As of this week, I've officially completed my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge. I'm working my way up to 75, but I thought I'd make a list of the books that I want to read in in the next year:
Wuthering Heights
The Man in the Iron Mask
Fire Study
Walker Papers #5
Wizard's Squared
Bewitching Mysteries #6
The Negotiator #5
Will Trent #3
For the titles with # signs, I don't know the titles yet, because they haven't been released. I'm sure that this list with grow and morph of the next few weeks.Also on my list, I want to get caught up on the Dresden Files books (considering I've only gotten up to book 3, that could take a while).
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Today is our last day of break, and it is consisting mostly of killing time until we can go to the airport. I'm sick, tired, my bags weigh a ton, and I simply don't have the energy to go anywhere I don't have to. Neither Alice nor I have slept well the past two nights, so once we finish up here with the internet we'll probably head to Victoria Coach Station and catch our bus to the airport, where I'll mostly likely end up in a coner and try to sleep before the plane comes and do my best not to cough loudly and draw attention to myself.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Bath and Shower
Bath was lovely. We went on two walks: The first was Bizzar Bath, which runs every night is a comedy tour of the strange and weird in Bath. Not historical, just funny. At one point our guide was talking about lay lines and nodes and how they affect Bath. Right in the middle of his explanation a man on a bicycle rode past, dressed as Death. We all stared at him (he had one of those "won-key" sounding horns, which he honked all the way down the road). Caught us all off guard. The only comment the guide could make was, "Obviously, he's looking for Stone Henge."
Speaking of which, we saw Stone Henge yesterday. It was lovely, but very blustery. Afterwards, we took our second walk, the Haunted Bath walk, which was very interesting. My favorite stories surrounded a dueling ground and a specific Holly tree that we visited, but I'll get into that another time, probably when I make my ghost hunting post once we're back in Italy.
(FYI, once back in Florence, I'll be adding photos to the appropriate posts. Be sure to go back and look at them.)
Today we're back in London. Catching up on our last few sight seeing stops before we go back. Only a few more hours of relative freedom, then it's back to school. Not complaining. At least I won't have to share a shower with 14 other people.
Speaking of which, we saw Stone Henge yesterday. It was lovely, but very blustery. Afterwards, we took our second walk, the Haunted Bath walk, which was very interesting. My favorite stories surrounded a dueling ground and a specific Holly tree that we visited, but I'll get into that another time, probably when I make my ghost hunting post once we're back in Italy.
(FYI, once back in Florence, I'll be adding photos to the appropriate posts. Be sure to go back and look at them.)
Today we're back in London. Catching up on our last few sight seeing stops before we go back. Only a few more hours of relative freedom, then it's back to school. Not complaining. At least I won't have to share a shower with 14 other people.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Chill
Busy, busy days. We have seen so much stuff in the last few days. Buckingham Palace, Parliment, Westminster, the Tower Bridge, Picadilly, China Town. Alice swears that she saw Bill Nighy when we were in Picadilly, but I was facing the wrong direction and she didn't want to say anything. I guess he was about two feet behind me....yeah. Never going to forgive that one.
It looks like today we might be taking some time off. We went to see The Vampire's Assistant this morning. Not great, but it was a good way to kill two hours or so.
Last night was the L13 tour, which involved a riverboat cruise (kinda cold), a Jack the Ripper walk, and a bus tour. We got to see the building where Sweeny Todd had his barber shop (!!!) and the corner where Mrs. Lovette's used to be, among other things. Honestly, I had no idea he was a real person. I knew that there were stories (several) of murderous barbers, and I thought the movie was just based on one of them--not that he actually lived and it ws based on a specific person. The things you learn when taking macabre tours of foreign cities.
