I was trying to see if I could make it to November 1… Maybe next year!
Check out the huge’n’scary’n’black’n’purple spider in Sydney’s neighborhood! Eeek!
Author Kim Harrison is having a Halloween costume contest. You have until November 17 to submit your photo entry for a chance to win assorted goodies, such as a copy of Harrison’s forthcoming Rachel Morgan novel.
Only a few days left to participate in Obsidian Kitten’s contest!
Black kitties. Gotta keep an eye on them is all I’m saying…
Love Natalie Dee’s “Why you should learn how to knit” cartoon. Heh.
Hmm. Definitely a unique take on bookmarks…
Reading Update
Wolfsbane and Mistletoe, edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kenner. A pretty amazing cast (Simon R. Green, Donna Andrews, Patricia Briggs, Charlaine Harris, and more) writing stories about werewolves and Christmas.
My Immortal (Seven Deadly Sins, Book 1) by Erin McCarthy. I enjoy McCarthy’s humorous works, such as her tales of the Vegas Vampires, but had a lukewarm reaction to this book about temptation, demons, and lust, set in New Orleans. (It was completely vampire free, however.)
A Curious Affair by Melanie Jackson. Although it’s categorized as paranormal romance, it’s pretty light on the paranormal (the protagonist can talk to cats) and heavy on the mystery and sleuthing. (Also completely vampire free!)
Free-Range Knitter: The Yarn Harlot Writes Again by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. I received this as an Early Reviewers copy via LibraryThing, so you get a bit more of a review than usual. 🙂 Free-Range Knitter is a collection of essays, split into seven parts as if it were a knitting project: casting on, knitting two together, yarn overs, left-leaning decreases, making one, continuing to knit even, and casting off. Each part begins with an essay about how a friend or family member knits, which then leads to deeper insights. Pearl-McPhee’s trademark knitting humour is evident throughout the book, and some of the essays will be familiar to regular readers of Pearl-McPhee’s blog, Yarn Harlot, but rest assured that the book includes plenty of extremely readable and thought-provoking new material. I found myself repeatedly setting this book aside, taking short breaks so I could savor it and look forward to the next part. I also kept trying to figure out what blend of essayists I could use to describe the feel of the book – I think Elizabeth Zimmermann meets Aldo Leopold, with a dash of Bill Bryson is probably the best I can do! (Even more vampire free than A Curious Affair!)
Knit Two: A Friday Night Knitting Club Novel by Kate Jacobs. I received this as an advance copy from the publisher – according to Amazon.com, it’ll be available November 25. So yes, you get more of a review for this book, too. This is set five years after The Friday Night Knitting Club. I didn’t enjoy the first several chapters, which seemed chaotic, what with reintroducing the characters and updating us on the intervening five years. I had a related complaint about the beginning of Jacobs’ novel Comfort Food and its similar chaotic flurry at the beginning. But, as with Comfort Food, once I got past the somewhat rough start, the story quickly drew me in and immersed me. At times, the narrative style felt choppy and seemed to interfere with the flow. And I found myself annoyed with various characters off and on. I also thought I had the ending all figured out… and I didn’t. If you enjoyed The Friday Night Knitting Club, you’ll definitely want to read the sequel. (No vampires in this one, either!)
For those of you who were curious about what yesterday’s tissue paper snack might’ve been wrapped around, it was a wrist strap from splityarn for my camera.
“Wasn’t that strap thingy wrapped in more tissue paper? No?! Hmph. Too bad – it was tasty stuff.” -Chaos
Me too, but only because I had enough of the whining from the kids! I keep the house at 62 degrees, so bring a sweater if you ever come over 😉
I need to find a nice wrist strap. Must go look. Should I send Chaos my tissue paper?
Yeah. That LOLCat has Gandalf written alllll over it.
I’ve had the heat going on and off for oh, 2 weeks now. Old. Victorian. House. They didn’t insulate the way we do today…
Love the wrist strap. Glad Chaos enjoyed the tissue.
I love that LOL Cats pic.
I shall not read the review.
I shall not.
Haven’t gotten a copy yet :o(
we’ve had the heat on since last wednesday. an now the HT is wanting to get a space heater too… *shakes head* at least your little man has fur and can’t complain too much.
Wait — “the protagonist can talk to cats”? That’s paranormal? I talk to cats all the time! And occaionally I even think they understand me…
the only words from my cat i understand is his, “holy shit i’m totally dying” cry he does every morning right before he seemingly is about to pass out from starvation
Ooo, you got a strap! Very nice!
I’m really looking forward to reading Free Range Knitter.
what? so many books without vampires?? are you on a diet? heh heh
and those bookmarks are so funny – my kids would love them,but I’m always wary about ordering from unknown sites..
glad you’re staying toasty warm now.
I’m sure Chaos and May are glad the heat is on.
A friend, a non-knitter, loaned me a copy of Friday Night Knitter’s Club, saying I had to read it; she sobbed through the ending. I’m not big into women-group-sharing stories. Am I going to hate the book? I have deep forebodings.
I can see a market for tuna-scented tissue paper.
Your reading seems a little lite on vampires considering the season.
Yum, tissue paper. Ew, that bookmark.
Thank you for the Vampire Patrol! Although I imagine the Friday Night Knitter’s Club would be improved by a vampire or two. 🙂
Chris- KittenChow has his chair and blanket right next to the gas fire-
a cold kitty is a cranky kitty!
I turned the heat on yesterday too – just for showers of course and then it was off immediatly. I think this is the latest fall turn on we’ve had in many years.
I had no idea Kim Harrison had a website. Woo hoo!
Free-Range Knitter sounds pretty good! I’ll have to check it out.
Our radiators have been cranking out heat for a little over a week, but we’ve turned off all but 2.
I was trying to make it until at least November 1 to turn the heat on too. I would have made it but last night the ferrets, cat and husband got extremely whiney and I broke down.
I bought “Free-Range Knitter” the other day and I’ve been enjoying it. Thanks for the spider mention!
oh, did that natalie dee cartoon made me laugh…
thanks for the contest mention!
Yeah, I didn’t make it either. If I still lived in arizona I’d be using the air conditioner! Of course, I can’t have the baby freezing – that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
See if you can find the kitty in today’s post. Note what he’s snacking on. We too have tissue issues!!
Thanks to my neighbors (and time spent insulating windows), I am still heat free!
I was also holding off until November 1. Until it got cold!
Ok, so what if we didn’t like Friday Night Knitting Club? Is the sequel worth a shot?
Chaos looks so cute and innocent. We gave in and put the heating on about a fortnight ago – it is difficult to get out of bed when you are pinned down by cats who are desperate for warmth.
As I always tell my hubby and the kids … heat is for whimps! Just grab a cat to warm your hands and put on 5 layers like I do. lol
Happy Halloween!
Wow. That’s a lot of non-vampire books. I think you need a good dose of blood-suckers to make up for it.
I was also triyng to make it Nov. 1, we finally were forced to turn it on though on monday the 27th. It got below freezing. Now of course that it is november we are having mid-70’s weather.
Love the lapghan you made, what a wonderful present for your friend.
I’m woefully behind from vacation and just now read this entry… the LOLcat made me literally laugh out loud. However Pepper was reading over my shoulder so now I must be extra careful having her in the house 😉