Once Upon a Time: Vlog!

I thought I'd vlog my reading pile this year for Carl V.'s Once Upon a Time reading challenge.



The Once Upon a Time reading challenge is a "journey together into the magical lands of fantasy, fairy tales, folklore and mythology" and runs from March 21st through June 20th. I love Carl's rules for the challenge:

Rule #1: Have fun.
Rule #2: Have fun.
Rule #3: Don’t keep the fun to yourself, share it with us, please!
Rule #4: Do not be put off by the word “challenge”.

There are several levels at which to participate, so join the one that works for you. I will be taking The Journey. This means that I will be commiting to read at least one book from the four categories (fantasy, fairy tales, folklore, mythology).

Hope to see you there!

Nectarine Tree Blossoms

They are so beautiful now and will turn into delicious fruit this summer!

Brain Freeze and ... ummm ... I forgot ...

Hi all. I haven't been around blogland for awhile. The demands on my time have been quite extensive, leaving me with little time for my own pursuits. I've also been suffering multiple episodes of brain freeze and this has meant no-brain-cells-left for reading or blogging (or commenting -- I apologize if you were kind enough to leave me comments to which I never responded).

Actually, I've done some reading but it has mostly consisted of culinary mysteries (yay, Diane Mott Davidson!) and Stephen King's Dark Tower series. Have any of you read this King series? I was skeptical after reading volume one. It wasn't bad, but I rolled my eyes a lot and wondered "What. Is. The. Point"??? I was encouraged, by another reader, to be forgiving of King's youthful writing and carry on with volume two. I am so glad I did. I'm almost done with volume three and I count myself as one of the fans of this series.

King has created a mythic hero in Roland of Gilead (yes, there is a connection to the Browning poem). He is a gunslinger and he is cool and mysterious. Think ... Clint Eastwood. Think ... Sergio Leone. Roland is on a quest for the Dark Tower. But what IS the Dark Tower? And why the heck do North, South, East and West get a bit confused? Why is "Blaine a pain"? I still don't know the answers to the first two.

This book is a blend of many genres. I can see the influence that science fiction has had on King. Then there are the mystery elements. And of course adventure. It is an epic quest. What an interesting blend he has created. There are seven volumes in all, so it is not an endless commitment. And you must, if nothing else, read Stephen King's new introduction to the series. Even he is amused by his young self's grandiosity and chutzpah!

Interesting tidbits:

Link to more about The Dark Tower.

Author web site.

Possible eighth book "Wind in the Key Hole" coming 2012.