Book Update
Feb. 8th, 2022 09:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
under_the_silk_treeWell, we are a week into February how is it going so far? I am doing good. I can't complain. I mean I could but I'm not going to. lol My new strategy is to take each day as it comes. So far it seems to be working. I've been in an eclectic mood, so these are kind of all over the place, but I enjoyed them for the most part.
Tulips are my favorite flowers so when I saw this book at a used bookstore, I had to pick it up. The Tulip is basically a history of the tulip as it spread from its home in the East and how it affected those who loved it and how it ended up leaving its mark on the history of several nations. The author is not a historian or even a history writer which I think shows as the written history portion of the book was so dry and not very engaging considering how many countries and people were involved the retelling could've have been so dynamic and interesting. The real charm of this book was that almost every other page had pictures of tulips and tulip drawings and paintings from their discovery to the present and those are all so gorgeous. For that alone I would recommend this book.
This was an interesting read. Basically, it is a collection of articles, essays, and unfinished works from Douglas Adams along with remembrances from some of his friends after his unexpected death. Like with a lot of collections some of it was good and some not so much. Overall, it mostly reminded me of a time when I was younger and read all of his Hitchhiker & Dirk Gently books and fell in love with Adams almost magical way with words. It might be time for a reread.
In the distant future, humans and several other races have been granted membership in the Confederation - at a price. They must act as soldier/protectors of the far more civilized races who have long since turned away from war... — Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr was a battle-hardened professional. So when she and those in her platoon who'd survived the last deadly encounter with the Others were yanked from a well-deserved leave for what was supposed to be "easy" duty as the honor guard for a diplomatic mission to the non-Confederation world of the Silsviss, she was ready for anything.
At first it seemed that all she'd have to contend with was bored troops getting into mischief, and breaking in the new Second Lieutenant who had been given command of her men.
Sure, there'd been rumors of the Others - the sworn enemies of the Confederation - being spotted in this sector of space. But there were always rumors. The key thing was to recruit the Silsviss into the Confederation before the Others either attacked or claimed this lizardlike race of warriors for their own side. And everything seemed to be going perfectly. Maybe too perfectly... ~ Goodreads Description
Having loved Tanya Huff's Victoria Nelson series as well as her Tony Foster series I was intrigued when I saw this book. I was also in the mood for sci-fi, so I picked it up and gave it a try. It was very enjoyable. Although I would more classify it as a military/sci-fi book because it very much set in the military and the battle the platoon finds themselves involved in although on a alien planet could've taken place on earth just as well. I really loved the no nonsense, pragmatic, protagonist Torin Kerr. She is the staff sergeant for the platoon, and I love how competent she was, and her inner dialogue was a hoot to read. The plot was fast moving and kept me engaged. Huff reminds me, in a good way, of A.C. Crispin in her ability to write different alien species and make them seem real. The one ding against this book probably would be the end confrontation seemed overly long for me, but I am not a big military reader, so it was probably just right if that is your jam. Overall, I really enjoyed it and will be continuing.
Naomi Bowes lost her innocence the night she followed her father into the woods. In freeing the girl trapped in the root cellar, Naomi revealed the horrible extent of her father’s crimes and made him infamous. No matter how close she gets to happiness, she can’t outrun the sins of Thomas David Bowes.
Now a successful photographer living under the name Naomi Carson, she has found a place that calls to her, a rambling old house in need of repair, thousands of miles away from everything she’s ever known. Naomi wants to embrace the solitude, but the kindly residents of Sunrise Cove keep forcing her to open up—especially the determined Xander Keaton. ~Goodreads Description
I have seen this book recommended as a good place to start with Nora Roberts thriller/mystery books and since I have been in a thriller mood, I decided to pick it up. It started off really good the first quarter I just flew through with no problem then all the sudden it just started dragging. It felt like nothing was happening for the longest time until the last twenty five percent it finally started picking up again. I think the problem was the fact that I didn't like the romance. The love interest, Xander, was too pushy and occasionally he would tell Naomi shut up and that did not sit right with me personally but ymmv. I loved the found family that the author built around Naomi throughout the novel, and I think I would have liked the book better if Roberts had leaned into that more than having a romance between Naomi and Xander. (Warnings this book is about a serial rapist/murderer although the rapes aren’t in graphic detail, they are talked about and there are chapters in the victims pov.)
