a stressful summer and getting back into blogging

This year has been a challenging one for a number of reasons. I started January with a restructuring at work and every time things seem to be settling down a new stressor gets thrown my way. Also, summer is my least favorite season as I melt in the face of heat plus high humidity. With everything that's been going on the past two months I haven't been really been tracking what I've read, hence the lack of an August recap post and no regular updates to the "currently reading" and "books read in 2013" sidebar lists. I have been reading though and I will attempt to get my "books read in 2013" list updated to the best of my ability.

In the meantime, here's a little report on my current reading -

I'm listening to the audio version of Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (public library), which was recommended to me by my friend Nancy, and I adore it. I crave it when I'm not listening to it even though I'm worried that something bad may be in store for one of the main characters.

On my Nook I'm reading Escaping Reality: The Secret Life of Amy Bensen by Lisa Renee Jones (Netgalley), a romantic suspense novel.

I also have Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson (borrowed from a friend) and One Thousand and One Nights: A Retelling by Hanan al-Shaykh (public library) in progress (though One Thousand and One Nights is going to have to go back to the library this weekend as I've just realized that it's overdue and I've reached my renew limit for it). Both of these are best in small installments so they fall into the actively-but-slowly-reading category.

Some of you may remember that my birthday is at the end of September. Russell has a particularly virulent case of the flu so celebrations have been quite subdued. I will have a bookish birthday gifts post up either at some point this weekend.

the dragon is stirring

December seems like a good time to get back on the wagon so expect regular posts to start appearing soon.

I'm sure that I missed a few books in my sidebar-updating, but "Books Read in 2012" is current and as accurate as my memory allows.

shades of grey (and an explanation of sorts for recent silence)

So, I loaned my mom Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (see post). She started reading it recently and brought the book along to the hospital with her to read in the downtime before her shoulder surgery.¹ Today she told me that both the nurse there and my father were completely scandalized that she was reading the book and that she was reading it in public.  Even worse for my father is that she'd gotten the book from me.

Shades of Grey ≠ Fifty Shades of Grey

Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron is zany dystopian fiction.
Fifty Shades of Grey is poorly written dominant/submissive erotica (or so I've been told).

My poor mother was apparently unaware of the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon so I had to fill her in. While I acknowledge a similarity in the two novels' titles, this particular case of mistaken identity seems odd to me considering that they were horrified by seeing her read the book, rather than by her making passing reference to the fact that she was reading the book. The Fifty Shades books have very distinctive (and widely publicized) monochromatic blue-gray cover art. None of the various covers for Shades of Grey look remotely similar. And while the cover art on my copy isn't as colorful as some of the other editions', I can't imagine confusing the following -

And, just to be clear, while I personally have no plans to read Fifty Shades of Grey and its sequels, I pass no judgment on those who do. I follow a "read what you like, like what you read" philosophy.  And it seems like the Fifty Shades books have inspiring many adults to read, which is a very a good thing.

n.b. The staff at your public library are not judging you based on your reading habits (unless, of course, you're the one "reading" The Joy of Sex in the men's washroom)² so go ahead and check out Succubus Blues, or whatever else floats your boat, without shame.

In any case, on to the parenthetical. It's been something like 2.5 weeks since my last post. I apologize for my silence.

Erratic posting is really a result of two things.  First, when you have to do something that you like (in this case: writing about books), it begins to feel more like work than like fun. Second, ever since we moved Russell and I have been sharing one computer at home. And by the time I've finished all the stuff I need to do on the computer, I don't always have the time or energy for writing blog posts. I have been reading even if I haven't been keeping my side-bar list updated³ and I do have a bunch of titles that I'm planning to review. My posting schedule will no doubt continue to be erratic at least for the foreseeable future. Please forgive me.

