One Foot In The Grave, by Jeaniene Frost
Night Huntress Novel [paperback 374 pages]
Action > Bawdy Romance > Vampire/Supernatural $7.99 Nook
If you ever swatted flies, you know there's a real strategy to the hunt. You must sneak up from behind, after the fly has landed, and "wham!" Hit it hard with the swatter before it sees you and leaps away. Well, half-vampire Cat (Catherine) Crawfield has a regular strategy for hunting vampires but it has nothing to do with how skillfully she wields a silver dagger. It has everything to do with kicking around while not wearing underpants! (I'm not kidding.) That was my biggest displeasure from reading "One Foot In The Grave." I felt offended every time I was directed to consider Cat's crotch and how supernatural beings can smell it.
On a more positive side, Cat wears a shoulder holster and FBI badge. She works for homeland security, and runs her own ragtag (covert) military unit that kills supernatural creatures. Then someone in the vampire mafia takes out a contract on her life. So Cat's ex-boyfriend, vampire "Bones," shows up, protectively, and he's suddenly the one in charge of Cat's little government mission (when he's never been on the payroll).
THINGS I DID NOT LIKE:
• The setting is not well established. Cat supposedly to works for the government but she never files paperwork, or follows any kind of government protocol.
• Cat regularly teases her subordinates, sexually, and uses her feminine wiles to get her way. For a boss, she's a harassment lawsuit waiting to happen.
• Her romantic encounters with Bones seem driven by ego and lust more than by intellectual or emotional attraction.
I felt frustrated by all of Cat's self generated drama. Then again, she had a price tag on her head. Who wouldn't be conflicted, and behave irregularly, living under that kind of duress?
EXCERPT page 290:
"Bones gave me a look like I'd gone crazy, which wasn't a far trip for me."
Then, again, Cat had moments when she proved how tough she was and she's eager to engage in physical battle.
EXCERPT page 332:
"I gave the smooth-skulled ghoul another thorough evaluation. Yeah. he looked like a mean motherf#@*%r, no doubt about it. And here I was armed with only a pair of high heels . . . I could take the easy way out. Call myself Bones' Bite Bitch and walk away with nary a broken fingernail to show for it, but that wasn't my style. No, I'd rather fight this giant and win my freedom than get it handed to me by default."
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK:
• The world needs more books where the superhero is female. Cat's rather successful in her career.
• Enjoyed all the paranormal action scenes - even if the half-vampire, overpowers every experienced and aged pure-vampire much too easily.
• An entertaining and engaging read; especially as it applies to Bones. Other characters also proved very interesting.
• This book, the second in a series of five novels, "reminded me a bit of Laurell K. Hamilton's work: the Anita Blake - vampire hunter series.
* While there were some elements to this particular book that I did not like, I did like earlier books in this series so will give it another try.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Are school libraries nearly obsolete?
Some food for thought in these two blog entries:
Ruth
- http://www.teleread.com/library/2010-summary-libraries-are-still-screwed-by-eric-hellman/
- http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2010/12/31/2010-the-year-of-the-cloud.html
Ruth
Sunday, January 30, 2011
[headdesk!], then blushes and says Thank You!
Better late than never...
Thank you for whoever nominated (and voted for) Skerricks in the 2010 Edublog Awards!
Very kind of you, and most appreciated. To be selected for the shortlist in such august (international) company (go read that list for some fabulous library/librarian blogs!) is a great honour. That page will link you to the winners and the nomination list (Dopey Dora here didn't realise until, like, now, like, when it's all over and finalised!! - although mid-December last year, the end of term and the school year, was a tad busy...).
Cheers
Ruth
Thank you for whoever nominated (and voted for) Skerricks in the 2010 Edublog Awards!
Very kind of you, and most appreciated. To be selected for the shortlist in such august (international) company (go read that list for some fabulous library/librarian blogs!) is a great honour. That page will link you to the winners and the nomination list (Dopey Dora here didn't realise until, like, now, like, when it's all over and finalised!! - although mid-December last year, the end of term and the school year, was a tad busy...).
Cheers
Ruth
App of the Week: RedLaser
Having recently acquired (?succumbed to?) an iPhone, I've been exploring the possibilities of apps. Probably haven't done much more than dip my toe in the water since there are thousands of them...
Anyhoo, thought I might share some of the apps I've found which have been useful for school, one way or another, so if you have or come to acquire a smartphone with app potential you might have some places to start or new apps to explore.
So there I am, out and about in the hols, in a bookshop far from my usual haunts, and they happen to have some good teenlit titles I didn't have in our library. Sure, I could have snapped photos of the covers, or photos of front and back; but with RedLaser I could get the barcode, some bibliographic info and a thumbnail of the cover, so when I was at my usual local bookseller for school, I had all the info to find it fast (scans are saved until you choose to delete them).
The US version of this seems to have greater functionality than the Australian one as yet - a number of the reviews comment on the gaps in Australian sources/sites/pricing for goods. You can scan pretty much any barcode and if the app finds a match, it will show details of that product and sources for it (but given the limited Australian functionality I'd be checking prices at other known suppliers rather than relying on the app). Books probably have a better hit rate than some other goods, as they are generally internationally available.
Still, it has served a useful libraryish purpose over the hols, and I'm sure I'll find more ways to use it. Be nice if those price check machines in stores worked as efficiently and quickly...
Cheers
Ruth
Anyhoo, thought I might share some of the apps I've found which have been useful for school, one way or another, so if you have or come to acquire a smartphone with app potential you might have some places to start or new apps to explore.
 |
| http://redlaser.com/ |
The US version of this seems to have greater functionality than the Australian one as yet - a number of the reviews comment on the gaps in Australian sources/sites/pricing for goods. You can scan pretty much any barcode and if the app finds a match, it will show details of that product and sources for it (but given the limited Australian functionality I'd be checking prices at other known suppliers rather than relying on the app). Books probably have a better hit rate than some other goods, as they are generally internationally available.
Still, it has served a useful libraryish purpose over the hols, and I'm sure I'll find more ways to use it. Be nice if those price check machines in stores worked as efficiently and quickly...
Cheers
Ruth
A dozen ways to teach ethical and safe technology use
Read this excellent blog post from Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk blog.
http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2010/12/26/a-dozen-ways-to-teach-ethical-and-safe-technology-use.html
Cheers
Ruth
http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2010/12/26/a-dozen-ways-to-teach-ethical-and-safe-technology-use.html
Cheers
Ruth
Sensational Paranormal Details
Morrigan's Brood: Crone of War, by Heather Poinsett Dunbar & Christopher Dunbar Paperback. $19.99
HOW THE STORY UNFOLDS:
Someone stole the "phallus maximus" from a sacred statue and now everyone's on a serious quest to find that enormous sexual organ (including different strains of vampires). Such subtle humor, coupled with all this book's sensational paranormal details, is what makes this book extremely entertaining and fun to read. The writers certainly did their research to make this story feel very authentic and exciting.
