BOOKS!

I go through phases with my hobbies~ for a while all I'll want to do is knit, then for a week or two all I'll do is play games or read books, then I'll spend all my time watching wrestling, then it's back to knitting or reading... Is anyone else like that?

Right now I'm in a book phase. Over the last few months I have acquired a few books and recently I've decided to plow through them.



■ Longbourn by Jo Baker
■ Austenland by Shannon Hale
■ Midnight In Austenland by Shannon Hale
■ The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
■ Cat Trick by Sofie Kelly
■ Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

I have kept that copy of The Last Unicorn in my purse to read whenever I was stuck in line at the bank or grocery store. It helps the time fly by, although it makes for some really broken up reading. When I got to a certain plot point in the book I couldn't put the book down so I spent the next two or three days straight reading it whenever I wasn't at work. It was so good. I have watched the movie countless times as a child but really wanted to know more about how the Unicorn felt during her time as a human and after that back as a unicorn. The book didn't have much to add to the movie, but one little side story and expands on what the other characters end up doing, and I'm okay with that. It was a delightful story and one I will forever treasure.

My friend Mal gave me the copy of Howl's Moving Castle after I had made a comment about wanting to read it. (She's such a sweetheart!!) After finishing The Last Unicorn it was a no brainer on which book to start up next. I think it took me about a week to read it. There are many differences between the book and the movie (which I watched before reading the book) and I can honestly say I love them both. They take the same plot (a young lady who is cursed to be a 90 year old woman and talks her way into being the cleaning lady for the wizard Howl in hopes he can help her figure out how to break the spell) and run two different directions with it. Each version of the book stands on it's own as an excellent story and I highly recommend both.



Cat Trick is the latest in a series of cat murder mystery books by Sofie Kelly. The main character is a librarian who is adopted by two stray cats who have magical abilities~ one can disappear and the other can walk through walls. The three of them help solve local murders much to the chagrin of the local police department (who's lead detective is the potential love interest but keeps butting heads with the main character so they never hook up. It's a great dynamic!). These books are cute, witty, and cleverly written. Not once have I been able to figure out all the story points early on, which has made for some fun reading. If you love mystery books and cats you should totally check these books out!



Another series of murder mystery books I've been reading is by Maggie Sefton. The series starts in a small town of Colorado where the main character arrives to make arrangements for her aunt's funeral. The aunt, who is more of a mother figure to Kelly (the main character), was murdered and while the police are certain the case is closed, the main character just isn't sure. The building right next door to the crime scene is a knitting store filled with lovely ladies (and a couple dudes) who are just as willing as Kelly to get down and dirty to figure out what really happened. These books are cute and super enjoyable, although not as well written as the cat books. The only reason I say that is because I can't seem to keep all the characters straight. There's just so many ladies at the knitting store that they just run together to me. Kelly is a strong enough character that I keep wanting to read about her adventures so I get excited each time a new book comes out. Whether or not you're a knitter, if you enjoy mystery books, I think you'll like these.



The two books I'm currently reading is Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku, and Knit One, Kill Two by Meggie Sefton. I saw Michio Kaku on John Stewart's show and was instantly enthralled with the man. Next thing I knew Aaron surprised me with two of his books and now I'm hooked! I'm really into physics and the like so this book is right up my alley. Kaku talks about the reality of phasers, force fields, warp drive, and so on. It's really fascinating and he writes in such a way that anyone can enjoy it (even if they aren't into physics as much as I am). Knit One, Kill Two is the first in the series and for whatever reason was the hardest for me to find. I've read 2 and on but it wasn't until recently did I run into the first volume. Really enjoying it so far.

Well that's enough of my own novel of a blog post. Are you reading anything at the moment? What are your favorite types of books? Who's your favorite author(s)?