Just in time for Hallowe’en, I posted my review of the H.P. Lovecraft collection, The Horror in the Museum. Well, the stories are re-writes/ghost-writes/co-written by Lovecraft, but most were still pretty damned good. As I say in my review, my only other foray into Lovecraft’s writing was Black Seas of Infinity, which I thought was a superb collection edited by Andrew Wheeler.

The Yankees named Joe Girardi their new manager today after the unsurprising firing/non-acceptance of contract by Joe Torre. As much as Don Mattingly was my favorite player, I think Girardi is the right choice as manager. I liked him as a player and probably more as an announcer on YES. Granted, the way Joe Torre was not brought back was sloppy, I think Girardi is a step in the right direction. The best news out of Yankee-land is Alex Rodriguez opting out of his contract.

Somehow the fact that a film version of Stephen King’s The Mist is coming out in November slipped by me. I liked the story a lot when I first read it years ago. Even more so, I enjoyed the Cool Audio version of the story released more than a decade ago. On the good side, Frank Darabont wrote and directed it, who also had a hand in The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption. On the other, Thomas Jane (who I thought was great as Mickey Mantle in 61*) was also in the King clunker, Dreamcatcher.

The more I watch Reaper, the bigger my crush grows on Missy Peregrym. I like the show and make sure I see it every week, it reminds me a little bit of Ghostbusters. Ghostbusters is one of my favorite, most quotable, and most quoted movies.

Review, stuff

I posted my review of Hurricane Moon by Alexis Glynn Latner the other day, but since sffworld.com was a little wonky yesterday, I couldn't retrieve the review to mention here. It was an interesting book, but didn't completely work for me.

Rutgers seems back on track after taking down the #2 team last Thursday. On one hand this is great, on the other this tells me they "should" be undefeated. Their two losses were to teams that were not of the same caliber as USF. Granted, Cincinatti is doing some pretty good things, butstill frustrating nonetheless.

The more commercials I see for Beowulf, the more I want to see it. What I do find ironic is that the script for the movie is written by Neil Gaiman and that Todd McFarlane Toys has the license to do the "officially licensed" action figures from the movie.

I have to say, one of the cool things about doing these book reviews is getting early looks at some forthcoming books. Case in point, I received a nice big fat ARC from Del Rey of Peter F. Hamilton's next Epic Space Opera, The Dreaming Void. Another, equally cool, perk is receiving the same e-mail from Simon Spanton Pat did, with the synopsis of Richard K. Morgan's foray into Epic Fantasy, The Steel Remains.

Revenge of the Elves by Gary Wassner

Meme-ology

Gacked from where most of these memes are gacked, the Antimucker.

MOUTHOLOGY
Q. What is your salad dressing of choice?
A. 1,000 Island or Robusto Italian

Q. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
A. White Castle.

Q. What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
A. The Chimney Rock Inn. The Loaded Rock Fries are a heart-attack on a plate but are awesome.

Q. On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant?
A. Usually 20%; I start at 15% and the waiter/waitress decides from there. That is, if they are good it goes up.

Q. What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
A: Steak.

Q. What are your pizza toppings of choice?
A. Meatballs

Q. What do you like to put on your toast?
A: Peanut Butter

TECHNOLOGY
Q. What is your wallpaper on your computer?
A: See Ray Run on one computer, a Neil Gaiman/Sandman background on the other.

Q. How many televisions are in your house?
A: 4.

BIOLOGY
Q. Are you right-handed or left-handed?
A. Right.

Q. Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
A. Wisdom teeth.

Q. When was the last time you had a cavity?
A. Only one, about three years ago.

Q. What is the last heavy item you lifted?
A. What do you consider Heavy? 8o lb dumbells at the gym?

Q. Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
A. No.

BULLSHITTOLOGY
Q. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
A. No.

Q. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
A. World’s Coolest Millionaire

Q. What color do you think looks best on you?
A. One Million Dollars.

Q. Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake?
A. Probably.

Q. Have you ever saved someone's life?
A. If so, inadvertently.

Q. Has someone ever saved yours?
A. I don’t think so.

DAREOLOGY
Q. Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100?
A. I need more money than that.

Q. Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000?
A. Now you are talking.