The biggest problem we have right now is that we've run out of things to read. I know, I know, we're on vacation, why would we be sitting around reading when there are places to go, people to see? Well neither of us is really up for dawn to dusk site seeing. I've done that before, and it isn't fun. Normally we go out a little in the morning, then come back sometime after lunch, chill for a an hour or two, then go back out again. We're usually back by 9, and then we just chill. It makes for a much more relaxing trip, since this is VACATION. Maybe there aren't any white sand beaches or nice boys bringing us drinks with umbellas in them with their shirts off, but we are still here to relax, and oh my god, it has been wonderful. I absolutely adore London, and I want to live here. After living in Columbus and London, Ohio, and Florence, it us such a change to be in a city that is so full of life. Those other cities are dying--Ohio because of the economy, and Florence through a combination of polution, economic woes, and the general age of the population (which I think is somewhere between 50 and 60. There's an average of 4 elderly people for every child born, and the birth rate is on the decline). That and the vast majority of Italians I've met have been rather rude and inconsiderate, while the Brits have been friendly, helpful, and all around pleasant.
I'm going to go kick back and finish up my last book. Maybe I'll go out later and seek out a new one...
It looks like today we might be taking some time off. We went to see The Vampire's Assistant this morning. Not great, but it was a good way to kill two hours or so.
Last night was the L13 tour, which involved a riverboat cruise (kinda cold), a Jack the Ripper walk, and a bus tour. We got to see the building where Sweeny Todd had his barber shop (!!!) and the corner where Mrs. Lovette's used to be, among other things. Honestly, I had no idea he was a real person. I knew that there were stories (several) of murderous barbers, and I thought the movie was just based on one of them--not that he actually lived and it ws based on a specific person. The things you learn when taking macabre tours of foreign cities.
The biggest problem we have right now is that we've run out of things to read. I know, I know, we're on vacation, why would we be sitting around reading when there are places to go, people to see? Well neither of us is really up for dawn to dusk site seeing. I've done that before, and it isn't fun. Normally we go out a little in the morning, then come back sometime after lunch, chill for a an hour or two, then go back out again. We're usually back by 9, and then we just chill. It makes for a much more relaxing trip, since this is VACATION. Maybe there aren't any white sand beaches or nice boys bringing us drinks with umbellas in them with their shirts off, but we are still here to relax, and oh my god, it has been wonderful. I absolutely adore London, and I want to live here. After living in Columbus and London, Ohio, and Florence, it us such a change to be in a city that is so full of life. Those other cities are dying--Ohio because of the economy, and Florence through a combination of polution, economic woes, and the general age of the population (which I think is somewhere between 50 and 60. There's an average of 4 elderly people for every child born, and the birth rate is on the decline). That and the vast majority of Italians I've met have been rather rude and inconsiderate, while the Brits have been friendly, helpful, and all around pleasant.
I'm going to go kick back and finish up my last book. Maybe I'll go out later and seek out a new one...
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Soup
There were three things that we desperately needed yesterday, and didn't manage to find until after I made that last post. The first was deoderant. Neither Alice nor I had one small enough to qualify for a carry on. We found a Boots (pharmacy)directy across from the mall, about a block from our hostel. It's a gorgeous mall with lots of interesting shops, and inside, wouldn't you know, there was a huge bookstore that was going out of business! I got a Torchwood novel for £5 (they're $10-12 in the States, and with the exchange rate it was only about $7-7.50), a new deck of tarot cards (one that I can actually read! This is so exciting!) and a present for a friend back home. Everything was only £20, and would have been about double that back in Ohio.
Just when we were about to despair, we happened across what we thought was a grocery store but is closer to a miniature Target and discovered our holy grail--£3.50 bath towels. Our last hostel provided us with daily linens free of charge, but this place charges £5 for a tiny, un-absorbant towel. (Later, I went back to this same store for shoes and socks. My boots are great for site seeing and traveling, but not after four days in a row. I was going to back a second pair, but there wasn't room. Alice and I have purchased a third bag, both to replace the one whose zippers all burst yesterday as we were about to get on the plane--not her fault, honestly. Cheap bag construction--and also so we could sew the openings closed and use the broken bag as a checked item for the stuff we're bringing home (mostly books, but there will be chocolate and snacks that we've missed from home and can't get in Italy as well).
