I know everyone is sick of me talking about my kitchen floor. Good news! Its finally finished. I want to thank everyone for being patient about my whining. I will try to show a picture soon.
I went to the American Library Association conference in Washington D.C. yesterday. I should say that I went to the exhibits, not the conference. Unfortunately I am too poor for the conference program. Many of the publishers were giving away review copies of books. Plus I picked up lots of bags, pens, and post-its. I have this weird addiction to office supplies. I ended up walking for about 2.5 hours straight. And thats with heavy bags on my shoulder. One of the booths that I wanted to visit (and did) was the booth for the online comic strip Unshelved. Its this great comic that takes place in a public library. Its absolutely hysterical. If you've never seen it, go visit! If you work or have ever worked in a library, it will seem familiar. If you've never worked in a library, it will show you what life in a library can be like.
I recently finished The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry. I should have a review soon. Right now I am reading a YA book called The Book Thief. I'll review that one too when I finish.
Showing posts with label book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book. Show all posts
Monday, June 25, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
TGIF!
Thanks for the tips about my e-mail address! I forgot to click the little box that says "share" on my profile. Its there now. I am so glad that it is Friday. I am ready for a peaceful weekend. Unfortunately, its supposed to be in the 90s.
There is no longer a huge de-humidifier in my kitchen. The floor is officially dry. Now to wait til the 25th to have the laminate installed. It feels like there is a little uneven spot in the middle of the floor, almost like it was slightly warped, but I'm trying not to worry so much about that. The water people said the subflooring was fine.
I just finished All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris. Its the 7th book in the "Southern Vampire Series" This time around, Sookie Stackhouse, waitress and telepath, is hired by the vampire queen of Louisiana to go as part of her entourage to read the humans' minds. This convention is not all fun and games. There is quite a bit of political manueverings and Sookie has to do all she can to make sure that she gets out alive. If you haven't read the series, its best to start with the first one, Dead Until Dark. They start fairly light and get slightly darker as the series continues. I highly recommend them.
There is no longer a huge de-humidifier in my kitchen. The floor is officially dry. Now to wait til the 25th to have the laminate installed. It feels like there is a little uneven spot in the middle of the floor, almost like it was slightly warped, but I'm trying not to worry so much about that. The water people said the subflooring was fine.
I just finished All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris. Its the 7th book in the "Southern Vampire Series" This time around, Sookie Stackhouse, waitress and telepath, is hired by the vampire queen of Louisiana to go as part of her entourage to read the humans' minds. This convention is not all fun and games. There is quite a bit of political manueverings and Sookie has to do all she can to make sure that she gets out alive. If you haven't read the series, its best to start with the first one, Dead Until Dark. They start fairly light and get slightly darker as the series continues. I highly recommend them.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Stress easing
Sorry I have not been around. My house has been stressful. The kitchen is still in disarray but the water mitigation people are coming back tomorrow afternoon to make sure that everything is dried. They may have to cut out a piece of the lauan (sheet of plywood on top of the subflooring) but my flooring people can take care of it. Things are slowly coming together. The stove had been moved back into the kitchen because my sister could not take microwaved food another day, but I moved it back out today. The carpenter bees attacking the side of my house have been treated for, so hopefully the woodpecker pecking the house will stop. I have not had much time to read, but I have read a bit. I read The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff (I think). He explains the Tao philosophy using characters from Winnie the Pooh. It makes it so much easier to understand. I had to read the Tao Te Ching in college and it was hard to understand. This makes it easier. It is also pretty short too.
Friday, April 06, 2007
I'm back
Sorry I've been gone. Thanks for sending out the APB Liz! I've been visiting blogs but have not had too much to say. My allergies are driving me crazy and I've had daily headaches. Now there is a chance of snow flurries tonight. I refuse to believe it.
My family (sister, nephew, and sister's boyfriend) left for vacation today. 10 days of peace and quiet! Just me and the two cats. I'm really looking forward to it.
I just finished reading Righteous: Dispatches from the Evangelical Youth Movement by Lauren Sandler. Its non-fiction. Lauren Sandler reports on the rise of Christian evangelical youth movement. She traveled all across the country visiting such groups as skateboarder missionaries, a Seattle mega-church, a small religious college and so on. Quite the page turner. I don't have the same opinions as many of the groups that she talked to, but the book makes for fascinating reading.
My family (sister, nephew, and sister's boyfriend) left for vacation today. 10 days of peace and quiet! Just me and the two cats. I'm really looking forward to it.
