Books I'm Currently Reading and Life, the Universe, and Shawn's Dad

[lydamorehouse]

If people out there in the "interweb" have been trying to contact me, I must apologize. I was laid out FLAT by a really bad cold that hit me quite suddenly on Saturday evening (right after attending a great St. Patrick's Day celebration at the home of naomikritzer -- not her fault, though. There's no way the flu could have incubated THAT fast. I literally came home with a runny nose). I slept the entire day of Sunday away, as well as large portions of Monday. Today I have emerged from the fog.

In the on-going news regarding my con attendance and Shawn's dad, Shawn just got the news that her dad is being moved to a hospice with a "do not resussitate"/"no heroic measures" order. Given that he's currently fighting pnuemonia, kidney infection, and bowel infection on top of his cancer, Shawn has decided to head down to Indiana again with her brother Greg. This means she's going to miss her one scheduled panel at Minicon (yes, Virginia, my partner was ALMOST spotted at a science fiction con as a PARTICIPANT.) Thanks to the generous offer to take Mason for a sleepover by Shawn's other brother Keven, I'll be able to attend all my programming on Saturday.

Once the schedule is finalized, I'll post it here.

In happier news, Mason and I have been enjoying a fantastic series of pre-history books by Hannah Bonner. Last night we read WHEN FISH GOT FEET, SHARKS GOT TEETH, AND BUGS BEGAN TO SWARM, and today before school we read WHEN BUGS WERE BIG, PLANTS WERE STRANGE, AND TETRAPODS STALKED THE EARTH. I now know more about life before the dinosaurs than, well, perhaps I even cared to. However, one thing that strikes me as I'm reading these books is how resiliant life on Earth really is. It makes me quite hopeful that even if we completely frak-up the environment, SOMETHING will live here. We may kill off all the mammals, but, you know those nasty little cockroaches have survived since the Carboniferous period, so I think we'd be hard pressed to wipe them out completely.

I'm also surprised by the great big LIE of extinction. For some reason, as a kid, I got it into my head that dinosaurs were completely wiped out and that nothing from their era (or before) survived. Dinosaurs still exist. Tranosaurus rex became today's chicken. Crocodiles, turtles, sharks, horseshoe crabs, dragonflies, mayflies, cockroaches, scorpions, spiders, centipedes, ceolcanths, and tree ferns -- as well as tons of other things are still around and doing quite well, thank you very much.

Also my alternate personality got a couple of free vampire books from publishers hoping that she'd review them. I'm half way through one of them, thanks to my nasty head cold, Adrian Phoenix's RUSH OF WINGS. It's a really well written vampie book, but there's a "elohim" in the book named "Lucien," and my Biblical radar went up.... an angel named Lucifer, perhaps? I'm witholding judgment so far (although the vamps are telepathic and my suspenders of disbelief are often stretched by telepathy), because I want to see how Phoenix pulls off the whole story. When I finish it, I'll probably post something over on Tate's blog. But, in the meantime, if you're looking for good urban fantasy, this one definitely has some hot scenes... Dante is also bi, which is a nice touch in these modern urban fantasies. Most of the ones I've read since the turn of the century haven't been as glbt-friendly as Rice's vamps. (Although admittedly, I don't read many of the dark urban fantasy books -- mostly the humorous ones.)

Anyway, hope y'all are doing well. I'm looking forward to starting work on the AngeLINK prequel, which I should be able to do in a couple of months. Will keep you posted.

Comments

[technocracygirl.livejournal.com]

(Although admittedly, I don't read many of the dark urban fantasy books -- mostly the humorous ones.)

I'd love to hear which ones you enjoyed. I love supernatural mysteries/stories (Tate, Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Ilona Andrews) but despise almost all supernatural romances. And figuring out the difference between the two based on covers and a quick in-the-store read is really, really difficult. And the normally fantastic booksellers I deal with are very loathe to read any of the supernatural mystery genre, which leaves me bereft of reviews and suggestions.

[lydamorehouse]

I think that I'm much more underread in the genre than I'd care to admit. I've also liked Charaline Harris. People have recommended Kim Harrison to me, but I haven't gotten around to her in my TBR file. Who else...? I'd have to really put my thinking cap on to answer this. Maybe when I pull together the review for Tate's site, I'll try to have other recommendations for you!

[shenjanno.livejournal.com]

I had that same cold a week and a half ago. It put me down for four days. It was awful, I just slept and watched daytime TV... which is also awful.

[lydamorehouse]

worse than the cold?????

[desayunoencama.livejournal.com]

Hannah is so sweet, and those books are lots of fun. She's working on a third one now.

[lydamorehouse]

ooooh, what era???

[desayunoencama.livejournal.com]

She didn't mention. But we won't see her later this month because she's stuck in the studio working away!

[lydamorehouse]

Hey, does she like to get fan mail from four year olds? I'd love to send her a note, if you'd be willing to pass on her email (or give her mine: lyda.morehouse@gmail.com)

[jiawen]

"Once the schedule is finalized, I'll post it here."

FYI, it only gets finalized after the con. Things keep changing till the very last moment. You can probably post what you've got now.

Have you seen The World Without Us? He supposedly claims that cockroaches are dependent on our garbage, so if humanity went away, they probably would, too.

I hope things go well for Shawn, and I'm glad you're no longer under the influence of the cold.

[lydamorehouse]

Good point about the schedule, Rachel. As for cockroaches, I'm sure that certain species of cockroaches would die without us, as you reminded me on our zoo trip, cockroaches need warmth. But, those Madagascar hissing cockroaches still live mostly on rotting leaves, of which there would be PLENTY of after human died and stopped raking their lawns. :-)

The cold is getting better thanks. I should be sleeping now, actually, but I'm feeling pretty upright.