Thursday, June 15, 2017

Where Is Your Bookmark? (Ancillary Justice & My Attempt At Haiku)

This week saw the end of my daughter's year in kindergarten. Her school doesn't believe in doing promotions or graduations at that age, but her class, along with a couple other kindergarten classes at her school, put on a concert. It was a nice way to close out the year.

Although it's quite unusual for me, I have a few books going right now. I hope to finish my audiobook in the next day or so, a book I featured last week. This week, I thought I would share a bit of a book my husband recommended to me, a science fiction novel called Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch #1) by Ann Leckie. Evidently it's one that has been on his radar, and he was hoping I would read it and tell him if it is any good. 



A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. Hosted by the wonderful Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader.
The body lay naked and facedown, a deathly gray, spatters of blood staining the snow around it. It was minus fifteen degrees Celsius and a storm had passed just hours before. The snow stretched smooth in the wan sunrise, only a few tracks leading into a nearby ice-block building. A tavern. Or what passed for a tavern in this town. 
Yes, again with the sharing more than the first line. I hope you don't mind. I couldn't help myself though. The opening of Ancillary Justice grabbed my attention right away. Whose body? What happened? Where are we exactly? It sure is cold!


A weekly meme in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading. Hosted by the wonderful Freda of Freda's Voice.
Lieutenant Awn approached the Var decade room with trepidation, not knowing why I had sent her there. I had refused to answer her questions, which had only fed a growing feeling on her part that something was very wrong. 
(at 56% of my Kindle edition)


What do you think? Would you keep reading?

*

Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

How do you organize your blog in terms of what is in your side bar? Do you have categories and defined sections in your side bar?
My husband I asked
How to answer this question
He said try Haiku.

So . . .

Organization
A myth I cannot believe
It's all random chance.

Why, Just look at it
What do you want me to say?
It's all there to see.

I'll keep my day job
This Haiku is not for me
A poet I'm not.

(That's not wholly true
I prefer to write free verse
Lines are tricky things.)

What about you?
*


I was so excited to find my cat actually using the little house on the cat tree--and then she yawned in the middle of the photo. Look at those fangs!


© 2017, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

56 comments:

  1. I had so much trouble with Ancillary Justice at first, because it is so out of the box. But once I got into it, I really appreciated it, and had much less trouble with the rest of the trilogy.

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    1. Jill - I finished Ancillary Justice earlier in the week and really enjoyed it. Like you, I struggled in the beginning. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the trilogy.

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  2. Congratulations to Mouse! Kudos to her school for not having a big ceremony - I think we overdo that kind of thing these days.

    I love your haiku!

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    1. Kathy - Thank you! She's very excited to be off for the summer. :-) I understand wanting to keep promotion ceremonies and graduations special. I honestly couldn't care less one way or the other. But I was worried Mouse would be sad she didn't get to wear a cap and gown like some of her friends who go to other schools or like the kindergartners in her books, but it didn't phase her, fortunately.

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  3. I really want to check out Ancillary Justice. One of these days!

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    1. Kelly - I really enjoyed it! I hope you do get a chance to read it.

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  4. When I first saw the book, I didn't think I'd be into it. After reading your snippets, I am keen. :-) Happy weekend!

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    1. Freda - I haven't read too much science fiction in recent years, but I really liked this one. It's written from an interesting perspective, which took a bit to fall into. I really liked this one though.

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  5. I just finished the second book in the Imperial Radch series and it was quite good! I agree with Jill - it can be hard at first with the first book, but then it clicks! Also makes you realize just how obsessed you can be with knowing if someone is male or female...

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    1. Aarti - I am glad to hear you liked the second book! I nearly bought a copy when I finished this first one, but decided I should read some of the books I already planned to read first. I really liked Ancillary Justice.

      I know what you mean about knowing the gender of characters. Thanks for Breq, they are all female in my mind. :-)

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  6. Ancillary Justice is one of my favorite books. I really need to read the rest of the series.

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    1. Breana - It is really good, I agree. I want to read the rest of the trilogy too.

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  7. Awesome post and I love your haiku! I always seem to get my dog and cat mid action, even though they are perfectly still when I take the picture.

    Ancillary Justice looks intriguing. What's the story on the body? It certainly draws you in.

    Thanks for dropping by my blog earlier!

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    1. Jo-Ann - Thank you! I wasn't sure how to answer this week's question, and my husband's idea sounded like a fun and different way to go about it.

      I know what you mean about those animal photos. Mine always seem to get up right when I'm ready to take a photo. At least this one she stayed put. LOL

      The opening takes an unexpected turn in regards to the body, I'll give you that much. ;-)

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  8. Cute answer, Wendy.

    I see your side bar is organized. :)

    Have a good weekend, and I like defined and titled sections. We think alike. :)

    Nice to see you on the Hop this week.

    Have a great weekend, and Happy Hopping!!

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Blog Hop Answer

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    1. Elizabeth - Thank you! Yes, organized to some degree, but somewhat random in placement. :-) I used to have a lot more on my sidebar, but it's become less and less as the years pass.

      Thanks for visiting!

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  9. I love a good mystery. Great excerpt!

    As for the sidebar, I like your Haiku answer...mine is boring: I just have the usual things like social media connections, a couple of books I loved, and Posts I Like.

