Uncovering the Judge: An Offer for 'Offing'

A mere 'few ages' ago I started a blog series, Uncovering the Judge. My intention was to give you a window into my mind, scary I know, of how and why I choose the books I do. Nearly 99% of the time I pick my books based on their covers. I decided to start this series back up and begin the insightful trip into my mind.

Born and raised in the ‘city’, I have long yearned for the simpler life of the country. I have often thought the idea of moving to the mountains, off the grid, would be like no other earthly peace out there. Funny how I’m so involved in the technology of this world, that I would even consider leaving it all behind.

The books containing this freedom of self-sufficiency are like gold bricks in my hand. Tell me how to build a log cabin, pluck a chicken, birth a cow, make soap, make sausage – with rabbit – yeah not so much, and you can hog tie me and marry me. I act like a kid in a candy shop when these books are in range, a kid who hoards their candy and SHARES WITH NO ONE.
I’m featuring four books that have recently joined ranks with the off grid bookshelf in my home. Do you think they have a section on how to fake your own death, even furthering your off the grid experience?

Keeping Chickens by Ashley English – I’m moving to where she lives. Do you think she will adopt me? This book is not only eye candy from a distance, but once you feel it’s ‘hand tooled leather’ like cover you will want to keep it close by at all times.  The cover boasting ‘All You Need to Know to Care for a Happy, Healthy Flock,’ well heck if I was a chicken I’d love all the ideas this book has about taking care of me.

The Encyclopedia of Country Living byAbigail R. Gehring – Any book with the word Encyclopedia in it's title is enough for a book ‘touchdown’. Plus there is a baby goat on the cover (if you read that in a preppy girl voice, kudos to you)! From beekeeping to soap making, I hear that off the grid radar slowing beeping into silent ‘dead’ mode. Photographs and illustrations throughout detailing everything you need to know and maybe some things you didn’t want to know.

The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals by Gail Damerow – I was ordering the previous 2 books for someone else, whom I caused lust like symptoms in when I showed (ahem), okay bragged about them, and this book popped up as a suggestion. The simple farm animals on the cover reminded me of my childhood and collecting Usborne books (similar art style). I didn’t read one thing about the book, except for the title’s pronouncement of BACKYARD Homestead. What can be better than having your self-sufficiency right there?!? It came in the mail yesterday and it is better than I could have expected. The book tells me how to choose a milk cow, every kind of chicken or poultry breed you can think of, and explains everything to me in step by step pictures and descriptions.

Twelve by Twelve: A One- Room Cabin Off the Grid and Beyond the American Dream by William Powers – Do you really need an explanation for this book? Cabin? Off the Grid? Beyond? Dream? Hello!?! It is all there at my fingertips. Now can I replicate his techniques or maybe just live vicariously through him?

Be sure to visit Ashley English’s blog and checkout her other books; books that will soon be joining the ranks of other off the grid titles.

Do you have any off the grid suggestions? Let me know, I always love suggestions.

Add All the Books from this post to your Goodreads!


New banner art courtesy of my little brother, Reece. He plans on editing it, but I wanted to use the rough draft today.

Uncovering the Judge: Steampunk Style

This day just flew by and I was hoping to have posted earlier, but no such luck. It may also seem like a rushed post, well you're right. I won't have time to make this post sound good, but you'll get the gist.

Book:
Whitechapel Gods by S.M. Peters

First Impression:
Top hat! He has a top hat on!

Second Impression:
I'm becoming more familiar with Steampunk as it gains popularity in the book world. I've watched more films considered Steampunk than I've read books, but I like what I see. The cover of this book really has me starring, open mouthed (ewe is that drool on my hand?) Aside from Steampunk, I've long had a thing for fire; borderline pryo perhaps?

Where did you get this?
PaperBackSwap.com

When?
June 2009

Why haven't you read this book yet?
I really have no good excuse, but it is in my room to read. Which means is on a separate floor from my personal library, aka a 'must read sooner rather than later' book.


For you Synopsis Lovers (copied from Amazon):
TWO GODS-ONE CHANCE FOR MANKIND

In Victorian London, the Whitechapel section is a mechanized, steam-driven hell, cut off and ruled by two mysterious, mechanical gods-Mama Engine and Grandfather Clock. Some years have passed since the Great Uprising, when humans rose up to fight against the machines, but a few brave veterans of the Uprising have formed their own Resistance-and are gathering for another attack. For now they have a secret weapon that may finally free them-or kill them all...

Uncovering the Judge: New Series!

