After Science Fiction and Fantasy, historical fiction is my favorite genre. That said, I'm picky about what I read. I want historical fiction to transport me to another time and place, not give me modern-seeming characters dressed in period clothes. So while I went through a host of so-so historical fiction novels, there were a … Continue reading Best Books of 2020: Historical Fiction
A Place of Greater Safety
Sunday Sum-Up: May 3, 2020
So as it turns out, when I have shortened hours at work, am stuck at home, and am not working on a 70,000-word story, I have a lot of free time. So I read. A lot. I did other things, too, but reading was the bulk of my week. Obligatory Mina Photo: The windows have … Continue reading Sunday Sum-Up: May 3, 2020
Sunday Sum-Up: April 26, 2020
It's been a quiet week around here. I baked, I cooked, I wrote, I read. I'm quite proud of the cooking and baking. I don't do very much of either, but I bought a cookbook written for people in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). They do medieval/early modern reenactments, and their goal is to … Continue reading Sunday Sum-Up: April 26, 2020
Sunday Sum-Up: April 19, 2020
I thought it would take about a thousand years to get through April, but it's moving right along. Which is fine. It's starting to look like there might be a faint point of light waaaaaay down at the end of this stay-at-home tunnel... Obligatory Mina Photo: On Wednesday afternoon, I was brewing some tea. It's … Continue reading Sunday Sum-Up: April 19, 2020
Sunday Sum-Up: April 12, 2020
Have the days been smearing together for everyone else? They've been smearing together for me. I felt like I had a smattering of Wednesdays and Thursdays and half a Saturday. It's been a weird week, but I did make it to the grocery store on one of those Wednesdays and got everything I needed. Hooray. … Continue reading Sunday Sum-Up: April 12, 2020
Sunday Sum-Up: April 5, 2020
Week three of social distancing. While many people have been eating all the chips or candies or whatever, I've developed a craving for Diet Coke. I didn't drink very much soda before all this started, but for some reason, fizzy beverages are hitting the spot like nothing else. At least there are no calories? Everything … Continue reading Sunday Sum-Up: April 5, 2020
Sunday Sum-Up: March 28, 2020
I am, for the most part, trying to avoid endlessly scrolling through the news. Yes, I need to know what's going, but it seems like so many of the headlines are written solely to inspire fear and dread, and that's not helpful. I've mostly been relying on NPR, which doesn't use frantic headlines and presents … Continue reading Sunday Sum-Up: March 28, 2020
Sunday Sum-Up: March 15, 2020
So. This has been a week. Social distancing is the name of the game to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It's not every day that everyone is encouraged to stay at home and read a book. Unfortunately, my job doesn't allow me to work from home, so I still have to go in. We've been … Continue reading Sunday Sum-Up: March 15, 2020
Sunday Sum-Up: March 1, 2020
Quick update today. I was given yet another free camera at work. Sometimes, people will just drop things off because they don't know what to do with the camera gear they inherit. This time, it was an Olympus 35 SP rangefinder with a 42mm f/1.7 lens. These were made from the late 1960s to the … Continue reading Sunday Sum-Up: March 1, 2020
Traveling in Books 