FF: Read to Write

As we launch into the beginning of a new year, my schedule is busier than ever.  PT continues to take time and energy, but I still manage to find time to read.  It’s weird but true: If I don’t read someone else’s work, my writing suffers.  Doing stuff with my hands also plays into my writing.

As most of you already know, the Friday Fragments is not a book review column; it’s a list of what I’m reading and maybe a bit about my opinions.  I always read the comments section and enjoy learning what other people are reading.  Oh, and I don’t usually list shorter works unless in a collection or articles, I also don’t usually list scattered research reading.

Completed:

Mortal Stakes by Robert B. Parker.  Third in the series.  Spenser is now recognizably himself, less a homage to other tough guy detectives.  Vivid characterization, although book jacket copy pretty much spoiled the plot.

In Progress:

The Cartoon History of the Universe: From the Big Bang to Alexander the Great.  (Volumes 1-7).  One of the oddest, but most enjoyable, history series out there.  I’m almost done.

Paladin’s Faith by T. Kingfisher (aka Ursula Vernon).  Book Four in the Saint of Steel series.  As with the rest of the series, could stand alone, but elements are appreciated if you’ve read the series in order.

Mr. Lemoncello’s Great Library Race by Chris Grabenstein.  Audiobook.  Beneath the chaos and silliness, this middle grade series takes on some pretty serious issues.  This time it’s research in the age of the internet, when facts can be changed but also found, and the quest for Truth is more important than ever.

Also:

Finally finished the latest issue of Archeology and am reading an issue of Smithsonian I missed.