Adoration aside, history reminds us how violent humans can be, and the Dunbars describe that sordid past, perfectly. I nearly squeezed my eyes shut a few times while reading. That's thanks (in part) to a grotesque but believable portrayal where more than one rather likable vampire, a Deargh Du, is tortured, Spanish Inquisition style.
SOME VERY FUN SCENES (THERE ARE MANY):
page 32 - The priests begin throwing holy water on a Lamia vampire, in an attempt to banish him from their temple, as though he were merely "a demon." In reply, the Lamia merely blinks, and yells: "Stop that!"
page 43 - After a vampire "adopts" a recently orphaned teenage girl, he insists:"Berti, go to sleep, or I will toss you overboard," then quiet's his own laughter.
ONE QUICK EXAMPLE OF MANY SENSUAL SCENES:
page 39: Regarding a clan leader as she addresses a Dearg Du vampire who is also an arch Druid: "Wait." Mael Muire stood up and walked over to Ruari. She pulled on her sleeve, baring her right arm. "Do you require nourishment?"
ONE BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THIS BOOK'S DRAMA:
Carrying a wooden crucifix, a Lamia vampire (*former nun*) reflects back on the day she was resurrected: "Mandubratius pulled me from my convent one night, and he gave me no choice in the matter. He wanted me, so he took me. That was all there was to it. He promised me power in exchange for my obedience. It was that or death. Unlike a good Christian martyr, I begged for my life. He took my life and gave me a new one." She shrugged, staring into the small pain-stricken figure on the cross. "I suppose it is kind of funny. Jesus Christ promised me life after death, and now I have it."
CAUTIONS: I need to provide this disclaimer for anyone who might break into a sweat or suffer from a rapidly increasing heart-beat any time they're presented with irregular grammar.Awkward paragraph transitions and sentence confusion happened much too consistently in this book for me to not mention it. To prove that I'm not merely pulling this comment (regarding an "occasional rough ride") out of my badonkadonk, here's a few quick and short examples:
MOST COMMON TYPE OF SPEED BUMP:
page 14 - "A strange, pale figure walked toward the few remaining pirates, and then all turned dark again." Interestingly, just as the adjective "dark" refers to "an absence of light or clarity," my mind went completely dim, as it always does when I read sentences where the adjective does not describe either noun expressed in the sentence.
RARE LITTLE BOUNCES:
page: 31 - "The twenty monks grabbed weapons and holy water. They then started surrounded Assim." "Surrounded" should have been "surrounding."
page: 125 - "It is strange how a mortals deal with their wickedness." (Typos merely prove our authors are human, and not the gods we make of them, after all.)
Again, in spite of an occasionally bumpy ride to jolt the reader out of the relaxing escape that only reclining with a good book can provide, I still highly recommend "Morrigan's Brood: Crone of War" for all of the positive reasons I have already mentioned. Really. Definitely. I recommend this book (because you won't stop thinking about the plot or main characters after you've finished reading)! It's definitely a worth-while and addictive read.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
I'm very happy (and excited) to announce that both extremely talented authors, Heather Poinsett Dunbar & Christopher Dunbar, will make a guest appearance HERE on Valentine's Day, February 14th! In honor of that holiday, I'll be asking them both to discuss some of the most romantic aspects in their 5 book series. Until then, consider entering their incredibly generous gift they offer for any contest winner. It's a TWO BOOK GIVEAWAY! ($40 value). See yesterday's posting or check the sidebar after tomorrow for contest details.
{Blogger's admission: I was given both a free copy of this paperback, and a copy of "Morrigan's Brood, Book One, for the promise of writing this most honest/unbiased review.)
Character Blog: Vamchoir
Tweet: @Vamchoir
Facebook: Vamchoir
Publisher: SunTigerMOJO.com
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Blog headers
This weekend, I retired this blog header:
which features our fabbobananas purple word wall, and installed a new blog header, because, well, I've clearly been influenced by waaay too many refurb shows. Or maybe I just felt like a change.
You remember this photo, taken with the iPhone app Hipstamatic (Kodot film, John S lens) last week?
Foofing it through the iPhone app TiltShift, then cropping and adding some text with a photo editor, arrived at this:
which I rather like because it includes some of the important things about the library - Keep Calm, Welcome, heart, colour, inspiration. And I like the lairy colours.
Just like it's good to keep your library refreshed (what will you do this week?), it's good to keep your blog refreshed too. As well as playing with some new toys. Now to see how I can use these apps to make stuff for school...
Do you like it?
Cheers
Ruth
You remember this photo, taken with the iPhone app Hipstamatic (Kodot film, John S lens) last week?
Just like it's good to keep your library refreshed (what will you do this week?), it's good to keep your blog refreshed too. As well as playing with some new toys. Now to see how I can use these apps to make stuff for school...
Do you like it?
Cheers
Ruth
Exciting Vampire Book Give-Away: $40 Value!
THIS CONTEST REGARDS: AUTHOR AUTOGRAPHED!
- BOOK 1: Morrigan's Brood
- BOOK 2: Morrigan's Brood: Crone of War
CONTEST GUIDELINES:
Eligible entrants will be from the US only (unless a winner wants to pay for shipping!) Entries will be accepted until midnight on Feb. 13th. I will announce the winner on Valentine's Day, February 14th, the same day that the above mentioned authors make their guest appearance, here, at Vampire Review.
TO ENTER
* Leave a comment, below, to express your interest in winning the prize (substantial comment please, not just "entry")
* Then email your private mailing address to SunTigerMOJO [at] gmail (dot) com in order to be entered in a random drawing.
RANDOMNESS
On Valentine's Day, my spouse will pull a name out of a jar so the winner is chosen by a very unbiased method. (That means close friends will not have any winning advantage; sorry.)
*Your mailing address will not be shared with anyone. Spam sucks (and not in a good vampire way). A mailing address must be received to enter - or the prize cannot be shipped.
*May the most worthy entrant WIN!
*Check back tomorrow for my review of Morrigan's Brood: Crone of War.
Character Blog: Vamchoir
Tweet: @Vamchoir
Facebook: Vamchoir
Publisher: SunTigerMOJO.com
Friday, January 28, 2011
Libday 3, Wednesday
On Wednesday, it was the Australia Day public holiday.
Also, as forecast, very hot. 42deg Celsius.
So on such a hot day, and at the point in the summer hols when there are some nonkiddyfare new releases in (air-conditioned) cinemas, a shot of (air-conditioned) culture seemed like a great plan.
