The Girdle of Melian

short post! Following on from the first time I ever made such an announcement on this blog, here comes announcement number two: The first day I knew what was coming... Bump! Here he is! This explains the hiccough in many of my ROW80 plans. Somehow, sleep seems to be the most important thing right now. I've been doing a lot of writing for the Never Have I Ever exercise (nearly 30,000 words and the month's not over yet!), but haven't done any editing. Please share any exciting news that you have!

owling and Harry Potter! Over a week ago I read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stane , the Scots translation (by Matthew Fitt) of the first Harry Potter book. I thought it could be a one-off read, but no . I find myself rereading the entire series for the umpteenth time, and thought I'd collate most of the J. K. Rowling and Harry Potter mentions on this blog, from 2008 until now. Including this Harry Potter prequel , which I'd completely forgotten about! Apparently the original has been stolen. (Updated link to the prequel in the comments on the old post.) questionnaires and memes: Books Read meme oddball books and reading questions and an updated version of the same questionnaire (with scathing notes to myself) a list of young adult books 15 books in 15 minutes reading habits a cup of tea an item from my wishlists: Harry Potter series audiobook , narrated by Stephen Fry which book would you want to live in ? interview with Rowling The Elep...

eviews! Just two of the books I've read over the past month or so. Watch Over Me by Kait Nolan "The only thing Rowan Beale ever wanted was to be a cop. But in the wake of her partner's death, she still hasn't been cleared to return to duty. Amid rumors of PTSD and struggling under the weight of survivor's guilt, she's starting to believe she never will be. Already at loose ends, when her Uncle Robert has a heart attack, she doesn't hesitate to go to Wishful to take care of him. Reserve officer Nash Brewer is a born care-taker, so of course he pitches in after his neighbor and mentor has heart surgery. But it's not just the former Wishful police chief who needs his help. Robert's strong, gutsy niece is hurting and haunted -- and someone's been targeting her. Nash can't help but fall as he and Rowan investigate, while keeping the secret from her fragile, but sharp-eyed uncle. When evidence points to Rowan herself as the per...

ooks! There was one of those games making the rounds a couple of weeks ago: Seven days to post a book you love without explanation, comment or review. I posted the following: A History of the World in 101/2 Chapters by Julian Barnes From Anna by Jean Little The House With the Clock in Its Walls and The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn by John Bellairs Who Is Frances Rain? by Margaret Buffie Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary Mockingbird Wish Me Luck by Charles Bukowski and, on the first day, The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien I didn't get a chance to include Madeleine l'Engle or E. Nesbit! But it got me thinking of some of the books I've read that no one else seems to have read. Of course, other people have read them, just not anyone in my immediate circle of friends and acquaintances. Here are a few of those books: The Chimes by Charles Dickens The Booky series by Bernice Thurman Hunter The Margaret series by Bernice T...

ever Have I Ever... That's the theme of this month's writers' exercise over at The Lit Forum . Today is also Insecure Writer's Support Group Day! This month's question is: It's spring! Does this season inspire you to write more than others, or not? I don't think so, mostly because I've been trying really hard to keep up a regular writing and editing schedule, no matter what the time or season. This month's exercise is giving me all sorts of ideas though! It's also making me skip ahead on my ROW80 goals, as I focus on the character for the next novel, rather than editing the current one. Here are the official rules: “Bring a character or two, and let's play “Never Have I Ever!” In case you aren’t familiar with this game, it is super simple. Someone poses a challenge, for example. . . . “Never Have I Ever Gotten a Speeding Ticket.” If you have never gotten a speeding ticket, you do nothing. If you have gotten a speeding tick...