book worm

The best part about starting school again? (Besides the absolute yummy and wonderful weather?)

E can no longer grumble if I have my nose buried in a book. :)

I did a small bit of reading this past week, and for once, it wasn’t all sci-fi or fantasy!

I really don’t think I’ll accomplish all of my goals for Kat’s Summer Reading Program (next year I’m making up library cards and bookmarks!). Oh well, it was plausible until I fell in love with the Valdemar Series. I would say that this has been the summer of Valdemar. I have two “main” texts left until completion and a few anthology/short story types. Then I’ll try to acquire the series for my already overstressed bookshelves and start rereading.

I will hopefully be posting my final tally for SRP ’06 on Thursday.. I hope to complete a few more books first (famous last words).

Joust by Mercedes Lackey (442 pages)
Ok. I wasn’t supposed to read this yet, but it started calling my name and well, it has DRAGONS! Now I’m trying to balance this smaller series (and the rest of Misty Lackey’s writings) against finishing Valdemar, all my work (I do have a company to look after and nurture), and schoolwork. I’m in trouble now. I’ll write more as I read more of this series.

The Valdemar Companion edited by John Helfers and Denise Little (572 pages)
Ok. While I haven’t technically finished the series, I needed some help with maps and such and this wonderful reference came to my rescue. I believe at this point I have read every page (and it gave away some small spoilers, but I read a few things out of order so that is to be expected). The editors have done a mostly good job with this. My only complaint is the quality of the maps and the lack of inclusion of a map of the Palace grounds (as can be found in Arrows). Otherwise it has helped me keep track who is who and when prior characters are referenced, while they are described quite well, it just helped me remember where I found them. I actually own this volume. :)

Ok. I really *swore* I had already discussed this next work, I believe my total counts still add up right however:
Crossroads and other tales of Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey (338 pages)
This is a collection of short stores by Larry Dixon and others, including one by Misty Lackey. I really enjoyed it but it did serve as a bit of spoiler as I read it before completing the Mage Wars.

Owlflight by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon (324 pages)
This is the first installment to the final “major” section to the Valdemar series. It is a coming of age for Darian and we find him on a path that is one of maturity and growth beyond what many would have expected. I purchased this while picking up some of my texts at Strand last week and it became my bathtub reading. I’m on lookout for the final two and am trying not to be too impatient.

Book of Night with Moon by Diane Duane (390 pages)
This has been on my reading list for quite a while and it took the NYPL a bit to fulfill my hold request. It’s currently out of print. I loved this. I learned more of the amazing cats and the gates they maintain at Grand Central that I had previously met in Ms Duane’s Young Wizard’s series. I will now attempt to find To Visit the Queen and then catch up with all the changes here regarding the third book (news reference here).

Lastly I have made my first pass (cover to cover, which is not required for my course) of Intellectual Property : Patents, Trademarks, and Copyright In a Nutshell (3d Ed) by Arthur R Miller & Michael H Davis (438 pages)
This is a remarkable and very readable small book. I had been saying for years that my life (working at a law firm) would be much better if I had even a basic grounding in some of the law. I had never known where to turn and I am now kicking myself for not trying this series earlier (which I was well aware of as firm librarian. I should have just asked my publisher’s rep if I should try one). I will (over school holidays) look into more of the Nutshell series (most likely Evidence, Torts, Mediation, and Contracts. Munneke’s Law Practice Management looks quite fascinating as well). My course this term will focus on Copyright, so I will be rereading the latter third of the book in much more depth shortly. This first reading did clarify some things which I had skimmed before (being librarian and having to update pocket parts in the USCA often led me on some interesting side reading, much to the chagrin of the attorney that needed to volume for something important).

All told my weekly total is 2522 pages for a grand total of 15995 pages and 48 books.

Note: I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong with my ubernyms config, I have it set the same as I do for E as for M Lackey and the first time her name comes up in any post it is duplicated and in parenthesis. One day I’ll sit to figure it out. Thank you for your understanding.

• Category: books