And the Ass Saw the Angel

Upcoming reads

2012-01-28T09:43:00.000-08:00

I have these slated for the next reads

Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente
*I think Valente is one of the great writers of our time.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
*Odd that everyone reads, The Lottery, but I've never read anything else by her.

God's War by Kameron Hurley
*Lots of good buzz and reviews for this one.

2012 Book 6 -- The Etched City, K. J. Bishop

2012-01-24T13:59:00.000-08:00

No rating, didn't finish

I read about half of this book. It is completely OK, which is the problem. Too many other books I want to give a try to finish one that is just OK. I enjoyed the first section, in the desert, but it is too meandering once they reach the city. I like the two protagonists, though.

If it was a quick read I might stick with it, but it is not. That's not a bad thing in itself. _Among Others_ was slow, and it was fabulous. This one starting to feel like a slog, though. Moving on. I've got Valente's, _Deathless_, waiting for me at the library.

I read at least half of it, so I'm counting it as a +1 towards my goal of reading more books by women than by men in 2012.

2012 Book 5 -- Among Others, Jo Walton

2012-01-22T22:46:00.000-08:00

8 out of 10

Really, really enjoyed it. I should say more, but its hard to explain why its so good. My favourite depiction of magic. Utterly charmed by the protagonist. She's signing here in Albuquerque on the 26th!

The author is a woman, so this is a +1 for my resolution that over half the books I read this year will be written by women

2012 Book 4 -- I Am Not A Serial Killer

2012-01-14T00:37:00.000-08:00

6 out 10

Really enjoyed the first half. Took a bit of a dive after that for me. Being introduced to the sociopath trying not to become a killer, was interesting, and damn it was funny. Him hunting the monster in the second half of the book didn't work as well for me. Who the monster was was disappointingly predictable, but the back story of the monster was pleasantly surprising. Also liked the bond between the protagonist and the monster.

But, the way it finished, where it left the protagonist, I'm not sure I'm going to pick up the second book in the series.

Count so far: Women authors 2, Men authors 2

2012 Book 3 -- Shotgun Gravy / Chuck Wendig

2012-01-08T14:24:00.000-08:00

Rating: 6 out of 10

The character voices in this novella are brilliant. That's what most of the positive rating rests on. It has a decidedly pulp sensibility, which might account for the escalation in violence that I couldn't quite buy. In the end, it was a little too grim, no win, for me.

Again, I enjoyed the novella length. This might be a sweet spot for ebooks for me.

I have pre-ordered Wendig's, _Blackbirds_, out later this year. I am hoping that the same brilliance of voice is there, and that the book has a plot I find more satisfying.

2012 Book 2 - White Cat / Holly Black

2012-01-03T22:26:00.000-08:00

No rating -- didn't finish

It might work for you; didn't work for me. Really wanted to like it. Seemed like it was moving towards an interesting mindf*ck plot. I never started to care.

Although I didn't finish it, I gave it a good try, so I'm giving myself a +1 towards my goal of over 50% of the books I read in 2012 being by women authors.

2012 Book 1, The Strange Case of Finley Jayne / Kady Cross

2011-12-31T23:33:00.000-08:00

5 out of 10

Description from Amazon:

Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience.

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne was fun, which I believe was its main goal. The characters you were supposed to like were charming, and it was easy to root for the protagonist. Moved briskly, lots of action. Not a lot of internal dialogue or angst. I enjoyed the length. I can see how ebooks might be bringing back the novella. All to the the good.

The villain was a bit lackluster. The prose was sometimes clumsy, and the book lacked any pretense at subtlety. I felt the steampunk element was a gimick. The mad science that is important to the plot is an older, non-steam cliche.

At the end of the book I noticed it was published by Harlequin Teen. I believe that is the first Harlequin book I have read. The author is a woman, so this is a +1 for my resolution that over half the books I read this year will be written by women. OK, I'm cheating slightly. I started this a couple days before 2012. Hang me.

