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# Open Book

Rambling about Dogs, Books, and Crafts

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## Posts

- [I need a nap](https://openbook.biz/i-need-a-nap/) - Along with "Is it Friday, yet?" and "Is it time to go home, yet?" these are phrases I say way too often. So often, in fact, that I banned them from my vocabulary for a while and found I had little to say to my coworkers. They're like the packing peanuts that provide social cushioning
- [Review: Could Have Been Us](https://openbook.biz/review-could-have-been-us/) - I just found out today that Camilla Evergreen is just the side gig for Anne Stryker. Heck of a side gig, because these little romance books she's putting out on the side are worlds better than most romances I've read, and I've read a lot. A lot. Just in the 14 years I've been on
- [Review: Hell to Pay](https://openbook.biz/review-hell-to-pay/) - Full disclosure, I love Rachel Aaron - no, not personally, we're not that close - I just love the way she approaches fiction. Her characters are vivid, unique, and relatable, even when they're demons from hell. She knows how to make you care about a slacker dragon boi or an ambitious thief with equal intensity.
- [Review: That's Not Right](https://openbook.biz/review-thats-not-right/) - There has to be something in the water at some writer's retreat somewhere that is quietly, magically morphing normal humans into the best kind of authors. How else do you explain the emergence of Drew Hayes, Rachel Aaron, Dennis E. Taylor, and Scott Meyer all at around the same time? I thought we had hit
- [Review: The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted](https://openbook.biz/the-paris-bookshop-for-the-broken-hearted/) - I have friends who only read romances, and that's great for them. My grandmom used to get a shipment of Harlequin romances by mail every month, and she read them a lot more than she did her scriptures. I knew it was fun for her, and I respected that. But I'm not as big a
- [Review: Bribed by the Billionaire Bad Boy](https://openbook.biz/review-bribed-by-the-billionaire-bad-boy/) - October 12, 2024 was the day I first read a book by Camilla Evergreen. Not significant in any other way in my life - I know, because I checked my journal - but significant because this author has completely ruined me for every other romance author out there. (Except Georgette Heyer, of course, let's not
- [Review: Thinking Fast And Slow](https://openbook.biz/thinking-fast-and-slow/) - I love books by geniuses, especially when those geniuses admit to being just as dumb as the rest of us. The main point of this book is that we all do a lot of thinking we never know about, and that every single one of us is lazier than we know, let alone acknowledge. That's
- [Review: Winnie the Pooh](https://openbook.biz/review-winnie-the-pooh/) - How do you write a review of something that has been part of your life from birth? That's the struggle I'm having writing about Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne. One of my earliest memories was watching the Disney movie and being captivated by the turning of the pages and the use of the book
- [Review: The Secret Lake](https://openbook.biz/review-the-secret-lake/) - Do you ever get so stressed that all you want is a little kid lit? No, just me? I asked for book recs for quick and fun reads for children and this one came out on top. It's a quick and thoughtful book about time travel and friendship. It reminded me a little bit of
- [Review: Could Have Been Closer](https://openbook.biz/review-could-have-been-closer/) - Camilla Evergreen writes really good fantasy romances. This isn't one. To be fair, it's not supposed to be, but it is more fantastic than the vampire cat novel. This book needed more grounding in reality and less fantasy. In this story, the main character, Juliette has been lying to her parents for two years about
- [Review: Could Have Been Romantic](https://openbook.biz/review-could-have-been-romantic/) - What do you do when the one you're in love with is incapable of loving you back. Not because you're unlovable or they're unloving, but because they're just not wired that way? That's the challenge Drew faces as he fills notebooks with all of the reasons he loves his favorite person, Bianca, while fully accepting
- [Review: Could Have Been Real](https://openbook.biz/review-could-have-been-real/) - Right after I read this book, I heard about the trauma response many abused children carry into adulthood, the ability to read people in an instant. These are adults that had to learn vigilance to a ridiculous degree to avoid physical, mental, and emotional abuse from parents or other trusted adults. It explained everything about
- [Review: Villains' Vignettes: Volume 2](https://openbook.biz/review-villains-vignettes-volume-2/) - Full Disclosure: Drew Hayes is a being from another realm - one where writing at an elite level is a superpower. Prove me wrong, I dare you, because I refuse to believe that this level of insight into human nature, quiet humor, and tight plotting can possibly have originated from a mortal man. Am I
- [Review: Child of Another Kind](https://openbook.biz/review-child-of-another-kind/) - For a science fiction book about an alien race interfering with our world, the most alien part of this book is the author's relationship with emotions, religion, and women. This book tries to do a lot of things at once - reflect on religion, explore a mother-daughter bond, speculate about alien life, and deliver a
- [Review: Three for a Wedding](https://openbook.biz/review-three-for-a-wedding/) - For many years, I thought Betty Neels based her beloved Dutch doctor characters on her own husband. Am I the only one a little scandalized to discover that her husband was Dutch, but a sailor not a rich medical professional, and those dishy Dutch doctors were her coworkers. Betty, I'm shocked! If you're shocked, too,
- [Review: Making Sure of Sarah](https://openbook.biz/review-making-sure-of-sarah/) - Betty Neels is a genre all her own, and her books are unmistakeably hers. This is one where she tries a little harder to break the mold, and it is adorable. It's a little like watching your grandma trying to use modern tech or slang and fumbling it but looking so earnest while she does
- [Review: A Farewell to Arfs](https://openbook.biz/review-a-farewell-to-arfs/) - This is the Chet and Bernie book when things get almost too dark for me. Farewell to Arfs by Spencer Quinn is the fifteenth book in the series, and we've seen them through some dark times, with Chet's point of view softening the sometimes awful, often violent events of the plot. Chet cares more about
- [Review: Roverpowered 2: Tales of an Aspiring Alchemist](https://openbook.biz/roverpowered-2-tales-of-an-aspiring-alchemist/) - Peanut butter is great. Chocolate is arguably even better. But peanut butter and chocolate together? Now we're talking. In Roverpowered 2, we have Drew Hayes, a wildly talented, emotionally fluent author on one hand, and a ridiculously overpowered, chubby Corgi on the other. Genius author + adorable magic dog? Yes, please! As you might have
- [Review: Eleven Numbers](https://openbook.biz/review-eleven-numbers/) - I have kind of a love/hate relationship with Lee Child and his most famous brain-child, Jack Reacher. I hate how much I love him. When you read a Jack Reacher book, you know what you're going to get, some kind of inciting incident, disgusting villains who deserve all the violence Jack Reacher rains down on
- [Review: The Girl with Green Eyes](https://openbook.biz/review-the-girl-with-green-eyes/) - At the time of the publishing of this Betty Neels book, I was not much older than the protagonist and was either working for the philanderer who impregnated three women in a few months, or I was working at the phone sex place. Either way, my experience of the early 1990s couldn't have been more
- [Review: The Doctor's Girl](https://openbook.biz/review-the-doctors-girl/) - There will be plenty of people who tell you that Harlequin romances, especially those by Betty Neels, are fluff and complete nonsense and not worth the read. Sometimes they're right. The Doctor's Girl by Betty Neels is everything that makes people cringe about this genre. Loveday, whose name is literally the only interesting thing about
- [Review: Dealing with Dragons](https://openbook.biz/review-dealing-with-dragons/) - I don't remember much about the Enchanted Forest Chronicles from when I read them as they were published in the 90s, but I know I loved them and thought they were both revolutionary and hilarious. Let's talk about how they hold up. The first in the series, chronologically, is Dealing with Dragons, by Patricia C.
- [Review: Searching for Dragons](https://openbook.biz/review-searching-for-dragons/) - This is the second in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede and I thought she made the right call when she chose a new viewpoint for this one. I loved Cimorene, but it was fun to see her from the outside, too. In Searching for Dragons, someone (obviously it's the wizards because who
- [Review: Calling on Dragons](https://openbook.biz/review-calling-on-dragons/) - Morwen and her cats take center stage in the third book of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede, which was a bold choice that paid off. This time around we're Calling on Dragons and Morwen is leading the way with Cimorene in tow. I think Ms. Wrede did the best she could with
- [Review: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library](https://openbook.biz/escape-from-mr-lemoncellos-library/) - When I was a kid, going to the library was the best treat I could imagine (except Disneyland, of course). Yes, I was a nerd. How could you tell? Imagine if I could have visited the one in this book: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein I was one of six children and
- [Review: Every Day](https://openbook.biz/every-day/) - This book has a lot to say, and it says it all over and over and over again. You will come away from the experience with no doubt about how the author feels about gender and sexual identity issues. If you aren't exhausted by the relentless preaching, you might even come away with a touch
- [Review: Roverpowered 3: Tales of an Aspiring Alchemist](https://openbook.biz/roverpowered-3-tales-of-an-aspiring-alchemist/) - Is it hard to come up with a new way to rave about another book in a great series? Who cares? It's Drew Hayes + a cute dog. Bring it on! I'm going to be very serious now and tell you that Roverpowered 3 is a competent story written by a competent auth… No, I
- [Review: Roverpowered 4: Tales of an Aspiring Alchemist](https://openbook.biz/roverpowered-4-tales-of-an-aspiring-alchemist/) - You ever accidentally outdo everyone and not even know it? It's the best feeling, even if you just get to enjoy it from the sidelines. Watching Wanda alchemy… alchematize… do alchemy? Whatever, it's like watching Secretariat blow past everyone on the track and just keep going. Roverpowered 4 from Drew Hayes is the latest book
- [Review: Roverpowered: Tales of an Aspiring Alchemist](https://openbook.biz/roverpowered-tales-of-an-aspiring-alchemist/) - When your favorite living author decides to write about a short-legged, big-eared dog with way too much power and a pure heart, you drop everything and go read it. Roverpowered: Tales of an Aspiring Alchemist is the latest gem by Drew Hayes, otherwise known as the author who can do no wrong. Even knowing I
- [Review: Curse the Day](https://openbook.biz/curse-the-day/) - What do you get when you mix a lawyer who is a little scattered with a suicidal angel? A little mayhem, a lot of nonsense, and maybe a bit of murder. That's the story of this book, Curse the Day by Annabel Chase, and it works, for the most part. I have a soft spot
- [Review: Just Stay Away](https://openbook.biz/just-stay-away/) - It's always funny to me when authors write books about authors. Tell me you've never had a real job without telling me you've never had a real job. Oops, my mistake Mr. Wirt used to work for Dairy Queen and can still do the signature swirl at the top of a soft ice cream cone.
