Surely it's still Sunday somewhere (15) and What are you reading on Monday? (3)

I'm a bit late this week, with the Sunday post, anyway.

The Sunday Post is a chance to talk about the week that was, and the week that may be. It's hosted by Kimba, here: http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is all about the books, all about the books, no ... something. Anyway. You can go here for that one: http://bookdate.blogspot.co.nz/

The reason today's post is late is because I SAW STAR WARS TODAY. AND IT WAS AWESOME. I loved it so. much. Like. SO VERY MUCH. So I was out and about when I'd normally be doing this and then apparently I had some urgent gaming I just had to do *ahem*.

ANYWAY. I actually blogged last week, and wrote reviews.

Wonders will never cease. I reviewed Witches Abroad: http://lifetheuniverseandcats.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/witches-abroad-review.html and also Think of England and Dragon Age: Magekiller: http://lifetheuniverseandcats.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/two-short-reviews.html

Hopefully this week I'll write up a Star Wars review. It will not be spoiler free because it's likely I won't be able to restrain myself.

What else. I picked away a bit more at my Dragon Age cross stitch; I'll try and take a photo of it for next week. At the moment, of course, I can only stitch when the kittens are sleeping - lol.

I also chose my yearly New Project for starting over the end of 2015/start of 2016 as I embark on my yearly re-watch of The Lord of the Rings. Generally speaking, I start on about December 28 and watch half a movie a night. I love them to pieces but I have to be realistic about ... time.

I've chosen an absolutely gorgeous peony pattern, and started it at my friend's on Saturday night, for our weekly stitch and watch, the last for the year as her family descends for the festivities. Once again, I'll try and take a pic of it for next week.

Also ta daaaa!! I made my goodreads reading goal for the year! https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/1882319 I've never done that before!

Let's see ... last week I finished Think of England by K J Charles, and Dragon Age; Magekiller by Greg Rucka ... oh! And also We Were Liars, by E Lockhart, which I really enjoyed. Hopefully I'll get a review up this week.

I also read the first book of Umbrella Academy, by Gerard Way, which was free on the Dark Horse app. It's very interesting and I enjoyed it a lot.

Right now I'm reading Uprooted by Naomi Novik, and absolutely loving it. Just. Loving it. I also took a pass at The Martian by Andy Weir, but I'm not sure how far I'm going to dig into that because I really want to finish Uprooted. It's the kind of fantasy that I love - awesome, well-rounded kick-ass girls, friendships, magic and it's just. Cosy.

So. How was your week? How's your week coming up? What are you reading?

Two short reviews

It's 1904, and Archie Curtis - two years out of the war, angry and without purpose, finds himself driving to an isolated country house.

He's determined to get to the bottom of what he believes is sabotage - a rifle misfiring during the war took most of the fingers from his right hand, and the lives of many of his men.

Following a lead, Curtis heads for Peakholme House, a pile built in the middle of nowhere with all of the mod cons, where he believes he will find the answer to the sabotage.

What he finds, however, is much more, in the figure of Daniel da Silva - described in the goodreads blurb as "Effete, decadent, foreign, and all-too-obviously queer, the sophisticated poet is everything the straightforward British officer fears and distrusts."

However, when sexual attraction smacks Curtis over the head, things start going a bit, er, south. *Cough*

Daniel is of course, not entirely what he seems on the surface, and soon both men are embroiled in blackmail, billiards and of course, pantslessness.

Think of England is a relatively short book, but I did enjoy it a lot. Especially Curtis' evolution, which was handled very nicely.

I may have mentioned Dragon Age once or twice. Possibly. Maybe. Anyway. Dark Horse has launched a new graphic novel series set in the Tevinter Imperium (which excites me GREATLY because of the speculation that the next game might be set there) and it follows a pair of mercenaries who are pledged to tracking down and eliminating blood mages.

They're offered a job, and are, of course wary. The whole thing screams IT'S A TRAP but they've also been told hey, there's a magister who's sacrificing children. It's up to you but ... so they take it and hey, IT'S A TRAP.

And THEN the bloody thing ended! I tapped the "keep reading" button like an idiot, but of course the first issue only came out yesterday so I'll just have to wait.

