middle of a book

Moon Report: waxing crescent. 3% full.

Book Note

Ok. I am in the middle of a book called The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman by Louis de Bernieres. This is a very well written book and one I think is interesting and should be great if I ever finish it. My problem--I think my attention span is shrinking. I have now checked it out of the library for the third time to see if I can manage through. There is absolutely no excuse for my lazy reading.

I originally checked this out of the library because I thought the title was amusing. After beginning I am glad I checked it out--it's magic realism/surrealism [I adore it.] But now I find that this is the middle book of a trilogy and I am wondering if I shouldn't stop and read the first one.
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Crochet v. Knit

I am ambidexterously-challenged. I can't knit to save my life. There is something about having to use a stick in each hand to knot a bunch of yarn together that is impossible. The giant problem: knitting has so many cool stitch patterns.

My sis, who writes lefty but is ambidexterous otherwise, can knit. She's not bad either when she learns a pattern. [I'm jealous].

All I can do is crochet. I am about to attempt my first afghan. I decided a good granny afghan would be nice and "homey" for this winter. I just bought a ton of very bright yarns--canary yellow, peackock turquoise, fire engine red, and spring grass green. They will make up the granny squares and then I'll crochet it all together in black. My goal is to be finished by mid-January. Luckily the granny square is very simple to do while watching TV and doesn't require too much concentration.

Novel #1 March (somewhat unexpected)

MOON REPORT: waxing crescent. 7% full (ish. I just glanced.)


I spent today in rare luxury: I read a book cover to cover! Barring the interruptions by the hyper-barking dogs, I flumped all over the house with a book in my hand and forgot about the world. The book: The Elementals by Morgan Llewellyn. First published in 1993, it is now out of print--although you can find several used copies from Amazon.

I don't remember ever having read this book until today--but somehow I must have done because as I read along I seemed to know where the stories were headed. Not like "predictable" plot kinds of knowing, but like I had dreamed them. So, unless I am somehow gleaning novels from the ether without having read them, I think I must have read this book a long time ago.

I have seen some reviews for this book say it was fabulous and others say skip the last two stories. I'll just say it is an easy afternoon read. Although I agree the first two stories (water, fire) were stronger than the last two (earth, air), I think the driving ideas behind them are worth the read.

I'd call these stories character driven. Though sometimes I feel jerked around by the POV--it should be third person limited but the POV shifts to other characters in a sporadic and unnecessary manner making the omnicient POV impossible. Someone may comment and tell me I've got the terms backwards or wrong or whatever so I'll make it simple: it should read like Harry Potter (being in the protagonist POV at all times). The internal dialog from several characters in each story jars a reader out of the harmony of the narrative. I wish each story would have stuck to the protagonist POV without trying to encompass the whole.

Each story could have been (and most likely should have been) explored in a full novel rather than as a quarter piece. It would also have allowed a full exploration of the element in a smooth and polished way rather than making a reader feel bludgeoned by the implications. The first story especially should have been given free reign to see where it could have taken the writer (and us as readers).

All in all: good lazy afternoon. Read on!

Writer's Strike

This strike has been going since November. And while I may be annoyed that I have no new shows to keep me interested, I have to support the reason behind the strike.

They were short changed by the industry when the home video revolution occurred. So, this sets them up to get screwed by "new media" availability for programs: Internet, iPod, cell phones, etc. Now, the big companies don't want to loosen the purse strings and share the wealth.

I say fork that little extra over and get everyone back to work, Giant Entertainment Companies! It isn't like you are in Detroit and negotiating for skyrocketing health care and better working conditions. You're in L.A. for Christ's sake--sun and fun. And you are an EXPENDABLE industry--no one will die without you. I suggest you pull your fat asses to the table and open the damn wallet if you want to keep floating along.

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Since I've given up on American TV, I've been able to watch some good movies I haven't seen in ages like Bringing Up Baby and The Hound of the Baskervilles. I've watched some UK TV (see previous post). I've re-learned crochet and can keep my stitches fairly even--and I learned some cool patterns, too. Audio books are my friend. Now, it is possible that I could be bored enough one evening to learn how to cook a turkey.