Category: Blog

The way life should be

Yesterday, we had precipitation.  There was some confusion amongst the Weatherbeans in their lofty towers of ice and sunshine regarding the form in which the precipitation would finally manifest.  The Weather Wheel spun from snow, to sleet, to freezing rain, ice pellets, and the ever-popular wintry mix, until the Weatherbeans in their wise frustration threw their hands in the air and said, “It is on the back of the wind.”

And so it was.

We here at the Cat Farm were blessed with snow.  Quite a lot of snow, very wet and heavy, since the temperatures never really got much below 31F/0C.  I had tried to do the Wise Thing and perform preliminary snow removal yesterday evening, before the skylight absolutely went.  This resulted in me sliding on the ice beneath the snow and falling flat on my face.  I therefore rethought the situation, with Steve’s pointed input, and decided to do snow removal this morning, when there was more traction between boot soles and ice.

Today, it’s quite pretty out, with sticky snow stuck to all the tree branches and Everything Else, and the sun beaming down from a blue and cloudless sky.

I have done two rounds of snow relocation, in prep for the plowguy.  The first round was Before Coffee, to clear the steps and make a path in the direction of the cars.  I came in to warm up — actually, to cool down; it gets hot when you shovel snow under the smiling sun — had a cup of chocolate coffee that Steve had ready for me, and an oatmeal cookie.

Round Two saw the cars cleared, for values of clear meaning that the driver can see out the front and back windows, after which I had Second Breakfast: coffee, cottage cheese, and leftover stuffing.  The breakfast of champions.

We are now on Plowguy Watch, and my jeans are in the dryer.

For those who may have never done snow relocation on a bright and sunny day in Maine, a few notes.

The snow was so white and reflective under the sun that the only way I could find and follow the paths I had made was to look for the blue inside the outline of my footprints.  I have a great fondness for blue snow, which I don’t think I ever saw before we came to Maine.

Also, the trees are, as stated above, bearing a significant burden of snow on each and all of their branches.  Yes, the smiling sun and the playful breeze are assisting in the removal of this burden, but it’s a tricky process.

While I was outside on Round Two, the neighbor across the road lost a branch from the tree closest to his house.  I heard a crrraaackkk and looked up in time to see the branch tumbling down in slo-mo, and a cloud of snow-dust dancing and twinkling against the perfect blue sky.

This is the time when we are at risk for losing power, because the lines are every bit as coated as the trees, and subject to the same forces.  And once again, we are grateful for the generator.

For the moment, my snow worship is done.  Sprite is already asleep in her basket on my desk, and I guess I’ll take her hint and get to work.

Everybody have a safe, pleasant day.

 

Canceling Boskone

After assessing the situation (The Situation) with Steve’s health, new med mix, upcoming dental surgery, and the cardio doc’s rather pointed, “Do you understand what I mean when I say don’t push?” we’ve decided not (that is NOT) to attend Boskone in February.

We’ll miss seeing our various friends and colleagues, but — necessity is.

Thank you for your understanding.

Bridge building and the scifi writer

So, the Compleat Combined Manuscript of Neogenesis now stands at 105,647 words, more-or-less.  I need to write two more scenes and build a buncha bridges, which is not quite the same as writing a scene, even though some bridges pack more wordage than a scene.

It’s an art.  Yeah.

There may still be a minor timing problem lurking in the depths, and I have to go back and find the perfect place to put a sentence to explain That Thing, but there’s nothing so seriously askew that I can’t go forward comfortably and finish the damn’ thing.

I think that yesterday, when I stitched together the front half with the back half and could finally, finally, see the book as One Whole Thing, instead of a bunch of Random Chunks, was the first time I felt certain in my bones that I could actually finish the damn’ thing, so progress, if not yet victory, is mine.