All of this meant that we could get the third thing we really needed, which was a shower. We chilled out at the hostel for a while, then went for dinner, which was Burger King. Italian burgers are good in their own right, but they're different. And we both wanted chedder cheese.
Since we were now clean and refreshed, we went back to the mall to look around more slowly. We carefully avoided the book store, since it was very dangerous for the health of our bank accounts, and this was when I got the cute little ballet flats that I'm wearing right now.
I went to bead early, and didn't wake up until 4:30 when seven of our roommates came back from night clubbing. One of them at least was drunk enough not to care if he lowered his voice or not. I didn't get up again unil 8:30, and it feels wonderful to finally have slept more than two or three or five hours.
On deck for today is another stroll through Hyde Park, since we know roughly where to find Peter Pan now, followed by a site seeing bus. In Edinburgh, this was the cheapest, best way to see the city, and it's a reasonable bet that it's the same here. Often you can buy one ticket, get on and off at will through the day, and see more sites in one day than you would otherwise. We're going to get our obligatory touristy shots today since it's Sunday and a lot of things will be closed.
Well, my 50p internet has about run out. Now I just need to find an ATM. While this trip has been cheaper than I thought it would be, I still think we're going to be surviving off of bread and soup for the next few weeks to make it through the end of term. At least all of our supplies and things have been bought now. And I'm determined to make anything else we might need if I can.
Just when we were about to despair, we happened across what we thought was a grocery store but is closer to a miniature Target and discovered our holy grail--£3.50 bath towels. Our last hostel provided us with daily linens free of charge, but this place charges £5 for a tiny, un-absorbant towel. (Later, I went back to this same store for shoes and socks. My boots are great for site seeing and traveling, but not after four days in a row. I was going to back a second pair, but there wasn't room. Alice and I have purchased a third bag, both to replace the one whose zippers all burst yesterday as we were about to get on the plane--not her fault, honestly. Cheap bag construction--and also so we could sew the openings closed and use the broken bag as a checked item for the stuff we're bringing home (mostly books, but there will be chocolate and snacks that we've missed from home and can't get in Italy as well).
All of this meant that we could get the third thing we really needed, which was a shower. We chilled out at the hostel for a while, then went for dinner, which was Burger King. Italian burgers are good in their own right, but they're different. And we both wanted chedder cheese.
Since we were now clean and refreshed, we went back to the mall to look around more slowly. We carefully avoided the book store, since it was very dangerous for the health of our bank accounts, and this was when I got the cute little ballet flats that I'm wearing right now.
I went to bead early, and didn't wake up until 4:30 when seven of our roommates came back from night clubbing. One of them at least was drunk enough not to care if he lowered his voice or not. I didn't get up again unil 8:30, and it feels wonderful to finally have slept more than two or three or five hours.
On deck for today is another stroll through Hyde Park, since we know roughly where to find Peter Pan now, followed by a site seeing bus. In Edinburgh, this was the cheapest, best way to see the city, and it's a reasonable bet that it's the same here. Often you can buy one ticket, get on and off at will through the day, and see more sites in one day than you would otherwise. We're going to get our obligatory touristy shots today since it's Sunday and a lot of things will be closed.
Well, my 50p internet has about run out. Now I just need to find an ATM. While this trip has been cheaper than I thought it would be, I still think we're going to be surviving off of bread and soup for the next few weeks to make it through the end of term. At least all of our supplies and things have been bought now. And I'm determined to make anything else we might need if I can.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Landing
Alice and I arrived safely last night...at 3:30 in the morning. Our flight was delayed by an hour (which was kind of funny, since I'd never flown with Ryan Air before, and their sign at the airport said "The On Time Airline" (Their literature, however, read "The Low Price Airline". I Thought that was a rather convenient save, on their part). We met two lovely girls in the airport, also studying in Florence and staying just on the other side of of the Kensington Gardens from us. We hung out in the airport, caught a bus together, and then tried to navigate our way to our hostels. Since we had to go different directions, however, they managed to catch a direct bus while Alice and I caught a cab (only about £13, which isn't bad since our last cab in London was £40).
