Book blurb: The Slayer

The Slayer by Theresa Meyers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An adventurous romp that starts in Bodie, CA, crosses the continent, the Atlantic, and Europe. A reluctant "Slayer" of supernatural threats must team up with a beautiful member of Vampire nobility to deal with a threat to both humanity and Vampires alike.

I'm not a big romance novel fan, but this kept me engaged because I wanted to find out how they were going to solve a variety of problems. Lots of smouldering looks between the principals. Cool weapons and gadgets and vehicles. Some decent suspense, especially in the last third of the book when the poop really starts to hit the fan. Don't go in expecting Jane Austen with gadgets or Jules Verne with women. Do go in expecting a nice, light supernatural Romance.

Noteworthy: a strong female character who isn't a Harpy with multiple personality disorder!

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Gimli

Heartbreak is caused by many things. Lost love, rejection, failure, disappointment... I've had my heart broken many times by circumstances and people. Today I'm having a hard time dealing with the fact that my youngest cat, Gimli, is very probably lost to us and I'll never see him again this side of Heaven. On the 13th he will have been missing for two months. I check the Humane Society pet line every day, as well as their web site and others. I have lovely posters up all over the area, and notices online. A few kind souls have contacted me with possible sightings, but these have proved to be of other cats or of spurious reliability.

The first few weeks of this ordeal were tortuous. I haven't cried that much in many years, and never so often, day in and day out. I pray for God to bless our search every day, and for His care of Gimli if he's roaming somewhere, and to send him home soon if he's still alive. I pray for peace and for trust in God's promise to "ask and ye shall receive", and most of the time I'm on an even keel. Sometimes the grief sneaks up on me, though, and I'm a wreck all over again. I still trust God and His promises. I believe in miracles, and I believe I could see Gimli crash through the cat door any time, but I'm fallible and foolish and sometimes I feel like I'm just suppressing the grief instead of giving it to God.

Tonight it welled up and choked me when I was showing our new rescue cat, Sam, how to play with a paper bag. I miss my baby boy. I haven't had such a close relationship with a cat since my first; a Siamese named Isis who went everywhere with me when I was in my late teens and early twenties.

Some of you will roll your eyes and wish folks like me wouldn't be such idiots about mere "animals", some of you will be sympathetic, and some of you will feel the pain because you've been there and you understand.

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Don't let the chaotic evil win!

I just heard about the Colorado movie theater massacre (and I think it's a true massacre), and I'm shocked and saddened on several levels. I'm shocked because this kind of thing really doesn't happen on a regular basis in this country, no matter what some folks, including the mass media, would like us to believe. I'm saddened for those injured and those who lost friends and loved ones, and I'm saddened because this will be another rallying point for those who would like to see law-abiding citizens stripped of their right to defend themselves in appropriate ways from those who would victimize or oppress them (think: 95 lb. woman dropping a would-be 200 lb. attacker in a deserted parking lot). Stand by for the usual "ban (whatever the kid was carrying) immediately or this will happen again!) arguments.

No, I don't support people who like to go on shooting sprees against innocent non-combatants/assailants. This kid in no way represents the mentally stable, law-abiding average gun owner, several million of whom did NOT murder anybody this week, so let's just get some perspective. A few days ago I shared a link to the recent incident in a Florida internet cafe where two nutjob crooks burst in with intent to rob and potentially wound/kill with a blunt instrument and a (probably stolen) gun, and were summarily winged and routed by a gentleman with a concealed carry permit and a legally owned firearm. I choose to focus on that much happier and more representative story, because I think it more accurately illustrates the status of gun ownership in the United States.

It's really too bad that there wasn't somebody like that gentleman from the Florida incident in that movie house. It's terrible that a mentally disturbed person like that was able to get his hands on a firearm and that nobody noticed him until it was too late. As the details of this story are uncovered I will not be surprised to hear that this kid's social situation does not represent that of the typical legal gun-owner in this country. We already have quite thorough background checks and other red-tape in place when it comes to buying/selling firearms. Guns used in crimes can't really be controlled by making more laws, because they are usually not obtained through legal means. At this point I'm blathering, so I'll stop.

We live in a fallen, flawed world populated by fallible people. Nasty things like this are going to happen. It's natural to want to create order out of chaos, but the chaotic folks are the least likely to be affected by these attempts. I think it's better for the moral, non-chaotic people to develop the tool kit, psychological and material, to deal with threats like this instead. This kept our ancestors alive and the bad guys, whether it's a cave lion or a thug, at bay.

Bonus thought: How would this scenario have played out in Switzerland?

The God of the Hive

The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If I was a bit lacking in my praise of the preceding novel in this series, I'll make up for it here. This is a lovely, nuanced, action-packed, stirring tale. Murder-mystery, political intrigue, and more. The setting, England not long after the Great War, lends itself to some very touching moments with memorable characters. Hard to put down!

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The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I almost gave it only four stars due to the slower-paced (than usual) opening chapters, then I came to my senses and gave it what it deserves. Ms. King's world and characters are so well-developed and authentically real to the Holmes universe that it truly reads like a real memoir. This novel delves in to the creepy world of religious cults led by sociopaths (are there any other kind?) and the stakes are, as expected, high. It doesn't end on a cliff-hanger, but it is definitely a two-parter, and I'm looking forward to diving in to "The God of the Hive" asap.

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