It was. True Grit was good, Black Swan angsty, Unstoppable sheer popcorn fun.
And the air-conditioning was just the ticket.
Cheers
Ruth
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Also, as forecast, very hot. 42deg Celsius.
So on such a hot day, and at the point in the summer hols when there are some nonkiddyfare new releases in (air-conditioned) cinemas, a shot of (air-conditioned) culture seemed like a great plan.
It was. True Grit was good, Black Swan angsty, Unstoppable sheer popcorn fun.
And the air-conditioning was just the ticket.
Cheers
Ruth
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Effective study: ethnicity vs good habits
There is, wandering about in the education world, an assumption by some that the success of some ethnic groups is related to their ethnicity. A recent SMH article, reporting on a DET NSW forum, debunks this. Chinese students top the tests out of habit, not ethnicity, study shows, by Anna Patty was published on 29 December 2010. (nb: sometimes the SMH only leaves articles up free for a couple of weeks, and then you have to pay - try the link, but apologies if it doesn't work).
Key points:
I've been bookmarking some resources for this program over in myDelicious Diigo; I'll likely highlight some here, but if you want to toddle over there for a squizz, you're very welcome (there is a preview of the most recent ones over on the right). If you have ideas/bookmarks you'd like to share in return, please do leave a comment.
Cheers
Ruth
Key points:
- The place where children do their homework - whether at a desk or in front of the television - may play a big role in how well they do at school
- ''Successful students see homework as a daily routine,'' Mr Coutts-Trotter said. ''They have a desk of their own and a school and family that help them develop scholarly routines.
- "Visiting libraries regularly is another thing successful students do.''
- Children do better sitting at a desk than on a bed; implies a different attitude
- From primary school, some groups establish better habits - study each day, and for longer. In the year 3 group studied, the children of Chinese background spent about an hour every night of the week, compared with children of Pacific Islander background - 10 minutes for two to three nights a week - and Anglo Australian children - about 20 minutes on only some nights during the week.
- Socio-economic background wasn't necessarily a factor in success/failure - good habits helped at any level
I've been bookmarking some resources for this program over in my
Cheers
Ruth
So? What Do You Think So Far?
Regarding yesterday's post, I'm wondering if, by the fact that I'm highlighting things in this blog that I find offensive about some books, I might be scaring or offending decent blog readers so they run screaming in the other direction.
More specifically:
1. Do you also find it offensive (after all these years of waiting for books with female super heros) when the heroine uses her genitalia to fight vampires?
2. Do you think it's helpful that my blog points that sort of observation out to readers?
3. Are you, like me, and prefer - when sex takes place between adult characters in a story - there is some sort of emotional relationship going on for a while before that happens?
Your feedback will help me improve the content that I provide on this blog. (Thank you.) When you leave feedback, please list your blog URL under your name.
More specifically:
1. Do you also find it offensive (after all these years of waiting for books with female super heros) when the heroine uses her genitalia to fight vampires?
2. Do you think it's helpful that my blog points that sort of observation out to readers?
3. Are you, like me, and prefer - when sex takes place between adult characters in a story - there is some sort of emotional relationship going on for a while before that happens?
Your feedback will help me improve the content that I provide on this blog. (Thank you.) When you leave feedback, please list your blog URL under your name.
Character Blog: Vamchoir
Tweet: @Vamchoir
Facebook: Vamchoir
Publisher: SunTigerMOJO.com
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
How to learn? from mistakes (Diana Laufenberg)
To start the new school year*, an inspirational TED talk about teaching
Her three key points (and please do watch the video, don't just clock these and click on in your travels - it's a great ten minutes) are:
http://www.ted.com/talks/diana_laufenberg_3_ways_to_teach.html
Cheers
Ruth
*Yes, the Australian school year follows the calendar - we've just finished our summer holidays and are back for a new school year.
Her three key points (and please do watch the video, don't just clock these and click on in your travels - it's a great ten minutes) are:
- experiental learning
- student voice
- embracing failure
http://www.ted.com/talks/diana_laufenberg_3_ways_to_teach.html
Cheers
Ruth
*Yes, the Australian school year follows the calendar - we've just finished our summer holidays and are back for a new school year.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Glimpsing possibilities
Sydney is hilly. The CBD, too. Sure, some bits are flat, but the edges slope down to the harbour. I love it when you get off at Wynyard or Martin Place stations - or you're just walking down towards Circular Quay - and you get, through the office blocks and Victorian sandstone, a glimpse of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Yes, it's there. Right in the middle of the picture, below the overhanging balcony on the right, past the curved building on the left. (I'm besotted with the Hipstamatic camera app on my iPhone at present, which accounts for the look of this photo). The Sydney Opera House is nice, but I love the bridge.
This photo is kinda like some of these holidays. I'm working on a study skills program for Year 11 in Term 1, to be delivered weekly. It's a reshaping of content I've already developed, and a reworking of other content, and a complete reprogramming of timetable/delivery. It's been a long process of thinking, seeing things gradually coming into focus, getting glimpses of the bridges it can build and the habits/mindsets it can help establish with our new senior students.
I took this photo on a fabulous day in town going to photographic exhibitions. Annie Leibovitz at the MCA, Wildlife Photographer of the Year at the Australian Museum and Beach, Bush & Battlers: photographs by Jeff Carter at the State Library of NSW.
This image (source) is The Drover's Wife by Jeff Carter (it was my favourite). Here's what the SLNSW says about this exhibition:
The Jeff Carter photographs in Beach, Bush + Battlers have been selected from his remarkable, historically significant archive of over 50,000 works celebrating the lives of everyday Australians in rural, outback, urban and coastal communities dating from the late 1940s through to today.
Curator Sandra Byron, the leading expert on Carter's work, says about the exhibition: 'Carter's iconic images are a testament to his respect for ordinary people and his commitment to the Australian landscape and environment.'
It was a wonderful exhibition. Worth seeing - it closes 20 Feb. The other two close in March. If you can get to Sydney on Australia Day, there are a bunch of other things on in the city too (program here) and one of my favourites is the vintage bus service - a chance to ride through the city on a vintage double-decker bus (for only a gold coin donation). Just slip slop slap; the weather forecast for Wednesday is for a very hot one.
Why not pass on info about these exhibitions to your Visual Arts/Photography teachers? And I'm going to be pointing my History and English teachers at the Jeff Carter photos too. If the Vis Arts people are doing an excursion to Art Express, they could add in one or more of these too.
Cheers
Ruth
This photo is kinda like some of these holidays. I'm working on a study skills program for Year 11 in Term 1, to be delivered weekly. It's a reshaping of content I've already developed, and a reworking of other content, and a complete reprogramming of timetable/delivery. It's been a long process of thinking, seeing things gradually coming into focus, getting glimpses of the bridges it can build and the habits/mindsets it can help establish with our new senior students.
