From the top down:

The Greatest Knight: The Unsung Story of the Queen’s Champion by Elizabeth Chadwick.
A historical novel about William Marshal, one of the most important knights in history, whose life was interwoven into that of Henry II and Richard the Lionhearted. I heard of this book in a review of a novel about Eleanor of Aquitaine, in which Elizabeth Chadwick was recommended as being very accurate in her novels. I’m looking forward to it, as the Platagenets are so often sensationalized, and believe me, it is not necessary; they were quite interesting enough on their own. They don’t have to be the Tudors.

William Marshal by Georges Duby.
A biography of the above, for the historical perspective. I usually find Duby’s writing dry but accurate, even if I sometimes don’t care for his over-emphasis on certain things.

The Ties That Bound: Peasant Families in Medieval England by Barbara A. Hanawalt.
The title says it all. I’m interested to read this one, since it’s tough to find out about medieval peasant life, much less anything good or even balanced about medieval peasant life. (It’s harder still to learn anything about servant life, but that’s another matter.)

Spinning in the Old Way by Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts.
A book about how to make yarn using high-whorl spindles (as opposed to other types of spindle). Most books try to cover a wide variety of spindle types, so I was happy to find this book that focuses exclusively on the high-whorl type, which is what I’m learning on.

A Small Sound of the Trumpet by Margaret Wade Labarge.
A book on women in medieval times that was recommended in a review. I’m hoping it’ll give a well-reasoned analysis without too much of the “medieval men were pigs” kind of slant that a lot of these books are prone to.

A Medieval Life: Cecilia Penifader of Brigstock, c. 1297-1344 by Judith Bennett.
I picked this one up on a whim. It’s a slim volume documenting the life of a female peasant in the 14th century.

The Machiavellian Enterprise by Leo Paul S. De Alvarez.
A commentary on Machiavelli’s The Prince that appears to offer an unusual take on the text. I added it to my reading list based on a somewhat peculiar review on the Amazon page. I’ve already got Alvarez’s own translation of The Prince to go along with it, and I’m planning to read The Education of Christian Prince by Erasmus as a counterpoint.

Medieval Women by Eileen Power.
This is a Folio Society edition, in a red slipcase. So even if I can’t afford to join the Folio Society right now, I can sometimes buy the books.

Richard the Lionheart by John Gillingham.
This is a book I’ve needed for a very long time, for a novel project I’ve had in the works for years. John Gillingham is well-respected biographer of Richard I, and I loved his other volume, Richard I in the Yale Monarchs Series. I think this is one of the first books I put on my Amazon wishlist, and it’s nice to finally take it off.

Richard & John: Kings at War by Frank McLynn.
This one sounds entertaining as well as informative, and compares Richard and John to each other, as well as to their popular images. I don’t know about you, but I always liked the image of “Prince John, the Phoney King of England”, sucking his thumb and crying for his mommy. ;)

Stitch ‘N Bitch: The Knitter’s Handbook by Debbie Stoller.
Oh, how I resisted this book. I get that “Stitch ‘N Bitch” isn’t really referring to the ladies themselves, but I hate it when women call themselves bitches, and I hate over-the-top snark. So maybe you can see why I was a bit turned off by this? But it’s recommended by a lot of people, and really, when it comes down to it, it’s a pretty good introduction to knitting.

Firethorn by Sarah Micklem.
Another one picked up on a whim. The hardback I got has a doozy of a cover. The paperback cover is different, but very pretty too. From the description on the back, sounds like it’s a good book for character study.

The Knitter’s Book of Wool by Clara Parkes.
A book about my favorite fiber! What more could I ask? Part craft book, part sheep breed book, this beautiful volume has lots of nice pictures of sheep and their wool, with lots of lovely, classic patterns too.

Perrault’s Fairy Tales by Charles Perrault.
Probably my favorite find this trip (thanks for spotting it, Danielle!) Charles Perrault is to French fairy tales what the Grimm Brothers are to German. This volume is covered in lovely gold-leafed, block-printed wine-colored buckram, and features the illustrations of Edmond Dulac, famous French fairy tale illustrator (and my favorite).

In all, this was a great trip! I offloaded a bunch of old books, got some new (to me) books, and was able to remove a few things from my wishlist that had been on there a very, very long while.

Not to mention, the hotel we stayed at had TV Japan, which is NHK’s channel for improving American and Canadian relations with Japan. The hotel was clean and comfortable, so I was surprised to find myself actually wanting to hang out there and watch the mesmerizing PBS-style Japanese programming. There was also a kaiten-zushi restaurant, Marine Polis, just across a parking lot. For a few Japanophiles from the sticks, who are lucky to find Japanese anything anywhere, it felt like the heavens were smiling upon us.

Writing has slowed down a bit since I’m at the stage where I have to write a real outline or it’s going to be a mess. I keep combing through what I’ve already got, looking for an exciting direction for the rest of the story. I think I know what I’m doing, but it’s mentally tiring work.

Not much else to say right now, so here are some pictures from the buffalo BBQ I went to this weekend at Full Circle Bison Ranch:

Before I left, something happened (a relationship thing) that left me devastated . . . yet somehow rekindled the creative fire at the same time. It’s as if letting go of this situation cleared away the distractions and sharpened my vision. The decision to stop pining for him and create solely because I need to, instead of in preparation for a future too far away to see, gave me a sense of purpose I didn’t have before. I still have the Dream, it’s just put away for now. I imagine I’ll take it out from time to time, when it helps more than it hurts.

I picked up Foxglove again before I left, and made some breakthroughs that I think will really open the story up and take it into unexpected avenues. The process I’m experimenting with is working beautifully so far; I printed out what I had of the manuscript (about 100 pages), sat down with it and cut up everything into scenes, did notecards for each, and took notes on where the story was pointing, and where I wanted it to go. I’ve got some subplots in development, and my Sentence finally seemed to come together in a way that it hadn’t before. So it’s going extremely well. I can’t wait to get back to work on it!

Right now I’m reading Whose Body by Dorothy L. Sayers for The Classics Circuit: The Golden Age of Detective Fiction on Tour, and still working at The Iliad. There’s something pleasant about reading it, even if it’s not exactly a book I’d choose to snuggle up with.

Anyway, I’m trying to get back to it. I’ve been thinking about how I spend my time and what I want to spend it on. Creatively, I’m a writer, will always be a writer, but when I spend too much time on writing-related etcetera, my whole creative life suffers. I need time to work with my hands, to work with tangible things instead of just ideas, and I need time to just think. I feel like the content of this blog is focused on such a narrow part of my life, and full of too many lengthy book reviews; I never meant for this blog to become a book review blog, but at the same time, I do want it to be about books and writing.

I dunno. Sometimes I think about posting about everything I’m doing, making it more personal. I know that I don’t want Badgerish.Net to be a “writing tips” blog, for a few reasons. One, I have pitifully few finished manuscripts, so I don’t feel confident giving writing advice; two, I have this funny idea that it’s counter-intuitive for a writer of fiction to build an audience of other writers looking for writing help. I want to get to know other readers, because that’s who I’m interested in, honestly.

Which leads me to wonder, what do readers like to read on an author blog? For myself, I know I don’t like to read negative, angry political talk or diatribes. What I do like to read is harder to say, because the truth is, I rarely see authors writing about anything other than writing on their blogs. This is helpful to me as a writer, but I wonder how well they’re serving the readers of their fiction. On my current favorite blog, The World According to Maggie, Maggie Stiefvater talks not only about her books, but posts playlists she listened to while writing, pictures of herself with her bagpipes, photos from her travels, and what’s generally going on in her life. She doesn’t post much “writing advice” only of interest to other writers; she writes about things that her readers want to know.

Enough rambling. I’m back now, and trying to catch up on stuff. I’ve been working on Story A Day May, and even though I haven’t written a short story every single day (not by a long shot), I’ve written a few, which is a few more than I’ve written in the past three or so years. Maybe longer. I still don’t love writing short stories, but I think the element of instant gratification is good for the soul.

“King Arthur is one of the greatest legends of all time. From the magical moment when Arthur releases the sword in the stone to the quest for the Holy Grail and the final tragedy of the Last Battle, Roger Lancelyn Green brings the enchanting world of King Arthur stunningly to life. One of the greatest legends of all time, with an inspiring introduction by David Almond, award-winning author of “Clay”, “Skellig”, “Kit’s Wilderness”, and “The Fire-Eaters”.

Roger Lancelyn Green was a lesser-known member of the Inklings, and I’m looking forward to getting an introductory overview of the King Arthur tales with this children’s classic.

Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones.

“Aidan Cain has had the worst week of his life. His gran died, he was sent to a foster home, and now malicious beings are stalking him. There is one person Gran told Aidan to go to if he ever got into trouble—a powerful sorcerer who lives at Melstone House.

But when Aidan arrives on the doorstep, he finds that the sorcerer’s grandson, Andrew, has inherited the house. The good news is that Aidan can tell immediately that Andrew’s brimming with magic, too—and so is everyone else at Melstone. The bad news is that Andrew doesn’t remember anything his grandfather taught him. Chaos is swiftly rising, and he has no idea how to control it. A sinister neighbor is stealing power from the land, magic is leaking between realms . . . and it’s only a matter of time before the Stalkers find Aidan.

If Aidan and Andrew can harness their own magics, they may be able to help each other. But can they do it before the entire countryside comes apart at the seams?”

The Sword (Chiveis Trilogy) by Bryan M. Litfin.

“This novel of page-turning action and adventure poses the question, ‘If a society had no knowledge of Christianity, and then a Bible were discovered, what would happen?’

Four hundred years after a deadly virus and nuclear war destroyed the modern world, a new and noble civilization emerges. In this kingdom, called Chiveis, snowcapped mountains provide protection, and fields and livestock provide food. The people live medieval-style lives, with almost no knowledge of the ‘ancient’ world. Safe in their natural stronghold, the Chiveisi have everything they need, even their own religion. Christianity has been forgotten—until a young army scout comes across a strange book.

With that discovery, this work of speculative fiction takes readers on a journey that encompasses adventure, romance, and the revelation of the one true God. Through compelling narrative and powerful character development, The Sword speaks to God’s goodness, his refusal to tolerate sin, man’s need to bow before him, and the eternality and power of his Word. Fantasy and adventure readers will be hooked by this first book in a forthcoming trilogy.”

This is an ARC sent to me by Crossway Books for review.

What I’m Watching:

Spock smooching and swinging from trees and stuff! Awesome!

What I’m Writing:
I’m participating in a marathon at Forward Motion, trying to get where I want to be on Foxglove. Forward Motion can be as low key (or not) as you want it to be, so I joined in an effort to connect with other writers at a level of time investment that I can manage right now (which is, granted, not much.)

What I’m Revising:
Getting ready to brush off Dogwood, after some encouragement from a fellow How to Revise Your Novel student.

Around the House:
At this point, the main goal is just to get to bed at a decent hour, get enough sleep, and get writing earlier in the morning. I find I do better when my mind is just a little fuzzy, and it’s encouraging to get a bunch of words written early in the day. Actually, everything else seems to be sort of falling into place around that, which works for me.

Spirituality:
I just have this feeling of an Imminent Something Wonderful. Maybe it’s just Spring, but I don’t think so. . . . I can’t say more at present. We’ll see what happens.

Wishlisted:
The Sapphire Flute (The Wolfchild Saga book 1) by Karen E. Hoover.

(I saw this recommended at Melissa’s Bookshelf.)

“It has been 3,000 years since a white mage has been seen upon Rasann.

In the midst of a volcanic eruption miles outside of her village, Ember discovers she can see magic and change the appearance of things at will. Against her mother’s wishes, she leaves for the mage trials only to be kidnapped before arriving. In trying to escape, she discovers she has inherited her father’s secret – a secret that places her in direct conflict with her father’s greatest enemy.

At the same time, Kayla is given guardianship of the sapphire flute and told not to play it. The evil mage C’Tan has been searching for it for decades and the sound alone is enough to call her. For the flute to be truly safe, Kayla must find its birthplace in the mountains high above Javak. The girls’ paths are set on a collision course…a course that C’Tan is determined to prevent at all costs.”

Corrine, or Italy by Madame de Staël.

“Corrine, or Italy, is both the story of a love affair between Oswald, Lord Nelvil, and a beautiful poetess, and an homage to the landscape, literature and art of Italy. Stael, the subject of recent feminist rediscovery, weaves discreet political allusion into her romance, and upon its publication Napoleon renewed her order of exile. Sylvia Raphel’s new translation preserves the natural character of the French original, while the notes and introduction place this extraordinary work of European Romanticism in its historical and political context.”

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer.
I am honestly not sure I want to read this, but I admit it sounds a bit interesting. Maybe Meyer will decide to get real about vampires? I hated the way she gave Bella a free pass to vampire super-powers without any suffering or temptation. I’m just curious, I guess.

“Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.”

Making a Literary Life: Advice for Writers and Other Dreamers by Carolyn See.

“As Carolyn See says, writing guides are like preachers on Sunday—there may be a lot of them, but you can’t have too many, and there’s always an audience of the faithful. And while Making a Literary Life is ostensibly a book that teaches you how to write, it really teaches you how to make your interior life into your exterior life, how to find and join that community of like-minded souls you’re sure is out there somewhere.

Carolyn See distills a lifetime of experience as novelist, memoirist, critic, and creative-writing professor into this marvelously engaging how-to book. Partly the nuts and bolts of writing (plot, point of view, character, voice) and partly an inspirational guide to living the life you dream of, Making a Literary Life takes you from the decision to ‘become’ a writer to three months after the publication of your first book. A combination of writing and life strategies (do not tell everyone around you how you yearn to be a writer; send a ‘charming note’ to someone you admire in the industry five days a week, every week, for the rest of your life; find the perfect characters right in front of you), Making a Literary Life is for people not usually considered part of the literary loop: the non–East Coasters, the secret scribblers.

With sagacity, a magical sense of humor, and an abiding belief in the possibilities offered to ‘ordinary’ people living ‘ordinary’ lives, Carolyn See has summed up her life’s work in a book so beguiling, irreverent, and giddily inspiring that you won’t even realize it’s changing your life until it already has.”

Word Painting: A Guide to Writing More Descriptively by Rebecca McClanahan.

“In Word Painting, Rebecca McClanahan guides readers through an intriguing examination of description in its many forms. Through her thoughtful instruction and engaging exercises, readers will learn to tap into their senses, develop their powers of observation, and uncover the rich evocative words that accurately portray the images in their mindis eye. She includes dozens of descriptive passages written by master poets and authors to help readers develop their own descriptive writing style, and she also teaches how to weave writing together using description as a unifying thread.”

The Fire in Fiction: Passion, Purpose and Techniques to Make Your Novel Great by Donald Maass.

“How do widely published authors keep their stories burning hot? Learn how to supercharge every story with deep conviction and, conversely, turn fiery passion into effective story. The Fire in the Fiction shows you not only how to write compelling stories filled with interesting settings and vivid characters, but how to do it over and over again. With examples drawn from current novels, this inspiring guide shows you how to infuse your writing with life.”

What I’m Watching:
YouTube videos of medieval musical instruments like this . . .

What I’m Reading:
Le Rêve (The Dream) by Émile Zola.

“A love idyll between a poor embroideress and the son of a wealthy aristocratic family set against the background of a town in Northern France.”

I’m reading this for the Émile Zola Classics Circuit Tour. I chose it because it sounded most like the one I’d like, and it’s set in Picardy, where a novel of mine is set (though mine is in a much earlier era).

What I’m Writing:
I’ve been reading a lot lately and so the writing has stopped temporarily, but oddly enough, I’ve started work on Cinquefoil again. Just jotting down notes and scenes, fully intended to put it down when I lose steam. Foxglove is still my main WiP, and no, I didn’t run into into trouble or run out of ideas. I’ve just been missing the main character of Cinquefoil and want to spend some time with him. I think maybe it’s ready, so I’m tentatively giving it the opportunity to blossom. I’m writing about the hero’s childhood, which everyone says you shouldn’t do, but as long as I’ve been working on this, my Muse has been nudging me, whispering in my ear about his fascinating life, so I’m just letting myself go all out. I can always ditch it later.

What I’m Revising:
Nothing right now, haha. Poor Dogwood!

Around the House:
It’s been snowing, believe it or not! Snowing off and on for three or four days now, I think. I’m just trying to stay warm. Today was pretty sunny, though.

Cooking:
I made the famous Cereal Potatoes on Sunday for Easter Brunch with friends. Not totally thrilled with how it turned out, but it was okay.

Spirituality:
I’m just trying to trust God and not make such a stressful event out of evening prayers. That’s all for right now.

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken.
“When Wayland North brings rain to a region that’s been dry for over ten years, he’s promised anything he’d like as a reward. He chooses the village elder’s daughter, sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabel, who is a skilled weaver and has an unusual knack for repairing his magical cloaks. Though Sydelle has dreamt of escaping her home, she’s hurt that her parents relinquish her so freely and finds herself awed and afraid of the slightly ragtag wizard who is unlike any of the men of magic in the tales she’s heard. Still, she is drawn to this mysterious man who is fiercely protective of her and so reluctant to share his own past.

The pair rushes toward the capital, intent to stop an imminent war, pursued by Reuel Dorwan (a dark wizard who has taken a keen interest in Sydelle) and plagued by unusually wild weather. But the sudden earthquakes and freak snowstorms may not be a coincidence. As Sydelle discovers North’s dark secret and the reason for his interest in her and learns to master her own mysterious power, it becomes increasingly clear that the fate of the kingdom rests in her fingertips. She will either be a savior, weaving together the frayed bonds between Saldorra and Auster, or the disastrous force that destroys both kingdoms forever.”

The Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor.
“When the ancient evil of the Blackbringer rises to unmake the world, only one determined faerie stands in its way. However, Magpie Windwitch, granddaughter of the West Wind, is not like other faeries. While her kind live in seclusion deep in the forests of Dreamdark, she’s devoted her life to tracking down and recapturing devils escaped from their ancient bottles, just as her hero, the legendary Bellatrix, did 25,000 years ago. With her faithful gang of crows, she travels the world fighting where others would choose to flee. But when a devil escapes from a bottle sealed by the ancient Djinn King himself—the creator of the world—she may be in over her head. How can a single faerie, even with the help of her friends, hope to defeat the impenetrable darkness of the Blackbringer?

At a time when fantasy readers have an embarrassment of riches in choosing new worlds to fall in love with, this first novel by a fresh, original voice is sure to stand out.”

The Twelve Kingdoms vol. 1: Sea of Shadow by Fuyumi Ono.
English translation from the Japanese novel. “For high-schooler Yoko Nakajima, life has been fairly ordinary–that is until Keiki, a young man with golden hair, tells Yoko they must return to their kingdom. Once confronted by this mysterious being and whisked away to an unearthly realm, Yoko is left with only a magical sword; a gem; and a million questions about her destiny, the world she’s trapped in, and the world she desperately wants to return to.”

Hopkins: Poems (Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets) by Gerard Manley Hopkins.
“Gerard Manley Hopkins is one of English poetry’s most brilliant stylistic innovators, and one of the most distinguished poets of any age. However, during his lifetime he was known not as a poet but as a Jesuit priest, and his faith was essential to his work. His writings combine an intense feeling for nature with an ecstatic awareness of its divine origins, most remarkably expressed in his magnificent and highly original ‘sprung rhythm.’

This collection contains not only all of Hopkins’ significant poetry, but also selections from his journals, sermons, and letters, all chosen for their spiritual guidance and insight. Hopkins didn’t allow the publication of most of his poems during his lifetime, so his genius was not appreciated until after his death. Now, more than a hundred years later, his words are still a source of inspiration and sheer infectious joy in the radiance of God’s creation.”

Learn Calligraphy by Margaret Shepherd.
“In an age of myriad computer fonts and instant communication, your handwriting style is increasingly a very personal creation. In this book, Margaret Shepherd, America’s premier calligrapher, shows you that calligraphy is not simply a craft you can learn, but an elegant art form that you can make your own.

Calligraphy remains perennially popular, often adorning wedding invitations, diplomas, and commercial signs. Whether it is Roman, Gothic, Celtic, Bookhand, or Italic style, calligraphy conveys class and elegance. Margaret Shepherd makes this ancient art form accessible in a completely hand-lettered technical guide that will:

* Provide context for calligraphy as an art, exploring the rich tradition of hand-lettering and mapping the evolution of the most popular styles.

* Give detailed technical advice on choosing pens, paper, and inks, setting up your workspace, mastering various pen angles, along with step-by-step illustrations to guide you as you practice.

* Explain which alphabets are appropriate for different forms of writing. For example, the Roman alphabet works well for short, unpunctuated passages, while the Italic alphabet is more suited to informal everyday communication.

* Encourage you to personalize your lettering by using variant strokes and interpreting how you would like the words to look on the page.

* Inspire you with carefully chosen illustrations and examples, which bring letters to life.

In Margaret Shepherd’s own words, ‘Calligraphy trains not only your eye and hand, but your mind as well.’ Learn Calligraphy is the authoritative primer for this age-old craft, and will help develop a new appreciation for lettering as you discover your creative personality.”

What I’m Reading:

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken.
Starting this one today, and I’m looking forward to it!

What I’m Writing:
I’ve got over 13,000 words on Foxglove at this point, with no sign of slowing down yet. That time will come, but for now the story is moving along swimmingly. I don’t know if it’s because the setting is pretty vivid in my mind, but so far I’m not flailing like I did with Dogwood. (Which is sort of odd since Dogwood takes place in my real home county.)

Around the House:
The wind here is ridiculous, and is making me go berserk. Usually it’s quieted down by now, but it keeps rattling the railings on my deck and moving outdoor furniture around until I want to flip out. My strategy for now is to not be home.

The publication of Leslie S. Klinger’s brilliant new annotations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 56 short stories in 2004 created a Holmes sensation. Here, in this eagerly awaited third volume, Klinger reassembles Doyle’s four seminal novels in their original order, with over 1,000 new notes, 350 illustrations and period photographs, and tantalizing new Sherlockian theories. Inside, readers will find:

* A Study in Scarlet (1887)—a tale of murder and revenge that tells of Holmes and Dr. Watson’s first meeting;
* The Sign of Four (1889)—a cinematic tale of lost treasure;
* The Hound of the Baskervilles (1901)—hailed as the greatest mystery novel of all time; and
* The Valley of Fear (1914)—a fresh murder scene that leads Holmes to solve a long-forgotten mystery.

Whether as a stand-alone volume or as a companion to the boxed short stories, this classic work illuminates the timeless genius of Conan Doyle for an entirely new generation. Slipcased hardcover; two-color text; 300 illustrations.”

How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler.
“How to Read a Book, originally published in 1940, has become a rare phenomenon, a living classic. It is the best and most successful guide to reading comprehension for the general reader. And now it has been completely rewritten and updated.

You are told about the various levels of reading and how to achieve them — from elementary reading, through systematic skimming and inspectional reading, to speed reading, you learn how to pigeonhole a book, X-ray it, extract the author’s message, criticize. You are taught the different reading techniques for reading practical books, imaginative literature, plays, poetry, history, science and mathematics, philosophy and social science.

Finally, the authors offer a recommended reading list and supply reading tests whereby you can measure your own progress in reading skills, comprehension and speed.”

The Concise Guide to Self-Sufficiency by John Seymour.
“Teaching all the skills needed to live independently in harmony with the land, from harnessing natural forms of energy and raising crops to keeping livestock and preserving foodstuffs, this new format of John Seymour’s classic is still the most practical guide for realists and dreamers alike.”

What I’m Watching:
The Super Red Robot Baron
“The Super Robot Red Baron is an actionpacked series produced by the same creative team responsible for Ultraman and Iron King, featuring wall-to-wall action, colorful miniature effects, imaginative production design and endless city-stomping excitement. Every one of the 39 episodes delivers the massive spectacle of clashing colossi reminiscent of Godzilla and other Tokusatsu series of the era.”

Funky music. A bell-bottomed sentai team. Giant robots with flying detachable punches. A police detective who can fly on his bicycle with an umbrella like Mary Poppins. This show is awesome.

What I’m Reading:
Auralia’s Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet.
“When thieves find an abandoned child lying in a monster’s footprint, they have no idea that their wilderness discovery will change the course of history.

Cloaked in mystery, Auralia grows up among criminals outside the walls of House Abascar, where vicious beastmen lurk in shadow. There, she discovers an unsettling–and forbidden–talent for crafting colors that enchant all who behold them, including Abascar’s hard-hearted king, an exiled wizard, and a prince who keeps dangerous secrets.

Auralia’s gift opens doors from the palace to the dungeons, setting the stage for violent and miraculous change in the great houses of the Expanse.

Auralia’s Colors weaves literary fantasy together with poetic prose, a suspenseful plot, adrenaline-rush action, and unpredictable characters sure to enthrall ambitious imaginations.”

What I’m Writing:
I’m excited about my progress with Foxglove! I’m getting new ideas every day, new characters are exploding onto the scene with surprising charisma, and the words are coming easily. I’m sticking to a goal of about 1,000 words per day, since I find that if I do about half of what I think I’m capable of, I have a much easier time keeping the words flowing day after day.

I also have an idea for a short story, but I’m not sure how it will fly. The setting is a bit different than anything else I’ve seen.

Around the House:
I’ve been playing catch-up on the housework after having a cold. I think it may finally be back to normal, more or less.

Cooking:
I’ve been learning to soak grains and flour. Also, tonight is another omelette night in the saga of cooking through Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Spirituality:
I’ve been getting to bed late recently, and barely managing to read a Psalm before conking out. I really need to get my sleep patterns back under control.

I’ve been working on Foxglove and I’ve got about 7,813 words on it so far. Some of those words were scenes from an older file I managed to locate. I love the characters and the setting is a dream to work in compared to Dogwood, which has a setting that’s still sketchy at best. Writing the story is so much easier for me when the setting has a clear shape.

Right now I’m reading Auralia’s Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet and so far it’s great. I also got a few books for my birthday, I’ll be writing more about those in my Monday Reflections post.

Coming up soon at Badgerish.Net are a couple of reviews I forgot to post, one for Incarceron by Catherine Fisher (Sapphique is coming out in December! Yes!), and one for The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Also, I’m going to be reading soon for two reviews I’m writing for the Classics Circuit: Le Rêve by Emile Zola and Companions de Jehu by Alexandre Dumas. (For something like this, with a lot of participants reading one author, I like to go obscure.)

The blog should be back in full swing now. I don’t know why, but for some reason, even if I’m in the habit of posting every day, and I enjoy it, it can be hard to come back after a hiatus.

And then Finn finds a crystal key that allows him to communicate with a girl named Claudia. She claims to live Outside—she is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and doomed to an arranged marriage. Finn is determined to escape the prison and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don’t realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye, and escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know. Because Incarceron is alive.”

The Fireside Cook Book by James Beard.
(Warning: this cookbook was first printed in 1949; if you’re afraid of actual food like butter and lard, don’t bother.)

“The Fireside Cook Book is designed for people who are not content to regard food just as something one transfers periodically from plate to mouth. It is for those who recognize that a simple family meal (as well as a dress-up dinner party) can be a pleasure and a special event.

The wide variety of I-can’t-wait-to-try-it dishes in the book are presented according to a new and different theory. You will find here no attempt to overwhelm the cook with all the recipes ever concocted. Instead, you will find clear, easy-to-follow instructions for the basic preparation of every food, followed in each case by fascinating variations. The basic recipes and variations add up to 1,217 tested dishes — simple enough for the novice, delicious enough for the most meticulous master chef, complete enough for the most imaginative menus without a repetition.

A detailed chapter is devoted to the art of outdoor cookery, another to the preparation of hors d’oeuvres, cocktail snacks, and supper snacks. There is an entire section of suggested menus subdivided into cold weather meals and summer doldrum hints. There is also a complete section on wines and liquors.

The 36 full-color pictures and the nearly 400 other color pictures are themselves full of helpful invention. Handsome double-page spreads employ visual-aid methods to give practical details about, and special uses of, cuts of meat, varieties of wine, and types of fish.

Here, in short, is a book that is an indispensable addition to every American home in which good food is appreciated. It is a book to use constantly, to pore over with delight, and give to all friends from whom you can reasonably expect a future dinner invitation.”

Wishlisted:
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater.
“In Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love — the light and the dark, the warm and the cold — in a way you will never forget.”

