The first discworld novel by Terry Pratchett.

Let me first explain that I have a huge gap in my fiction reading experience, and I am trying as many different types of novels as I can, ones that have been relatively recently published, even if it doesn't look they would be my preferred reading.

There were parts of this I really enjoyed. The story is just so full of interesting ideas. I loved the perpetually-reappearing, indestructible 'Luggage' and the portrayal of the two main characters. The book is just brimming with ideas that could almost each carry a novel.

It was very fast-paced, so I didn't have much time to become bored.

Will I be reading the next volume...

Hmmm... maybe, maybe not.

This isn't really my style of novel.

When I read SFF, I want to believe, for that moment, that the world described could actually be real. I want the author to take their own worldbuilding seriously. Pratchett does not do that. He takes the Mickey out on his world, his characters, himself and his readers. The text is full of smart-arsey one-liners. Heck, some are even funny, but to me, it makes the book feel like told by a stand-up comedian. OK, that's a style. He does it well. I'm not sure I enjoy too much of that. Just me, methinks.

I realise I am starting to sound like I don't enjoy anything. That's not quite true. I did finish this book in one day. If I hadn't enjoyed it at all, I wouldn't have finished it. And I *did* say that I'm trying out many different (sub)genres.

tabraRe-name the shows you watch.

NCIS- The drool over Mark Harmon hour.

Numb3rs- Numbers. (Ha ha)

Australian Idol- Why aren't our idols as good as America's Idols?

Stargate SG1- See an archaeologist do things no real archaeologist would, but who cares because he's hot.

Good News Week- Rude, crude and bad taste, but bloody funny!

I'm not talking!

PS - Don't forget the Hal 4 Book Launch on the 27th of May.

Hey, Dot,

Mr daw was just reading me a news story about a librarian who was selling books from her library on E-Bay. Why didn't you tell us about that little extra income source?

...also did a fantastic interview with me, which is now up for your perusal. I thoroughly enjoyed doing this one. Go have a look.

Migraines suck.

A community service announcement for all those who didn't know *g*

gillpolackI shall be Eurovisioning this year. Friends are welcome to join me. BYO soft drinks and snack food. I shall provide unlimited coffee and less unlimited medlar liqueur.

26,616 / 40,000 (66.5%)

Let's not talk about yesterday, shall we?

It's vaguely irritating that the snatched hour or two on a weekend day full of child juggling and birthday parties garners almost exactly the same daily wordcount as a weekday day with full childcare. Of course, I was doing so much rewriting last week that I needed full days to do what I managed in an hour or two today, but still.

Also, I seem to be hitting a wall at 1000-1200 words per working day which is nowhere near enough to hit my target. It's frustrating as hell. I don't know if I've ever had to wait quite so long for the momentum to kick in on a writing project, and writing without momentum is HARD.

My only comfort is that I have never found that the relative ease or difficulty of the writing has any effect on the final result. Just on the sanity of the writer. *cries*

gillpolackI've mislaid my killer instinct for finishing things. If any of you find it, would you mind labelling it neatly and sending it home? Thank you for your help. Until it returns, there is always chocolate. There is also always housework. Why can't I mislay housework the way I occasionally mislay my killer instinct for finishing things?

On the 17th of every month I post to the SFNovelists blog. Usually I try and write something industry-related, and this time I've touched on writing - business or art.

Also, there's only two weeks left to discover what the Hal Spacejock free gift is. (No, it's not a fridge magnet or bookmark.)

Nothing Gold Can Stay
by: Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

The long and the short of it - all the cool kids are doing it. (Or having it done for them. I don't know. Ye gods, it isn't cheap.)

So - what do you think, folks?

Poll #1189015 Book trailers
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

Book trailers - waste of money or best promotional tool ever?

Should I do one?

If you answered yes (to any degree) above -

I have to start thinking about the logistics of this, if the feeling is positive towards having one. Do any of y'all know someone who is in the business of producing these whom you can recommend...?

See if YOU can find it...

http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080514/full/news.2008.821.html

Meme-ish thing from handyhunter, from a newspaper article, but the link isn't working.

Anyway, you re-name the shows you watch.

Waking the Dead - the that reconstruction woman has such a cool job, but Boyd is such a bastard show.

The Apprentice - the lets laugh at all these idiots show.

Heroes - the Claire and Mohinder show.

Dr. Who - the David Tennant is hot even in PJs show

E.R. - Mum & Dad's show, usually one when we're eating dinner, despite being a do-not-eat-while-watching show.