- [Review: Talking to Dragons](https://openbook.biz/talking-to-dragons/) - Talking to Dragons was the first book Patricia C. Wrede wrote in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, and it was never meant to be the capstone of a four-book series. Luckily for us, someone convinced her to go back and fill in the missing pieces, and we got the rest of the family story without it
- [Review: Return of Tarzan](https://openbook.biz/return-of-tarzan/) - Just in case this is the first Tarzan review of mine you've come across, let me warn you, I am an unapologetic fan of the man and his stories. Tarzan is, for me, what Star Trek or Star Wars or [insert culturally-relevant modern reference here] is to a mega fan. I adore the Lord of
- [Review: Beasts of Tarzan](https://openbook.biz/beasts-of-tarzan/) - Beasts of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs picks up the story about a year after the end of Return of Tarzan and features the same villains that plagued the first book. It's a solid, but imperfect, continuation of the series, and worth reading. This is the first Tarzan book where Jane is more than a
- [Review: Son of Tarzan](https://openbook.biz/son-of-tarzan/) - Son of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs comes within a micrometer of edging out Tarzan of the Apes for top book in the series, and that is not something I say lightly. If you don't know by now that I adore Tarzan, you're either new to my orbit (welcome!) or you have not been paying
- [Review: Biggest Fake in the Universe](https://openbook.biz/biggest-fake-in-the-universe/) - At the start of Biggest Fake in the Universe by Johan Rundberg, Mo is a chess nerd with a love for his guinea pig and astronomy. Then he discovers a new love, a skater girl, and decides to transform himself into a skater guy to win her heart. Trouble is, he's a chess nerd for
- [Review: Keeper of Enchanted Rooms](https://openbook.biz/review-keeper-of-enchanted-rooms/) - A while back, I wrote a break-up letter with this author and told her we were done. I meant it, too. I had given her so many chances with the Paper Magician and all that series, and they were competent enough, just lacking in the emotional depth and connection I craved. then I read Magic
- [Review: The Warbler](https://openbook.biz/review-the-warbler/) - My dad was in the army so I moved around a lot, and I thought I had trouble with putting down roots. I had no idea how good I had it. In The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst, Elisa is rootless and completely unmoored by a curse that has kept her and her mother moving
- [The Chaos Library](https://openbook.biz/the-chaos-library/) - On June 9, 2023, someone I didn't like very much introduced me to MidJourney on Discord. If you're not familiar, it's an AI system that generates pictures based on text. I was intrigued, and immediately pulled up my mostly-unused Discord app and gave it a try. My first prompt: A rat terrier named Harley. Shocking,
- [Review: The Wandering Inn](https://openbook.biz/the-wandering-inn/) - What if I told you that there is a fantasy series that is 13 times bigger than all the Harry Potter books combined and three times the Wheel of Time series, and it's all free? Yeah, sounds like fantasy, alright. The too-good-to-be-true kind. Don't worry, I'm not selling anything, just sharing one of my favorite
- [Myth, Myth!](https://openbook.biz/myth-myth/) - There’s a running gag in The Muppet Movie where someone says something unfounded about frogs—like touching one gives you warts—and Kermit flails his arms and yells, “That’s a myth!” As he does, a girl pops up out of nowhere and, with a lisp on her cutesy face, says, “Yeth?” Stupid? Yes. Unforgettable and funny every
- [We made it! (5 years overdue)](https://openbook.biz/we-made-it-5-years-overdue/) - I survived Covid, how about you? My guess is, if you're reading this, you definitely survived, but did you? Being alive after something so earth-shattering isn't the same as survival, not on a deeper level. If you lost someone, I'm so very sorry. If you lost something - your sense of safety, your job, your
- [I'm a writer?](https://openbook.biz/im-a-writer/) - Until college, I had never done much writing. As an avid reader, I had always preferred to be on the other end of the exchange. In the back of my mind throughout my childhood and teenage years, I thought I would write one day, but that day never seemed to come. Then I realized I
- [Review: How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method](https://openbook.biz/review-how-to-write-a-novel-using-the-snowflake-method/) - by Randy Ingermanson How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method Someone recommended this book to me after I said that I can't plot and have never been able to. I wish I could remember who it was that made the recommendation because I owe her big time. I opened it one night just
- [Review: Sleep State Interrupt](https://openbook.biz/review-sleep-state-interrupt/) - by T.C. Weber This book felt like a mix of the old Mission: Impossible TV show and Ready Player One. It's an odd mix and sometimes it works really well and other times it hits a speed bump. However, this author can write. His use of language and pacing are spot-on and slick. He's a
- [Review: Tarzan of the Apes](https://openbook.biz/review-tarzan-of-the-apes/) - I have taken a long break from blogging and I think it's time to start it back up again. Over the last two years a lot of things have happened, but the biggest was the loss of my father January 6 of this year. You can see his memorial site here: http://donshiles.com/ His death was
- [Review: Tarzan Triumphant](https://openbook.biz/review-tarzan-triumphant/) - Tarzan Triumphant Of all of the later Tarzan books, this is my favorite. I remembered Gunner and his machine gun long after the rest of the details were lost in the fog of time. This is one of the rare Tarzan books that is genuinely funny. Gunner and his "kid" are such a wonderful couple
- [Review: Tarzan and the City of Gold](https://openbook.biz/review-tarzan-and-the-city-of-gold/) - Tarzan and the City of Gold This is one of the rarer later books where Tarzan has a more central role. It takes place in another lost civilization and starts when Tarzan rescues a strange white man and wanders in the jungle with him long enough to learn his language before returning him to his
- [Review: Tarzan and the Lion Man](https://openbook.biz/review-tarzan-and-the-lion-man/) - Tarzan and the Lion Man This book is half and half for me. I absolutely loved the skewering of Hollywood and its denizens. Since I've hated almost every Tarzan movie ever made I can sympathize with Edgar Rice Burroughs and his frustration with their ham-fisted treatment of his most famous character. Strangely, he especially hated
- [Review: Tarzan and the Leopard Men](https://openbook.biz/review-tarzan-and-the-leopard-men/) - Tarzan and the Leopard Men Poor Tarzan is going to end up with Repetitive Head Injury Syndrome if this keeps up. This time around he is caught up in a storm and is hit in the head by a tree branch. He is rescued by Orando of the Utengi tribe who decides that this strange
- [Review: Tarzan's Quest](https://openbook.biz/review-tarzans-quest/) - Tarzan's Quest Tarzan's Quest is, I believe, the last official appearance of Lady Jane Greystoke, née Porter, and what an appearance it is. She's swinging through the trees, commanding an expedition, confronting a murderer, and killing an angry leopard with her handmade bow and arrows. She has come a long way from the fainting victim
- [Review: Tarzan and the Castaways](https://openbook.biz/review-tarzan-and-the-castaways/) - Tarzan and the Castaways Based on other reviews I've read of this book, part of it may have been dropped from the Kindle version I own. I will review what I read and check the print copy later to see if I did, indeed, miss something. I can't miss any Tarzan, that's not happening. I
- [Review: Tarzan the Magnificent](https://openbook.biz/review-tarzan-the-magnificent/) - Tarzan the Magnificent This felt oddly disjointed to me until I found out that it was originally published as two separate stories and then it all made sense. Well, maybe I wouldn't go that far but at least I understood why it felt like two halves of a whole. The first half of the book
- [Review: Tarzan and the Forbidden City](https://openbook.biz/review-tarzan-and-the-forbidden-city/) - Tarzan and the Forbidden City An old friend returns and I was so excited to see him. If you've read the book that started all of this - and if you haven't, why haven't you - then you will recognize Lieutenant Paul d'Arnot as the brave Frenchman that Tarzan rescued in Tarzan of the Apes
- [Review: Tarzan and the Foreign Legion](https://openbook.biz/review-tarzan-and-the-foreign-legion/) - Tarzan and the Foreign Legion I was expecting desert and Frenchmen but what I got was a bunch of Americans, a Dutch girl, and a smattering of others, and Tarzan. I got Tarzan so no complaints. Still, this takes place in Sumatra and it puts Tarzan into a new jungle with tigers instead of lions.
- [Review: The Tarzan Twins](https://openbook.biz/review-the-tarzan-twins/) - The Tarzan Twins I'm about 90% sure I never read this one and I wasn't missing much. This was written just a few years before the appearance of the first comic book sidekick, Robin the Boy Wonder, and it was probably meant to serve the same purpose. Sidekicks like Robin were introduced to comic books
- [Review: Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins with Jad-bal-ja the Golden Lion](https://openbook.biz/review-tarzan-and-the-tarzan-twins-with-jad-bal-ja-the-golden-lion/) - Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins with Jad-bal-ja the Golden Lion The title is almost longer than the story, and a little more interesting, to be honest. I wasn't a big fan of The Tarzan Twins so I didn't have big hopes for the sequel, which turned out to be just as well. Dick and Doc
- [Review: Erasing Time](https://openbook.biz/review-erasing-time/) - by C.J. Hill Erasing Time I took a quick break from Tarzan to listen to and review this book and its sequel after winning a copy of the sequel in audio form. I had never read any books released by the author under this name but I'm a big fan of the books she's written
- [Review: Echo in Time](https://openbook.biz/review-echo-in-time/) - by C.J. Hill Echo in Time I won a copy of the audio book on the author's blog and I wanted to thank her by hurrying to get this review out. I picked up the first book in the series, Erasing Time, and listened to it first. You can read that review on Goodreads or
- [Review: I Can't Make This Up](https://openbook.biz/review-i-cant-make-this-up/) - by Kevin Hart I Can't Make This Up I didn't know what to expect going into this. Kevin Hart didn't make it on my radar until a couple of years ago and I still really had no idea who he was until I saw Central Intelligence with Dwayne Johnson and then Jumanji, again with Dwayne
- [Review: Stress and Your Body](https://openbook.biz/review-stress-and-your-body/) - by Robert M. Sapolsky Stress and Your Body 5/15/2018 - I'm not done with this, yet, and there will be a complete review later, but I had to complain about something that really bugs me. This series of lectures is presented by a professor with multiple advanced degrees, including at least one in psychology, yet
- [Review: What Da Vinci Didn't Know: An LDS Perspective](https://openbook.biz/review-what-da-vinci-didnt-know-an-lds-perspective/) - by Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Andrew C. Skinner, Thomas A. Wayment What Da Vinci Didn't Know: an LDS Perspective I read The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown against my better judgment and despite the advice from many intelligent people I respect. Honestly, if no one had told me how popular it was I would have
- [Review: Tarzan and the Madman](https://openbook.biz/review-tarzan-and-the-madman/) - by Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan and the Madman And so I face the final curtain... It has been a long, sometimes bumpy, road from Tarzan of the Apes to Tarzan and the Madman. Along the way, especially around the Tarzan and the Ant Men mark, I wondered if I would ever get through, but I
- [Review: Not My Type: A Single Girl's Guide to Doing It All Wrong](https://openbook.biz/review-not-my-type-a-single-girls-guide-to-doing-it-all-wrong/) - by Melanie Jacobson Not My Type Pepper Spicer is about 20% jerk and 80% loser when we first meet her. She throws a fit when her family refuses to ignore her birthday and, gasp, make her a chocolate cake. This heinous act shall not stand and our heroine flips the cake over onto the floor.
