The Broken Earth Series - Buy It, Read It

The majority of the time, my choice in reading material is romance literature. Not really "bodice rippers", as they used to be termed in my youth, but stories of people who find their one and only and get their 'Happily Ever After' (HEA) by the end of the book. I like happy endings and need some romance in my life. DH is NOT a romantic guy ... oh well. I've never been much for thriller/adventure genre books - no Jason Bourne for me - and I'm not fond of the Western genre even though I grew up in the Western USA. No - I want the violins, the red roses, and the meshing of personalities. 

Book One of the trilogy - "The Fifth Season" introduces
the reader to an earth that is familiar, yet unfamiliar
in so many ways. The plots twist and wind, and the
characters are rich and deep, and fallible. 

Before I started reading romance lit over the past few years, I spent decades reading science fiction. I hadn't read Sci-Fi or alternative world books for quite a few years, but came back to it with a series that I'm recommending to all of you, even though I'm still in Book 2 of the three-book trilogy. Turn your eyes towards and start reading the Broken Earth series by N.K. Jemisin. In 2016, the first novel in the trilogy, "The Fifth Season" won the Hugo for best novel, making Ms Jemisin the first black novelist to win the award. This was followed by the Hugo Win in 2017 for "The Obelisk Gate", the second book in the series, and in 2018, the Hugo Win for "The Stone Sky", the final novel of the series. 

Book Two, "The Obelisk Gate" is what I'm in the
middle of reading now. I'm totally hooked within
this plot, though. This volume is half-finished
and I can't wait to see where she goes with the
third volume. 

So - three books, three Hugo award winners for best novel of the year, and one extraordinary author whose world-building skills are amazing and unique. The books themselves take place in Earth in the far future long after our own civilizations have come and gone. I can't express it as well as others, so I recommend you check out the article here because it explains things so much better than I can with minimal spoilers. I can only point out how extraordinary it is to have an author - any author - win three Hugo Awards in a row. The last time the prestigious award was awarded to the same person in contiguous years was to Orson Scott Card for "Ender's Game" and in the following year for his sequel, "Speaker For the Dead". 

The third book, "The Stone Sky" was what really
cemented it in the "I must read these" category. Having
ANY author win the Hugo for three years running
for a single series was unprecedented. 

It's the holiday season and we're all gathering our wish lists together for the various Santas in our lives. You might want to consider adding the Broken Earth Trilogy to your list, I don't think you'll regret it at all. I'll return to my romance literature after this series, I'm working down a very extensive list of TBR, but the earth of N.K. Jemisin will remain with me for a long time to come. I know it's available in boxed sets in physical copies, but also that it's available in e-formats of various kinds. Buy it - read it - or put your name on the list and borrow it from your local library or e-library. It's an amazing trilogy. 

I'm off to the pool, have to swim off some of the excellent pizza DH and I had last night. Gotta love those BOGO coupons to our favorite pizzeria, but the calories can be intense. Have a wonderful Monday and start to your week, and I'll be back tomorrow. Happy Day to You!!! 

Playing Games and a Quick View of the Grammys

Sunday was a really relaxing day, although I did cook breakfast and I did sweep and wash the kitchen floor. Still, all told, it was a fun day. DH and I sat at our computers and played LotRO (Lord of the Rings Online) for a few hours. We didn't interact much, I'm playing a middle-level character while his characters are topped out at twice my level, but it was fun catching up with an old character I've always loved and rarely played. I'm not much of a game player, my preference is to read, but every few months I drop back into Middle Earth and play some more. DH is much more constant that I, but he finds games much more important to him.

I like free games. Sure you can buy extra lives
or enhancements, but basically, the game is
a free app on Google Play. Free is good! 

Do you play any games regularly? I have been playing "Cookie Jam" on my phone and my tablet because it's relatively quick per level and silly enough that I don't have to be heavily invested. I also play color and pattern games like "Blendoku" and "Flow Free", but that, added to LotRO on my desktop computer, are the limit of what I enjoy playing. I'm far more apt to pull up my latest e-read than any game.

The premise of Blendoku is easy - put the colors in order using
the chips already placed as guidance. It can get quite complex and
deal with very small shade differences too, though, so it can be
quite challenging. It's one game where I find working in a darkened room
is better. 

My parents were avid "Bridge" players and Dad taught me both "Bridge" and "Tarok" as I was growing up. Although I played through High School, I was never very good at it and never enjoyed it very much. My preference of poker is the video version or the slot machine version, my preference for Blackjack is at a casino, either at a table or at a machine. I'm not fond of strategy games. Over the years I've had friends who have participated in monthly rotating poker games, but even though I would enjoy the social aspect, the actual playing would bore me to tears.

Contract Bridge is a game that my parents loved. DH used
to play every lunch hour at his old job, so he loves it too.
He now plays a video version on his phone, but complains
that the app really sucks. There aren't a lot of choices for
him for this game, though. 

