Thursday, January 31, 2013

Moon Called - Patricia Briggs

Moon Called
Patricia Briggs
Ace Fantasy
Copyright: 2006
9780441013814

From the back of the book:
Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they'll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I'm not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me too.

Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf.

She's tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire.

But then, Mercedes Thompson is not exactly normal herself... and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.
Yes, this is yet another re-read. I've read Moon Called a couple of times in the past, along with the rest of the series (Blood Bound, Iron Kissed, Bone Crossed, Silver Borne and River Marked to date) and loved it every time.

Mercy Thompson is quite the character, and involved with a very interesting world. Where in most of the paranormal worlds (either in the romance genre or the urban fantasy) the supernatural is either well known about or completely kept secret, in the world Mercedes Thompson lives in, it's in that middle-state. At the moment, the Fae are out (for the most part, anyway) and werewolves are something of an open secret, although not officially known about as yet. Not even a hint of vampires or anything else, although they do exist.

All of that adds a whole new set of tensions to the normal set. How to keep these secrets, how to maintain the image that is needed. Dealing with bigotry and prejudice, etc. The whole series (and the spin-off series Alpha and Omega) keep me turning the page, even on re-reading.

From the start, we're thrown right into her world with a bit of a mystery, and we're kept going from there. Who is Mac, who's after him and why? What do they want? The pace never really lets up, although there are plenty of funnier moments to lighten things up - Mercy's parts car, for example. Every time she's annoyed with her neighbor, it gets funnier. I think, by the end of the series, it's missing three of the four wheels and has graffiti scribbled all over it.

If you're an urban fantasy fan and you haven't given Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thompson series a try, you really should. It's one of my favourites and I can't recommend it enough.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Unleash The Night - Sherrilyn Kenyon

Unleash the Night
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2007
978-0312934330

The amazon.com product description:
It's a predator eat predator world for the Were-Hunters. Danger haunts any given day. There is no one to trust. No one to love. Not if they want to live…

An orphan with no clan that will claim him, Wren Tigarian grew to adulthood under the close scrutiny and mistrust of those around him. A forbidden blend of two animals—snow leopard and white tiger—Wren has never listened to anyone when there was something he wanted. Now he wants Marguerite.
Marguerite D'Aubert Goudeau is the daughter of a prominent U.S. Senator who hates the socialite life she's forced to live. Like her mother before her, she has strong Cajun roots that her father doesn't understand. Still, she has no choice but to try and conform to a world where she feels like an outsider. But the world of rich and powerful humans is never to meet the world of the Were-Hunters who exist side by side with them, unseen, unknown, undetected. To break this law is to call down a wrath of the highest order.
In order to have Marguerite, Wren must fight not just the humans who will never accept his animal nature, but the Were-Hunters who want him dead for endangering their world. It's a race against time and magic without boundary that could cost Marguerite and Wren not just their lives, but their very souls…
My favourite of the Dark Hunter series. This is also one of the "old style" Dark Hunter novels - where the story is a hundred percent focused on the two main characters - no continuing story arc or anything from the previous books or to build on for the next one.

At this point in the series its' still possible to read the books out of order and not miss anything other than the occasional joke. However, that starts to change with the later books in the series.

Unleash the Night is a quick and funny read if you're a fan of paranormal romances. There's myth, were-creatures and fun all around, despite the various character issues (or perhaps because of). I've read the book before and laughed my way through it, and I'm sure I will again in the future.

The Fire Rose - Mercedes Lackey

The Fire Rose
Mercedes Lackey
Baen Books
Copyright: 1996
978-0671877507

The amazon.com product description:
San Francisco, 1905: Rosalind, a medieval scholar, is hired by Jason, a powerful sorcerer. Jason's enemy offers to restore Rosalind's family fortune if she will betray Jason. And then the earthquake strikes. . . .
Although it's a much older book and from a different publisher, I still consider this to be a part of the Elemental Masters series. For the most part, the magical system is the same as is the time period, not to mention the fairy-tale framework of the story.

I don't think I'll be giving anything away if I say that this one's based around the tale of Beauty and the Beast in the same way that each of the Elemental Masters series features a fairy tale, for example Sleeping Beauty (The Gates of Sleep).

I don't know if this is my favourite novel set in that world, but it's certainly right up there. Rose is, I think, one of my favourite characters. I just wish I had her talent for languages: German, Latin, some heiroglyphics, French (and the medieval versions of the same). Not to mention wishing I had access to a library like Jason has.

I've read The Fire Rose before several times and I know I'm going to read it again in the future. Every time I open the book it pulls me into the story. I can almost see the mansion Jason has, with the conservatory of birds, the gorgeous Arabian stallion, and the wonderful library.

Monday, January 21, 2013

The Free Bards - Mercedes Lackey

The Free Bards
Mercedes Lackey
Baen Books
Copyright: 1997
978-0671877781

The back jacket blurb:
 Rune, Robin and Nightingale - 
Together They Will Save Us All (If we're very lucky...)
Rune: She ran away from an abusive home to become the greatest violinist her world had ever known - and when The Ghost of Skull Hill tried to stop her, she played him to sleep!

Robin: No mean musician herself, she must make her own visit to Skull Hill - to recruit the dreadful ghost to their cause.

Nightingale: Alone she could accomplish nothing. So she joined forces with T'fyrr, a strange nonhuman with the face of a raptor and the voice of an angelic choir.

This unlikely set of heroes had the daunting task of saving the King - and through him the Gypsies, Free Bards, and non-humans of the twenty kingdoms. Fortunately their opponents had no idea how potent a weapon music could be...
I just typed that jacket blurb out, and found myself cringing multiple times at how wrong it is. Frankly, if that were my introduction to the Bardic Voices books and Mercedes Lackey's writing, I don't think I'd have picked the book up. This isn't the first time I've read the book - there was a time when I owned all three of the books included here, along with the fourth, A Cast of Corbies, as separate volumes. Those books were The Lark and the Wren, The Robin and the Kestrel and The Eagle and the Nightingale.

Mercedes Lackey has created an interesting world with the Twenty Kingdoms and their structure, although we don't get to learn a lot about them. Still, there are some tantalizing hints to a past I kind of wish we could find out more about - some off-hand mentions of Delambren technology and the various references to the Cataclysm come to mind.

