Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones

I don't know if I'm happy or annoyed with myself for not picking up this book earlier. I've had it for ages. It's bloody brilliant.
All the same, I'm over the middle right now and can't wait to find out how it all ends. The temptation to leaf to the end and have a quick peek is great. I'm resisting.

Nothing much really happens in this book. It takes place in GB in modern times. It's just a life of a girl, called Polly, from age 10 to 19. Only one day, at 19, she suddenly discovers that she's got another set of memories in her head - a set she'd completely forgotten and didn't know about. About people, things she'd done, strange things, too. And now, she's remembering.
And there's this person, Tom. He's a grownup, ordinary man, who she met when she was 10 at a funeral, of all places.
They took a liking to each other, and started playing a game - "Let's pretend you're not you". They invented that Polly would be assistant-hero in training, and Tom - a hero in training, and they'd tell each other stories how those two would kill dragons, fight wizards etc. Sometimes, when they are together, these stories almost come true, in a sort of and round-about way. Polly and Tom are not sure they want to believe it's not a coincidence.
And then there is the family of Tom's ex-wife. Seems right nasty people. And also seems they are somehow controlling Tom, and they don't like Tom's friendship with Polly. They hate it, actually. And they can do stuff to split them up and hurt them, strange stuff. Like making garbage flow together into a great, ugly shape-monster and pursue them. Or make Polly's mom hate her and put her out of home (that one ends well, Polly gets to live with her grandmother). Or bring to life tin-armour in an amusement fair's House of Horrors, and attack them. Yes. Well. As I said before, strange stuff.
And that's how far I've gotten. And I think they won't be talking anymore after this last incident - there were hints about it earlier. And Polly will forget everything - how? Why?
I want to find out all the answers. That's a DWJ's book, she usually gives out all the explanations in the very last chapter, along with a grand-finale scene where almost every character participates. That's her thing.
And I love her style in this book. It's very languid and unhurried, with ample amount of strangeness, action and tension. Her readers are kept guessing and waiting impatiently to get back to reading.

Her Majesty

Her Majesty Queen of the Fairy Maud
February 2010

Andromeda

One of the most impressive things I've seen of late.
Unbelievably magnificent and tiny, and faraway, and delicate, and so very... I've no words.
Original is here.

Sony Ericsson Satio

I think I'm in love
Sony Ericsson Satio review: Shooter by vocation - GSMArena.com

PLAN TO READ: Black Company by Glen Cook

http://www.greylib.net/?category=english-engfan&altname=black_company

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PLAN TO READ: A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.

http://www.greylib.net/?category=english-engfan&altname=a_canticle_for_leibowitz

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Trouble in My Paradise

Something bad happened. My home computer died a gory death, taking along all my files to the deepest pits of oblivion. All. Every each one of them. Including over 8000 e-books. To say I was disappointed would be a huge understatement.

Reason – someone greedy and stupid in my apartment building was stealing electricity. They somehow connected the wires making the electricity meter go backwards. Two hours of such activity reduces a month of usage. Very clever, you say? Maybe, for them.

The rest of the building suffered beyond measure. As it turns out, when one person steals in this way, voltage in other apartments goes up several times, burning almost all electric appliances unless they are disconnected from power network, yes, it even doesn’t matter if they are or aren't turned on.

Luckily (well, considering) for me, I’ve only permanently lost my hard drive and TV which I wasn’t watching all that much in the first place. Old lady next doors also lost her TV, but hers went out with a bang – it burst into flames at 3AM, and she had to call firemen. A guy who worked from home for some IT company lost 3 computers.

If we discover who this pilfering scum is, it’s pretty safe to say he might very well find himself hanging from a high branch in the courtyard. Our house was positively fuming with badly suppressed rage when it happened. The landlord also wasn’t amused. There’s an investigation going on. I really hope they find out who did it.

This is really uncool.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - TV Series

Compendium of Vampire Typological Traits and General Characterization in Contemporary Fantasy Novels
Part 5

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ~ TV Series

Yes, I know it is not a novel. I wanted to do this one, anyway. So there.

What is vampirism?

Vampirism is more like metaphysical possession than a disease. It is said that humans who become vampires loose their souls and are possessed by a demon.

Becoming a vampire

Human who gets bitten by a vampire ‘sire’ and is subsequently given blood of said sire falls in death-like-state/deep coma and rises as a vampire the following night, usually in a very grumpy mood and hungry.

Life expectancy

Immoral unless killed. Metaphysical diseases also apply and can be fatal.

Extermination methods

Many and imaginative. Wooden stake through the heart, beheading, magical means, direct sunlight, fire, holy water, crushing, squashing, stabbing, etc. Resulting corpse disintegrates into ashes.

Hollows series by Kim Harrison

Compendium of Vampire Typological Traits and General Characterization in Contemporary Fantasy Novels
Part 4

Kim Harrison ~ Hollows Series

Please note that I have yet to read the 6^th book in the series so this is susceptible to some latter changes.

What is vampirism?

Vampirism is some sort of metaphysical blood disease.

Becoming a vampire

Quite complicated. It seems there are 2 options.

Top-notch vampires are born as regular children with paranormal qualities in vamp clans. Their parents are still alive vampires, too. Living vamps turn into undead after (often arranged) physical death and resume existence in another quality.

The other way is to be ‘adopted’ by vampire clans (usually it includes regular blood donations) and turned directly from human to vampire. These vamps are considered having lower social standing.

Life expectancy

Alive until death for alive vamps. Can fall ill.

Immortal unless killed for real vamps. No physical diseases apply.

Extermination methods

Ordinary methods (natural death or death from illness included) for live vampires although they are a bit harder to kill than average human.

Wooden stake through the heart, decapitation for undead. Silver also works well. Both live and undead vamps can be killed by magical means. No info about what happens to the resulting corpse.

Twilight series by Stephenie Mayer

Compendium of Vampire Typological Traits and General Characterization in Contemporary Fantasy Novels
Part 3

Stephenie Mayer ~ Twilight Series

What is vampirism?

Vampirism is an infection disease.

Becoming a vampire

One bite is enough to turn human into vampire. Occurrence is unusual as vamp victims are in most cases fully drained of blood thus causing imminent death. The experience is described as very painful.

Life expectancy

Immortal unless killed. No physical diseases apply.

Extermination methods

Can be killed only if shredded into tiny bits.