The Reading Corner.

[Buster's Uncle]

Reave the Just and Other Tales by Stephen R. Donaldson.

Donaldson is not the most accessible author in the world - when I read Lord Foul's Bane (at way too young an age to have any business reading something as -ahem- mature as Lord Foul's Bane, but still, I was a bookish kid with a vocabulary like you wouldn't believe) I didn't know what most of the colors were (these days, I think incarnadine is a vivid shade of blue, but wouldn't stake my life on it).  He doesn't write down to his audience.  Ever. To a fault.  This is a collection of more recent work, and considerably less impenetrable thus far.  I've read the first story, and so far, so good.  Donaldson, for all that he's capable of being unbearably frustrating to read -nothing happens for more than the first 100 pages of his latest novel, Against All Things Ending- writes really powerful, moving stuff, and I'm looking forward to the rest of this.

[Unorthodox]

(these days, I think incarnadine is a vivid shade of blue, but wouldn't stake my life on it).

Considering it's the name of a type of fake blood, I'm going to suggest it's red. Had no idea it was a color at all, to be honest, just fake blood.   

[Buster's Uncle]

So it is, when I look it up. 

I could go flip randomly through Lord Foul's Bane for a few minutes and find a lot more stumpers - I have never been used to being stumped very often by obscure words since I was about 10, and Donaldson used to do it several times a page when we were both younger.

[Unorthodox]

I'd probably be much less useful on the rest.  English was not my strong suit in school.  Elementary school felt I didn't need to learn to read at the same pace as the rest of my class because I had speach problems, so I went to the *special* class where they attempted to correct my wrong-handedness along with the speach problems.  Made me LOVE reading/writing/english so much.  There's some words I still cringe when I say, because I still say them 'wrong' and should be getting the stick for doing so. 

[Buster's Uncle]

That's not you - that's most of us on these boards.  Tending to be somewhat self-educated, we all have a lot of words in our vocabularies we've never heard anyone pronounce.  I bet you and I are also far from the only ones to have been put through a lot of bad speech therapy, too.

[Buster's Uncle]

Critical Mass by Frederik Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth.  A short story collection, and good stuff so far.

[Unorthodox]

Halloween customs, spells, and recipes by Silver Ravenwolf


Yes. I bought a spellbook.

Not a whole lot here I really needed.  Bought for a couple reasons. 

1. New specialty store we stumbled on.  I try to support these kinds of stores when I can, and didn't need any magic candles (though the first store to have one particular variety I'd been looking for, and it was properly seeded even, so might go back if I decide on that route), but they can get me some blanks.  Since the other store flaked out on me there, that's good news. 

2.  A complete how-to on making rather detailed voodoo dolls out of corn husks.

Most the spells and rituals in here are standard Wiccan fare modified to make use of a pumpkin.  But, there was one on making magic dust for voodoo rites.  I don't think it's showy enough for my intended veve, but might mix some just to be sure.   

Uggh...

Llewellen books. I think on some of the fluffier ones you can just copy/paste and just change the name and you have the same book. They put out dozens of those things out back in the day.

But hey, I once owned a copy of Raymond Buckland's "Big Blue Book" of Wicca back when it was a fad and all the kids dressed in black with cool pentagrams in New Orleans circa late 900- early 00s. Even owned a book on ceremonial magick. Talk about out there.

Anyways... past all the BS of Wicca, I have never understood the whole "goddess" focus of Wicca. If I remember correctly, the Wiccans were supposed to have a male god, too. But, methinks these folks were more into radical feminism and using Wicca for the cool rituals and attire. Nothing worse than a born again Wiccan is what I say, even though they are rare breeds nowadays (thankfully).

I say if you want a goddess, read The Principia Discordia. Eris is much cooler and can beat up the Wiccan goddess in a catfight. Roze approves:

http://principiadiscordia.com/

Edit:

@UNORTHODOX...

Voodoo is a tourist funded big bussiness in New Orleans. I doubt anyone practices it. In fact, no one practices it except those who make money off of tourists saying they practice it. The religion died many decades after Marie Laveau and with intermarriage of the blacks and Cajun and better education. But, if you want gris-gris and voodoo dolls and how to make them, I would suggest looking at some of these bead shop websites and look at a few. they do not seem too hard to make.

I one time worked in one of these shops. Surprisingly, the guy that makes them is a Episcopalian Christian. He told me he had no issues making them. He called them "post-it notes" to your god.

Just saw this. 

I do stuff for show, on Halloween, and try to be authentic as possible.  Last time I did "Voodoo", we had a few folks that refused to enter thinking it was real when it was all total nonsense.  My base symbology there has always been more Haitian than New Orleans style, but we have a growing Santeria base here in Ogden, and I like to get them nice and nervous every now and then. 

Do I want 'voodoo' dolls?  No, too plain.  Now, instructions on making dolls out of corn and means of folding/weaving the cornhusks has usage to me for any number of things, including resurrecting Husk (failed experiment from last year). 



The store is more of just another contact for me to find bizaar stuff I might one day utilize, so I try to support them. 

[Unorthodox]

Death Masks Next Dresden book. 

The Shroud of Turin is the real deal (if only because so many people believe it, that belief gives it power) and has been stolen, and Harry has to track it down. 

This one saw a little bit of a shift happen.  Previous books have been more or less stand-alone, but this one leaves a number of things open at the end as well as introducing a bunch of new characters I fully expect to be seeing around more often.  Where you could probably break into the series anywhere before this one and be fine, it's starting to feel more like a serial now. 

There seems to be a rotating set of stories now as well, ones that deal with the fairy world, and ones that deal with the Christian world, and there's a different supporting cast for wherever Harry needs to head off to.

[Unorthodox]

Technically book on tape, not read. 
Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz

This was the book out of left field suggested by the halloween group.  It was not bad, but not especially great either.  I could see various elements borrowed from various sources.  The overall arch had the feeling of some kind of sick cross between King's Carry and Rosemary's Baby. 

Although, it did bring a smile to my face that a key turning point in the book involved not only walpurgisnacht (while called by a more english name herein), but 2 Barghest...what's more, 2 Barghest with exposed ribcages.  Considering I just finished making one for walpurgisnacht and all.   

[Buster's Uncle]

Novelets of Science Fiction edited by Ivan Howard.

Good stuff, so far.

[Unorthodox]

Blood Rites Dresden Files #6.

As I said, #5 left a number of things open ended, and transformed the books more into a serial.  Book 6 continues that and really transforms the series as a whole to show greater character progression all around.  Recurring villains now, and they are adapting to Harry's abilities, and turning them against himself.  Collateral damage to Harry's allies, debilitating injury, and realization of consequences for actions.  Very transformative book, but a little disjointed in getting these changes accomplished.  Feels more like a setup for Book 7, or maybe even books 5-7 are a little trilogy...but it lacks some typical elements of a 2nd act if that's the case. 

[Unorthodox]

Dead Beat Dresden Files #7

More or less Dresden Files does Halloween.  Continuing the serial nature, and adding more backstory to some supporting cast.  Comes off more jovial than most the series (and the humor is one of the better selling points) despite some horrendously evil stuff happening. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Syzygy by Frederik Pohl.

[gwillybj]

Syzygy by Frederik Pohl.

Good one.

[Buster's Uncle]

Is it?  I haven't gotten very far yet, but the first 50 pages read like a disaster thriller - not my favorite sort of thing.

Still, Pohl rarely disappoints.