Jenn’s Books

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So, as I have said, I recently got back into knitting. The biggest down side to this is I can’t read while I knit, mostly because the books I have are not spiral bound and thus will not cooperate without the use of my hands. I was lent this book by a knitting friend of mine, who swore up and down that it was a laugh your socks off funny book, and she was right. The last four chapters of the book are on technique, including socks, hats, sweaters and shawls. The first half of the book is basics, like why we knit, how not to feel bad about yarn stash, how to figure out what kind of yarn you have (mystery yarn is a pain), and why gauge is so important and also when to ignore it. This is all done in a personal experience style of writing. The thing I found most useful as a new knitter is the guides on yarn and knitting needles, like what kinds of yarn are generally good for what kinds of projects, and what to expect from different needles. I would recommend this to anyone, from the new knitter to the non-knitter (the world of knitting will make much more sense after the first chapter to the non-knitter). Even experienced knitters will get something out of it.

“The road to knowledge begins with the turn of the page.” Anonymous

You would think that, with me being unemployed for over six months, I would have more posts for you. Job hunting has taken a large chunk of my time. Also, I have gotten back into knitting, so I have some knitting book recommendations. All in all, I have really just reread some old favorites and complained at a few authors for not at least letting me(the world) know about when the next book will be out. Okay, just one, and only because my mother dearly would love to read the next book.

Good Morning! (I woke up early and had breakfast)
I received this statement from Amazon in my in box this morning.

Hello,
I’m very sorry for your concern, and thanks for contacting us. We recently discovered a glitch in our systems and it’s being fixed. Please rest assured that this was a mistake and will be fixed.
As always, please feel free to contact us should you have future questions or comments. If you need to contact us back, you can do so by using the secure form at the following specialized link to ensure we receive your message:
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Thanks again for contacting us. We hope to see you again soon.
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Please note: this e-mail was sent from an address that cannot accept incoming e-mail.
To contact us about an unrelated issue, please visit the Help section of our web site.
Best regards,
Sara L.
Amazon.com Associates Program

So, according to them, it was a mistake and they are fixing it. I will closely follow this situation, but it seems that Amazon is still okay. Happy reading!

Hello all,
I was quite beside myself this morning when I read Elizabeth Bear’s Blog (author of Blood & Iron and Whiskey & Water) to find that Amazon, who I link my book reviews through, has made some rather undesirable changes to their “adult” title search policy. So I felt that I should write to them to see “What’s up?”

I am sure that you are all quite swamped with comments concerning the news that your “adult” policy has changed. I, like many others would like an explanation as to why this seems to target only gay, lesbian, and transgendered books, both fictional and non-fictional. Why this is targeting only items that are homosexual, and not heterosexual as well. When doing a search on Amazon today, books like “Unfriendly Fire” do not have ratings, but books like “Playboy: Six Decades of Centerfolds” still have a rating and are still searchable. I wish to know what the exact policy is. I also do not support the censoring of books. I can fully understand wanting to make sure explicit items do not end up in the hands of children, but this can easily be taken care of when an account is set up by asking for a certification that the owner of this account is over the age of 18 and would like to be able to search adult content. Stumble Upon does this quite well. If the user is either under age or does not want to have “adult” material show up when they search, that is up to them. I and other users should not be punished or limited because someone found an item that they deemed inappropriate. If an item is to be hidden by Amazon, Amazon should not be selling it and gaining a profit off of it. One of my managers (at a well known bookstore) once told a customer that “we are not in the business of censorship.” If the policy of Amazon is to censor books, in any way, shape, or form, I will be changing my website to a different book vendor and requesting that my account be deleted. I truly hope that this is not the case, but I am greatly interested on seeing the exact wording on the current policy. Thank you.

Until I hear back from Amazon, I will leave the links in place for all items. I fully understand if you do not wish to make any purchases until this matter has been resolved.

In other news, librarian Judith Krug, founder of Banned Books Week, passed away last night. This by itself is sad, and she will be greatly missed. But this should be a chance to honor her fight to highlight wonderful books that some in society deem inappropriate. I am in the mood to read Fahrenheit 451.

This is another series that I got into and love. The sequel to The Soprano Sorceress is just as intriguing as the first book. Most of the characters make an appearance, with references to those that have not. Anna, Regent of Defalk, continues her struggle to learn about the magic of Harmony before it kills her. Beyond this are enemies on all sides and even inside her new kingdom. Every time she turns, there seems to be some new threat. The greatest thing about Anna is also her downfall, she doesn’t want to kill. In order to avoid killing more people then necessary, she turns to Darksong. Darksong is the magic dealing with what is living or what once lived, but it has a great price and it takes that out on the user. The other thing I like about this series beyond the depth of humanity in the main characters, is that the series is only five books long.

Sorry about the long delay in between posts. My laptop died on me. But today I have a new laptop and I finally got it online. So, hopefully a few posts in the next few days will be up.

When I step into this library, I cannot understand why I ever step out of it.
Marie de Sevigne

I went up to San Francisco yesterday, had wonderful crepes at Ti Couz on 16th street and Velencia, and then went down to Body Manipulations to have my ears pierced. The assistant manager Eldo did my ears, my fourth and fifth set, and was so awesome that I had to post about it. If you are going to get any piercing done, go to them.

Oh for a book and a shady nook…
John Wilson

I never thought it would get too hot to read. I hate global warming.

Never judge a book by its movie.
J. W. Eagan

I recently saw The Incredible Hulk movie. Surprisingly good. I loved Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, and Liv Tyler is perfectly casted as Dr. Ross. I have never been a Hulk fan, but the movie was very good, plus the tie-in to Iron Man was great. No more spoilers, go see it for yourself. Also, currently reading The Darkness That Comes Before (The Prince of Nothing, Book 1). So far very good. I think I am at that point in which I have too many books to read and not enough time to write reviews on them. Hopefully soon I will have a few out.