Review: The Framed Women of Ardemore House

The Framed Women of Ardemore House by Brandy Schillace
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I never ever shook the feeling that this was basically a Harlequin romance with a mystery in the background. And the penultimate chapter describing what really happened got kind of tedious. By the time the last chapter came around, it was past time for the book to be over."

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Review: Shards of Earth

Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

December 2, 2024 –
0% "Once upon a time, mysterious beings appeared, made a bunch of planets unlivable, then went away after one man spontaneously developed superpowers and managed to defeat just one ship. The splintered masses of humanity, including the genetically engineered and the AI offspring, are not truly ready for the BBEGs to come back.
Oh, and one Amazon falls for this man, who is surprisingly youthful for his years."
December 3, 2024 –
0% "Let's see - an all-female warrior race with relaxed social mores regarding sex. Check."
December 8, 2024 –
0% "Everybody has too many names. I'm beginning to think that Tchaikovsky is hostile toward audiobooks.

This is turning into a sidequest story."
December 9, 2024 –
0% "Oh, they found the Infinity Stones!"
December 10, 2024 –
0% "These AIs sure are sarcastic.

I like the spacer's wake.

Can't help but think that the mystical ability of a select few to navigate un-space and mentally connect with Originators and Architects, is just a wee bit like The Force."
December 15, 2024 –
0% "The early text stated that Ollie could not adapt to standard limb prosthetics because she was not born with standard limbs and couldn't operate them efficiently. And yet, she routinely operates an arachnid form with several more limbs, AND was able to plug directly into a ship's controls? She wasn't born with those, either!"
December 16, 2024 –
0% ""Oh, pay no attention to the veteran with PTSD. No WAY the enemy could come at us again!""
December 22, 2024 – Finished Reading

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Review: The Second Murderer: A Philip Marlowe Novel

The Second Murderer: A Philip Marlowe Novel by Denise Mina
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While the media of the 40's did not cover it extensively, it was a dangerous time to be any flavor of queer in America. That absolutely does not mean that such people did not exist, merely that society would rather that they didn't.
From what I understand of Philip Marlowe, he was a live-and-let-live kind of person, and would absolutely not have judged anyone for their sexuality.
He does judge people upon their privilege level, though.

Overall, I liked this book, didn't love it.

Below this point are my in progress notes.

November 17, 2024 – Started Reading
November 17, 2024 – Shelved as: owned
November 17, 2024 – Shelved
November 17, 2024 – Shelved as: mystery-book-club
November 17, 2024 –
43.0% "I'm not an afficionado of Chandler's work, but it seems to me that the author kept true to the character. The narrator sounds like an upright fellow, but in my opinion lacks he nuance needed."
November 24, 2024 –
100.0% "Overall, I think that Marlowe (as usual) goes the long way around to solve things."
November 24, 2024 – Finished Reading



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Dog Prop

2005:

This was my first role in Omaha.  Got Arthur and Kyrie involved in auditions for Oliver, out at the Chanticleer Theatre in Council Bluffs Iowa.

The director loved Loved LOVED this play, above all others, and he insisted on having a dog in the show.

You know what WC Fields said?  Never work with children or animals.

I was cast as Bill Sikes, so I had to work with that dog.  A German Shepherd with lots of energy and a love for peanut butter.

I had a lot of experience onstage, but no experience animal training.  The dog had ... a lot of energy.

We were about two weeks into rehearsal.  The owners provided me with a choke chain to keep him under control and we were just about to the point where we were used to each other.

So now let me backtrack a bit.

Our stage had a kind of bridge over it.  Stairs leading up both sides and a walkway above.  Very sturdy.  BUT!  The bottom step was about a step and a quarter.

The dog, eager for his exit treat, pulled me a little off-balance.  I missed the last step and fell.  And didn't let go of his lead right away.  I hurt my leg, and he got pinched on his neck.

This set our trust back very badly.

I had to work extra with the dog for another three weeks just to get us back to where we were.

And during that three weeks, I could barely walk.

My thigh turned some very pretty colors.

In the end, though, I even got him to take a bow, so that was nice.

We called him my prop, and didn't allow the kids to touch him.  His owners even got him a bandanna with the word "Prop" on it.

So, that's my stage dog story.