About a year ago, Jen wrote a post on her blog comparing genres of books to the tastes of different foods. So for Jen, fantasy books taste like mashed potatoes and all seem about the same to her. There’s nothing wrong with that, her tastes are her tastes. However, this post of hers stuck with me, primarily because my genre list would be completely different. I admit that 98% of what I read is either Science Fiction or Fantasy, and yet I don’t feel like everything I read is the same because of the varied sub-genres.

For Science Fiction, here’s a short listing of sub-genres:
Hard Science Fiction
Soft Science Fiction
Cyberpunk
Steampunk
Alternative History
Near-future

For Fantasy there are also sub-genres:
High Fantasy
Contempory Fantasy
Urban Fantasy
Dark Fantasy
Comedic Fantasy

For me, the tastes of Science Fiction and Fantasy are varied within the genres themselves. And I do occasionally enjoy the tastes of other literary genres!

So where does Ender’s Game fall? I’d classify it as Soft Science Fiction. While the elements of science surround the characters, the story is driven by the characters and focused on the characters. Because of this, most of the story ages well for a book that is 26 years old (and the parts from the original short story are 34 years old): the science fiction elements of the story are still science fiction; however, the Warsaw Pact in the story stands out as an incongurity since it no longer exists. For a novel that ages well, look at Asimov’s Foundation.

Please join us in the discussion of Ender’s Game in July on the Stitching for Literacy blog! And for those who are interested, the original “Ender’s Game” short story is available on the author’s website. If you haven’t read the novel and intend to, I’d read the short story after the novel so that the ending isn’t given away!

In other news I’m stitching again, but not yet designing. Here are the top three things in my to be designed/charted list in my mind:
1. Special 100th design chart – this is partially charted, but needs completing
2. Birth Sampler – ideas for this are gelling, but isn’t complete yet
3. Christmas stocking – I have a rough sketch for this, but need to sit down and refine it.

I only have so much energy every day, and have to stop before I give out!

Here, I’ll post my answer to the question(s) I posted at the official Stitching for Literacy Blog.

Obviously, I enjoyed this book since I picked it. This was my second time reading it, and it had been over a year since the first reading. I thoroughly enjoyed it a second time around. I like the picture of all the people in the graveyard, from all times, and how they relate to Bod. I also like how the book progresses through Bod’s childhood. As a child, the graveyard is not an inherently scary place for Bod, it is just a place. Then as Bod grows, he explores the graveyard and becomes curious about the world outside.

My favorite chapter was the second one where Bod meets Scarlett in the Graveyard. I think this chapter captures a perfect time in childhood, full of exploration and curiosity (even in the face of scary things). I also think it is very funny that Scarlett’s parents figure it is perfectly natural for her to have an imaginary friend, so she also accepts Bod as an imaginary friend.

My least favorite chapter is the one with the ghouls. Maybe it is just a bit on the crazy side, maybe it was the funky names of the ghouls that put me off. I almost skipped it this read through, but kept to the book and read it.

I’ve been intending to write about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks for some time now, but I can’t seem to get my thoughts wrapped around this book in a coherent way, so here are some incoherent ramblings about it:

1. I found the historical narrative about the science fascinating. Not being in the life sciences, I’ve never heard of HeLa cells and had no idea about the impact they made in science. Also, the story of Henrietta’s developing cancer and subsequent treatment makes me glad to live in a time where cancer treatment has advanced further.
2. I found it very hard to identify with Henrietta’s family and their reaction to learning about their mother’s cells being used in scientific research. Perhaps this is because of educational and cultural differences, perhaps it is because I grew up almost 50 years later. I had a very hard time understanding the near-hysteria that Dorothy went through.
3. It is amazing how our attitudes and laws about medical care have changed since 1946, when Henrietta died. Today, when I go to a doctor, I expect to be informed of anything affecting my medical condition; because of HIPPA laws, I expect my treatment to remain private; because I have access to the internet, I try to be an informed patient about what affects my health.

