Libromancer's Apprentice

"The right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of the person, and under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment couples of the same-sex may not be deprived of that right and that liberty. Same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry." http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/14-556_3204.pdf

How to Marry a Royal Highlander (Renegade Royals) / Vanessa Kelly Eden Whitney was found in an embrace with a known rake, and well, somethings just aren't done .  Had her mother and the biggest gossip in the ton hadn't come around the corner just then maybe things could have been smoothed over.  But gossip, and tempers, have a way of getting out of hand, and sometimes you just need to hide away until society latches on to another scandal.  "Rusticating" in the Scottish wilderness sounds less than thrilling, but throw in the exasperating and irrepressible Alasdair Gilbride, and Eden fears for her sanity.  They're not completely removed from scandal and society though, with Alasdair returning home to face an engagement he's avoided for over a decade, and one he still hopes to escape from. A cute, light read with the expected ridiculousness of society and family drama of a highlands/historical romance.  The official blurb describes Eden's feelings tow...

Fool's Quest (Book II of the Fitz and the Fool Trilogy) / Robin Hobb ( Powell's Books ) Previously Reviewed: Fool's Assassin (Realm of the Elderlings: Fitz and the Fool Trilogy) ( Powell's Books ) At the end of Fool's Assassin , Fitz's life has been again thrown into upheaval.  The life he's pulled together in the wake of Molly's passing and raising their small, strange child.  The sudden reappearance of the Fool, near death and mistaken for a beggar, takes Fitz away from his home and his family in an effort to save his friend.  Unbeknownst to Fitz, strangers have come in his absence, raided his home and stolen away his young daughter. Back in Buckkeep, Fitz is pulled back into his old life, of intrigue, intelligence, and Skill.  Little does he know the journey his life is about to take, of the threats to his daughter, and the ways his life will never be the same. I don't know where to start with this review, I'm just so angry with th...

For Christmas my other half gave me the gift of beer.  More specifically, the gift of supplies to make a beer I'd been dying to try but that sold out pretty much as soon as it hit the shelf. w00tstout One part über boozy, three parts über geek, this one-of-a-kind imperial stout from masterminds Wil Wheaton, Greg Koch (Stone Brewing) and Drew Curtis (founder, Fark.com) has been likened to drinking the booze-soaked contents of an old-fashioned candy store. Deep and complex, w00tstout pours pitch black with a clingy cappuccino head erupting in an oaky, nutty bouquet of caramel and vanilla, roasty dark malt and a hint of bourbon. I don't know about you, but that sounds amazing to me. Downside to all of this is that my kitchen is an exceptional mess due to going through boxes of my mom's stuff.  Also, working four part-time/temp jobs plays havoc on my interest and ability to clean house.  January was a pretty crazy month. But, we did happen to have one hell ...

Stormbringer : Book Two of the Wyrd / Alis Franklin Previously Reviewed: Liesmith : Book One of the Wyrd Ragnarok has come and gone, and both the world and the gods are still around.  After the defeat of Baldur, Lain, who is perhaps both Loki and Baldur, must return with Odin's spear to Asgard.  Odin, Thor, and many of the others are dead and gone, the god's children seek to claim the former power of Asgard's glory, Hel was slain in combat and seeks to claim her place among the honored dead, and the Wyrd twists lives, pulling gods and mortals alike. Sigmund is both a young man, a low-level IT tech, and the avatar of a Norse goddess who was the wife of Loki.  Em and Wayne are the reincarnations of the Valkyries slain in battle.  Still coming to terms with what they are, and what that means, they all must reclaim roles to prevent a second Ragnarok. Stormbringer is a story of relationships, between friends, lovers, family, and enemies.  A story of duty, ...

Sarah's Surrender / Lavinia Kent Previously reviewed in this series: Mastering the Marquess Revealing Ruby Bound by Bliss   Once upon a time, Miss Sarah Swilp had her heart set on Jonathan Perry, only to be crushed when taking her to bed he declares that he will not marry her.  Hurt and angry, she ended their assignation, and has not seen him since. Now, Miss Swilp is out of options.  Her father's debts are high, and her list of suitors short.  About to accept an engagement to one of her father's creditors, Sarah encounters Jonathan again, and brings up that night.  One night of pleasure, no strings attached, no marriage expected, no attempts at entrapment.  The attraction still exists, and Jonathan brings more to the table this time around than when they were young and in love the first time around. Sarah's Surrender largely takes place at Madame Rogue's Gentleman Club, where Sarah and Jonathan dedicate some time and effort to exploring eac...

The Best of Both Rogues / Samantha Grace ( Powell's Books ) Two years ago, Benjamin Hillary left the love of his life at the alter, running to India in a panic over the what-ifs and may-bes.  Lady Eve Thorne's heart was broken that day, but she held out hope for Benjamin's return.  Now Benjamin has returned, seeking out Eve, only to succeed at the very event where Eve's engagement to the bookish Jonathan Hackberry.  Benjamin is determined to prove himself to Eve again, but the clock is ticking and he has already caused great insult to Eve's reputation. Now, this isn't a historical romance where the lady gets both gentlemen, which would be rather novel.  The Best of Both Rogues is a sweet and humorous historical romance, with the hijinks born of desperation, strict constraints on proper behavior, duty, and affection. Being a fun, light read, I'll excuse the nearly magically loving away of Benjamin's PTSD, however I'm a bit disgruntled at the...