It was an uncomfortable night because we basically just dumped our stuff and then climbed into bed. I laid on top of my blanket, just covered up with my sheets. I didn't have a pillow so I used my coat and my backpack.
I have to say that I prefer the Smart hostel in Edinburgh. This place nickle and dimes you for just about everything. You have to buy a towel (the other place provided us with fresh every morning); The rooms aren't as neat and all of the public areas are bright red with black trim, which, while interesting, makes it kind of hard to relax. On the bright side, the beds themselves are comfortable. Now if only the bathrooms were large enough to actually move in. I will say though, that when I told the girl at the front desk that I didn't have a pillow, she gave me the pillow and a half hour of free internet to make up for it.
On brighter news, Alice and I walked through Kensington Gardens this morning, after brunch of eggs with toast and mushrooms and milk tea at a local cafe. It was so nice to see trees and grass and more animals than just pigeons after being stuck in stone cold Florence. As the age of the Florentines increases, and their birthrate continues to fall, you really get the impression that the city is dying. Being in London is like getting a breath of fresh air. There are kids and dogs and birds and squirrels, and I love it. The leaves are changing and everything is beautiful.
After the gardens we went down to the V&A--The Victoria and Albert Museum. Since we got in so late, we didn't go through much, just bits and pieces of the first floor. But it is probably one of my favorite museums now. They have so many textiles, and I scoured their bookstores for books to help with my thesis (the topic of which has yet to be decided, other than the fact that it will involve textiles). If I'd bought every one I wanted, I would have spent close to £300, so I settled for a single text that examines garments from all points of history from all over the world, since I'm pretty sure that I'll being working with garments of some kind.
We figured out the underground for the ride back. It was a little bit of a hassle in the station since it was so crowded and busy, but it was a quick ride. I think we're going to take a break here at the hostel before heading out again. There's plenty to see, and we are in no hurry.
It was an uncomfortable night because we basically just dumped our stuff and then climbed into bed. I laid on top of my blanket, just covered up with my sheets. I didn't have a pillow so I used my coat and my backpack.
I have to say that I prefer the Smart hostel in Edinburgh. This place nickle and dimes you for just about everything. You have to buy a towel (the other place provided us with fresh every morning); The rooms aren't as neat and all of the public areas are bright red with black trim, which, while interesting, makes it kind of hard to relax. On the bright side, the beds themselves are comfortable. Now if only the bathrooms were large enough to actually move in. I will say though, that when I told the girl at the front desk that I didn't have a pillow, she gave me the pillow and a half hour of free internet to make up for it.
On brighter news, Alice and I walked through Kensington Gardens this morning, after brunch of eggs with toast and mushrooms and milk tea at a local cafe. It was so nice to see trees and grass and more animals than just pigeons after being stuck in stone cold Florence. As the age of the Florentines increases, and their birthrate continues to fall, you really get the impression that the city is dying. Being in London is like getting a breath of fresh air. There are kids and dogs and birds and squirrels, and I love it. The leaves are changing and everything is beautiful.
After the gardens we went down to the V&A--The Victoria and Albert Museum. Since we got in so late, we didn't go through much, just bits and pieces of the first floor. But it is probably one of my favorite museums now. They have so many textiles, and I scoured their bookstores for books to help with my thesis (the topic of which has yet to be decided, other than the fact that it will involve textiles). If I'd bought every one I wanted, I would have spent close to £300, so I settled for a single text that examines garments from all points of history from all over the world, since I'm pretty sure that I'll being working with garments of some kind.
We figured out the underground for the ride back. It was a little bit of a hassle in the station since it was so crowded and busy, but it was a quick ride. I think we're going to take a break here at the hostel before heading out again. There's plenty to see, and we are in no hurry.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Take Off
I forgot to mention the other day that we tried that Chinese place, Peking Restaurant. The day I wrote the entry, they were actually closed. We think they close at 5pm, if not earlier, which is strange. So I walked all the way down to another take away place for some food that was kind of...Meh. It wasn't terrible, like the last place I got Chinese from in Italy, but I probably won't go there again unless I'm desperate. They also didn't have a very big selection of food.
