The Books of Christmas Series, the ultimate Book

OK. Yesterday was January 4 - the feast day of Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first US born saint. Seton started the first Catholic school in the US, and is popularly regarded as the patron saint of Catholic schools, although not officially. (I don't know how one becomes an official patron saint - presumably by performing a miracle within the environs of the place, right?) Anyway, that's why so many Catholic schools are called Seton.

Yesterday's book:

William C. Dietz - At Empire's Edge


Scifi Mil-fic - bioengineered cops chase shape-shifting robbers at the behest of the Uman Empire. I'm tossing it in with my trashy books. Classic cover art, though:

Can't go wrong with a guy two blasters falling off a thing into space...

It's apparently the first of a pair of books - Bones of Empire is the second book, and it is published and available. Which is nice.

Today is January 5, which is the 12th day of Christmas. That means that tonight is 12th Night. 12th Night is a feast of mis-rule - the lord turns over his power to the peasants, the low become high and the high become low and etc etc. It's lots of fun. I don't have a book for 12th Night, because there isn't one. Yet. Perhaps, for 12th Night, I should not get a book. I should get the opposite of a book - a DVD, or a video game or something. Perhaps I should be required to buy a book for myself. In fact, I was going to do that, but Barnes and Noble didn't have the book I was looking for in a format that fit what I've already got (I want the most recent Steven Brust - Iorich, which B&N had in trade paperback, but not mass market. The rest of my Brust are in mass market paperback [MM is smaller than trade] and I'd rather not mix my formats if I don't have to.) We shall see!

Tomorrow's Friday post from Virginia.

12 books of Christmas, book 10

(you can't tell, but I wrote those numerals in French. ;>)

January 3 is not a busy day. Clearly, the world is in recovery from Jan 1 and 2. However, it is the feast of Ste. Genevieve, patron saint of Paris, and noted hostage negotiator. in 464, she convinced Childeric to feed and then release the citizens of Paris, which he had besieged.

It is also the Tamaseseri Festival at the Hakozaki Shrine in Fukoka, Japan. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the festival involves half-naked men struggling in cold water to catch an 8 kg ball. Because it's good luck for the team which catches it. If the Earth team win, there will be a good harvest, and if the Sea team wins, there will be good fishing. So everyone wins, reall.


Today's book:


Sharyn November, ed - Firebirds Soaring


A collection of short stories showcasing the best authors published by Firebird Press. And Firebird Press has an impressive roster, including Jane Yolen and Ellen Klages, so I'm looking forward to this one.

3x4 Books of Christmas, 3X3rd Book

Today is January 2. In Switzerland, it is Berchtoldstag (Berchtold's Day). Berchtold is the male version of Perchta, who is a guardian of animals, sometimes leader of the Wild Hunt, and, according to Jacob Grimm (yes, one of the Grimm Brothers), an observer of spinning during the 12 Days of Christmas. Berchtold is noone, apparently - it should be Perchatastag, but the Swiss are not known for their feminism - women did not gain the right to vote in Federal elections until 1971, and Appenzell Innerrhoden became the last Swiss canton to grant women the vote on local issues. (Lest American's get snooty - Mississippi did not ratify the 19th Amendment [granting women the right to vote] until 1984. Of course, women could vote in Mississippi as of 1920, but the state didn't ratify the amendment until 1984).


That got longer than I expected. 


The book of the day:


Glorya Hale, ed - Read-Aloud Poems for Young People


Poems for me to read-aloud to my young people.

the duodeca books of Christmas, book octa

So, the 8th Day of Christmas is, of course, New Year's Day. I hope you have all recovered, more or less, from your New Year's Eve (It's 4:30 pm where I am, and we made our toasts last night with Shirley Temples, which were yummy, so I'm fine).

Today is the feast day of St. Basil the Great. In the Orthodox Church, it is the feast of the circumcision of Christ. In the Roman Catholic Church, it is the feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. It is Global Family Day. In Brunei, Haiti, and Sudan, it is Independence Day. January 1 is a very busy day, clearly.

Today's book:

Jill Lepore - A is for American


I've reviewed a Jill Lepore book earlier, not this one. Lepore is an historian of Early American history, particularly interested in questions of national identity and the formation of said. This is a book about the specific use of language in the Early Republic (and beyond - she discusses Alexander Graham Bell, according to the cover blurb) to create a sense of national unity and identity. Lepore, based on my other readings, writes clearly and coherently, with a minimum of jargon and academic bafflegab, so I'm looking forward to reading this one.

The Dozen Books of Christmas, Day half a dozen and half a dozen+1

yesterday's book is being held hostage by math - apparently, there are not, actually, twelve books, and so I can't actually get a book each day. Oh well.

