June 06, 2008
Fair Warning
My host is updating to MTOS 4 this weekend, so I am apologizing ahead for any blog breakage. I swear it ain't my fault. I'll fix it a soon as I can, should it happen. Please do let me know if you find any breakage. Thanks.
May 20, 2008
Author Links
Looking for something new to read? Try one of these good folks:
Fantasy Authors of Note
Forgotten Realms
Mystery Authors of Note
Nonfiction Authors of Note
Other Authors of Note
Book Publishers
Comic Publishers
May 16, 2008
Proof that Technorati is worthless
I was checking on my blog stats today. I am listed on Technorati and use W3 counter to see how many folks are visiting this blog. In the past week or so, my readership has jumped up, even to the point where I had over 300 unique visitors in one day - a record for me.
At the same time my Technorati search ranking has dropped! Now I know this is not entirely a fair comparison, as the way the two things track is very different, one based only on linkage and the other on all visits from anywhere. But I find it ironic that Technorati is slowly lowering me in the rankings as more and more people come by to visit.
All I can say is, thanks to those people coming to visit, and poo-poo on Technorati for being utterly useless in understanding how popular your blog is. And even then, only popular with other blogs listed on Technorati.
Makes me wonder if there are any ranking sites out there that I could submit to that might actually help me understand my linkage popularity, without being limited to those people who are on their system, Google Search notwithstanding?
May 15, 2008
MT 4! MT 4!
Just found out from my host provider that we will be upgrading from clunky MT 2.6 to MT 4 on June 6th! My site may be down for a day or so on that weekend.
But the beauty of it is, I will have all kinds of new features to help make reading this blog easier, including comment subscriptions when it comes back up! Woohoo!
May 09, 2008
LinkedIn - Oops, Sorry
Some of you may have received and invitation from me to join LinkedIn. I was attempting to integrate my gmail account into my profile and get some of my business contacts from there to be LinkedIn with me. Something went wrong however, so many of you received an invitation to join even though you are not already on there at the moment. It was NOT my intent to invite you, although I don't mind it if you do want to connect of course.
I always try to be intentional about that kind of thing, and NEVER send out blanket requests to everybody on my email list. I find that offensive when people do that, so I would NEVER choose to do so on purpose.
I apologize to any authors, publishers, or commenters on this blog that mistakenly received an invitation. I am very sorry for my mistake.
May 08, 2008
Links
Essential Fantasy Reviewers
Book Bloggers
Forums
Looking for something new to read? Try one of these good folks:
Fantasy Authors of Note
Forgotten Realms
Mystery Authors of Note
Nonfiction Authors of Note
Other Authors of Note
Book Publishers
Comic Publishers
Friends who Blog
March 20, 2008
Blog Temporarily Suspended
I'm headed out of the country tomorrow to take a bunch of teenagers to Germany to learn about art history, so this blog will be on a ten day hiatus. I'll be back in April with lots more stuff. I'll tell you all about the trip when I get back, and will have lots of pictures to share!
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March 13, 2008
Robin Hobb on Author Blogging
Robin Hobb, whose books we all know and love, wrote this essay/story about authors who blog.
I'm with her mostly. I do think that writers should be measured and careful should they chose to begin blogging.
Although I enjoy the blog posts of many of my favorite authors like Jim C. Hines, Bruce Cordell, Paul S. Kemp, Tobias Buckell, GRRM, Joe Abercrombie, and others, I would much rather have more books out of them than blog posts. Yet I look for there thoughts in my RSS reader everyday, and enjoy them.
If they can do both, as a fan, I'm grateful. But should they choose to agree with Hobb, than I support that. I would rather they use their energies on their writing and raising their families than in pleasing me.
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February 18, 2008
New SF/Fantasy Review Blog: Jumpdrives and Cantrips
Just came across a new fantasy/scifi review blog folks might want to check out. Jumpdrives and Cantrips is very young, having only begun this year. Beyond that, the author wants to be a catch-all reviewer, not focusing on one subgenre of speculative fiction more than most. It's an admirable goal, I look forward to seeing how the writer does.
Since she was kind enough to link to me in her list of recommended reviewers, I thought I might do her a favor and showcase her here. Do me a favor and visit her here.
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February 08, 2008
Which Discworld Character Are You?
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Which Discworld Character are you like (with pics) created with QuizFarm.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| You scored as Lord Havelock Vetinari You are Lord Vetinari! Supreme ruler of Ankh-Morpork! Cool, calculated, and always in control. You graduated from the assassins guild, but failed a course on stealth and camouflage, because the professor never saw you there (even though you attended every class). You always seem to know what everyone is thinking, and after a conversation with you, people feel that they have just escaped certain death.
|
January 31, 2008
Grasping for the Wind has Gone Mobile!
Thanks to my friend at Provocative Church, I now have a mobile feed ready for you to subscribe to. No more waiting to see Grasping for the Wind on your computer at home, you can now see it on any cell phone, Blackberry, or iPhone able to read a feed.
Click here to get the mobile feed for Grasping for the Wind. Place this url in your mobile browser and you get a simple, stripped down version of this blog.
The original instructions are at Google Tutor. So if you use Google Reader, this would be a cinch for you to set up.
January 04, 2008
I've been nominated. Twice!
I've been nominated for the Preditors and Editors Poll review site award. Twice. For some reason my blog is on there twice. Either way, if you enjoy my blog, do me a favor and go place a vote for me. You have until January 15th to vote. Thanks in advance!
The results are posted here.
January 01, 2008
A Year of Reading 2008
This is a continually updated list of all the books I have read in the year 2008. Links are to reviews I have written for some of these books. You can also look at my list for 2007.
