It's bad out there

Just on the outer edges of what will probably be remembered years from now as the Great Blizzard of '10.  I wanted to get off the couch, but I didn't want to drive anywhere.  I walked around the block.  As long as I was walking with the wind or sheltered by trees, it was reasonably pleasant, so when I got back to the house, I walked around again, about 20 minutes after the first time.  I could barely find any trace of my tracks from the first time.  Once I actually got out to the road, it had been plowed and it looks like it will be fine, but my driveway and lane could really be bad by tomorrow.

All of you to my east, good luck.

Book review: Prey

Today's book review is Prey by Rachel Vincent.

This is book 4 in the werecat series.  It has several bits of exposition to try to explain what happened in the previous books, but it probably wouldn't be enough.  The immediate events in this episode are resolved, but between the series arc stuff that was already hanging fire and the additional stuff that gets added, there's a lot more frustration than conclusion.

I had a lot of trouble reading this book; I was so tense that I just couldn't stay focused.  I don't think it's all the book's fault; I'm in a bad place emotionally.  But I think that there is more suspense and pain being thrown around than is truly needed.  Even though I'm not given to analyzing the situation as the book is unfolding -- I want to just dive into the story and let it happen -- I had trouble believing a number of things in the plot.  Too many times it seemed like the plot fairy was forcing people's actions, rather than the characters I've come to know acting the way they should have in the situation.  I'm very frustrated by where we wind up on the main series plot arc, and I'm also very frustrated with the new twist in the heroine's love life story arc.  The second point is wholly believable, but it's a part of human nature I hate.  All in all, I seem to have a lot of complaints here, but my biggest problems seem to be that it's giving me too much emotional pain and vicarious stress, and making me care too much can't really make it a bad book.

7 out of 10.

( plot summary )

( spoilery comment )