this turned into a book post somehow...

[orangerful]

It's that time of year! ALL THE BOOKS are being released so that holiday shoppers can buy them for friends and family. Or all of my books I've had on hold for months arrive on my desk:

I ended up releasing several of them into the wild and putting myself back on hold. I did start reading the new Stephen King. I've always loved his short story collections, plus there is a special place in my heart for him because my Grandma Grady was a big fan. (Mostly hilarious to me because she was this sweet little Southern lady who went to church ever Sunday, so as a kid I assumed he must be a very sweet writer too LOL).

After freaking myself out at bedtime, I decided the King book was best left for lunch breaks and started reading the Felicia Day memoir before bed. As expected, she is adorable. I'm really enjoying the book so far and pondering the idea of using it for the library book club in March or April. I'm just debating the broad appeal of such a geeky memoir but so far I think the awkwardness of just growing up and feeling alone will be easy for anyone to identify with. It's also funny, and I know some of the group have commented about how depressing the last few books were.

Both Felicia Day AND my friend recommended listening to Ink and Bone so I've got that in the car right now (well, Felicia rated the book on her GoodReads, Stephanie listened to it). I'm in the middle of disc 2 and I am intrigued. I'm already cursing myself for starting it because I'm sure it will end on a cliffhanger and it is brand new so book two won't be out for awhile. But it is a cool fantasy story about a world where the Library of Alexandria is the EVIL OVERLORD. I'm a little worried it is about to fall into the YA Trope trap, since we just introduced the side characters and they all feel a bit familiar, but I'm hoping to be surprised.

And for some reason I felt compelled to play Shadows of Mordor again. I never finished it so I've been powering through where I left off, teaching myself all the controls yet again (which are like one step away from the Assassin's Creed controls but not quite so I have to be careful not to try to move like Arno).

Other things happened this week obviously. Horrible things all over the world. I think everyone here has posted thoughts and comments and I agree with them. I have to say, as an American right now, the thing that terrifies me are the current candidates running for office and when I think of them facing a situation like this, or worse...yeah, I just don't even want to talk about it right now. I can't fathom these groups of people who want to hurt other people, to kill other innocent people. My brain can't even begin to figure it out so I am at a loss.

Now to bed so I can get some rest and be ready for the work week! We are planning on going to my parents tomorrow because the wedding pictures finally arrived. Hoping to get some free food while we are there stealing photos LOL. Also trying to convince Tim we should stop by the liquor store there because we have a $10 coupon of a $30 purchase and I'm sure we could find *something* tasty for $30. That is the trick to good coupon use, buying the bare minimum!

Comments

[place-to-hide.livejournal.com]

I feel like I'm going to have to do that with all my books. I have so many. Two came out within two or three days of each other. I've been tired lately so I haven't been able to read. I think I'll have to return them and then put them back on hold.

I really liked Felicia Day's memoir.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Yeah, sometimes I will just leave them on my desk and if I end up renewing them and never taking them home, I will just put them back on the shelf and find them later.

I'm really enjoying it so far! Identifying far too much with her LOL. We both had Prodigy dial-up internet !

[place-to-hide.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Since I don't have a desk. I just check them out and they just sit in a stack. If I reach the maximum renewal and their due and I still haven't read them then I return them.

Hehe. That's good. Don't know what it's like to have dial up. Always had cable / DSL. Lol.

[kaaelyn.livejournal.com]

I still need to read Felicia Day's book. I'm sure I will love it, though. I adore her!

I added Ink and Bone to my TBR. It sounds really awesome!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

It's a really cool premise! I'm enjoying the reader as well, he is doing a pretty good job at all the accents since the characters are from all over the globe.

[interchanges.livejournal.com]

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on When Marnie Was There!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

I will let you know! I checked it out so I need to watch it ASAP because it will be due back Wednesday!

[eowyn.livejournal.com]

Stephen King writes the best short stories, I agree!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

I loved the audiobooks for the last few collections because they had various readers. I'm actually reading this one, so the voice in my head is pure King.

[penderies.livejournal.com]

I miss reading for fun. Gotta get on that.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

YES! May I suggest short stories or even kids books? I find that they are less intimidating. I go on comic book binges a lot because I can read them quickly and then I feel so accomplished. :)

[saturnsdaughter.livejournal.com]

The pile of holds I have at home right now is looking much the same. We have the option to suspend our holds for a certain amount of time, but I keep forgetting to and then 8 will come at once.

I just finished Shadow of Mordor recently myself. I found it hard to get into until you reach the second map and start to gain more abilities. It just felt too repetitive up until that point. But if they decided to make a sequel, I would probably play it.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

We have the option to suspend too but I always think of it a few days after I leave on a trip LOL. Bonus of working at the library though, no one rummages through the pile on my desk to look for expired holds.

I had the same issue with Mordor! I had to get into the storyline a bit before it really got me interested. Though if there is a second map...I may not be as far along as I thought! I just defeated the first set of war chiefs and I think I have to go find that idiot I got promoted earlier.