Peking, however, is fantastic, especially their steamed dumplings, OH MY GOD. They were amazing. And it's a good sign when you see a Japanese tour group leaving as you're walking in, and hear them saying things like "That was really good." It's a mandatory stop for almost all of the Asian tour groups that visit Florence.
Alice and I leave tonight for London. I've got a list of things to do as long as my arm, but if I can wrangle some help it shouldn't be a problem. I've marked down museums that I want to see, a possible university to visit, and a new age shop. The only other thing I need is an electronics store, so that I can buy a fairly cheap digital recorder for ghost hunting, since I didn't bring mine and the mic I ordered for my ipod hasn't come in yet. Very frustrating. I'll be sure to post case files here once we get back.
If you like paranormal fiction, you might want to check out Bitten By Books' Best Author of 2009 Contest, which is in the final stage of voting right now. Personally, I'm rooting for Tanya Huff, so go on over and give your favorite author some support.
Peking, however, is fantastic, especially their steamed dumplings, OH MY GOD. They were amazing. And it's a good sign when you see a Japanese tour group leaving as you're walking in, and hear them saying things like "That was really good." It's a mandatory stop for almost all of the Asian tour groups that visit Florence.
Alice and I leave tonight for London. I've got a list of things to do as long as my arm, but if I can wrangle some help it shouldn't be a problem. I've marked down museums that I want to see, a possible university to visit, and a new age shop. The only other thing I need is an electronics store, so that I can buy a fairly cheap digital recorder for ghost hunting, since I didn't bring mine and the mic I ordered for my ipod hasn't come in yet. Very frustrating. I'll be sure to post case files here once we get back.
If you like paranormal fiction, you might want to check out Bitten By Books' Best Author of 2009 Contest, which is in the final stage of voting right now. Personally, I'm rooting for Tanya Huff, so go on over and give your favorite author some support.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Loose Ends
I'm trying to get everything done today. Took my last exam this morning, which is a huge relief, so now I'm trying to do research for my thesis. Went back and reserved a book from the local library back home and put in a vacation hold so that it will be waiting for me in December (only a month and a half until I go home? Really?)
I've only got one more class, and it's a practical (no exam!) so no worries there. Then I need to finish packing. I've also got to hunt down some 3 oz plastic containers to take on the plane. I saw some every day at the grocery store, but of course now that I need them I can't find them anywhere. Even better, there's a train strike scheduled for tomorrow, so we may or may not have an easy ride to Pisa, which is only an hour away by rail.
But we leave tomorrow! I'm so excited. I just can't wait to see London. The last time I went, I slept for sixteen hours and only managed to leave our shitty hotel room for a burger from the BK down the block (yeah, I know. I got four thousand miles for a Burger King. And it was so expensive...)
Alice and I are making a list of all of the museums we want to go to, since most of them are free and we are on a very limited budget.
I'm not going to take my laptop with me, since I don't want to have to carry it everywhere and I'm kind of scared to leave it in the hostel. I'll take lots of pictures, and I'll try to update from the hostel computers. I'm so looking forward to this!
I've only got one more class, and it's a practical (no exam!) so no worries there. Then I need to finish packing. I've also got to hunt down some 3 oz plastic containers to take on the plane. I saw some every day at the grocery store, but of course now that I need them I can't find them anywhere. Even better, there's a train strike scheduled for tomorrow, so we may or may not have an easy ride to Pisa, which is only an hour away by rail.
But we leave tomorrow! I'm so excited. I just can't wait to see London. The last time I went, I slept for sixteen hours and only managed to leave our shitty hotel room for a burger from the BK down the block (yeah, I know. I got four thousand miles for a Burger King. And it was so expensive...)
Alice and I are making a list of all of the museums we want to go to, since most of them are free and we are on a very limited budget.
