I guess I'm weird -- not that this is a news flash -- because I read vet books -- that is the part that startles me. Sure, vet books are full of a lot of unfamiliar terminology, much of it very specialized, Hey, there are veterinary medicine dictionaries and many online sources...
It just seems to me if you want to know something, and really understand what is going on, go to the experts... and in the case of cats and their health, that would be vet books.
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
22 July 2020
12 July 2014
Day 1 Post(?) Facebook: Recap
Well, with a couple of suggestions and some trial and error, I have managed to get Facebook to work. It still isn't working 100%, but I can use it. I'm happy and upset by this all at once. Happy because I know I would miss interacting regularly with some of my friends and miss help kitties. Upset because part of me was looking forward to not using Facebook (I have a love/hate relationship with it) and because there is something just not right maybe with my computer. (Things should work so when they don't, I get horribly frustrated!)
In any case, I'm going to try to keep Facebook to a minimum, except for my cat health group. I worked hard to create that group and it does seem to help some people, so I hate chucking it.
I must confess during the time I thought I was off of Facebook, I got a lot done. I had 3 things on my to-do list and they all got done.
In any case, I'm going to try to keep Facebook to a minimum, except for my cat health group. I worked hard to create that group and it does seem to help some people, so I hate chucking it.
I must confess during the time I thought I was off of Facebook, I got a lot done. I had 3 things on my to-do list and they all got done.
- Took Tom to the bookstore. He did well getting there and while we were there, but not so good once we got home. He found some books, and of course, I found some. His were mainly science fiction. Mine were all over the place from self-help (and I really need a lot of help!) to historical fiction to some art books and of course a cat book.
- Cleaned 4 litter boxes... Oh the fun and excitement!
- Dug out the tai chi and weight lifting books. I still need to figure out exactly what I will be doing for the weight lifting, but I also know I need to buy some equipment and find some area to do it in. I would like to do it in the house, but the cats will help. So, the garage? The tai chi I will read over the beginning moves of the 24-forms and practice them tomorrow morning. I'm thinking even during the school year, I could do the tai chi and qigong in the morning before I go to work, then weight lifting or walking at night when I get home on alternate nights.
Plus, I got 3 loads of laundry washed, dried, and put away! This kind of makes up for the fact I didn't do the dishes. I know part of this is because I stated publicly that I would do this stuff but part of it is also because I didn't have to run and check if so-and-so posted a reply or what about that kitty over there or ....
So, I'm actually fairly pleased with today.
14 August 2011
Book Review: The Pilgrim Glass
The Pilgrim Glass by Julie K. Rose
ISBN: 9780557810741
A piece of 12-th century stained glass is found in the crypt of a medieval cathedral in France. Jonas, a high-skilled and troubled stained glass artist, is hired to restore it. Once he arrives in Vezelay, he meets several locals, including ex-pat Meredith, whom he falls for. She, however, begins to have strange experiences related to this piece of glass. Jonas, Meredith, and others must piece together the mystery surrounding this glass and Meredith's experiences.
This is a finely written and researched novel. The author has a gift for capturing small details, such as how Jonas works on the glass, which add immensely to the novel. The scenes in France are richly detailed, leaving the reader with a clear impression of the French village, for example. The historical references are accurate and unobtrusive. The characters are interesting, mainly because they are all flawed with common problems. For example, Jonas had a troubling childhood which he is trying desperately to escape. The plot builds to an interesting and, to me, unexpected climax. While there is some channeling of a 12th-century pilgrim, which could have easily been over the top, it is done in a subtle and suitable manner which seems natural for this story.
My main complaint is that occasionally the story moved too fast and I had to re-read small sections (one or two sentences) to be sure I understood what exactly was happening. Another minor complaint is that I would have liked a bit more narrative. Not only would it have helped with clarifying the situation in spots, but I greatly enjoyed the author's attention to details and wanted more!