Building the 2012 reading list

2011-12-28T16:17:00.000-08:00

Staring on the reading list for 2012. I have resolved that over half of the books I read in 2012 will have been written by women. I'll be keeping track on this blog to see if I meet the goal. Recommendations accepted. List so far:

*White Cat / Holly Black
Shotgun Gravy / Chuck Wendig
Blackbirds / Chuck Wendig
*Among Others / Jo Walton
*The Strange Case of Finley Jayne / Kady Cross
*Power and Majesty / Tansy Rayner Roberts
*Control Freak / Christa Faust
*Something by Barbara Hambly
I Am Not a Serial Killer / Dan Wells
Planesrunner / Ian McDonald

Favorite reads of 2011

2011-12-28T15:35:00.000-08:00

2011 was a good year for my reading list. Mostly due to my incessant podcast listening, plus Twitter, I have found out about so many great books. These are the books I enjoyed reading most in 2011. They are the cream of the crop, in no particular order. Notice they are books I READ in 2011. Does not mean they were published in 2011.

My Life As a White Trash Zombie / Diana Rowland
The city & the city / China Mieville
Money shot / Christa Faust*
Choke Hold / Christa Faust*
The graveyard book / Neil Gaiman
Leviathan Wakes / James S. A. Corey
The mystic arts of erasing all signs of death : a novel / Charlie Huston
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making / Catherynne M. Valente
Palimpsest / Catherynne M. Valent
The Dragon's Path / Daniel Abraham
Naked lunch / William S. Burroughs

The Failed Cities Monologues / Matt Wallace (audio)

Special category: Not sure I enjoyed it, but glad I read it.
The Female Man / Joanna Russ

*Favorite author I discovered this year.

Favorite writer discovered in 2011

2011-12-23T10:36:00.000-08:00

Christa Faust -- My favorite writer discovery of 2011, Christa Faust. She's not a "new" writer, she's a veteran, but new to me this year. She writes contemporary hard boiled fiction with female protagonists. And she rocks it. Her work has a pulp sensibility that is fun as hell, and at the same time avoids cliche and gives us very human characters.

I read in this order:
Money Shot
Choke Hold
Hoodtown

I'm proud to say that the county library now has both Money Shot and Hoodtown, thanks to requests from yours truly. Kudos Bernalillo County Library for being so responsive to patron requests.

Resolution 2012

2011-12-21T22:47:00.000-08:00

I have decided on a New Year's resolution for 2012. Over half the books I read will have been written by women. This blog has fallen into disuse. I will use it to track the books I read in 2012.Since I read mostly Fantasy and SciFi, I will be relying heavily on the Galactic Suburbia Podcast for recommendations.Recommendations always welcome.

I May Have a Problem

2011-10-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

... a substance abuse problem.

Instant Nostalgia

2011-09-14T16:53:00.001-07:00

Instant Nostalgia, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Wow, its been a year since I posted anything here. Here's a picture from June.

That's a big axe you have

2010-09-28T20:45:00.001-07:00

Executioness, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Helped Jae with a project. She set up everything, including the lighting. I was just a technician releasing the shutter, really.

The Executioness

The Artist as a Young Man

2010-09-18T15:38:00.001-07:00

James painting

The exhibit

2010-09-18T15:35:00.000-07:00

James' latest art work.

James fixes his bike

2010-08-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

The little man

2010-08-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

Click on this one below for bigger version.

I love Daddy

2010-08-07T16:58:00.000-07:00

James said he loved me today, for the first time.

Objectified

2010-07-13T10:00:00.001-07:00

Objectified, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Jae dumpster-dived this out of the trash for me. She figured it might make a good photo prop.

Lauren crashed

2010-07-07T13:35:00.001-07:00

Lauren crashed, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

embrace

2010-06-11T10:02:00.001-07:00

embrace, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Alternating

2010-06-09T16:38:00.001-07:00

..., originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Forever young

2010-04-21T04:29:00.001-07:00

Forever young, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

1 day after he turned 2.

The truth I know

2010-04-15T21:54:00.001-07:00

The truth I know, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Easter, 2010

Egg Hunt

2010-04-14T19:26:00.001-07:00

Egg Hunt, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

My delible mark on the world

2010-04-14T08:16:00.001-07:00

+, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Shrub of the day

2010-04-02T13:21:00.001-07:00

Shrub of the day, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Hangin

2010-03-25T10:32:00.001-07:00

Hangin, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Day with Daddy.

