Ein²

[Fortune's Favours]

I had a Brainstorms visitor on my blog the other day, who came courtesy of Glen Engel-Cox, another Brainstormer, who writes the blog Immediacy. I was wandering around Immediacy and came across a recent posting about Dead Can Dance, Dead Can Dance at Strathmore Music Center.

I'm afraid that I also have to confess to Dead Can Dance as being a "guilty pleasure." In fact, according to LastFm (AudioScrobbler), they're my 7th most-listened to artist. Lisa Gerrard does have a fanastic voice. She does the vocals in Now We Are Free, that haunting track from the movie Gladiator, which I also love.

Of the Dead Can Dance tracks I have, the one that sticks in my mind most lately is Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Book, from the album Aion. Firstly, because it has a title which is, I think, rather cryptic, causing me to wonder about its origin and meaning. The second thing is the orchestration, so vivid and so sharp, but so unmodern. The lyrics too are unconventionally philosophical, as so many songs sungs by Brendan Perry are, highlighting the capriciousness of life and Murphy's Law.

When you expect whistles it's flutes
When you expect flutes it's whistles

[Sci-Fi September]

I’m moving right along! Now that I’m done teaching my “short” (but intensive!) course and the marking is all done for it, I obviously had more time to sit back and read, because I read 13 books in September. That’s more than double August’s total of only 6. Here’s the list:

1. Lost in the Translation, by Margaret Ball
2. Chryslids, by John Wyndhham
3. The Glasswrights’ Apprentice, by Mindy Klasky, first book in the Rani Trader series.
4. Kris Longknife: Mutineer, by Mike Shepherd, first in his series about a space merchant princess opting for the Navy.
5. Kris Longknife: Deserter, by Mike Shepherd, second in his series about a space merchant princess opting for the Navy.
6. Trading in Danger, Elizabeth Moon, first in in the Kylara Vatta merchant family series.
7. Marque and Reprisal, by Elizabeth Moon, second in the Kylara Vatta merchant family series.
8. The Glasswrights’ Progress, by Mindy Klasky, second book in the Rani Trader series.
9. The Glasswrights’ Journeyman, by Mindy Klasky, third book in the Rani Trader series.
10. The Glasswrights’ Test, by Mindy Klasky, fourth book in the Rani Trader series.
11. The Andromeda Strain, by Michael Crichton, classic biochemical suspense thriller.
12. The Great Train Robbery, by Michael Crichton.
13. For Your Eyes Only, by Ian Fleming, a collection of five short James Bond adventures.

Again, science fiction strongly dominates, although the last three are more suspense and thriller books. Nine of these were from the shelf of my friend in Vancouver while I was visiting him. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find the last book in the Rani Trader Glasswright series. I’ve been left in suspense as to what happens to bring the whole thing to a tidy close.

The keen-eyed amonst you might have noticed that I haven’t listed any audiobooks lately. The truth is, I haven’t had time to finish any, because I often listen to them while on the bus or while walking up and down the seafront. While I was in Canada, I didn’t do those things. As a result, I’ve been working my way through the unabridged Life of Pi (Yann Martel) for ages now, but the end is in sight!

Grand total for the year is 88.

See more progress on: read 100 books in 2005