January February March April May June
July August September October November December
January
Series 65: Uniform Investment Adviser Law Exam Manual by Kaplan Financial
The Prodigal Troll by Charles Coleman Finlay
Instant Knowledge by the editors at mental_floss
The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes
In The Beginning by the editors at mental_floss
Eberron: Bound by Iron by Edward Bolme
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Bash Down the Door and Slice Open the Badguy edited by W. H. Horner
Hunter's Run by George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois and Daniel Abraham
A Bit of Madness by Emmanuel Civiello and Thomas Mosdi
Goblin Hero by Jim C. Hines
The Shadow and Night by Chris Walley
Dragon Outcast by E. E. Knight
February
Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams
Breach the Hull edited by Mike McPhail
Confessor by Terry Goodkind
Blood Ties by Pamela Freeman
Sojourn Volume 6: The Bezerker's Tale by Ian Edgington and Greg Land
Forgotten Realms: Neversfall by Ed Gentry
Infoquake by David Louis Edelman
The Golden Cord by Paul Genesse
Grimspace by Ann Aguirre
March
The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells
Madhouse by Rob Thurman
The Dead Guy Interviews by Michael Stusser
The Hidden City by Michelle West
Klassic Koalas: Ancient Aboriginal Tales in New Retellings by Lee Barwood
Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
Growingold with B. C. by Johnny Hart
April
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Small Favor by Jim Butcher
Heroes Adrift by Moira J. Moore
Misspelled edited by Jule E. Czerneda
Flash Fiction Online, April 2008 edited by Jake Freivald
Rolling Thunder by John Varley
Empress by Karen Miller
Phytosphere by Scott Mackay
Goblin War by Jim C. Hines
Return of the Sword edited by Jason M. Waltz
May
Shadowmarch by Tad Williams
Forgotten Realms: Obsidian Ridge by Jess Lebow
Iron Man: Beneath the Armor by Andy Mangels
The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt
Bloodheir by Brian Ruckley
The Martian General's Daughter by Theodore Judson
The Four Forges by Jenna Rhodes
Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
June
A Darkness Forged in Fire by Chris Evans
Wizards edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois
July
August
September
October
November
December
January February March April May June
July August September October November December
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December 20, 2007
How much is GFTW worth?
This can either make you feel really good or really bad. I'm middling, especially since two days ago I went from a Technorati authority of 141 to 124. Dang six month rule!
My blog is worth $70,002.96.
How much is your blog worth?
HT: Fantasy Debut
December 13, 2007
New Feature: Social Networking and Sharing (Your opinion needed)
I finally figured it out. After a lot of sweat and tears, I finally figured out how to add an easy to use social networking and sharing gadget. If you look at the bottom of this post you will see the word "Share" followed by a bunch of little icons. These icons will allow you to add the post you are viewing to delicious, stumbleupon, reddit, magnolia, google bookmarks, digg, spurl, andeven add the blog itself to your technorati favorites. (at the post permalink, you can also add it to facebook) I think it is pretty cool. It was a lot of work to put together, but I think it will be a useful tool for you readers.
I would like your opinion on placement in the post. I have it placed before the posted by and other information about the post, but I feel that it is not quite in the order it should be. Any suggestions on how the post reference elements should be arranged?
December 05, 2007
So apparently this blog is easy to read
Cash Advance Loans
As in, you only need a junior high level of education to understand my book reviews. That's a good thing, it makes for a wider audience, as well as allowing those who must change the language to their native tongue have an easier time of it. Guess I'm doing a-okay.
November 11, 2007
Cory Doctorow on Creative Commons Licenses
Cory Doctorow, science fiction writer and commentator, wrote an article for the November 2007 issue of Locus on creative commons licenses and what they really mean. I use a creative commons license for my work, but I have not always understood all the nuances of it, since the site where they are created doesn't explain it very well. Doctorow gives a history of copyright law, explains the intent of creative commons and describes how the two interact in simple terms.
Any conscientious blogger should take time out to read this article.
October 31, 2007
Are You on Facebook? I'd love to be your friend.
I've recently become a member of the Facebook revolution. If you would like to join me and be my friend, just use the badge below to get to my profile.
October 30, 2007
My Name in mental_floss Magazine
Back in August, mental_floss magazine asked a question on their blog. They were beginning a series on issues affecting the 2008 election, and were planning to begin the series with an article on immigration policy.
Well, I sent in a question.
Surprise, surprise, they used my question (see below or number 24 in the blog post) to create a sidebar in the current issue ("The Golden Lobe Awards" and Einstein's picture grace the cover), detailing immigration policy from 1882 to the present day. I was flabbergasted, and happily surprised!
#24 John Says: August 23rd, 2007 at 6:53 amWhat quota’s still exist for whom we allow to enter legally? I know that in the great wave, only certain numbers of people from certain countries were allowed in. (i.e.) for every 3 Irish, one Russian.) Do ethnic or national quota’s still exist and what are they? Are there other quota’s used now?
This was so cool! And as a special reward, my name appeared on page 8 of volume 6, issue 6 of mental_floss: Where Knowledge Junkies get their fix. The picture below is a scan of the mention.
I may not be an author, but I can ask good questions! It was kind of a neat little thing, I wanted to share this little piece of personal joy with all of you, my faithful readers! And I thank mental_floss for being so kind in printing my name at the top of the list.
Such fun!
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October 26, 2007
Georgia Carnival #21 is up
I'm a blogger from Georgia, USA (for those who didn't know) and am part of the Georgia Carnival. The carnival is a smorgasbord of all kinds of stuff. Think of it as a newspaper written by Georgia Bloggers. This month's carnival is hosted over at Radical Georgia Moderate. He says "What never ceases to amaze me is how many great things are happening in this state that I don’t hear of seemingly until everyone else has heard of them. Luckily for me, people are blogging about many of them."
So enjoy the work of smart Southeasterners!
