My DIY Kinde Case- Because Sewing and Reading are Life

 Ooh, pretty, but was is it? It's my DIY Kindle cover. Why? Because I needed one.  Cool yes?

 I decided I wanted one that would stand up, and not just keep it from getting dinged up in my bag. I would have just bought one, but I wanted two things that weren't going to happen if I bought one. I wanted a pretty floral (hello Amy Butler Ginger Bliss, circa 2005) and I needed it that night. Well, perfectly girly and immediate just doesn't happen all too quickly, so, I had to get creative.




Basically, I traced neatly around my new Kindle onto two layers of that plastic grid my grandma was always trying to teach me how to cover in yarn to make nifty over large cross-stitch-esque designs. Yeah, that never happened, but it is nice and stiff.

Once I had two pieces that matched my kindle of said plastic grid, I cut one into two pieces lengthwise about 2/3 of the way across. (that way those two pieces bend when everything is put together).

Then I cut matching pieces of felt and hot glued them to either side of the plastic grid for softness.

Next I cut four short pieces of elastic and one long piece of elastic, and the strip of fabric for my case cover. I determined it's size by laying out my three case pieces on top of the fabric, with about a quarter inch between the one that went behind that back of the kindle, the narrow one, and then about an eighth of an inch between the narrow and the last one, (the narrow will go in the middle) on the wrong side and tracing around them lightly in pencil. Then, I moved the pieces as though mirrored from those positions, outward, so that I traced a second large rectangle outside the largest rectangle, a second midsize next to the midsize, and a second small on the end, because in the end, I wanted my opening to go in the middle. Once I had all these rectangles marked out, large large, small, medium, medium, small, I added a 1/4" seam allowance around the whole thing, and marked that in, then cut out the long rectangle. Then it was just a matter of lining up where I wanted my elastic to go: four  short pieces situated so they'd cross the corners of the RIGHT SIDE of the end with the first large rectangle - you'll want to fold under the edges on the end that will be visible and finish it nicely, but that's only the two on the fold between the two large rectangles. Stitch them in place at the ends. They need to be tight because these will hold your kindle in place, so cut them a touch short and pull them a bit taut when you put them in.
Then put the long piece all the way across the RIGHT SIDE  approx 1" from end between the two medium sized rectangles, and stitch it down, just at the ends. When you're done, this is what will hold it close.

Now, you'll want to press the far ends (one end of a large and one small rectangle) under. Then fold these two bits toward the center so they just meet and stitch along the top and bottom, like you're making a pillow sham.

Then, the whole thing gets flipped right side out, the rigid felt covered parts slide in. Stitch between the split ends of the front cover so the rigid cover pieces don't slide around, and then along the edge of the narrow one between it and the opening.  Woot! Almost done. Slip the Kindle in to see if the elastic holds it. If it's too loose, use a needle and thread to tighten up the elastic. If you pulled it during the insetting phase, you should be peachy.

Now, the unsightly opening. I covered mine with a strip of ribbon neatly hot glued in place. Why? Because it was quick.

Last things last. Take a strip of the plasticy stuff about an inch by three inches, cover it in the coordinating fabric, and hand stitch it along the top and just a bit down either short side about an inch and a half from the far end of the back of the cover, to hold the folded front as a stand.

And then you're done.
Woohoo! Enjoy some good reading, or stream some movies. Live is just more fun with a good cover.

My apologies if that was hard to follow, but the whole process was pretty intuitive. You'll be fine. Seriously. You will.
If you don't want to have to deal with folding your elastic under, you can add an extra half inch between the two large rectangles, cut between them, attach the elastic, then sew them back together before proceeding. It makes for neater elastic ends, but it's more complicated from a construction standpoint. But you know, it's totally within your skill set.

Book Review: Wicked as They Come by Delilah S Dawson

Wicked as They Come by Delilah S. Dawson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When it comes to Dark Romance, Delilah S. Dawson knows what she's doing. With engaging, concise, and lively prose, as well as careful world building, Dawson impressed me. I have recently found myself complaining that I don't like it when my leading characters are both helpless and in the dark, which seems more and more often to be the case in novels with a paranormal edge. In Wicked as They Come, while the main character has to have a good many things explained, she is never both helpless and uninformed at the same time, and she is always armed with wit, logic, and the scientific method to help her get through the toughest of problems.
With the sequel, Wicked as She Wants launching right now, I'm anxious to get my hands on it. I want to see what happens next because although the loose ends are tied well enough for this to be a stand alone novel, I care enough about the characters to want to know more about them.
Hat's off to you, Ms. Dawson.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith: a Review