On the not-book side of things — does anybody here wear bifocal contact lenses?  The last time I tried them, the approved method was to over-correct one eye and under-correct the other, in order to give the wearer “bi-focal vision,” but all it ever gave me is a headache.  I understand that there have been Advances since then, including soft contacts built in rings of varying powers, so your eye can choose which ring it needs to see through for a certain task.  Much more like my glasses, in fact.

. . .and I think that’s all the news I have at the moment.  Hope everyone who celebrated had a happy holiday of their choice.

# # #

Neogenesis
105,647/120,000 OR 88% complete
“It is possible, after all, to have too many enemies.”

Books read in 2016

77.  Lady Susan, Jane Austen
76.  Night Watch , Terry Pratchett (read aloud w/Steve)
75.  The Housewife Assassin Handbook, Josie Brown (e)
74.  Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, Chris Grabenstein (e/l)
73.  Paper and Fire, Rachel Caine (e/l)
72.  The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett (read aloud w/Steve)
71.  The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, Terry Pratchett (e/l)
70.  The Sparrow in Hiding, J. Kathleen Cheney (e)
69.  The Black Wolves of Boston, Wen Spencer (e)
68.  Jingo, Terry Pratchett (read aloud w/Steve)
67.  Bimbos of the Death Sun, Sharyn McCrumb (e/l)
66.  Clockwork Dagger, Beth Cato (e/l)
65.  Ink and Bone, Rachel Caine (e/l)
64.  The Crime at Black Dudley, Margery Allingham (e)
63.  Everything, Everything, Nicola Yoon (e)
62.  Agnes and the Hitman, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (re-read)
61.  Wild Ride, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (re-read) (e)
60.  Arabella of Mars, David D. Levine
59.  A Night in the Lonesome October, Roger Zelazny (Gahan Wilson) (re-re-&c-read aloud with Steve)
58.  The Paladin, C.J. Cherryh (re-read) (e)
57.  Fire Touched, Patricia Briggs (e)
56.  Sweet Masterpiece, Connie Shelton (e)
55.  Serpentine, Cindy Pon (e)
54.  Mirabile, Janet Kagan (re-read) (e)
53.  The Last Madam: A Life in the New Orleans Underworld, Chris Wiltz (e)
52.  Monstress, Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
51.  Marked in Flesh, Anne Bishop (e)
50.  Peter Pan (Peter and Wendy), J. M. Barrie (e) (read aloud with Steve)
49.  The City of Lightning, Kaja & Phil Foglio
48.  Disenchanted & Co., Lynn Viehl
47.  Tell me a Dragon, Jackie Morris
46.  Feet of Clay, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
45.  Vision in Silver (e), Anne Bishop
44.  Murder of Crows, Anne Bishop
43.  Men at Arms, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
42.  Queen of the Deep (e), Kay Kenyon
41.  Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel
40.  Lightning that Lingers, Sharon & Tom Curtis writing as Laura London (re-read for both; first time reading aloud)
39.  Guards!  Guards!, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
38.  Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
37.  Tiger’s Chance, Jan Henry, illustrated by Hilary Knight (re-read)
36.  Carousel Tides, Sharon Lee (1st read for pleasure)
35.  The Fall of Kings, Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman (e)
34.  Play of Passion, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
33.  Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner (re-re-&c-read) (e)
32.  Swordspoint, Ellen Kushner (re-re-&c-read) (e)
31.  Incarnate, Jodi Meadows (e)
30.  Discount Armageddon, Seanan McGuire (e)
29.  Tiger Eye, Majorie M. Liu (e)
28.  Visitor, C. J. Cherryh (read aloud with Steve)
27.  To Have and to Hold, Nalini Singh (e)
26.  The House of Shattered Wings, Aliette de Bodard
25.  Bride of the Rat God, Barbara Hambly (e)
24.  Every Heart a Doorway, Seanan McGuire (e)
23.  Maximum Ice, Kay Kenyon (e)
22.  War for the Oaks, Emma Bull (re-re-re-re-read)
21.  Wheel of the Infinite, Martha Wells (e)
20.  Algonquin Cat, Val Schaffner, illustrated by Hilary Knight
19.  Karen Memory, Elizabeth Bear
18.  Ancillary Mercy, Ann Leckie
17. When Falcons Fall, C.S. Harris
16.  Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-&c-read)
15.  Uprooted, Naomi Novik
14.  Strong Poison, Dorothy L. Sayers (re-re-re-read)
13.  Written in Red, Anne Bishop
12.  Andy & Don, Daniel de Visé
11.  The Thief of Time, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
10.  Foxglove Summer, Ben Aaronovitch
9.   Broken Homes, Ben Aaronovitch
8.   Soul Music, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
7.   Whispers Underground, Ben Aaronovitch
6.   Moon Over Soho, Ben Aaronovitch
5.   Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
4.   Conflict of Honors, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (e) (re-read)
3.   Mort, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
2.   The Sculptor, Scott McCloud
1.   A Short History of a Small Place, T.R. Pearson