I'm going to class this one as not being "great literature" but instead being a fun read - but still one that leaves you thinking about things as you read it.  A lot of the story elements are fairly standard, but Mercedes Lackey has thrown in some interesting twists and turns.

The one thing that frustrated me a little bit was that I've forgotten the story from A Cast of Corbies almost completely, and that one's referred to a fair bit in the third book of this omnibus edtion. Overall, that's a fairly minor thing though.

Not my favourite Mercedes Lackey novel, but a good one nonetheless.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

You've seen her before, here she is again

I posted a photo pf my Dad's cat back last year, "Hungover Cat" as one of my Saturday Snapshots posts. I finally got a good image of her eyes with a different photo tonight. It's a photo out of my archives, but with a bit of editing - thanks to Photoshop Elements 11, I was finally able to get the effect her eyes have at times. Something that the camera just doesn't seem to be able to pick up on that well.

The picture is better at full size I have to admit.

I've been having a lot of fun with image editing today - enough that I've decided to post the last couple of images tomorrow and space things out a bit. But, as I noted in another post, rather than completely hijack All Booked Up with photo posts, I've created a DeviantArt account for my resurgent interest in art and photography. Although, as you can tell, the occasional photo or piece of art is going to be showing up here as well.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

I Need A Good Dictionary

Only into the second assignment of the Berkley Indexing Course and I'm finding that I could really use a better English dictionary. Maybe it says something about my previous classes when I say I have a better dictionary for English to Latin and vice-versa than I do for straight out English.

Usually, I don't need a dictionary - that's what spell-check is for a lot of the time, and I can figure out words from their context pretty well. It's for the more archaic usages that I have on occasion resorted to a dictionary in the past - and then I was able to use my Dad's.

However, for this course, I think a dictionary might as well be a requirement - and considering we're indexing nursery rhymes, that's saying something. On the other hand, I'm having a great time doing it.

What started this complaint/rant about the state of my bookshelves is the word 'tuffet' as used in the rhyme Little Miss Muffet. Anyone have a good definition/description for a tuffet?

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

I Found A "Time" Capsule At Work

As strange as that title is, it's more or less what I found. A fifty year old "Time" capsule. I was putting away some magazines when I found this shelved in with the Time Magazines (all for the current issue):
It's a Time Magazine all right, but it's dated from August 16, 1963. All I can think of is that a customer must have left it there. I brought it home out of curiosity about what was written up for that week. It's kind of neat, even just looking at the ads - for example, cigarette ads are everywhere in the magazine, even the back cover. Today that would be absolutely unthinkable.

Interesting tidbits from the magazine:
  • A blurb for The Great Escape under the cinema listings. I guess the movie must have just been released around that date.
  • None of the bestsellers are at all familiar, at least to me.
  • The big piece of news for the USA is the signing of a nuclear test ban between the US and Russia. This was the time of the Cold War at it's height, or so I've been told
  • Part of an article about the end of segregation (or so I'm guessing. There's a page missing, and this is the end of the article)
Although the layout of the magazine doesn't seem to have changed much in the past fifty years, the writing style certainly has. And also the content. Much of the magazine covers personal stories as news and is very revealing as to how much society has changed over the intervening decades. For example, in the World Business section, Asia is subtitled "The Mysterious East".

I'm definitely finding that reading over this magazine has been both hilarious at times and an interesting snapshot on the events and attitudes of that time.

 The bestellers for the week of August 16, 1963:
Fiction
  1. The Shoes of the Fisherman, Morris L. West
  2. Elizabeth Appleton, John O'Hara
  3. City of Night, John Rechy
  4. The Glass-Blowers, Daphne Du Maurier
  5. Grandmother and the Priests, Taylor Caldwell
  6. Seven Days In May, Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey
  7. The Concubine, Norah Lofts
  8. Raise High The Roof Beam, J. D. Salinger
  9. The Bedford Incident, Mark Rascovich
  10. The Collector, John Fowles
Non Fiction
  1. The Fire Next Time, James Baldwin
  2. I Owe Russia $1,200, Bob Hope
  3. The Whole Truth And Nothing But, Hedda Hopper
  4. The Day They Shook The Plum Tree, Arthur H. Lewis
  5. My Darling Clementine, Jack Fishman
  6. Terrible Swift Sword, Bruce Catton
  7. Travels With Charley, John Steinbeck
  8. Forgotten Pioneer, Harry Golden
  9. The Wine Is Bitter, Milton Stover Eisenhower
  10. A Man Named John, Alden Hatch
Although I'm not familiar with most of these books, I was surprised to recognize some of the authors. I've read a couple of Taylor Caldwell's books and enjoyed them. And, who hasn't heard of John Steinbeck or J. D. Salinger?

Definitely this was a neat find - and takes the cake for the weirdest thing I've found left in the store to date.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Newcomers: A Selection of Articles - Glenda Browne, Sylvia Coates et. al.

Newcomers: A Selection of Articles For Those New To Indexing
Glenda Browne, Sylvia Coates, Joel S. Berson, Rohan Bolton, Jochen Fassbender, Jill Halliday, Michele Combes, Hilary Faulkner, Ann Hudson, Maureen McGlashan
Society of Indexers
Copyright: October 27, 2012

The Amazon.com product description:
Articles specially selected from The Indexer vital to those embarking on a career in indexing. Articles cover: the importance of indexes; choosing indexing as a career; indexing efficiently; choosing software; choosing training; producing a quote; negotiating with clients; and looks toward possible futures with new technology, embedded indexing, topic maps and XML.
Although Newcomers is only available as an e-book, it's well worth getting - even if you don't have an e-reader. The book is a collection of articles, mostly from about 2005 until the middle of last year (2012) covering various topics such as term selection, the editing process, negotiating contracts, the rise of embedded indexing (and the advantages and disadvantages of it), as well as some coverage of the various major indexing courses, software, and how some people got started with their indexing businesses.

Each article has a bibliography and endnotes, so if you're looking for good books to start learning about indexing, it might be worth combing through those to see what titles keep coming up. I did notice that both Indexing From A-Z by Hans Wellisch and Indexing Books Second Edition by Nancy Mulvany were regular occurrences.

Overall, I found all the articles to be thorough, interesting and useful. Some of them covered things that I've been wondering about, such as how people figure out how they're going to charge and how much to charge. Others went into more detail than I've seen to date on issues like embedded indexing - something that I've been seeing references to, but don't know much about to date.