Overall, I was very happy to have read this and will gladly recommend it to others. More importantly, I will be looking for the next novel by Julie K. Rose! (
)
ISBN: 9780557810741
A piece of 12-th century stained glass is found in the crypt of a medieval cathedral in France. Jonas, a high-skilled and troubled stained glass artist, is hired to restore it. Once he arrives in Vezelay, he meets several locals, including ex-pat Meredith, whom he falls for. She, however, begins to have strange experiences related to this piece of glass. Jonas, Meredith, and others must piece together the mystery surrounding this glass and Meredith's experiences.This is a finely written and researched novel. The author has a gift for capturing small details, such as how Jonas works on the glass, which add immensely to the novel. The scenes in France are richly detailed, leaving the reader with a clear impression of the French village, for example. The historical references are accurate and unobtrusive. The characters are interesting, mainly because they are all flawed with common problems. For example, Jonas had a troubling childhood which he is trying desperately to escape. The plot builds to an interesting and, to me, unexpected climax. While there is some channeling of a 12th-century pilgrim, which could have easily been over the top, it is done in a subtle and suitable manner which seems natural for this story.
My main complaint is that occasionally the story moved too fast and I had to re-read small sections (one or two sentences) to be sure I understood what exactly was happening. Another minor complaint is that I would have liked a bit more narrative. Not only would it have helped with clarifying the situation in spots, but I greatly enjoyed the author's attention to details and wanted more!
Overall, I was very happy to have read this and will gladly recommend it to others. More importantly, I will be looking for the next novel by Julie K. Rose! (
)
05 August 2011
Book Review: Death Before Swine
Death Before Swine: Ben Hart Mysteries #1 by V. K. Scott
ASIN: B005BYV0G8
I received this book through the Member Giveaway at LibraryThing.com.
Ben Hart was a science teacher in a small town when his classroom was bombed, his friend nearly was killed, and another teacher was killed. To top it off, he was fired. So, now unemployed, he turns his curiosity in to why things happen into an investigation of the murder, which leads to more trouble than he bargained for.
This book was a fine, light mystery. The characters, such as Ben Hart, were made more interesting because of their flaws. The dialog was crisp, with enough non-dialog included to follow the conversations. The plot had many interesting turns and subplots to hold a reader's attention. And the mystery's solution was actually a surprise to me. As a former teacher myself, it was interesting to see how a teacher was portrayed in writing.
Having said that, I did find the book either lacking or too much. I would say lacking in that there needed to be more development of some of the characters and explanations of their behavior. The transition from teacher to detective was a missed opportunity to explore Hart's personality. The narrative and descriptive sections were too brief -- only 2-3 sentences per paragraph in many areas -- and could have provided a lot more details. The too much would be concerning the plot, which I found to be too complicated to believable at times. Each time I felt the story was heading towards a conclusion, a new wrinkle in the story popped up. After about the third one, I began to wonder if any of this would ever be resolved, and some of them weren't. The plot felt very contrived.
Overall, while I did enjoy reading the book -- I like a light mystery now and then -- I won't re-read it. The author has potential and I would consider looking at a second book. (This was a first novel.) (
)
ASIN: B005BYV0G8
I received this book through the Member Giveaway at LibraryThing.com.Ben Hart was a science teacher in a small town when his classroom was bombed, his friend nearly was killed, and another teacher was killed. To top it off, he was fired. So, now unemployed, he turns his curiosity in to why things happen into an investigation of the murder, which leads to more trouble than he bargained for.
This book was a fine, light mystery. The characters, such as Ben Hart, were made more interesting because of their flaws. The dialog was crisp, with enough non-dialog included to follow the conversations. The plot had many interesting turns and subplots to hold a reader's attention. And the mystery's solution was actually a surprise to me. As a former teacher myself, it was interesting to see how a teacher was portrayed in writing.
Having said that, I did find the book either lacking or too much. I would say lacking in that there needed to be more development of some of the characters and explanations of their behavior. The transition from teacher to detective was a missed opportunity to explore Hart's personality. The narrative and descriptive sections were too brief -- only 2-3 sentences per paragraph in many areas -- and could have provided a lot more details. The too much would be concerning the plot, which I found to be too complicated to believable at times. Each time I felt the story was heading towards a conclusion, a new wrinkle in the story popped up. After about the third one, I began to wonder if any of this would ever be resolved, and some of them weren't. The plot felt very contrived.
