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Jul. 16th, 2007 01:15 amThis weekend I'm back in Minnesota visiting my parents and attending a family reunion. Today and yesterday were filled with lots of mid-western food (a variety of hotdishes and "bars" were had in plenty.) I do love the Special K bars though--peanut butter and Special K cooked to a toffee consistency, and then topped with milk chocolate and left to set. Yum.
The house is zoo as well, since my parents have opened their doors to not one, not two, but three namesakes--a couple visiting from Australia (I was going to say Oz, but that somehow conjured up images of Tik-Tok and the Scarecrow), and a cousin of my father's from Florida. It's definitely a full house. Apparently, my little town in Minnesota and the even smaller town where the reunion was held is all the Aussies are to see of the States! I'm a little scared that that's the version of the USA they're going to take home to friends and family---hotdish etc.
I'm supposed to be writing right now, but I'm not finding home conducive to writing. Instead, I've finished off all of my reading material that was supposed to last me through my flight back to LA.
In the last few days I've read:
_The Secret History_ by Donna Tartt 4/5 -- Very interesting psychological drama set on a East coast college campus. In some ways it reminds me a bit of _Tamlin_ by Pamela Dean, but without the fantastic element. It also reminds me a bit of _Calamity Physics_, but in a good way. :)
_The Lost Fleet: Dauntless_ by Jack Campbell 3/5 -- This was a fun space opera, but the characters are very shallow. I'm hoping the sequels provide more depth to the characters. The world is interesting, and the premise, that a fleet lost deep in enemy territory needs to be lead home by a somewhat reticent captain, thought long dead and revered as a legendary hero. The most interesting part of this story to me is how the Captain must compete with his own legend.
_Old Man's War_ by John Scalzi 4/5 -- one of the best military SF novels I've read in a very long time. I'm looking forward to the sequels--I may have to pick it up tomorrow. I'm surprised I haven't read Scalzi before. His prose is excellent--humorous and well-paced.
The house is zoo as well, since my parents have opened their doors to not one, not two, but three namesakes--a couple visiting from Australia (I was going to say Oz, but that somehow conjured up images of Tik-Tok and the Scarecrow), and a cousin of my father's from Florida. It's definitely a full house. Apparently, my little town in Minnesota and the even smaller town where the reunion was held is all the Aussies are to see of the States! I'm a little scared that that's the version of the USA they're going to take home to friends and family---hotdish etc.
I'm supposed to be writing right now, but I'm not finding home conducive to writing. Instead, I've finished off all of my reading material that was supposed to last me through my flight back to LA.
In the last few days I've read:
_The Secret History_ by Donna Tartt 4/5 -- Very interesting psychological drama set on a East coast college campus. In some ways it reminds me a bit of _Tamlin_ by Pamela Dean, but without the fantastic element. It also reminds me a bit of _Calamity Physics_, but in a good way. :)
_The Lost Fleet: Dauntless_ by Jack Campbell 3/5 -- This was a fun space opera, but the characters are very shallow. I'm hoping the sequels provide more depth to the characters. The world is interesting, and the premise, that a fleet lost deep in enemy territory needs to be lead home by a somewhat reticent captain, thought long dead and revered as a legendary hero. The most interesting part of this story to me is how the Captain must compete with his own legend.
_Old Man's War_ by John Scalzi 4/5 -- one of the best military SF novels I've read in a very long time. I'm looking forward to the sequels--I may have to pick it up tomorrow. I'm surprised I haven't read Scalzi before. His prose is excellent--humorous and well-paced.
