October 2010: Hell Month Part 1

What a bum-fluff of a month.

And I’ll tell you why. And keep count of the Man Points on this one.

A long time ago in a galaxy not too far away (October 1^st) I was looking forward to busy, exciting month. Not only was I starting a new Open University Course, but I was taking a week off to spend time with my lovely lady, applying for a new job and had an autumnal spring in my step – It was gonna be a good month. [Man points a balanced 0].

Kinda didn’t work out the way I had planned.

The Gran

My 94 year old Gran can not only cause trouble in an empty room, but when I hit an ambulance with my old fiesta a decade ago she walked out of the carnage while I was stretchered off to hospital [-1 man point]. She’s made of iron that one. Unfortunately she was seriously ill at the start of the month and almost passed on – kudos to The Dad, who was in the right place at the right time to save her – and so I cancelled the holiday with the Lovely Lady in my life to go see her. Gran recovered overnight and was chirping away to me after my 7 hour drive to see her (no ambulances were hurt on the journey). MADE OF IRON I tell you.

So far October hadn’t started too well, but the worst was over, wasn’t it?

The Holiday

Actually, with some last minute internet searching, me and the Not So Tear Drenched Girlfriend managed a few days away in the lovely Lake Distinct after visiting Iron Gran. Here are some proper good visuals of the holiday...

I taught my lady chess, and beat her at every game [Man Points +1], saw a cool lake and had five course dinners every night. October was looking up.

Job application

I decided to go for a writing job for a change of career and to tick it off the Bucket List. Out of many, many applicants I made to the last 14 and had to do a writing assignment. It was tough but fun. Lots of fun. I learned many things about how to write promotionally and my tiny skill base was tested. I really thought I was going to get an interview at least. I didn’t of course, and the October curse struck again. I cursed right back, but to no avail, and October continued onwards...

Reading Affliction Continues

If you’ve checked out my last blog post ‘Reading Afflictions’ you’ll understand that I suffer from a terrible affliction of reading a few chapters of a novel before buying a new one, then read a few chapters of that book, and buy a new one, etc etc. Meaning I never really finish all the books I buy, creating a large Reading List. It stares at me now, daring me to read. [Man points -1 (come on, BOOKS are staring me down!)]

Reading Affliction continued and I totally blame October.

That's it for part 1, thank the lord, but mosey on back tomorrow for:

Work

University (of the Creative, Open variety)

Concussion

Halloween (with added concussion)

And of course to find out how many Man Points I finished on after October: Hell Month.

Reading Afflictions

Everyone has their habits while reading. For some it may be the time of day the decide to open a book, others it may be what genres they read or sipping a large cup of hot chocolate while digging into their newest novel. I’m fairly flippant in what I buy. Sometimes I’m in the mood for a certain author, or the next book in a series I’m reading comes out, or I feel intellectual and look for some business book, or its payday or a Tuesday, or... and so on. There is always an excuse to add to my collection of novels.

               The older I become and the more I discover about my own ways, I’m realising that I may have formed an affliction of some kind, rather than your normal reading habit. You see, when I buy a book I become fairly excited about the prospect of the new story and immediately want to start reading. Not straight away – buying a book and opening it before I even get handed the receipt in the shop and then walking out bumping into everyone would be a serious issue indeed (and maybe there are people who do it?) – But I certainly start within a day or two of the purchase.

                That’s where the problems begin.

                I never finish enough books to cut down on the ‘Reading List’. I read swiftly through the first few chapters, and then find a new shiny story to start, read a few chapters, and buy another, and so on. Thus, reading list grows. It’s outgrowing the ‘Read’ list these days, and shelves to hold them in the flat. I just get so interested in something new that the old dulls and new brightens. Even though I have much to read I still buy new stories. An affliction I tell you.

                I’ve concluded thusly: Supply X Time X Speed = shit loads of books to read.

There’s a steady supply of novels, books and eBooks overflowing in the ‘Reading List’ and my own reading cannot catch up. I’m fairly certain I’ll die having read much less books than I’ve bought.

This has me wondering: what other afflictions and weirdness is there out in the reading wilderness? I’m sure if we diagnose them early enough something can be done about them...

Horus Heresy series

Here's a wee preview of the newest book in my favourite Black Library series...

The First Heretic


Looking forward to an epic read. Here's what the author, Aaron Dembski-Bowden, a decent bloke through and through, thought about a recent review of The First Heretic:

Reviews and why authors hate them

Its all fun and games really! Might not review it here, just in case...

China Mieville's readership expands...

Thought I'd share this pic. All the great writers aim to expand their readership beyond their species!!!

I almost lost a hand getting the book back, you should see the scar...

Book Review: The Strain

The Strain, by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Vampires don’t just stalk the night. They’re stalking cinemas, TV’s and bookshelves everywhere. In a market full of choice now, it’s time to choose ‘what kind’ to go for. The teen stuff...hmm, nah. The older Stoker stuff... been there. Time to find our new heroes and villains.

At first I didn’t know it was a vampire book – I know, I can be an idiot. I saw some blurb on the book on the net, and latched onto the ‘apocalyptic’ elements, then raced to my local book shop to buy it. I was pleasantly surprised to find the world may end due to a vampire ‘plague’.

The Strain reads like a film in my eyes – you can see del Toro’s’ influence here. It does give the book a fast-paced element which pulls you along for the ride and helps sustain the read. Yet, it’s not all good. About 3/4 of the way in it felt quite episodic and repetitive, and the plot stalled for me slightly, shifting from a taut thriller to a late night monster-fest. Though, the twist at the end brings it back to form.

All-in-all, I enjoyed it, not as epic as The Passage by Justin Cronin, but I’m buying the next book in the series, The Fall, which is out this month.

3 out 5 dried out fangs.