- [Review: Painting Kisses](https://openbook.biz/review-painting-kisses/) - by Melanie Jacobson Painting Kisses Lia Carswell is an Artist with a capital "A." She's not your average dabbler, no, she's an artiste! I got really tired of hearing how she paints what she feels and everyone who sees her paintings practically faints with admiration. She's the kind of painter that describes her artistic process
- [Review: Dungeon Born](https://openbook.biz/review-dungeon-born/) - by Dakota Krout Dungeon Born Are you a 12-14 year old boy who loves sitting on Grandma's old couch in Mom's basement munching on Doritos, arguing about how to build the perfect dungeon? Have you ever thought, wow, this is so much fun, I should write a book about it? Not the adventures someone would
- [Review: Dungeon Madness](https://openbook.biz/review-dungeon-madness/) - by Dakota Krout Dungeon Madness So often the second book in a series is a let-down and you realize the author didn't have more than one idea to explore. Other times the second book picks up where the first one left off and is even better. This book is one of the latter. Instead of
- [Review: Dungeon Calamity](https://openbook.biz/review-dungeon-calamity/) - by Dakota Krout Dungeon Calamity The second book in this series was the strongest. The first book suffered from excessive world-building but in the second one, the author found his footing and really got things moving. He built up great momentum and introduced a credible threat that challenged both the dungeon and the adventurers, bringing
- [Review: Wait, What?: And Life's Other Essential Questions](https://openbook.biz/review-wait-what-and-lifes-other-essential-questions/) - by James E. Ryan Wait, What?: And Life's Other Essential Questions I'm a sucker for inspirational, self-help books, especially those with a practical approach. This one hit nicely in that sweet spot between helpful and entertaining. This started as a graduation speech the author made at the Harvard School of Education. As so often happens,
- [Review:  How do I Know If I Know?](https://openbook.biz/review-how-do-i-know-if-i-know/) - by John Bytheway How Do I Know If I Know John Bytheway, besides having the cutest name since Picabo Street, is a fantastic speaker on LDS matters. No matter what subject he tackles he always inspires and uplifts his readers/listeners. I have been away from the church for quite awhile and so my testimony is
- [Review: You Are More Than Enough - You Are Magnificent](https://openbook.biz/review-you-are-more-than-enough-you-are-magnificent/) - by Ganel-Lyn Condie You Are More Than Enough - You Are Magnificent I recently took a public speaking class and one of the other students did a speech on self compassion. She talked about how we attack and hurt ourselves in ways that we would never do to friends, families, and strangers. While I think
- [Review: Mind Tryst](https://openbook.biz/review-mind-tryst/) - by Robyn Carr Mind Tryst I have read quite a few Robyn Carr books over the years and find her to be a consistently good author of contemporary romance. As often happens I discovered her in an Christmas romance anthology and liked her writing so much that I sought out more of her books and
- [Review:  South America (A True Book)](https://openbook.biz/review-south-america-a-true-book/) - by Libby Koponen South America (A True Book) Talk about a quick read! This was a book I ordered through inter-library loan when I started thinking about writing Tarzan fan fiction set in South America. I had no idea it was less than 50 pages long and filled with pictures. Say what you will about
- [Review: Your Inner Critic Is a Big Jerk: And Other Truths About Being Creative](https://openbook.biz/review-your-inner-critic-is-a-big-jerk-and-other-truths-about-being-creative/) - by Danielle Krysa Your Inner Critic Is a Big Jerk: And Other Truths About Being Creative Last semester I took an online class in public speaking. (I had to make a bunch of videos - it wasn't pretty.) For my last speech I had to choose from a list of character traits and values. I
- [Review: The Necklace](https://openbook.biz/review-the-necklace/) - by Guy de Maupassant The Necklace Today was my first day in Introduction to Literature, an online class I'm taking for my Associate's degree. Our first assigned story was one I read a year or so ago but never reviewed. I don't often review short stories because there just isn't that much to say about them
- [Review: Million Dollar Outlines](https://openbook.biz/review-million-dollar-outlines/) - by David Farland Million Dollar Outlines I have got to stop listening to self-help books on audio instead of reading them. So much of the advice given is lost on me as I try to keep up with the narration while folding socks or commuting or whatever and I struggle to retain any of the
- [Review: Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time](https://openbook.biz/review-turn-right-at-machu-picchu-rediscovering-the-lost-city-one-step-at-a-time/) - by Mark Adams Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time I am planning a time travel story set at Machu Picchu and wanted to do some preliminary research about the site and its history. Searching on the library website turned up this book and so I gave it
- [Review: Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong](https://openbook.biz/review-barking-up-the-wrong-tree-the-surprising-science-behind-why-everything-you-know-about-success-is-mostly-wrong/) - by Eric Baker Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong For a book that claims to be surprising, there wasn't much new here. I'll say this, it is entertaining and he does tell a good story. The most surprising part of the book was
- [Review: It Takes Two: Our Story](https://openbook.biz/review-it-takes-two-our-story/) - by Jonathan Scott and Drew Scott It Takes Two: Our Story For some reason I seem to be on a non-fiction kick lately. To continue this trend I chose It Takes Two: Our Story by the Scott brothers. It came up on sale on Audible the other day and I like Property Brothers and Brother
- [Review: Living with a SEAL](https://openbook.biz/review-living-with-a-seal/) - by Jesse Itzler Living with a SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet The premise is interesting and the execution was okay, but I am definitely not the target audience for this book. For one thing, there is a lot of raw and raunchy language and I found that jarring and
- [Review: Rock Your Plot](https://openbook.biz/review-rock-your-plot/) - by Cathy Yardley Rock Your Plot: A Simple System for Plotting Your Novel 4/20/2015 - The author has done a great job condensing and distilling information about the writing process and I'm inspired to give her method a try. 5/31/2018 - This is my second time through this book and it's well worth a second
- [Review: The Amazon](https://openbook.biz/review-the-amazon/) - by DK Publishing The Amazon I don't read and review picture books often, but here goes. This is a children's non-fiction book about the Amazon. it's full of bright, beautiful photos of the plants, people, and critters of the Amazon rain forest. It touches on a little of the history and myths of the indigenous
- [Review: Good Behavior](https://openbook.biz/review-good-behavior/) - by Blake Crouch Good Behavior Do you remember that very creepy, very good TV show a couple of seasons back starring Matt Dillon? The author of the novel that was based on also wrote this set of novellas. Evidently there is a TV show based on this character, too, and if it's even half as
- [Review: "What Do You Care What Other People Think?": Further Adventures of a Curious Character](https://openbook.biz/review-what-do-you-care-what-other-people-think-further-adventures-of-a-curious-character/) - by Richard Feynman & Ralph Leighton What Do You Care What Other People Think? I loved Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character. It was funny, insightful and a lot like listening to my Dad and his brothers talk about their lives. I connected with Richard Feynman in that book because he
- [Review: Chosen by a Horse](https://openbook.biz/review-chosen-by-a-horse/) - by Susan Richards Chosen by a Horse When I started this I had no idea I had read another book by this author, and if I had I wouldn't have read this one. It wasn't that Saddled: How a Spirited Horse Reined Me in and Set Me Free was such a bad book, it just
- [Review: The Seventh Bride](https://openbook.biz/review-the-seventh-bride/) - by T. Kingfisher The Seventh Bride Let's get real, I love fairy tale retellings. Whether it's Jessica Day George and Princess of the Midnight Ball or Robin McKinley and Beauty or many, many others, I can't get enough of them. That is definitely why I purchased The Seventh Bride. It's a re-imagining of the tale
- [Review: The Call of the Wild](https://openbook.biz/review-the-call-of-the-wild/) - by Jack London Call of the Wild I read White Fang long before I discovered this more famous dog story set in Alaska by Jack London. Maybe, if I had read this one first, this would have been my preferred story, but probably not. White Fang was much more my cup of tea. For one
- [Review: You're Never Weird on the Internet](https://openbook.biz/review-youre-never-weird-on-the-internet/) - by Felicia Day You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) I was only peripherally aware of Felicia Day before starting this book so why read it? Well, it was a daily deal on Audible and it is about geeky stuff, so I gave it a try. I'm glad I did. I have watched all
- [Review: Second Hand Curses](https://openbook.biz/review-second-hand-curses/) - by Drew Hayes Second Hand Curses Drew Hayes is literary Xanax. Now, before you get offended on his behalf, let me explain. I deal with a lot of stress in my life right now. My father died in January after a long, protracted fight with Alzheimer's. My mom and I nursed him at home
- [Review: Wonder Woman Unbound: The Curious History of the World's Most Famous Heroine](https://openbook.biz/review-wonder-woman-unbound-the-curious-history-of-the-worlds-most-famous-heroine/) - by Tim Hanley Wonder Woman Unbound: The Curious History of the World's Most Famous Heroine I listen to a lot of odd books thanks to the Audible daily deal. Because I go through almost a book a day in audio format I'm always in the market for an interesting read. When I can pick up
- [Review: "They Say / I Say": The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing](https://openbook.biz/review-they-say-i-say-the-moves-that-matter-in-academic-writing/) - by Gerald Graff & Cathy Birkenstein They Say/I Say To continue a trend in my reading lately, here is a very helpful book turned into an only mildly helpful audio book. The advice is sound and practical and I can see it making a big difference in how I approach writing for school and work.
