Series I'm Currently Reading....

Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series: had read this once before, up to whatever was current at the time (O is for Outlaw?). Currently ready to start the last book so far, T is for Trespass.

Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone series: Also had read before, up to whatever was current at the time. I'm currently up to "Both Ends of the Night", or 17 books down, 10 to go.

Sara Paretsky's V I Warshawski series. Probably only four or five books in the series when I last read it. I'm now up to # 10 (Hard Time) of 13.

Robert B. Parker's Spenser series: Hadn't ever read it before. Wasn't much moved by the tv series, but really got into it with the made for tv movies with Joe Mantegna. I'm up to "Walking Shadow", which is # 21 of 35.

Michael Jecks' Simon Puttock series: I think that had three or four books, if that many, when last I encountered it. I'm on the second of 24 now (The Merchant's Partner).

And as mentioned before here, Piers Anthony's Xanth series: have read the first book, ready for the second (The Source of Magic), 30 to go beyond that.

What I've been reading....

I've been kind of systematically reading or re-reading book series for some months now.

Series that I've read everything available in in the last six months or so:

Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins series. That's ten novels and a book of short stories; the opening book is Devil in a Blue Dress, which was made into a movie with Denzel Washington.

Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Have read everything but the newest (Finger Lickin Fifteen), and have skyrocketed on the library wait list for that one from 682 to 543---not bad for a book that's only been out a week or so. Because of the occasional additional book, this series is not fifteen books, as you might think, but 19.

Tony Hillerman's Jim Chee/Joe Leaphorn books. I wish there were a pile of these backed up, waiting to be published, but it doesn't appear that it's so.

Ariana Franklin's Adelia Aguilar series. So far still a distinctly short series---three books---but the idea of merging a female forensics specialist---if you can call anybody in medieval times a "forensics specialist"---with Plantagenet England is interesting if improbable.

Christopher Fowler's Bryant & May series: Six distinctly quirky books.

Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series: I've not seen any of the televised Dresden bits, just the books, but they have my attention. Just noticed that the most recent book has come out since I finished reading the series, so have requested it from the library.

Jess Lourey's Mira James series: another infant series--only four books---but interesting so far.

Carola Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple books....

Vicki Lane's Elizabeth Goodweather books. Only four of them, but definitely reminiscent of Sharyn McCrumb's writing.

Terence Faherty's Scott Elliott series. Only four books, and came to this by accident, being familiar with his Owen Keane books.

Bill Crider's Sheriff Dan Rhodes series, a series I really love and wish there was more of...

And venturing from mystery to fantasy, been rereading Robert Asprin's Myth books.

Good reads all, and always actively collecting "where to go next" from here....

New Baby

We have a new baby! Hillary* is about two months old and has just joined our household.




*: No, not that Hillary....while I have a great deal of respect for Hillary Clinton, our Hillary so far has not shown any particular talents in foreign policy (unless hissing is a foreign policy skill); what she is is a world class climber. So it's to Sir Edmund Hillary that she owes her name....

Books and Other Stuff

OK: where have I been?

Somehow, I've managed to miss reading any of Piers Anthony's Xanth series for 32 years. I feel like I should really regret that.....except, of course, if I *had* been reading them all along, I wouldn't have them before me to read now!

Wow.

Need to stockpile a few books......the foot isn't healing. We've decided to bite the bullet----the job search is being badly hindered by repeated "let's wait another month and see if it's healing" stints----and do the surgery, put a screw in the foot.

Friday. Faster than I expected. But it's time to get this behind me and move on.

PARISH FESTIVAL TIME!

(If you're reading this when it's fresh.....if you're in or near Indianapolis.....come and join us! St. Gabriel's International Festival.....)

Having oodles of fun in the pretzel/nacho/pizza booth. It really is an excellent way to meet people in the parish, and it's just plain fun.

To new friends. To happiness as a choice.

"Depression" is when a Recession bites YOU....

....whether that's read as "economic depression" or "emotional depression"....

Haven't posted in a while. In the last six weeks I've lost two cats (Tondra and Sarah) and one job.....

And we're going into week eleven, if I recall correctly, of trying to get my Q@#$Q@ broken foot to heal. I think it's working---it's starting to hurt and I'm told by several sources, both doctors and them-as-has-btdt, that that's a sign of healing. I certainly hope so.

Doing my bit to heal it: wearing the dratted electrical bone stimulator every day....dancing on it at powwow in the sacred dance circle....

Doing a lot of reading...contemplating...praying...and I found a quote that's stuck with me:



Forgiveness means giving up all hope of having a better past.


(Apparently originally said by Jerry Jampolsky, although there are other candidates.)

It never occurred to me before, but that's a very real aspect of resentment. We think what it's about is wanting redress made in the present for past hurts, but it really isn't: we want intervention retroactively, past hurts fixed **when they happened**. We might settle for present redress, but it isn't really what we ache for.

It's odd: even when we grasp this, and know intellectually that the past *can't* be fixed, we don't immediately leap to losing the resentment and full forgiveness. It's a really strong example of the difference between knowing something in your head and knowing something in your gut.