You know, when I looked up the quote, "Don't judge a book by its cover," the internet told me it is an American Proverb. What, other countries don't do the same thing? I find that hard to believe, why do we have to take the rap for it? That aside, my hope was to find a more official (aka important sounding) reference for this quote. Either I'm lazy and didn't look further or this just made for a good opening. You decide.

In effort to spur myself on to writing more for my blog, I thought I'd come up with a weekly post. As my mother told me this morning, "You can't stop writing your book, just because you think no one is ever going to read it." Well the same goes here. Every Friday, it is my intention (fingers crossed) to post this new series, Uncovering the Judge. Wow, she capitalized Judge, which would in fact mean that I think I'm important. Well I am, aren't I?

I must be the worst or the best, depending on how you look at it, when it comes to purchasing, reading, or borrowing a book based on the cover. That is a tall order to live up to. I'm not saying I'm always right, but a good majority of the time I am. A few things to keep in mind when considering my book tastes:

A. I don't read inside covers.
Hello Publishers! Did someone tell you to give us the entire book in 1 to 2 paragraphs, making it pointless for us to crack the spine and read the book? Well, yes in fact they did. I still don't read them; I like the surprise, the mystery. That's why I drag my sister along with me on most book buying excursions. I need someone who is willing to read the inside cover and tell me, yes you'll love or no don't waste your time. Someone somewhere told her she knew my tastes well.

B. Be brief, Be interesting, Be Magical!
Titles on a rare occasion can be these ginormous things that do in fact appeal, but most often I like short titles that make me ponder how it coincides with the plot.

C. Ditch the face.
Who told publishers that putting faces on books, so large we can see every photoshopped pore, was a good idea? I'd like to slap them. Nearly every book on the market, it seems, has some gorgeous stranger on the cover that makes me scratch my head thinking, huh? These books, also, immediately fall into the realm, I term, Fou-fou books. It is sad to say, but you my friend will not be read by the likes of me. These books, harsh as it may seem, look as though they were written for a brainless bimbo. Was that too harsh, perhaps?

If you check my LibraryThing (please do I encourage you), you may see books with these covers. In fact I'll be the first to point out one, The Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson. I really want to use the word moron, but I won't. Someone (insert moron if you choose) decided 20 years after the fact, that hey let's make these fresh, for a new generation. Why? (Face palm) Why does a fresh look equal a face on the cover? Please, please, I beg you do refrain. I better stop now; I could be on this soap box for awhile.
I may have more reasons to share in later posts, but this is what comes to mind right now.

First book up...The Mark of the Horse Lord by Rosemary Sutcliff

This book cover makes me blush a bit. Rosemary Sutcliff ranks among one of the authors I run to the shelf when I see her name on the spine. She is sought after and well-known for her historical-fiction. I will admit I've never read one of her books. I collect them and plan to read them someday, but I truly am ashamed to admit that I haven't read any her books and I own many. I was thrilled to see a few years ago that Front Street Press was taking the initiative to republish her books.

First impression: Okay yes I bought the book because the guy on the front. Hello! Awesome tattoo.

Second impression: On second thought, the cover could be mistaken for a romance novel, which I know is not the case. But the tattoo! (Me whining)

Since, the nearly 5 years that The Mark of the Horse Lord was republished I've seen this photo used, at least, on 2 other covers. At that point the value of the cover goes down, in my opinion. It is not as unique, nor does it stick out among favorites. There is no denying, though, that it is eye candy.

Where did I get this?
I ordered it from a local bookstore. A conservative bookstore that come to think of it, based on the cover I'm surprised they said yes to ordering it for me. At times they do tell me they can't order a particular book because of its controversial nature.

When?
According to my LibraryThing, I added this book to my library in March of 2007.

Why haven't you read this book yet?
Actually I've been (without the book in front of me) several chapters into it for a few years. I think I had difficulty feeling that it was (ugh hate to say this, I'm cringing) boring. Of course I've not always been wild about this genre. It has taken me time to branch out from reading just fantasy.

For you Synopsis Lovers (copied from Amazon):

Phaedrus, an enslaved gladiator in northern Britain in the first century, earns his freedom by killing his best friend, a fellow gladiator, in a final fight to the death. Within days of leaving the arena he is recruited by leaders of a tribe from the far north to impersonate Prince Midir, who has been robbed of his right to kingship in a brutal attack by followers of the current ruler, Queen Liadhan. As Midir, Phaedrus is charged with reestablishing his kingship and the tribe's rule in the land. In this world of superstition and ancient ritual, of fierce loyalties and intertribal rivalry, Phaedrus finds companionship and love, and something more - a purpose and a meaning for his life as he comes to fully understand the significance of the Mark of the Horse Lord.