- [Review: The Master Magician](https://openbook.biz/review-the-master-magician/) - by Charlie N. Holmberg The Master Magician I remember being disappointed in The Paper Magician. It had come with a strong recommendation and I had great expectations for it, expectations that I felt were largely left unfulfilled. I swore I wouldn't read the next book in the series but then I read Followed by Frost,
- [Review: When](https://openbook.biz/review-when/) - by Victoria Laurie When One of the best things about Audible is that I am exposed to books I would have never found without it. When is one of those books and I'm so glad it came up on a Daily Deal. It is about a girl, Maddie, who sees death dates on the foreheads
- [Review: All Through the Night](https://openbook.biz/review-all-through-the-night/) - by Connie Brockway All Through the Night This sounded so good! A Regency romance starring a cat burglar who steals from the rich to give to the poor while a shadowy figure tries to capture her - how could it go wrong? Oh so many ways. Let's start with the tone of the book, which
- [Review: The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story](https://openbook.biz/review-the-lost-city-of-the-monkey-god-a-true-story/) - by Douglas Preston The Lost City of the Monkey God I don't know why I always feel compelled to tell you why I read a book before I tell you what I think of it, but the trend continues. I went to the library a while back, trying to find books on South America for
- [Review: Sweet Tea and Sympathy](https://openbook.biz/review-sweet-tea-and-sympathy/) - by Molly Harper Sweet Tea & Sympathy By all rights this should be called bittersweet tea because it's coarser and less refined than I expected it to be. The main character, Molly, has a career-ending experience involving shrimp and flamingos and has to retreat to her father's family compound to work at the bait shop
- [Review: The Blue Sword](https://openbook.biz/review-the-blue-sword/) - by Robin McKinley The Blue Sword This was the second Robin McKinley book I read, including Beauty, and I had forgotten how good it was. It is set on a earth-like world with many parallels but with a bit of magic. Harry is from Homeland, a thinly-disguised Great Britain, and she is living in Damar,
- [Review: The Hero and the Crown](https://openbook.biz/review-the-hero-and-the-crown/) - by Robin McKinley The Hero and the Crown Aerin is mentioned over and over again in The Blue Sword as Harry learns to wield her predecessor's weapon. This is Aerin's tale, set many years before the happenings in The Blue Sword to which it is a prequel. Aerin is the unloved and unlovely daughter of
- [Review: Dreadnought](https://openbook.biz/review-dreadnought/) - by April Daniels Dreadnought Danny Tozer is transgender. That's cool, but I wouldn't have read this book if that had been the focus. I was drawn in by the superhero plot and I appreciated that the gender issues were only part of the character development. As I told a coworker, I don't read issue books.
- [Review: Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet](https://openbook.biz/review-magic-bitter-magic-sweet/) - by Charlie N. Holmberg Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet Why do I keep doing this to myself? I am positive that Charlie Holmberg is a delightful person. She's probably very kind and loves her family and is nice to puppies and all of that. I have no beef with her, I promise. We just aren't compatible
- [Review: Out of Spite, Out of Mind](https://openbook.biz/review-out-of-spite-out-of-mind/) - by Scott Meyer Out of Spite, Out of Mind Even in a series where everything that can go wrong will go wrong, this is the one where the crap really hits the fan. Brit the Elder notices a glitch in the code that is making her memories go out of sync with Brit the Younger.
- [Review: Harrison Squared](https://openbook.biz/review-harrison-squared/) - by Daryl Gregory Harrison Squared Audio books are tough. First, they're expensive so I often take a chance on the Audible Daily Deal just because they are such a good deal. After all, I go through dozens of books a year in audio format and I can't afford to spend $10 to $20 for every
- [Review: The Secret, Book and Scone Society](https://openbook.biz/review-the-secret-book-and-scone-society/) - by Ellery Adams The Secret, Book and Scone Society Nora has a secret and so do her new friends. It's too bad that it was death that brought them together, but now they are getting to know each other's secrets even as they try to find the killer stalking their small town. This was a
- [Review: The Dog Who Danced](https://openbook.biz/review-the-dog-who-danced/) - by Susan Wilson The Dog Who Danced Let me preface this by saying that I'm a fanatic about dogs in general, and blue merle Shelties in particular, so if you're going to write about this breed, I'm going to notice when you're full of it. Let's start with the fact that the author constantly talks
- [Review: The Forever War](https://openbook.biz/review-the-forever-war/) - by Joe Haldeman The Forever War This is the weirdest sci fi book I've read since Ringworld, and just as unlikable. The idea is fascinating - time travel via space travel, but the execution is deeply flawed. The military stuff bored me to tears but at least I don't know enough about tactics, strategy, and
- [Friday Check In](https://openbook.biz/friday-check-in/) - I have been enjoying writing and posting my book reviews here. This poor blog was so neglected for so long that it has been a joy resurrecting it. It has also given me a reason to think more deeply and write with more analysis about the books I read and listen to and that is,
- [Review: Head On](https://openbook.biz/review-head-on/) - by John ScalziHead OnSome authors write good books once in awhile with clunkers in between. Anne McCaffrey, for instance, with all of her brilliance, still managed to pump out some really bad fiction. I'm looking at you Petaybee. Then there are the authors you can rely on to be entertaining, thought-provoking, and talented. Tamora Pierce
- [Writing about Reading](https://openbook.biz/writing-about-reading/) - I was talking to Steve at work the other day and he mentioned a comedian who was waxing indignant about people who "brag" about reading. This comedian gets offended when people say "The book was better than the movie," for instance. How can words on the page be better than the action played out on
- [Only 3 days of vacation left](https://openbook.biz/only-3-days-of-vacation-left/) - In the last two days, I've cleaned house, done laundry, made 2 dozen Halloween cards and enough embellishments to make a dozen more, finished reading one book and then finished the second half of another and helped my friend, Wanda, to make a blank book. Oh, and I played a few songs on the piano.
- [Vacation](https://openbook.biz/vacation/) - Vacation is half over and it's been fun. Low-key, but fun. Last weekend was Comic Con, which wasn't so low-key, but since then, I've spent every day in the craft studio. I made books on Sunday and then visited with the missionaries. (That's one downside to working with the garage door opened, you can't pretend
- [Landscaping Makeover](https://openbook.biz/landscaping-makeover/) - Some before and after pictures of my landscaping makeover. Thank you Mike of Early Bird Home Services! Berry Patch Before: Berry Patch After: Daffodils Before: Daffodils After: Flower Garden Before: Flower Garden After: Front of House Before: Front of House After: Garage Before: Gazebo Before: Gazebo After: Side Bush Before: Side Bush After: Side Yard
- [Yardwork is for the Birds!](https://openbook.biz/yardwork-is-for-the-birds/) - My friend, Mike, of Early Bird Home Services,got here about 9 this morning and we worked until 5, digging, raking, hauling, planting, toting, barging, something or other all day long. It was exhausting, and I don't know how he does it. We (and when I say we, I really mean he) dug up weeds and
- [5 things I couldn't buy even if I won the lottery](https://openbook.biz/5-things-i-couldnt-buy-even-if-i-won-the-lottery/) - With all of this talk about the 640 million jackpot on tonight's megamillion lottery, I have been thinking about all of the things I would want if I were to win. It's fun to imagine new homes, travel, cloned Harleys and so on. But then I started to think of all of the things I
- [Time Travel](https://openbook.biz/time-travel/) - Try this. Go to Google Images. Type in the year of your birth. Nothing else. Hit Search. Take in a snapshot of the world as it was when you first arrived. When I tried it, I saw a world I didn't recognize. What's the saying? The past is a foreign country? Something like that. I
- [Paper Boys](https://openbook.biz/paper-boys/) - Years ago, when Maverick was still with us and was about 9 years old, I taught him to fetch the paper from the top of the driveway. It wasn't too hard, since he loved to play fetch, but it wasn't easy either. It took 2-3 weeks for him to get the idea that he was
- [Do it Yourself](https://openbook.biz/do-it-yourself/) - Mom and Dad are doing some home improvement projects to go along with the new floors. That includes a couple of pieces of furniture from Ikea. Dad hates putting them together, and Mom isn't all that fond of them, but I love it. To me, it's like a giant, 3-D jigsaw puzzle. So, anything that
- [Good to be Bad](https://openbook.biz/good-to-be-bad/) - I like video games. I especially like roleplaying games that let you decide how to play the game. Games like Fable and Dragon Age are fun because you choose who your character turns out to be by the end of the game. Almost always in these games I choose the light side. I wear a
- [Arguing](https://openbook.biz/arguing/) - I have a good friend at work that some of you may know. I call him Billbur, and he's a fellow rennie and a lot of fun. Yesterday we were talking and the subject came around, by accident, to the X-Files. He asked me if I was a fan and I said that I wasn't,
- [Five things I want to do this weekend and can't](https://openbook.biz/five-things-i-want-to-do-this-weekend-and-cant/) - I don't know how my weekend is going to go, but for now it looks like I'm going to be pretty busy. Mom's floor is getting replaced and we are going to do some shopping for more home improvement stuff for her house. Somewhere in there I hope to see The Hunger Games, but I
- [5 things you might know about me that I wish you didn't](https://openbook.biz/5-things-you-might-know-about-me-that-i-wish-you-didnt/) - When I first got on the internet, I loved the anonymity. I could be anyone I wanted to be and I took full advantage of that, and I was hardly alone. Things have changed, and now it's next to impossible to hide behind a cryptic username or anonymous email. Employers are asking for Facebook passwords
- [Cracks in the Windshield](https://openbook.biz/cracks-in-the-windshield/) - A rock hit my windshield this morning on the way to work. It must have been a big rock because it caused a one-inch hole with cracks webbing out as much as 6 inches around it. I called the insurance company even before I got to work and it's going to be replaced this afternoon.