Q. Would you never blog again for $50,000?
A. yes...

Q. Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000?
A. Yes, but that magazine would lose money.

Q. Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
A. Absolutely.

Q. Would you, without fear of punishment, take a human life for $1,000,000?
A. It depends on the specific human life; however, I do recall an episode of the Twilight Zone (or maybe Amazing Stories) where somebody was offered something along these lines, with the disclaimer that you would not know who the person to die would be. They, of course accepted, only to be told that the next person who was offered the $1M would have no idea who would be killed, either. Karma's a bitch.

DUMBOLOGY
Q: What is in your left pocket?
A: Nothing.

Q: Is Napoleon Dynamite actually a good movie?
A: Good is a strong word.

Q: Do you have hardwood or carpet in your house?
A: Yes.

Q: Do you sit or stand in the shower?
A: I wish I could sit.

Q: Could you live with roommates?
A: I have in the past (college) and I do now (wife).

Q: How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
A: One pair with a bottle opener in it although mine are black.

Q: Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
A: A few months ago when I blew through a stop sign.

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: A superhero.

Q: Who is number 1 on your top 8?
A: ????

LASTOLOGY
Q: Friend you talked to?
A: My old college roommate.

Q: Last person who called you?
A: See above.

Q: Person you hugged?
A: Mrs. Blog o’ Stuff.

FAVORITOLOGY
Q: Number?
A: 7 or 23

Q: Season?
A: Summer

CURRENTOLOGY
Q: Missing someone?
A: Not really.

Q: Mood?
A: Somber

Q: Listening to?
A: Baseball playoffs.

Q: Watching?
A: See above.

Q: Worrying about?
A: Bills, work, house-projects.

RANDOMOLOGY
Q: First place you went this morning?
A: The bathroom.

Q: What can you not wait to do?
A: Retire.

Q: What's the last movie you saw?
A: Theaters: Stardust. Home: Snakes on a Plane courtesy of TiVO.

Q: Do you smile often?
A: Only when I do evil things.

Q: Are you a friendly person?
A: At times.

Summer in October - Waiting for the Cold

My latest review, Brian Ruckley’s Winterbirth, went up at SFFWorld tonight. I have to admit I was disappointed in the book. It wasn’t a bad book, and I think has some good qualities. However, the book just didn’t connect with me. Apathetic might be a strong word, but I did find it difficult to completely immerse myself in his world and the story.

Mark/Hobbit posted a couple of reviews, too: Mike Carey’s The Devil You Know and Karen Miller’s The Innocent Mage.

The weather is perfectly normal here in New Jersey for October – the temperature has been in the 80s for the better part of the last week or so. This makes a little odd to be enjoying Oktoberfest beers like Widmer’s Octoberfest, and Post Road (Brooklyn) Pumpkin Ale, and Smuttynose Pumpkin.

The life of o’ Stuff has been interesting and hectic the past couple of weeks. I picked up a new car a little over a week ago, sold the old one, and my company moved its office 7 miles closer to my house. 7 miles may not seem like all that much to some, but when those 7 miles less are in North Jersey, it makes a considerable difference.

I thought the premiere of Reaper was pretty enjoyable and the second episode is turning out pretty well, too. I’m glad Heroes is back and like last season, the show keeps me hooked and anticipating the next week’s episode. I'm hoping Christopher Eccleston comes back this year, I really liked the small role he played last season. Right now, Peter's story is working the best for me even if it might be a small re-tread of his arc last year.

I posted my review of Joe Abercrombie’s The Blade Itself today. Right now it is near the top of my list for 2007 reads, Abercrombie’s snarky writing reminded me of Scott Lynch. He really built up a lot of tension and has me eager to read Before They Are Hanged.

I'm sure most of the same people who follow my blog, at least the fantasy fans, also follow Aidan's blog. If you don't and are a fan of Steven Erikson's Malazan Empire, click on over. I've been waiting for the right time jump back into Malazan after plowing through the first three a couple of months ago and now seems as good a time as any.

Surprise, surprise the Yankees made the playoffs again. I like their chances against Cleveland and think the Red Sox will be tired out by the Angels; hopefully. How about those Mets? Wow, that has to be as bad as the Yankees being bounced by Boston after their collapse a couple of years back. The National League is really wide open.