Yesterday was apparently a popular day for saints. Here's just one - St. Egwin. Egwin was the Bishop of Worcester. In order to silence some of his detractors, he made a pilgrimage to Rome. Before leaving, he locked iron shackles on his ankles, and threw the key into a river. Upon arriving in Rome, a servant brought him the key - it had been found in the mouth of a fish in the Tiber river. Thus was Egwin vindicated.

On a secular note, yesterday (actually, given the International Date Line, two days ago for those of us on this side of the line) was Rizal Day in the Philippines, a day celebrating Jose Rizal, a Philippine nationalist who was executed by the Spanish in 1896.

Today, December 31, is of course New Year's Eve. When I worked in the sort of place where you got extra pay for working on holidays, I didn't mind working on New Year's Day. Nothing important happens on New Year's Day. I hated working New Year's Eve, though, because it invariably meant working late, and missing stuff. Which sucks.

Additionally, it is St. Sylvester's Day. He was a pope in the 4th Century. He probably didn't convert Constantine to Christianity. He probably also didn't kill a dragon.

Today's book:

Simon R. Green - Ghost of a Chance


Simon Green writes some delightfully trashy novels. This is the first of a new series of books about ghost hunters. "The Carnacki Institute exists to Do Something About Ghosts," says the back of the book - sounds promising.

1100 Books of Christmas, Book 101

(That's binary, of course)

It's the 5th Day of Christmas. It is Thomas Beckett's feast day - celebrating the day he was killed ("will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?") Both the Canterbury Tales and Murder in the Cathedral are (more or less directly) a result of Beckett's assassination.

Today's book:

James Houston - James Houston's Treasury of Inuit Legends


An interesting looking book. Houston began gathering Inuit tales in 1948, and illustrating them with hand drawn pictures of the Arctic. He lived for twelve years among the Inuit, travelling with them, eating their food, and generally acculturating into their way of life. According to the introduction (by Theodore Taylor), Houston is well regarded among the Inuit, which suggests that this is not a work of purely cultural appropriation, but rather something more akin to veneration by an adopted member of the culture. Anyway, it looks good.

XII Books of Christmas, Book 4

Today is the 4th Day of Christmas. Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents - in Spain and parts of Latin America, this is a day celebrated with pranks and gentle tricks - like April Fool's Day.

More importantly, it is Christmas Mouse Day! On the 28th (we decided this year) the Christmas Mouse brings socks and snacks and various forms of electronic media (just because, that's why). So, instead of a book (boo) today, I got an abundance of socks (yay!) and also Strange Animal by Gowan.


Ominous Spiritus!

twelve books of Christmas, Book 3

It is the 3rd Day of Christmas. Wikipedia informs me that it is the feast day of three saints: Saint John the Apostle, Saint Fabiola, and Saint Nicarete. In the Eastern Orthodox faith, it is St. Stephen's Day (which was yesterday for Western Christians) For those less inclined to venerate saints, it is also the day that the Beagle set sail with Charles Darwin on board.

Today's Book:

Jean Rabe and Martin Greenburg, eds - Steampunkd


It's an anthology of steampunk short stories! I'm pretty sure I haven't read any of them before, so that's fantastic! I recognize only two of the 14 authors (actually, 15, because one of the stories is by Skip and Penny Williams - 14 stories, though), which is also fantastic - I love being introduced to new voices.

12 Books of Christmas, Book 2

A glorious St. Stephen's Day to all of you - be sure to give your servants something you don't want anymore in a box. (Hence, Boxing Day)

My book for the day:

Mark Ovenden - Railway Maps of the World


This is pretty much what it says on the cover - it's a collection of railway maps from around the world. It's maps! And Railways! Together in one book! Yay!

The Twelve Books of Christmas, Day 1

First up - Merry Christmas, all! I hope you got what you wanted, not what you deserved. Unless you deserved more than you wanted, in which case, reverse that.

I have been promised/threatened with 12 books this Christmas. (Actually, we've done 12 books before, I just haven't posted about it) For each of the 12 days, I will receive at least one book.

Today:

Anton Strout - Dead Waters


I'm pretty sure I read a Big Idea about this one. It is the fourth Simon Canderous novel. Simon works for the Manhattan Department of Extraordinary Affairs - the branch of the police that deals with werewolves and zombies and vampires (oh my!). Either at the end of book three or at the beginning of this book, budget cuts have gutted the department, leaving Simon to deal with weirdness more or less on his own.

Normally, faced with book 4 of a series, I would rush off and find books 1-3. In this case, however, I think I'll see how book 4 stands up on its own. A well written book out of sequence should be readable with no foreknowledge, so this will be an interesting test.