Birds, Books, Book Reviews and Blog Widgets

A mocking bird visited briefly today. I'm always enchanted by the many different calls they use. This one shared about a dozen different calls before he flew off. I'm considering putting out a feeder in hopes he'll come by more often. We've got a hummingbird or two hanging about as well, I hope the flowering shrubs and vines keep them interested as I have no desire to put up a hummingbird feeder and attract bees or wasps.

I'm juggling about 4 books right now on my reading list. Earlier this week I finished John Lescroart's The Suspect, I just finished Cormac McCarthy's The Road a few minutes ago. I've also been reading P.N. Elrod's The Vampire Files, pt. 1, Jonathan Kellerman's Obsession, and Elizabeth Bear's WorldWired. Somehow I keep them all straight in my head. Although a book about a Vampire cyborg hooked into a global overmind with OCD could be interesting...if only I were up to the writing thereof.

I've got some Charles Strauss (Glasshouse, Iron Sunrise) waiting to be read (I've read several already and am hopelessly addicted) and the new Miranda July book (No one belongs here more than you. Stories by Miranda July), whose website I mentioned a while back, amongst many others stacked up in a teetering pile in my overcrowded office. Yes, my "to read" pile is getting rather tall.

I've joined "Library Thing" to start organizing and tracking my reading online. I can also show "recent additions" in a widget. As I was constructing the widget code, I noted that anyone who clicked through and bought one of the books would be contributing the Amazon Affiliate % to the Library Thing account, but, if I was an affiliate I could put my affiliate code in there and get the benefit. So I joined Amazon Affiliates, too. The widget and any Amazon ads will sit on my other blog, Drive By Booking, although I have put a teensy little link here, over in my sidebar under the Drive by Booking link.

Speaking of reviews (smooth segue, huh?) - I've put up my first small press book review up on Drive By Booking. I hope to do one a week there. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get enough small press submissions there, but I'm hopeful. There's also a new review over on POD People, although I didn't write it.

I'm testing out yet another new gizmo on the blog - when you hover over a link you'll get a popout box that gives a preview of the linked page. It's called Snap Shots provided by a new search tool called Snap. If it's fun and useful or too annoying, let me know - it will help me decide on whether to keep it or not.


dawno