Robynettely

“Green” by Jay Lake. This was a Christmas 2014 gift, so it’s been sitting around waiting to be read for a while. I was looking for something to be mournful about and Jay Lake is dead, so I picked it up because he won’t be writing anything else (though I think there’s a sequel… or something else set in the same world). His short story roots showed, I thought, but in a good way. He didn’t drag a section out the way some books seem to. I found the writing nicely efficient. I also liked the variety of characters and relationships. “The Essense of Budo” by Dave Lowry. Another karate essay book. It’s quite accessible, and didn’t make me feel bad about my karate at all! “Codex” by Lev Grossman. The main character Edward is quite a bit like Eliot in The Magicians. Everything tied up really neatly at the end. “Westmark” by Lloyd Alexander. I read the Chronicles of Prydain maybe 12 times as a child, and at least twice as an adult, so I was appalled to find out there are other LA books ...

1st draft “Water Leopard”. Had roughly 37,000 words at the start of the month. Now I have around 44,250… I also worked on something about gothic houses.  Editing "Lucky Kate” . I think I’m doing the last pass now. “The Cicatrix Diary”. I had a brilliant idea that made the setting and characters work way better for a short story. Connecting It's the thing I don't do.  Maybe next month.  Circulating 1 Knitting Margaret Beaufort (AS Tudor Roses 2013). Finished button bands, danglers and blocking. It came out great. I followed the pattern everywhere except I doubled the waist shaping so it doesn’t hang like a sack. Tilted Duster (Norah Gaughan IK Fall 2007). At the start of the month I had just started the “skirt”. I finished that, and the first sleeve up to the cap. Rust Damask Jacket (Takle & Kolstadt). The month started with maybe 5 rows of the neck done, 10 inches of the first sleeve and two of the second. I finished that firs...