In which the authors are giving you a present

We here at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory celebrate Yule as our Winter Holiday, but, in order to keep peace in the family, most of whom celebrate the Commercial Christmas*, we traditionally raise a glass, and give and open presents, if any, on Christmas Eve.

We are this year, including you — yes, you! — in our hybrid holiday, and giving you a Yule present, which you may open on Christmas Eve.

Sometime between 10:30 pm and 11:59 pm on Christmas Eve, Maine time, if you click on the link below, you will be able to read the first few pages of The Gathering Edge, which is, it says here, the twentieth novel-length adventure in the Liaden Universe®, scheduled to be published by Baen in May 2017.  It is the direct sequel to Dragon Ship, and the action happens concurrently with the action in Alliance of Equals.

Everybody confused now?

Good.

Here’s your link

Enjoy.

EDITED TO ADD:  Once the excerpt goes live, it will remain live, until routine housekeeping takes it down, which means you have months to read it.

____________

*Which is to say, they do not attend services or mass.  The last time anyone in my family went to midnight mass on Christmas Eve was ‘way back in 1978, when I drove my grandmother and aunt, as had become my habit, and attended mass, too, since I was there, and midnight mass is kinda pretty, really.

Books read in 2016

76.  Night Watch , Terry Pratchett (read aloud w/Steve)
75.  The Housewife Assassin Handbook, Josie Brown (e)
74.  Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, Chris Grabenstein (e/l)
73.  Paper and Fire, Rachel Caine (e/l)
72.  The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett (read aloud w/Steve)
71.  The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, Terry Pratchett (e/l)
70.  The Sparrow in Hiding, J. Kathleen Cheney (e)
69.  The Black Wolves of Boston, Wen Spencer (e)
68.  Jingo, Terry Pratchett (read aloud w/Steve)
67.  Bimbos of the Death Sun, Sharyn McCrumb (e/l)
66.  Clockwork Dagger, Beth Cato (e/l)
65.  Ink and Bone, Rachel Caine (e/l)
64.  The Crime at Black Dudley, Margery Allingham (e)
63.  Everything, Everything, Nicola Yoon (e)
62.  Agnes and the Hitman, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (re-read)
61.  Wild Ride, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (re-read) (e)
60.  Arabella of Mars, David D. Levine
59.  A Night in the Lonesome October, Roger Zelazny (Gahan Wilson) (re-re-&c-read aloud with Steve)
58.  The Paladin, C.J. Cherryh (re-read) (e)
57.  Fire Touched, Patricia Briggs (e)
56.  Sweet Masterpiece, Connie Shelton (e)
55.  Serpentine, Cindy Pon (e)
54.  Mirabile, Janet Kagan (re-read) (e)
53.  The Last Madam: A Life in the New Orleans Underworld, Chris Wiltz (e)
52.  Monstress, Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
51.  Marked in Flesh, Anne Bishop (e)
50.  Peter Pan (Peter and Wendy), J. M. Barrie (e) (read aloud with Steve)
49.  The City of Lightning, Kaja & Phil Foglio
48.  Disenchanted & Co., Lynn Viehl
47.  Tell me a Dragon, Jackie Morris
46.  Feet of Clay, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
45.  Vision in Silver (e), Anne Bishop
44.  Murder of Crows, Anne Bishop
43.  Men at Arms, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
42.  Queen of the Deep (e), Kay Kenyon
41.  Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel
40.  Lightning that Lingers, Sharon & Tom Curtis writing as Laura London (re-read for both; first time reading aloud)
