Cool Bug

I found this cool bug in the garden (well, cool except that it was eating a bee--poor bee).

Look at those beautiful colors!  

Odder, by Katherine Applegate

I enjoyed this (despite it being written in verse).  It was sad and sweet and cute.  I loved Odder.  It was also educational in a bet-you-didn't-realize-you-were-learning sort of way. 

I did find the timeline a little confusing (but I read it over a couple of weeks, so that was probably my fault).  Some of the otter thoughts and language seemed a little too human. It's a tough line to walk, and Applegate mostly did it well.

If you liked this, I absolutely recommend Applegate's The One and Only Ivan, which I thought was heartbreaking and beautiful.  I haven't seen the movie based on it, but I've seen previews, and I advise you not to judge a book by its movie. 

PS  And the cover is adorable. 

Aspen in Flagstaff

 Photo taken October 15, 2023 on the Aspen Loop at Snowbowl, just out of Flagstaff, Arizona:

I don't really think I need to say anything else.  😊

Except...keep track of the colors on Flagstaff's LEAFometer, try to go on a weekday, be prepared for crowds, and try to take another more isolated hike while you're here.  

My story to be published in Shadows on the Water

My story, "Vodník," is to be published in Flame Tree's Anthology, Shadows on the Water, early next year.  It's set in the Czech Republic, where tales of the vodník, a sort of water goblin, fascinated me.

See Flame Tree's post (and the book cover) here:  https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-gothic/gothic-fantasy-successful-submissions-shadows-on-the-water

Around the World in 80 Birds, by Mike Unwin

This is a great book.  The writing is engaging.  The illustrations by Ryuto Miyake are beautiful.  Each chapter is short but fascinating, dealing not just with the biologically interesting facts but with cultural associations.

If you enjoy short surveys of interesting topics—especially birds/animals—you'll love this. 

Horton Springs Trail (Again)

From the Horton Springs Trail, one of my favorite trails because...CREEK!

Trailhead:  Upper Tonto Creek Campground, near Kohl's Ranch, between Payson and Willow Springs lake.  At the turnoff, head north.  Parking's available at the Derrick Trailhead or just past Upper Tonto Creek Campground (to the left across the tiny bridge).  

Across the Desert, by Dusti Bowling

Okay, it's official:  I'm a Dusti Bowling fan.  The first book I read by her was "The Canyon's Edge."  It's a beautiful, heartbreaking novel in verse, and I loved it—even though I'm not a huge poetry fan.

"Across the Desert" is a prose novel, and Dusti Bowling has shown that she can do both and do them well. 

And yeah, maybe the premise is a little hard to swallow, but just swallow it.  You'll thank me later.

I loved the characters.  The writing was engaging. 

I loved the setting.  I'm an Arizonan who loves the outdoors, and it's nice to see our deserts represented in a kid's book.  I'm not familiar with the Alamo Lake area, so I can't speak to Bowling's accuracy there, but she accurately portrayed the central Arizona summer heat (and didn't add to the myth of the summer desert suddenly plunging to freezing temperatures overnight).  My main criticism of "The Canyon's Edge" was that some of the Arizona-ness of it seemed exaggerated to the point of inaccuracy, which made for a good story but kind of bothered me.  In this book, I felt she painted a much more realistic picture of our desert and the real obstacles and dangers the main character would face. 

The plot and pacing were good.  The situation just kept going from bad to worse.  I cared greatly (and worried about) what would happen to the characters.

All in all, a great read.   Now I'm going to have to read everything else she's written.

More accurate rating—more like 4.5 (But a high 4.5)