I took this photo on a fabulous day in town going to photographic exhibitions. Annie Leibovitz at the MCA, Wildlife Photographer of the Year at the Australian Museum and Beach, Bush & Battlers: photographs by Jeff Carter at the State Library of NSW.
The Jeff Carter photographs in Beach, Bush + Battlers have been selected from his remarkable, historically significant archive of over 50,000 works celebrating the lives of everyday Australians in rural, outback, urban and coastal communities dating from the late 1940s through to today.
Curator Sandra Byron, the leading expert on Carter's work, says about the exhibition: 'Carter's iconic images are a testament to his respect for ordinary people and his commitment to the Australian landscape and environment.'
It was a wonderful exhibition. Worth seeing - it closes 20 Feb. The other two close in March. If you can get to Sydney on Australia Day, there are a bunch of other things on in the city too (program here) and one of my favourites is the vintage bus service - a chance to ride through the city on a vintage double-decker bus (for only a gold coin donation). Just slip slop slap; the weather forecast for Wednesday is for a very hot one.
Why not pass on info about these exhibitions to your Visual Arts/Photography teachers? And I'm going to be pointing my History and English teachers at the Jeff Carter photos too. If the Vis Arts people are doing an excursion to Art Express, they could add in one or more of these too.
Cheers
Ruth
Monday, January 24, 2011
Library Day in the Life, Round 6, Tuesday
During the summer holidays (and with an iPhone handy) I've been in the habit of checking my Twitter stream each morning and emailing interesting tweets for later investigation on my laptop (bigger screen...).
So, as a snapshot of what I found this morning that I thought might be useful to my work as a teacher librarian - for me, or my colleagues, or the kids - here's what I emailed for future investigation. It's a lucky dip depending on what others are tweeting and retweeting, and filtered by the people I follow (my Twitter @ruth_skerricks is my professional Twitter stream, where I follow people tweeting about education, technology, libraries, books...). The motivational quotes are ideas for the senior study skills program I'm working on, some of the other links may or may not be useful, but it's all a great professional development resource. I can't access Twitter at work (social networking sites are generally blocked) so if I email myself the links I can investigate them and if they prove useful/relevant to others, email them on to colleagues.
NY Public Library (@nypl)
25/01/11 9:49 AM
From our Tumblr: "We can’t behave like people in novels, though, can we?" http://bit.ly/fq6jmK
Josh Stumpenhorst (@stumpteacher)
25/01/11 9:49 AM
My video tutorial page: http://bit.ly/f5RUbv #edchat #edtech
Fiona Jones (@fionareadersrr)
25/01/11 9:37 AM
RT @Infoventurer: Kathryn Greenhill Daily http://bit.ly/emzftW ▸ stories today @curtinuni @camcd @fionareadersrr @libsmatter @jeanburgess
Motivational Quotes (@motivatquotes)
25/01/11 9:27 AM
Our attitude towards others determines their attitude towards us. ~ E. Nightingale http://bit.ly/9fOwbe
Shannon Miller (@shannonmmiller)
24/01/11 10:20 PM
RT @pgreensoup Quizlet Flashcards Now Embeddable http://bit.ly/g8TtzG #vanmeter
Buffy Hamilton (@buffyjhamilton)
24/01/11 10:22 PM
Seth's Blog: Three ways to help people get things done: http://is.gd/kUvITS
Shannon Miller (@shannonmmiller)
24/01/11 10:23 PM
Joliprint ...Print friendly & PDF your blogs and websites http://ow.ly/3IXN0
Glenda Morris (@jasmont1)
24/01/11 10:42 PM
“@glendagregory: Top 10 sites for Creating Digital Magazines and Newspapers by David Kapuler (cont) http://tl.gd/8bq4vj
Guardian Books (@GuardianBooks)
24/01/11 11:15 PM
Here's a primer on tonight's TS Eliot Prize, with poems from all the contenders http://bit.ly/hjrI2R #books
Will Richardson (@willrich45)
24/01/11 11:31 PM
Reading: A project on the future of education http://bit.ly/eIJYXc Interesting vision
Josh Stumpenhorst (@stumpteacher)
24/01/11 11:46 PM
Watching and discussing this with my team today: TED talk about engaging boys in EDU http://bit.ly/gFBJ6S #edchat
Judy O'Connell (@heyjudeonline)
24/01/11 11:58 PM
The simplybooks Daily is out! http://bit.ly/9VRDYi ▸ Top stories today by @booksin140 @sydneyunipress @thereadingzone @readingtub
Josh Stumpenhorst (@stumpteacher)
25/01/11 12:08 AM
What is innovation? Be innovative this week! http://bit.ly/gmI1lm #edchat #ntchat
Publishers Weekly (@PublishersWkly)
25/01/11 12:06 AM
Our First Year With Amazon Kindle as an Independent Publisher http://bit.ly/g7rTzU
Publishers Weekly (@PublishersWkly)
25/01/11 12:16 AM
From FutureBook: what book publishers can learn from the gaming world. http://bit.ly/dS9SP6
Phillippa Cleaves (@pipcleaves)
25/01/11 7:26 AM
Imagine if our own students made a social network like these :-) RT @ITJil: 20 Social Networks for Lifelong Learners http://bit.ly/bC6zZZ
Judy O'Connell (@heyjudeonline)
25/01/11 8:27 AM
A New Culture of Learning: some thoughts. http://amplify.com/u/anj49
Tehani Wessely (@editormum75)
25/01/11 7:59 AM
The Shaun Tan cover art of Australis Imaginarium is eligible for nomination to the Chronos Awards! http://bit.ly/dZIx8o
Motivational Quotes (@motivatquotes)
25/01/11 7:44 AM
You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. ~ Jim Rohn
tripwire magazine (@tripwiremag)
25/01/11 5:21 AM
40+ Fresh and Amazing Free Fonts to Download http://su.pr/5Dljb3
Phillippa Cleaves (@pipcleaves)
25/01/11 7:52 AM
RT @RoshOR: “@willrich45:"A Tilt in Thought" from a principal. http://bit.ly/dFjThC Good stuff.” lets stop whining and just get on with it.
Bobbi Newman (@librarianbyday)
25/01/11 8:53 AM
Top Ten Links 2.3 – All About Ebooks
Librarian by Day http://bit.ly/eA7Pqk
Cheers
Ruth
So, as a snapshot of what I found this morning that I thought might be useful to my work as a teacher librarian - for me, or my colleagues, or the kids - here's what I emailed for future investigation. It's a lucky dip depending on what others are tweeting and retweeting, and filtered by the people I follow (my Twitter @ruth_skerricks is my professional Twitter stream, where I follow people tweeting about education, technology, libraries, books...). The motivational quotes are ideas for the senior study skills program I'm working on, some of the other links may or may not be useful, but it's all a great professional development resource. I can't access Twitter at work (social networking sites are generally blocked) so if I email myself the links I can investigate them and if they prove useful/relevant to others, email them on to colleagues.