1. Surgery went well and she seems to be doing just fine.
2. No, I'm not joking. At a library where a colleague of mine worked part of the close-up procedure involved a trip to the men's room to collect The Joy of Sex for reshelving.  The joys of working in a public library.
3. I'll update it before I log out of blogger today.

and on into 2012

The plan for this coming year is to post more consistently than I have recently.  I don't plan to post every day (I still have the big writing project which must be attended to), but I'd like to share my thoughts on the majority of the books I read even if that means more in the way of informal comments than proper reviews.  I also need to write up posts for a number of books that I should have reviewed in 2011 (see better-late-than-never tag).

on into October

I should begin this post by explaining why I haven't been posting regularly. The short answer is that I've been busy and tired. Starting a new job¹ is exhausting and I have to admit that I've worn myself out trying to post as regularly as I think I should. As you can tell from my sidebar, I have been reading, I just haven't been posting about all the books that I've read. I do intend to post on many of the unreviewed books, but it'll take me some time to get to all the ones on my list.

October is going to be the craziest month of the year for me for the foreseeable future. My new employer runs lots of special events in October. And when I say "lots," I mean lots: the biggest event runs on 21 nights in October and there are three other every-weekend events. I didn't work this weekend, but I'm on special-event duty every other weekend this month (next weekend, I'm working Saturday, Sunday, and Columbus Day). So, don't expect a lot of posts in October. I suspect that I'll be falling asleep over books more often than not.

I've also been neglecting a writing project so I will be intentionally limiting my time spent on the blog for a few months after October. I'll still be posting, just not as much, because I desperately need to focus on this other project.

Just wanted to let you all know what's going on...

1. These past six months have flown by, but I'm still very much learning the lay of the land and figuring out how to best navigate these new waters

a weekend update

I live in a basement apartment in an area that was right in the path of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene. Sunday morning we woke up (around 7:30 am) to 2 inches of water in the kitchen (the laundry room was also completely flooded, but we didn't notice that right away). So, suffice it to say, that we had an interesting weekend. It's not nearly as bad as it could have been (thank goodness for the neighbors and their little submersible pump). The carpeted main part of the apartment did get some water (it came up through the floor), but we were able to move most everything out of the way. We're mostly dry now, but disorganized and musty-smelling. All of our books are safe and sound.

As for work, the sites have downed trees and some flood-related damage to buildings and landscapes. The main library is a-OK. I assume that we may have lost some books that were in the areas of the sites that flooded, but that's minor in the great scheme of things.

giveaway update

I'm busy picking out books for my winners. Expect a reveal post in the next couple of days.

I really appreciate all the feedback I received along with the entries.

a couple of things

First, I want to thank Rhiannon Paille for featuring me on her blog last week.
If you don't know about her self-titled blog already, you should definitely check it out. Rhiannon is a really interesting person and I appreciate her book reviews and thoughts on the publishing industry.

Second, be sure to visit this blog later this month (in 10 days or so) as I have something extraordinary planned.
If you are one of those people who can't handle anticipation, you might a clue at the very bottom of this page if you look hard enough.

Have a great week, everyone.

Sync: Where the Streets Had a Name + Passage to India

Today's the beginning of the third week of Sync's summer free audiobook extravaganza.

The offerings this week are
Where the Streets Had a Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah and
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster.

Thirteen year old Hayaat is on a mission. She believes a handful of soil from her grandmother's ancestral home in Jerusalem will save her beloved Sitti Zeynab's life. The only problem is that Hayaat and her family live behind the impenetrable wall that divides the West Bank, and they're on the wrong side of check points, curfews, and the travel permit system. Plus, Hayaat's best friend Samy always manages to attract trouble. But luck is on the pair's side as they undertake the journey to Jerusalem from the Palestinian Territories when Hayaat and Samy have a curfew-free day to travel.
But while their journey may only be a few kilometers long, it could take a lifetime to complete. . . .
Humorous and heartfelt, Where the Streets Had a Name deals with the Israel-Palestinian conflict with sensitivity and grace and will open a window on this timely subject.

Among the greatest novels of the twentieth century, A Passage to India tells of the clash of cultures in British India after the turn of the century. In exquisite prose, Forster reveals the menace that lurks just beneath the surface of ordinary life, as a common misunderstanding erupts into a devastating affair.

Note: these books don't expire like the e-audiobooks you get from the library. So, be sure to download the books even if you don't think you'll get around to listening to them right away.

More information about Sync is available in this post.

Literary Blog Directory

Sam over at Tiny Library, a blog I discovered today (through the Book Blogs community on Ning, which I just joined), is starting up a directory of blogs that focus completely/mostly/sometimes on literary and/or non-genre fiction.

