded out. Then comes lilacs and I can't wait.

I was out and about at 0530 this morning (working) and I realized something. The world is no longer silent. The birds have returned and they make their presence known in the most amazing way. It was a symphony of sound greeting the day. Love it.

Speaking of birds...

I love Sea gulls. That's a photo (from Wikipedia) of a Herring Gull, common to my area. I know most people hate them; they are scavengers and it's illegal to kill them so they're all over the place. They pull garbage out of Dumpsters and leave messes behind.

But...

When I'm out walking and I hear the cry of a gull, my heart soars. I have no idea why.

The dog and the cats are all doing well. The cats are definitely happy that the snow is gone and it s warming up. They're finally able to venture outside again. It's been fun to watch them.

Let's see... what else is there...

My boys won the national title in college basketball. Yay, Duke! The Detroit Tigers started off well (6 - 1) but are on a west coast trip that is killing them. They're now 7 - 7. I can't wait for them to come back home. Late night games aren't carried by my radio station so I can't even listen to them at work.

I'm in the middle of three different books but I'm still writing more than reading. That is not a complaint.

So, that's about it, beyond work, which is boring these days. That's not a complaint, either. Friday is the last day of the semester. Next week are exams and the campus will slowly empty out during the week until the only ones left are those graduating. Commencement is May 1. Like everything else this year, it's early but I'm not complaining.

Hope things are well out there for y'all.

March Wrap-up

Well, I just did my duty as an American citizen - I filed my taxes. Why I waited until today is beyond me. Didn't want to deal with it, I guess. No, I don't owe, I get a refund but still. It's the idea of it.

Anyway, that means it's the middle of the month and I haven't done a wrap-up for last month. So, here it is:

15. The Girl Who Chased The Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
14. Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison
13. Unleashed by John Levitt
12. New Tricks John Levitt
11. Dog Days by John Levitt

My reading has taken a serious hit because I've been writing. No, that's not a complaint. The story I've just finished is one of the best I've written. I love the characters so much!

Levitt's series is cute. He's invented an interesting world of magic and the like. There are some flaws - women feel almost like extras or secondary thoughts. I hope he changes that. But I love the idea of Ifrits - in this case a cute little dog named Louie, who isn't really a dog after all.

Kim Harrison is wonderful. Her The Hollows series keeps getting better and better and, as usual for me, I find myself rooting for the bad guy more than any other guy in Rachel Morgan's life. I also rooted for Darth Vader, btw.

Sarah Addison Allen is simply amazing. Her books are sweet, easy reads that leave you feeling like you've spent a few easy hours with good friends. You can't beat that.

So, that's it for March. I have no idea how April will end up but I have managed to read and review one book! Hopefully there will be more!

Book Review: Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
Penguin
342 Pages
Copyright 2010

Mercy Thompson is a shape-shifter; thanks to her Native American blood, she can change into a coyote at will. She is also a mechanic who likes to get her hands dirty, friends with vampires and Fae, and bonded mate to the local werewolf pack's Alpha, Adam.

In the fifth book of the series, Mercy finds herself targeted by a powerful member of the Fae who wants something Mercy has and will do anything to get it back, including murder and kidnapping.

As Mercy struggles to deal with the newest threat, she is also still dealing with the aftermath of a rape and her still new bond to Adam. There are those in Adam's pack who aren't all that thrilled by the inclusion of a coyote into their pack . . . but to what lengths will they be willing to go to express their disapproval?

Also on her plate is the fact that Samuel, her best friend, and powerful lone wolf, is having problems of his own. Is it possible for someone to live too long? In Samuel's case, Mercy is afraid the answer may very well be 'yes'.

This is another great story. The characters are excellent, as is the pacing. Of all the werewolf stories I've read, I like Briggs' world the best. Mercy is a strong woman who also has the ability to ask for help when it's necessary.

The one drawback of the book had to do with Samuel's story. I would've like there to be a bit more to it, especially at the end.

One final comment - I don't often include covers in my reviews but I did this time because I think the Mercy Thompson covers are some of the best!

Recommendation: Mercy's at her best in this one, which means the action never stops. Briggs is one of the best when it comes to urban fantasy.

Book Review: The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
Bantam Books
269 Pages
Copyright 2010

Let's get it out of the way right away.

I absolutely adore Sarah Addison Allen. Her stories are sweet, they're lovely, they're like sitting down with an old friend for an hour or two and enjoying a quiet, charming, interesting conversation.

I loved Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen and I've linked to my reviews. You'll find that I use the word 'lovely' quite a bit when talking about Allen's books. I don't know how else to describe them.

Emily Benedict has traveled to Mullaby, North Carolina to live with her grandfather after her mother's death. She looking for answers to the questions her mother's death has left unanswered, such as why did her mother leave home so suddenly and why did she never return, leaving Emily with little knowledge of her roots.

Once in Mullaby, however, Emily finds answers are elusive and questions abound. She discovers that her grandfather is a giant, her mother wasn't always the considerate, loving person Emily knew, unexplained lights skip across her yard at night, and the woman next door bakes magical cakes and has a past of her own.