It's off to a solid start, though, and I'm excited to dig in and learn more about the protagonists - and the Imperium.

Witches Abroad - review

Something is going Wrong with stories. At least, something is happening to them, and that's turning everything in the kingdom of Genua on its  head.

Magrat - newly minted fairy godmother - is tasked with a journey to Genua to save the girl from marrying the Duke, and she's determined to do a good job.

Then Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg invite themselves along and everything goes - well a bit wrong, but of course a bit right, as well.

I'm slowly and painstakingly making my way through all of the Discworld novels in publication order.

Witches Abroad is the 12th novel, and I have many, many delights ahead of me.

I did love this. I laughed out loud more than once, and Mr Sir Terry Pratchett struck that balance between absurdist humour, common sense and sheer bloody-minded evilness perfectly.

Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax are of course, great and fully realised characters and poor Magrat - she is a bit of a "wet hen" as Granny describes her but gosh darn it she's trying!

Mostly she turns things into pumpkins and goes on a bit much about self improvement, but she's doing her best.

Great, fun and moving stuff. :)

Monday again? (also Sunday) What are you reading #2; Sunday post #14

I'm linking up with the Sunday Post hosted here: http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/ and also It's Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted here: http://bookdate.blogspot.co.nz/

Let's see ... what's been happening lately ...

It was spawn's last day of school for the year on Thursday, so he's settling in for the long summer break. (I'm using the word "summer" in its loosest possible term, the weather outside is actually pretty bad [which is my favourite kind of weather]).

So I need to try and think of some things to do with him, while I'm still at home.

We went to see Santa on Friday, so that's done for the year. All of my shopping is done (thank you online shopping!) so I can tick that off the list.

I just need to make a list of what I want for the boys to choose from - lol.

The kittens are growing apace. It's nearly impossible to get decent photos of them, but I'll try for next week's post. We have trouble telling them apart, but I discovered that Felicia has a tiny white patch at the base of her belly, so that will help.

Casper's leg has been re-stitched, and the vet is pleased with his progress. So one more visit next week to get the stitches out, and he should be fine after that.

For myself, I haven't really been doing very much at all, but for now, that's all right. If I'm still sitting here in a month's time saying the same thing, then that will be problematic. But for now, it's nice.

I did a little stitching last week; some reading, and I've been obsessively playing two games - Dragon Age; Inquisition (of course) and on the iPad, Monument Valley: http://www.monumentvalleygame.com/ which I just absolutely love.

It's not a particularly long game, but there's something very relaxing about playing it, and I highly recommend it.

As for what I'm reading .... I finished Witches Abroad by Mr Sir Terry Pratchett on Saturday, and loved it. Laughed out loud a few times. So there will be a review of that some time this week.

Right now I'm reading A Private Gentleman by Heidi Cullinan. It's an M/M Victorian romance novel about Wes, the second son of a Marquis who is the despair of his family. He's shy, suffers terrible social anxiety, and stammers badly. He meets Michael, a whore who has a history with Wes's father. The two Fall in Love and Overcome Obstacles.

I'm enjoying it quite a bit, I have to say. I've read a couple of Heidi Cullinan's books before, and enjoy her style.

I also have The Gaugin Connection by Estelle Ryan on the go, and STILL The Sunne in Splendour.

Up next is Uprooted by Naomi Novik, then I think I might tackle Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older, and possibly Sorceror to the Crown by Zen Cho.

What's going on with you? What are you reading?

Mockingjay Part 1 and The Golden Compass - reviews

I've just re-read Northern Lights (aka The Golden Compass) and remembered how much I enjoy that book. Gosh darn, it's a good book.

I had always avoided the movie because I'd heard it wasn't good, but a friend said eh, it's not BAD, it's WATCHABLE ... so I went in.

And she's right.

There's a lot of Big Ideas in the book that don't make it into the movie which is fine as far as it goes, but it means the story in the movie isn't really served and it all feels a bit rushed and muddled.

It's well-cast, though, especially Nicole Kidman as the very chilling Mrs Coulter. Though I do think that Daniel Craig is a bit mis-cast as Lord Asriel - I feel like he's not imposing enough. Dakota Blue Richards is great as Lyra, too.

But the story ... I do have high hopes for the upcoming TV series.