[1-rhiannon-1.livejournal.com]

That's a lovely stack of books! :D

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Isn't it though? Now to find the time to read them!

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

That looks like a great stack of books :)

I miss reading for fun - I'll have to remedy that soon.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Yes! There are so many fun things to read! I always suggest finding something short, like a short stories collection or even comics or a kids book that you can get through quickly. That feeling of accomplishment when you finish a book will motivate you to keep going!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Is Zeroes the one by Scott Westerfeld? Hmm, I'm going to guess that's what the W stands for. I'll be interested to know how it is, it's on my list of things to read ASAP!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

YES! It is actually Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti all together. I loved the UGLIES series, but I never got into the LEVIATHAN series, just not a steampunk person. Afterworlds fell flat for me too so I'm hoping this one will be better.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

We're opposites on that one. I couldn't get into Uglies (apparently I took it too seriously), but I loved the LEVIATHAN series -- my first experience with steampunk.

Hm, I missed Afterworlds somewhere along the way, but the description doesn't sound too interesting, so I think I'll skip that one.

I'm with you, I have high hopes for this one!

[marshmallow.livejournal.com]

i'm only on the second short in Bazaar of Bad Dreams, but i'm loving it so far. (although something tells me Star Wars: Battlefront might cut into my reading time for a little while...

this reminds me, too.. if it's not making you work during your off hours too much, i'd love to pick your brain on some book ideas for the munchkins, particularly series that would be good for an 11 year old boy? he's really into serial tv (and good stuff! Arrow and Agents of Shield, and even non-comic book stuff like Psych), but has yet to really a book series that grabs him in the same way, but he's also sort of right on that edge being out of the kids' section, but not quite into young adult yet. (help! i think i just realized the perils of having a tween!)

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

That first story creeped me out! And my coworker just started crying when she read the last story so I'm trying to prepare myself for that! (OMG You should watch the the OutsideXbox videos of them playing Battlefront, hilarious! I can't wait to get it! Which platform are you on again?)

Hm 11 year old boy...yes I have lots of ideas but now I need to go wander around to remember what they are. Sounds like he prefers a lot of action, or some goofy humor. Have you tried Percy Jackson yet? That's a HUGE hit with that age group though the size can be intimidating.

I've heard really good things about Return to Augie Hobbs by Lane Smith. Smith was the illustrator for "Stinky Cheese Man" and "True Story of the Three Little Pigs". This would be for that Psych side. :)

I love the Gregor the Overlander series by Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games). It was her first series and I find it just as epic. It has a fantasy twist with Gregor discovering an underground realm. The first book is mostly introductions but it is a 5 books series and the end is just as epic as Lord of the Rings or Hunger Games.

OR we could go the history route with the fabulous Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales graphic novel series that takes TRUE stories and does them in a cool comic book format. "Donner Dinner Party" is always a good one because who doesn't love cannibals?

I will think of more and return, I'm just sitting at the desk brainstorming. :)

[marshmallow.livejournal.com]

yay!! THANK YOU!! these are great!

i think he's read the Percy Jackson books already, and liked them pretty well (though i think you're right in that the size felt like a bit much). Gregor the Overlander sounds great though! he liked the Hunger Games movies quite a bit though, so that could be some incentive for him. and cannibals could be a blast for him! (although i'm trying to get him back into chapter books.. he loves comics to the point of distraction of other things. but if there's history! maybe that takes the edge off of it being mostly pictures.) and Return to Augie Hobble looks like a ton of fun (and maybe something his 9yo sister would be into too.. she was just working on her Christmas list last night and wrote "BOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" as one of the list items.)

& yeah, if the last story is the one i think it is ("Summer Thunder"?), i burst into tears reading it too. i think it was originally published in Cemetery Dance and it just wrecked me. i'll not be re-reading it, that's for sure. (& i'll do that!! we're on PS4, but i'm sure it will translate just fine. :D)

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Don't be fooled by comics, they have a LOT of information in them! They pretty much require the reader to learn a whole new language as you have to decipher both the images and text together to understand what you are reading. (Speaking of, I would also recommend "The Dumbest Idea Ever" by Jimmy Gownley, the true story of how he became a comic book writer).

and now that you have mentioned that, I'll also say "Search for Wondla" by Tony DiTerlizzi (who did Spiderwick Chronicles). It's a fantastic science fiction story, and it is a novel but DiTerlizzi does the illustrations which are just gorgeous. Could work for either kid! OH! And "Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman (which will be a movie eventually).

[marshmallow.livejournal.com]

oh, i definitely don't have a problem with comic books for him. it's just when he only reads those that it gets to be a problem (which is what he was doing for a bit there). really, i just want him reading. period.

and ooh, those look great too!! and definitely, a lot of cross-over between the kids, which is nice, because then it's something they can share. (sometimes i just get books and leave them out for whoever to find and enjoy, rather than targeting one or the other of them.. right now Griff is reading Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures, which i did that with, but expected Addie to pounce on first.)