something to read

The Amulet of Samarkand: Book One of the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud

Stroud has written several novels aimed at the market between "adult" and "children's" fiction. I'm hard pressed to say where this one falls. That mysterious "young adult" category will have to suffice for the moment.

I am enjoying this book as much as I enjoyed Harry Potter, but for different reasons. His world is not as fully fleshed as Rowling's, but Stroud presents an intriguing alternate history of modern day London. Parliment is packed with wizards, and the country is at war with Prague. These wizards do not seem to require wands, but they do pack incantations and lots of magical devices. What really sets them apart is their ability to summon demons.

Half the book is told from the perspective of a demon, and the other half from an eleven year old wizard. I like Nathaniel, because he's not an entirely good person. He's manipulative, he lies, and he's a bit of a sneak. That said, he is also a very intelligent and lonely boy who spent his life learning everything from books. I can picture myself making some of the very same mistakes. But Nathaniel does grow a bit of a spine and a conscience as well. The djinni Bartimaeus supplies copious informative footnotes to his narrative, and I was never tired of his version of the events. His voice balanced the story between grimness and fun.

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Every site I go to on the internet has frigging banners about flood insurance right now, and it drives me up the wall.

sewing nattering

The other day, Alan purchased a Brother sewing machine. The important things were that it did buttonholes and that it was fairly straightforward to use. Thank you, Consumer Reports. Once I figured out what I was doing it was alright. It will take some time to pick up the proper finesse, but I think it won't be too rough of a time. It's very handy, and will hopefully pay for itself in time. I still plan on doing my coat at Cate's just because she's actually got the room to lay out all those yards of fabric. We have no large flat surfaces.

Alan is currently practicing different stitches for making his ascot. It is far more involved than anything I have attempted so far. I made a pillow! Rather, I have recovered one of the throw pillows that came with Gene's couch. For a first attempt with a sewing machine, it's quite decent. I'm impressed with myself. The pillow is now a soft and silky blue grey. I am thinking of getting some more of this fancy ribbon I used to trim my hat and putting a strip along the edge. Ahhh, what bizarre domesticity has overcome me now that I'm married. Hah! It would surely cause my old friends to scratch their heads if they could see me now.

With some shame, I admit I am using The Patriot as background noise while we sew things. What can I say? A sharply dressed Jason Isaacs acting like an evil bastard gets me hot, and he is quite a delightful bastard in this film. I can ignore the rest.

I am still not quite sure, but I think our horrible upstairs neighbors have moved out. This would be a cause for great rejoicing. Alan saw a moving van in the parking lot a couple of days ago, and they were making a lot of racket going in and out of the apartment. Since Saturday morning we haven't heard a sound from upstairs, which is most unusual. Last night when I got back from the liquor store it was already dark and I looked up at their windows. Normally all I see is the back of a couch and curtains. But the light was one, and the windows were empty. What little I could see of the apartment through a partially opened set of blinds was bare and empty. Tonight the light is out and it remains quiet. Please, please let them have gone. It would make our remaining months here so much more bearable.