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


The goal of this story was to take the much loved tale, Pride & Prejudice, and add zombies to it to make a funny romp of a classic. It's supposed to be funny and read with tongue in cheek. I understood that when I picked it up. However, any good mash up should take two different ideas and combine them to make something better.
In this case, Grahame-Smith falls pitiably short, taking characters whose learning in the arts of zombie killing could have added depth and interest to their characters, but instead, grossly detracted from them. I will own that Charlotte only marrying Mr. Collins because she had been infected was a clever bit, and does, truly, make more sense than her simply being afraid of spinsterhood, but that is the only case in which it works well. Further, that one case was dealt with in a manner which strikes me as insupportable by the rest of the story.
Also, this novel could have been improved by the judicious application of copy editing. I do assure you that sometimes spellcheck, alone, is insufficient. For instance, I doubt Mr. Darcy took great pride in his coy pond, but his koi pond, on the other hand, he may have.
I also found the ridiculous attempts to take perfectly British households and overlay a fawning attitude toward all things Japanese forced. No English maid during the Regency is going to be answering the door with bound feet, for instance, and little details like those suggested to me that the amount of research done by Grahame-Smith was sorely wanting.
Even when writing books for comedic effect, one must, surely, continue to respect their audience, and in this case, the precedent of the book from which half the words were drawn. This didn't do it, though I admit, I did enjoy going through and mentally highlighting the original text and marking those deviations which turned it into that which I had hoped would be a deeply entertaining zombie romp.

Timepiece, by Myra McEntire: a Review

Timepiece by Myra McEntire

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I feel like Ms McEntire underestimates her readers. I don't believe that reducing 90% of her main character's interactions to hormones and sexuality helps keep the reader's attention, but rather paints the main character as disturbingly immature.
I'm sure this is just personal, but I liked each and every one of the characters better when viewed from Emerson's perspective in Hourglass, and I don't think the choice to write Hourglass from Kaleb's was a good one. While it opened the door for a whole new budding romance without having to go the overdone route of girl meets boy and falls in love in book one, and in book two gets drawn away by someone else, only to reunite with Mr. Right in book three, I don't think picking the budding alcoholic and outward chauvinist to be the center of the tale was a great idea.
Sorry, it just didn't do it for me.

Hopefully the third installment in the series will redeem it. Yes, you read that correctly, I do intend to finish what I started and see the whole series through to the end. If nothing else, the premise is just too interesting to not keep giving it another try.
Fingers crossed and allons-y.

Hourglass, by Myra McEntire: a Review

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


An interesting and fun time travel novel, but I do have to say, what's with the cryptic overprotective men?  I'm getting so tired of reading about them.

It's hard to properly review a novel that raises a lot of questions but resolves next to nothing. While the premise is both strong and intriguing, and the characters seem to have a lot of fertile soil in which McEntire has planted the seeds of interest and and deep backstory, I'm concerned that they haven't been properly watered. Here's to hoping.

The Wild Flower Book, by Donald Stokes: a Review

The Wildflower Book: East of the Rockies - A Complete Guide to Growing and Identifying Wildflowers by Donald Stokes

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was very much written from the environmental moralist standpoint. That can be nice, but it can also be off-putting. I wish the pictures had included more than just the prettiest of blooms, but also pictures of the various plants throughout their annual lifecycle to help prevent the accidental weeding of precious wildflowers. The information could also have been improved upon by making it clear whether each plant discussed was edible or not. An occasional plant was described as poisonous or had a blurb regarding herbal or traditional uses, but on this subject, most plants' entries remained silent.
If you're wondering what that pretty flower you saw might have been called, it's a good book. If you're looking at wildflowers with a mind to foraging, it wasn't quite as useful.
I did appreciate the brief section outlining which "wildflowers" are pernicious weeds, rather, invasive imported species.

Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford: a Review

Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


The premise was delightful, the pacing, in the beginning seemed appropriate for a book about Austen, but the female characters are written like caricatures of women, at times, even the seemingly strong female characters devolve into vapid stereotypes and I don't have time for that.
Further, the metaphoric and nearly literal rape apology rampant in the book is rather stomach churning. Spoiler alert: a woman being coerced into sleeping with a man she doesn't even like is a bad plot device when the rest of the plot is trying to set up some sort of likeable rouge character. As a repeat offender, plotwise, the fact that Ford keeps trying to redeem this character, or at least write heroic scenes for him just makes me want to puke.
Further, the plot tends to focus on unnecessary details a little too long, and with arguable accuracy (see makeup tips that died in the nineties) then to completely fast forward when details would make "action" scenes a little more readable.
I also disliked the suddenness of the plot turns toward the end. They reminded me of a role playing campaign with a lazy DM.
Sorry, there were parts that were enjoyable, but the parts I didn't like or that broke my willing suspension of disbelief barrier simply outweigh the good of the book. I won't be bothering with the sequel.