October 24, 2007
New Feature: Google Reader Shared Items
Rather than go through the hassle of putting together a list of reading items that appear in my Google Reader (i.e. the previous three Cup O'Links posts) I have used the nice feature they have for putting automatic updates on your blog of items you would like to share. Underneath the Recent Comments section in the right hand column, you will find a bubble entitled "Elsewhere on the Web" (javascript is required to see it). It should look like this (except skinnier):
Each time I find something interesting I want to share with you folks, I only have to click a share button in my Google Reader, and it will appear in the bubble. Only five items are shown, but if you click the "Read more" link, you will see all the items I have tagged this way.
This will help me spend less time sharing with you all, and allow me to share more items. You can also see my shared items as a web page or as a feed.
I will still spend time scouring the web for interesting stuff, so not everything will appear here. Cup O'Links will appear less often and will not contain things that appear in "Elsewhere on the Web".
I hope everyone find this useful. If you have any suggestions on placement in the right hand column, I'm happy to hear it. Let me know by leaving a comment below.
October 18, 2007
7 Reasons I Write Book Reviews
Criticism, that fine flower of personal expression in the garden of letters. ~ Joseph Conrad
I felt that with the growing (an appreciated) success of this blog. That it was about time I did a little explaining about why I do what I do. (Doo-doo. See? I can be funny.) There’s a lot to cover so either bear with me, or stop reading now and save yourself the time. (I mean, you could be playing squash right now, and wouldn’t that be better?)
For those of you who have decided to stay, thank you. Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.
Reason #1: I am opinionated.
Really opinionated. And if there is one topic you can get me talking about for hours, it is fantasy fiction. I’ve been reading it since I was very young, and have read a wide range of its authors and subgenres. So what better place to express those opnions than a blog that all the world can see. (This goes hand in hand with my vanity, which is profound. I mean, its pretty vain to think anyone actually cares about your opinion, right?) So hence the blog and the title, Grasping for the Wind keeps me humble every time I see it displayed at the top of every page in this blog.
Reason #2: I got bored.
In my workplace, there can be times of great busyness, and times that are really slow (like the Friday afternoon when I wrote this). There are only so many websites you can visit before you get bored of surfing, so I thought I might contribute to the web instead of being a passive observer. And fantasy fiction is what I like and what I care about, so I began to write book reviews.
Reason #3: Francis Schaeffer made me feel bad.
“Americans don't read enough (that's true) and Americans read too much (that's true too). What I mean is that many don't read enough material to really be informed, and yet they read too much because what they do read they often do not stop to assimilate and think through. They whiz through it and get what I call a first-order experience, a sort of mystical feeling, not a genuine understanding. I urge you, with all my soul, in such a day as ours to really, truly learn to read." ~ Francis Schaeffer
Okay, so if reading means thinking through and assimilating material, then writing a book review, something more than a summary, something that really digs in to the writing would be a good thing, right? Of course, I don’t think Mr. Schaeffer meant fantasy fiction when he wrote those words (I suspect he wanted me to read more classics, actually) but to each his own. This is my world, and I am going to think about it critically.
Reason #4: Free Books
Mercenary as it may seem, I like getting free books from publishers and authors. Without them, many of the books I have recently enjoyed, I never would have read. I’m not a rich man, so free books is a great way to stay up on what is going on in fantasy, and getting introduced to some really great authors.
Reason #5: Because it helps readers.
Criticism, as it was first instituted by Aristotle, was meant as a standard of judging well; the chiefest part of which is to observe those excellencies which delight a reasonable reader. ~ John Dryden
I get a lot of hits everyday from people who land on my book reviews. Most of the time they don’t leave comments, but I know they went away thinking that maybe next time they go to the bookstore, they just might pick up the book they saw here.
Reason #6: Because it helps authors.
Well, I'm not a critic, I'm just a worker. So, I'm always grateful for anything the critics say - good or bad. ~ Mandy Patinkin
Nothing is more apt to deceive us than our own judgment of our work. We derive more benefit from having our faults pointed out by our enemies than from hearing the opinions of friends. ~ Leonardo da Vinci
Reviewing new works, old works out of print, debut authors is a helpful thing to do. Why? Even with the growing popularity of fantasy fiction, it is still not considered an acceptable genre for writers of any real talent. Yet there are so many great authors being discovered everyday. This genre spawns so many innovators and creative minds in it that to dismiss fantasy as “escapism” or simply “trash” shows the small minds of many critics. So my reviews, interviews, etc., if they can help showcase these talents and their hard work, make the effort worthwhile.
Reason #7: It’s just plain fun.
Fantasy is an exercise bicycle for the mind. It might not take you anywhere, but it tones up the muscles that can. Of course, I could be wrong. ~ Terry Pratchett
That seems self-evident. Reading speculative fiction is something I enjoy. I’m unlikely to stop doing it anytime soon (my hope is that I will be re-reading a favorite on my deathbed), so why not share the fun?
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October 01, 2007
Feature: That Cool A-Z Thing
Some folks really like my little A-Z or Month by Month code I use for the "book reviews a-z" and "read in 2007" sections of the website. You can do this with any post, as it is simply basic html. Then all you have to do is link to that post and wallah! you have an easily navigable post that can get longer and longer over time.
First, put this code in the top and/or bottom of the post.
Then, for each section (whatever you name it) put in this code as the header.
Just substitute "A" for each letter of the alphabet.
You can do this with any word or phrase, just make sure it matches the stuff above. So if you changed
to
make sure
says
otherwise there is no reason to change anything else. I hope this makes sense. I use movable type as my platform so I think Wordpress and livejournal sites might be able to use this code, but I'm not sure about blogger. Still, it's worth a try I guess.