I just finished reading Righteous: Dispatches from the Evangelical Youth Movement by Lauren Sandler. Its non-fiction. Lauren Sandler reports on the rise of Christian evangelical youth movement. She traveled all across the country visiting such groups as skateboarder missionaries, a Seattle mega-church, a small religious college and so on. Quite the page turner. I don't have the same opinions as many of the groups that she talked to, but the book makes for fascinating reading.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Is it the full moon?
I know there is a full moon at the end of the week. Could that be causing my anxiety? I am much more anxiety-ridden than usual. The car, the weather, messing up a notarization? Just worrying.
So far so good with my car. It has sputtered a bit but has not stalled again. I've been trying to baby it. And I just have tomorrow to get through.
The weather: They are calling for winter weather again tomorrow. Normally I would be a bit nervous, but I am supposed to work til 9PM tomorrow. And I hate driving at night anyway.
Notarization. This is not really a bit deal. I did not mess anything up. I followed my state rules. I helped this sweet old lady with a real estate closing today. Just notarizing her signature. Basically, I check her ID, put her under oath, and watch her sign. Well the title company messed up some things on the docs and put the wrong date, etc. Since I am responsible for the wording on the notary statement (ex: sworn and subscribed before me this___ day of ____.....) I changed the date to the correct one. And she changed the date in the document to the day she signed it. Exactly the way it should be, right? So why am I worrying? OY! I get so annoyed with myself!
I just finished a fun book today. It is called King Dork by Frank Portman. High school student Tom Henderson is a self-described dork. He is in a band, he's trying to learn how to play his guitar, and trying to deal with teachers who give dumb assignments like copy out the first chapter of The Catcher in the Rye. When he finds his deceased father's copy of the book, he attempts to discover more about his father all the while trying to survive high school. The best part of this book is Tom's trying to survive high school. The extreme torture of gym class, the embarrassment in front of the opposite sex, the ridiculous homework assignments...we've all been there. The language is a bit frank, but overall, a great read and one that adults will especially appreciate.
So far so good with my car. It has sputtered a bit but has not stalled again. I've been trying to baby it. And I just have tomorrow to get through.
The weather: They are calling for winter weather again tomorrow. Normally I would be a bit nervous, but I am supposed to work til 9PM tomorrow. And I hate driving at night anyway.
Notarization. This is not really a bit deal. I did not mess anything up. I followed my state rules. I helped this sweet old lady with a real estate closing today. Just notarizing her signature. Basically, I check her ID, put her under oath, and watch her sign. Well the title company messed up some things on the docs and put the wrong date, etc. Since I am responsible for the wording on the notary statement (ex: sworn and subscribed before me this___ day of ____.....) I changed the date to the correct one. And she changed the date in the document to the day she signed it. Exactly the way it should be, right? So why am I worrying? OY! I get so annoyed with myself!
I just finished a fun book today. It is called King Dork by Frank Portman. High school student Tom Henderson is a self-described dork. He is in a band, he's trying to learn how to play his guitar, and trying to deal with teachers who give dumb assignments like copy out the first chapter of The Catcher in the Rye. When he finds his deceased father's copy of the book, he attempts to discover more about his father all the while trying to survive high school. The best part of this book is Tom's trying to survive high school. The extreme torture of gym class, the embarrassment in front of the opposite sex, the ridiculous homework assignments...we've all been there. The language is a bit frank, but overall, a great read and one that adults will especially appreciate.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
An Unpardonable Crime
An Unpardonable Crime by Andrew Taylor
Historical suspense.
The time is 1819. The place is London, England. Two strange Americans arrive and suddenly a bank collapses. A man is found brutally murdered and another disappears into the slums of the city. And a young boy named Edgar Allan Poe is sent to the village of Stoke Newington by his foster father to attend school. At the same time, a poor schoolteacher, Thomas Shield, gets pulled into these events and must try to make sense of everything before his life is destroyed.
This is another one that does not move very fast but this is a book that you don't want to be rushed. The mystery may not be very surprising, but the characters and atmosphere in this book are wonderful.
**********
We've had our first snowfall of the season today. Thursday's three flakes do not count. I made it back from the grocery store alive. It was very crowded and I really did need to go. I just got the word that schools are closed tomorrow and my boss said that the library will open an hour late tomorrow. That means that the "little angels" will be in the building all day to use the computers. Everyone please wish me patience.
Historical suspense.
The time is 1819. The place is London, England. Two strange Americans arrive and suddenly a bank collapses. A man is found brutally murdered and another disappears into the slums of the city. And a young boy named Edgar Allan Poe is sent to the village of Stoke Newington by his foster father to attend school. At the same time, a poor schoolteacher, Thomas Shield, gets pulled into these events and must try to make sense of everything before his life is destroyed.
This is another one that does not move very fast but this is a book that you don't want to be rushed. The mystery may not be very surprising, but the characters and atmosphere in this book are wonderful.