Austenland, by Shannon Hale, a Review

Austenland by Shannon Hale

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I can not properly sum up my thoughts or experiences with this book. From the moment Jane began to discuss her obsession with the Pride & Prejudice DVDs, something in the tone reminded me of the work of Anne Rice, when writing under the pseudonym Anne Rampling. This slightly uncomfortable feeling bloomed as Jane headed off for Austenland. I must say, the premise of the novel's primary setting was about ten kinds of squicky for me. Romance with actors paid to pretend to like you? That's most unsettling.
However, after many plot twists, sadly predictable, I found the novel resolving around 2am and realized I hadn't wanted to put down a guilty pleasure in the least, and had read it cover to cover in a matter of hours.
I don't know that I'll read the sequel, and I don't know that I'd recommend it, but it did keep me turning the pages, even for all it's Regency propriety.

Songs of the humpback Whale, by Jodi Picoult: a Review

Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Told from five perspectives, and in different orders, Songs of the Humpback Whale shows a remarkable depth of insight into the way in which events are different for every participant.
The at-times-confusing decision to write events backwards for a character and forwards for others helps avoid the tedium that could arise from retelling the same events multiple times, but unfortunately, at times, leads to difficulty in remembering where in the story one is with regard to everyone else's timeline.
More than once I felt as if people should be places they weren't, with foreknowledge they wouldn't have, because they were at a different point in time.
Overall it was an enjoyable story. I only give it two stars because it can be a difficult read to follow because of the multiple perspectives and timeline issues, and because, at times, it seems as though well established characters do something that feels forced in order to further the plot, rather than having the plot emerge organically as an outgrowth of circumstance or character. 
I admit, there are bits of the ending that didn't sit well with me. Some of the "morals" of the story seemed, to me, illogical or old fashioned, and as such I feel "it was okay."

How I Killed Pluto and Why it had it Coming, by Mike Brown

How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike  Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book helped me mourn the loss of Pluto.
When I took my first astronomy class, well before the official demotion of Pluto, we were taught that it wasn't really a planet because it hadn't cleaned it's region of space, among other reasons. I was dubious but figured that for the sake of that class, I'd use whatever definition the teacher wanted, but I wasn't changing my view of what traditional planets were. When, years later, the announcement came that Pluto no longer could be considered a planet, I was conflicted. Sure, I had heard this might be coming, but didn't that mean that the way I imagined the solar system was somehow wrong?
Well, now, I've come to terms with it. No, the solar system isn't that much different, yes, Pluto is still there, exactly the way it was before and for the most part unaffected by our attention, and yes, it really is for the best that we stop calling Pluto a planet.
I can move on now. We live in a solar system with, probably, eight planets, four of which are gas giants and four of which are rocky. I'm good with that.
Besides helping me come to terms with Pluto's non planetary status, this book was educational and thoroughly entertaining. Brown made astronomy dramatic and interesting. I liked it.
This is probably one of those cases where a geeky science book will appeal mostly to the people outside of the field it deals with, as a lot of time is spent explaining concepts that are, in my opinion, common knowledge, but to someone mostly unfamiliar with astronomy, that is probably a good thing.
I enjoyed it. Now I'm going to go see about pulling that straggling has-been of a planet off of the solar system model my parents bought my daughter back when we thought of them as nine.

Blood Vines, by Erica Spindler: a Review

Blood Vines by Erica Spindler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When a book starts off with the main character copulating with her ex-husband, you know it's going to leave something to be desired. While the pacing was lively and the energy (among other things) always up, the foreshadowing was rather heavy handed and therefore the book unfolded precisely as one expected by the close of chapter two.
I specifically read this book because Spindler is from the same region I currently live in, so her body of work is the topic for our upcoming book club discussion. The book was better than I expected, but lacked the emotional gravitas I had hoped for.
If you are looking for a light mystery with plenty of bedding, this may well fit the bill, but be forewarned that it should come with a trigger warning for more than just murder and intrigue, but also infant loss and rape.