I'll be honest and admit to skimming over the articles that discuss some of the various courses that newcomers can take - I'm in the process of taking a course right now. On the other hand, if I'd gotten this book back in November, I'd probably have found that to be the most useful part of the book. Timing is everything.

I'm probably going to be coming back and checking these articles again a few times as I get going, and perhaps even after that. This is the first collection they've come up with. I sincerely hope it's not the last.

Monday, January 7, 2013

The Dark Knight Rises - Movie Review

I'm reading a lot of books right now, but nothing is even close to being finished. On the other hand, I watched a movie that surprised me with how much I enjoyed it the other day.

The Dark Knight Rises
Christian Bale, Michael Kane, Christopher Nolan
Release Date: December 4, 2012

The amazon.com product description:
It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act. But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane. 
First off, before reviewing this movie I'm going to have to admit that I've never seen any of the Batman movies before this one. So, some of my comments may seem irrelevant to anyone actually familiar with the backstory.

With that disclaimer, on with my review.

The first thing about this movie that struck me, and has stuck with me since, is the soundtrack. It is amazing, and goes very well with the story. Of course, given the composer, I wouldn't expect anything less. Hans Zimmer has done the soundtracks for two of my favourite movies: Gladiator and The Last Samurai. The score for The Dark Knight Rises is on the same level in my mind.

Visually, the movie is absolutely stunning as well. Given the kind of movie this is, the constant high level of action, with the expected fight scenes, chases and explosions were to be expected, and none of it seemed to be gratuitous just for the sake of the special effects. It all worked.

The Dark Knight Rises also kept me on the edge of my seat for a good part of it's run-time. On the other hand, I can't comment on the continuity with either the previous movies or the rest of the Batman franchise. I just don't have the knowledge, but I was watching it with someone who does know the series, and he was questioning things.

The biggest thing about the movie that I found frustrating was the backstory for the various characters that it's expected that the audience should know. On the flip side though, this is the third movie in a trilogy, so it makes sense that most of the audience will have seen the previous two, and to restate all the backstory would probably slow things down incredibly and use a lot of the time the movie could dedicate to another aspect of the current story.

There were certainly some surprising twists to the story too.

Overall, I quite liked the movie and I'm planning to watch the other two at some point in the future.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

One Of My Favorite Photomanipulations

I never titled it until the other day, even though I did this years ago. For a more specific date, it was in a class and at the time, Photoshop 5.5 was the current version. Anyway, Cold Sunset, as I now call it was the first piece of my art that I posted to my new DeviantArt account - linked to in the sidebar and here.

I like playing with art, and wanted a place to show it off without hijacking All Booked Up away from books. Even so, I'm likely to post the occasional piece here too.

I guess part of the resurgence in my enthusiasm is my recent purchase of Photoshop Elements, which I'm really enjoying playing with.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Indexing from A-Z Second Edition - Hans Wellisch

Indexing From A-Z Second Edition - Hans H. Wellisch Indexing from A-Z Second Edition
Hans H. Wellisch
H. W. Wilson
Copyright: 1995
ISBN: 978-0824208820

The jacket blurb:
Like its highly praised predecessor, the second edition is intended to be of help to authors, students and beginning indexers, as well as to experienced practitioners and specialists. Covering not only back of the book indexing but also the indexing of periodicals and nonprint material, the second edition cites the newest standards in the field, treats new topics like automatic indexing and the indexing of legal and medical texts, and updates many other sections, including the extensive bibliography.

The book is arranged alphabetically in articles that cover all aspects of indexing, including such topics as alphabetical, chronological and classified order of entries, automatic indexing, corporate names, cumulative indexes, exhaustivity, keywords, the indexing process and its techniques, legal and medical texts, length of indexes, natural and controlled languages, personal and place names, proofreading, specificity, string indexing, technical manuals and reports, and thesauri.

Also addressed are topics of interest to professional indexers, such as author-publisher-indexers, relations, contracts, copyright, costing equipment, fees, reference works, and typography.

In all sections, ample cross-references lead users to related issues, and thus to the broadest possible treatment of a topic.

The book is replete with practical examples of correct and incorrect indexing, always citing the latest national and international standards and recommended practices, as well as references to the professional literature, listed in an extensive bibliography.

Tables and figures address such matters as the number of index lines on a page for different type and page sizes, a comparison of indexing time using cards versus a computer, proof correction marks, indexing typography, KWIC and KWOC indexing etc.

 OK, I have to be honest here. 1995 is fairly old at this point. There will be things that are out of date. However, the book is still an invaluable resource for a beginning indexer in my opinion. It's still recommended in the 16th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. Not to mention a number of websites, including several of the various indexing societies.

I liked the alphabetical arrangement. For reading it's a bit jarring, jumping from topic to topic, rather than a linear progression, but the cross-references make it easier to follow that progression if that's the way you want to read it. On the other hand, that layout makes it very easy to look something up for later reference. It also makes it easier to skip topics if they're not what you're interested in at this point. For me those were topics like legal and medical reference books.

Each topic is explained in detail, which is why I think this is going to be a useful reference when I run into issues in the future.

There was one moment when I found myself laughing at the book. Namely when in the topic of "Fiction" he claims that The Lord of the Rings is lacking an index but needs one. There is an index at the end of The Return of the King, and has been in every edition I've seen. I shouldn't quibble though.

Overall, Indexing from A-Z, while an expensive book is one that's well worth adding to any indexers reference library. At least, that's what I think. More experienced indexers may feel otherwise. Still, this is a book I've seen recommended in a lot of places.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Recently Bought Books

I was going to title this post "These Are The Books I've Bought Recently", but Jeff started quoting Star Trek ("These are the voyages....") to me when I said that. I think he was able to quote the entire introductory speech from memory. Rather amazing.

Anyway, I've been doing some book buying in the past few months, even though I haven't been doing any posting. As a result, I think this post is going to be somewhat long, although I'm cutting out a lot of information like the publisher, release date and ISBN in an effort to make things a little bit shorter. Not in chronological order, however. My memory's not that good.

