All title, no filler

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I'm nearly done reading, thank goodness. I've invested enough time that I will finish it but there's no way I'll be looking for the sequel. It had potential! The concept was interesting but the execution was a let-down. It would have been a 1-star but the writing was just decent enough (though there was a lot of show-don't-tell, awkward transitions and speech, and a thin plot). The steel corset of the title makes an appearance as armour, but is not a pivotal plot point. I think it's just there to sound cool.

I love the name Finley. I hate that she was so easily swayed by Griffin. When he came to collect her at Dandy's I wanted to slap her for being so cooperative.

Two other major plot points that have annoyed me (SPOILERS):

Duh, if someone steals a waxwork of Queen Victoria and later you find the figure's clothing and glass eyes missing, and calliper marks in the wax face, not to mention the Queen's hairbrush was stolen... Meanwhile there's a guy called The Machinist who makes automatons... did you not think earlier that he might be making a Queen automaton that looks exactly like her?
OK so I didn't guess that The Machinist would be able to create a sentient being, but I guessed the hair had to have something to do with it. Really, the sentient automaton that reacts to its surroundings and changes to suit its attackers is JUST TOO MUCH. (PS: Finley saw the wax figure before she met the Queen in person, but she was still surprised by Victoria's lack of height!?)

Griffin is supposedly rich and powerful and intelligent. Yet he hasn't previously investigated Leonardo Garibaldi? (Unless I missed something while I was slogging through this book.) Griff knew that Garibaldi had disagreed with the Queen's command to keep the Organites a secret. (side note: the overuse and frequent mention of Organites become more annoying than steles and runes in Clare's Mortal Instruments series.) Even if he hadn't put two and two together that Garibaldi was the Machinist, he could have investigated whether he was a suspect in the murder of Griffin's parents. Instead of using his influence to investigate, he uses the Aether. *facepalm*

I'm done.

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The Local Press

My flat white in its heavy blue teacup was just $3. It is creamy (I don’t do skinny coffee) and nutty and smooth. It could be a little hotter – I risk having a cold last mouthful or two. But they roast their own beans, and I can see them in the hopper, bouncing around like popcorn. The staff seems friendly, smiling even at the various small people who accompany their parents. They must had a recent shop makeover, as one of the regulars (who was called by name) says it’s become very bright and open. The man behind the counter said they’re getting a lot of good feedback and had a write-up in a magazine last week. Oh! And they make their own muffins. I will have to try one. I generally find café muffins bland and artificially over-fluffy.

 A small breakfast menu is chalked on one wall, including sourdough toast with ricotta, tahini and honey, or smoked trout with poached eggs, goats’ cheese and hollandaise. They also advertise an apple pie and cinnamon milkshake for $5.50. There’s a full menu but I haven’t taken a peek yet.

There’s a regular stream of customers – half a dozen ambulance workers, locals out for their morning walk, moms and dads in casual wear, and a few people in business clothes. There are four staff members behind the counter for the morning rush, one of whom pops out to tend to the beans. It’s amazing how fast they roast to a rich brown. Mmmm coffee!

I went back for a little pot of English Breakfast and a muffin. I picked strawberry and found mango hidden in its depths! The muffin is substantial and cakey, but in a good way - dense and perfectly baked. And the teapot has a silly bit of script on it: oh darling, darling, stand by TEA.

Zoo City: Smart, Vivid Alt-History

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fresh metaphors, an atypical heroine, and a Sloth. Add a setting of alt-universe modern-day Johannesburg and situations that you don't see coming. This book has action, a bit of blood magic, moral dilemmas, and a protagonist with a very clear voice. The writing is so vivid, you'll find yourself wanting to read some passages aloud, or at least highlight them to savour them later. If you like urban fantasy or alt-history you'll probably like it, but it's impossible to cram it into a single genre. It's smarter than the average urban fantasy novel, and social issues give it depth without seeming contrived.

I probably wouldn't have picked this book up on my own, but it was part of the Humble Bundle, and I'm glad I read it. Beukes is an author to watch.

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My Drunk Kitchen Hilarity

So, I've been amusing myself (and hopefully my sister, to whom I sent these links and quotes) by watching eps of My Drunk Kitchen on YouTube. I pass on the drunken, hilarious goodness to you.

Meat Pie

So now you have a thing, that is kinda somewhere between a stew and a mess...
Don't knead your dough too much, 'cause that leads to co-dependancy.
My pie crust looks like vegeta.

Toast
I like my cheese like I like my women - mature, yet mellow.
Marmite is not like Nutella.
These beans smell like...sad ketchup.
On my arm, whatever. On my boobs? Ooh, I'm into it.

Onion Rings
Oh, now the fumes are trapped in the goggles with my eyes!
Sometimes I worry if I'll make it to 50.
Make your own tiny sweaty hot pocket of humid!