On a final note, last night the Grammy Awards were presented and broadcast on TV. I've heard good things about Beyonce's performance, and also heard that Adele really blew her tribute to George Michael. I've looked at about 100 of the various dresses and outfits, but haven't decided what to pull out to show. One thing I can say ... there was a lot of skin - shirtless under jackets, hiding behind geometric panels, and compressed in tops that looked just shy of torture devices more appropriate to the Eternal Dungeon. I'll try to take a slower look tonight and might have some fashion photos to share later this week, but no promises.

Adele looked wonderful on the Red Carpet. This olivine color suited her
well, and I loved her hairstyle. That's a good thing because she won - a lot!
Congrats to a great vocal star! (Also very happy that Megadeth won for
Best Metal Performance.) 

So have a wonderful Monday. It's a week filled with income tax appointments, Valentine's Day, and general sales and cleaning at the shop. I'll be busy and have my hands full, so maybe grabbing a quick few minutes here and there in Middle Earth is OK. Have a fun day!

Happy Birthday and a Sunday Recap

First of all, a shout out to my nephew Michael who celebrates his birthday today. He doesn't get the opportunity to celebrate on the real day very often - only every four years since he's a leap year baby. Happy Birthday, Michael!

I don't get a chance to do this very often. Happy Birthday to
my oldest (and youngest) nephew! 

DH and I had a nice time eating Italian last night. We each had an appetizer and an entree. Everything was well flavored and beautifully plated, but I give the food about a 7. I think DH's Campanelle (a pancetta, fonduta, lemon, brocolini and bread crumb bake) was the best dish of the evening. His starter was the Brussels Sprouts la bomba with tonnato and preserved lemon. For my starter I had the Dark Meat Chicken with a sauce of agradolce and chilli - very good, but a bit large of a portion and too much breading. The flavor of the sauce was excellent, sweet and spicy. For my main course I had the Agnolotti Verde (agnolotte verdi pasta with mushrooms, brussels sprouts, brown butter and topped with an egg). They must have hidden the brussels sprouts on my entree, because they were barely there. The agnolotti, however, were quite good.

Agnolotti are like mini-ravioli. Mine were in a green pasta which,
I assume, was made with a brussels sprouts infusion. It was quite
tasty, though. I would have liked more mushrooms and one or
two actual brussels sprouts in the plating as well. 

It was great to see Matt and Lizzie again, and they had two of their daughters along with them. The "kids" sat at a separate table and basically played with their phones until their food arrived. We'll all try to go out again in May when we can celebrate my birthday. Now I have to figure out where I want to go and make sure that it can accommodate Matt's gluten-free with some other dietary restrictions diet. Mucci's was able to do gluten-free pasta, but they didn't have a lot of choices for sauces he could eat. I think he ended up the most disappointed of the group last night.

I had a lovely Boston Cream cupcake for a late dessert, eaten while
watching the first half of the Academy Awards. So good! 

After picking up cupcakes for dessert on the way home, DH and I settled in to watch the Academy Awards. I didn't stay up for the full slate, but was very happy with the number of awards picked up by "Mad Max Fury Road". The film ended up with five awards! I really liked that film, and so did Chickie. DH was a bit more "meh" about it. I was chuckling as their name was called again, and again, and again.

Mad Max Fury Road featured amazing makeup, FX and lots of cars and
fantastic set design. It was an orgy for the eyes in a total dystopian society.
Chickie's favorite was the guitar player in red on the left, standing in
front of his wall of amplifiers, shooting fire from his guitar. 

I was also very pleased that "The Writings on the Wall" from the latest James Bond film "Spectre" won for "Best Song". The songs from Bond films have a rich heritage and this one was a good one. I'm off to the WBL YMCA this morning for a quick swim before my chiropractor appointment. Have a great Monday and when I find fashion pics I can pull into here, we'll take a look at some Academy Awards fashion, hopefully tomorrow. Happy Monday!

Finally We Get Mountains! and Many Paths to Tread

Le Tour de France is in the Alps today and I'm happy, happy, happy. Sunday's ride looks pretty boring, but today - I'll be watching whenever I can to see the riders move over the high peaks and enjoy the amazing scenery of the Alps. Here are the profiles for today and tomorrow (since I don't blog on Sundays).

Saturday's tour is a tough one with two Cat Ones framing a Hor Cat climb. OOOF!

Sunday is a serious drop-down. I won't mind catching up on my sleep on Sunday
before having bagels for breakfast. But we'll be heading for the Pyrenees next
week and at the end of next week we'll be watching the riders on the
 Champ de Elysee in Paris. DH said he might make crepes for breakfast for Paris. 

I have a story that I wanted finished by now, but I've been a bit "meh" about it. "Meh" is a luxury I really don't have with a deadline looming, and I'll have to push through this wall, finish the story, and start the editing process. I want to get this handed in by mid-week so that I can begin catching up with other things.

I post in a variety of archives. MPPT is one of them, and is
overseen by a great group of moderators. It may be a good
alternative for you to consider for posting. 