September 28, 2007
Some Publisher Links
I have added links under the Author Links Header. I have added some of the major sci-fi / fantasy publishers as well as those comic book / graphic novel publishers whose publications I enjoy reading. But you can see the list below too.
Publishers of Books
Publishers of Comics
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September 25, 2007
Feature: A change to my Feeds
I have changed over from just allowing my feeds to exist to using feedburner. If you have previously been using feeds to read my blog, you may need to resubscribe.
Here is the subscription for posts:
Subscribe to Recent Comments:
Grasping for the Wind Comments Feed
Sorry for any inconvenience.
September 02, 2007
Feature: Categories Links
OutofEgypt, the text you need to use is:
In your main index, this should come right after the MTEntryIfAllowPings or after MTEntryIfAllowComments depending on whether you are using trackbacks or not. It should be followed by a couple of div's to close out the post section followed by the /MtEntries and the beginnin of your sidebar code.
August 31, 2007
New Categories
Added 3 new categories today. Forgotten Realms (cause I love the novels); Travel (cause that distinguishes it from just personal ramblings); and Interviews (which includes ones I conduct and links to ones I find interesting). I also changed CSFF to Christian SF&F to make it a little more explanatory.
Facebook Enters My Life
I have joined the Facebook Revolution. You can find me here. Viva la revolution!
July 28, 2007
Feature: Pull-Down Archive Menu
At Funke's request, I'm putting up the code for the pull-down archives in my sidebar. This will only work in movable type. Blogger uses different code.
Category Archives
To do this for your category list, make sure that you have category archiving selected as an archiving option in your weblog config.
Monthly Archives
Make sure you put it in your main index code. You will want to div class it with however you divide your other items in your sidebar. Let me know if doesn't work.
July 27, 2007
New Feature: Subscribe to Comments
Tired of having to remember to come back here and check for responses to comments you made on this blog? Use the Comment Feed.
Using and RSS reader you will receive the newest comments for all posts to this blog in your reader. Click on the icon or link below and simply add to your reader.
Grasping for the Wind Comments Feed
If you are a movable type user and want to add this feature to your own blog, just follow these simple instructions.
1. Create a new index template.
2. Insert the following code.
3. Name the output file something like "comments.xml".
4. Rebuild. And you are good to go.
July 26, 2007
I have been meme'd
I have been sent my very own first blog version of the chain letter. I therefore give you, the MEME.
-Start Copy-
It’s very simple. When this is passed on to you, copy the whole thing, skim the list and put a * star beside those that you like. (Check out especially the * starred ones.)
Add the next number (1. 2. 3. 4. 5., etc.) and write your own blogging tip for other bloggers. Try to make your tip general.
After that, tag 10 other people. Link love some friends!
Just think- if 10 people start this, the 10 people pass it onto another 10 people, you have 100 links already!
1. Look, read, and learn. **
-http://www.neonscent.com
2. Be, EXCELLENT to each other. **
3. Don’t let money change ya! *
-http://www.therandomforest.info
4. Always reply to your comments. ****
5. Link liberally — it keeps you and your friends afloat in the Sea of Technorati. *
6. Don’t give up - persistence is fertile. ***
7. Give link credit where credit is due. *****
8. Pictures say a thousand words and can usually add to any post.***
9. Participating in ‘memes’ is a destructive habit and should be avoided at all costs.**
-http://nethspace.blogspot.com/
10. Blog about what you enjoy, not what people want to see. *
-http://www.thefantasyreview.com
11. Thy blog must be pretty.
-End Copy-
And so I tag The Blue Notebook, Vox Vendsel, The Realm of Pseudo-Profundities, Provocative Church and The Bishop's Pulpit. Sorry to those I tag, but I don't want to have my right leg torn off by a rabid dog which will then beat me over the head with it while telling very corny jokes. :-)
July 06, 2007
June 25, 2007
Georgia Carnival #12
Georgia Carnival Edition 12 is up and running.
Welcome to the 12th edition of the Georgia Carnival. Please support these fine Georgia bloggers by letting them know you have visited them with a comment, and please continue to support the carnival with your links and shout-outs at your site to alert others to what we Georgia bloggers have to offer.
May 29, 2007
Georgia Carnival Edition #10
Georgia Carnival Edition #10 is up and running.
I and the host particularly recommend reading Griftdrifts submissions.
"As children of the south we also have other stories we share as badges of honor some more than others. Those of us that grew up during those days after the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 have a special story to tell as well and though Griftdrift’s postings run the gamut between childhood impressions of those early days of whites and blacks being in the same classroom to an exploration of the disparity of black baseball players today he really hit home with me in Innocence Lost Part I, Innocence Lost Part II, and Innocence Lost Part III."
And of course, you can always check out others who didn't submit this time around, but still have interesting things to talk about.
May 21, 2007
April 27, 2007
Georgia Carnival 8: The Emotive Edition
Emotions are running high this edition. Whether it be disbelief, frustration, or sadness, you will find it here.
The next carnival so it will be at Georgia On My Mind on May 11th. Submissions can be sent to gamind@mail.com or use the handy submission form.
Dana at Much Madness is Divinest Sense presents No Hack and Slash? No Zucchini Brothers? a plea for a return of some of her favorite acts to return to the Georgia Renaissance Festival.
Bill at Provocative Church weighs in on the Virginia Tech tragedy, reminding us that evil is not the only side of the story.
Don of Idle Minutes uses his artistic and writing talent to tell the story of Tenacious Trees found on a drive in the North Georgia Mountains.
Elementaryhistoryteacher deserves our support and sympathy. Teaching is tough, especially at assessment testing time and 13 Episodes I Handled Today...Can You Figure Out Why I Had a Good Cry? explains why in detail.
The next carnival so it will be at Georgia On My Mind on May 11th. Submissions can be sent to gamind@mail.com or use the handy submission form.