Ok, those are the most coherent of the thoughts rambling around in my brain. I did find this book both enjoyable and fascinating to read and I could hardly put it down. Now I’m almost finished with the March S4LBC selection of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, and I can hardly put that down as well. I hope everyone enjoys the April selection of The Graveyard Book as much as I’ve enjoyed the other selections so far.

Currently, I’m reading A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin. It is the third book in the Song of Ice and Fire series. And by currently reading, I mean I finished book two of the series yesterday and cracked open this one today. I am really enjoying this series and wondering why I hadn’t discovered it earlier. I tend to like books that are very character driven, meaning that the story is more about the characters and how they react to events rather than just telling events. Since the chapters in these books have characters as titles, I think it is safe to say that the books are character driven! The good think about stumbling onto this series now is that book four is already out, and book five is listed for pre-order!

This book, like all of Carol Berg’s works, is written in first person; however, I find it a different kind of first person. To me, it is almost a first person omniscient, because I don’t feel like my point of view is limited to the narrating character. In Flesh and Spirit, the narrating character is Valen, who is hiding and has secrets. Berg doesn’t let ther reader into what he is hiding from until well into the book, although we do learn some of Valen’s secrets. Valen is a ne’er do well type, who is walking the thin line between trying to be good and leading an indolent life. When the book begins, he is deposited injured and penniless in front of an abbey. He is taken in by the monks and becomes one of them, hoping to hide from the world. While using the abbey as a hideaway, he becomes involved in the lives of the monks and their secrets. Slowly, the reader learns that the kingdom is in the midst of war caused by an unresolved succession. There is also famine and an unseasonable winter to content with. Somehow Valen’s fate is intertwined with it all.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was mildly annoyed when the bookstore didn’t have the sequel available so that I could start Breath and Bone as soon as I finished Flesh and Spirit. I’d rate it Unable to Put Down.

As I do book reviews in the future, here’s my rating system:
Unable to Put Down
Definite Re-Read
It’ll do in a Pinch
Didn’t Even Finish

I’ll just say that a book has to be pretty bad for me not to even finish it.

On the stitching front, I’m happy that I’ve come up with a January design. I’ve challenged myself to make a new design every month, sort of like an Art Quilt type challenge. The design doesn’t have to be sellable (although that’s always a plus), but it does have to speak to me and embody what that month is to me. The design doesn’t have to be stitched in that month, though, just sketched in a somewhat stitchable format. I’m continuing stitching on the next Design Elements design and I’m hoping to get some painting done soon. Lots of ideas rumbling in the head!

Last night, I got my printing done and then had some fun playing with threads:

That is the likely color combination for the next design. I can’t wait to finish the one I’m working on and start it. I’m not a big fan of pink, but it is sort of a requirement for some themes (can you say Valentine’s?). I’m also sketching on the next in this series. Why don’t I have more hands to stitch and draw? Of course, then I might need additional eyes.

Time for a book review. I just finished Sins and Needles, the latest Monica Ferris Needlework Mystery. I’m not usually a big mystery reader, but someone started me on these since they have needlework in them, and I’ve just kept going. It is a quick read and mostly mindless – which is needed sometimes. I have to say that when I first started reading this series, I really enjoyed the books. However, I went back at one point and re-read almost the whole series in order. I admit it, I read books multiple times. What I found was that in general, I didn’t enjoy re-reading these books. I don’t know if it was the whole “mystery solved” thing or little bits about the needlework that started to get to me. For instance, the characters seem to always think needlework is hard. Then another character will teach it, but never say, “Oh that’s easy, just try it!” Also, the name/brand dropping is just way too obvious. Anyway, in Sins and Needles, I found that this trend continued. Also, I was able to guess the outcome of the mystery, so it wasn’t that engaging. I guess I’d rate it about a 2 1/2 stitches out of 5 – it kept me mostly engaged and also wasn’t so terrible that I stopped reading it, however, I probably won’t read it again.