Squirrels, Song and Smith's Shoes

SQUIRRELS!!!

Squirrels may be very commonplace, but they still make me happy. Michigan squirrels are quite fat. I think it is the 'in case it's a bad winter' thing. Squirrels in places with mostly mild winters don't need to store enough fat to survive a long spell with nothing to eat, but here they are mostly pretty good sized. The Red Fox Squirrels are most common. Like this little fellow here.


Song of Ice and Fire

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OH, to be obsessed... SERIOUSLY obsessed. I love when literature mercilessly does this to me. I think about this world and these characters ALL the time... I want to talk to like-minded others about them... I submitted to the more expensive cable for it... Anybody who knows how cheap I am knows this is a very big deal.

The Starks are OF COURSE my favorite, my VERY most favorite being Arya, whose journey is fascinating, terrifying and amazing. But Martin does an amazing job ESPECIALLY of writing PoV characters who are NOT the heroes—of infusing delusion so even as the reader knows it for what it is, it's clear the character doesn't get it. It's some seriously brilliant writing.

I especially love, that on the re-read, I am spotting all this support for favorite theories. There is symbolism, symmetry, foreshadowing... Just freaking AMAZING.

And... ONE WEEK, until my buddy and fellow Burrower Tara (aka: Amber T Smith) Releases 
If the Shoe Fits

The blurb: There’s nothing wrong with Ella Gibson’s life— it just isn’t very exciting, despite being surrounded by lingerie. Working for Cardiff’s top modelling agency should have been glamorous, but most of the time Ella is running around with memos and cups of coffee. It’s a far cry from living the dream, but skirting the edge of her fantasy life is enough.

Then comes the day when her cat starts to talk, claiming to be Ella’s fairy godmother. As if that weren’t crazy enough, the pesky puss becomes a fashion advisor and behavioral expert, too. Add an evil ex-stepmother, a hunk called Charming, plus a looming party-cum-ball, and you have all the elements of a classical fairy tale. There's even a couple of ugly sisters—the fact that they are two gorgeous gay men being neither here nor there.

Ella’s not your typical fairy-tale princess though, and it will take more than a discarded glass slipper to get her man. It’s quite possible she may have to curb her enthusiasm for cursing a wee bit, not to mention her love of vodka. And can Muse, her surprisingly straight-laced feline friend, overcome her prudishness long enough for Ella to sneak a kiss or three with her intended beau?

My Review:
I had the good fortune to be a pre-release reader on this book. This fun twist on the Cinderella tale was just right for my slightly twisted sense of humor. It was laugh-out-loud funny, and I gave it the full five snorts on the laugh-o-meter.

Ella is a common receptionist for a lingerie company with a penchant for swearing and underwear mishaps, but she is good-hearted and easy to like--just ask her sisters--a pair of gay male models who double as her best friends.

Enter Muse... a cat... and a new sort of Furry Godmother... Muse has decided Ella needs a little bit of a makeover if she is ever to catch a suitable match. A manners makeover, in addition to the other sort. The Cat's prudery, the 'sister's' helping on this makeover project... it all is just REALLY fun and hysterically funny.