I'm not going to take my laptop with me, since I don't want to have to carry it everywhere and I'm kind of scared to leave it in the hostel. I'll take lots of pictures, and I'll try to update from the hostel computers. I'm so looking forward to this!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Browsing
I was updated my book list, and realized that when I finished Where there's a Witch the other day I hit my 52 book goal. It seems a little like cheating though, since the last book was one that I read earlier in the year, so I'm not going to count is as officially finished until I read one more book. And I think I might up my personal challenge to 75 books, or something like that. This has been a really fun challenge, and I know I've read a lot more in the past year than I have the last four years I've been in college. I'm looking forward to next year. Maybe I'll up the stakes to 104 books in 52 weeks?
Speaking of books, I've been keeping up with my writing. I hit a stall point in "High School Never Ends," so I opened up a novel I was working on last year and haven't touched in months and cranked out 2,200 words yesterday, which broke 45k and makes it the longest thing I've ever written. On hand I'm really proud, but on the other I kind of feel like an underachiever. Still, it's a step in the right direction so I'm going to celebrate it.
I also broke down and got a FictionPress.com account. If you want to read "Life is a Zoo," I've got the first three chapters posted. You can find my profile at www.fictionpress.com/~SinePenn, or search for either my pen name (Sìne Penn) or the title of the story.
Working on Fiction Press reminded me that I have a FanFiction.net account languishing away with an unfinished story, so I logged in and imagine my surprise when I discovered that I have a story with 166 reviews, and even though I haven't posted a thing in over three years my stories are still averaging 50 hits a week, with my two most popular getting about 20 apiece. One of them has over 11,000 hits and 46 people signed up to receive notices if I update. I'm still startled but so happy--I didn't think anyone would like my work that much, and I haven't done any networking or anything on ff.net--haven't even logged in for about two years. It makes me want to finish that story, just because of how warm and fuzzy the reviews and hits make me feel.
Alice and I have been watching an anime called Saiunkoku Monegatari, which is really fantastic--drama, lots of humor, great characters, and a little bit of romance. I'll load about six episodes at the school, and then we watch them bundled up under comforters in the evening. By law, we aren't allowed to turn on the heat yet, and even then only for 8 hours a day, so our apartment gets really cold in the evenings We think one of our neighbors has turned theirs on though, because it's warm--almost hot--at night.
But anyway, we're watching this series, which is great. I love the story, the characters, and every night we keep wishing we had more. The only problem, is this:
Manju buns. Well, there are several kinds of steamed buns that pop up in this series, but they're the most common. And I want some! We both do. So much that we're braving the awful Italian-Chinese to try a new place and see if it's edible. I don't know if they'll have the buns, but I'd be happy with some garlic chicken, mushrooms, or beef and broccoli (maybe I should learn to cook? Nah). So if anyone knows of an Asian groceries or bakeries (is that a contradiction? Most of the grocery stores in Florence are run by Asians, but the only "ethnic" food they sell is ramen) in the area, let me know. I'll let you know how our foray into Chinese-Italian cuisine goes.
Speaking of books, I've been keeping up with my writing. I hit a stall point in "High School Never Ends," so I opened up a novel I was working on last year and haven't touched in months and cranked out 2,200 words yesterday, which broke 45k and makes it the longest thing I've ever written. On hand I'm really proud, but on the other I kind of feel like an underachiever. Still, it's a step in the right direction so I'm going to celebrate it.
I also broke down and got a FictionPress.com account. If you want to read "Life is a Zoo," I've got the first three chapters posted. You can find my profile at www.fictionpress.com/~SinePenn, or search for either my pen name (Sìne Penn) or the title of the story.
Working on Fiction Press reminded me that I have a FanFiction.net account languishing away with an unfinished story, so I logged in and imagine my surprise when I discovered that I have a story with 166 reviews, and even though I haven't posted a thing in over three years my stories are still averaging 50 hits a week, with my two most popular getting about 20 apiece. One of them has over 11,000 hits and 46 people signed up to receive notices if I update. I'm still startled but so happy--I didn't think anyone would like my work that much, and I haven't done any networking or anything on ff.net--haven't even logged in for about two years. It makes me want to finish that story, just because of how warm and fuzzy the reviews and hits make me feel.
