triadruid

Legend: bold means I've read it already, Italics means I'm working on it, and normal text means it's a potential. * means I've read it before. Previously read books/reviews are in the 'read lists' tag.( Suggestions and commentary welcome )

I feel like I 'liked' more books this year.featherynscale sez I'm quite hard to please, bookwise, but I either got better at picking things out this year, or...pants. Jemisin, Bear, and Watts are kinda my holy trinity right now though, so that definitely helps.

Legend: bold means I've read it already, Italics means I'm working on it, and normal text means it's a potential. * means I've read it before. Previously read books/reviews are in the 'read lists' tag.
( Suggestions and commentary welcome )

A bit late this time but I think last year's list is complete.

Legend: bold means I've read it already, Italics means I'm working on it, and normal text means it's a potential. * means I've read it before. Previously read books/reviews are in the 'read lists' tag.( Suggestions and commentary welcome )

Legend: bold means I've read it already, Italics means I'm working on it. * means I've read it before. Previously read books/reviews are in the 'read lists' tag.( Suggestions and commentary welcome )

Legend: bold means I've read it already, Italics means I'm working on it, and normal text means it's a potential. * means I've read it before. Previously read books/reviews are in the 'read lists' tag.( Suggestions and commentary welcome )

Actually, this mostly isn't local, but it's been rolling around in my brain of late.

Our house loves books. Really, REALLY loves books. We have successfully gone to Half-Price Books twice, I think, and walked out without something new in hand. The only problem with this glorious store is that it doesn't actually support the authors directly. Likewise, I read a ton of stuff from the library that doesn't directly provide the income authors want from their good work. Which bothers me...

So the other day, I started thinking about the microsponsorship idea and how it might fix this dilemma. And I think, in my brain, that it makes sense to donate money directly to the authors (via PayPal or what-have-you) of books I loved, but didn't pay retail for. Right now I'm thinking of $X for each 'star' I gave it in my read lists, but that may turn out to be excessive. Where does one go to find out how much authors get per copy of a book these days?

And then there's a couple of other things going on in today's economy that I feel like sharing because I enjoy the authors/creators immensely. One is that today is the last day to get a Charter Membership rate in montecook's Dungeon-a-Day project. He's running a website that will be chock full with maps, creatures, and tips for running dungeon encounters. I think they've started in D&D 3.5 and may move to 4.0 if demand makes sense, but a lot of it should translate to other gaming systems as well. I don't run many dungeon encounters myself so I may not sign up, but it's a damn good resource if you do like that sort of game.

In a semi-related note, gamera_spinning posted the other day about Wizards of the Coast disallowing PDF sales of their products by third-party publishers. While I think this is an immensely foolish decision, it does mean lots of third-party companies are running fire sales until the end of this month. More information in his post: http://gamera-spinning.livejournal.com/1849875.html

Last nights dreams were a mélange of the ongoing Angelic Mafia game I'm running, snippets from the 80's miniseries V, and a surreal sequence wherein I got to listen in on Mötley Crüe's explanation of how they were being so much better behaved; to wit, there had only been one sexual assault, a broken table, and a smashed keg that night, as opposed to two rapes, three hotel fires, and a couple of cases of alcohol poisoning earlier in the tour.

Yeesh.

Barack Obama has bought virtual billboards. Again, this is a guy who gets the 21st Century. ::edit:: PDF link, if you're using a Mac or other instrument where that page won't load.

Courtesy of matociquala, who is my favorite author today... although damnit, I just picked up (another) unfinished series. At least zie's young. :P