The Clan of the Cave Bague

Cringe. Ahem. I really really enjoyed this book It’s pretty lightweight and can be read in two days (as I did) but I’d really recommend reading it over three. It’s the middle-third that does it. It’s so reeking with love-lorn teenage angst (put it this way – it quotes Romeo & Juliet) that if you stop reading half way through (as I did) you’ll spend a significant amount of time moping around the place like an Emo Kid (like I did).

I am so glad my teenage years are very very far behind me

Oh! That was unexpected! When it comes to editor wars, I’m in the vi camp. Everyone knows that. But I’m not just a UNIX geek – I’m also a writer, and I’m not masochistic enough to think that writing using vi is something done by sane, well adjusted, people.

So I tend to cop out and use OpenOffice, or Word, or some similarly bloated piece of software. But when you get down to it, I need to edit text, count words, and spell check. And that’s really about it.

Tonight, however, I came across an editor (Windows only, I’m afraid) called Q10. It’s tiny and fast. All very well. But it’s….. unique. At it’s heart, it’s really just a full screen editor. Running it gives you a black screen with an inviting looking amber cursor. An option status display at the bottom shows some live stats and the time.

Yeah, ok, so OpenOffice and Word will both do that. Neither of them are 400k and like greased lightening

OMG I’m like SO TOTALLY emo! Ahem. Alright, so this is clearly written specifically for confused young girls, but really – it’s extremely likeable. Yeah, so you have to keep wringing it out to get rid of the dripping angst, the whole thing is utterley implausable, and there are plot gaps you could drive Saturn through, but it’s still a really enjoyable, straightforward, and not at all sinister book.

In which nothing actually happens. But still…..

9/10 I reckon.

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We will be in touch again soon.

WHY will you be in touch with me soon? So you can confuse me MORE with your circular not-adding-up knees-bent advancing type prose?

WHAT DOES THAT LETTER MEAN?

What an awesome book! Wizard and Glass is the fourth installment of the Dark Tower series and deals, primarily, with an event in the childhood of Roland of Gilead. Not much point in saying any more than that because those familiar with the Dark Tower will already know, and those who aren’t really should read The Gunslinger first.

So, on the advice of my big sis, I am going to persist with the rest of Aftermath.

Edit Life is just too short. One more chapter. Miserable characters, depressing plot. I like dark, I just don’t like gloomy

Despite loving music and loving reading, I very rarely do both at the same time. For some reason, though, while sitting on the sofa reading “Wizard and Glass” this morning, I felt an urge to put on “Greetings from Asbury Park N.J.” by the inimitable Mr Springsteen.

I wonder if Stephen King was listening to this album while writing – it seems like such an incredibly appropriate soundtrack. Or maybe it’s just because it’s an album I really like. Either way, it’s an awesome experience – you should try it sometime.

Spring has sprung!
The grass is ris!
I wonder where de birdies is!
Dey say de birds is on de wing
But dat’s absurd – de wing is on de bird!

- Spike Milligan

I don’t give up on a book very often. Almost never, in fact. But I just can’t go on with this one. I bought it on spec – I generally don’t read crime novels, but thought I’d give it a go as it’s had pretty good reviews. I just can’t seem to enjoy it – other than the protagonist, there aren’t any other three dimensional characters; there are only suspects, witnesses, victims and policemen. Ok, so I’m a writer (or would like to be if the buggers would let me), and it’s helpful for me to read fiction that I don’t like, so I can analyse it and work out WHY I don’t like it. That doesn’t mean I have to finish the bloody thing

So, back to The Tower I go. Wizard and Glass awaits.

My mama always told me not to look into the eyes of the sun,

But mama! That’s where the fun is!

“Blinded by the Light” – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band

Civilization III Complete. i.e. Civ III with all expansions. Arguably the best version of Civ. For £2.99 on Steam.

All of Civ III.

£2.99

No need for a play disk.

ACEBEST.