Here it is folks, my first book completed for Kailana’s Four-legged Friends Challenge. I know that I have already posted once today, but this being Charlie’s birthday I find it the most opportune time to review a book read in honor of him.
All posts by Carl V. Anderson
Dat You, Santy Claus?
Update: Everything you are about to read is a complete fabrication. Well, not everything, but the part about Chris being my Secret Santa. Word has come to me from the North Pole. Or at least from one of his elves in Louisiana, that this was just an early gift from Chris and that my True Secret Santa has not yet been revealed!!! So, to my ACTUAL Secret Santa, sorry for the confusion. But believe me, you’ll be getting a post of your very own just like this one very, very soon!!! I’m so tickled!!!
Recently Nymeth had the brilliant idea of hosting a blogger Christmas Exchange, Secret Santa style. It was a wonderful idea and thank you Nymeth for hosting it and taking care of all the details that hosting entails. Anyway, I had great fun planning, picking out and wrapping up the presents for my Secret Santa recipient and I’m happy to say that, prior to the upcoming deadline, my package went off today Priority Mail and should be arriving tomorrow or the next day. I’m all aquiver with excitement.
So, imagine how my excitement grew when I came home today to see this:
(Disclaimer: Some images may be staged for effect. Thank you. -The Management)
What, oh what could it be?!?!?
(I look so handsome after a long, sweaty dog-walking session)
Hugo, Nebula, Clarke, Campbell and Locus Awards
This is a list of various award winning science fiction and fantasy novels, novelettes, and novelas. I am post this list solely for the use of myself and anyone else who wants a quick reference and wants to use it to track their reading of said stories.
* Italics means I have this book on my to read pile.
* Bold means I have read this book.
Continue reading Hugo, Nebula, Clarke, Campbell and Locus Awards
R.I.P. II Round-up: Something Sinister Contest
I can see the shock on your faces even as I sit here typing this. “You mean he is finally going to do the closing posts for the R.I.P. II Challenge that ended October 31st?!?!? It can’t be!!!”.
Yes folks, its true. Let me start by saying I so appreciate everyone who gave this a shot, pun intended. Next year I plan to tighten up the specifications a bit and be a bit more descriptive in the hopes that those of you who entered this year will do so again and that some of you who didn’t will give it a try!
Without any further ado, let’s look at the entries, shall we? In no particular order:
Continue reading R.I.P. II Round-up: Something Sinister Contest
Doctor No by Ian Fleming
Doctor No, the sixth book in Ian Fleming’s James Bond series, picks up immediately following the events of the cliffhanger ending of From Russia With Love. 007, in need of rest and recuperation, is sent on what is supposed to be a ‘holiday’ mission, only to find himself in the worst and most torturous predicament of all his previous documented adventures. Interestingly enough, Doctor No not only ties in with events of From Russia With Love, but the story returns James Bond to the Jamaican island of his expoits in the novel, Live and Let Die, and once again pairs him with his very likeable jack-of-all-trades, Quarrel. You may recall that although I thoroughly loved the intensity of the adventure in Live and Let Die, the racism prevalent in the book was a real turn off. This being set in the same territory, there is a slight return to form, this time with mixed race Chinese/African Americans being the target. There is, however, significantly less of this than in Live and Let Die and this feels much more like a product of the time than a deliberate judgement on a race of people. All in all, Doctor No is an engrossing tale that turned into a real page-turner before the end.