James with Mountain Lions

2010-03-24T11:13:00.001-07:00

James with Mountain Lions, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Our trip to the zoo. Two mountain lions where right up at the window.

I will never complain about child proof lighters again

2010-03-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

Another story Jae related to me. She had met these two other mothers at
the park. They each have one child. They arranged a play date, and Jae
took James over to the house of one of the other women. They're all
hanging out, and Jae realizes she hasn't seen James for a minute or two.
She does the panicked, where's my toddler head swivel, and sees the front
door is open. She runs out the front door and finds that Maggie is out
there with her boy. Maggie says James didn't come out that way. Jae
rushes back in and runs up the steps to the second floor. I gathered that
Lee, I think that's the woman whose house they were at, does massage
therapy in a room upstairs, and she must have candles or something. As Jae
got to the top of the stairs, James runs out of this room holding up one of
those long, skinny lighters in each hand, grinning from ear to ear. She
said he looked like a gun fighter with a gun in each hand.

I will never complain about the inconvenience of child proof lighters,
again.

Mother May I ...

2010-03-12T16:28:00.001-08:00

Jae has been working consistently on training James to be polite. We work
on "Please" and "Thank You," and she's started on "May I..." So the other
day James asked her, "May I lick head please?", and tried to lick her
head.

Buddha's lap

2010-01-27T15:01:00.000-08:00

Need a cheap, DIY backdrop

2010-01-26T08:23:00.001-08:00

Need a cheap, DYI backdrop, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

I was taking these photos for Jae, to be used as painting references. She doesn't care about the background, she makes it up later. I suppose I could do that with Photoshop, but its no my style.

So I like my kitchen as a place to take pictures, but I need a backdrop, cheap. I suppose I could tack sheets to the ceiling. Better ideas?

James and the vacuum

2010-01-26T05:23:00.000-08:00

James

2010-01-22T20:46:00.001-08:00

James, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

I'd hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain

Ice and Rock 05:365 [01/10/10]

2010-01-16T08:05:00.001-08:00

Ice and Rock 05:365 [01/10/10], originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Sci Fi James 04:365 [01/09/10]

2010-01-15T12:42:00.001-08:00

Sci Fi James 04:365 [01/09/10], originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

03:365 [01/08/10]

2010-01-14T08:03:00.001-08:00

03:365 [01/08/10], originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

The line is open 02:365 [01/07/10]

2010-01-13T08:23:00.001-08:00

The line is open 02:365 [01/07/10], originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

01:365 [01/06/10]

2010-01-12T16:41:00.001-08:00

01:365 [01/06/10], originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

I've been bummed lately that I haven't been making time to take pictures. Being bummed about it wasn't changing anything. Then I saw that Josette was starting a year in pictures. I got inspired. I figure it will mean posting lots of mediocre and crappy pictures, but hopefully it will also result in some good ones. This is NOT going to be a self-portrait 365. Just a picture from each day.

I'm a film guy, so there is some delay between when they are taken and when posted.

The Truth I Know

2010-01-08T09:02:00.001-08:00

The Truth I Know, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

On holiday, December 2009

scribbling

2010-01-06T16:07:00.000-08:00

I have been re-writing and re-writing this paragraph from my secret project.

It is raining when I wake. Jewels slide down the window, more beautiful than diamonds, and worthless. I get up feeling sluggish, my mouth full of chalk. I am empty as a cicada's shell. I go to the kitchen and drink two tall glasses of orange juice. It helps. Not enough, but it helps.

More Christmas 2009

2010-01-05T12:58:00.000-08:00

Books for Christmas, yea! And there's an owl.

First tent

Meeting some cousins

First set of Christmas videos

2009-12-31T13:44:00.000-08:00

The Truth I know

2009-12-31T12:37:00.001-08:00

, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Must...get...last...drop

2009-12-17T08:39:00.001-08:00

Must...get...last...drop, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

More shots of his first hot chocolate.

First hot chocolate

2009-12-17T08:38:00.001-08:00

First hot chocolate, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Jae got some shots of his first hot chocolate. Earlier this week.

For love and strength and daily bread

2009-11-28T14:44:00.000-08:00

First Thanksgiving in the new house. Jae rocked it. We had a great time.