- [Wrong Way to Eat Spaghetti](https://openbook.biz/wrong-way-to-eat-spaghetti/) - Years ago, right after I moved out on my own for the first time, I remember watching a fairly forgettable sitcom, The Torkelsons. The show was about a single mom raising a family of five kids on her own. In one episode, her aunt comes to visit and asks her. "What is the wrong way
- [Relay for Life Yard Sale](https://openbook.biz/relay-for-life-yard-sale/) - Mom and I hit our favorite yard sale again today. The people just down the street put on a yard sale every few months to benefit Relay for Life. They put a ton of work into it. They get thousands of donations and they have to store everything that doesn't sell in their home between
- [Blog Topics](https://openbook.biz/blog-topics/) - Since I started blogging again, it has come to my attention that blogs are supposed to be about something. Rather than just rambling along about my (probably) boring life, I'm told I should pick something I'm interested in or have some expertise with and center my blog about that. With that in mind, I thought
- [Crazed Old Navy Shopper](https://openbook.biz/crazed-old-navy-shopper/) - Mom and I went shopping tonight, just for something to do. We ended up at Old Navy and she found a couple of items she wanted to try. They had to let us into the dressing room, and since I had nothing to try on, but wanted to see how her stuff looked, I went
- [Foster/Adoption - Next Steps](https://openbook.biz/foster-adoption-next-steps/) - The informational meeting for prospective foster/adoptive parents was tonight and now I have to figure out how soon I want to start the process. I have some stuff I need to do around the house and a few other things I need to get ready before the home study. Here is my to-do list...The application.
- [Too Much or Just Enough](https://openbook.biz/too-much-or-just-enough/) - Listening to a podcast today (Popstuff from How Stuff Works) the podcaster referred to herself as "super-literate" because she owned 800 books. I thought it was funny and mentioned it to a coworker, who agreed with the podcaster. That surprised me. I have 200 books in this room alone, and it's a tiny fraction of
- [Lazy Days of Winter?](https://openbook.biz/lazy-days-of-winter/) - I know it's just the last couple of days of winter, but it's too soon for the weather to be this beautiful, isn't it? The day was so nice that I spent a couple of hours out on my hammock, finishing The Hunger Games. It's not that I'm complaining, but I hate to see winter
- [Home Improvements](https://openbook.biz/home-improvements/) - Mom is having new floors put into her home, which is exciting and fun... and a whole lot of work! She's been slaving away for a couple of weeks, boxing up knick-knacks and china, moving furniture, hauling stuff out to the deck or down to the basement. I've helped here and there, but it's mostly
- [John Carter of Mars](https://openbook.biz/john-carter-of-mars/) - In about 1974 I made friends with a girl in my older sister's class. Her name was Lois Lew and we were nerds together until I moved to Munich at the end of 1975. She only had one sister while I had 3 sisters, 2 brothers and a cousin, so we always hung out at
- [Conflict](https://openbook.biz/conflict/) - I hate conflict. I don't like being at odds with anyone, not even other drivers in traffic. It's not that I can't stand up for myself, I just don't want to have to. I expect people to be civilized and polite and relatively friendly.It always throws me when someone is antagonistic or confrontational. It's not
- [5 more things you might not know about me](https://openbook.biz/5-more-things-you-might-not-know-about-me/) - Yesterday I gave you a list of five things you might not know about me and I promised you the rest of the list today. If you've been holding your breath in anticipation, now is the time to breathe as we explore the boring trivia exciting details of my life.6) My favorite Disney character is
- [5 things you might not know about me](https://openbook.biz/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-me/) - Things are relatively quiet in Beckyland, so I thought I'd try something different. Here are some things you might not know about me. Try to contain your excitement.1) I went to high school in two countries. I started junior high in Colorado, moved to Germany where I attended Munich American High School up through my
- [Getting Things Done](https://openbook.biz/getting-things-done/) - Today marks the two week mark in my chain of productivity and goal-setting. For the past fourteen days I have spent at least fifteen minutes each day cleaning, another fifteen or more exercising, and definitely more than fifteen minutes writing. I wish I could say that my house is spotless, I'm magically fit and energetic,
- [Viktor](https://openbook.biz/viktor/) - I've always said that Viktor is a Halloween rat. He is brown-gray and likes to skulk around baseboards and look shifty. I even named him for Viktor Von Frankenstein. I never really wanted him, but his brother, Zyklus, needed a friend and when I went back to the store, Viktor was the only rat they
- [Dog in a Manger](https://openbook.biz/dog-in-a-manger/) - I was a little over-generous with the dog's feeding tonight and Harley and Scooter were both left with more than they wanted. For Scooter it was no problem, she went off to enjoy the rest of her evening. However, Harley, like the dog in the fable couldn't do that. He hovered over his handful of
- [Looking Forward](https://openbook.biz/looking-forward/) - I have been a little mired in the past recently, so I thought maybe I should take a few minutes to list the things I am looking forward to.1) Becoming a mom. I know that this is not 100% assured and there are a lot of barriers still in the way of this, but it
- [Memories](https://openbook.biz/memories/) - All my life I've been known for my poor memory. I can remember the really important stuff, like dog breeds, programming code, character actors' names. But when it comes to the trivia of life - your birthday, the vice president or the current month, I'm hopeless.My cousin and I used to joke that if I
- [New Doctor](https://openbook.biz/new-doctor/) - After seven years of trying to like the doctors at Johns Hopkins, I gave up and went looking for one that would actually listen to me. I was spoiled in Vegas because Dr. Cruz took all the time I needed to go over my health issues. I don't have anything seriously wrong with me, I
- [Harley Tales](https://openbook.biz/harley-tales/) - I've mentioned before that Harley is a genius, haven't I? Let me tell you three new stories to illustrate.Sunday I was sorting and filing huge piles of old papers. I sat on the couch with a folding table set up in front of me and rat terriers piled up beside me. On my right, Harley
- [Mission Accomplished](https://openbook.biz/mission-accomplished/) - It took longer than expected, but I managed to get all of my filing done. Everything is sorted and neatly labeled and organized (using methods that only make sense to me and meth-addicted leprechauns.)This was the single chore left over from when I moved into the house two years ago, and it has been growing
- [Archaelogical Dig of Depression](https://openbook.biz/archaelogical-dig-of-depression/) - As part of my "Don't Break the Chain" initiative, I decided to pull out boxes of old papers and finally get them organized. It's something I've been putting off for a very long time, and now I remember why.The early stages weren't bad. Copies of recent utility bills, most of them paid, don't have a
- [Goodbyes](https://openbook.biz/goodbyes/) - A valued coworker left for a new job today. We had a nice farewell lunch at a local Italian restaurant and I had fun ribbing him for the last two weeks about deserting us for a new job. He has been a good friend and will be missed.It made me think about how often we
- [Gratefuls](https://openbook.biz/gratefuls/) - I recently finished This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection by Carol Burnett. It's a fabulous book, with charming and funny anecdotes about her life and career. I stayed up way too late a couple of nights in a row, wanting to read just one more story. In one chapter she talks about staying cheerful during
- [Don't break the chain](https://openbook.biz/dont-break-the-chain/) - Have you heard of this productivity technique for setting and achieving goals? You can read about it here, but it is really simple. You pick something you want to achieve and then you do a minimum amount towards that goal every day. To keep track of your efforts, you mark each day off on the
- [A mom?](https://openbook.biz/a-mom/) - I am going to be a mom. Not right away, because you know these things take time, but hopefully in the next year I will have at least one daughter. I'm hoping for two.I don't have the words to describe how odd this feels. It's something I knew would happen one day, but it was
- [My Doggy Master](https://openbook.biz/my-doggy-master/) - Harley likes to bring stuff to me to get treats. It started when he was a puppy and I would give him a treat when he gave up some inappropriate item he wanted to chew on. Within a few days he started bringing anything he found on the ground and demanding payment for it. It
- [Ice Cream Pillow](https://openbook.biz/ice-cream-pillow/) - What's an ice cream pillow? It's the extra pillow I keep on my bed just for the nights when I have ice cream for a bedtime snack. You didn't know that, but my cousin, Maria did. It's part of our code. I love when language becomes code. Those unusual, sometimes nonsensical, phrases that bind you
- [Potluck](https://openbook.biz/potluck/) - Mom called and asked if I wouldn't mind helping her sort through her canned goods. She keeps them in the basement, in a cabinet. It's a good system, in theory. She doesn't have much room for excess food in the kitchen and the cabinet keeps everything neat and organized. However, over the last few years,
- [Fallen Behind](https://openbook.biz/fallen-behind/) - I have, through no fault of my own (wait, that's a lie, it's completely my own fault), fallen far behind on the word count for NaNoWriMo. I need at least 6,200 words this afternoon to catch up. I have less than 5,500 words. Yes, you read that right, I have to write more today than
- [Writer's Block](https://openbook.biz/writers-block/) - Will someone please explain to my brain that it's too early for writer's block? I have 3,000 words done so far, which is just barely behind schedule. But I need to be ahead of schedule. Scooter goes to meet the future daddy to my grandpuppies tomorrow (Figure that out, if you can.) so I won't
- [NaNoWriMo](https://openbook.biz/nanowrimo/) - National Novel Writing Month starts tomorrow, and I am ready. This will be my third official NaNoWriMo, but my fourth time to write 50,000 words in only a month. The first year I tried this I was so inspired that I did it again the following February.This year I'm cheating a little bit. Instead of
- [Animal Psychology](https://openbook.biz/animal-psychology/) - Long before Eddie Murphy set out to destroy every classic children's film through the power of potty humor, there was a charming movie starring Rex Harrison. As Doctor Doolittle, he wore a top hat and tails and he could talk to the animals, learn their languages. I wanted to be just like him, without the
- [Taking it Easy](https://openbook.biz/taking-it-easy/) - One of the downsides to going to the doctor is he gave me a hard time about my blood pressure and said I was overdoing it on the cold medicine. So, I am trying to do without, and it's hard! I hadn't realized how bad my symptoms were because I've been masking them with Dayquil
- [Sinus Infection](https://openbook.biz/sinus-infection/) - After being sick for more than 4 weeks, I finally went in to see the doctor. I have a sinus infection, which I kind of knew going in. With antibiotics and steroid nasal sprays I'll be better in no time.He also gave me a referral to a physical therapist. The muscles along my neck and
- [Realistic Expectations](https://openbook.biz/realistic-expectations/) - When people at work hear that I've written a book, or that I've got one in the works, they always ask something like, "When are you going to be rich and famous?" Now, I'll admit, that when I was younger I just assumed that someday I would write books and be a famous author. Of
- [Rats](https://openbook.biz/rats/) - A couple of days after my birthday in September I got a pet rat. He's white with beige markings and a crescent moon in the middle of his forehead. Two weeks later I went back and bought his brother, a more typical Halloween rat with a brown gray coat and white markings on his tummy.
