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I’ve Got News!

I’ve Got News!

There’s been so much going on here at the House of Weeds that I haven’t gotten a chance to talk about. I’ve barely had time to catch my breath. Here’s a quick catch-up of the major things. First, I have a collection of holiday stories 

The Cool Crispness of Fall is Here!

The Cool Crispness of Fall is Here!

I hope the turning of the seasons is treating you kindly. Up here in the PNW, I’m in my usual headspace for this time of year. Weary of hauling hoses around, so I want some rain but also not looking forward to the darkness of 

Book Report! The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Book Report! The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

This book had a rough beginning for me. All my own fault, of course.

I picked it up after being intrigued by the description. The book begins with a pronunciation guide and then a list of characters, places, things and gods.

I was feeling a bit wiped-out when I began the book, so couldn’t parse the guide. Which meant I couldn’t pronounce anything and in turn, couldn’t remember character names.

That said, once I got to the story I was sucked in immediately. I adored the main character, Maia. A half goblin and half elf, who’s father is Emperor of the Elflands. Maia has been banished from court life since he was a child and his goblin mother died.

At 18, he’s coming into adulthood, when his father and half-brothers are murdered. Being thrust into the deadly politics of court, Maia must survive and rule or become a victim himself.

The complexities of court politics are tangled and made for fascinating reading. Yet the story flowed smoothly. The world and characters continually surprised me, as did the plot within plot within plot.

The magic in the book is subtle and underplayed but extremely powerful. Not all the characters possess it, which creates an even more uneven aspect to court life.

I inhaled this 450 page book in a week and then moved on to The Witness for the Dead, another book set in the same world but with a completely new story. I polished that one off just as quickly. I loved both books.

Katherine Addison is a pen name for Sarah Monette, who’s written a number of fantasies under both names. I’m looking forward to reading more of her work.

You should definitely check this book out: Amazon

Transition!

Transition!

Summer is turning here. We’ve passed the longest day and the garden is bringing on late summer color. Hydrangeas are in full flush and most of the Lilies have peaked. Dahlias are reveling in the heat and blooming profusely. And as various schools begin again 

Book Report! Shadow and Bone: The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, Book 1 by Leigh Bardugo

Book Report! Shadow and Bone: The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, Book 1 by Leigh Bardugo

This isn’t the first book by Leigh Bardugo that I’ve read. I also read Six of Crows, which absolutely forced me to buy it several years ago. I came across the book at Costco and was seduced by the cover and the black page edges. 

Happy Summer Solstice!

Happy Summer Solstice!

Life here at The House of Weeds is coming off the rails. Last week was the Spousal Unit’s birthday, the Teen’s high school graduation and Father’s day.

It was also the end of school and I was amazed at how many possible events graduation entailed. In the past two weeks, I’ve had two days at home and a whole lot of going out, running errands and other stuff.

I’m ready to hunker down and stay home but the world keeps pulling me out. I foolishly scheduled every possible medical, dental, optical appointment for the teen and I to happen over the months of June and July. Silly me.

The world is opening up way too fast for my liking. I think I prefer staying home and writing and gardening and occasionally seeing my friends. Running errands is overrated.

I’ve been madly trying to get plants in the ground as the heat is coming on. I believe it was 79 or 80 today, which passes for hot in this part of the world. I was out trying to plant in a sunny bed and kept having to stop and go sit in the shade.

Last week the rainy days had highs of 55 to twenty-five plus degrees difference. Even established plants are wilting here, unused to the heat. I’m scrambling to get everything watered. But I weeded a bed this morning and got 14 plants in the ground, so I’m calling it a win.

I’ve bailed on writing for this month. My schedule just hasn’t been under my control with all the graduation stuff and other events.

I’ve done two bookselling events and have another one coming up in July. There have been meetings of every possible group who hasn’t met for a year and a half. My introvert self is growing cranky from seeing too many people.

I’ve been reading a lot. And making art. And cooking. And planning parties. But there hasn’t been enough down time, enough time to just be. Which I need in order to write.

And I need a  regular schedule. I’ll be back on track in a couple of weeks and am looking forward to writing in the outside office. I’m in the middle of a science fiction story and I want to see how it ends!

And the other things I want to write are stacking up. But soon, the teen will be driving herself places and I can stay home. And write.

I’m pretty much done buying plants for a month or two, so once I get all these in the ground, it’s just watering and weeding. Just, I say as if those aren’t time consuming tasks.

The problem with gardening and writing is that they’re both more-than-full-time pursuits. And for me, one nurtures the other. I can’t just do one of them. I need to do both in order to feel satisfied.

So, I’ll leave you with one of the many roses in bloom right now. This one is named Tradescant and is very fragrant – as are nearly all the roses I grow. And I’m off to the shower, because the twigs in my hair are beginning to grow.

I hope your solstice is full of all the good things and the coming season – summer or winter, depending on where you are, is filled with abundance and joy. And maybe some solitude! I’m sure looking forward to having some!

 

 

 

Book Report! Chosen: The Warrior Chronicles, Book 1 by K.F. Breene

Book Report! Chosen: The Warrior Chronicles, Book 1 by K.F. Breene

This novel is the first in series of six. It begins with Shanti waking from a nightmare of a raid which happened when she was a child. It took me a chapter or two to figure out what was happening in the story and that 

I’ve got News!

I’ve got News!

The pandemic project I’ve been working on with two other writers is finally out! I’m thrilled with this beautiful anthology of novellas. My novella is the first part of a series that I’m still working on. Each one will be about a different character in the 

Book Report! The City of Brass: The Daevabad Trilogy, Book 1 by S.A. Chakraborty

Book Report! The City of Brass: The Daevabad Trilogy, Book 1 by S.A. Chakraborty

The City of Brass: The Daevabad Trilogy, Book 1 by S.A. Chakraborty

I decided to read this one after a friend raved about it. It’s mostly set in a fictional country called Daevastana located vaguely northwest of India. The book revolves around mythology that’s absolutely foreign to me. I’ve heard of djinn but that’s the extent of my familiarity.

The story begins in Cairo with Nahri, a healer, dealing with a client. She works out of a stall on the street and lives her life on the edge. She doesn’t remember her family and has no roots. Nahri’s too-black eyes stand out as foreign.

She has actual healing power but most of her work uses fake magic. It’s what her clients see and believe as healing.

During a ceremony to placate the spirits, Nahri sings a song that must have been passed down from her lost parents. She knows a few words of the language, although not where it comes from.

The song wakens both a demon and a djinn. And sets Nahri on a journey toward her destiny.

The worlds in the novel are complex and not your usual epic fantasy fare. The characters are just as complicated and multi-faceted.

I loved the magic that Nahri and the other characters wield. It continually surprised me.

I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. It’s already on my e-reader. Just waiting for time.

The book, published in 2017, won the World Fantasy Award and was nominated for both the Locus Awards and the British Fantasy Awards.

The City of Brass on Amazon

Over the Rapids!

Over the Rapids!

This month continues to be a wild ride. For weeks now I’ve felt like I was pushing the river, trying to make it change course, in order to make anything happen. For the past several days, it’s apparent that the river is now pushing me