39.  Guards!  Guards!, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
38.  Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
37.  Tiger’s Chance, Jan Henry, illustrated by Hilary Knight (re-read)
36.  Carousel Tides, Sharon Lee (1st read for pleasure)
35.  The Fall of Kings, Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman (e)
34.  Play of Passion, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
33.  Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner (re-re-&c-read) (e)
32.  Swordspoint, Ellen Kushner (re-re-&c-read) (e)
31.  Incarnate, Jodi Meadows (e)
30.  Discount Armageddon, Seanan McGuire (e)
29.  Tiger Eye, Majorie M. Liu (e)
28.  Visitor, C. J. Cherryh (read aloud with Steve)
27.  To Have and to Hold, Nalini Singh (e)
26.  The House of Shattered Wings, Aliette de Bodard
25.  Bride of the Rat God, Barbara Hambly (e)
24.  Every Heart a Doorway, Seanan McGuire (e)
23.  Maximum Ice, Kay Kenyon (e)
22.  War for the Oaks, Emma Bull (re-re-re-re-read)
21.  Wheel of the Infinite, Martha Wells (e)
20.  Algonquin Cat, Val Schaffner, illustrated by Hilary Knight
19.  Karen Memory, Elizabeth Bear
18.  Ancillary Mercy, Ann Leckie
17. When Falcons Fall, C.S. Harris
16.  Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-&c-read)
15.  Uprooted, Naomi Novik
14.  Strong Poison, Dorothy L. Sayers (re-re-re-read)
13.  Written in Red, Anne Bishop
12.  Andy & Don, Daniel de Visé
11.  The Thief of Time, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
10.  Foxglove Summer, Ben Aaronovitch
9.   Broken Homes, Ben Aaronovitch
8.   Soul Music, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
7.   Whispers Underground, Ben Aaronovitch
6.   Moon Over Soho, Ben Aaronovitch
5.   Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
4.   Conflict of Honors, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (e) (re-read)
3.   Mort, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
2.   The Sculptor, Scott McCloud
1.   A Short History of a Small Place, T.R. Pearson

Caption Glasses and the ADA

So, last week, I was introduced to the notion of “caption glasses,” as an assistive technology to help deaf and hard-of-hearing folk to enjoy movies for their dialogue and not just for the pretty pictures.  And I called the Flagship Cinemas in Waterville to ask if they had “caption glasses,” and the reply came back in the negative.

Now, I currently have Book Brain (manuscript due in oh, right close to 30 days), so I don’t have a lot of Think Power left over to consider Real Life, but it did occur to me sometime yesterday that, doggone it, hasn’t the ADA* had some kind of input here?  I mean, considering the sheer number of people who are deaf or heard-of-hearing?**

I shelved that thought for Life After Book, but Irene Harrison was busy doing the legwork on a parallel track.  She provided the information that the ADA required theaters with more than 50 seats to have assistive technology available, and that the government would give those theaters that installed this technology support in the form of a tax break.

Steve followed up on this for me, and came up with the Hearing Loss Association of America website (here’s the link), on which we find the following (note the date):

Dec 6 2016

On June 10, 2010 the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM), “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations – Movie Theaters; Movie Captioning and Audio Description.” Six-and-a-half-years later, the DOJ has issued a Final Rule on the ANPRM.

