Whatcha Readin' Wednesday

Well, I've been on a fantasy kick lately. I just finished reading the third volume of Jane Lindskold's "Breaking the Wall" series. These are about "the Land Born of Smoke and Sacrifice"; an alternative world that appeared when an ancient Chinese emperor burned many books of lore and executed those who refused to turn over their books. The first volume in the set, Thirteen Orphans, relates the current experiences of the descendants of thirteen residents of "The Lands" who are exiled back into this world after an attempted coup. The focal character, Brenda Morris, doesn't even know she has a Chinese heritage until some extremely strange things happen. The next book, Nine Gates, describes an attempt of the "orphans" to get back into "The Lands". The one I just finished, Five Odd Honors, continues the story. The books are all full of Chinese myth and magic, including a creative take on the mythical uses of mah jongg sets. I enjoyed them a lot, and am hoping for at leaset one more book to tie up a number of loose ends

I am also working my way through a teen fantasy series by Michael Scott The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. I saw a display of them -- the fourth volume was just released -- at Barnes and Noble, and it caught my attention because the charater is mentioned in the Harry Potter books, which I loved. As it turned out, a friend of Kelson's was anxiously awaiting book four, and she was able to lend me the earlier volumes. I've finished book one, The Alchemyst, and have started book two, The Magician. Not a bad read for teen fiction, but not great literature either.

In the way of non-fiction, I am inhaling (no other word will do) Sweater Quest by Adrienne Martini. The subtitle is "My year of knitting dangerously." I LOVE it. If you are a knitter, know a knitter, or -- like me -- wish you were a knitter, GET THIS BOOK. I suspect that if he could get past the title even my husband would enjoy it. It's informative, entertaining, and a glimpse into the world of knitting in the 21st century. Buy a lot of copies and give them to your knitting friends for birthdays and Christmas. You will get lots of thank you notes!

Next up: A biography of Susan Boyle. We shall see.