Lay On!

This week, the people with the nifty soft weapons showed up, so we had a battle! That's me in the green shirt, about to go down in honorable combat. It did remind me why we usually schedule this earlier in the year; it was really hot! Death often came as a relief, as I would pant in the shade waiting for the next round. But it still was a lot of fun for returning veterans as well as newcomers; it's run by Chris at http://www.foamswordparties.com/ and (except for last week's snafu) he's always provided us with a fun, safe two hours of running around the field with the javelins and swords he provides.

The Book Date does a weekly roundup of what people are reading, want to read, or have read each week called It's Monday! What Are You Reading and I'm going to sign up. There's also a version that is kidlit focussed, and as I finished one YA, I'll check in with either Teach Mentor Text or UnLeashing Readers for their version.

My completed books for this week -- only two!:


Midnight Riot, Ben Aaronovitch. A re-read for me, but new for at least half of my Tuesday book club. A good excuse to watch Torchwood. And that other thing. I wouldn't mind going on with this series, but currently I'm overextended at the library so it will have to wait a bit.

* Illuminae, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. A Cybils YA finalist that I really enjoyed. I had no idea it was a space adventure!

* (Book I started and completed this week)

Picture Books (most read in the library while waiting for my kids to rendezvous):

None! No spare time in the library this week, partly because I'm overextended and so trying to avoid temptation.

I started but didn't finish:



The Best of Connie Willis, Connie Willis. I may have a chance to meet her later this summer, so I'd better bone up on all her books.

First Grave on the Right, Darynda Jones. The perfect book for the all-night GRADS party I chaperoned. It came in handy as I chaperoned the almost deserted putt-putt golf course as the dawn rose over the greens. It's next month's book club book.

The Circle, Dave Egger. Well, it showed up too late to read for the book team, but maybe I'll like it anyway. I'll still get points for the pages. I missed the movie too -- I don't think it's playing anymore.

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Becky Chambers. This is last month's Sword and Laser pick. I'm almost caught up because this month they picked something I've already read. Anyway, this one has interesting characters and setting, although it seems more picaresque than plotted.

Bookmarks moved in several books:



Alliance of Equals, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller. Part 5. Most of the story is still backstory, much of which I know. I have to pay attention though because I skipped the book before this one.

Book Scavenger, Jennifer Bertman. The last of the 2015 Cybils! The author is doing a good job of having keeping the reader's knowledge separate from the protagonist's knowledge, but it makes me impatient with the bad guy take advantage of their basic kindness. I should read faster.

The Ghost Bride, Yangsze Choo. I do not much like the protagonist, which does not make me pick up the book, so it's going slowly. Switching to paper copy as the ebook has expired. The current Vaginal Fantasy book.

The Inquisitor's Tale, Adam Gidwitz. Still not crazy about this story; I think I find the mix of historical fiction with modern language and accents discordant. The current narrator gets a "urchin" voice which I find irritating. I'm clearly not going to finish before the library version goes poof, so I've obtained the DVDs.

Every Heart a Doorway, Seanan McGuire. There appears to be a school, and someone who really wants special kids to come. I'm not sure yet if the kids do need it though.

These I'm barely reading; I use them as palate cleansers between books I'm actually reading.



The Quantum Universe, Brian Cox.

Kenilworth, Sir Walter Scott.

Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen, Wendelin Van Draanen.

Reading and Learning to Read, Jo Anne Vaca.

2017 Challenge Progress:

1. Cybils 2015: 81 out of 82. I'm reading the last one!
2. Cybils 2016! 7 / a lot. Read Illuminae, ordered next YA from the library. Listening to Inquisitor's Talei.
3. Reading My Library: Picked up final two books for the B bookcase. Almost started one of them.
4. Where Am I Reading?: 23/51. Added Texas and Illinois last week. Only two books short of half way, which isn't too bad for late June.