Alice and I have been watching an anime called Saiunkoku Monegatari, which is really fantastic--drama, lots of humor, great characters, and a little bit of romance. I'll load about six episodes at the school, and then we watch them bundled up under comforters in the evening. By law, we aren't allowed to turn on the heat yet, and even then only for 8 hours a day, so our apartment gets really cold in the evenings We think one of our neighbors has turned theirs on though, because it's warm--almost hot--at night. But anyway, we're watching this series, which is great. I love the story, the characters, and every night we keep wishing we had more. The only problem, is this:
Manju buns. Well, there are several kinds of steamed buns that pop up in this series, but they're the most common. And I want some! We both do. So much that we're braving the awful Italian-Chinese to try a new place and see if it's edible. I don't know if they'll have the buns, but I'd be happy with some garlic chicken, mushrooms, or beef and broccoli (maybe I should learn to cook? Nah). So if anyone knows of an Asian groceries or bakeries (is that a contradiction? Most of the grocery stores in Florence are run by Asians, but the only "ethnic" food they sell is ramen) in the area, let me know. I'll let you know how our foray into Chinese-Italian cuisine goes.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Solace
I'm a baby when I'm sick. I'm an even bigger baby when I'm away from home. Maybe it's because I'm a spoiled only child, but all I want to do is curl up in my own bed (which is a water bed, extra special), under my blankets with my pillow (because no matter how long I stay in another place, my bedding never smells right), talk to my mom once or twice through the day, and sleep with a stack of DVDs on one side of the bed with a nice pile of familiar books on the other. I want to know what medicines I'm taking, how long I have to wait before I see results, and how I will react to them. When I'm away from home, I don't have any of these things. I'm suck with a standard issue mattress, rough sheets, pillows that are too flat, and a funky smelling blanket. I have to guess that I'm taking the correct meds at the right time in the right manner, and hope that they work. Will I feel better by the next day? Or will it take a week?
Yes, I'm whining.
The one constant I've had the last few days have been my books. I recently started re-reading Madelyn Alt's Where there's a Witch (Bewitching Mysteries #5). I started reading this series a few months ago out of curiosity sake. I was looking for a good mystery and I thought, "Paganism? And Mysteries? Perfect!"
I wouldn't call these books great literature. But they're fantastic "popcorn" reads, as I call them. They aren't too serious, often funny, and I really like all of the characters. I love the way Ms. Alt has blended the world of the metaphysical into the here and now, in a way that is easily grasped. These don't feel like fantasy novels. The way magic is described makes the reader feel like they could follow in Maggie's footsteps, see what she sees, feel what she feels. And really, isn't that what magic is all about? Blending it into the everyday?
There's a little romance, lost of mystery, and a touch of fantasy. The perfect read for a day when I'm not feeling well. So, if you want something to read, check out the first book, The Trouble with Magic
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I realized I haven't posted a picture in a while, so here's one from the garden inside the cloister of Santa Maria Novella. We've had two tours there this week for different classes, and I really like the garden, despite the fact that it is small. The important thing is that it has trees! Three of them! I miss growing things. There aren't any flowers here that aren't in pots, no trees by the side of the road, not even grass growing along the sidewalk. The only animals I've seen have been a few dogs on short leashes, and hoards and hoards of pigeons.
I miss Hermes, and also my parents' dogs. So, if you have someone furry in your life, give them a little love from me, 'kay?
Yes, I'm whining.
The one constant I've had the last few days have been my books. I recently started re-reading Madelyn Alt's Where there's a Witch (Bewitching Mysteries #5). I started reading this series a few months ago out of curiosity sake. I was looking for a good mystery and I thought, "Paganism? And Mysteries? Perfect!"