April 13, 2007
Georgia Carnival #7
Georgia Carnival Edition Seven: The It's Raining Men Edition is up and running. Pastor Bill from my church (big Creek) and myself both have posts up. Be sure to submit a posting for Carnival Eight as yours truly is the host!
April 04, 2007
What value blogging?
I've been questioning the value of the time I spend blogging everyday, so I put the question to you who bother to read this blog; What value is blogging?
I'd like to compile your thoughts and comments into another post later.
March 19, 2007
Georgia Carnival #6
The Georgia Carnival Edition 6 is up and running! This time my friend and assistant pastor is the host. I've got a post that links to all my book reviews that have been written on this blog to date. Check it out!
March 09, 2007
Faviconning
Ever wonder how people manage to get those cool looking icons next to their urls? If You have Movable Type, it's actually pretty easy.
I used these two links, followed the instructions nearly exactly and got the desired result. The only thing I did differently is when it says href="/favicon.ico" /> I replaced "favicon.ico" with the url where I had uploaded it to. And Voila! you have a recognizable icon next to your url.
and
Eat, Sleep, Drink, Movable Type
both have great directions, although Eat, Sleep, Drink is easier to follow ultimately.
March 07, 2007
My Library
My entire library is online! You can easily browse through my library by clicking the librarything icon.
Feel free to peruse, and even ask to borrow. (That's not to say I will, but you can always ask. :-)
March 05, 2007
Grasping for the Wind Trading Card
Here's my blog Trading Card. This was fun and easy. Click here to make your own.
HT: Librarian in Disguise
A New Feature
I have added a new feature to my blog! If you have a slow internet connection, only check my site occasionally, or just came across me but aren't sure you could find this place again, you can sign up to have an update of the site sent to you by email. Just put your email in the box, click subscribe me, and away you go!
I always appreciate folks coming to the site directly, but I wanted to make life easier for you, my faithful readers.
The subscription box will also appear in the left hand column, below my flickr pics.
February 16, 2007
Georgia Carnival #4
Georgia Carnival Edition 4 is up and running. Lots of great stuff and a new layout that will help find topics interesting to you more easily.
I've got an old post up this time that tackles the prevailing idea among people that your spouse or "special someone" was made for you. I disagree, see why in this post. Kinda appropriate for February, don't you think?
February 07, 2007
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About Me
Authors, Publishers, Friends: If you would like me to review your book, e-zine or movie, interview you, conduct giveaways, or if you have a recommendation for any of the above, just click the "Email Me" in the overhead navbar and send me an email or just stick something in the comments below. I will respond in a timely fashion.
And if you want to know why I write book reviews, here are 7 reasons.
Welcome to the wonderful world of me! Here you will find book reviews, funny anecdotes, fantasy / scifi / speculative fiction, musings on life and culture, Christian thoughts, personal journaling, and some other random stuff.
Have I pointed out enough stuff yet? Anyway, on to a little about me. I'm not old, but not really young either. I'm not handsome or plain, nor am I tall, but neither am I short. Sometimes I'm funny, sometimes I'm not, but I am always verbose. Some of my thoughts are scattered, some are well-organized, but all are fun to read. I'm college educated but not too smart, and a trivia buff on the side.
The title of this blog is taken from Ecclesiastes 2:11. "Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun." I like the irony in Solomon's statement.
"His philosophy was a mixture of three famous schools -- the Cynics, the Stoics and the Epicureans -- and summed up all three of them in his famous phrase, 'You can't trust any bugger further than you can throw him, and there's nothing you can do about it, so let's have a drink.'" - Terry Pratchett
Select Publications
● "Sword, Sorcery, and Small White Dogs: An Interview with Rosemary Jones". SF Crowsnest.com (2008, May 1, Issue 174). http://www.sfcrowsnest.com/features/arc/2008/nz12504.php
● "Blood is Deeper than Water: An Interview with Pamela Freeman". SF Crowsnest.com (2008, May 1, Issue 174). http://www.sfcrowsnest.co.uk/features/arc/2008/nz12506.php
● "Never Challenge a Goblin to a Game of Rakachak: Jim C. Hines interviewed". SF Crowsnest.com (2008, March 1, Issue 172). http://www.sfcrowsnest.co.uk/features/arc/2008/nz12297.php
● "Speculative Fiction and the Value of the Formula". SF Crowsnest.com (2008, February 1, Issue 171). http://www.sfcrowsnest.co.uk/features/arc/2008/nz12190.php
● "God of the Slushpile: John Joseph Adams interviewed". SF Crowsnest.com (2008, January 1, Issue 170). http://www.sfcrowsnest.co.uk/features/arc/2008/nz12041.php
● "Free Will Fantasy: An Interview with Brian Ruckley". SF Crowsnest.com (2007, December 1, Issue 169). http://www.sfcrowsnest.co.uk/features/arc/2007/nz11799.php
● "John Ottinger reviews The Orc King" Flashing Swords (2008, May 12). http://flashingswords.sfreader.com/reviews/orcking.html
● "John Ottinger reviews Goblin Quest". Flashing Swords (2008, May 12). http://flashingswords.sfreader.com/reviews/goblinquest.html
● "John Ottinger interviews Bruce Cordell". Flashing Swords (2008, May 12). http://flashingswords.sfreader.com/reviews/brucecordellinterview.html
February 05, 2007
Georgia Carnival #3
Georgia Carnival Edition 3 is up and running!
My own post and book review about Condensed Knowledge is in this edition.
Go see what other Georgians are saying about all kinds of things.
Find out in this edition:
If "thug" is a racial epithet?
The value of a couch and a listening ear.
And a little about the history of the University of Georgia.
January 26, 2007
Librarything
has a real cool feature where you can upload the url for a review you wrote on your blog onto your library list.