Feel free to skip all this... It's not life shattering... It's not amazingly profound...




Today I received my final present that was a part of my Christmas present last year :P Yes, I know I'm 24 ... rapidly approaching 25 ... and I still get Christmas presents so I should shut up and count my blessings.

Still, to explain. I've wanted a push bike for a while now. In-laws saw the subway promotion last year, buy x much of their product and contribute $x more and they'll give you a reasonably decent bike.

Anyway, said bike was supposed to arrive before Christmas. Didn't happen... and as per the first paragraph of this post, it finally arrived today, after many times contacting the promotors and comments about how it would arrive soon.

After we got home tonight, Alex put it together for me (brakes needed attaching and wiring in), and I've been on a couple of laps up and down our street.

It's been a while since I've ridden a bike, so it was a bit wobbly at first. And I managed to get my skirt caught amongst the wires/brakes in the back wheel too (although thankfully that didn't impair me until I tried to get off - after already stopping).

I'm really hoping that actually having a bike will encourage me to go out and get exercise. We'll see how it goes. I'm already considering going for a ride tomorrow. Only given that it's been so long I don't know how long I can go riding for before I'll be too tired... and I don't want to ride such a distance only to realise I'm too exhausted to get home again. Still I'm excited. Well see how well I do tomorrow, assuming I go out.

And I'm a poet and I didn't even know it...

Okay, I'll stop with the torture.

Today, I've edited numerous short stories, most for Voices, one not. I still have plenty more to do, but I'm getting there.

Earlier this week I finalised my details for flying to Georgia for an archaeology dig, (I leave on June 20th!).

And I've finally enrolled in my MA degree. I sat down today and read a book about Mesopotamian gods and demons from cover to cover. Very interesting. Next on the list, Egyptian *winks* (I'll eventually get around to reading about the culture I'm actually writing about, the Canaanites).

So now I have even more useless information jammed in (well, useless as far as a lot of other people are concerned). The other night I was at dinner at my father's house, and my two teenage sisters were there. One found the topic of ancient cultures so drearily boring, she had to hightail it out of the room. The other sat and listened and proudly told me afterwards that she loved Greek mythology. I did too, at her age.

So I asked her who her favourite god/goddess was; 'Athena' came the reply. I asked her why, 'Because she's the goddess of war.'

Now this made me frown, my 15 year old bloodthirsty sister liked a god because of their warrior aspect. I decided to mention that the goddess was also a patron of the arts and wisdom, she agreed, but for some reason I felt like it was more of an afterthought. I then quizzed her on her knowledge of the myths surrounding Athena and told her a few more.

So folks, when it comes to ancient deities, who's your favourite?

gillpolackToday was spent mainly in foodiedom and Sunday morning will be likewise. Maybe also most of tomorrow afternoon. From 11.30 on Sunday, though, I teach.

Even my living space is foodie this week. I have a big bowl of persimmons in my lounge room. I have a big bowl of medlars in my kitchen. There are chestnuts next to the armchair and old-style cooking apples next to the bench.

I look at the cornucopia that surrounds my workplace and wonder if I do this intentionally, with the aim of putting on weight so I can begin hibernation. Hibernation would give me time out at a busy time of year. Not a bad idea, from that perspective.

Except that the persimmons will take days and days to ripen and the medlars won't be truly alcoholic for another year (at least) and the apples are for Sunday and... the chestnuts are for tonight. I intend to slit them and roast them the way the guy from the stall in Gamera Place taught me. I shall eat them for supper, purely altruistically. It will help me clear a bit more table so that I have teaching space.

Chestnuts and a big pot of tea. This time with Stargate, not Harry Potter. Straight after Dr Who. Sounds like a good evening to me.

Presentation also done. Had lots of questions along the way so we more or less ran out of time (used some of question time to buzz through final slides) but that seemed to be okay with everyone as they were speaking up on the journey.

I think I'll reflect more on the conference next week, for now it just gets a ticky box!

Next up: Packing up my home office (which I haven't started yet!) and then bossing burly young me men around... Sam tonight, movers tomorrow!

Oh, and speaking of champagne (points to icon) - my wonderful A's (my manager and my producer) had a bottle of champagne to give me this afternoon because they are THAT gorgeous. Twas to celebrate HOL and the presentation, so I felt very valued. Was gorgeous of Anna to think of it and of Amelia to arrange it and lug a bottle of Chandon in with her today! Did I mention they are gorgeous?

Edited to fix typo because I am neither burly nor likely to boss myself around :)

Or perhaps, I died ... but I'm all better now: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=563822