Life and Things

Well, I managed to pull my hamstring in my right leg, landing me in urgent care this Sunday past. I was off work for five days, staying off that leg as much as possible. The muscle relaxers they gave me make me so sleepy!

 

I’m back at work now. I can put some weight on the leg, but can’t walk normal. I have a cane to use for the next several weeks. Yay? Thank goodness it was my right leg, as it’s my right hip that’s bad anyway, so I’m well acquainted with walking with a cane to support that leg.

My family and I went to see Book of Mormon this Wednesday past, which was my first really active day since the injury. With plenty of rest breaks factored in, and all efforts to minimise walking distance, it wasn’t too bad. The play is really good. It’s a great commentary on what really matters regarding faith, and (for the anthropologist in me, an illustration of how mythos changes, and evolves). It is a humorous play, though some may find it offensive. I’m not being as articulate as I might here… meds :/

 

Books read, reviewed, and posted/scheduled this past week

Child of a Mad God by RA Salvatore, 4*

The Little Book of Lagom by Jonny Jackson & Elias Larsen, 4*

Ten Tales from Tibet by Lama Lhakpa Yeshe, 5*

 

Favourite Read of the Week

Child of a Mad God by RA Salvatore

‘When Aoleyn loses her parents, she is left to fend for herself among a tribe of vicious barbarians. Bound by rigid traditions, she dreams of escaping to the world beyond her mountain home.

The only hope for achieving the kind of freedom she searches for is to learn how to wield the mysterious power used by the tribe’s coven known as the Song of Usgar. Thankfully, Aoleyn may be the strongest witch to have ever lived, but magic comes at price. Not only has her abilities caught the eye of the brutish warlord that leads the tribe, but the demon of the mountain hunts all who wield the Coven’s power, and Aoleyn’s talent has made her a beacon in the night.’

 

Current Read

Nocturne by Kat Ross

‘Nocturne, a wilderness of eternal night.
Solis, a wasteland of endless day.

Nazafareen is a Breaker, a mortal who has the rare ability to shatter spell magic—although her power carries a high price. With the memories of her former self erased and nowhere else to turn, she comes to Nocturne hoping to start a new life under the triple moons of the darklands.

But when an assassin forces Nazafareen to flee to the sunlit mortal city of Delphi, she finds herself embroiled in a deeper mystery whose origins lie far in the past. Why was the continent sundered into light and dark a thousand years before? And what really happened to the elegant but ruthless creatures who nearly reduced the world to ashes? The new Oracle might know, but she’s outlawed magic and executes anyone caught practicing it. Nazafareen must hide her powers and find a way out of the city—before it’s too late.

As the net slowly tightens, something ancient and vengeful begins to stir in the arid death zone called the Kiln. A dashing daeva named Darius is pursuing Nazafareen, but so are a multitude of enemies. War is brewing again. Can she stay alive long enough to stop it?

QUICK NOTE TO READERS: Nocturne is the first installment in a new five-book fantasy series that follows up on the Fourth Element Trilogy. The storyline and world are spanking new, but many of the main characters carry over from that trilogy, so you may want to start with those books first (though it’s not at all necessary). If you do, I have the whole boxed set on sale for 99 cents, and the first book, The Midnight Sea, is totally free to download! Cheers, Kat’

 

Next Up (maybe)

Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

Thief of Lies by Brenda Drake

How to Be a Stoic by Massimo Pigliucci

 

Book Haul

Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd

‘A gripping fantasy from bestseller Megan Shepherd—How far would you go to hold onto the only life you’ve ever known, even when it’s far from a fairytale?
Enchanted from an animal, Anouk’s human form is tied to her mistress’ dark magic, and she has never stepped outside of Mada Vittoria’s Parisian townhouse. But when her mistress is murdered, Anouk and her fellow beasties only have three days before the spell fades and they turn back into animals forever. In a desperate attempt to save themselves, Anouk and the others venture into the outside world and discover a well-kept secret: beasties can do much more than sweep floors and hang up coats. They exist for a far deadlier reason, and now every magic handler in the city is after them.

Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare and Holly Black.’

 

The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green

‘A princess, a traitor, a soldier, a hunter and a thief. Five teenagers with the fate of the world in their hands. Five nations destined for conflict. In Brigant, Princess Catherine prepares for a political marriage arranged by her brutal and ambitious father, while her true love, Ambrose, faces the executioner’s block. In Calidor, downtrodden servant March seeks revenge on the prince who betrayed his people. In Pitoria, feckless Edyon steals cheap baubles for cheaper thrills as he drifts from town to town. And in the barren northern territories, thirteen-year-old Tash is running for her life as she plays bait for the gruff demon hunter Gravell. As alliances shift and shatter, and old certainties are overturned, our five heroes find their past lives transformed and their futures inextricably linked by the unpredictable tides of magic and war. Who will rise, who will fall and who will unlock the secrets of the smoke?’

 

Fresh Ink by Various

‘In partnership with We Need Diverse Books, thirteen of the most recognizable, diverse authors come together in this remarkable YA anthology featuring ten short stories, a graphic short story, and a one-act play from Walter Dean Myers never before in-print.

Careful–you are holding fresh ink. And not hot-off-the-press, still-drying-in-your-hands ink. Instead, you are holding twelve stories with endings that are still being written–whose next chapters are up to you.

Because these stories are meant to be read. And shared.

Thirteen of the most accomplished YA authors deliver a label-defying anthology that includes ten short stories, a graphic novel, and a one-act play. This collection will inspire you to break conventions, bend the rules, and color outside the lines. All you need is fresh ink.’