My reviews are here.
My current catalog (soon to be updated, when I buy a full membership) is here.
UPDATE: I have entered almost all of my fantasy/sci-fi books now. Its at 437 books and about 425 are fantasy/sci-fi. Next stop, History!
Be the 300th Comment
I'm less than TEN comments away from having 300 comments on this blog. First one to help me reach 300 gets to pat him or her self on the back and boast about it later!
UPDATE: Bill, YOU WIN! You are a comment hog though. ;-)
January 22, 2007
CSFF: The Door Within
I recently joined the CSFF Blog Tour. The goal of the tour is to promote Fantasy and Science Fiction novels written by Christians. In all honesty, such books are not always very good, but as I read through the list of authors who are part of the tour, visited their websites, and looked around I ended up being more impressed than I thought I would be, so I joined. It's a noble goal and one I applaud.
This month, we are looking at the works of Wayne Thomas Batson. I've been enjoying reading his blog Enter the Door Within. Unlike some authors, he posts often and really lets us know something about his writing method. I especially enjoyed his comment about vocation?
"How do you know what God's will is for you? I can't speak for everyone, but it seems to me that if you find something you can do well, something that challenges you, kicks your tail from time to time, and you still can't seem to get enough of it…maybe that's God's will for you. So long as what you do lives up to scriptural scrutiny, that is."
You can read an interview with him at The Sword Review.
I think I'll pick up a copy of his first book of the The Door Within Trilogy, next time I purchase a few. The entire trilogy consists of The Door Within, Rise of the Wyrm Lord, and The Final Storm.
If you want to learn more about the book itself, or read reviews, click the extended entry link to see other participants in the January Tour.
CSFF BLOG TOUR JANUARY 2007
Jim Black
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Frank Creed
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
Chris Deanne
Janey DeMeo
April Erwin
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Todd Michael Greene
Leathel Grody
Karen Hancock
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Sharon Hinck
Joleen Howell
Kait
Karen
K. D. Kragen
Tina Kulesa
Lost Genre Guild
Kevin Lucia and The Bookshelf Reviews 2.0 - The Compendium
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Caleb Newell
Eve Nielsen
John Otte
Robin Parrish
Cheryl Russel
Hannah Sandvig
Mirtika Schultz
James Somers
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Daniel I. Weaver
Robin Parrish
Tessa Edwards
January 19, 2007
Book Reviews by Author
These are my book reviews, categorized alphabetically by the author's last name. (Categorization by title is available here.)
You can also subscribe to an RSS feed of my reviews at librarything.
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
A
Abercrombie, Joe The Blade Itself; Before They Are Hanged
Abraham, Daniel Hunter's Run
Ackley-McPhail, Danielle (et al.) Bad-A** Faeries
Adams, John Joseph Shimmer, The Pirate Issue; Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse
Aguirre, Ann Grimspace
Alcorn, Randy The Treasure Principle
B
Barnes, Jonathan The Somnambulist
Barwood, Lee Klassic Koalas: Ancient Aboriginal Tales in New Retellings
Beah, Ishmael A Long Way Gone
Bennis, Warren On Becoming A Leader
Bolme, Edward Eberron: The Orb of Xoriat; Eberron: Bound by Iron
Brand, Paul The Gift of Pain
Brennan, Marie Midnight Never Come
Britain, Kristen Green Rider
Brooke, Keith Genetopia
Bryson, Bill The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid; The Mother Tongue
Buckell, Tobias Crystal Rain; Ragamuffin
Burton, Katherine Hedge Hunters
Butcher, Jim Small Favor
Byers, Richard Lee Forgotten Realms: Unclean
C
Carpenter, Humphrey J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography
Chapman, Gary The Five Love Languages
Civiello, Emmanuel, A Bit of Madness
Cordell, Bruce Forgotten Realms: Stardeep
Cunningham, Elaine Forgotten Realms: The City of Splendors
Czerneda, Julie E. (ed.) Misspelled
D
Delaney, Frank Tipperary: A Novel
Dozois, Gardner Hunter's Run
E
Edelman, David Louis Infoquake
Edgington, Ian Sojourn: The Sorcerer's Tale; Sojourn: The Bezerker's Tale
Edwards, Kim The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Elliott, Kate The Crown of Stars Series
Ellis, Peter Berresford (see also Peter Tremayne) The Druids
Ellison, Harlan Dangerous Visions
Emery, Clayton Robin Hood and the Beasts of Sherwood
F
Falbe, Tracy Union of Renegades
Feist, Raymond E. Magician; Honored Enemy; Murder in LaMut
Finlay, Charles Coleman The Prodigal Troll
Forstchen, William R. Honored Enemy
Frank, Pat Alas, Babylon
Frazer, Margaret The Clerk's Tale
Freedman, Pamela Blood Ties
Freivald, Jake Falsh Fiction Online, April 2008
G
Gemmell, David Legend
Genesse, Paul The Golden Cord
Goodkind, Terry Phantom; Confessor
Graham, L.B. Shadow in the Deep; Beyond the Summerland
Green, David More Than A Hobby
Greenberg, Martin H. Fellowship Fantastic
Greenwood, Ed Forgotten Realms: The City of Splendors; Forgotten Realms: Swords of Dragonfire
H
Hart, Johnny Growingold with B.C.
