Ubalblog

[  Mood: Cool ]
Toronto had its Gay Pride parade on the weekend, and in a first for Canada, the Canadian Military marched in the parade and set up a recruiting booth. The military wanted to make it clear that it was a place where your sexuality did not matter.

When I read this I burst into tears of joy. I have spent the last 20 years of my life working with young people. One of the number one causes of suicide in young people is the discovery that they are gay or lesbian. Often this comes after they reveal their sexuality to their loved ones and are condemned and rejected. They are afraid to live in a world that hates them so much.

When you add the fact that the firefighters were there, as were nurses, pilots, politicians, you name it. The Durham police even detailed a patrol car for the occasion, and you can see why I was crying with joy.

Today is a good day to be a Canadian.

[  Mood: Happy ]
[ Currently: Breasfeeding my son ]
In the secon of the "Alphabet Books", Sue Grafton has Kinsey Milhone investigating the disappearance of a wealthy widow. What starts as a simple case becomes complicated as she peels back the layers. Kinsey gets caught up in mysterious break-ins, rude sub-letters, teenage drug dealers and bridge playing seniors. The climax is satisfying and nailbiting.

This book is better than the first one (which is a good book). I am looking forward to reading the third book.

[  Mood: Distorted ]
[ Currently: Holding My Son ]
I know he is gone, but he would have been 88 today.

Sigh.

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[ Currently: Breasfeeding my son ]
Tally Youngblood is Special.

Captured at the end of Pretties, she has been operated on by Special Circumstances and turned into a Special. Specials are the secret police of the city. Her teeth, fingernails and toenails have been weaponized. She can see in the dark. Her skeleton has been remade of superstrong ceramics.

Pulled into a secret plot to find and destroy the New Smoke, Tally finds herself embracing and yet fighting the new life she has been given. As the plot unravels Tally find that she is poised to take her world down a path of change, or she can enforce the status quo.

Scott Westerfield has once again written an exciting dystopian adventure for tweens. This one was a page turner. As an added bonus, he and the publisher are now sponsoring a fan fiction website. Very cool.

[  Mood: Silly ]
[ Currently: Breasfeeding my son ]
Christmas is fast approaching, and Queen Betsy has a lot on her plate. She has a wedding to plan to a groom that is not at all interested. Her half-sister is starting to take after her mother (the devil). Ghosts keep showing up and asking her to do things for them. Her best friend Jessica is dating Betsy’s ex. Betsy just found out from the newspaper that her step-mother just gave birth to Betsy’s new baby brother. On top of all this, there is the fact that she is the vampire queen to consider.

Part of the supernatural chick-lit trend in publishing, the fourth book of the Undead series is a fun, light read. Funny and fluffy, it is not going to change your life, but it is a fun ride for a few hours.

I have already ordered the next book from the library.

The great Harry Potter re-read contniues. This time around, I read the Goblet of Fire.

I won’t bother with a plot summary, cause if you don’t know what happens in this book, where have you been? Instead, I want to focus on the subtle things I noticed the second (or third time through).

Like Fleur giving the eye to Bill at the tournament.

Ron being a complete prat to everyone, not just Harry.

The Longbottom back story.

Crabbe and Goyle’s parents being death eaters.

Again, I enjoyed this book much more this time through, knowing what is coming later.

[  Mood: Happy ]
[ Currently: Breastfeeding my son ]
Mr. Sulu is getting married.

When I was eight, that sentence would have ended with "to me". Mr. Sulu was my second big crush.

But since then, I have learned that George is gay. And that real people, like me, can’t marry fictional characters, like Sulu.

So now George is going to marry his partner of 21 years, Brad Altman, and I feel the need to celebrate with them.

Since coming out in 2005, George has suffered the slings and arrows with a remarkable grace and sense of humour. He is now even more one of my heroes.

So I want to celebrate this event with George. But what do you get for the man who has everything? The Husband Unit and I have decided to make a donation to a local GLBTQ group that works with youth in the name of George and Brad and send the receit with a card to the happy couple.

I hope they like it.

[  Mood: Fed Up WIth Life ]
Kiriel is a fallen angel. He is tired of supervising the condemned souls in Hell. He wants a holiday, so he takes possession of a body just before it is about to die in a horrible accident. Kiriel then procedes to learn about life from the point of view of a slacker teenager.

A.M. Jenkins has written a quick little novel that explores adolescense lived by a being thousand if years old. Kiriel begins to try and make the life that he has taken better as well as try to reach out to those around him.

This is a fun book, definately for the High School reader given the references to slapping the salami and sex.

[  Mood: Distorted ]
[ Currently: Sweating like a pig ]
Cato has just been freed by the Emperor Claudius. For this he has his late father to thank. Apparently, his father’s dying wish was that Cato be a free man, but continue to serve the empire.

What better way to do that then by joining the army.

So Cato is placed with the Second legion. Emperor Claudius manages to secure Cato a rank, even though most men wait years to be promoted. Cato must learn to be a soldier, deal with the resentment of the vetrans and adjust to life outside the palace, all while trying to be second in command of a century.

Simon Scarrow has created a historical tale that is rich in detail and intrigue. His charaters are real, flawed and enjoyable. I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would and am already onh the list for the second book at the library.

[  Mood: Happy ]
[ Currently: Guess ]
Faythe wants out.

She negotiated four years of college from her father, but now he wants her back home. Sounds like a typical family dispute, but Faythe’s life is more complicted. She is a werecat.

In Rachel Vincent’s first novel, werecats have pretty much divided up the North American territory. Each area is run by a family or pride. Rachel is one of a handfull of female werecats, called tabbies that exist. Apparently each family only gives birth to one daughter per generation.

The problem is, the tabbies are disappearing. Faythe herself is attacked at college, but manages to get away. Faythe is called home by her father. She races to find out who is behind the kidnappings in order to obtain her freedom.

This book was hard to get into. A lot of the first part of the book was taken up with the angsty on againg, off again relationship between Faythe and Marc, one of her father’s enforcers. n I almost gave up on this, several times. By the end of the book, though, the action (and sorytelling) had picked up.

This novel is far more of a paranormal romance. How fitting that it be published by Mira, a branch of Harlequin Romance.

I may pick up the second one, I haven’t decided yet.