Earth To Hell
Kylie Chan

Amazon.com Product Description:
A fabulous story of gods and demons, shapeshifters and martial arts . . .
It is eight years since Xuan Wu, God of the Northern Heavens, living in Hong Kong as wealthy businessman John Chen, was exiled from the mortal realm. Emma Donahoe and Simone, John's daughter, are facing a new series of threats, while their best fighter, Leo, sits in Hell. They must persuade him to come home . . . but, in Hell, nothing is as it appears.
On Earth, Simon Wong, the Demon King's son, is no longer around to trouble them, but his associates have taken over Simon's underworld activities. The otherworldly stones are being targeted and are in danger of their kind being completely destroyed.
It seems that the Demon King is the only one Emma can turn to for help . . . 
Earth To Hell is the first book in the new trilogy that follows on White Tiger, Red Phoenix and Blue Dragon that came out last year.

Hell To Heaven
Kylie Chan

The Chapters/Indigo product description:
The gods and demons of ancient China are alive and kicking . . . Emma Donahoe teeters on the edge of becoming fully demon, and must make a journey to the Kunlun Mountains in the West, home of the reclusive ancient goddess Nu Wa, in an attempt to regain her humanity. Traveling with Emma is Xuan Wu''s daughter, Simone, who is struggling with her growing power and trying to defend herself from the demons who want to destroy her.
And Michael is trying to come to terms with the shock of finding out he might be half demon . . . and a danger to them all.
The sequel to Earth To Hell.

Heaven To Wudang: Journey To Wudang: Book Three
Kylie Chan

The amazon.com product description:
The third book in an addictive new urban fantasy series of gods and demons, martial arts and mythology, from the author of White Tiger. Ancient Chinese mythology comes to life in this bestselling series of martial arts and demons, dragons and gods, legends and lies ...and a journey to the depths of Hell. The demons that could control stones and elementals have been defeated, but the most powerful of Simon Wong's associates still remains - the one who can create almost undetectable copies of humans and Shen. This demon has allied with Kitty Kwok and together they plot to trap Emma and Simone in a web of copies. Wudang Mountain is enveloped by dark foreboding as Xuan Wu begins to reappear - sometimes human, sometimes turtle, but always without memory. Emma and Simone must race from Hong Kong to Hanoi as they try to rescue Xuan Wu before the demons capture him.
The first trilogy, Dark Heavens, by Kylie Chan was one of my favourites last year. All I know at this point for the Journey To Wudang books is that I've been looking forward to reading these since I finished Blue Dragon when it first came out.

The Photoshop Elements 11 Book For Digital Photographers 
Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski

The amazon.com product description:
This book (for Windows and Mac) breaks new ground by doing something for digital photographers that's never been done before–it cuts through the bull and shows exactly "how to do it." It's not a bunch of theory; it doesn't challenge readers to come up with their own settings or figure things out on their own. Instead, it tells readers flat-out which settings to use, when to use them, and why. This book gives the inside tips and tricks of the trade for organizing, correcting, editing, sharpening, retouching, and presenting photos like a pro. Readers will be absolutely amazed at how easy and effective these techniques are–once they know the secrets.

This book covers:

-The real secrets of how the pros retouch portraits
-How to color correct any photo without breaking a sweat
-How to use Camera Raw for processing not only RAW photos, but JPEGs and TIFFs, too!
-The sharpening techniques the pros really use
-How to deal with common digital camera image problems, including removing noise and avoiding halos
-The most requested photographic special effects
-All the brand new features of Elements 11, which offers better ways to manage photos, map images, share memories, use templates, and easily create pro-quality photographic effects

And the book's secret weapon: It also covers slick workarounds, cheats, and some fairly ingenious ways to replicate many Photoshop CS6 features from right within Elements 11.
-And much more!
I got tired of working with (or attempting to work with) Gimp, and broke down to buy Photoshop Elements 11, but found that I needed a reference for it. We`ll see how well this one works out. In it's favour, I've had a lot of people ask me for Scott Kelby's books at work before.

On a quick flip through the book I've had a whole lot of "Hey, cool" moments regarding the software - for example, the discovery that Elements is supposed to be able to process files in RAW format.

Holy Warriors: A Modern History of the Crusades 
Jonathan Phillips

The amazon.com product description:
From an internationally renowned expert, here is an accessible and utterly fascinating one-volume history of the Crusades, thrillingly told through the experiences of its many players—knights and sultans, kings and poets, Christians and Muslims. Jonathan Phillips traces the origins, expansion, decline, and conclusion of the Crusades and comments on their contemporary echoes—from the mysteries of the Templars to the grim reality of al-Qaeda. Holy Warriors puts the past in a new perspective and brilliantly sheds light on the origins of today’s wars.

Starting with Pope Urban II’s emotive, groundbreaking speech in November 1095, in which he called for the recovery of Jerusalem from Islam by the First Crusade, Phillips traces the centuries-long conflict between two of the world’s great faiths. Using songs, sermons, narratives, and letters of the period, he reveals how the success of the First Crusade inspired generations of kings to campaign for their own vainglory and set down a marker for the knights of Europe, men who increasingly blurred the boundaries between chivalry and crusading. In the Muslim world, early attempts to call a jihad fell upon deaf ears until the charisma of the Sultan Saladin brought the struggle to a climax. Yet the story that emerges has other dimensions—as never before, Phillips incorporates the holy wars within the story of medieval Christendom and Islam and shines new light on many truces, alliances, and diplomatic efforts that have been forgotten over the centuries.

Holy Warriors also discusses how the term “crusade” survived into the modern era and how its redefinition through romantic literature and the drive for colonial empires during the nineteenth century gave it an energy and a resonance that persisted down to the alliance between Franco and the Church during the Spanish Civil War and right up to George W. Bush’s pious “war on terror.”

Elegantly written, compulsively readable, and full of stunning new portraits of unforgettable real-life figures—from Richard the Lionhearted to Melisende, the formidable crusader queen of Jerusalem—Holy Warriors is a must-read for anyone interested in medieval Europe, as well as for those seeking to understand the history of religious conflict.
I first saw this book when it came out a couple of years ago and was intrigued then. Now, it's listed as being a bargain book, so I snapped up a copy at a very good price. Haven't had a chance to go through it at all though yet.

Alexander The Great 
Philip Freeman

The amazon.com product description:
In the first authoritative biography of Alexander the Great written for a general audience in a generation, classicist and historian Philip Freeman tells the remarkable life of the great conqueror. The celebrated Macedonian king has been one of the most enduring figures in history. He was a general of such skill and renown that for two thousand years other great leaders studied his strategy and tactics, from Hannibal to Napoleon, with countless more in between. He flashed across the sky of history like a comet, glowing brightly and burning out quickly: crowned at age nineteen, dead by thirty-two. He established the greatest empire of the ancient world; Greek coins and statues are found as far east as Afghanistan. Our interest in him has never faded.