Heinlein, Robert A. Glory Road
Hinck, Sharon The Restorer
Hines, Jim C. Goblin Quest; Goblin Hero; Goblin War
Horner, W. H. (ed.) Sails and Sorcery: Tales of Nautical Fantasy; Bash Down the Door and Slice Open the BadGuy
Hughes, Kerrie Fellowship Fantastic
Hunt, Stephen The Court of the Air
I
J
Jacobs, A.J. The Know-It-All
James, P.D. The Children of Men
Johnson, Jaleigh Forgotten Realms: The Howling Delve
Jones, Rosemary Forgotten Realms: Crypt of the Moaning Diamond
Jordan, Robert Knife of Dreams
K
Kemp, Paul S. Forgotten Realms: Shadowstorm
Kirkpatrick, Russell Across the Face of the World
Knight, E. E. Dragon Champion; Dragon Outcast
L
Lackey, Mercedes The Phoenix Unchained
Land, Greg Sojourn: The Sorcerer's Tale; Sojourn: The Bezerker's Tale
Lansky, Aaron Outwitting History
Lawhead, Stephen Hood; Scarlet; The Pendragon Cycle
Lebow, Jess Forgotten Realms: Obsidian Ridge
Le Guin, Ursula K. The Left Hand of Darkness
M
Mackay, Scott Tides; Phytosphere
Mallet, Nathalie The Princes of the Golden Cage
Mallory, James The Phoenix Unchained
Mangels, Andy Iron Man: Beneath the Armor
Martin, Gail Z. The Summoner
Martin, George R.R. Dying of the Light; Hunter's Run
Maxwell, John C. Life@Work
McCarthy, Cormac The Road
McCourt, Frank Teacher Man
McDonnell, Carole Wind Follower
McPhail, Mike (ed.) Breach the Hull
Meluch, R.M. The Sagittarius Command
Mental_floss Condensed Knowledge
Meredith, Robyn The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China and What it Means for All of Us
Miller, Karen The Innocent Mage; The Awakened Mage; Empress
Moedesitt Jr., L.E. The Magic of Recluce
Moore, Moira J. Heroes Adrift
Mosdi, Thomas A Bit of Madness
Muirden, James & Eccles, David (Illustrator) A Rhyming History of Britain
N
Norwich, John Julius Shakespeare's Kings
O
O'Neill, John (ed.) Black Gate: Issue #11
Overstreet, Jeffrey Auralia's Colors
P
Paolini, Christopher Eragon
Poole, Robert M. Explorer's House: National Geographic and the World It Made
Pratchett, Terry Thud!; The Truth; Making Money
Priest, Christopher The Prestige
Proctor, William Moon Gate
Q
R
Ramsey, Dave The Junior Books
Reid, Thomas M. Forgotten Realms: The Gossamer Plain
Rivers, Francine Redeeming Love
Rosenberg, Joel Murder in LaMut
Rothfuss, Patrick The Name of the Wind
Ruckley, Brian Winterbirth; Bloodheir
S
Salvatore, R.A. Forgotten Realms: Road of the Patriarch; Forgotten Realms: The Orc King
Sayers, Dorothy Are Women Human?
Schlosser, Eric Fast Food Nation
Sehestedt, Mark (ed.) The Tales of the Last War
Setterfield, Diane The Thirteenth Tale
Seymour, James Black History Through Blue Eyes: The Debt the World Owes to Africa
Shakespeare, William Henry V (Classical Comics Edition)
Smith, Alexander McCall The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
Snyder, Maria V. Poison Study
Steves, Rick The Rick Steves' Travel Guide Series
Stusser, Michael The Dead Guy Interviews
T
Thurman, Rob Madhouse
Tremayne, Peter (see also Peter Ellis) Badger's Moon; Master of Souls; Smoke in the Wind
Twain, Mark The Innocents Abroad
U
V
Varley, John Rolling Thunder
Venditti, Robert The Surrogates, Vol. 1
W
Walley, Chris The Shadow and Night
Waltz, Jason M. (ed.) Return of the Sword
Ward, James M. Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe
Weldon, David Moon Gate
Wells, Martha The Death of the Necromancer
West, Michelle The Hidden City
Wiesel, Elie Night
Williams, Tad Shadowmarch
Winchester, Simon Outposts: Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire
Withrow, Mindy and Brandon Monks and Mystics
X
Y
Yancey, Philip The Gift of Pain
Z
Zakour, John The Blue-Haired Bombshell
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
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Georgia Carnival of Bloggers
Georgia Carnival of Bloggers edition 2 is up. My post about Iraq from earlier this week is on it.
"The next edition will be found at this website on Friday, February 2, 2007. Submissions will be accepted through 6 p.m. eastern time on Thursday, February 1st. Submissions can be emailed to gamind@mail.com"
January 08, 2007
The Z-list
Ever felt like you are on the wrong side of the internet, that your traffic is minimal, and very few blogs link to you? Try the Z-list!
According to Mark Collier, the genius behind the Z-list, "Simply cut and paste the ENTIRE list below to a post on your blog. That's it. You'll get a ton of happy bloggers suddenly coming to YOUR blog to thank you, you'll get a ton of great new blogs to read, you'll likely get a ton of links yourself, but most of all, you'll feel good about making a whole lot of other bloggers feel good about themselves."
Creative Think
Soloride
Movie Marketing Madness
Blog Till You Drop!
Get Shouty!
One Reader at a Time
Critical Fluff
The New PR
Own Your Brand!
OTOInsights
bizandbuzz
Work, in Plain English
Buzz Canuck
New Millenium PR
Pardon My French
Troy Worman's Blog
The Instigator Blog
AENDirect
Diva Marketing
Marketing Hipster
The Marketing Minute
Scrambled Toast
The Frager Factor
Mindblob
Open The Dialogue
Word Sell
Note to CMO:
That's Great Marketing!
Shotgun Marketing Blog
BrandSizzle
bizsolutionsplus
Customers Rock!