Julia Winterson, the cake-baking neighbor, has a plan that does not include staying in Mullaby any longer than she has to. It certain doesn't include Sawyer, the long-ago love of her life, or the revelation of her secrets . . .

Emily's arrival stirs up the past for several people in Mullaby and not everyone is happy about the fact. They, along with Emily, find that their lives are forever changed.

Recommendation: This is a book about how the past has a way of catching up with people, regardless of whether or not they want it to. It's about dealing with that past and it's about love and faith, with a little bit of magic mixed in for good measure. Allen's characters have a way of worming their way into your heart and staying long after the book is back on the shelf. And that is definitely a very good thing

Book Review: Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison

Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison
Eos (HarperCollins)
487 Pages
Copyright 2010

From the book:

Rachel Morgan has fought and hunted vampires, werewolves, banshees, demons, and other supernatural dangers as both witch an bounty hunger - and lived to tell the tale. But she's never faced off against her own kind . . . until now. Denounced and shunned for dealing with demons and black magic, her best hope is life imprisonment - at worst, a forced lobotomy and genetic slavery. Only her enemies are strong enough to help her win her freedom, but trust comes hard when it hinges on the unscrupulous tycoon Trent Kalamack, the demon Algaliarept, and an ex-boyfriend turned thief.

It takes a witch to catch a witch, but survival bears a heavy price.

This is the eight book in the series and it's another page-turning, wild ride. Rachel is running from her own kind - witches, and she is forced to go it alone to keep her friends safe. Her friends, however, have other ideas, and she finds that she has friends in some very strange places.


One of the best things about the series is how Rachel has grown and changed. She is no longer a naïve young girl; everything she has gone through has led her to a new sense of herself and the world and her place in it. She makes great strides in this book toward accepting herself for what she is.


There's also a new (old?) love interest and more information on her background with bad guy Trent Kalamack. Tragedy also plays a part and I'm still not sure how I feel about that part of it.


Recommendation: Witches, demons, elves, gargoyles abound. Good and evil are also here . . . but you may find yourself wondering which is which. Give it a go; you won't be disappointed but if you haven't visited the Hollows before, you should probably start with Dead Witch Walking to get the full Rachel Morgan experience.  It's one worth having.

Ladies and Gentlemen...

The 2010 NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS...

DUKE UNIVERSITY!!!!!

Way to go, Coach K and the boys.

Thanks for a great season and a final game that will rank as one of the best for a long, long time.

The blessings of the day to one and all

Book Reviews: Three for the price of one; books by John Levitt

Dog Days
Ace
297 pages
Copyright 2007

From the back of the book:

Mason used to be an enforcer, ensuring that suspect magic practitioners stayed in line. But now he scrapes out a living playing guitar. Good thing he has Louie, his magical...well, let's call him a dog. But there are some kinds of evil that even Louie can't sniff out. And when Mason is attacked by a supernatural assailant, he'll have to fall back on the one skill he's mastered in music and magic-improvisation.

New Tricks
Ace
320 pages
Copyright 2008

From the back of the book:

It's Halloween in the Castro District of San Francisco, which means that for once, Mason doesn't have to worry about the fact that vampires and ghosts are walking the streets. What he does have to worry about is how his old flame Sarah became the victim of an attempted possession - leaving her an empty shell.

Mason's only clue is the green rune stone found in her hand...

Unleashed
Ace
304 pages
Copyright 2009

Mason is an enforcer, keeping magical practitioners on the straight and narrow, and he knows how dead he'd be without his "dog" Louie. Louie's more than a canine - he's an Ifrit, a faithful familiar who's proved time and time again theat he's a man's best friend, if said man values staying alive.

But this time Louie's in the line of fire. Practitioners in San Francisco have been dabbling in magic far beyond their control. Now they've accidentally unleashed a monster into the world. It's mauling humans and killing any Ifrit it can find. Mason and Louie must track and collar it. But doing so will lead them to an evil darker and more subtle than any they have ever faced.

Mason has magical talent. It's not as powerful as it should be mainly because he doesn't want to put the time into studying. He'd rather play jazz. He's also got Louie, an Ifrit. Ifrits are magical animals that appear from nowhere and attach themselves to people with magical talent.

I like Mason and the others in Levitt's universe. Eli and Victor are decent secondary characters. For me, however, the star of the books is Louie, a little dog with abilities that not even Mason completely understands. He's brave, he's loyal, and at times he's smarter than Mason.

Levitt does an excellent job of building a San Francisco where magic exists, but on a shadowy, hiding in plain sight level. His character are interesting and the plots are well-paced and interesting, if somewhat transparent. I had thngs figured out before the end of all three books.

One thing bothers me about the stories - the female characters are all 'throw-aways'. Mason has a tendency to meet, bed, and lose a woman in each book with very little development of the female character. Hopefully that will change.

Recommendation: If you like magic and dogs, this series is a decent, easy read for a quiet afternoon.