Life and Things

This has been an interesting and looonngg month. Lots of small books read with my cubs. Lotsa ups and downs too. I joined one liver study and have been approached about joining a second. For the first one, I had something called a fibroscan done. It was basically a teeny tiny thumper, like ground penetrating radar, that sent back info rendered as data, rather than an image. Kinda neat. Not sure yet what all the 2nd one will involve, but it’s kinda cool to be able to provide data to help researchers and doctors understand this disease. Gotta find the bright side of things, yah?

I had a bit of a glaucoma scare that entailed a battery of tests at the retina specialist’s office, followed by a battery of different tests at a glaucoma specialist’s office a week later. Each visit lasted about a half a day… Long and short is, borderline ocular hypertension, to be monitored. Pain is referred phantom pain from the eye that is no longer there. I mean, cause why not…? It’s not dangerous, though. I’ve lived with the phantom pain coming and going for decades, but always situated where the missing eye was.

 

Blog Stuff

I’ve started doing more memes. WWW Wednesday by Sam@Taking on a World of Words is one I’ve picked up, along with recently attempting to do the Top Ten Tuesday by The Broke and the Bookish.

I hope to start doing Goodreads Monday by Lauren@Lauren’s Page Turners

We shall see how that goes! Sometimes I still do find it hard to keep up with everything! I also want to put together Recommended Reads and Recommended Viewing for different topics. I have my list of topics. Now I just need to assemble and schedule the posts.

 

Books Read and Reviewed in November

Please Don’t Do Coke in the Bathroom by Sami Christianson, 3*

Road of the Lost by Aidan Russell, 3½*

Addicted by Krys Fenner, 4*

Alone by Cyn Balog, 4*

(Audiobook) I Bring the Fire: Wolves by C Gockel/ Barrie Kreinik (narrator), 4*

Creature Files: Dragons by LJ Tracosas, 4*

Creature Files: Reptiles by LJ Tracosas, 4*

I Should Be Writing by Mur Lafferty, 4*

London Theatres by Michael Coveney, 4*

Fierce Fighters: Predators by Paul Beck & Lee Martin, 4*

Manga Classics/ Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling & Crystal S Chan, 4*

My Wounded Island by Jacques Pasquet & Marion Arbona, 4*

The Rain Never Came by Lachlan Walter, 4*

Age of Swords by Michael J Sullivan, 5*

Amazing World: Stars and Planets by Paul Beck, 5*

The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol & Agnete Friis, 5*

The Boy in the Suitcase by NV Baker, 5*

Manga Classics: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas, 5*

Ultimate Expeditions: Rain Forest Explorer by Nancy Honovich, 5*

 

Best Reads of the Month

Sullivan s such a wonderful worldbuilder! I love his Ryria series. Hadrian and Royce kick much ass. The First Empire books are set in the same world, 3000 years in the past. It’s neat to get a different take on the various cultures of this world. Swords is second in the series. Can’t wait for the next!

My review

 

I know, I know. I keep gushing about how I’ve come to love Nordic oriented authors. There’s just something about how culture is distilled into the writing. Perhaps the culture is in my blood? This was a really intense read because of the themes. I didn’t touch on it in my review, but I cannot begin to imagine have my children snatched. I’m eager to read more in this series, when I get the chance.

My review

 

Best Series New to Me

Manga Classics by Various/ Udon Entertainment

I love manga, and coming across these was a real treat. I have several egalleys to review. My next is either going to be Edgar Allan Poe or Les Miserables. I haven’t quite settled on one yet. I’d love to see Sherlock, Frankenstein, and Dracula show up in the series!