Dec. 9th, 2012

jethrien: (Default)
Title: Zoo City
Author: Lauren Beukes
Genre: Urban fantasy/modern noir
Thingummies: 4.5

Synopsis: In an urban fantasy version of South Africa in which criminals' guilt soul-bonds them to animal familiars, Zinzi December takes a job trying to track down a wayward pop star that quickly drags her deeper into both the music business and the underworld than even she wanted to go.

Thoughts: So, what did you think? )
jethrien: (Default)
Title: The Sagan Diary
Author: John Scalzi
Genre: Science fiction (companion piece to series)
Thingummies: 2

Synopsis: Old Man's War and The Ghost Brigades, from Jane's point of view.

Thoughts: So, what did you think? )
jethrien: (Default)
Title: The God Engines
Author: John Scalzi
Genre: Fantastical science fiction
Thingummies: 5

Synopsis: The captain of a spaceship powered by a defeated god must convert a planet to help his own deity in a war of faith.

Thoughts: So, what did you think? )
jethrien: (Default)
Title: You're Not Fooling Anyone When You Take Your Laptop to a Coffee Shop: Scalzi on Writing
Author: John Scalzi
Genre: Essays on writing
Thingummies: 3

Synopsis: A collection of essays on writing from Scalzi's blog Whatever, through 2006.

Thoughts: So, what did you think? )

Catching up

Dec. 9th, 2012 08:15 pm
jethrien: (Default)
Sorry about the glut of book reviews, there. Clearly there has not been a whole lot of time for social media in the last week or two.

On the plus side, things are getting done. A ton of work stuff. Also, we got through our infant CPR class and the video part of our Lamaze class. (Each disturbing, each in a different way. I've been CPR certified, repeatedly, including at least once for infants specifically. I've never had an emotional reaction before--I found myself getting genuinely upset trying to "wake up" this creepy grey plastic doll, and repeatedly realized that I was stroking its cold, malformed hand reassuringly. Friggin' hormones. The video was a different kind of disturbing. If I had any questions about whether I wanted a mirror positioned so I could see Smidge being born, they've been laid to rest. Chuckro will be standing up at the head side of the bed, and I will be glad that the bulk of my sensory organs are up at that side as well. The image of a person emerging halfway from another person's crotch is weird. Even more unsettling was the video of the C-section. I'm glad that I know what will be going on, in either case. I'm glad that if I need a C-section, there will be a curtain so I don't need to see--or remember seeing--someone cutting into my abdomen. Here's the deal. I will do all the work, and then when he pops all the way out, someone can lay him on my chest and I will look at him then. Not when he's still only halfway out of my body. Kthxbai.)

Also taken care of--the holiday cards are out, all the shopping is done (although not everything's arrived yet, so there's still room for issues), and the cookies are all baked. (This year features snickerdoodles, cocoa snowflakes, brandied fig rugelach, and eggnog Linzer cookies I swear to god I'm never doing again such a pain in the ass what was I thinking?) I still need to wrap everything, finish test runs for Christmas dinner, and deal with the tree. Also continue my running war with the pension plan from my previous job, plus find a pediatrician. Oy. Baby steps.
Page generated Aug. 23rd, 2025 09:22 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios