Forgotten Lyrics: A Watersong Story by Amanda Hocking

What's better than a free book?  Not much, in my opinion.  But when you WIN a contest on an author's Facebook page and she gifts you the ebook of your choice....that's pretty cool.  That's how I came to read this book, in fact.  Side note/piece of free advice: if you aren't actively following your favorite author/authors on Facebook, I encourage you to do so.  Not only will you connect with other readers and gain some insight into your favorite author, you may also win something! 

Our loyal blog followers (Hi Mom!) will remember that I am an Amanda Hocking fan.  I've done other reviews of her books here and here.  In short, I like her work so I was not surprised that I liked this one too.  The difference between this one and the other Hocking books I have read is that is a novella.  Translation:  quick, easy read to make me feel better about having a stack of 8-10 books next to my bed in my "To Be Read" pile.  Need to feel accomplished?  Read a novella.

In this version, Daniel and John, two brothers are the unfortunate victims of a boating accident.  It's a bad one, too.  Enter Aggie, a siren with magical powers who breaks all sorts of siren rules (there are lots of those in their species, apparently) trying to save Daniel.  She risks being seen and brings a near-death Daniel to Delia, a secret a healer with special powers.  It is there that Daniel begins to heal and then continues his journey with Lydia, Delia's granddaughter.  Lydia is convinced she is the wrong person for the job, but does it anyway.  Besides, her grandmother said so, right?  Throughout the healing process, Daniel struggles with the details surrounding the accident and rescue.  Lydia and Daniel navigate the ordeal together and form what is a touching and possibly long-lasting relationship. And oh, I forgot to mention that this is part of the whole Watersong series by Hocking that is wildly popular.

Like I said, I am an Amanda Hocking fan.  I like her stuff, so I read it.  You know what else? I also have realistic expectations.   But there is a whole faction of her fans that is upset with this novella and have crucified her for even putting it out.  They complained it was too short (it's a novella, people!).  They complained that the boat accident scene was too long.  They wanted more character development.  And last but not least, they wanted more of the story to focus on Aggie.  Attention unrealistic readers: This isn't going to win the Pulitzer Prize.  It currently costs $1.99 on Kindle and nook.  And it's only 60 pages, for pete's sake!  Take it for what it is and get on with your life.

For me, it was entertaining and a nice (short) break from some of the heavier reads I have been trying to get through. You can definitely read it as a stand-alone or in conjunction with the entire series.  Either way, I recommend it.  And please, go easy on your favorite author. 

One Con Glory by Sarah Kuhn

Ahh, February in the Midwest.
So much fun, so much romance . . . or not.

I actually find February, despite it's brevity and it's major peppy holiday, fairly depressing here in Illinois.  More often than not the skies are grey.  The windy is biting, and the temperatures are hostile.  February is a reminder that winter is still here and kicking around.

Yadier Molina understands
the excitement of spring training

February has two bright spots.
First, pitchers and catchers report to spring training .
(Hallelujah.)
Second, February is followed by March which contains Spring Break.
(All educators hail Spring Break.)

So February's main appeal is its harbingers of greater, warmer, more entertaining things.  And that, the appreciation of imminent, warmer, more entertaining things is the main motivation most of us have for reading romance novels.  The first 80% of the book is February and the last 20% is Spring Break or baseball season or, less figuratively, happily ever after.

So in the spirit of February bringing you a better future, I bring you a fun, snarky nerdy romance called One Con Glory by Sarah Kuhn.

One Con Glory is the story of Julie, a journalist who writes about comic conventions and other science fiction, nerd-type conventions, and her quest for a lost action figure.  In the process, she begrudgingly interviews the star of the remake of her favorite, short-lived sci-fi show. (Her missing action figure comes from the original version of that show.) He's a pretty boy who claims to be a nerd--just like his fans. Julie assumes that claim is nothing more than a publicity ploy meant to endear him to the show's fans, but when she meets him there's just something about him.  He has opinions that aren't boilerplate PR sound bites, and they're surprisingly similar to Julie's.

But Julie has focus and some serious defense mechanisms.  In order to get to her version of Spring Break or happily ever after, Julie has some soul-searching to do.  And, perhaps, a few public displays of emotion which are SO not Julie's thing.