In their Final Rule, the DOJ requires movie theaters to:

  • have and maintain the equipment necessary to provide closed movie captioning and audio description at a movie patron’s seat whenever showing a digital movie produced, distributed, or otherwise made available
  • provide notice to the public about the availability of these features, including on communications and advertisements at the box office, and other ticketing locations, on websites, mobile apps newspapers and via telephone. Third party websites are not required to provide that information.
  • ensure that theater staff is available to assist patrons with the equipment before, during, and after the showing of a movie with these features.

Full article here.

So, what it looks like is that, for 6.5 years, the assistive technology rule has more or less been a guideline, and now, it is law.

In the meantime, just for fun, I have written to Flagship Cinema Corporate (owner-operators of theaters in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Florida), inquiring into the existence of assistive hearing devices in their Waterville location, and seeking guidance on how to ask for this device at the ticket counter.

So, that.

Back to work.

__________________
*ADA = Americans with Disabilities Act

**Actually, there is a Societal Thing where we pretend that being deaf or hard-of-hearing isn’t really a disability.  Insurance companies routinely pretend that hearing aids are some sort of luxury item, which you may buy out of your funds, or do without; and my insurance carrier, at least, has stopped covering hearing tests.  Of course, my insurance carrier has stopped covering treatment for depression, but only for women. Because, my ghod! If we covered all the depressed women or hearing impaired people in the world, the stockholders wouldn’t get their profit.  But I digress.

What in Ghod’s Name has the Woman Been DOing, Short Form

In our last Thrilling Installment, it was Trooper’s Birthday, known in some less enlightened parts of the world as December 15.

On Thursday, as per The Plan, we did indeed motor into Waterville to pick up the mail, and also to view Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which I adored, despite not being able to hear much of the dialog*. This is possibly telling, but then, I don’t expect much from movies except that they look pretty and hang together as a tale at least until the credits roll.

After the movie, we hit Governor’s for breakfast (yes, breakfast; don’t judge), and so to home.

Friday was a writing day.

Saturday, it snowed, thus becoming a writing day with interludes of snow removal.  In-between, I finished moving my files from the old computer to the new computer, and upgrading the OS on my Asus Android tablet from Lollipop to Marshmallow, which, because of Something Technical, had to be done manually.  This was a case of an operation sounding much scarier than it actually was.  The upgrade went beautifully, and now I have an up-to-date OS, just in time for Google to release the next in series.

Yesterday, also, Steve took point on hooking up my classy new 7-port USB hub and the new multi-size card reader, as both of these required climbing around under the desk, which I’m presently not up for because…

I borked my knee.  No, I don’t know how I did it.  I tried ignoring it for a week, which worked about as well as you might think, and babying it with ice and elevation and all like that.  We’ve reached the point where I’m probably going to call the doctor, though part of me insists that if I don’t hear words like “meniscus tear,” all will be well.  More or less.

That brings us to what?  Today.  Sunday.

Yesterday, as reported it snowed, and the temps didn’t get much higher than 15F/-9C.  Today! It’s raining, and the high temp is predicted to be 44F/6C.  Right now, everything is encased in ice, which is my least-favorite winter scenario.

The Plan for the rest of the day is to retire to the comfy reclining chair with the laptop, and work from there.

I had briefly thought that we’d go see Arrival tomorrow before it leaves town, but I’m doubting that’s going to be happening.

. . .and I think that catches us all up.

Everybody stay safe.

_________

*I am informed that there are such things as “caption glasses” available at some theaters. Sadly, they are not available at the Waterville Flagship Cinemas.  They are available at the Regal Cinemas, in Augusta, but that makes a 50-mile round trip to see a movie.