Permaculture: A Designer’s Manual by Bill Mollison and Rena Mia Slay.
(From a review at Amazon:) “This is the definitive Permaculture design manual in print since 1988. It is the text book and curriculum for the 72-hour Certificate course in Permaculture Design. Written for teachers, students and designers, it follows on and greatly enlarges on the initial introductory texts, Permaculture One (1978) and Permaculture Two (1979) both of which are still in demand over twenty years after publication. Very little of the material found in this book is reproduced from the former texts. It covers design methodologies and strategies for both urban and rural applications describing property design and natural farming techniques.”

The Contrary Farmer by Gene Logsdon.
“Gene Logsdon has become something of a rabble-rouser in progressive farm circles, stirring up debates and controversies with his popular New Farm magazine column, The Contrary Farmer. One of Logsdon’s principle contrarieties is the opinion that—popular images of the vanishing American farmer, notwithstanding—greater numbers of people in the U.S. will soon be growing and raising a greater share of their own food than at any time since the last century. Instead of vanishing, more and more farmers will be cottage farming, part-time.

This detailed and personal account of how Logsdon’s family uses the art and science of agriculture to achieve a reasonably happy and ecologically sane way of life in an example for all who seek a sustainable lifestyle. In The Contrary Farmer, Logsdon offers the tried-and-true, practical advice of a manual for the cottage farmer, as well as the subtler delights of a meditation in praise of work and pleasure. The Contrary Farmer will give its readers tools and tenets, but also hilarious commentaries and beautiful evocations of the Ohio countryside that Logsdon knows as his place in the universe.”

What I’m Watching:
All In a Night’s Work starring Dean Martin and Shirley MacLaine.
“After the sudden death of magazine publisher Colonel Ryder, his nephew, Tony (Martin) inherits the magazine and has big plans to expand it. While negotiating a loan from the bank, Tony gets a call from a detective surrounding his uncle’s death. It turns out Colonel Ryder died in his hotel room with a smile on his face and a young woman (MacLaine) was seen fleeing his room wearing only a towel. Suspicious of this woman and afraid the magazine’s wholesome image may be tarnished and their loan denied, Tony asks the detective to stick around and find her. What ensues is a series of misunderstandings.”

Shirley MacLaine is such a cutie in this, and knowing she had a real-life crush on Dean Martin makes this film even more adorable. As a Dean Martin fan, this is one of my favorite films of his; I like him as a romantic lead better than as Sinatra’s sidekick (I have this feeling that in real life, it was the other way around.)

What I’m Reading:
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher.
I’m only a few chapters in and not sure what to make of it. At first I thought the female protagonist was going to be one of those “I’m living in a patriarchal pre-modern society but I’m not a priss so there!” sorts of characters that I am oh-so-sick of, but she may turn out to be more complicated than that. The setting is unusual and the story is intense so far.

What I’m Writing:
As usual, as soon as I started working on Foxglove, I started getting ideas for Evening Primrose (aka Amaranth; I’m not sure I should have changed the working title.) The main character’s personality is dramatically different now, which is a good thing as she was pretty dull before. I’m getting back to Foxglove now though. Mostly I’ve been sorting through old notes for my setting, Searoyal, getting them ready to go into VoodooPad.

What I’m Revising: Still working through Dogwood, but I haven’t picked it up in a bit. I’m starting to feel less intimidated by it, so I’ll tackle it again soon.

Around the House:
On Valentine’s Day, my dad gave me a beautiful miniature rosebush. I’ve transferred it into a pot, and it seems to be doing all right.

I also got a bunch of herb seeds in the mail, and I’m waiting for a few more: spearmint, catnip, California Poppy, Hungarian Breadseed Poppy (a culinary poppy), chervil, garlic chives, Purple Opal Basil, and others. The plan is to set out a small greenhouse on my deck to keep the ground squirrels and deer away.

Cooking:
Heading over to a friend’s for potluck dinner and hanging out tonight, and I’m making Cheese and Broccoli soup. Other than that, haven’t been cooking much.

Spirituality:
I’m trying to enjoy being at home more. I need to not spend every second busy and wrapped up in activity in an effort to keep the loneliness away.