Overall, while I did enjoy reading the book -- I like a light mystery now and then -- I won't re-read it. The author has potential and I would consider looking at a second book. (This was a first novel.) (
)
04 August 2011
Book Review: Shadow Cats
Shadow Cats: Tales from New York City's Animal Underground by Janet Jensen
ISBN: 1580627528
This book chronicles the journey of its author from someone concerned about stray cats to manager of feral cat colonies. Along the way, she rescues and cares for many cats, while learning many lessons. Many of the stories in the book are humorous, some very tragic.
The passion of the author and of other rescuers comes through clearly in this book. I found it very heartwarming that in a city like New York, known for its toughness, there are networks of people dedicated (sometimes to extremes) to save cats which will never be pets to anyone. For people outside cat rescue groups, this book is a fine introduction to what it takes to rescue cats, both financially and emotionally.
My biggest complaints with this book are the overall writing and organization. In many places, the writing could be more clear, more descriptive, more detailed. She missed many opportunities to elaborate on humorous situations or to explain why certain actions were more appropriate. The book is generally told in chronological order, but this is not always adhered to. Some chapters seem almost to have been inserted later, to fill out the book. Maybe it was her passion and her emotional connection to the subject that led the author astray, but I would have liked the book more had it been better edited. A minor complaint is that I wished she had included more details on handling these cats -- taming a feral cat -- so that I could learn something useful when dealing with my traumatized shelter cats.
Overall, this is a good book. Someone had recommended it to me and I'm not displeased that I bought and read it. I probably will not read it again, because of some of the tragic stories -- stories which I take too much to heart. If, however, someone came to me and asked for a book about cat rescuing, I'd have them read this one so they understood more of what they were getting into. ( )
ISBN: 1580627528
This book chronicles the journey of its author from someone concerned about stray cats to manager of feral cat colonies. Along the way, she rescues and cares for many cats, while learning many lessons. Many of the stories in the book are humorous, some very tragic.The passion of the author and of other rescuers comes through clearly in this book. I found it very heartwarming that in a city like New York, known for its toughness, there are networks of people dedicated (sometimes to extremes) to save cats which will never be pets to anyone. For people outside cat rescue groups, this book is a fine introduction to what it takes to rescue cats, both financially and emotionally.
My biggest complaints with this book are the overall writing and organization. In many places, the writing could be more clear, more descriptive, more detailed. She missed many opportunities to elaborate on humorous situations or to explain why certain actions were more appropriate. The book is generally told in chronological order, but this is not always adhered to. Some chapters seem almost to have been inserted later, to fill out the book. Maybe it was her passion and her emotional connection to the subject that led the author astray, but I would have liked the book more had it been better edited. A minor complaint is that I wished she had included more details on handling these cats -- taming a feral cat -- so that I could learn something useful when dealing with my traumatized shelter cats.
Overall, this is a good book. Someone had recommended it to me and I'm not displeased that I bought and read it. I probably will not read it again, because of some of the tragic stories -- stories which I take too much to heart. If, however, someone came to me and asked for a book about cat rescuing, I'd have them read this one so they understood more of what they were getting into. (
)
25 July 2011
My Kindle Adventure, Part II
After such a struggle to get the Kindle for PC installed, working, and filled with a few books, I had a chance to use it today. I finished reading one novel in pdf format and started on a new novel with the Kindle. I can see that it has some advantages and some disadvantages, both regarding physical books and pdf format books.
Advantages:
- Books take no shelf space.
- You can take notes in the margin, so to speak.
- You can put a bookmark at the top of the page.
- There are a lot more free books available as ebooks than as physical books.
Disadvantages:
- You still can't use it to read in the bathtub, or outside, or in bed with a cat on your stomach.
- It bothers my eyes and neck to sit here and read for any period of time.
- Math books don't translate well to ebooks.
- I suspect that the Kindle is sending information back to Amazon because suddenly their recommendations reflect the non-Amazon Kindle book I'm reading.
So, will I ever be hooked on ebooks? No.
Will I buy a Kindle or Nook? Probably not.
Will I consider buying ebooks? Probably for newer authors, where they either don't publish in a physical form or I'm too cheap to spend $20 on an unknown.
And now, off to bed and a nice physical book!