- [Gratitude](https://openbook.biz/gratitude/) - Sometimes I can be a little negative, but it occurs to me that I have a lot for which I can be grateful, too. In no particular order, here are a few...My parents are supportive, funny, loving people who go out of their way to bring joy into my life. Six years ago I moved
- [Where did the time go?](https://openbook.biz/where-did-the-time-go/) - I can't believe I let this go for so long. So much has happened that it's hard to catch up now. How about if I hit the highlights:Ren Fest was great and I have lots of pictures and videos that I hope to eventually get posted one day. Maria has moved in with us. She
- [Rennaissance Festival 2007 - Day Two](https://openbook.biz/rennaissance-festival-2007-day-two/) - Renaissance Festival PicturesI arrived at Ren Fest at 10:05, just in time to hear the King order the gates of Revel Grove open. I just wandered and window shopped for about forty-five minutes. I got a couple of good pictures of King Henry and the dancers but nothing else much happened until I got to
- [Rennaissance Festival 2007 - Day One](https://openbook.biz/rennaissance-festival-2007-day-one/) - Rennaissance Festival PicturesI arrived at Ren Fest at 9:45, just in time for the opening banter and arrival of the king. This year they have a special entrance for season (fairever) pass holders. It was funny how many of those are the Rennies in garb. There were very few folks on our side of the
- [Ren Fest Begins](https://openbook.biz/ren-fest-begins/) - It's here!I leave for Ren Fest in less than an hour. (I guess I'd better get dressed, huh?) I'll have my mom take a picture and maybe, if it turns out ok and I don't look too froglike, I'll post it.I have no real plan for today. I have a couple of things I want
- [Out of the Blue](https://openbook.biz/out-of-the-blue/) - I was driving home from work today and out of the blue I decided to call my cousin, Maria. Maria used to live with me until about 20 months ago when she went to Estonia on a mission for our church (LDS/Mormon). I haven't spoken to her by email for months and by phone since
- [Arguing](https://openbook.biz/arguing-2/) - Dad and I went on another walk tonight, but on the way to the B&A trail we got in an argument. He insisted that we had walked north yesterday while I had spent most of my lunch hour looking at maps of the trail and knew for a fact that we had gone south. The
- [Walking with Dad](https://openbook.biz/walking-with-dad/) - With Ren Fest only 11 days away, I have got to get serious about getting ready. I dropped off my Ren Gear at the cleaners (I couldn't face all of that ironing) and I'll pick everything up next Thursday. They might as well store them instead of me, right? I have my Fairever pass and
- [Harley's Profile](https://openbook.biz/harleys-profile/) - This is what I wrote in on the Student and Dog Profile for Harley's application to the Dog Owner's Training Club of Maryland beginning obedience class. Do I sound like a wacky doggy mama?Harley is an extremely bright dog and knows lots of tricks because he's so much fun to train. Unfortunately he is not
- [Two weeks and counting](https://openbook.biz/two-weeks-and-counting/) - Ren Fest starts in two weeks and a few hours. You can check the counter to the right, if you need to know the exact number of hours, minutes and seconds. I paid for my Fairever pass today and should get it back in plenty of time. I had to email them my information and
- [Too Fat For Yoga](https://openbook.biz/too-fat-for-yoga/) - I found a new dance/fitness place that is just opening in my favorite mall, Savage Mill. I was so excited about taking classes there that I immediately signed up for one. Because I have a lot of bulk around my middle and have been really sedentary until just last week, I decided to start with
- [Broken Arm](https://openbook.biz/broken-arm/) - I finally finished my project at 1 minute until 2:00 today. My boss told us we could go home at 2:00, so my timing was perfect. I called my mom on my way home and told her I "might" get off early. I like to surprise her so I don't always tell her I'm on
- [Happy Monday!](https://openbook.biz/happy-monday/) - I have to start blogging more often because I have too much to say for just one entry a week.First, the good news, my big project launched successfully today. Yay! This is the one that has kept me at work for 12-13 hours at a time. The one that I thought would never get done.
- [It's a Monday](https://openbook.biz/its-a-monday/) - Harley is better, which is a huge relief. He's still not back to 100%, but he's better. I was up for an hour in the middle of the night cleaning up after him last night, so I'll be happy if I can just make it through the night tonight. I have my writing class tomorrow
- [Harley is sick](https://openbook.biz/harley-is-sick/) - Harley ate something that didn't agree with him or he picked up something at the obedience class Friday night. He's had the runs since Saturday night and is getting dehydrated. He felt well enough to play with bubbles yesterday but then was sick again during the night. If he's not better tonight, I'm taking him
- [Quiet Saturday](https://openbook.biz/quiet-saturday/) - Today was the first Saturday since the first weekend in May when I didn't have anything planned. I woke up at 8:30 this morning and thought "8:30 is good, but 9:30 would be better." Five minutes later, my arms were asleep and I had trouble seeing my watch. It was 9:30! It felt more like
- [Obedience Class](https://openbook.biz/obedience-class/) - Harley started obedience class tonight. It's long past overdue, but at least we're finally starting. The teacher is so young! He's in his early twenties and seems like just a kid, but he's good with the dogs and has quite a bit of experience. Harley liked the food he kept handing out, but wouldn't let
- [Random Dog and Cat Pictures](https://openbook.biz/random-dog-and-cat-pictures/) - I bought some Halloween costumes on sale from Disney. Not for me, of course, but for the dogs. I couldn't wait four months to see how they looked, so we tried them on and took pictures. When I uploaded them to the computer I found some other shots of Harley, of course, and some of
- [Duckling and Puppy](https://openbook.biz/duckling-and-puppy/) - I thought this was adorable. Sorry, not very original, but so true.Duckling And Puppy - The best bloopers are here
- [Sleepy Baby](https://openbook.biz/sleepy-baby/) - I thought I was tired!Sleepy Baby - The most amazing videos are a click away
- [Long Week and Even Longer Weekend](https://openbook.biz/long-week-and-even-longer-weekend/) - I have a big project going on at work this week and I didn't get as much done as I had hoped. I had actually hoped to finish it and I'm only about halfway done, so that's not good. I can't think about it now, though, because it's the weekend and I have homework for
- [New Writing Class](https://openbook.biz/new-writing-class/) - A couple of years ago my dad and I took a memoir writing class at the college. We enjoyed the class and the other people in it so much that we all formed a writer's group that has been meeting monthly ever since. The teacher from that original class is part of our group and
- [No Rest for the Wicked](https://openbook.biz/no-rest-for-the-wicked/) - Let's see, on May 5th I went to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. The following weekend was my three day camping trip to Virginia. The weekend of the 19th my mom and I went shopping and saw Spidey 3 and Dad and I went to our writer's group meeting. Last weekend was four days
- [New Pictures](https://openbook.biz/new-pictures/) - I spent the weekend at Balticon 41, a science fiction convention in Baltimore. It was great, and maybe I'll write more after I get some sleep. In the meantime, I've put up several pages of new pictures for you from my camping trip...TinkTerraCampingGeorge Washington's BirthplaceWestmoreland Berry Farm
- [Camping - May-13-2007 PM](https://openbook.biz/camping-may-13-2007-pm/) - Pictures of George Washington's BirthplaceI have never been to Mt. Vernon to see George Washington’s home, but I have now seen his birthplace. I’m not a big one on heroes, but I’ve always liked GW. I am so glad I took to time to go there. I almost didn’t, but after getting up so early
- [Camping - May-13-2007 AM](https://openbook.biz/camping-may-13-2007-am/) - I'm sitting in the TinkTerra, the haunting aroma of wet leaves, damp nylon and dirty laundry wafting through the air. Harley shivers on the seat beside me, upset because I won't let him help tell our story. A tropical breeze (hurricanes are tropical, aren't they) dances through the leaves above me. My feet are wet,
- [Camping - May-12-2007 PM](https://openbook.biz/camping-may-12-2007-pm/) - Is it really camping if you take your laptop, iPod, PDA and Blackberry? At least I left the portable DVD player at home. I didn't do much with the iPod except listen to it while driving around, and I left the PDA on the charger the entire trip. But I chatted with my best buddy,
- [Camping - May-12-2007 AM](https://openbook.biz/camping-may-12-2007-am/) - I slept really well last night once I let some air out of the air bed. I have a double decker air bed that can be split into two if necessary. It's nice, but I found out that if you put too much air into both mattresses, you rock around on top like a ship
- [Camping - May-11-2007](https://openbook.biz/camping-may-11-2007/) - Harley and I left the house at about 9:30 in the morning. I didn't even start to pack until after 6 Thursday night so I was in no hurry to get going. Also because I didn't pack until the last minute, I had forgotten a dozen things I needed (or wanted) for the trip. We
- [Going Camping](https://openbook.biz/going-camping/) - I had a couple of vacation days I had to take or I would lose them. Since work is so busy I decided to take one here and another there instead of trying to take them all at once. So, I have tomorrow off and I have packed all of my camping gear into the
