So, here I am, listening to an episode of Star Trek Voyager coming from the Lounge Room where Arno is engaged in transferring them from Video to DVD, Michael is on his PC and I'm getting frustrated with this tiny Netbook keyboard while I enjoy Google and all it has to offer and Windows 7 which is actual quite impressive. Maybe I need to think about getting myself a Windows 7 Laptop - or finally biting the bullet and putting it on one of my Macs.
A decision for another day.
"Taken by Midnight"
Started 1 October, finished 2 October
These last couple of books from Lara Adrians world are feeling more like Chapters. Since Veil of Midnight less than 3 months have passed, and our immortal heroes have done little more than go breedmate hunting. It's nice that they're all getting paired up, and no one enjoys their carnal pleasures more than I, but I think I'd like a bit more action again Dragos and the corrupt Enforcement Agency to pad out the stories.
....and I think Lara needs to take a couple of lessons in writing too. I love her books, I love the characters and the premise - but her colloquial english writing style really grates. I'm tired of the same 'ole same 'ole descriptive adjectives too. I don't know about anyone else, but while I'm waiting for the next 'chapter' to come out I have a tendency to reread my favourites of the previous releases, but it gets old quickly reading the same words over and over. Also annoying is the tendency to use colloquial english instead of the more formal literary english used by authors of 'good' books.
....and if I come across one more author who makes up words by adding 'ness' to the end of a word instead of using the perfectly good word already in existence I'll scream.
Stop using GOT, GOTTEN, BIT (to refer to a measure of time, size or distance) SCARED (instead of afraid), WRONG or LIKE (for any reason other than describing a preference). I was taught in primary school not to use these words when writing letters, essays etc. Why weren't you?
For the edification of all authors. There is no such word as anxiousness. The word is ANXIETY. Nor is there a word gratefulness. It's GRATITUDE. If you are in doubt as to the existence of a word look it up in the dictionary - a reputable one like Websters or Oxford don't be lazy and just make one up.
Last but not least. There is no such word as A-L-U-M-I-N-U-M. The word is a=l=u=m=i=n=i=u=m. It's good enough for the rest of the planet to get it right, so it's good enough for north americans to make the effort. The only reason you don't spell or prounounce it correctly in the first place is because some dunderhead in the 1920s spelled it incorrectly in a commercial or some such thing. What is unfathomable to me is that all the sheep just followed instead of correcting the error. Your scientists can manage to get it right, how about the rest of you make the bloody effort!
Oh, and the top of the bad grammar list contains the word grouping OFF OF. This is not an acceptable pairing of words. Just OFF is sufficient to get the message across.