23 July 2011
Book Review: Dog Tails
Dog Tails: Three Humorous Short Stories for Dog Lovers by Tara Chevrestt
ASIN: B004WOYU2O
This books is a collection of three short stories, based on the author's dogs. Since they are short stories, it's hard to quickly summarize them without giving too much away, but here goes. In the first story, Thank Dog It's Friday, Lola's human makes a wish which many pet owners have made before and this story is the result. The second story, Pugnacious, concerns the exploits of a pug named Pudgy and her efforts to protect what is hers. The last story, Tail of Terror, shows what happens to Jazzy, a Japanese Chin, when her royal desires get the better of her judgement.
Before I write more, I should state for full disclosure, I'm a cat person. Okay, technically I have a couple of dogs, but they are really my husband's -- I have cats. I should be reading cat stories!
Anyway, much to my chagrin, this was a delightful read! While none of these stories will change your life, they will make you laugh -- guaranteed. Chevrestt managed to capture what might be going on in a dog's head and made it very convincing. This dog's-point-of-view in spots had me laughing out loud! The writing was crisp and clear, with enough detail to really envision the scenes. Of the three stories, the last one, was my favorite, probably because Jazzy's attitude reminded me of certain cats I know.
The only reason I gave this book 4.5 instead of 5 stars was the second story. While it was well written, I felt it was a bit contrived as if the author was trying too hard to make it funny. However, my husband, who also read and enjoyed these stories, said my complaint was all in my head.
My other 'complaint', or maybe 'wish' would be better to use, is that this book would have been illustrated. I wanted so much to see Lola's human eating dog biscuits!
Even though it's about dogs and I'm a cat person, I'm glad I read this book and probably will reread it now and then for a laugh or two. (
)
ASIN: B004WOYU2O
This books is a collection of three short stories, based on the author's dogs. Since they are short stories, it's hard to quickly summarize them without giving too much away, but here goes. In the first story, Thank Dog It's Friday, Lola's human makes a wish which many pet owners have made before and this story is the result. The second story, Pugnacious, concerns the exploits of a pug named Pudgy and her efforts to protect what is hers. The last story, Tail of Terror, shows what happens to Jazzy, a Japanese Chin, when her royal desires get the better of her judgement.Before I write more, I should state for full disclosure, I'm a cat person. Okay, technically I have a couple of dogs, but they are really my husband's -- I have cats. I should be reading cat stories!
Anyway, much to my chagrin, this was a delightful read! While none of these stories will change your life, they will make you laugh -- guaranteed. Chevrestt managed to capture what might be going on in a dog's head and made it very convincing. This dog's-point-of-view in spots had me laughing out loud! The writing was crisp and clear, with enough detail to really envision the scenes. Of the three stories, the last one, was my favorite, probably because Jazzy's attitude reminded me of certain cats I know.The only reason I gave this book 4.5 instead of 5 stars was the second story. While it was well written, I felt it was a bit contrived as if the author was trying too hard to make it funny. However, my husband, who also read and enjoyed these stories, said my complaint was all in my head.
My other 'complaint', or maybe 'wish' would be better to use, is that this book would have been illustrated. I wanted so much to see Lola's human eating dog biscuits!
Even though it's about dogs and I'm a cat person, I'm glad I read this book and probably will reread it now and then for a laugh or two. (
)
22 July 2011
A $1300 Trip to Borders
Today was a sad day for me. This was the first day of the Borders Bookstore liquidation sale. Given my general lack of income (summer, no subbing, not ready with Plan D), I suppose I shouldn't have gone to the sale, but I did. Most of the books were 10 or 20 percent off, which is nice, but I know I could get many of them cheaper online.
Yes, I'm one of the problem people that helped Borders go bankrupt. I buy a lot of books online. Truthfully, I buy a lot of used books online to be exact because I do have limited funds and I do read a lot.
Still, I liked Borders. It had a great a math section -- much better than Barnes & Noble. I ended up buying only 4 books because of issues with funding (sounds better than I didn't have the money!). They were:
Yes, I'm one of the problem people that helped Borders go bankrupt. I buy a lot of books online. Truthfully, I buy a lot of used books online to be exact because I do have limited funds and I do read a lot.
