Monthly Archives: January 2014

The Benicia Crew Goes to Eon Coffee

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Marion

The Benicia Crew meets once a month, usually on a Saturday, to talk about writing and share our work.  we usually meet at Sailor Jack’s in Benicia. All four of us are alumnae of the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference. Terry … Continue reading →

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Winter Vegetables

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Marion

The Santa Rosa  farmers’ market is small during the winter, and the Wednesday market is even smaller by designer, lacking the protein vendors (although at least two vendors had eggs). Gaga Cafe was there, doing a brisk business with the … Continue reading →

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Horses in the Foam; Goat Rock

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Marion

My mother in law, who has lived in this county for sixty-plus years, told me she had never been to Goat Rock Beach. This had to be remedied, so when we went for a drive on Friday, that’s where we … Continue reading →

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I love Sherlock, But He Isn’t Holmes

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Marion

Last Sunday PBS debuted the first episode of Season Three of BBC’s arresting drama-comedy Sherlock. I hadn’t planned to watch it, but found I couldn’t help myself. Sherlock’s flat-footed attempt to “surprise” Watson with the fact that he was alive, … Continue reading →

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The New Werewolf

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Marion

Syfy has made a fantasy series based on the “Otherworld” books of Kelly Armstrong. The first book is named Bitten and that’s also the name of the show. Since vampires should have peaked by now (we hope), programmers have moved … Continue reading →

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The Italian Secretary

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Marion

The Italian Secretary, by Caleb Carr, was a disappointment. Possibly it disappointed because the premise boosted my expectations. It’s a Sherlock Holmes pastiche involving the brutal murder of David Rizzio, the secretary of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. Tudor intrigue … Continue reading →

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Shadows Fall, by Simon R. Green: In Which I Judge a Book by Its Cover

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Marion

Generally speaking, we’re not supposed to do that; judge the book by its boards. I’m going to indulge in some comments and conjecture about this one, though. I haven’t read the book yet and won’t for a while; Spouse gets … Continue reading →

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Spook Country, by William Gibson; a Smidgen of Justice

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Marion

It’s hard to find a sense of justice these days. Certain people seem immune to consequences of their actions, and those consequences often devolve onto people lower down on the food chain. CEOs and bank presidents are briefly vilified in … Continue reading →

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Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore: An Ode to Geeks Ascendant

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Marion

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is a paean to  geeks – every kind of geek. It celebrates science geeks, stats geeks, conspiracy-freak geeks, secret society geeks, data-viz geeks, modeling geeks, gaming geeks , fantasy geeks, typeface geeks and even Peter-Jackson-Betrayed-Tolkien-‘cause-There-Was-No-Female-Elven-Warrior-In-The-Hobbit geeks. … Continue reading →

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Those Who Count The Books

Posted on January 2, 2014 by Marion

My dreams on New Year’s Night (not New Year’s Eve– the night after) were filled with swirling words; words revolving in rows, words spinning, dancing and changing partners to form new phrases and new meanings. This is because I spent … Continue reading →

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