Alexander was born into the royal family of Macedonia, the kingdom that would soon rule over Greece. Tutored as a boy by Aristotle, Alexander had an inquisitive mind that would serve him well when he faced formidable obstacles during his military campaigns. Shortly after taking command of the army, he launched an invasion of the Persian empire, and continued his conquests as far south as the deserts of Egypt and as far east as the mountains of present-day Pakistan and the plains of India. Alexander spent nearly all his adult life away from his homeland, and he and his men helped spread the Greek language throughout western Asia, where it would become the lingua franca of the ancient world. Within a short time after Alexander’s death in Baghdad, his empire began to fracture. Best known among his successors are the Ptolemies of Egypt, whose empire lasted until Cleopatra.

In his lively and authoritative biography of Alexander, classical scholar and historian Philip Freeman describes Alexander’s astonishing achievements and provides insight into the mercurial character of the great conqueror. Alexander could be petty and magnanimous, cruel and merciful, impulsive and farsighted. Above all, he was ferociously, intensely competitive and could not tolerate losing—which he rarely did. As Freeman explains, without Alexander, the influence of Greece on the ancient world would surely not have been as great as it was, even if his motivation was not to spread Greek culture for beneficial purposes but instead to unify his empire. Only a handful of people have influenced history as Alexander did, which is why he continues to fascinate us.
I've been interested in Alexander The Great this past year.

A History Of The World In 100 Objects
Neil MacGregor

The amazon.com product description:
From the renowned director of the British Museum, a kaleidoscopic history of humanity told through things we have made.

When did people first start to wear jewelry or play music? When were cows domesticated and why do we feed their milk to our children? Where were the first cities and what made them succeed? Who invented math-or came up with money?

The history of humanity is a history of invention and innovation, as we have continually created new items to use, to admire, or to leave our mark on the world. In this original and thought-provoking book, Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, has selected one hundred man-made artifacts, each of which gives us an intimate glimpse of an unexpected turning point in human civilization. A History of the World in 100 Objects stretches back two million years and covers the globe. From the very first hand axe to the ubiquitous credit card, each item has a story to tell; together they relate the larger history of mankind-revealing who we are by looking at what we have made.

Handsomely designed, with more than 150 color photographs throughout the text, A History of the World in 100 Objects is a gorgeous reading book and makes a great gift for anyone interested in history.
I'm only half way through this book, and I'm loving it. I'm going to go into the routine I use for selling the History of the World In 100 Objects at work, if you don't mind. I honestly don't know when it's going to be reviewed, so I just want to say it now.
A History Of The World In 100 Objects is based on the BBC Radio program, and is the most unique take on history I've seen yet. There's something in this book for anyone who likes history, and if you've specialized in one period or region, you're going to find this fascinating for two reasons. The first is the object or objects from that region or time period, the other is the rest of the book. I'm finding the various items from the rest of the world as neat as the ones from the areas of my primary interest.

The Rise And Fall of Ancient Egypt
Toby Wilkinson

The amazon.com product description:
In this landmark work, one of the world’s most renowned Egyptologists tells the epic story of this great civilization, from its birth as the first nation-state to its final absorption into the Roman Empire—three thousand years of wild drama, bold spectacle, and unforgettable characters.

Award-winning scholar Toby Wilkinson captures not only the lavish pomp and artistic grandeur of this land of pyramids and pharaohs but for the first time reveals the constant propaganda and repression that were its foundations. Drawing upon forty years of archaeological research, Wilkinson takes us inside an exotic tribal society with a pre-monetary economy and decadent, divine kings who ruled with all-too-recognizable human emotions.

Here are the years of the Old Kingdom, where Pepi II, made king as an infant, was later undermined by rumors of his affair with an army general, and the Middle Kingdom, a golden age of literature and jewelry in which the benefits of the afterlife became available for all, not just royalty—a concept later underlying Christianity. Wilkinson then explores the legendary era of the New Kingdom, a lost world of breathtaking opulence founded by Ahmose, whose parents were siblings, and who married his sister and transformed worship of his family into a national cult. Other leaders include Akhenaten, the “heretic king,” who with his wife Nefertiti brought about a revolution with a bold new religion; his son Tutankhamun, whose dazzling tomb would remain hidden for three millennia; and eleven pharaohs called Ramesses, the last of whom presided over the militarism, lawlessness, and corruption that caused a crucial political and societal decline.

Riveting and revelatory, filled with new information and unique interpretations, The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt will become the standard source about this great civilization, one that lasted—so far—longer than any other.
Bought after visiting the exhibit currently at the Pacific Science Center, when I wanted to find out more about ancient Egypt.

And now, I'm sure you're getting tired of the history books I love (and buy but never seem to get around to reading), so back to the fiction and fantasy purchases - not to mention the cookbooks. I did say this was going to be a long post.

Redoubt
Mercedes Lackey

The amazon.com product description:
 Mags, a young Herald trainee in Haven, the capital city of the kingdom of Valdemar, has talents not commonly found in Herald trainees. Recognizing this, the King's Own Herald decides to train Mags as a spy in order to uncover the secrets of a mysterious new enemy who has taken an interest in Mags himself. Why is the even deeper mystery. The answers can only be found in the most unexpected corners of Mags' past...assuming he can live long enough to find them.
Definitely a book I was looking forward to reading.

Elemental Magic
Mercedes Lackey

The amazon.com product description:
Among Mercedes Lackey’s many novels, few are as critically acclaimed and beloved as those about the Elemental Masters. The novels in this series are loosely based on classic fairy tales, and take place in a fantasy version of turn-of-the-century London, where magic is real and Elemental Masters control the powers of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. Now other authors join Mercedes Lackey to add their own special touches to this delightful alternate history, in a world where magic is always just around the corner...
I have to admit, I was looking forward to the annual Valdemar anthology, but so far, the stories in here have been good. And, yes, a number of familiar names do turn up (I mean the authors, not the characters), as I was hoping.

The General's Mistress
Jo Graham

The amazon.com product description:
Liberté, Egalité, Sensualité. . . .