Being Peter Kim
Pow! Right Between The Eyes! Andy Nulman’s Blog About Surprise
Billions With Zero Knowledge
Working at Home on the Internet
MapleLeaf 2.0
Two Hat Marketing
The Engaging Brand
The Branding Blog
CrapHammer
Drew's Marketing Minute
Golden Practices
Viaspire
Tell Ten Friends
Flooring the Consumer
Kinetic Ideas
Unconventional Thinking
Buzzoodle
Conversation Agent
The Copywriting Maven
Hee-Haw Marketing
Scott Burkett's Pothole on the Infobahn
Multi-Cult Classics
Logic + Emotion
Branding & Marketing
Popcorn n Roses
Servant of Chaos
converstations
eSoup
Presentation Zen
Design Sojourn
The Sartorialist
Small Surfaces
Africa Unchained
Perspective
ˇHola! Oi! Hi!
Women, Art, Life: Weaving It All Together
Community Guy
Masey.com
Grasping for the Wind
Found this through Georgia on My Mind at Got Bible?
January 05, 2007
Georgia Carnival of Bloggers
I've joined up with elementaryhistoryteacher's Georgia Carnival of Bloggers.
A carnival is an opportunity to have a favorite post linked to by a blog who otherwise might not have. I chose my post "The Left Hand of Darkness".
The point of this carnival is to showcase Georgia bloggers. Go see some of the other posts. All of them are quite creative.
I think the carnival is a neat idea, I hope when the next edition comes around I'll have a post to share.
November 15, 2006
#4
This blog has reached #4 on Google , or at least one of my book reviews has. Considering the commonality of the phrase I've used as a title for my blog, I'd saying I'm doing pretty well. I hope to reach number one before too long.
September 06, 2006
Congrats to Evan
Congrats to Evan on being the 200th comment on this blog. Evan, pat yourself on the back, as I cannot.
In other news My brother SPO is getting married. It is planned to be a an early summer wedding, about nine months from now. We are all very happy for him. His fiance is a neat girl and fun to talk to. We are not sure of her beliefs, but we think she either is a Christian, or is at least very close to becoming one. Hopefully she will be brought into the fold. Either way, we are still glad to have her as a member of our family.
Ruth and Jeremy came to visit for Labor Day and we had a great time swimming, talking, and playing with Anjuli. Matthias came by for a short visit as he was in town from his new home in Salt Lake City. We wish him all the best in his job and new home.
Many blessings on the readers of my blog. Some of you I know, some of you I don't, but each comment continues to bless me, and make blogging a worthwhile pasttime.
PS: Leopoldtulip - I could delete prior comments, but that just wouldn't be right, now would it? :-)
September 05, 2006
Be the 200th Comment
My blog has stood at 199 comments for the past week. Should you be the next person to write a comment, you will have written the 200th comment on this blog.
Its not glitzy nor glamorous, there are no red carpet's or flashing photography, but you will have my gratitude.
Just like my friend Leopoldtulip, I also crave comments from people. It is the popularity contest that I am unlikely to win, but yet each comment makes me feel like I matter.
It's shallow I know. I'll work on it.
August 29, 2006
Blog Post #132 (or Help ME!)
I would really like to update the look of this blog. It has been stuck in this two-column format for too long. I would really like to give it three, two sidebar's and the post in the middle. Anybody know a good place to get a new stylesheet that allows me to do that? Perhaps you have a layout you are willing to share. I like my color scheme as it is, I really just want to add a column.
I am using MT 2.661 according to the info I have available, but I can't find out how to change my blog anywhere online. Can anybody help me?
May 09, 2006
Blog 101
Welcome to my 101st blog post! And you thought you were gonna get some advice on how to use a blog. Sorry, no such luck (or fortune, for you Calvinists). Either way, I've got you now and I don't plan to let you leave. No! Wait, don't hit that back button or type in that new address, you might just find my little blog interesting. If you don't that's okay, I don't write it for you, I write it for me.
I just finished reading Simon Winchester's The Meaning of Everything. The subtitle calls it the history of the Oxford English Dictionary. It was fascinating, I never realized the amount of work that went into this monument to English literature. It is not only huge, it is comprehensive. I read the book in just two days because I couldn't put it down. (A little trivia, J.R.R. Tolkien worked on the OED as sub-editor for a year or so.)
I found this great magazine called Mental Floss that is full of useless trivia presented in a humorous and satirical fashion. It has columns like The Dead Guy Intervie and 6 degrees of Ken Jennings. (And if you know who Ken Jennings is, you ought to buy a copy of this magazine, it is perfect for you.) You can find them in the current affairs, etc. section of Barnes and Noble.
Speaking of Barnes and Noble, why do they always take forever to get books out on their shelves. My local one has had a book I want in their back room for almost two weeks and they haven't shelved it yet. I want to read it, and I was so desperate for some fiction to read, I went out on a limb and bought a book I read back in high school that I remember nothing about, Kate Elliott's King's Dragon.
I also found a book by a Christian woman in the adult fantasy/sci fi section of B&N. That is pretty much unheard of. The only other one I know of is Stephen Lawhead and I sometimes wonder about his Christianity. I think he holds to the Arian or Pelagian heresy (at least his fiction books make me think so.) Anyway, it was so suprising I asked Val if I could buy it and read it. She let me so I did and I am looking forward to it even though it seems to be written more like teen fiction book than for adults. I know its a Christian book because she dedicates to God and cites a verse from Proverbs in the acknowledgments. It is also published by Waterbrook Press, a Christian company and I first saw it for sale at Family Christian Bookstore.
Well, you are probalbly regretting sticking around and reading my musings. If you are I don't mind because I just did something I wanted to do and I had a good time doing it. So there.
February 11, 2005
A Blogging Vow
I vow to use my blog for good. I will write my own stuff and only occasionally link to outside sites. I will stay away from fluff and deal with the hard hitting realities of life. I will be a powerful blogger. A blogger who will be read. I will be controversial. I will be honest and fair. I will blog with a purpose. This I swear upon my life, my liberty, and my own good name.
