OMG - such a tragedy! :)

http://community.livejournal.com/photographers/10685131.html

Last 4 of January - sf, romantic thriller, 2 mystery/thrillers

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld - Second in the Uglies trilogy. Tally has become a pretty and has forgotten much of her time in the Smoke. But a party crasher leads her to a hidden stash: 2 pills and a letter from herself, written while still ugly. She and new boyfriend Zane each take a pill and then try to get the other pretties in their group to remember and to challenge the status quo. Definitely have to read in order, but a very good follow-up - now I have to get Specials and Extras. (challenge: YAC)

Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz - Paranormal romantic thriller. Raine is settling her late aunt Vella's estate when psychic sensibilites lead her to find a bound, kidnapped young woman in a padlocked room in the basement. Entering her life immediately after is P.I. Zack Jones, also a sensitive, who asks for her assistance. They have an immediate connection, but there is a huge complication - he works for the Arcane Society, the group she blames for her father's death. And his offer of letting her have copies of her father's case file are enhanced by the idea of working with someone who understands and shares her abilities. I love Krentz (and her alter ego Amanda Quick) - zippy dialogue, quick action, speedy plots - she'd fall into the guilty pleasures category, except that I don't feel guilty about reading :)   (challenge: Pub)

Heartsick by Chelsea Cain - With shades of Silence of the Lambs, Cain's detective Archie Sheridan is in charge of a regrouped task force charged with finding the killer of several local teen girls. His investigation is complicated by the addition of a reporter and  his weekly visits to Gretchen Lowell, an incarcerated serial killer with whom he has an intense personal connection - he was to be one of her victims, but instead she let him live and torments him with the prospect of more bodies. Cool :)  Archie is a great protagonist and Lowell is one serious deranged individual.

The 47th Samurai by Stephen Hunter - Bob Lee Swagger finds himself in Japan, delivering a sword taken as a prize of war during WWII, to the son of the man his father fought during battle. Bob Lee really likes Philip Yano and his family and is stunned to find out that they've all (except the youngest girl) been slaughtered soon after he left. Bob Lee immerses himself into the world of the samurai, determined to  avenge the Yano family. I agree with reviews that Bob Lee's swordsmanship requires total destruction of believeability, but I thought the passion of the man believeable and the samurai and sword lore was excellent.

(challenges all books: 100 books, A to Z)

The continuing misadventures of otterevil - and books!

Well, at the end of last month, I mentioned my visitor. As Ben Franklin said "Fish and visitors begin to stink after three days" (or something like that) - supposedly this was for one night. The one night turned into a long weekend (being New Year's). And then...

She stayed for 3 weeks. Three effing weeks.

I finally had to kick her out. I didn't kick her out before because I had apparently lost all assertiveness in the past year or so (since Mom died - shit, it's been 2 years - damn). So after a very helpful visit to the therapist, I told her the deadline for leaving. The whole thing made me nauseous and shaky - and very, very relieved. Since then I seem to have recovered some of my IRL snarkiness :) I haven't been able to completely disengage yet - I ended up having to keep her cat again. No - deciding to keep the cat - I didn't have to, but I didn't want the kitty to end up in the animal shelter (at least, not yet). But I haven't responded to her attempted guilt trips to let her come back or most of her attempts to borrow money (yeah, I lent her some - most of it I got back and I was willing to part with the rest to get her out. Plus a couple of bucks for a prescription and gas). Now I have to give her a deadline for the cat - and keep saying "No" to everything else.

I also lost my homeowner's insurance. Brother put some stuff on the roof as preventative maintenance against weather damage - except the stuff he went around the vents with was left over from sealing the roof of one of the rental trailers. Insurance person drove by - saw this white stuff on the black roof - and sent me a cancellation note saying 'your roof is patched, sorry kthnxbai". Had another insurance agency inspector come out - he said I'd have to get a roofer to come out and assess the roof - and oh, yeah - this fuse box here? It's ancient, so you'll have to get an electrician too. So that's my next task. Joy, oh, joy.

Other than that - and my cats disliking cousin's cat(eww, stinky boy cat cooties in the girl house!) - life continues...

Now ( Books! )