As a spirit of change overturns Europe’s old order, strong-willed Elzelina Versfelt enters her own age of revolution. Married as a romantic young girl to a man who wanted only her money, but neither loves nor desires her, Elza refuses to be chained any longer. Leaving Amsterdam, her marriage, and her home, she flees to France—where the old rules no longer apply, debauchery is not a sin . . . and nothing is forbidden.

Yet Elza finds herself bound in a new way, to the ambitious General Moreau. And while they share pleasure, pain, and carnal adventures, she dreams of another man, an unruly red-haired soldier she first saw in the promise of a Tarot card. Drawn by this half-real, half-imagined hero, Elza defies her relationship with Moreau, and begins a perilous search across war-torn Europe. . . . But will this woman with the instincts of a survivor, the passion of a courtesan, and the gift of second sight ever find the destiny for which she has risked it all?

This stunning novel blends history with the language of the heart to tell a sensual story of an era of upheaval . . . and of the clamoring, dangerous desires of a woman’s soul.
All I can say is that this book really surprised me. I loved the hints of Charmian from Hand of Isis and even of Gull from Black Ships though. And, you can't forget Lydias from Stealing Fire either. I'm really hoping to be able to get my hands on the next book in the series however.

Lost Things
Melissa Scott and Jo Graham

The amazon.com product description:
In 1929 archeologists began draining Lake Nemi in search of the mysterious ships that have been glimpsed beneath its waters since the reign of Claudius. What they awakened had been drowned for two thousand years. For a very good reason. Veteran aviator Lewis Segura has been drifting since the Great War ended, fetched up at last at the small company run by fellow veterans and pilots Alma Gilchrist and Mitchell Sorley, assisted by their old friend Dr. Jerry Ballard, an archeologist who lost his career when he lost part of his leg. It’s a living, and if it’s not quite what any of them had dreamed of, it’s better than much that they’ve already survived. But Lewis has always dreamed true, and what he sees in his dreams will take them on a dangerous chase from Hollywood to New York to an airship over the Atlantic, and finally to the Groves of Diana Herself…. The world is full of lost treasures. Some of them are better off not found.
I really liked this one, though I've heard from some people that it's rather slow starting of.

Hobbitus Ille: The Hobbit (Latin and English Edition)
J.R.R. Tolkien and Mark Walker

The amazon.com product description:
Fascinating for Latin learners and for Tolkien fans of all ages, The Hobbit has been translated into Latin for the first time since its publication 75 years ago.

In foramine terrae habitabat hobbitus. (‘In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit.’)

The Hobbit, is one of the world’s most popular classic stories, appealing to adults as much as to the children for whom J.R.R. Tolkien first wrote the book. Translated worldwide into more than 60 modern languages, now Hobbitus Ille is finally published in Latin, and will be of interest to all those who are studying the language, whether at school or at a higher level.

In the great tradition of publishing famous children’s books in Latin, professional classicist and lifelong Tolkien fan Mark Walker provides a deft translation of the entire book. His attention to detail, including the transformation of Tolkien’s songs and verses into classical Latin metres, will fascinate and entertain readers of all ability, even those with only a minimal acquaintance with the language.
As weird as it sounds, I've added this to my collection, even though I know I'm probably never going to be able to read it.

Unread Books 2013

Here's the 2013 incarnation of my Unread Books list. It's just as scary as it has been every other year I've posted it too. For every book I read from the list, I seem to add at least one to the list again, and usually more than one. The titles with a line through them are currently sitting in boxes. I think there's only one box left to unpack, but to be honest, I'm not completely sure what's in it now.
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One of these days I really need to go through this list and my book collection and give it a proper update. I know there are books that aren't on the list, and others that are but that I've sold on. I try and work from memory most of the time and it's definitely not a hundred percent accurate.

Edited November 5 to update the storage status of many of the books and to add a new title.