Daddy's tie

2009-11-25T15:05:00.000-08:00

Bitter sweet. The reason the tie was out was because of Toni's funeral.

Like Mother, Like Son

2009-11-24T19:35:00.000-08:00

James helps Jae put up a shelf for him to hang his coats on. What he says as he is running by right at the end is, bubble, which is what he calls the level.

In the hour of forgetting

2009-11-20T08:58:00.001-08:00

In the hour of forgetting, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Snow on grass

2009-11-10T09:08:00.001-08:00

Snow on grass, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

James

2009-11-05T12:49:00.001-08:00

James, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

I'm not sure who had more fun

2009-11-05T11:38:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure who had more fun, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-04T08:26:00.001-08:00

Halloween 2009, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

First real Trick-or-Treating. He was cackling maniacally.

Leaf

2009-10-31T09:32:00.001-07:00

Leaf, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Pumpkin Carving -- 2009

2009-10-31T09:24:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin Carving -- 2009, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

I had one shot left on the roll of film. That is a drawback of film. Not bad, though. Pumkin carving at Jae's folks house. He enjoyed it until we took them out in the dark and put candles in them. Then he was terrified.

I think his Mom enjoyed it ;-)

Vonnegut

2009-10-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

"I wish I had been born a bird instead," he said."I wish we had all been born birds instead."

Kurt Vonnegut, _Hocus Pocus_.

Toni is gone

2009-10-19T17:09:00.001-07:00

I don't know any details except that she passed away at 12:46 PM yesterday. I had my phone off yesterday when her parents tried to call and tell me, so I found out later via text message. She was a very alive person. Liked to have fun, had a tendency to get into trouble, was a real sweetheart to me and my family. A day for grieving.

Sticks

2009-10-17T11:49:00.001-07:00

Sticks , originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

At the park about a week ago.

...

2009-10-14T20:26:00.001-07:00

Contour map, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Me!!!!

2009-10-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

I was sitting here trying to do a little Flickr, and James ran up and wrapped both arms around my leg and yelled, "Me!" I guess we'll go to the park instead. I'll take the camera.

Little Mister Can Do

2009-10-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

Today when Jae and James got home from grocery shopping, James was taking items out of the bags, carrying them into the pantry, and putting them on the first shelf (the only one he can reach). Tonight as I was giving him a bath, he took the wash cloth and made a valiant effort at washing himself. This weekend while we were outside and had the garage door open, he brought a mop out of the garage and vigorously mopped the driveway.

James and his fist balloon

2009-10-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

First balloon

Little man in motion

2009-10-03T16:24:00.001-07:00

Little man in motion, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Bosque Sunflowers

2009-10-02T08:56:00.001-07:00

Bosque Sunflowers, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Yet another bosque sunflowers picture, Josh style. It had been a rough day, and in between work and dinner out with family, I stopped in the Bosque for little walk. Just before dusk. Did me a world of good. Had my camera.

Vivitar V3000S
Vivitar 50 mm f/1:1.7
Kodak BW 400 CN
Shutter ?, fstop ?
Walgreens scan
September 30, 2009

stick

2009-09-30T08:23:00.001-07:00

+, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

decluttr

Passing glance

2009-09-25T13:40:00.001-07:00

Passing glance, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Done recently for a photo game/competition on Flickr, Flickr Island. Voted off in the first round. But it motivated me to take a few pictures I ended up liking. Thanks to Jae for being a sport and modeling.

You can see it large and on black at decluttr.

Moon

2009-09-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

Last evening James noticed the moon. That might be the first time. At least its the first time I've noticed him notice the moon.

Grandma Gentry made a quilt

2009-09-22T20:37:00.001-07:00

Grandma Gentry made a quilt, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Jae caught this moment to share with my Mom. My Mother is a very fine quilter. I still have the one she made me. This is the one she made James. He's sitting on it pointing out all the bunnies. He sleeps with every night now that its gotten chilly.

Skinny reflection

2009-09-18T13:12:00.001-07:00

Skinny reflection, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

This is one of those pictures that I love that no one else has ever had a response to. Well, here it is again, cause seeing it makes me happy

.Vivitar V3000S
Vivitar 50 mm f/1:1.7
Kodak BW 400 CN
Walgreens scan,

decluttr

At my job, we rock

2009-09-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

"I can call SWCP…and they call me. Unlike my previous hosting company, WebFaction, who doesn’t offer “phone support.” And, good luck trying to find WF."