Books read in 2016

75.  The Housewife Assassin Handbook, Josie Brown (e)
74.  Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, Chris Grabenstein (e/l)
73.  Paper and Fire, Rachel Caine (e/l)
72.  The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett (read aloud w/Steve)
71.  The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, Terry Pratchett (e/l)
70.  The Sparrow in Hiding, J. Kathleen Cheney (e)
69.  The Black Wolves of Boston, Wen Spencer (e)
68.  Jingo, Terry Pratchett (read aloud w/Steve)
67.  Bimbos of the Death Sun, Sharyn McCrumb (e/l)
66.  Clockwork Dagger, Beth Cato (e/l)
65.  Ink and Bone, Rachel Caine (e/l)
64.  The Crime at Black Dudley, Margery Allingham (e)
63.  Everything, Everything, Nicola Yoon (e)
62.  Agnes and the Hitman, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (re-read)
61.  Wild Ride, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (re-read) (e)
60.  Arabella of Mars, David D. Levine
59.  A Night in the Lonesome October, Roger Zelazny (Gahan Wilson) (re-re-&c-read aloud with Steve)
58.  The Paladin, C.J. Cherryh (re-read) (e)
57.  Fire Touched, Patricia Briggs (e)
56.  Sweet Masterpiece, Connie Shelton (e)
55.  Serpentine, Cindy Pon (e)
54.  Mirabile, Janet Kagan (re-read) (e)
53.  The Last Madam: A Life in the New Orleans Underworld, Chris Wiltz (e)
52.  Monstress, Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
51.  Marked in Flesh, Anne Bishop (e)
50.  Peter Pan (Peter and Wendy), J. M. Barrie (e) (read aloud with Steve)
49.  The City of Lightning, Kaja & Phil Foglio
48.  Disenchanted & Co., Lynn Viehl
47.  Tell me a Dragon, Jackie Morris
46.  Feet of Clay, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
45.  Vision in Silver (e), Anne Bishop
44.  Murder of Crows, Anne Bishop
43.  Men at Arms, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
42.  Queen of the Deep (e), Kay Kenyon
41.  Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel
40.  Lightning that Lingers, Sharon & Tom Curtis writing as Laura London (re-read for both; first time reading aloud)
39.  Guards!  Guards!, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
38.  Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
37.  Tiger’s Chance, Jan Henry, illustrated by Hilary Knight (re-read)
36.  Carousel Tides, Sharon Lee (1st read for pleasure)
35.  The Fall of Kings, Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman (e)
34.  Play of Passion, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
33.  Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner (re-re-&c-read) (e)
32.  Swordspoint, Ellen Kushner (re-re-&c-read) (e)
31.  Incarnate, Jodi Meadows (e)
30.  Discount Armageddon, Seanan McGuire (e)
29.  Tiger Eye, Majorie M. Liu (e)
28.  Visitor, C. J. Cherryh (read aloud with Steve)
27.  To Have and to Hold, Nalini Singh (e)
26.  The House of Shattered Wings, Aliette de Bodard
25.  Bride of the Rat God, Barbara Hambly (e)
24.  Every Heart a Doorway, Seanan McGuire (e)
23.  Maximum Ice, Kay Kenyon (e)
22.  War for the Oaks, Emma Bull (re-re-re-re-read)
21.  Wheel of the Infinite, Martha Wells (e)
20.  Algonquin Cat, Val Schaffner, illustrated by Hilary Knight
19.  Karen Memory, Elizabeth Bear
18.  Ancillary Mercy, Ann Leckie
17. When Falcons Fall, C.S. Harris
16.  Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-&c-read)
15.  Uprooted, Naomi Novik
14.  Strong Poison, Dorothy L. Sayers (re-re-re-read)
13.  Written in Red, Anne Bishop
12.  Andy & Don, Daniel de Visé
11.  The Thief of Time, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
10.  Foxglove Summer, Ben Aaronovitch
9.   Broken Homes, Ben Aaronovitch
8.   Soul Music, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
7.   Whispers Underground, Ben Aaronovitch
6.   Moon Over Soho, Ben Aaronovitch
5.   Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
4.   Conflict of Honors, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (e) (re-read)
3.   Mort, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
2.   The Sculptor, Scott McCloud
1.   A Short History of a Small Place, T.R. Pearson