The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield: a Review

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In brief, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
This was the first book that grabbed my attention hard enough for me to finish it with a grabby and demanding baby. 
A modern Gothic novel that reminiscent of Jane Eyre with delicious family secrets taken to the grave, and mysteries burning to be uncovered, The Thirteenth Tale was written with entrancing prose.  I particularly enjoyed the unusual word choices which made me feel as though Setterfield spent many hours poring over her work until every single word in The Thirteenth Tale was chosen for both beauty and precise meaning.
Though the tale ranges from the scandalous to bizarre, and mysteries are layered upon mysteries ever edging along the paranormal, they never fully step outside the realm of the believable.  Though the scandals are salacious, they are never described in the sort of sordid detail I've come to cringe through in many a similar tale. I greatly appreciated that Setterfield respected the story enough to tell the tale without gratuitous scenes of any sort. If it is in the book, it is a deeply intrinsic piece of the tale.  I admire the restraint apparent in the construction of The Thirteenth Tale.
It's a book I would recommend to nearly anyone over the age of 15 looking for an enigmatic tale, and it is one which I plan to read again.

The Dark Unwinding, by Sharon Cameron: a Review

The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron, ultimately, confused me. Not the plot, it was all set up well and easy enough to follow, with just enough foreshadowing to make the story gel, but not overly insult the reader by leading them by the hand. Well, maybe there was a little bit of hand holding, and really, only one of the twists was remotely surprising, but that's okay. Really, I like a book that doesn't side swipe me, because I feel that's usually the result of lazy writing.
However, I do have a word-choice bone to pick with Cameron. It makes my skin crawl to hear phrases like "tea things" thrown about when there are perfectly good descriptive and common terms. Maybe I'm wrong and tea service was called "tea things" during the 1870s, and I just don't know about it. I admit, this may be the first book I've read that was set in such a time period, to the best of my knowing. However, I doubt it.
I know it's a silly thing for me to complain about, but when reading a period piece, word choice can make or break a book in terms of suspension of disbelief, and for me, that one broke it every time.
Would I read a sequel? Yes. Would I recommend it to my teenage daughter? Probably. Would I herald it as a steampunk triumph? No.Why not? It has all of the elements, mechanized wonders as a plot point, utopian experiments, manners; it really should be. However, those elements truly played a setting role, and were specific only to the immediate locale, while the rest of the world went on completely as history recalls it. That isn't a bad thing, I just don't recommend it if you are looking for a deeply alternate timeline.
I don't believe it was intended as a steampunk novel, to be clear, but any book with a lot of gears on the cover will likely be expected to be so.

I feel like I should be reviewing this book based on feminist and mental health grounds, but alas, I haven't had enough time to fully dissect it all. I do, however, think that a certain amount of sizeism in the first chapter was unnecessary and unfavorably colored my view of the book, all the while recognizing that in a period piece, it is difficult to assign the same gravity to such things as in a modern piece. Was a character repeatedly mocked on account of weight? Yes. Was weight used as a metaphor for stupidity? Yes. Is that ever okay? No. Is it plausible that it may have been the prevailing notion at the time? Yes. Nevertheless, there are other ways to paint a character as impulsive and unintelligent other than calling them fat.

In terms of women's roles, well, the swooning is a little thick.

Shine, Shine, Shine - by Lydia Netzer: a Review

Shine Shine Shine by Lydia Netzer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In a tale of fragility and strength, isolation and interconnectedness, Shine,Shine,Shine identifies a thousand little fissures in the human heart with vivid clarity, all the while encouraging them to heal and scar over into something stronger and more beautiful.
If you have ever felt inadequate, read this book. Isolated, read this book. If you've been in love with a human, read this book. If you gaze at the stars and wonder what it would be like to drift among them, read this book. If your feet are planted firmly in the soil, read this book. If you're a mother, read this book. If you're a woman, read this book. If you are an orphan, read this book. If you're awkward, read this book. If you're awkward, read this book. If you're dealing with Austism, read this book.
Read it, read it, read it.

The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern: a Review

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A bedtime story of the best kind, The Night Circus transport the reader into myriad points in time and space connected by the thread of a dream made real through the efforts of the characters.

I wondered, in the beginning, if I could grow to love a story written in the present tense, but I did. The Night Circus was beautiful, detailed, and filled with not only sights and sounds, but weight, density, and scents.

A highly enjoyable and mesmerizing tapestry of lives, read this if you need a good dose of the transcendent injected into the mundane motions of your daily life.

Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre by Brett L. Markham - A Review

Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre by Brett L. Markham

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


There are many parts of this book that I feel needed to go into greater depth, but at other moments, Markham breaks down processes in ways that other books I've read on the topic fail to. I appreciate that Markham expects his readership to be tech-literate and rather than repeating everyone else's research, supplies suggestions as to where we can find the information we may want in a convenient manner. At times it felt like I was reading a personal blog more than a guide to mini-farming, and the extremely casual tone could, at times be off-putting, I still found, on the whole, the information was useful and I learned enough from this book that it was more than worth my time investment.
That said, I don't plan to be the "crazy chicken lady," so that bit of advice was wasted on me.

