This is definitely not a book review.

First the disclaimer. This blog post will almost certainly not be a completely unbiased examination of the book, A River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters. Simply put, the author is my personal idol, a woman whose life and work has not only touched me, but in fact changed and guided my life in very profound ways. Therefore, I do not claim to present an unbiased opinion on the book, only that it is my own opinion. The book itself, for those who do not yet know is the latest book in Elizabeth Peters’ wonderful Amelia Peabody Series. Elizabeth Peters is one of the pseudonyms of Barbara Mertz, Egyptologist and Author. This particular volume deviates somewhat from the rest of the series, in that it is set in Palestine (primarily Jerusalem and Samaria) rather than Egypt, and also interestingly, this appears to be only the second time Ms. Peters has written a book out of order*. This one is set during the 1910 excavation season (currently, the latest date of the Peabody books is set during the discovery of Tut’s tomb in 1922) which backtracks it back seven books. At this point, I must put up the obligatory spoiler warning. If you have not read the book and/or do not wish to read spoilers, do NOT read below the cut!
continue reading "“A River in the Sky”"

Some thoughts and impressions on the book. Spoiler warning.

Elizabeth Moon is one of those authors whose work I enjoy, but I’ve never actively sought out. In fact, I’ve only ever read her collaborations with Anne McCaffrey. However, finding one of her books I’d never read before in a charity shop the other day was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I’ve just finished Surrender None: The Legacy of Gird, and overall I have to say I enjoyed it. I’ll definitely be on the look out for what I gather are the sequels, Liar’s Oath and the Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy. I do have a few critiques, and I thought I might share them with my fellow Readers. Since there will be spoilers, I’m putting it all below the break.
continue reading "“Surrender None”"

And other current events.

I’ve decided to concentrate on all the good things that have happened (or are happening) lately, and let them drown out the stresses from this past week. So today I’m celebrating a list of things. In no particular order, they are:

• My birthday last Monday.
• My grandfather’s 91st birthday today!
• My first wedding anniversary tomorrow.
• Participating in my very first blogfest last Tuesday. It was totally awesome, and  a lot of fun. Now I’m trying to decide which one I want to participate in next. I think I’ll try for one blogfest a month in future. Also, I must thank all the other participants who stopped by to read my entry and comment on it! Thanks so much!
• Turning in the last of my papers and taking the next to last of my exams last Friday and Saturday respectively. One last little exam left and I’m free to concentrate on my dissertation (so excited!) and my fiction (still excited!) all summer with no distractions!
  continue reading "Reading Withdrawals"

Writing about a Reader Support Group which looks suspiciously like a book club.

It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve read the book, whether this is the first reading or the fiftieth reading. A well-written book can trap me in its seductive pages more firmly than the stoutest iron bars. As a child, this was an acute problem. I would sit with a book, lost for hours, unconcerned about homework, chores, or the possibility of parental retribution. Now, I simply avoid the problem by not picking up a book unless I am very sure that I have nothing I need to finish for the next day or so.

Frequently, this backfires. I may have a spare hour in the middle of my day, yet I fear to give into the temptation to crack open that novel, lest I can’t put it down in an hour or two and attend to my obligations. Sometimes, I give in despite the fear. My success at control is largely dependent on the gravity of the obligation looming. Sleep, for instance, rates rather low in comparison to a finely told story. This leads to rather unfortunate consequences, from dramatically shortened sleep to a complete reversion to nocturnality. Neither is particularly healthy. I adore a nice quiet hour’s read before sleep, but all too often I must face the fact that one hour turned into four or five, and the end of the book.

Now, I can not blame this affliction merely on the multitude of authors whose work is my downfall. Pratchett. Lackey. McCaffrey. Pierce. Rowling. Bujold. The list goes on. These people are not to blame for the intoxicating drug they produce. Alright, maybe they are. But the point is, I should have more control. The point is, I should not allow this unbreakable cage of words to ensnare me. The point is….what was the point again?

Oh yes. Readers Anonymous. I wish to form a support group for addictive readers. If you have ever been unable to put a book down in the middle even for food, sleep, or calls of nature then RA is for you. If the very thought of going a single day without reading material induces panic-stricken binge book-buying, then RA is for you. If you’ve ever found yourself walking the long way to your destination to avoid even seeing the oh-so-tempting storefront of your local book-store, then RA is for you. With the strength of unity we can put the book down, so someone else can read it too. By sharing our experiences with various books, we can learn which books are the most addicting, enabling us to go out and read them for ourselves. Admitting we have a problem is the first step towards embracing our true natures as avid readers. Readers Anonymous is a place to share books, stories, and experiences with reading in a safe and supportive environment.

Hello. My name is Lia, and I’m a Reader.