Why I Love (and Buy) The LOCAL Web

Making us blush over here.

County Rd 42

2009-09-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

At the end of my 09/09 El Malpais trip. A road still to be taken.

James walking

2009-09-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

This one is fresh. Recorded this morning.

crap pancakes

2009-09-11T12:59:00.003-07:00

Today James utilized the rolling pin, on the kitchen floor, to make pancakes out of his own crap.

crossing the room

2009-09-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

As of yesterday James is walking all the way across rooms.

untitled

2009-09-10T14:02:00.001-07:00

untitled, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Things James learned yesterday

2009-09-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

A. We taught him, when you are down, eating cupcakes makes you feel better.

B. He learned on his own, unscrewing the water hose for the toilet is FUN.

A stick in the pocket

2009-09-07T16:16:00.000-07:00

Today, for the first time we think, James put something in his pants' pocket. This is partly because most of his pants, don't have real pockets. I hadn't thought about it before, but today he was wearing some toddler cargo pants out in the yard. We brought him in to change his diaper, and found he had a stick in his pocket.

New commute

2009-09-04T09:50:00.001-07:00

Walking with assistance

2009-09-03T15:00:00.001-07:00

He's starting to do this without assistance, but not enough to catch him on video, yet. Here he walking with assistance from Jae.

Come fly away

2009-09-01T11:33:00.001-07:00

Come fly away, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

where light and dark meet

2009-08-22T10:49:00.001-07:00

where light and dark meet, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Little Man

2009-08-22T10:32:00.001-07:00

Little Man, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Taken a month or two ago in the old house.

Home Guard

2009-08-21T13:33:00.001-07:00

Home Guard, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

I published this one to Facebook with the title, My Hero. On my Flickr stream its titled, Home Guard. She is those things, and more. In many ways we've become adults together. She's got my back. I've got hers. In her transition to the role of Home Maker, she amazes me.

Occasionally I publish something on Flickr that I feel might be "too sexy" for my blog. If you click on this picture it'll take you to my Flickr stream, and there are two more pictures of Jae with sword. I like them, but they fall in that category. Your call.

feeling literary

2009-08-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

tiny pardonable shudders

That's my 3 word story

First steps

2009-08-16T22:56:00.000-07:00

James took his first unaided steps today. He stood up in the middle of the kitchen and took 2, shuffling sideways steps.

James and the keys

2009-08-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

The Ball and Chain

2009-07-22T16:33:00.001-07:00

Everyone should have their own clown, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Yesterday was Jae and I's 8 year wedding anniversary. She's my treasure.

James Video backlog

2009-07-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

I have a backlog of videos of James, going all the way back to his birthday in April. Here's a few.

spoon

2009-06-26T16:58:00.001-07:00

spoon, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

untitled

2009-06-19T14:42:00.001-07:00

+, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

William W Chaney

2009-06-03T11:00:00.001-07:00

William W Chaney, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

We go to this cemetery every Memorial Day. There are many military graves, and we put flowers on graves for soldiers with the names of veterans in our families who have passed on. William is one of those names. As is James.

untitled image

2009-05-23T12:07:00.001-07:00

, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Age

2009-05-13T15:38:00.001-07:00

Age, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

You might remember the youthful picture.

Hand and Arm

2009-04-25T07:58:00.001-07:00

Hand and Arm, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Americana

2009-04-23T08:03:00.001-07:00

, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

Vivitar V3000S
Vivitar 50 mm f/1:1.7
Kodak Gold 200

My partner

2009-04-22T11:29:00.001-07:00

My partner, originally uploaded by Josh Gentry.

I'd be lost without this woman.

At James' first Birthday party. Which Jae totally made happen. It was dark in there. The print of this is underexposed and yellowish. Corrected that some in GIMP.

roll me over like a stone

2009-04-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

Priscilla Becker
Blue Statuary
Instrumental

Carl Philips
Leada, After the Swan

matthew zapruder

matthea harvey

Siken

denise levertov

Li-Young Lee

anne sexton