Still, I liked Borders. It had a great a math section -- much better than Barnes & Noble. I ended up buying only 4 books because of issues with funding (sounds better than I didn't have the money!). They were:
- The Infinite Book by John D. Barrow -- It's about the mathematical idea of infinity, including the countable variety of infinity.
- The Calculus Wars by Jason Socrates Bardi -- This is a history of the development of calculus and the fight between Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibnitz over credit for the key issue.
- Warriors Skyclan's Destiny by Erin Hunter -- Yes, I read youth fiction, because it's about cats.
- Warriors Bluestar's Prophecy by Erin Hunter -- ditto
I'm not sure when I will get to start reading any of these as I have at least 3 books to read and review for various authors. I normally read a fiction book, a math book, and a cat book, so once I finish the math book I'm currently reading, I'll start on The Calculus Wars -- it's a bit easier to read at bedtime than non-Cantorian set theory!
So, you are probably asking how these four books could total $1300? Simple, when I was done shopping and went to start my truck, it wouldn't start. The alarm went off (and wouldn't stop -- grr). I finally got it started and decided I should stop on the way home to have an oil change and have them check the battery and battery cables.
That all went well until we got to the tires. I knew the one tire was bad because I can't keep my Ford Ranger aligned. I didn't know it was so bad that the metal cords were showing through. Oops! I also did realize the other 3 tires were almost as bad. So, add 4 tires (expensive small truck tires) and lifetime alignment to everything else.
Grand total for the day: $1300. The saving grace is because I bought tires and it was over $700, I get free passes to San Diego Zoo!
I think I'll become a hermit again!
21 July 2011
Book Review: All My Patients Are Under The Bed
All My Patients Are Under the Bed by Louis J. Camuti
ISBN: 0671242717
This book is about Dr. Camuti, a veterinarian in New York City whose practice is mainly cats. This book is a collection of stories, short anecdotes, and remembrances from his 50+ years of practice.
Overall, the book was entertaining. The true character of Camuti as a crusty old vet comes through clearly. The good doctor had some interesting patients and owners to deal with, including many well-known celebrities. I found myself chuckling in a number of places, when the doctor, the cat, and the owner are having difficulties. And since the chapters were short with breaks in them, it made for a delightful bedtime reading.
On the down side, the writing could have been better. I suspect it was written from tape recordings as it has a rambling, disjointed style in many places. The chapters are only slightly centered on one topic.
While the writing wasn't the best, the stories were fun and about cats, so I probably will reread this book at some point. ( )
ISBN: 0671242717
This book is about Dr. Camuti, a veterinarian in New York City whose practice is mainly cats. This book is a collection of stories, short anecdotes, and remembrances from his 50+ years of practice.Overall, the book was entertaining. The true character of Camuti as a crusty old vet comes through clearly. The good doctor had some interesting patients and owners to deal with, including many well-known celebrities. I found myself chuckling in a number of places, when the doctor, the cat, and the owner are having difficulties. And since the chapters were short with breaks in them, it made for a delightful bedtime reading.
On the down side, the writing could have been better. I suspect it was written from tape recordings as it has a rambling, disjointed style in many places. The chapters are only slightly centered on one topic.
While the writing wasn't the best, the stories were fun and about cats, so I probably will reread this book at some point. (
)
20 July 2011
Playing Librarian
I spend most of the day playing librarian. Over a month ago, I found a web site, Library Thing, where you can catalog all your books. You type in the ISBNs or authors or titles and then add it to your virtual library. It's very handy, or it will be, once you have all your books listed. Then, if I want to know if I have no. 8 in the Ramage novel series, I can quickly find out, rather than hunting threw stacks of books. In addition to the main purpose of the site, your book catalog, there are also groups, book giveaways, and tons of info on the books themselves. The neat thing is the site is free if you have less than 200 books.
So, today, I spent most of the day inputting the books that are in the bedroom. I had already done the my studio and ended up with ~400 books. I have one more box to do in the bedroom, so I should be a bit over 600 books. I will have to go through these books and make corrections, add tags, write reviews, etc. but I'd rather get them all in once and for all. After today, that leaves the living room/kitchen books with all my cookbooks, and <gulp> the study. There's at least 40 boxes of books and a huge bookcase in the study. I have no idea what the final count will be, but I'd guess around 2500 to 3000.