Many Paths to Tread is one of the archives I post my fiction to (within their guidelines of ratings and time frames). It's my alternative posting location for stories that don't fit into the Silmarillion Writers Guild guidelines and I have quite a lot of my fiction on it. It's run by a great group of people. In honor of their Fifth Anniversary, a running story has been posted for people to add to in one of five different categories: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The First Age on Middle-earth, The Second Age on Middle-earth and Multi-Age. Story paragraphs were posted for each of those five areas and people have continued the stories by adding a paragraph to continue the storylines. This type of event is always a fun challenge, so if you feel creative and want to play, come to LOTR Community Challenge on Live Journal and add your two cents worth to one or more of the storylines.

I really love this photo. I want to travel and see the world
beyond my own door. 

Speaking of Many Paths to Tread, don't forget that their annual Trees and Flowers awards are also coming up. Any story can be nominated beginning on July 27th. All stories eligible must be posted by July 26th. These are a way of recognizing stories you've read that you think deserve a bit of additional recognition by people who may have missed it the first time around. All stories posted to the archive by the cut-off date are eligible. I was honored to be a nominee and winner in some categories last year. I hope I have time to upload some other items and some artwork before the cut-off for consideration this year.

I've always loved these lines. Where will you go today? The
road beckons...

Have a wonderful Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy your weekend.

Dizzy and the Tree & Flower Awards

Dizzy - it's a term that gets used fairly often. When someone is acting dizzy they are flitting here and there, never really landing or concentrating on one thing or another. Turning around and around to become dizzy so that I could fall backward and watch the world revolve around me used to be one of the favorite things I did when I was a child. For that matter, maybe I should do it again one of these days  - it was super fun. But getting dizzy when you're in your daily routine, walking from one place to another, leaning over to pick something up or climbing up a ladder to get something while dizzy - those are not good things. My DH has been fighting through dizziness for the past few days, and this is the third or fourth time this year. I'm starting to get quite concerned about this and so is he. If this goes on much longer I'll need to make a doctor's appointment for him.

Some people will feel dizzy just looking at this graphic.

But I have the Minnesota Bead Shop Hop coming up from October 1-13th and Chickie will be on vacation and out of town for much of that time so I'll be short staffed. That means that doctor appointments will have to wait and we're just going to have to hope that things settle down soon. I'm worried nonetheless. So many of my f-list and blog readers are in medicine. Any ideas? I'm sure it has to do with the inner ear, but he did have his ears looked at and they seemed fine. It could be sinuses or maybe the turn of the seasons, but I just don't know. Argh...I hate feeling inept, but health issues are NOT my forte.

I'm still torn about my involvement in the Bead Shop Hop, but I'm
committed now. If I survive the experience with one employee short, it
will be a Frackin' Miracle!

Finally, but far from least, Congratulations to all of the winners in this year's Tree and Flower fiction Awards (see the full list of all winners here.). I have to thank those who were kind enough to nominate and vote for my stories, I was amazed by such an outpouring of support. Due to your kindness and your votes, I won for the following stories (I have embedded links for each in case you're interested in reading any of them).  So...I thank everyone for the following story awards...

1st Place - Favorite Characterization of a Dwarf of Thorin's Company - Culture Clash 

1st Place (Tie) - Favorite Art, Photomanip - Rain Over Lake Evendim

2nd Place - Favorite Story Set During The Hobbit - The Precision of Tea

2nd Place - Favorite AU Story - The Last King

2nd Place - Favorite Characterization of Sam - The Journey to Rivendell

3rd Place - Favorite Vignette - Lessons of Birds

3rd Place - Favorite Story Set in the Silmarillion - Gems of Light

3rd Place - Favorite Story Set During LotR - A Candle For a Brother

3rd Place (Tie) - Favorite Characterization of Gimli - Burdens Shared

Honorable Mention (Tie) - Favorite Drabble or Drabble Series - Breaking the Mold

Honorable Mention (Tie) - Favorite Vignette - Survival of the Fittest

Happy Tuesday to everyone and Happy Birthday, Alikat7.

Exhaustion Has Struck

I'm exhausted. I allowed myself to sleep an additional twenty minutes this morning and didn't hit the treadmill (bad girl) but I really needed that little bit of additional sleep. I'm really looking forward to tonight - for the first time in two months I will be able to sleep in on Sunday morning. This is the ultimate luxury! So I'm writing a celebration to sleep today because, quite honestly, that candle I hold that burns from both ends does singe my hand now and again.

My story for Teitho is finally working after being slapped into its fourth revision. I'm almost through the umpteenth edit and things are starting to jell. I need to finish this story and then I can start my LOTR Community piece. Thank goodness they extended the deadline for that one because the elements were sent out quite late, but at least one idea hit when I read through my elements, so I think I'll have something I can do.

And Thank You to all who voted for my artwork "And Maedhros Stood Aside" for the Tree and Flower Awards. I won Overall Winner for the artwork and am very, very happy. I also won three 3rd Place awards and three Honorable Mention awards for stories, so I'm absolutely thrilled. Call me happy today (as well as sleepy).