Literary Blog Directory

I think it'll be a good resource for people overwhelmed by genre-centric book blogs.

Of course I asked to be included (I love that she asks people to list some of their favorite books). It looks like I'm number 14.

You can sign up here. More information is available in this post.

Sync: Little Brother + The Trial

Today's the beginning of the second week of Sync's summer free audiobook extravaganza.

The offerings this week are
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow and
The Trial by Franz Kafka.

Marcus, a.k.a “w1n5t0n,” is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works–and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school’s intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems.
But his whole world changes when he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they’re mercilessly interrogated for days.
When the DHS finally releases them, Marcus discovers that his city has become a police state where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: to take down the DHS himself.

Written in 1914, The Trial is one of the most important novels of the twentieth century: the terrifying tale of Josef K., a respectable bank officer who is suddenly and inexplicably arrested and must defend himself against a charge about which he can get no information. Whether read as an existential tale, a parable, or a prophecy of the excesses of modern bureaucracy wedded to the madness of totalitarianism, Kafka's nightmare has resonated with chilling truth for generations of readers.

Note: these books don't expire like the e-audiobooks you get from the library. So, be sure to download the books even if you don't think you'll get around to listening to them right away.

More information about Sync is available in this post.

Sync: Shiver + Romeo and Juliet

Just a reminder that today is the beginning of the first week of Sync's summer free audiobook extravaganza.

The offerings this week are Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater and Romeo & Juliet.

Note: these books don't expire like the e-audiobooks you get from the library. So, be sure to download the books even if you don't think you'll get around to listening to them right away.

I'm going to assume that all my readers are familiar with Romeo & Juliet and just include the synopsis for Shiver.

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human... until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

More information about Sync is available in this post.

why I hate moving

This is really just an FYI post. It will likely be a bit quiet here on morsie reads for the next few days.

Those of you who have followed the blog for any length of time will know that I recently relocated for a new job and that I hate moving. Well my employer has a new building where the administrative offices and the library will be located henceforth. The library move hasn't been scheduled yet, but the main office move is happening this weekend.

You'd think that this first phase of the relocation should be no big deal for me. After all I've only been in this job for a few month, how much stuff could I have accumulated in my office? If only things we're that simple... I've actually moved over all my office files. All that's left to move from my office is my desktop dalek, a light table, and a card file.

BUT I'm responsible for all the boxes of files that have been stashed in the basement mail room over the years (~200), both the permanent records and those awaiting disposition (as well as material that should have been downstairs that is only coming to light now that everyone is serious about packing). I have loads of lovely, brand new compact shelving, but there is no wasted space. The record shelves are the perfect size for bankers boxes with properly fitting lids. Anyone care to guess how many boxes are either unnecessarily oversized or overpacked?

I intended to finish up a half-written review last night, but I was simply too exhausted from packing and repacking boxes yesterday. I suspect the next few days with yield more of the same exhaustion. Wish me luck.

steampunk defined

Whenever I mention steampunk in a post I get questions about exactly the term means. To me my explanations always seem a bit bumbling.

Happily I can report that Sci-fi and fantasy giant, Tor Books has a great blog post from 2009 that explains the both the literary genre and the subculture well: Steampunk 101 by G. D. Falksen.
For reference, Falksen is the guy pictured with the fantastic leather and brass prosthetic arm.

I'd be remiss if I neglected to mention that I didn't happen across said post on my own. I first saw it referenced on Steampunk fan page on Facebook. There's that Falksen image (it's everywhere!), I don't know that he's the one who maintains the page though.

i've been reading

I have been reading, but I just haven't really felt like writing. I have five books read and ready for review. I even have partially written posts for a couple of them. But, I've been procrastinating whenever I've had time to write on the blog. Maybe I just need a wee break.

Expect posts on all of the following once I've gotten a bit of my mojo back:

• The Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer (literary fantastic, steampunky)
• The Maid by Kimberly Cutter (Joan of Arc novel)
• The Poisoned House by Michael Ford (Victorian ghost story, due out in September)
• Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories, edited by Kelly Link and Gavin Grant (title is self-explanatory, due out in October)
• Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away by Christie Watson (bildungsroman set in contemporary Nigeria)

There may also be another book buying post this weekend as I have to go into the city on Saturday and have convinced Russell to accompany me in large part due to the promise of a visit to the Strand.

