DEAD WITCH WALKING.

DEAD WITCH WALKING by KIM HARRISON.

Forty years ago a genetically engineered virus killed half of the world's human population and exposed creatures of dreams and nightmares that had, until then, lived in secret alongside humanity.

Rachel Morgan is a runner with the Inderland Runner Services, apprehending criminals through out modern-day Cincinnati. She is also a witch.

Used to confronting criminal vampires, dark witches and homicidal werewolves, Rachel's latest assignments - apprehending cable-stealing magic students and tax-evading leprechauns - have prompted her to break her thirty-year contract with the I.S. and start her own runner agency.

But no one quits the I.S.

Marked for death, Rachel is a dead witch walking unless she can appease her former employers and pay off her contract by exposing the city's most prominent citizen as a drug lord. But making an enemy of the ambiguous Trent Kalamack proves even more deadly than leaving the I.S.
...... From the outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE: I stood in the shadows of a deserted shop front across from The Blood and Brew Pub, trying not to be obvious as I tugged my black leather pants back up where they belonged.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: They were afraid, and probably for good reason. It's not easy waking up to find your neighbours are vampires and your fourth-grade teacher really was a witch.


Despite the fact that I'm beginning to wonder if the paranormal book (urban fantasy as I'm told this is classified as) has had its day, I really, really enjoyed this the first in the Rachel Morgan series.

Rachel is a witch (a not altogether competent one I hasten to add) who on leaving the Inderland Runner Services (I.S.) goes into partnership with Ivy, a (now that would be telling) and Jenks - once again I won't go into too much detail except to say that this is the first book that I have read that features this type of being as a major character.

Though the story is good with just enough action and no romance (though sexual tensions sometimes run high), it is the ironic humour, the relationship between Rachel and Ivy, and the quirky characters that really make this story a wonderful read.

Would I recommend Dead Witch Walking? Yes but with the warning that, though not laugh out loud funny, this is not a book that takes itself altogether seriously.

Sent by a friend this is ..........

The 8th book read for my 100+ Reading Challenge.

The 2nd book read for my What's In A Name Reading Challenge

(Book with movement/travel in the title category)

glitter-graphics.com

LOYALTY.

LOYALTY: One can surmise, began with fellow-feeling for one's family, gene-group and friends. Loyalty comes most naturally amongst small groups or tribes where the prospect of the whole casting out the individual seems like the ultimate, unthinkable rejection. The English word "loyalty" came into use in the early part of the 15th century in the sense of fidelity to one’s oath, or in service, love, etc. - wordiq.com

Last week Suko wrote a thought provoking post on LOYALTY in which she ended with the questions: What about you? What role does loyalty play in your blogging habits? Are you more apt to visit a blog due to a sense of loyalty, because of the topic of the post, or for another reason?

Hmm.

A friend of mine commented that, firstly and foremost, her loyalty lay with herself - "After all if I don't look after myself who will?" she asked - Totally selfish OR very honest?

I consider myself a fairly loyal individual and on thinking about it I guess I have a pretty strong sense of where loyalties should lie. I'll give an example ......

Discussing a friends marital break-up in which her husband had had an affair, X was putting all blame on the 'harlot who stole her husband'. "Why put all the blame on the woman?" I asked, "Surely your husband must share some responsibility." Her argument, as another woman her husband's mistress should have thought of her fellow females and known what pain this affair would cause. My argument, whereas it could be said that this woman owed my friend nothing, her husband at least owed her some loyalty and therefore she should be more annoyed with him.

As I said I have pretty strong feelings about loyalty.

But what about in relation to the blogosphere?

Going back to my first definition, yes, it could be said that I'm a member of a small tribe but do I owe any loyalty to my fellow 'pack members'?

Yes and no (Grief I had a feeling that this was going to become a long post). As in any other relationship loyalty is only one of the components and I feel it would be a great disservice to say that I only visited my blogger buddies out of a sense of loyalty - I must also enjoy their company and be interested in them and what they have to say.

That said, call it loyalty OR obligation OR, even, just common courtesy (I confess that I would feel it rude not to make at least one return visit if only to acknowledge that person and thank them for their interest), I do feel that I have a certain responsibility to the tribe and especially to those who become more intimate members, to those who I come to know quite well.

Not too sure if this fully answers Suko's question but it certainly made me think and re-evaluate one or two things. So ..........

What about you? What role does loyalty play in your blogging habits? Are you more apt to visit a blog due to a sense of loyalty, because of the topic of the post, or for another reason?

glitter-graphics.com

GOLDEN BATS AND PINK PIGEONS.

Book 7 in the 100+ Reading Challenge.

Book 1 in the What's In A Name Reading Challenge - Books with jewellery/gem in the title.

GOLDEN BATS AND PINK PIGEONS by GERALD DURRELL.

Mauritius, the green and mountainous island in the Indian Ocean, once the home of the ill-fated dodo, by the 1970s still had many unique but seriously endangered species. To rescue some of them from extinction, Gerald Durrell passed uncomfortable nights in the jungle looking for bats and pink pigeons, spending his spare time exploring the enchanted world of coral reefs. By the end of his trip, he had an extraordinary collection of animals to take to his Jersey Sanctuary from where the progeny could, in time, be restored to Mauritius.

...... From the outer back cover.

OPENING SENTENCE: When you are venturing into a new area of the world for the first time - especially if you are an animal collector - that you do two things.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: The female, like all female pigeons, succeeded in looking vacant, affronted and hysterical all at once, like a Regency maiden about to have the vapours.

I was first introduced to Gerald Durrell some 25/26 years ago when Husband dearest lent me a copy of one of his earliest books entitled MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS.

Thinking I had read all the books in the series, I was delighted to discover a few years ago that I had not read three of them, Golden (hence the inclusion in the jewellery/gem category of the What's In A Name Reading Challenge) Bats And Pink Pigeons being one of them.

Having sat on our book shelves for a number of years, I thought now would be a perfect time to reintroduce myself to Durrell, a self-proclaimed 'champion of small uglies'.

Hmm, I feel terrible having to say this but, being totally honest, I was disappointed in this book.Why, I'm not too sure. Perhaps it just didn't capture my imagination, perhaps it was the lack of cutely ugly animals (I'm afraid bats, pigeons and snakes, the three critters to be featured, just don't appeal to me), perhaps it was the lack of really eccentric characters, perhaps I have just outgrown this type of book - whatever it was, I found myself lacking any real enthusiasm for the tale. Oh well, there were another two books in the pack (luckily the other Durrell  books I have yet to read) maybe I well do better with these.

Would I recommend Golden Bats And Pink Pigeons? Do you know I would. Not a bad book, just not as enchanting as some of Durrell's other books in my opinion, this was still an informative, often humorous, read.

glitter-graphics.com