- [Busy Weekend](https://openbook.biz/busy-weekend/) - I had a few friends from work over this weekend for game night. Dave, Brian and Cindy came as well as the friend-who-must-not-be-named. Dave brought his wife, Edie, and Brian brought his girlfriend, Rachel. I ordered pizza and had some veggies and fruit, too. Since our family is LDS and we don't drink, I also
- [Loyalty](https://openbook.biz/loyalty/) - I think I demand way too much from the people I consider friends. First and most important, I expect loyalty. Unfortunately, that is what I rarely find. Maybe it would be different if I were a better friend myself. I think it's time to go back to being a hermit. Can you be a hermit
- [Happy Belated Easter!](https://openbook.biz/happy-belated-easter/) - I hope you had a good holiday. Ours was very quiet. We had Easter baskets, of course, and went to church and spent the rest of the day goofing off. In fact, I goofed off all weekend except for doing a little writing. I wrote my eighth story tonight, so I'm still on track for
- [30 Stories in 30 Days Has Begun](https://openbook.biz/30-stories-in-30-days-has-begun/) - I don't know if you remember, but I decided to do a challenge similar to NaNoWriMo. I'm trying to give myself a break from my novel and force myself to look at new ideas, so I came up with the 30 Stories in 30 Days challenge. I was going to start on April 1, but
- [It's done!](https://openbook.biz/its-done/) - The book is done, at least the rough draft is, and on Harley's birthday, too! I have pictures for you, of Harley's birthday, not the book, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow for those. I actually finished at 12:02 this morning, so Harley's birthday is technically over, but who is to say that my
- [Qualified Success](https://openbook.biz/qualified-success/) - My HTML class went pretty well today. I never quite got in the zone, but it wasn't bad. If you've never taught a class or given a lecture or spoken in public you may not know the zone, but it's great when it happens. My friend-who-must-not-be-named said it must be like sex, only you don't
- [HTML Class](https://openbook.biz/html-class/) - I'm teaching an HTML class at work, starting tomorrow. I have 17 coworkers who have signed up. That means there are at least 17 people who are willing to give up their lunch hours to listen to me talk. That's kind of humbling. Of course, I'm a great teacher, and they're lucky to have me,
- [TinkTerra](https://openbook.biz/tinkterra/) - I bought a 2006 Nissan XTerra just before Christmas. It had everything I wanted except for the color, which is dark gray. Yuck. I looked into getting it painted, but that ran into thousands of dollars. Instead I looked for, and found, every imaginable auto accessory featuring Tinker Bell.I have the Tinker Bell Steering Wheel
- [Nostalgia](https://openbook.biz/nostalgia/) - I ran across a forum dedicated to one of the high schools I attended a looooooooong time ago. I spent my Senior year in California, but most of my high school years were spent in Munich, Germany. I would post on there to find out if anyone remembers me, but I know they won't. I
- [Time Change](https://openbook.biz/time-change/) - This time change is kicking my butt. I can't get to sleep at a normal time and then I have to get up an hour earlier than I'm used to. I don't know how or why we have Daylight Savings Time, or who thought of it, nor do I care. It's not like you're actually
- [Maybe I can finish this after all](https://openbook.biz/maybe-i-can-finish-this-after-all/) - My dad and I talked about my book tonight and I think I know what I need to do to finish it. I have to go back a few pages and rewrite what I already have. That will solve the "I've painted them into a corner, now what I do" kind of problem I've been
- [Dog Day](https://openbook.biz/dog-day/) - Today was a dog day, especially for Harley. We went outside this morning and played with all three dogs. Maverick chased his flying squirrel frisbee while Dad and I played with the new parachute toy I bought at Franklin's yesterday. (Franklin's is a restaurant/store near work that has some of the most interesting stuff for
- [BS](https://openbook.biz/bs/) - Meeting today...Me: That's the name of my gay typing teacher from high school.BS: They taught gay typing in your high school?::rim shot::There followed a riff on what a gay typing class would be like...Meeting adjournedP.S. Brian Sweeney wants full credit for the above.... Sorry Brian
- [How important is Star Wars, really?](https://openbook.biz/how-important-is-star-wars-really/) - Back when I was in high schoo/college and they first started talking about VCRs I remember thinking how amazing it would be to watch Star Wars in my own home any time I wanted to. Now I'm finding out how much of a dinosaur that makes me, not just because I can remember a time
- [Fat Chick](https://openbook.biz/fat-chick/) - Some guy at work made a fat comment about me in our meeting this morning. It was offensive enough to put me in tears, but not so blatant that I can call him on it. I am so tired of being the brunt of fat jokes. I am so tired of being fat. I thought
- [Writer's Block](https://openbook.biz/writers-block-2/) - I hate to act out a cliche, but I'm having trouble with writer's block. I've reached a point in my story where I know where I need it to go, but I can't get it there. I even asked Chris to help me again, but he is stumped, too. I'll figure it out eventually, but
- [TiVo Trouble](https://openbook.biz/tivo-trouble/) - You know how much I love my TiVo. Well, tonight it refuses to change my cable box channel, so instead of taping "How I Met Your Mother" I got an episode of "Spongebob Squarepants." Ugh! I spent a long time trying to fix it but I finally gave up and sent out my ezine, Giggles
- [Harley is freakishly smart](https://openbook.biz/harley-is-freakishly-smart/) - I have had smart dogs before. Penny, my beloved Shetland Sheepdog, was so smart that I used to swear she could read my mind. She knew a number of off the wall commands like, "Penny, I'm cold" which just meant that she needed to get up and cuddle closer on cold winter nights. Maverick is
- [R & R](https://openbook.biz/r-r/) - I decided to take a couple of days of Rest and Relaxation before tackling the task of finishing the rough draft of my novel. I read a chapter to a tiny writer's group I belong to at work and they were very complimentary. The problem is I'm reading this stuff and thinking it just isn't
- [I Didn't Quite Make It](https://openbook.biz/i-didnt-quite-make-it/) - I finished the month with just over 40,000 words written. I wouldn't have done that much if my best buddy, Chris, hadn't helped me over a rough patch in the story. With his help, though, I broke through the block and so I was able to add over 3,000 words tonight. I killed off the
- [Feeling like a failure](https://openbook.biz/feeling-like-a-failure/) - It's the 26th and I've only written 35,500 words this month. I have no chance of finishing on Wednesday, not without missing a couple of days from work, and probably not even then. I am glad I got that much done, but I let myself down. I should have written more this weekend. I should
- [Harley Stories](https://openbook.biz/harley-stories/) - I have two Harley stories tonight. First, I took Harley outside with me when I went to get my iPod out of my car. Harley is a fun dog and we love him to bits, but he has one really bad flaw. When he sees something moving, he chases it, whether it's a rabbit, a
- [Slogging On](https://openbook.biz/slogging-on/) - I'm trying not to think about word counts tonight. I'm so far behind that it will take a miracle for me to finish my goal. I'm trying to focus on finishing my book instead. This thing is like the neverending story. It keeps growing and growing and growing (kinda like my waistline.)If I ever finish
- [A Lot of Work](https://openbook.biz/a-lot-of-work/) - If I had realized how much work it was going to be to write this book, I am not sure if I would have had the courage to start it. Even now, more than 76,000 words into it, I am not sure I have what it takes to finish it. Somewhere along the way I
- [2,700 Words](https://openbook.biz/2700-words/) - 2,700 Words... that's how many I need to write every day between now and the end of the month to make my goal of 50,000 in February. I was sick most of this last week and so I did no writing. Yesterday my computer broke down and I spent 12 hours getting it working again.
- [Another Day Off](https://openbook.biz/another-day-off/) - I did not call in yesterday to make sure our office was closed when every other business, government office and school in the state was shut down from the snow and ice. I would have, but I was sick and fell asleep and I didn't wake up until noon. Today, I called in sick and
- [Bad Day](https://openbook.biz/bad-day/) - I got my day off. The ice storm shut everything down and I stayed home from work. I should have gone in. Stupid drama, I hate it.On another note, I don't think I can write this book. I have been fooling myself. There are people who follow through and people who just talk a good
- [Bummed](https://openbook.biz/bummed/) - I really wanted a lot of snow, but we haven't gotten it. The big bosses told us we could go home at 2:00, but I was the only one in my department who had left by the time I got out of there at 2:30. The drive home was uneventful, there was not much snow,
- [Let it Snow](https://openbook.biz/let-it-snow/) - They are predicting snow and ice over the next 24-48 hours. I am hoping for enough of it that I can stay home and sled with Harley. I don't think it will happen though. Can you imagine being one of those people stuck in 11 feet of snow right now?? I love snow, but that's
- [Weekend Over - Still Behind](https://openbook.biz/weekend-over-still-behind/) - I can't believe the weekend is over already. I got about 3,500 words done today so I'm still over two days behind. I just couldn't write anymore. I'm not sure of the exact number because I spent a lot of time rewriting some of it so that it would fit better with my new ending.