NY Public Library (@nypl)
25/01/11 9:49 AM
From our Tumblr: "We can’t behave like people in novels, though, can we?" http://bit.ly/fq6jmK
Josh Stumpenhorst (@stumpteacher)
25/01/11 9:49 AM
My video tutorial page: http://bit.ly/f5RUbv #edchat #edtech
Fiona Jones (@fionareadersrr)
25/01/11 9:37 AM
RT @Infoventurer: Kathryn Greenhill Daily http://bit.ly/emzftW ▸ stories today @curtinuni @camcd @fionareadersrr @libsmatter @jeanburgess
Motivational Quotes (@motivatquotes)
25/01/11 9:27 AM
Our attitude towards others determines their attitude towards us. ~ E. Nightingale http://bit.ly/9fOwbe
Shannon Miller (@shannonmmiller)
24/01/11 10:20 PM
RT @pgreensoup Quizlet Flashcards Now Embeddable http://bit.ly/g8TtzG #vanmeter
Buffy Hamilton (@buffyjhamilton)
24/01/11 10:22 PM
Seth's Blog: Three ways to help people get things done: http://is.gd/kUvITS
Shannon Miller (@shannonmmiller)
24/01/11 10:23 PM
Joliprint ...Print friendly & PDF your blogs and websites http://ow.ly/3IXN0
Glenda Morris (@jasmont1)
24/01/11 10:42 PM
“@glendagregory: Top 10 sites for Creating Digital Magazines and Newspapers by David Kapuler (cont) http://tl.gd/8bq4vj
Guardian Books (@GuardianBooks)
24/01/11 11:15 PM
Here's a primer on tonight's TS Eliot Prize, with poems from all the contenders http://bit.ly/hjrI2R #books
Will Richardson (@willrich45)
24/01/11 11:31 PM
Reading: A project on the future of education http://bit.ly/eIJYXc Interesting vision
Josh Stumpenhorst (@stumpteacher)
24/01/11 11:46 PM
Watching and discussing this with my team today: TED talk about engaging boys in EDU http://bit.ly/gFBJ6S #edchat
Judy O'Connell (@heyjudeonline)
24/01/11 11:58 PM
The simplybooks Daily is out! http://bit.ly/9VRDYi ▸ Top stories today by @booksin140 @sydneyunipress @thereadingzone @readingtub
Josh Stumpenhorst (@stumpteacher)
25/01/11 12:08 AM
What is innovation? Be innovative this week! http://bit.ly/gmI1lm #edchat #ntchat
Publishers Weekly (@PublishersWkly)
25/01/11 12:06 AM
Our First Year With Amazon Kindle as an Independent Publisher http://bit.ly/g7rTzU
Publishers Weekly (@PublishersWkly)
25/01/11 12:16 AM
From FutureBook: what book publishers can learn from the gaming world. http://bit.ly/dS9SP6
Phillippa Cleaves (@pipcleaves)
25/01/11 7:26 AM
Imagine if our own students made a social network like these :-) RT @ITJil: 20 Social Networks for Lifelong Learners http://bit.ly/bC6zZZ
Judy O'Connell (@heyjudeonline)
25/01/11 8:27 AM
A New Culture of Learning: some thoughts. http://amplify.com/u/anj49
Tehani Wessely (@editormum75)
25/01/11 7:59 AM
The Shaun Tan cover art of Australis Imaginarium is eligible for nomination to the Chronos Awards! http://bit.ly/dZIx8o
Motivational Quotes (@motivatquotes)
25/01/11 7:44 AM
You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. ~ Jim Rohn
tripwire magazine (@tripwiremag)
25/01/11 5:21 AM
40+ Fresh and Amazing Free Fonts to Download http://su.pr/5Dljb3
Phillippa Cleaves (@pipcleaves)
25/01/11 7:52 AM
RT @RoshOR: “@willrich45:"A Tilt in Thought" from a principal. http://bit.ly/dFjThC Good stuff.” lets stop whining and just get on with it.
Bobbi Newman (@librarianbyday)
25/01/11 8:53 AM
Top Ten Links 2.3 – All About Ebooks
Librarian by Day http://bit.ly/eA7Pqk
Cheers
Ruth
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Library Day in the Life, Round 6, Monday
No, you didn't miss rounds 1 to 5 on this blog; this is the first time I've played. You can read all about a myriad of librarian lives at the wiki here.
But, you say, it's not term time yet; we aren't back till Friday...
...ah yes, but it's handy to come in and get a few jobs done while it's quiet. Collect some paperwork and save some documents I want to work on between now and then.
Sniff the air, remember the roads to school, past the orchards and horses.... say howdy to the folks here (some teaching colleagues, my lovely cleaning lady, the maintenance boys)...
...and then flit off to have a tad more holidaying before the summer's done.
Thinking over the day so far, I started library work before leaving home, when I checked my Twitter stream and saved some links to follow up. Been doing that all holidays - so many good things have come up.
Cheers
Ruth
But, you say, it's not term time yet; we aren't back till Friday...
The foyer waiting for its new start-of-year display
...ah yes, but it's handy to come in and get a few jobs done while it's quiet. Collect some paperwork and save some documents I want to work on between now and then.
It's dark and quiet and soon won't be either!
Sniff the air, remember the roads to school, past the orchards and horses.... say howdy to the folks here (some teaching colleagues, my lovely cleaning lady, the maintenance boys)...
I made some chocolate brownies to take in for the cleaners and maintenance boys. Went down a treat!
...and then flit off to have a tad more holidaying before the summer's done.
Thinking over the day so far, I started library work before leaving home, when I checked my Twitter stream and saved some links to follow up. Been doing that all holidays - so many good things have come up.
Cheers
Ruth
Vampyre Stuck In The Wash Cycle
Four Stars: A Darker Dream, by Amanda Ashley $9.99 (New York Times Best Selling Author) [Romance > Historical]Most books have what I would describe as "ordinary washing machine cycles." (A means for the reader to get clean through the book.) First, the writer separates the laundry (helps the reader distinguish it from others in the genre) then pre-soak begins, the wash cycle starts, and there's the rinse cycle. Finally, at the end, the spin.
SEPARATING THE LAUNDRY:
Times are hard in the 1800s. Main character, Rhianna, finds her very delicate self standing on an auction block. Her crusty father is selling her to raise money. That's when Rhianna gets separated from her mother and four sisters. A very strange and brooding (but silky) recluse, who lives in a castle and sits in the shadows, pays for Rhianna's servitude. Yet he already has a man-servant living with him, attending to his every need. He doesn't need a second slave.