The Floating Islands, by Rachel Neumeir: A Review

The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Familiar but resonant themes coupled with a detailed and fantastic world filled with magery, adventure, war, and characters who are, at their core, all too human, make for an enjoyable read.
Neumeier's treatment of issues like loyalty, duty, orphanhood, the challenges of trying to fit in when one is of two places yet fully of neither, racial and gender roles, and the struggle for individuality make for a well rounded tale that though unearthly, rings true.
At times the plot seemed too neatly contrived, and at others the action seemed sudden and weight of detail awkward, but overall it was a smooth read and the characters were nearly all quite likeable.  I enoyed the fact that even adversaries are, for the most part, written as people with different interests and different values, rather than as entirely evil.
Far too often the good guys are too good, and the bad guys too bad, leaving tales bereft of nuance.  Neumeier manages to create characters who behave predominantly as individuals without taking on the weighty cowl of classic archetypes.  This isn't to say that the archetypes don't make their appearances, but rather, that the characters are not defined solely by them.
More than the complexity of the story, for truly, the story was at times quite predictable, I enjoyed reading it knowing it was the sort of book I could comfortably set in front of a child who enjoyed fantasy stories of adventure and magic, without any concern for exposing ze to foul language or anything sordid.
If you're looking for a good wholesome adventure, it's definitely worth putting on your "Want to Read" list.

C

In the Shadow of Blackbirds, by Cat Winters: a Review

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Cat Winters was a young girl, she watched an episode of Ripley's Believe it or Not which featured the fairy photographs taken by cousins Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths. As a reader, I am grateful that she did because the interest in the WWI era, spiritualism, photography, and the horrors of the Spanish Influenza came together in a marvelous story of young love, tragedy, and the value of tenacity.

Immediately, Winters' impresses with her use of voice and back story. The motion of Mary Shelley's journey and the rhythm of the prose meld seamlessly. In the Shadow of Blackirds reflects deep research without flaunting it. The cast was uncluttered, the memories pertinent, the characters well formed, and to give credit where it's due- they physical book is beautiful.

Tip of the hat to the genius who decided to write the story in black on white and the author's note, acknowledgements, dedication and copyright page in white on black. The typeface is elegant, chapter headers interesting, and although the cover art frustrated me in that it only nearly recreates an image featured in the story, it's pretty fantastic as well.

Loved this story.

The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova: A Review

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this book. I loved the complexity of the characters, like they could be real people with real dirt under their nails. the kinds of people who exist somewhere off the page. I think that's why it gave me nightmares.
I loved the rich wording and the way it evoked memories of late nights prowling the stacks in search of the right book for research, and the way Kostova wove cultural background into the characters without creating cliches.
This book is quite possibly my favorite vampire book, partially because of the way it veers from the typical vampire stereotypes, and partly because Kostova was writing a book about people whose lives were uprooted by the malice of a vampire, rather than a book about vampires and how awesome or evil they are, which has become far too common within the genre.
The fact that throughout the entire book, the focus seemed to be on the characters' humanity places this book at the top of the list for Vampire novels.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an entrancing and literary treatment of the genre.

Clockwork Princess, by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am erring on the generous side with four stars. My better judgment says three stars, or somewhere in between. However, math says that if it's three and a half, you round up because it will result in an even number. Therefore, I went with four.

I stayed up far too late to finish this book. It was fast paced, engaging, somewhat (quite?) predictable, with glimmers of gratification that push you toward the next. The details were substantial and even occasionally included how things smelled. I always like it when a writer remembers that there are more senses than sight and hearing.  However, there were a good many times when it felt like Clare was on a fan-girl binge, lifting text from other novels, rearranging the particulars in a way that reminded me of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, so it would fit the narrative. A sentence here or there of para-quoting makes me smile. Lengthy paragraphs invokes groaning, and also meters my esteem for this work.

Another problem with this particular text is that too often, I feel, characters behave in accordance with the needs of the plot rather than the idiosyncrasies of their characters established in the two previous books. The Clockwork Prince raised my expectations, and these moments didn't meet those expectations. These moments are not horribly glaring, but at times, words and actions and character didn't meld as well as I had expected. Any of my other grouses would be spoilers, but suffice it to say that while I wanted the ending and the fan girl in me was overjoyed, the literary critic in me was disappointed.

Don't mistake my reservations for condemnation. I enjoyed Clockwork Princess, and if you read and liked Clockwork Prince, as I recommended, you'll enjoy this too. Just read it for what it is and have fun with it.