Reading Challenges 2022:
Mount TBR: The Tulip, The Salmon of Doubt
LJ Book Bingo A-Z: The Obsession, Valor's Choice
Cloak & Dagger Challenge: The Obsession
Tulips are my favorite flowers so when I saw this book at a used bookstore, I had to pick it up. The Tulip is basically a history of the tulip as it spread from its home in the East and how it affected those who loved it and how it ended up leaving its mark on the history of several nations. The author is not a historian or even a history writer which I think shows as the written history portion of the book was so dry and not very engaging considering how many countries and people were involved the retelling could've have been so dynamic and interesting. The real charm of this book was that almost every other page had pictures of tulips and tulip drawings and paintings from their discovery to the present and those are all so gorgeous. For that alone I would recommend this book.
This was an interesting read. Basically, it is a collection of articles, essays, and unfinished works from Douglas Adams along with remembrances from some of his friends after his unexpected death. Like with a lot of collections some of it was good and some not so much. Overall, it mostly reminded me of a time when I was younger and read all of his Hitchhiker & Dirk Gently books and fell in love with Adams almost magical way with words. It might be time for a reread.
In the distant future, humans and several other races have been granted membership in the Confederation - at a price. They must act as soldier/protectors of the far more civilized races who have long since turned away from war... — Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr was a battle-hardened professional. So when she and those in her platoon who'd survived the last deadly encounter with the Others were yanked from a well-deserved leave for what was supposed to be "easy" duty as the honor guard for a diplomatic mission to the non-Confederation world of the Silsviss, she was ready for anything.
At first it seemed that all she'd have to contend with was bored troops getting into mischief, and breaking in the new Second Lieutenant who had been given command of her men.
Sure, there'd been rumors of the Others - the sworn enemies of the Confederation - being spotted in this sector of space. But there were always rumors. The key thing was to recruit the Silsviss into the Confederation before the Others either attacked or claimed this lizardlike race of warriors for their own side. And everything seemed to be going perfectly. Maybe too perfectly... ~ Goodreads Description
Having loved Tanya Huff's Victoria Nelson series as well as her Tony Foster series I was intrigued when I saw this book. I was also in the mood for sci-fi, so I picked it up and gave it a try. It was very enjoyable. Although I would more classify it as a military/sci-fi book because it very much set in the military and the battle the platoon finds themselves involved in although on a alien planet could've taken place on earth just as well. I really loved the no nonsense, pragmatic, protagonist Torin Kerr. She is the staff sergeant for the platoon, and I love how competent she was, and her inner dialogue was a hoot to read. The plot was fast moving and kept me engaged. Huff reminds me, in a good way, of A.C. Crispin in her ability to write different alien species and make them seem real. The one ding against this book probably would be the end confrontation seemed overly long for me, but I am not a big military reader, so it was probably just right if that is your jam. Overall, I really enjoyed it and will be continuing.
Naomi Bowes lost her innocence the night she followed her father into the woods. In freeing the girl trapped in the root cellar, Naomi revealed the horrible extent of her father’s crimes and made him infamous. No matter how close she gets to happiness, she can’t outrun the sins of Thomas David Bowes.
Now a successful photographer living under the name Naomi Carson, she has found a place that calls to her, a rambling old house in need of repair, thousands of miles away from everything she’s ever known. Naomi wants to embrace the solitude, but the kindly residents of Sunrise Cove keep forcing her to open up—especially the determined Xander Keaton. ~Goodreads Description
I have seen this book recommended as a good place to start with Nora Roberts thriller/mystery books and since I have been in a thriller mood, I decided to pick it up. It started off really good the first quarter I just flew through with no problem then all the sudden it just started dragging. It felt like nothing was happening for the longest time until the last twenty five percent it finally started picking up again. I think the problem was the fact that I didn't like the romance. The love interest, Xander, was too pushy and occasionally he would tell Naomi shut up and that did not sit right with me personally but ymmv. I loved the found family that the author built around Naomi throughout the novel, and I think I would have liked the book better if Roberts had leaned into that more than having a romance between Naomi and Xander. (Warnings this book is about a serial rapist/murderer although the rapes aren’t in graphic detail, they are talked about and there are chapters in the victims pov.)
Reading Challenges 2022:
Mount TBR: The Tulip, The Salmon of Doubt
LJ Book Bingo A-Z: The Obsession, Valor's Choice
Cloak & Dagger Challenge: The Obsession