THE PRE-SOAK BEGINS
Thus Rhianna is immersed in change. Her feelings for the 400 year old vampire (whom she assumes is just a socially awkward but very romantic man) are confused with a sense of mystery that turns into deep passionate yearning. When Lord Rayven finally kisses Rhianna's hands, wrists, and arms, it's very much like Gomez Addams (of "The Addams Family" fame) might kiss his wife, Morticia. Except Lord Rayven is much more artful, sophisticated, and dangerous!
THE WASH CYCLE
Then Lord Rayven and Rhianna get into an agitated relationship that can only be described as a very prolonged romantic hurricane. This is where the plot becomes rather repetitive and tedious and looks something like this:
• Lord Rayven: "Run for your life" (while he secretly pleads, under his breath, "please don't leave me Rhianna")
• Rhianna says: "Anything you wish M'Lord" and leaves - but then sneaks back: "M'Lord?"
• To which the couple explore each other's mouths passionately, Lord Rayven kisses her hands and wrists and arms (some more) until he cannot bear the passion and commands "Leave!" (again).
• So Rhianna leaves ... only to return ... and the whole cycle happens over and over and over again.
Sample text: (page 164)
"You once begged me to let you stay," he said, his voice moving over her like a dark wind. "Now I am begging you."
She felt the tears dry on her cheeks. "I've changed my mind."
"Too late, Rhianna. Shall I go down on my knees and plead with you, my sweet?"
WASH CYCLE GETS STUCK HERE, ON PAUSE
Amazingly, that wash cycle lasts for more than five of Rhianna's delicate years and, while the relationship takes on a funny smell, the plot never thickens. It's as though a loud mechanical buzzer should go off. Nothing's going anywhere until chapter thirteen when Vampire Rayven finally explains (hear my sigh of relief) to the still unsuspecting Rhianna, "duh!" that he really is a vampyre!
THE RINSE:
To say more about the story would spoil the ending for anyone whose deeply inspired by prolonged romantic scenarios. The book becomes more passionate ... but a repetitive plea of "have you come to destroy me?" haunts the next few chapters.
I'm giving this book four stars because the writing is just so very polished, compelling, and I really enjoyed the read even if the plot, itself, left much to be desired. Author Ashley conveyed her characters' romantic pursuits in a most poetic and fluid style. She's definitely mastered the gift of writing with rhythm and romantic allure.
Reviewer's Admission: *(I purchased this book and read it as a paperback)
Character Blog: Vamchoir
Tweet: @Vamchoir
Facebook: Vamchoir
Publisher: SunTigerMOJO.com
Saturday, January 22, 2011
VAMPIRE COMEDY AT ITS BEST
"Okay, I see by your faces some of you are shocked by my statement. And some of you, I just betcha, are only pretending to be shocked. Shame on you!” Said Sarah, at a town meeting, where she addressed the "good people" of Twinkle, Oregon, about the infestation of supernatural monsters.
“Do you know what a ghoul is?” (Palin had asked the mayor, earlier)
“What?”
“There are several meanings of the word. You’ve got your desert demons and your Massachusetts corpse-eaters. But some people apply the term to living human beings placed under the control or direction of a vampire. Isn’t that the darndest thing?”
WHY I LIKED THIS BOOK
* Beyond the hilarious dialog, Sarah Palin: Vampire Hunter is loaded with comical conspiracy theories. (For example: one suggests the Xbox was designed to make "easier chewing for the zombies.")
* Lots of "suitable" double meanings such as when "Palin blasted her way through Swimwear" (in reference to the athletic department, not necessarily referring to her ability to annihilate bathing-wear itself).
PET PEEVES AND ANNOYANCES:
* Author consistently ends questions in dialog with "said" instead of the more appropriate "asked" or "queried."
* Proper names such as "Axel" and "Gogo" are not capitalized. These peeves were not even a speed bump for me, however, as the entire manuscript was so perfectly written otherwise.
RATING: FIVE STARS for rapt attention maintained all the way through. It's a fast and curiously fun read.
Reviewer's Admission: *(I purchased this book and read it as an eBook)
Character Blog: Vamchoir
Tweet: @Vamchoir
Facebook: Vamchoir
Publisher: SunTigerMOJO.com
Friday, January 21, 2011
Support the Flood Relief Appeal
If you would like to support the flood relief appeal and acquire something beautiful and craft-made, toddle on over to the Etsy shop which is bursting with items supplied by generous craftworkers who are donating the proceeds to help those affected by the floods. Lookee here.
You can also find more goodies here.
Cheers
Ruth
You can also find more goodies here.
Cheers
Ruth
Book Reviewer's Rant
I'm on a mission to read and review at least 100 books in 2011 (see my reading challenges, right column). Already I've hit some pretty deep potholes - badly written books - on this mental vacation. For your pleasure, imagine I'm driving a Lamburgini and those dreadful books put scratches on my new car. (If I was Batman, in Dark Knight, my vehicle would be a dark silver-gray, but I'm more curvy, not too unlike Catwoman, so for the duration of this article, my car's bright golden-yellow.)
Trust me when I say, while I drive down this winding road, seeking reading bliss, that I am not LOOKING for car wrecks. I am driving to escape reality. I set off on this high-speed adventure yearning for excitement and fun. I honestly don't mind ignoring an occasional typo, because cars do backfire and some of us talk on cell phones while we drive. It's also very likely that you will find a typo written here. (I may pretend I'm a super-hero, demi-god, or vampire, but, sadly, I'm only human.) I don't even mind tripping over a misused word in a book every now and again. I just don't want my brain to explode because a writer completely slammed the brakes on grammar and stopped right in front of my reading pleasure, causing a huge fiery death scene with too much brazen ignorance.
EXAMPLE:
Understand that not all the poorly written books I've seen were self-published or sold exclusively on the Internet. If you haven't read my review of this "New York Times Best Selling Author" then click here. (Direct quotes from her soft cover book, which is pure discombobulation, are shown.)
BOOK ACCIDENTS THAT LEFT ME SHAKING:
#1 - Writers who don't know anything about grammar, spelling, capitalization or proper sentence structure, who also don't acknowledge their ignorance, refuse to hire an editor or publishing company who/that might have improved their work. If you are wanting to become an author, then please make sure all vandalized tail lights and huge dents in your book have been removed BEFORE you publish. The editorial process works something like car insurance. If you pay for it, then reviewers will rub car wax on your vehicle until your book gains wonderful publicity and really shines.