    Thanks for sharing....and for visiting my blog.

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    1. Laurel-Rain - Thank you! I really enjoyed Ancillary Justice.

      I don't think your sidebar is boring at all! All your blogs look really great.

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  10. I do love mysteries and this hooked me right away.

    Isn't it fun when the kitties explore the cat trees? Very cute.

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    1. Yvonne - I've never caught them in that part of the tree before, and so it was a pleasant surprise. :-)

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  11. That haiku answer may just be the best thing I've seen today! That's hilarious! I like that Mouse's class did a little concert. What fun! How can they be this old? I thought all these kids who seem to be flying through the grades would be babies for a little while longer. I'm in shock to realize that I have a 2nd grader!

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    1. Katherine - Thank you! It was fun to put together. :-)

      They seem to have gotten older without our permission. I can't believe they're already as old as they are.

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  12. Awesome photo! I love catching pets in the middle of something like that! My brother has an insanely funny photo of his dog, Dixie, a yellow lab, as she was shaking off after getting out of the ocean.

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    1. Erica - Thank you! It was quite by accident, but turned out well. I bet the photo of Dixie is adorable. :-)

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  13. I love the concert idea. I teach middle school which has a full promotion ceremony. It's nice, but kind of silly at that age. We just had an end of the year picnic and headed for high school in the fall back in the day.

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    1. James - I think the concert was a nice way for all of us to end the year. I remember the picnic at the end of the year in middle school. That and the roller rink party to celebrate the end of 6th grade when I was leaving elementary school. That seemed enough for all of us back then.

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  14. Glad you enjoyed the book. Not sure if its my cuppa tea. My what big teeth she has!

    My Friday 56 from The Nutting Girl

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    1. Laura - I'm just glad she doesn't use those teeth on me. :-)

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    1. Nicki - They were fun to put together. :-) Thank you!

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  16. I haven't read science fiction in so long and this one sounds quite interesting. I will have to check it out. Thanks for sharing it. :)

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    1. Candid Cover - I am slowly getting back into science fiction and really enjoying the experience so far. :-)

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  17. This sounds good! Not for me but I would pick it up if I ever felt like reading science fiction!
    And loved your Haiku and your cat looks rather wolfie! haha

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    1. Priyanka - I don't read a lot of science fiction, but I do enjoy it when I do. This one was good.

      Thank you! I had fun putting together the Haiku poems. :-)

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  18. Those extracts sound great - thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful weekend.

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    1. Bev - Thank you! I hope you have a wonderful weekend too.

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  19. I don't read sci-fi much. Your cat is cute, even with the fangs!

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    1. Vicki - I don't either, although I am trying to change that.

      Thank you! She's a funny cat. I seem to catch her with her mouth open a lot. LOL

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  20. Stick to your day job... only joking! :) Writing poetry is difficult!

    I like how you're your husband's personal book reviewer. Or you could read it together and have a mini book club!

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    1. Rita - Haha! I will definitely stick to my day job. :-)

      My husband and I sometimes do read the same books, but he's not interested in most of what I want to read, unfortunately.

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  21. Had to laugh about your husband having you read it first.

    Your haiku is fun. As for sidebars, I do different things for all my different blogs.

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  22. lol I love your blog hop answer. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog hop. Have a great weekend and happy blog hopping.

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    1. Kati - Thank you! I hope you have a great weekend too.

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  23. I love your haiku! I have so many pictures of my animals where they moved just as the photo was taken and look a bit mean. Oh well, cute kitty anyway. I bet your daughter's concert was a lot of fun.

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    1. Carole - Thank you! It was fun to do. :-) Getting photos of the cats can be quite a challenge, especially if I want to catch them in action. LOL The concert was fun. I can't believe kindergarten is behind us now.

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  24. Hi Wendy,

    This is one instance where I might have kept reading after checking out your opening lines, if they were all I had to go by. Unfortunately, the synopsis and cover art rather gave the game away that this is science fiction we are talking about, and that, together with fantasy, are the two genres that I just can't seem to get along with!

    My sidebar is quite busy, but I hope in an organised way and hopefully covers a fair selection of the categories and social media on offer in the blog - Any complaints, take them up with my IT consultant, AKA hubbie. He already gets fed up with the demands I make on his spare time, so I'm sure he won't mind :)

    I'm pleased that you are able to report to hubbie that you enjoyed his book and I hope that you have enjoyed your weekend and are ready for the long summer break :)

    Yvonne

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    1. Yvonne - Science fiction and fantasy don't appeal to everyone, unfortunately. Luckily, you have lots of other options open to you.

      My husband helps me a lot with my blog too. :-)

      I hope you have a great weekend too!

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  25. Love your haiku! :) And perhaps your kitty was trying to smile for the picture.

    Terri M., the Director
    http://secondrunreviews.com

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    1. Terri - Thank you! Haha! Maybe she was. She probably would be smiling all the time if she could--at least if you go by the amount she purrs.

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  26. That's a super cute pic of kitty.
    sherry @ fundinmental Friday Memes

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  27. Bravo for giving Haiku a try - I loved it! And, I enjoyed the snippet you shared from your sci-fi read. I don't read sci-fi but that's a good teaser!

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    1. Iliana - It's not my preferred poetry style, but it works in a pinch. :-)

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