I wouldn't call these books great literature. But they're fantastic "popcorn" reads, as I call them. They aren't too serious, often funny, and I really like all of the characters. I love the way Ms. Alt has blended the world of the metaphysical into the here and now, in a way that is easily grasped. These don't feel like fantasy novels. The way magic is described makes the reader feel like they could follow in Maggie's footsteps, see what she sees, feel what she feels. And really, isn't that what magic is all about? Blending it into the everyday?
There's a little romance, lost of mystery, and a touch of fantasy. The perfect read for a day when I'm not feeling well. So, if you want something to read, check out the first book, The Trouble with Magic
----
I realized I haven't posted a picture in a while, so here's one from the garden inside the cloister of Santa Maria Novella. We've had two tours there this week for different classes, and I really like the garden, despite the fact that it is small. The important thing is that it has trees! Three of them! I miss growing things. There aren't any flowers here that aren't in pots, no trees by the side of the road, not even grass growing along the sidewalk. The only animals I've seen have been a few dogs on short leashes, and hoards and hoards of pigeons.
I miss Hermes, and also my parents' dogs. So, if you have someone furry in your life, give them a little love from me, 'kay?
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sick Leave
I appear to have come down with bronchitis. After a week off feeling like crap, I'm finally starting to feel somewhat closer to being human. Mostly, I've been reading and writing. Before we left for Italy, I started a story called "Life is a Zoo." Unfortunately, It only came out a hair over 41,000 words. For those of you playing the home game, you need a minimum of 60,000 words (preferably 80,000) to get published, especially in the fantasy community. This morning I pulled it out of storage and started re-reading, trying to figure out where I could add in more details, extra scenes. I think that there's a major flaw in the publishing community because of that whole word count requirement. It's not length that makes a good story; it's the quality of the writing. At this point in time, there is no venue at all for writers who produce work between 20,000 and 59,000 words. They're considered too long for magazines, and too short of novels, so no one wants to touch them.
I'm doing my best to expand my horizons, try to meet the parameters set by the industry, but I think in the end what I'll end up doing is submitting two 40k-ish stories as a single book--two for one deal (I like those). Part II is (tentatively) called "High School Never Ends," and is up to about 28K. I have a very rough outline for a third volume. Maybe make it a three-for-one? I don't know yet.
As to what I've been reading--well, I've recently been going through some Karrin Slaughter crime mysteries. I highly recommend the Will Trent books; he's currently my favorite literary character. I was reading some of her Grant County books (as in, one), but discovered that I'd accidentally started with the last book in the series, and it left me rather upset, so I didn't want to go back to the beginning (if you've been watching Castle, like me, then you know there are only two ways to end a crime series: Either the main character retires, or s/he dies. Draw your own conclusions).
I know I promised to wax poetic about C.E. Murphy (and I will) but I think it's going to wait a little while. I have the urge to re-read her Walker Papers series, so I'm going to do that before I write about her. Maybe I'll pick up the books I'm missing while we're in London for Midterm break (which is another thing that I need to write about here). Maybe next week.
I'm doing my best to expand my horizons, try to meet the parameters set by the industry, but I think in the end what I'll end up doing is submitting two 40k-ish stories as a single book--two for one deal (I like those). Part II is (tentatively) called "High School Never Ends," and is up to about 28K. I have a very rough outline for a third volume. Maybe make it a three-for-one? I don't know yet.
As to what I've been reading--well, I've recently been going through some Karrin Slaughter crime mysteries. I highly recommend the Will Trent books; he's currently my favorite literary character. I was reading some of her Grant County books (as in, one), but discovered that I'd accidentally started with the last book in the series, and it left me rather upset, so I didn't want to go back to the beginning (if you've been watching Castle, like me, then you know there are only two ways to end a crime series: Either the main character retires, or s/he dies. Draw your own conclusions).
I know I promised to wax poetic about C.E. Murphy (and I will) but I think it's going to wait a little while. I have the urge to re-read her Walker Papers series, so I'm going to do that before I write about her. Maybe I'll pick up the books I'm missing while we're in London for Midterm break (which is another thing that I need to write about here). Maybe next week.
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