Curio by Evangeline Denmark

Curio by Evangeline Denmark 432 pages, Hardcover Publishing Date: January 2015, Blink
Source: NetGalley, provided by publisher for review
Grey and her family are different and it is being noticed. They do not require the chemists tonic to help them digest food as all others do. They can survive without their rations and make sure to help those who are unable to get theirs. A raid at their house causes Grey to have to escape and where she escapes to is not what she expected. 
Her blood seems to be the key into an entirely different world within her grandfather's Curio cabinet. The "people" within are made of porcelain or clockwork and she appears to be the only human there. 
How did she get here and how is she to get home? Who is the Mad Tock? 
This is only the second steampunk book I have read. I have to say, I kind of like the quirkiness of the characters and the world that was created here. It's an interesting mix of a dystopian world and the steampunk world within the curio cabinet.  Very enjoyable read.
Happy Reading! _________________________________________

Charlie Brown Christmas Live!

I am so excited for this! 

The San Francisco Symphony will be performing the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas and Jodi Benson (aka, The Little Mermaid) will be there for a Christmas sing-along! We are taking the little girl to this instead of Peter and the Wolf, which we have gone to the past couple years. 

I really enjoy sharing my love of the symphony and of classical music with the little girl. It is hopefully fostering a love of it in her, too.

More info if you click on the picture. Shows begin December 18th and run through December 24th.

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Current Read: Curio by Evangeline Denmark

"Movement flickered inside the case. She bent closer. It must've been a shadow." page 1, Curio by Evangeline Denmark. (Advanced Reader Copy) Publication Date: January 5th, 2016 by Blink Look for my review on December 17th. Happy Reading! _________________________________________

Christmas Knitting

I thought I would do some Christmas knitting this year. Try and pump out some quick knit hats for some family and friends. The hubby thinks I can get six more knit before Christmas. We shall see. Going to be using the same pattern for all of them and just switch up the yarn being used. 

Pattern: Sockhead Hat by  Needles: US2 circulars Yarn: Socks that Rock in Flower Power Wandering Wool, High Peaks Sock in Deep Amethyst
Above are the adult hats for myself and a friend. Below are the matching hats for our girls. :)

Happy Knitting! _________________________________________

The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks

The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks 293 pages, Paperback First published August 1988, Harper Prism
I really love the diversity of books we read in my book group. This was chosen by our lone male at the moment. Science Fiction is not a genre I usually read. There have been some I have read and enjoyed on recommendation by the hubby but I don't usually read them on my own. Glad to have read this one, too.
It's an interesting premise. A master game player, Jernau Gurgeh,  is recruited to travel to the Empire of Azad to play the ultimate in games- the game of Azad. The winner becomes Emperor. What is the point of Gurgeh going and participating? Is it for his entertainment, a mission by The Culture to infiltrate Azad? It is hard to know when everyone is playing a game.
This book had me so enthralled. I listened to it in the car and read my copy when I was home. So much going on behind the scenes of such a quiet book. I never knew who to trust, or who was who. I will be reading more of Banks' Culture series. 
December/January Book Choice: Dead Mountain by Donnie Eicher

Happy Reading! _________________________________________