Last year, honestly, I didn't do too well with this list either. Maybe this year I'll do better.
  1. Star Wars: X-Wing Omnibus 3 - Michael Stackpole - Fiction (Graphic Novel)
  2. The Children of Hurin - J.R.R. Tolkien - Fiction (Fantasy)
  3. On Faerie Stories - Ed. Verilyn Flieger - Non Fiction
  4. The Tolkien Legendarium - Ed. Carl Hostetter - Non Fiction
  5. Splintered Light: Logos And Language In Middle-Earth - Verilyn Flieger - Non Fiction
  6. Life In A Medieval City - Francis and Joseph Gies - Non Fiction (History)
  7. Life In A Medieval Castle - Francis and Joseph Gies - Non Fiction (History)
  8. The Histories - Herodotus - Non Fiction (History)
  9. The Peloponnesian War - Thucydides - Non Fiction (History, Primary Source)
  10. The Name Of The Rose - Umberto Ecco - Fiction
  11. The Eagle - Jack Whyte - Fiction
  12. The Battle For Middle-Earth - Bonnie Rutledge - Non Fiction
  13. The Ring Of Words - Jeremy H. Marshall - Non Fiction
  14. Greek Lives - Plutarch - Non Fiction (History, Biography, Primary Source)
  15. Roman Lives - Plutarch - Non Fiction (History, Biography, Primary Source)
  16. The Forever Hero - L.E. Modesitt - Fiction (Science Fiction)
  17. A Flame In Hali - Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross - Fiction (Fantasy)
  18. The Fall of Neskaya - Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross - Fiction (Fantasy)
  19. Zandru's Forge - Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross - Fiction (Science Fiction)
  20. Ravens of Avalon - Diana L. Paxon - Fiction (Fantasy)
  21. Ancestors of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley - Fiction (Fantasy)
  22. God's War - Christopher Tyerman - Non Fiction (History)
  23. The Eagle and the Raven - Pauline Gedge - Fiction
  24. Tolkien: A Celebration - Joseph Pearce - Non Fiction
  25. Beowulf - Trans. Seamus Heany - Poetry (Primary Source)
  26. Job: A Comedy Of Justice - Robert Heinlein - Fiction (Science Fiction)
  27. J.R.R. Tolkien: A Reader's Guide - Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull - Non Fiction
  28. The History Of The Hobbit: Mr. Baggins - John Rateliff - Non Fiction
  29. The History Of The Hobbit: Return To Bag-End - John Rateliff - Non Fiction
  30. Masters Of Fantasy - Anthology (Fantasy)
  31. Lives of the Twelve Caeasars - Suetonius - Non Fiction (History, Biography, Primary Source)
  32. The Annals - Tacitus - Non Fiction (History, Primary Source)
  33. An Imperial Possession - David Mattingly - Non Fiction (History)
  34. The Peloponnesian War - Donald Kagan - Non Fiction (History)
  35. Augustus: The Life Of Rome's First Emperor - Anthony Everitt - Non Fiction (History, Biography)
  36. Cicero - Anthony Everitt - Non Fiction (History, Biography)
  37. The Dark Champion - Kinley MacGregor - Fiction (Romance)
  38. Caesar - Adrian Goldworthy - Non Fiction (History, Biography)
  39. The Fall Of The Roman Empire - Peter Heather - Non Fiction (History)
  40. Xenophon's Retreat - Robin Waterfield - Non Fiction (History)
  41. Isabella - Alison Weir - Non Fiction (History, Biography)
  42. Anthony And Cleopatra - Shakespeare - Fiction (Primary Source)
  43. Romeo And Juliet - Shakespeare - Fiction (Primary Source)
  44. Richard III - Shakespeare - Fiction (Primary Source)
  45. The Comedy Of Errors - Shakespeare - Fiction (Primary Source)
  46. All's Well That Ends Well - Shakespeare - Fiction (Primary Source)
  47. Troilus And Cressida - Shakespeare - Fiction (Primary Source)
  48. Henry IV Part One - Shakespeare - Fiction (Primary Source)
  49. The Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer - Poetry (Primary Source)
  50. The Saga of Grettir The Strong - Fiction (Primary Source)
  51. The Conquest Of Gaul - Julius Caesar - Non Fiction (History, Primary Source)
  52. The Annotated Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien - Fiction (Fantasy)
  53. Rome And Jerusalem - Martin Goodman - Non Fiction (History)
  54. The History of Britain - Simon Schama - Non Fiction (History)
  55. Metamorphosis - Ovid - Poetry (Primary Source)
  56. The Medieval World - Eds. Peter Linehan & Janet L. Nelson - Non Fiction (History)
  57. Europe And The Middle Ages - Edward Peters - Non Fiction (History)
  58. The Age of the Cathedrals - Georges Duby - Non Fiction (History)
  59. A History Of Private Life I - Non Fiction (History)
  60. A History Of Private Life II - Non Fiction (History)
  61. The Peasantries Of Europe - Ed. Tom Scott - Non Fiction (History)
  62. Law And Life of Rome - J. A. Crook - Non Fiction (History)
  63. The Temple And the Lodge - Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh - Non Fiction
  64. The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception - Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh - Non Fiction
  65. The Battle Of Salamis - Barry Strauss - Non Fiction (History)
  66. The Knights Templar - Piers Paul Read - Non Fiction
  67. The Lost Tomb Of Alexander The Great - Andrew Michael Chugg - Non Fiction (History)
  68. Greek Lyric Poetry - Trans. Sherod Santos - Poetry (Primary Source)
  69. Khubilai Khan's Lost Fleet: In Search of a Legendary Armada - James Delgado - Non Fiction (History)
  70. On Sparta - Plutarch - Non Fiction (History, Primary Source)
  71. A History Of My Times - Xenophon - Non Fiction (History, Primary Source)
  72. On The Prowl - Anthology (Romance)
  73. Knight Of Darkness - Kinley MacGregor - Fiction (Romance)
  74. Sword of Darkness - Kinley MacGregor - Fiction (Romance)
  75. Sword and Sorceress VIII - Fiction (Anthology)
  76. Sword and Sorceress XV - Fiction (Anthology)
  77. Sword and Sorceress XIV - Fiction (Anthology)
  78. Sword and Sorceress X - Fiction (Anthology)
  79. Sword and Sorceress VI - Fiction (Anthology)
  80. Sword and Sorceress IX - Fiction (Anthology)
  81. Rocket Ship Galileo - Robert Heinlein - Fiction (Science Fiction)
  82. The Real Middle Earth - Brian Bates - Non Fiction (History)
  83. Roman Poets Of The Early Empire - Poetry - (Primary Source)
  84. Readings In Medieval History - Patrick Geary - Non Fiction (History)
  85. Troilus And Criseyde - Geoffrey Chaucer - Poetry (Primary Source)
  86. Falls The Shadow - Sharon Kay Penman - Fiction (History)
  87. The Reckoning - Sharon Kay Penman - Fiction (History)
  88. Eleanor Of Aquitaine - Alison Weir - Non Fiction (Biography)
  89. Growing Up In Medieval London - Barbara Hanawalt - Non Fiction (History)
  90. The Lost Capital Of Byzantium - Steven Runciman - Non Fiction - History
  91. Charmed Destinies - Anthology (Fantasy)
  92. The Ties That Bound - Barbara Hanawalt - Non Fiction (History)
  93. Making A Living In The Middle Ages - Christopher Dyer - Non Fiction (History)
  94. The Art Of Medieval Hunting - John Cummins - Non Fiction (History)
  95. Medieval English Prose For Women - Eds. Bella Millett & Jocelyn Wogan-Browne - Non Fiction (Primary Source)
  96. Sword and Sorceress I - Fiction (Anthology)
  97. Sword and Sorceress V - Fiction (Anthology)