- [More Plotting More Writing](https://openbook.biz/more-plotting-more-writing/) - I thought last Saturday that I had worked out all of the plotting I would need to finish the book. But in the last couple of days I realized that my pacing was off. When I finished last night's section with them stopping to take a nap only a sections from the climax, I knew
- [Friday!](https://openbook.biz/friday/) - Last night's blog didn't make much sense, and I should change it, but I'm just as tired tonight so I'm going to leave it alone. I managed to write 1,821 words tonight. I quit in the middle of a scene because I am just too tired to care. I am sure Mom will holler at
- [Week Two](https://openbook.biz/week-two/) - I have been blogging for just over a week so far and, not so coincidentally, today is the first day of the second week of my second "Write a Novel in a Month" month.To write 50,000 words in February requires an average of 1,786 words a day. That means that I should have 14,288 words
- [Dragon Software](https://openbook.biz/dragon-software/) - I wrote 2,279 words today, so I gained a little (very little) on all of that lost ground. I am fairly happy with what I've written, but I know it's going to take a lot more rewriting than usual to make it good enough to make me happy. Partially that is because I am writing
- [Meetings Galore](https://openbook.biz/meetings-galore/) - I spent almost the entire workday in meetings. The morning and all of lunch was taken up in a meeting with the owners and sales staff, trying to get them excited and educated about something new we have developed. Some of them got it, some didn't. It doesn't seem complicated to me, but then I've
- [Maverick](https://openbook.biz/maverick/) - I had a bit of deja vu tonight. Mom called at 4:00 to tell me that Maverick had disappeared. I flashed back to Christmas Adam (the day before Christmas Eve... you know, Adam came before Eve) when I went to bring the dogs in and found Maverick in the neighbor's yard. I scolded him, he
- [Plotting the Ending](https://openbook.biz/plotting-the-ending/) - Writing has been moving really slowly on this book since the end of November. When I first sat down at the beginning of November and started this book, I spent almost a week plotting it out, section by section, chapter by chapter. The only problem is, I left the final third or so of the
- [What Fantasy Class Would I Be?](https://openbook.biz/what-fantasy-class-would-i-be/) - Wizard or Witch - Magic users like you are generally very quiet and intelligent. You spend most of your time by yourself studying ancient texts. In a battle, you prefer to stay away from the action, and cast your spells from a safe distance. Your power is in your magic, which you use to smite
- [Books - Mine and Others](https://openbook.biz/books-mine-and-others/) - I did not make much progress on my book today. I managed about 1,000 words and I needed to do about 3-4,000 to get back on track. I will have to work harder tomorrow. I might have gotten more done, but I got sidetracked by a super cool website. It's called the Library Thing and
- [Giggles](https://openbook.biz/giggles/) - For the last few years... well, more than a few, actually... I have been producing a sometimes daily ezine that I call Giggles & Grins. In fact, I have been doing this for so long that I can't be sure how long it has been, more than 9 years, I think. When I started, I
- [Book Excerpt](https://openbook.biz/book-excerpt/) - Here are the first two pages of my book. What do you think? Am I wasting my time?“Milady? Pardon me, milady." Deana hurried to catch up with the townswoman crossing the otherwise deserted street. She had never visited Rakart'ver before, and she had expected to see folk running errands and taking care of business despite
- [50,000 words in one month](https://openbook.biz/50000-words-in-one-month/) - In November I participated in NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. I wrote just over 50,000 words in one month. The problem is that 50,000 words, though pretty impressive for a slacker like me, does not a complete book make. Since November I have only added 6,000 words to that total, leaving me far short of

## Pages

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- [About Me](https://openbook.biz/about-me/) - As a writer and a professional web developer I should have a much better bio on my website than this. Here's what I had to say one day about my writing... I have been telling stories from the age of 3, sitting around the campfire and entertaining amused adults. In adulthood, I lost my way
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- [TinkTerra](https://openbook.biz/category/tinkterra/)
- [Winter](https://openbook.biz/category/winter/)
- [Spring](https://openbook.biz/category/spring/)
- [John Carter](https://openbook.biz/category/john-carter/)
- [Whining](https://openbook.biz/category/whining/)
- [Military](https://openbook.biz/category/military/)
- [Winnie the Pooh](https://openbook.biz/category/winnie-the-pooh/)
- [Tinker Bell](https://openbook.biz/category/tinker-bell/)
- [Sister](https://openbook.biz/category/sister/)
- [Germany](https://openbook.biz/category/germany/)
- [Las Vegas](https://openbook.biz/category/las-vegas/)
- [Kermit](https://openbook.biz/category/kermit/)
- [High School](https://openbook.biz/category/high-school/)
- [UNLV](https://openbook.biz/category/unlv/)
- [Goals](https://openbook.biz/category/goals/)
- [Viktor](https://openbook.biz/category/viktor/)
- [Manger](https://openbook.biz/category/manger/)
- [Art](https://openbook.biz/category/art/)
- [Music](https://openbook.biz/category/music/)
- [Disneyworld](https://openbook.biz/category/disneyworld/)
- [Ren Fest](https://openbook.biz/category/ren-fest/)
- [Dreams](https://openbook.biz/category/dreams/)
- [Doctor](https://openbook.biz/category/doctor/)
- [CPAP](https://openbook.biz/category/cpap/)
- [Laser](https://openbook.biz/category/laser/)
- [Cleaning](https://openbook.biz/category/cleaning/)
- [Depression](https://openbook.biz/category/depression/)
- [Goodbye](https://openbook.biz/category/goodbye/)
- [Carol Burnett](https://openbook.biz/category/carol-burnett/)
- [Grateful](https://openbook.biz/category/grateful/)
- [Wegmans](https://openbook.biz/category/wegmans/)
- [Maria](https://openbook.biz/category/maria/)
- [NaNoWriMo](https://openbook.biz/category/nanowrimo/)
- [Novel](https://openbook.biz/category/novel/)
- [Work](https://openbook.biz/category/work/)
- [Sick](https://openbook.biz/category/sick/)
- [Puerto Rico](https://openbook.biz/category/puerto-rico/)
- [Bowed Psaltery](https://openbook.biz/category/bowed-psaltery/)
- [Mormon](https://openbook.biz/category/mormon/)
- [Walking](https://openbook.biz/category/walking/)
- [Obedience Class](https://openbook.biz/category/obedience-class/)
- [Birthday](https://openbook.biz/category/birthday/)
- [DOTC](https://openbook.biz/category/dotc/)
- [Josh](https://openbook.biz/category/josh/)
- [Unicorn Strings](https://openbook.biz/category/unicorn-strings/)
- [Weight](https://openbook.biz/category/weight/)
- [Yoga](https://openbook.biz/category/yoga/)
- [Games](https://openbook.biz/category/games/)
- [XTerra](https://openbook.biz/category/xterra/)
- [Movies](https://openbook.biz/category/movies/)
- [Caelidh](https://openbook.biz/category/caelidh/)
- [Cat](https://openbook.biz/category/cat/)
- [Disney](https://openbook.biz/category/disney/)
- [Halloween](https://openbook.biz/category/halloween/)
- [Videos](https://openbook.biz/category/videos/)
- [Duck](https://openbook.biz/category/duck/)
- [Baby](https://openbook.biz/category/baby/)
- [Writing Class](https://openbook.biz/category/writing-class/)
- [Spinning](https://openbook.biz/category/spinning/)
- [Web Development](https://openbook.biz/category/web-development/)
- [Writers Group](https://openbook.biz/category/writers-group/)
- [Camping](https://openbook.biz/category/camping/)
- [30Stories30Days](https://openbook.biz/category/30stories30days/)
- [George Washington](https://openbook.biz/category/george-washington/)
- [Blackberry](https://openbook.biz/category/blackberry/)
- [Bike](https://openbook.biz/category/bike/)
- [Brian](https://openbook.biz/category/brian/)
- [Dave](https://openbook.biz/category/dave/)
- [Friends](https://openbook.biz/category/friends/)
- [HTML](https://openbook.biz/category/html/)
- [Easter](https://openbook.biz/category/easter/)
- [Teaching](https://openbook.biz/category/teaching/)
- [Cindy](https://openbook.biz/category/cindy/)
- [Time](https://openbook.biz/category/time/)
- [Rejection](https://openbook.biz/category/rejection/)
- [Chris](https://openbook.biz/category/chris/)
- [Indiana](https://openbook.biz/category/indiana/)
- [Star Wars](https://openbook.biz/category/star-wars/)
- [TiVo](https://openbook.biz/category/tivo/)
- [Fat](https://openbook.biz/category/fat/)
- [Giggles](https://openbook.biz/category/giggles/)
- [Penny](https://openbook.biz/category/penny/)
- [Lost](https://openbook.biz/category/lost/)
- [Quantum Leap](https://openbook.biz/category/quantum-leap/)
- [Heroes](https://openbook.biz/category/heroes/)
- [Beaty and the Geek](https://openbook.biz/category/beaty-and-the-geek/)
- [Sledding](https://openbook.biz/category/sledding/)
- [Nintendogs](https://openbook.biz/category/nintendogs/)
- [Writers](https://openbook.biz/category/writers/)
- [Plotting](https://openbook.biz/category/plotting/)
- [Snow](https://openbook.biz/category/snow/)
- [Library Thing](https://openbook.biz/category/library-thing/)
- [Desperate Housewives](https://openbook.biz/category/desperate-housewives/)
- [Meetings](https://openbook.biz/category/meetings/)
- [Christmas](https://openbook.biz/category/christmas/)
- [Lost Dog](https://openbook.biz/category/lost-dog/)
- [Quiz](https://openbook.biz/category/quiz/)
- [Readers](https://openbook.biz/category/readers/)
- [ezine](https://openbook.biz/category/ezine/)
- [Chaos Library](https://openbook.biz/category/chaos-library/)
- [MidJourney](https://openbook.biz/category/midjourney/)
- [Patreon](https://openbook.biz/category/patreon/)

## Tags

- [Five Stars](https://openbook.biz/tag/five-stars/)
- [Four Stars](https://openbook.biz/tag/four-stars/)
- [Three Stars](https://openbook.biz/tag/three-stars/)
- [Two Stars](https://openbook.biz/tag/two-stars/)
- [One Star](https://openbook.biz/tag/one-star/)
- [Six Stars](https://openbook.biz/tag/six-stars/)
- [Covid](https://openbook.biz/tag/covid/)
- [Video Game](https://openbook.biz/tag/video-game/)
- [Writing](https://openbook.biz/tag/writing/)
- [Life](https://openbook.biz/tag/life/)
- [Chaos Library](https://openbook.biz/tag/chaos-library/)
- [Humor](https://openbook.biz/tag/humor/)
- [Fantasy](https://openbook.biz/tag/fantasy/)
- [Drew Hayes](https://openbook.biz/tag/drew-hayes/)
- [Library](https://openbook.biz/tag/library/)
- [Young Adult](https://openbook.biz/tag/young-adult/)
- [Nap](https://openbook.biz/tag/nap/)
- [Sleepy](https://openbook.biz/tag/sleepy/)
- [Work](https://openbook.biz/tag/work/)