As for Mockingjay Part 1 ... I think it suffered from the same issue. The story isn't served - this time by splitting the last book into two movies. Mockingjay Part 1 feels like a lot of unnecessary standing about waiting for things to happen. Presumably those Things will Happen in Mockingjay Part 2 (which I haven't seen yet.)

Mockingjay Part 1 was fine, but it felt a bit like filler, which is a shame after Catching Fire was so good.

On to the next, though!

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins - review

Rachel takes the train every day, riding into London. She looks out the window and makes up stories about the people she sees as she goes by.

One couple in particular has caught her imagination. She calls them Jess and Jason and constructs a fictional life for them. Down the road from "Jess and Jason" live Rachel's ex-husband and his new wife and their baby daughter.

When "Jess" goes missing, Rachel - who had got blackout drunk the same night - has an awful feeling that she has missed something terribly important, and that she knows something about that fateful night.

If only she could remember it ...

I really enjoyed The Girl on the Train. I ended up having to read it in a day because it was due back at the library, and I had no trouble with it at all.

It's a pacey thriller with a solid story. The story needs to be solid because all of the characters - from Rachel to "Jess and Jason" (really Megan and Scott) and Tom and Anna - are pretty unlikeable. There's barely a decent character trait among them, and normally that's enough to make me stop reading, but with The Girl on the Train, I kept going because I just had to know what happened.

I do love books like that. :)

It's Monday ... and also Sunday somewhere

I'm linking up with two posts for this ... post.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? hosted by Kathryn here: http://bookdate.blogspot.co.nz/ (fellow Kiwi! :D :D) and also the Sunday Post,  hosted by Kimba, here: http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/

I'm still trying to recalibrate my blogging. As you can see by the lack of content, it's not going especially well. But. As in all things, I persist. I persist till the dragon is defeated. Or I die trying. Anyway. The most important thing that has happened lately, is this:

Yes. Yes that is a picture of kittens. Two kittens. Ivy and Felicia. I think Ivy is on the left, though sometimes it's a bit hard to tell. Ever since I lost my sweet Morgana, I've been wanting to get a kitten. Not to replace her, because that's impossible, but to fill the void somewhat. So we went to the pet store a couple of weeks ago, and lo and behold, they had these two. They're littermates and because I'm a big softie, I couldn't leave one of them behind.

The older cats are very, very dubious about this. VERY dubious. 

The kittens are ... well. They're kittens. If they're not playing or pooping, they're sleeping, as you can see. And, luckily, I'm a good shape for sleeping on, being somewhat soft and squishy. Also, two kittens is better than television, they're so fun to watch.

In other cat news, one of our older statecats - Casper - has had some health issues. Well. We've had a black cat hanging about who keeps getting into dustups with one of ours, and I think Casper - despite being 14 and entitled to a quiet life - got involved in one of them. So we had one abscess treated. Fairly easy.

Then, a couple of Fridays ago, he came inside with the BIGGEST lump on his leg. Like. BIG. So I rang the emergency vet, because of course it was Friday night, and J took him out. 

He needed surgery. The vet described the abscess that had formed - and magically appeared out of nowhere, although I was aware he had been favouring that leg a bit - as horrific. He told J he'd never seen one so bad. There was necrotised tissue under it, and also necrotised bone, but only a little bit. Luckily? So he's got a big shaved patch, and stitches and he's been on antibiotics. He might still lose the leg because of the necrotised bone, but we're not sure. 

He's due to go back to the vet tomorrow to have his stitches out, so we'll find out then.

Anyway. As for what I'm reading ... I've drifted back to my slow and ongoing read through all the Discworld novels. I'm up to Witches Abroad, which is proving to be hysterical. Next up I think will be Uprooted by Naomi Novik, which I've been meaning to read for a while.

Most recently I finished The Girl on the Train, which I really enjoyed and I'm hoping to get back into a blogging rhythm, so I'm aiming to review that this week.

I also read Northern Lights (The Golden Compass) and watched the movie. Loved the book, thought the movie was ... okay. I also finally watched Mockingjay Part 1 which was also okay. Hopefully I'll be doing reviews of those as well.

So. How's your week looking? 

What are you reading?