#2 - Books that are marketed in one genre when they really belong in the other are just shocking to the reader. Trust me. A Christian doesn't want to buy "The Holy Bible" and receive a copy of "The Satanist's Bible" in reply. Learn the genres before you offer your book for sale. See my review: "Disappointment: The Worst Kind Of Horror." Hint: Do not EVER send me erotica. I personally loathe reading about genitalia.
ABOUT ME:
As someone whose worked in the writing and marketing business (most often as a public relations editor, when not freelancing for trade magazines) I'm feeling rather shaken by two crinkled bloody messes for books that I attempted to read, and gave up on, last night. Because I don't want this blog to start looking like it was cursed with negative reviews (this is Catwoman, not some nasty old hag's page, after all) I'm not going to review either one of them. I returned one book to the author, who had asked me for a review, with a polite cough and a "no thank you." The other book I had purchased, and will delete it from my iPad, since I couldn't read past the third chapter without being rushed to the hospital.
FOR MY READERS:
I promise, the next few postings here will be about really good, or worthwhile books. I will not write another review until I've found those awesome reads. Smell the smoke of my exhaust? I'm speeding away to find that adventure! Hear my engine roar as I step on the flabbergast.
Trust me when I say, while I drive down this winding road, seeking reading bliss, that I am not LOOKING for car wrecks. I am driving to escape reality. I set off on this high-speed adventure yearning for excitement and fun. I honestly don't mind ignoring an occasional typo, because cars do backfire and some of us talk on cell phones while we drive. It's also very likely that you will find a typo written here. (I may pretend I'm a super-hero, demi-god, or vampire, but, sadly, I'm only human.) I don't even mind tripping over a misused word in a book every now and again. I just don't want my brain to explode because a writer completely slammed the brakes on grammar and stopped right in front of my reading pleasure, causing a huge fiery death scene with too much brazen ignorance.
EXAMPLE:
Understand that not all the poorly written books I've seen were self-published or sold exclusively on the Internet. If you haven't read my review of this "New York Times Best Selling Author" then click here. (Direct quotes from her soft cover book, which is pure discombobulation, are shown.)
BOOK ACCIDENTS THAT LEFT ME SHAKING:
#1 - Writers who don't know anything about grammar, spelling, capitalization or proper sentence structure, who also don't acknowledge their ignorance, refuse to hire an editor or publishing company who/that might have improved their work. If you are wanting to become an author, then please make sure all vandalized tail lights and huge dents in your book have been removed BEFORE you publish. The editorial process works something like car insurance. If you pay for it, then reviewers will rub car wax on your vehicle until your book gains wonderful publicity and really shines.
#2 - Books that are marketed in one genre when they really belong in the other are just shocking to the reader. Trust me. A Christian doesn't want to buy "The Holy Bible" and receive a copy of "The Satanist's Bible" in reply. Learn the genres before you offer your book for sale. See my review: "Disappointment: The Worst Kind Of Horror." Hint: Do not EVER send me erotica. I personally loathe reading about genitalia.
ABOUT ME:
As someone whose worked in the writing and marketing business (most often as a public relations editor, when not freelancing for trade magazines) I'm feeling rather shaken by two crinkled bloody messes for books that I attempted to read, and gave up on, last night. Because I don't want this blog to start looking like it was cursed with negative reviews (this is Catwoman, not some nasty old hag's page, after all) I'm not going to review either one of them. I returned one book to the author, who had asked me for a review, with a polite cough and a "no thank you." The other book I had purchased, and will delete it from my iPad, since I couldn't read past the third chapter without being rushed to the hospital.
FOR MY READERS:
I promise, the next few postings here will be about really good, or worthwhile books. I will not write another review until I've found those awesome reads. Smell the smoke of my exhaust? I'm speeding away to find that adventure! Hear my engine roar as I step on the flabbergast.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Disappointment: The Worst Kind Of Horror
The Knack, by Jesse Gordon, $7.99. eBook/290 pages.
WARNING: THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS
If an author wants his readers to be pleased with his work, he cannot intentionally deceive them by writing a book about the most despicable sexual predators on earth, child rapists, and mislabel such debauchery as "vampire fiction." It just doesn't work. Some intelligent reviewer is going to really feel infuriated and, in this case, the reviewer is me.
Gordon's book starts out quite well. (His sample chapters are why I bought the book.) A Texas family with teenagers is pulling up their proverbial tent stakes to move to California. I could almost smell the blood in the air, Gordon's writing proved so compelling at this point. While the Uhaul truck bounces, the teenagers mentally buck their dad's authority. They hate the idea they're changing schools, homes, friends and everything.
Yet shortly after the family arrives in California, and after the truck's unpacked, the story begins creeping downhill. I began to feel bored, so I skimmed over a few paragraphs. Then, when I could find no sustenance (hate it when I feel as though my mind could slowly starve to death) I jumped ahead more rapidly. That's when I realized the decline had steepened and the story slid way past all the meat markets and liquor stores that Gordon had described earlier. It landed fully in the gutter!
How a family conflict story suddenly morphs into emotionless erotica, I don't know. But when the main character, Aaron, becomes infected with the rapist-virus, he uses his man-instrument (like most vampires use fangs) and attacks an innocent school girl to kill her with it. Seriously! Homicidal rapist's are what Gordon thinks of preternatural vampires? That's just tacky. Tacky. Tacky!
I really deplored reading about Aaron and how, when he's not yanking his thoughts back into human comprehension, he's physically yanking on something more apparent. He's either doing that, or he's running around naked, exposing himself in a very lewd way. If Aaron's story wasn't despicable enough, even more rapists show up, including a middle-aged pedophile-rapist.
I simply had to quit reading there. Like the "patches of wilted shrubs" that Gordon described in the beginning, his book became worse than dead to me.
OTHER CRITICISMS:
Reviewer's Admission: *(I purchased this book and read it as an eBook)
WARNING: THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS
If an author wants his readers to be pleased with his work, he cannot intentionally deceive them by writing a book about the most despicable sexual predators on earth, child rapists, and mislabel such debauchery as "vampire fiction." It just doesn't work. Some intelligent reviewer is going to really feel infuriated and, in this case, the reviewer is me.
Gordon's book starts out quite well. (His sample chapters are why I bought the book.) A Texas family with teenagers is pulling up their proverbial tent stakes to move to California. I could almost smell the blood in the air, Gordon's writing proved so compelling at this point. While the Uhaul truck bounces, the teenagers mentally buck their dad's authority. They hate the idea they're changing schools, homes, friends and everything.
Yet shortly after the family arrives in California, and after the truck's unpacked, the story begins creeping downhill. I began to feel bored, so I skimmed over a few paragraphs. Then, when I could find no sustenance (hate it when I feel as though my mind could slowly starve to death) I jumped ahead more rapidly. That's when I realized the decline had steepened and the story slid way past all the meat markets and liquor stores that Gordon had described earlier. It landed fully in the gutter!