NetGalley

This morning as I was catching up on my blog reading, I happened across a reference to NetGalley.¹ It sounded promising so I went to check it out straight away.

NetGalley "delivers secure, digital galleys to professional readers." The site considers you a professional reader if you are a reviewer, blogger, journalist, librarian, bookseller, educator, or member of the media. That definition is pretty broad and it may well cover the majority of this blog's readers.

Here's how it works:
You create an account on the site, after which you can search all the books available for request (you can also browse the catalog by genre, publisher, or date added).
Once you have an account you can request any of the titles, but almost all of the requests are vetted by the publishers (I did request one title that had automatic approval). Each publisher has different reviewer guidelines, which are outlined on the What are publishers looking for? page. Because the publishers screen you before approving your requests, it seems like you'll have better luck if you include lots of information in your profile (they call the part of the profile that the publishers can see your "public bio").
It seems like the majority of the time you'll be able to get the books you want in a format that'll work with the reader of your choice (using Adobe Digital Editions for rights management just like when you borrow ebooks from the library), but NetGalley also has a web-based reader.
Once you read the book, you still post your review in whatever places you would normally post it (whether that's on your blog, bookseller websites, or other review sites like LibraryThing and GoodReads), but notify the publisher about your review (and share a copy) through NetGalley (more details about this are on the Before you Request page).
The site also has Groups and Communities, but I haven't yet figured out what their purpose or how they work.

In any case, I have a long train ride on the schedule for Saturday so I've requested a bunch of books in the hopes of getting approved for a few in time to load them onto my Nook before the trip.

1. It was in this post on The Olive Reader (a blog associated with HarperPerennial).
   Another aside: the book mentioned in the post (Domestic Violets) sounds promising, doesn't it? I requested it via NetGalley so I'll be posting a review once I've read it.

this little valley: an update

"If I should wish for a retreat whither I might steal away from the world and its distractions, and dream quietly away the remnant of a troubled life, I know of none more promising than this little valley" (Washington Irving, Legend of Sleepy Hollow)

Some you know already know this and others may have speculated based on this post, but the big news is that I have a new job. I'm moving back to the area in which I grew up, the same area referenced in the Irving quote above. That (and the stress of leaving one job and starting another and weeding and packing our possessions) is why I have been neglecting the blog. I won't be fully settled until next month, but I am going to make an effort to begin blogging more regularly.

As I told my friend Nancy, the fact that I haven't been posting is really no one's loss as I've been reading a lot less than usual lately and what I have been reading is for the most part nothing to write home about.

absence makes the heart grow fonder?

I haven’t been posting. Things have been busy and hectic and stressful and it’s looking like they’ll continue to be that way for at least another month.

I have been reading. Not as much as usual, but I have been reading. It’s mostly the lighter stuff that’s been appealing to me (romance and teen vampire novels) and I’ve more or less given up on any of the challenging books have in progress (Snow, Tinkers). I made it to the top of the waiting list for Clara and Mr. Tiffany (art historical novel about the Tiffany of stained-glass fame) so I’m working through that now and am really enjoying it.

I’ll post when I can over the next few weeks, in the meantime don’t let any silence be cause for concern.

PSA: book giveway

Presenting Lenore (a great book blog!) is currently hosting a giveaway for a fantastic-sounding new YA novel.

I've shared the publisher's book description below, but please rush over to Presenting Lenore to read Lenore's review of Bumped (in honor of Dystopian February she's using zombie chickens instead of stars, who cool is that?) and her interview with the author Megan McCafferty. Then sign up for the giveaway. You know you want this book.

Bumped by Megan Mccafferty

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. Girls sport fake baby bumps and the school cafeteria stocks folic-acid-infused food.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and have never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Up to now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in Goodside, a religious community, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to convince Melody that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

From New York Times bestselling author Megan McCafferty comes a strikingly original look at friendship, love, and sisterhood—in a future that is eerily believable.

makeover?

Hi, all!

I'm testing out some new templates and going back to tag my older posts.

Let me know if there's anything you do or don't like or if you have suggestions for me.