I might just have to create a regiment of women warriors for my next book after seeing this:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/04/dudette-07-female-us-air-force-team_n_844379.html

And in fantasy news, HBO have released an extended clip of the upcoming Game of Thrones series, you know, if you’re into that kind of thing 🙂 WARNING – This clip shows some graphic violence with gore.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/04/game-of-thrones-preview-trailer_n_844323.html

So I went for a wander at lunch, looking less for inspiration and more for something to nibble on. In the course of my meanderings I ‘discovered’ Glaser’s Bake Shop on 87th and 1st Ave today. I put discovered in quotes because the place has been there 109 years. How cool is that? I’ll answer, very cool. The staff, Rita and Terri, were super friendly. The original architecture gives the place so much character I spent more time looking at that than the baked goods 🙂 You can check it out here: http://www.glasersbakeshop.com/

I’ll definitely be back, although now I’ll have to run and workout even more! If you live in NYC or are just visiting stop in and check it out, but make sure your gym membership is current before you do.

I’ve now owned a Kindle for a little over a day and my relationship with it remains cautious. I’ve spent a fair amount of time trying to deprogram it and make it my own. The first thing I did was turn off the highlight feature that let me know the aggregate opinion of favorite passages highlighted by everyone else who read the book before me. I haven’t even bought a book yet, but the idea that a brand new book would be sullied with highlighted passages makes me ill. I loathe that in physical books and no more desire it in an electronic version.

More troublesome are the pop up screen savers of literary classics. I have nothing against Jane Austen, but I really don’t want to be programmed by a device. Maybe I once dated a girl named Jane Austen and she broke my heart. Did Amazon ever think of that? Now I have to be reminded of that shattered relationship all over again. Damn you Jane Austen! Luckily, I’ve never dated anyone named Jane Austen, but I’m still single and it’s still possible.

I think it’s becoming more apparent to me why I did resist this long. I’m having to decide if I am comfortable with giving up the truly intimate relationship I have with a book and trade it for something more intrusive, no matter how well intentioned all the bells and whistles are meant to be. It’s still too soon to anticipate how this is going to go, but I see myself using the Kindle more as a reader of manuscripts (mine and for work) as well as other documents I download from my computer for research, and less for reading books. I just don’t like the feeling of someone looking over my shoulder.

And yes, future Jane Austen I might one day date, I’m talking to you.

I honestly never thought I’d buy one. It’s not that I have anything against them because I don’t. I’m a huge supporter of anything that gets people to read. I think my lack of interest was more a case of my love of actual physical books. I grew up with them. I know them. They line the walls of my life like silent friends, or perhaps portals into other times and places, and each one is unique. I know there’s a degree of sentimentality attached to them, and I’m entirely OK with that. I like that I like books. It’s something I’m proud of, even if every time I move I pay a lot more to box and ship them all.

So I was surprised at myself when I ordered one. Truly, it’s the closest I’ve had to an out-of-body experience in quite some time. I’m still not entirely sure why I did. I’ve never been a bleeding-edge of technology kind of person, or even a camp follower. I only bought my first cell phone a few years ago, and I’ve had my current Blackberry going on three years. I have a few t-shirts still in rotation I wore in university!

If I had to pick one reason, I think it was the notion that I could carry all these books around with me. I always travel with books, and the extra weight in my carry-on is a burden I’ve shouldered with a certain quiet sanctimoniousness and an aching back for a long time. Now, I’ll have room for more snacks and a little humility.

This could be the start of a very interesting relationship.

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/stephen-king-talks-write-walking-dead-episode-03-21-2011

I’ve never been a zombie fan, although I did enjoy Shaun of the Dead. Still, I gave The Walking Dead a try and and got hooked. While King’s attachment seems designed for publicity more than anything else (and clearly, it’s working) he could really up the creep factor. I found a lot of lulls in the series so hopefully his inclusion ramps up the pacing and the tension.