Blech

Going back to work today, but I'm not happy about it.
I will reserve the right to take things slow.
Sore throat virtually gone, but body is tired and out of balance.
Went to bed early, but a visit to the Twilight Zone compromised sleep.

House is a mess.
Final coat of paint for bedroom and massive cleaning set for Saturday.
Meanwhile, we do what we can.

QoS out.

Books

On a whim -- and honestly, I can't remember what prompted me to order it in the first place -- I bought the novel Modesty Blaise a few weeks ago, and started reading it while I was sick this weekend.

It is unexpectedly delightful -- if you're in the mood for an escapist espionage thriller. Modesty is a pure fantasy heroine: gorgeous, dangerous, smart, resourceful, sexually independent, speaks multiple languages, has a worldwide network of allies with whom she has complicated histories, and a doughty sidekick who worships her. I'm gobbling it down like candy, and can't wait to order the next volume.

Next on my list, The Sharing Knife: Beguilement, the first book in a new fantasy series by Lois McMaster Bujold, who wrote some of my very favorite books, the Vorkosigan/Barrayar series. Unfortunately, she has also written a couple of fantasy novels that I found utterly forgettable.

Reading the inside front cover, I find myself hoping that the pair of characters at the center of this novel may be able to catch some of the magic of Aral and Cordelia, of Shards of Honor, but that may be a long shot. Fantasy may not be her genre.

Meanwhile, I need to get back to Modesty. . .