How a family conflict story suddenly morphs into emotionless erotica, I don't know. But when the main character, Aaron, becomes infected with the rapist-virus, he uses his man-instrument (like most vampires use fangs) and attacks an innocent school girl to kill her with it. Seriously! Homicidal rapist's are what Gordon thinks of preternatural vampires? That's just tacky. Tacky. Tacky!
I really deplored reading about Aaron and how, when he's not yanking his thoughts back into human comprehension, he's physically yanking on something more apparent. He's either doing that, or he's running around naked, exposing himself in a very lewd way. If Aaron's story wasn't despicable enough, even more rapists show up, including a middle-aged pedophile-rapist.
I simply had to quit reading there. Like the "patches of wilted shrubs" that Gordon described in the beginning, his book became worse than dead to me.
OTHER CRITICISMS:
- Font style and size dramatically and randomly change throughout the book in an inconsistent manner.
- The book is rated Fiction > Literature > Horror when it should be rated Licentious > Erotica.
- I will never give a piece of "literature" high ratings when it's written merely to excite some deviant or prurient interests, as I'm sure all the teenaged girls, described in this book, who sexually attacked their horrified classmates, appealed to the author.
Reviewer's Admission: *(I purchased this book and read it as an eBook)
Character Blog: Vamchoir
Tweet: @Vamchoir
Facebook: Vamchoir
Publisher: SunTigerMOJO.com
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Going Against The Flow: Shocked By What Ratings Show
FOR EXAMPLE: (I quote the book)
page 7: "I busied myself pouring some of the expensive alcohol in my pocket over the clean portion of the handkerchief and pressed it ruthlessly to the worst of the boy's wounds. He screamed, but neither of us paid any attention." [I pour expensive alcohol in my pocket and scream before ignoring myself too. Don't you?] LOL
Trust me when I say it gets much worse.
I went cross-eyed just trying to understand or enjoy the first chapter. I had to smack myself in the head to get my eyes unstuck.
I went cross-eyed just trying to understand or enjoy the first chapter. I had to smack myself in the head to get my eyes unstuck.
The following paragraphs were found just by very quickly flipping through the rest the book, at random. (Confusing sentences and discombobulated paragraphs were much too easy to fall upon.) See if you can grasp what's being described, below, without having to read the paragraph twice, or three times.
page 72: "They needed a null to keep anything freaky from happening while their people decided if whatever it was could be stabilized."
page 77: "I pushed away sickening memories and concentrated on translating the brief scrawl. It was leaking down the walls and was fairly indistinct against the black paint, especially where it crossed the poetry, but I got the idea. [Maybe the editors and writer were all tweaking out when they published this book?]
page 185: (Some dude named Louis-Casare is touching Dorina's cheek and then:)"Light mental fingers danced past my tattered shields and suddenly I could breathe without pain. His hands were warm on my skin and his touch swept away the last of the confused frenzy. They made me feel steadier, anchored, and I realized that he'd hit me with a suggestion. Normally that sort of thing wouldn't work, but my shields were in shreds."
page 285: "Louis-Cesare beat the things back with an armchair, which he stuffed in the hole left by the shattered window. I looked at it dubiously, doubting that wood and leather would hold them for long. I barely had the thought when the makeshift plug exploded through the room, wedging in the open door to the hall, blocking our retreat. [Note: how does an armchair explode through a room (I visualized wood splinters) to wedge between an open door and block a retreat? Perhaps Chance meant the intact chair was merely hurled through the room?]
page 325: "Power was curling upward from every wound now; my skin prickled with it even halfway across the room."
page 368: "I could still see Louis-Cesare's mutilated body, with Jonathan tenderly stroking the multiple wounds he'd inflicted. I understood what Mircea meant; one death was far, far too good for him. I'd have loved to give him one for each and every scar, but wasn't sure I'd given him even one. He'd fooled me with the illusion that Louis-Casare was dead. No vamp healed an almost decapitation in a couple of minutes, not even a master. Especally not a master so drained of power he couldn't even stand up." [Are you confused about what's going on here? One death is too good for whom? Jonathan? Louis-Cesare? Is Louis-Casare dead? Or alive? The next paragraph doesn't help clear anything up. It asks:] "Was Jonathan really dead? Or had it been another illusion?"
Maybe I'm the only blogger who thinks readers should not have to employ mental telepathy to understand whatever message an author is trying to convey. It alarms me to think 175 people could have collectively rated this book 4.5 stars (see Barnes and Noble). It makes me wonder if anyone actually read this gibberish before voting?
Then I wonder: were people paid to rate this book? Or, maybe ONYX publishing drugged them! Now those poor people are probably being held captive, used as slaves on some remote island, where they're continually forced at gunpoint to rate all the books ONYX publishes, 4 or 5 stars.
Character Blog: Vamchoir
Tweet: @Vamchoir
Facebook: Vamchoir
Publisher: SunTigerMOJO.com
Monday, January 17, 2011
Night Prayers (Could Also Be Named Night Preyors) by P.D. Cacek
This book received so many bad reviews, from other readers, I just had to experience it for myself. I kept wondering, "can a vampire novel really be all that dreadful?"
What I figure most readers did not like:- Significant amount of vulgar sex with zero romance involved (think: pole dancing vampires). Book also includes profanity appropriate to the setting.
- One main character,Milo (aka: Mica),is overly self righteous, very disturbed, and he's a self-appointed preacher who stands on the street judging people quite loudly. From the very first chapter, I kept yearning for some blessed vampire to please drain all the juices from Milo's brain. I just wanted to surgically remove him like some huge protuberance from my back. Not only was Milo's preaching ridiculously annoying, but his self talk was even more loathsome. His own body made him a hypocritical contradiction to everything he humps his Bible about.
What you will definitely like:
- Exceptional writing. Author repeatedly employs a wonderful play on words, writes entertaining dialog, and paints vivid pictures for the reader's imagination. Example: "Luci's sudden smile flashed as bright as her white dress."
- Wonderful twisted ending. I never saw it coming and have never read a book quite like this one.
Why this book gets a four star rating:
While P.D. Cacek's writing is highly polished, I did not want to befriend any of her characters (and hope I never meet any in the flesh). None of them had a very strong ethical constitution. I certainly won't be thinking about the book's plot, or any of the characters, in the days to come (which is why this book, in my opinion, does not deserve five stars). Yet I felt very grateful for the high entertainment factor while the reading lasted. I especially felt amused by the vampire slayer scenes and felt the creativity in this work flew sky high.
Character Blog: Vamchoir
Tweet: @Vamchoir
Facebook: Vamchoir
Publisher: SunTigerMOJO.com
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