**********
We've had our first snowfall of the season today. Thursday's three flakes do not count. I made it back from the grocery store alive. It was very crowded and I really did need to go. I just got the word that schools are closed tomorrow and my boss said that the library will open an hour late tomorrow. That means that the "little angels" will be in the building all day to use the computers. Everyone please wish me patience.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
The Secret Supper
The Secret Supper by Javier Sierra
Literary mystery
This is one I would recommend for people who liked the Da Vinci Code but maybe wanted something just a little bit more literary. The time is 1497 and the city is Milan. Leonardo Da Vinci is putting the finishing touches on one of his greatest masterpieces: The Last Supper. But the Pope is concerned. There seem to be some things in the painting that might be heretical. Why don't Jesus or the apostles have halos? Why is there no meat on the table? Why is he facing away from Christ? Father Agostino Leyre has been sent by the Pope to find out the truth. Is Leonardo a heretic? And just what is he trying to say?
This one is good, but moves a bit slower than The Da Vinci Code. It is more of a suspense than a thriller, but worth it!
Literary mystery
This is one I would recommend for people who liked the Da Vinci Code but maybe wanted something just a little bit more literary. The time is 1497 and the city is Milan. Leonardo Da Vinci is putting the finishing touches on one of his greatest masterpieces: The Last Supper. But the Pope is concerned. There seem to be some things in the painting that might be heretical. Why don't Jesus or the apostles have halos? Why is there no meat on the table? Why is he facing away from Christ? Father Agostino Leyre has been sent by the Pope to find out the truth. Is Leonardo a heretic? And just what is he trying to say?
This one is good, but moves a bit slower than The Da Vinci Code. It is more of a suspense than a thriller, but worth it!
Mad Dogs
Mad Dogs by James Grady
Suspense/Thriller
The premise for this book is interesting. Deep in the state of Maine, the CIA runs a secret mental hospital, especially for those cases of agents who have gone insane in the line of duty. Our story focuses on 5 such patients. One day when arriving at group therapy, they find their doctor murdered. They KNOW there has to be some kind of conspiracy going on and they know that they are going to be the prime suspects, so they set out to escape the hospital in an attempt to prove their innocence. Because who is going to believe a group of mental patients? Actually this is book is very funny in parts. There is some violence and language, but this book is highly recommended (by my supervisor too!).
Suspense/Thriller
The premise for this book is interesting. Deep in the state of Maine, the CIA runs a secret mental hospital, especially for those cases of agents who have gone insane in the line of duty. Our story focuses on 5 such patients. One day when arriving at group therapy, they find their doctor murdered. They KNOW there has to be some kind of conspiracy going on and they know that they are going to be the prime suspects, so they set out to escape the hospital in an attempt to prove their innocence. Because who is going to believe a group of mental patients? Actually this is book is very funny in parts. There is some violence and language, but this book is highly recommended (by my supervisor too!).
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Crowds
I went to Walmart today to do some more Christmas shopping. What a mistake! Someone please tell me: why do people INSIST on stopping their carts in the middle of the aisle? Can't they PLEASE move to one side or the other? I mean at my Walmart the aisles are barely big enough for two carts to pass. I actually stayed quite calm though.
I just finished reading The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen. Its another serial killer book, but a bit odd. Usually Gerritsen is pretty straightforward with her explanations. This one was rather different. The plotline is this: there is a brutal serial killer in Boston. At the scene of his murders he leaves strange symbols and latin phrases. Is he a satanist, or just trying to through the police off of his trail? He has caught the attention of the Mephisto Club, a club of eccentrics who study the nature of evil. Then a detective is killed on the door step of one of the members. It seems that the killer has become interested in the Mephisto Club as well. Detectivc Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles have to decipher the symbolism and catch the killer before he strikes again.
Gerritsen seemed to use a lot of ancient symbolism in this and she definitely left it open for a sequel. The book was a page-turner and captured my interest pretty quickly.
I just finished reading The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen. Its another serial killer book, but a bit odd. Usually Gerritsen is pretty straightforward with her explanations. This one was rather different. The plotline is this: there is a brutal serial killer in Boston. At the scene of his murders he leaves strange symbols and latin phrases. Is he a satanist, or just trying to through the police off of his trail? He has caught the attention of the Mephisto Club, a club of eccentrics who study the nature of evil. Then a detective is killed on the door step of one of the members. It seems that the killer has become interested in the Mephisto Club as well. Detectivc Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles have to decipher the symbolism and catch the killer before he strikes again.
Gerritsen seemed to use a lot of ancient symbolism in this and she definitely left it open for a sequel. The book was a page-turner and captured my interest pretty quickly.
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