Glory Gilmore,
said missing action figure

One Con Glory is, in a phrase, a nerdy beach read. I loved it, and if you're looking for something contemporary and sweet (but not cloying), I recommend One Con Glory.  As someone who loves Doctor Who and reads quite a bit of sci-fi and urban fantasy, it was great to see the story set in that world.  If you're not overly aware of the world of comic conventions, I'm pretty sure the details that go over your head won't detract from the story.  On the other hand, if you like your romances heavy on the feeling and light on the adult language and heavy on the "we don't do that before we're married", this might be a bit too casual, snarky and f-bomby for you.

The book is $2.99 on Kindle and nook right now.

Saying Good-bye to Stan Musial

(This post was originally run on February 9, 2012. In light of yesterday's public visitation and tomorrow's private funeral. We're running it again.)

Wanna hear something awesome?

Pitchers and catchers report on February 18.*

I know.  It makes you giggle, doesn't it?**  I don't care if that groundhog tangoed with his shadow, Spring Training is around the corner, and THAT means spring is on the way.***

*For the St. Louis Cardinals, that is.  Not every team starts on the same day.  Check out the schedules here.

**Actually, based on the number of you that commented on the last post that sports = guy stuff, you may not be giggling.  You may not even care. It's okay.  I still love you.  I may not understand you, but we can still be friends.

***Yes, yes, winter hasn't really been that bad.  I don't care.  I'm ready for spring and Spring Training.

My precious . . . I mean, the Commissioner's Trophy

Look at the shiny, pretty, precious trophy.  It's actually coming to a cell phone store near me!! For realz!!!  I, I, um. . . actually, maybe my exclamation points and I should have a moment to ourselves.

(deep breath)

Where was I?  Right. Spring Training is right around the corner, and while my baseball team won't look exactly like it did this time last year****, that's okay because a new season is a fresh start.   During Spring Training, the post-season is still every team's dream.  Every pitcher still has a chance for a shut-out; every catcher has a chance to throw out that sneaky baserunner. Every batter has a chance to hit like The Man, Stan Musial (career .331 batting average, 475 HR, 1951 RBI.)

****No. We're not going to talk about that here.  We're going to talk about the real Man.

Stan is known for his stance.

Stan Musial is arguably the best player to ever wear a Cardinal uniform.  He is arguably one of the best players to wear any baseball uniform, frequently spoken of as part of the Big Three (Musial, DiMaggio, and Williams).  In Stan Musial: An American Life, George Vecsey argues those cases well. For Stan Musial, the usual Spring Training dreams of position players--hitting well, winning pennants, and being chosen as an All-Star--were a reality for most of 22 seasons.  In addition to being amazing on the diamond, Stan is generally referred to gentleman off the diamond and a savvy businessman.  Would that all professional athletes had his commitment to his wife, his soft touch with fans, and his foresight to earn money in non-athletic pursuits.  We'd have a lot more role models in professional sports if they did.

In fact, Stan Musial: An American Life almost seems too good to be true.  The stories told, though, are consistent with what was said about Stan when he was an active player and when he was an active businessman.  The only real complaints to be found about Stan seem to be that he wasn't omnipotent.  If his teammates were looking for a political leader who would use his weight to address the social inequalities of his time, they were looking in the wrong place.  Stan wasn't the kind of teammate to chase confrontation.  If his hometown was looking for someone to save a small town in the Rust Belt, they were looking in the wrong place.  Stan was known to be generous on an individual basis, but he never formed a foundation that makes major donations for hospital wings and children's libraries.

So it seems that Stan wasn't perfect, but as man he was very, very good, and as a player he was great.  I'll take that, and I'll take George Vecsey's collection of Stanley anecdotes to carry me over until the baseball season really begins.  I liked this glimpse into the history of baseball (Musial's career spanned racial integration and union formation) and the history Stan (his upbringing, his playing days, and his relationships).

For a St. Louis Cardinals fan, this is a must read.  For a true fan of baseball, this is a must read. For all of us, it's a great lesson of a life of meaning and value.