I've returned

Well, technically I never physically left, but I am going to start keeping this blog again.

It's been so long since my last post that I highly doubt I could ever remember the title of each book I've read since the last post (to be honest for a long while, that was part of why I didn't start up again somewhat early in the break - and then the longer the break was, the easier it was to continue with that pattern). I don't plan to even try commenting much on most of them - although some may get mentioned every so often.

Walking to church this morning, I finished The Clockwise Man by Justin Richards. It is a BBC book/Doctor Who series book (starring Billie Piper as Rose Tyler and Christopher Eccleston as The Doctor) and a fun, quick read. The title and theme somewhat reminded me of The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, but for the most part, the plots of the two don't match. Now that I've started watching the new Doctor Who shows, I'm quite enjoying reading the related books. If I like a character, whether from a book, movie, tv show, or whatever, I'm always happy to meet them in other formats as well - although sometimes I will complain about differences (i.e. ways the new format got it wrong - even if the new format was officially first (Temperance Brennan)).

Immediately after finishing that, I started to read Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier and Anthea Bell. I don't remember what exactly compelled me to read the cover flap in the first place, but I was hooked almost immediately. This book sounds as if it will be a combination of The Time Traveler's Wife (Audrey Niffinegger) and A Discover of Witches (Deborah E. Harkness) with a bit of Sabrina the Teenage Witch or Twilight thrown in (the last two for age references more than anything). Gwyneth's family has visited the past often, but she has been told that the trait skipped her so she hasn't been trained for it at all. Then, it turns out she's the one who time travels as she suddenly finds herself appearing in the past (I haven't actually gotten this far yet - she still believes her cousin Charlotte is the one who will be travelling). I'm only ten or so pages in so far, but already I can't wait to read more - and wish I'd brought the book with me for now! Oh well, I'll be back home soon.