  98. Sword and Sorceress VII - Fiction (Anthology)
  99. Against The Odds - Elizabeth Moon - Fiction (Science Fiction)
  100. Dictionary Of Mythology - Non Fiction
  101. Hadrian - Anthony Everitt - Non Fiction - Biography
  102. The Inheritance Of Rome - Chris Wickham - Non Fiction (History)
  103. Josephus - Non Fiction (Primary Source)
  104. Women in Early Medieval Europe 400-1100 - Lisa M. Bitel - Non Fiction (History)
  105. An Illustrated History of its First 12000 Years: Toronto edited by Ronald F. Williamson - Non Fiction (History)
  106. Becoming Modern In Toronto: The Industrial Exhibition - Keith Walden - Non Fiction (History)
  107. The Complete World Of The Dead Sea Scrolls - Phillip R. Davies, George J. Brooke and Phillip R. Callaway - Non Fiction (History)
  108. The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English - Non Fiction (Primary Source)
  109. Alexandria - Nick Bantock - Fiction
  110. Morningstar - Nick Bantock - Fiction
  111. Gryphon - Nick Bantock - Fiction
  112. Londinium - John Morris - Non Fiction - History
  113. The Archaeology Of Roman Britain - R. G. Collingwood - Non Fiction - History
  114. Lord of the Two Lands - Judith Tarr - Fiction (Fantasy)
  115. Daily Living In The Twelfth Century - Non Fiction (History)
  116. Cathedral, Forge And Waterwheel - Francis And Joseph Gies - Non Fiction (History)
  117. Medicine And Society In Later Medieval England - Caroline Rawcliffe - Non Fiction (History)
  118.  Variable Star - Robert Heinlein and Spider Robinson - Fiction (Science Fiction)
  119. Zoe's Tale - John Scalzi - Fiction (Science Fiction)
  120. The Forgetting Room - Nick Bantock - Fiction
  121. Sex, Dissidence And Damnation: Minority Groups In The Middle Ages - Jeffrey Richards - Non Fiction (History)
  122. The Life Of Christina Of Markayte - Trans. C. H. Talbot - Non Fiction (Primary Source)
  123. Medieval Costume And Fashion - Herbert Norris - Non Fiction (History)
  124. The Venetian's Wife - Nick Bantock - Fiction
  125. Medieval Households - David Herlihy - Non Fiction (History)
  126. Special Sisters: Women In The European Middle Ages - Arthur Fredrick Ide - Non Fiction (History)
  127. Everyman And Medieval Miracle Plays - Ed. A. C. Crawley - Non Fiction (Primary Source)
  128. The Last Apocalypse - James Reston Jr. - Non Fiction (History)
  129. The Museum At Purgatory - Nick Bantock - Fiction
  130. Lysistrata/The Clouds  - Aristophanes - Fiction (History, Primary Source, Play)
  131. Shadow Of The Swords - Kamran Pasha - Fiction
  132. The Forest Laird - Jack Whyte - Fiction (Historical Fiction)
  133. The Grand Design - Steven Hawking - Non Fiction
  134. American Vampire - Scott Snyder, Steven King - Fiction (Graphic Novel)
  135. A Game Of Thrones - George R. R. Martin - Fiction (Fantasy, e-book)
  136. Stray - Rachel Vincent - Fiction (Fantasy)
  137. Queen By Right - Anne Easter Smith - Fiction (Historical Fiction)
  138. Dreams of Joy - Lisa See - Fiction (Historical Fiction)
  139. Rosemary and Rue - Seanan McGuire - Fiction (Fantasy)
  140. The Axe and the Oath - Robert Fossier - Non Fiction (History)
  141. A Short History of the Middle Ages - Barbara Rosenwein - Non Fiction (History)
  142. Pausanias Guide to Greece Volume One Translated by Peter Levy - Non Fiction (History, Primary Source)
  143. The Ruin of the Roman Empire: A New History - James J. O'Donnell - Non Fiction (History)
  144. Atlas of Medieval Europe - Non Fiction (History)
  145. Shanghai Girls - Lisa See - Fiction (History)
  146. The Art of The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien - Non Fiction (Fantasy)
  147. By Fire By Water - Mitchell James Kaplan - Fiction (History)
  148. Hobbitus Ille - J.R.R. Tolkien - Fiction (Fantasy)
  149. The Landmark Arrian - Non Fiction (History, Primary Source)
  150. Alexander The Great - Philip Freeman - Non Fiction (History, Biography)
  151. The Rise And Fall of Ancient Egypt - Toby Wilkinson - Non Fiction (History)
  152. Earth To Hell - Kylie Chan - Fiction (Fantasy)
  153. Hell To Heaven - Kylie Chan - Fiction (Fantasy)
  154. Heaven To Wudang - Kylie Chan - Fiction (Fantasy)
  155. Holy Warriors: A Modern History of the Crusades - Johnathan Phillips - Non Fiction (History)
  156. Facing the Text ~ Content And Structure In Book Indexing - Do Mi Stauber - Non Fiction (Indexing)
  157. The Crusades A Reader - Ed. S. J. Allen and Emilie Amt - Non Fiction (History, Primary Source)
  158. Women's Writing In Middle English - Ed. Alexandra Barratt - Non Fiction (History, Primary Source)
  159. Stalking Darkness - Lynn Flewelling - Fiction (Fantasy)
  160. Traitor's Moon - Lynn Flewelling - Fiction (Fantasy)
  161. The Crusader States - Malcolm Barber - Non Fiction (History)
  162. Chronicles of the First Crusade - Ed. Christopher Tyerman - Non Fiction (History, Primary Source)
  163. The Empire At War Vol 1 - Fiction (Graphic Novel, Science Fiction)
  164. The Empire At War Vol 2 - Fiction (Graphic Novel, Science Fiction)
  165. The History of the World in 100 Objects - Neil MacGregor - Non Fiction (History)
  166. The Zero Mile Diet: A Year Round Guide To Growing Organic Food - Carolyn Herriot - Non Fiction (Gardening)
  167. I Am Malala - Malala Yousafzai - Non Fiction (Biography, Autobiography)
  168. The Landmark Hellenika - Ed. Robert Strassler - Non Fiction (History, Primary Source)
  169. Women In Medieval Society - Ed. Susan Mosher Stuard - Non Fiction (History)
  170. The Lady In Medieval England 1000-1500 - Peter Coss - Non Fiction (History)
  171. Passion Play - Beth Bernobich - Fiction (Fantasy)

I'm Back

Yes, I'll admit it. I did just vanish off the face of the earth so far as this blog has been concerned for the past few months. Suffice it to say, I've been evaluating things a bit. At least for the time being, I've decided to continue with All Booked Up. Over the past few months, I've even missed missed reviewing books here.

On the other hand, I'm going to be making some changes to my blogging. Mainly that I no longer wish to accept review copies of books. As great as seeing that package in the mail has been, I found that the books were adding pressure to my reading. Work does that enough these days. For this, I've decided that I'd rather read what I want to read, when I want to read it, rather than the "must read one of these books" feeling I was having.

I really like re-reading and I've been feeling guilty about that because of the feeling that I had to get to this book or that book 'right now'.

Beyond all this, I haven't decided what other changes I'm going to make right off.

I'm also taking a six month course on indexing, so there's bound to be a few posts on that topic, including reviews of books I read on the topic (including the Nancy Mulvany text Indexing Books Second Edition). That is also going to take priority over the blog too, if I have to make a choice from time to time.

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