That sounds like a lot of books, but there are hundreds of people on that site with libraries that size or larger. The 50 largest libraries are all over 11,000 books. I like reading and books, but that seems an awful lot!
While I was entering things, Maggie and Isabel both snoopervised. (I love that word -- snoopervize.) Apparently, I wasn't entertaining enough, because they both fell asleep after 20-30 minutes. The only problem I had with that is every time I moved, Maggie would wake up and wander around. So, of course, I sat there in one position until I could barely stand up rather than wake her up. But I was just thrilled to sit there and work, looking over at her now and then and seeing her peacefully sleeping. Melted my heart.
So, today, I spent most of the day inputting the books that are in the bedroom. I had already done the my studio and ended up with ~400 books. I have one more box to do in the bedroom, so I should be a bit over 600 books. I will have to go through these books and make corrections, add tags, write reviews, etc. but I'd rather get them all in once and for all. After today, that leaves the living room/kitchen books with all my cookbooks, and <gulp> the study. There's at least 40 boxes of books and a huge bookcase in the study. I have no idea what the final count will be, but I'd guess around 2500 to 3000.
That sounds like a lot of books, but there are hundreds of people on that site with libraries that size or larger. The 50 largest libraries are all over 11,000 books. I like reading and books, but that seems an awful lot!
While I was entering things, Maggie and Isabel both snoopervised. (I love that word -- snoopervize.) Apparently, I wasn't entertaining enough, because they both fell asleep after 20-30 minutes. The only problem I had with that is every time I moved, Maggie would wake up and wander around. So, of course, I sat there in one position until I could barely stand up rather than wake her up. But I was just thrilled to sit there and work, looking over at her now and then and seeing her peacefully sleeping. Melted my heart.
18 July 2011
Where have I been?
Okay, it's been another long break from blogging or even living. As I last wrote, I was doing a stint as a long-term substitute teacher in a high school math special education classroom. With any long-term sub job, I was responsible for everything -- teaching, planning, meetings, etc. It, well, became my life. Here was a typical day:
- 5am -- get up and feed most of the cats
- 5:30am -- feed Maggie and Isabel by hand
- 5:45am -- drink coffee and eat breakfast
- 6am -- feed Maggie, medicate Isabel
- 6:15am -- pack lunch, change clothes
- 6:30am -- leave home
- 7:30am -- arrive at school
- 8-9am -- should be my prep period but often I was subbing for someone else this period
- 9-11:45am -- teach morning classes
- 11:45-12:15 -- lunch, do some grading, supervise Anime club
- 12:15-3pm -- teach afternoon classes
- 3-5pm -- "teacher stuff": grade work, enter grades, call parents, tutor, talk to other teachers, etc.
- 6pm -- arrive home, change clothes
- 6:15pm -- feed most cats
- 6:30pm -- hand feed Maggie and Isabel
- 6:45pm -- eat supper
- 7:30pm -- play on internet (mainly at http://www.persian-cats.com/)
- 8:15pm -- clean litter boxes
- 8:30pm -- groom Isabel
- 8:45pm -- put cats to bed, feed Maggie
- 9pm -- got to bed, read for 15 minutes if lucky
As you can see, there's not a lot of extra time in there for anything. The "play on internet" was the only "fun" thing and it was there because (a) anything else was too tiring and (b) helping others with their cats was what kept me sane.
So, the end of the school year comes, the administration talks about how they want me, the teacher I was subbing for says he's coming back, and I was exhausted.
I'm still exhausted, actually. It's all mental stress from not knowing if I will get his job permanently or not. If I do, I need to go back to school for 2 more years while teaching fulltime. If I don't get the job, do I still work on a special ed credential? I've applied for various other jobs, but thanks to my experience in special ed, I'm now branded as a special education teacher. So do I chuck education all together? Do I apply for every math job even when I would have to get an apartment there and barely break even? (Sorry, I refuse to sell this house!) I can't decide whether to cry or scream.
Enough gloomy stuff.
The cats are doing well. I'm going to start doing some art again -- stone sculpture and oil wildlife paintings. I found a wonderful site on which to catalog my books (http://www.librarything.com/ ). I have several ideas for Plan C and even Plan D, if this teaching stuff doesn't work out.
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