Hunter / Mercedes Lackey ( Powell's Books ) Once they were considered creatures of fairy tale and myth, then the barriers between our world and the Otherworld were ripped open, and with that tear came magic and beasts of nightmare.  Joyeaux Charmand is a Hunter, gifted with magic and a bonding with Otherworld Hounds that allow her to fight back against the Otherworld forces threatening the remnants of human civilization.  She's called to Apex City, to join the Hunter forces protecting this center of civilization, only once there she is pulled into the game of politics, where Hunters are celebrities keeping the masses entertained, without any true understanding by the civilians of the dangers of Otherworld incursions. I adore Mercedes Lackey, whether it be her short fiction, urban fantasy, fairy tale retellings, or her Valdemar books, but as of late the books have felt too simple and pat.  I still enjoy them, but I've felt they've lacked the richness that I came t...

Liquid Fire / Anthony Francis Dakota Frost is a force to be reckoned with.  Tall, bold, kick-ass, and fiercely protective; she's no-one's damsel. The world of magic and the supernatural is filled with factions and secrets, and Dakota has had her fill of the complications caused by unwarranted suspicion and infighting.  Even a trip to California with her daughter is complicated by the need to assuage the vampires, mages, and fae that this is a vacation, not a power grab. Away from home, and out of her official jurisdiction of the nascent Magical Security Council, Dakota is pulled into a magical feud that seems to be targeting her newest flirtation, a fireweaver of notable skill and power.  But what seems like a series of targeted attacks against one woman, are actually a small part of a larger conflict, one that interests mages of all types, and one that involves Dakota directly. Overall, an enjoyable read.  Quick pacing and good handling of a diverse collec...

The Three-Body Problem / Cixin Liu, translated by Ken Liu ( Powell's Books ) A secret project born during China's Cultural Revolution, and some of the brightest minds of the generation locked inside, by choice or for lack of any other option, watching the skies.  Today echos of actions taken still ring, shaking the foundations of belief for the worlds' greatest physicists as the rules of reality seem to have bent, and intellectuals are drawn into the puzzling game Three Body.  Meanwhile an alien race living on an doomed planet with three suns has launched a fleet.  Some herald them as the saviors of humanity, some as the doom. The Three-Body Problem is a fascinating and complex book, but one that I slogged through.  The story is very heavy in detail and exposition, delivering very rich settings and environments possibly at the cost of the narrative. The novel itself is fascinating to read, drawing on a social & political history that is in many ways ali...

Evaluating Transgender Picture Books; Calling for Better Ones "After accepting a solo elementary school librarian position, I increased our collection of picture books with transgender protagonists by 400 percent. That is, I purchased four books with transgender characters, and, with approximately 7,000 titles, the library previously had zero." 6 Things Dungeons and Dragons Can Teach You About How To Work A Reference Desk And the systems that aren't as well organized and indexed (I'm looking at you, Star Wars Saga Edition RPG) are great practice in building a reference index! So, You Want to Be a Library Director?  A bit on perhaps some of the more overlooked responsibilities of directorship. Storing Information In Other People's Heads On division of cognitive labor. Exclusive comments, new trailer: anthology horror “VOLUMES OF BLOOD” I've been following the progress of this film through posts made by a fellow librarian who's library it too...

Apex / Ramez Naam ( Powell's Books ) Apex finishes the story arc started in Nexus , and continued in Crux .  Kaden Lane and his friends never intended for their work to tear the world apart.  They sought enlightenment and betterment of humankind, and instead global unrest spreads as agents manipulate governments and civilians for their own power and ends.  A final confrontation is coming to a head, the question is, can humanity and post-humans come to peaceful co-existence, and if they can't, can they survive? This near-future, political science-fiction thriller starts with major world powers manipulated to the cusp of World War.  Revolution is happening, and with it fear of persecution, fear of the different, the unknown, and of becoming obsolete. An excellent trans-humanist novel, raising questions of humanity and morality, and maybe the next evolution of humankind. Advanced Reader Copy copy courtesy of Netgalley; differences may exist between uncorrected ...

So, I'm back searching for employment again.  My recent non-library job turned out to not be as long-term as I hoped.  The split wasn't acrimonious so much as the result of them really needing something other than what was presented to me as my area of responsibility (Systems & Records Management) and seemingly us never really communicating in the same language.  So I was wondering why whenever I tried to make headway on my responsibilities things got stalled out, and they were wondering why the hell I wasn't taking ownership of my job. I'll be honest.  I'm incredibly frustrated, and a bit hurt, since I never like finding out that I'm not performing well.  I actually was in a position to have turned down several work opportunities while at this job, due not wanting to lose full time employment to part-time or temporary employment.  At the exit interview all I could think was "Wait, I was a Quality Assurance Manager?"  From what I've gathered ...