Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley

I tried really, really hard to finish this book but halfway through it got deemed “life’s too short.” Winterbirth is epic fantasy of the George RR Martin variety–lots of loyalty oaths, warring kinsmen, and creeping winter. But the emphasis is on war, not on character adventure, and I find it hard to get into war stories under the best of circumstances.

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Call Me Dany

Your Score: House Targaryen 72% Dominant, 54% Extroverted, 72% Trustworthy Ancient. Noble. Passionate to the point of insanity. Transcending lesser beings, you are of House Targaryen. You are a dominant personality—in fact, you are the most dominant of all eight house types. You will not suffer yourself to be ignored. You will not suffer yourself to be ruled. The phrase “I will not suffer myself to _____!” was practically made for you. You are willful, arrogant, and exceedingly dangerous to screw with. With a temper…

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As Madeleine Put It

I read a book for work last night set in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. I have zero interest in traveling anywhere even remotely challenging (though I do like to car camp). I prefer to travel in my imagination. So, in further honor of our beloved Madeleine L’Engle, here are a few of my favorite quotes of hers, typed as tears stream down my face with gratitude. I don’t think I’ve ever cried like this over the death of someone who wasn’t known to…

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Madeleine L’Engle Must Be In Heaven

…leaving the rest of us woefully bereft. She passed away today at the age of 88. Read the full story here. I have loved Madeleine L’Engle’s books since I was a little girl, with Meg Murray’s mouse brown hair and nearsighted eyes giving me hope that girls like me could have our lives become great stories. My best friend and I met her in the summer of 1994 in Cambridge, England, at a two-week CS Lewis conference that was one of the best times in…

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Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Synopsis: One man’s harrowing journey up the Congo in search of enlightenment. Review: Blogging really wasn’t invented for talking about a book like Heart of Darkness. I am utterly incapable of coming up with anything approaching an instant reaction to this book. I need to sit with it for a long time, then read it again, then sit with it some more, then read it again. Then maybe I can talk about it. I promise to let you know if I come up with anything…

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Goldilocks (Booking Through Thursday)

Do visit Booking Through Thursday and check out all the great responses to this week’s meme. Are you a Goldilocks kind of reader? Do you need the light just right, the background noise just so loud but not too loud, the chair just right, the distractions at a minimum? Or can you open a book at any time and dip right in, whether it’s for twenty seconds, while waiting for the kettle to boil, or indefinitely, like while waiting interminably at the hospital–as long as…

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Trailer for “The Mist”

Because what a reading blog needs is More Video, right? But I’m really, really excited for this stupid movie for all kinds of reasons, and Sheila blogged about it the other day. Plus I just finished a really boring work read, and the best cure for boredom is You Tube. At least that’s what I learned in corporate America. Looks like a pretty straightforward adaptation of one of King’s scariest stories. I have a personal pet peeve with the stereotype of Crazy Bible Lady, but…

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The View from a Kite by Maureen Hull

Synopsis: Life inside a 1970s TB ward from the point of view of a teenage girl who won’t take her treatment lying down. Review: A View from a Kite is a superlative young adult book, featuring a fresh, likable protagonist in an utterly fascinating setting. Gwen is 17 and has tuberculosis, so she lives in a sanatarium where her only responsibilities are to rest, eat, and heal. She lives amongst patients of all ages, and one of the great treats of this book comes from…

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The Red Queen’s Daughter by Jacqueline Kolosov

Synopsis: The orphaned daughter of Henry VII’s widow Katherine Parr finds herself at court, ostensibly as a lady-in-waiting but in reality to serve Queen Elizabeth as a white magician. Review: The Red Queen’s Daughter is one of the last of the galleys I picked up at Book Expo this year. I don’t read a lot of historical fiction but I was intrigued by the magical aspect to the story. The book has a good balance of historical detail (divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived–anybody remember…

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