Jane Brocket, The Gentle Art of Domesticity. I've enjoyed reading Brocket's blog Yarnstorm, so I decided to buy her book sight unseen.

It's an enjoyable read and suitable for quick moments of browsing; it reads very much like a collection of extended blog posts -- short essays that tie in thematically but can be read independently. (Indeed, some of the essays I recognized from the blog, though others were new to me.) The photos don't seem quite as striking as those on her blog, but they're still visually interesting.

Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, Nudge. A really interesting book advocating what they call "libertarian paternalism". Brief summary of their argument: How you present choices to people affects what choices they make. So if you present the choice in such a way to make it more likely that they'll choose what you'd prefer they choose (the paternalism side), but still make it easy for them to select another option if they want (the libertarian side), you tend to get the results you want while still preserving people's freedom of choice.

Daniel Gilbert, Stumbling on Happiness. Why we don't always judge correctly what'll make us happy, from a psychology & brain wiring perspective. Interesting, and very entertainingly written. I quibble a bit with the author's conclusion that the best way to figure out whether something will make you happy is to look at whether it makes other people happy -- learning a Bulgarian dance makes me pretty darn happy, but most people find that pretty tedious -- but the basic concept makes sense.

Started:

• Andean Treasure Vest. Almost done with the third pattern stripe.
• Grün Ist die Hoffnung Socks. Finished the medallion, need to start the toe.

Progressing on:

• Trekking socks -- the heels are finally done!
• Regia Lampion socks -- the heels are almost ready for decreasing.
• Southwestern Socks -- starting the heel gusset.
• Featherweight Fantasy shawl -- into the third repeat of five.
• Heere Be Dragone -- row 142.
• Flutter Cardigan -- started the body, ran into a yarn flaw, but we'll see how it goes.
• Neon Turkish Sweater -- a couple rows.

Started and finished:

• Net shopping bag. I don't know how durable it'll be, but it certainly holds quite a bit!

Pamela Aidan, An Assembly Such As This, and Amanda Grange, Mr. Knightley's Diary. Both books are retelling of Jane Austen novels from the hero's point of view; Aidan's is the first in a trilogy looking at Pride and Prejudice through Mr. Darcy's eyes, and Grange's a retelling of Emma.

Both are well-written and enjoyable, and I'm going to seek out further books by both. Of the two, though, I prefer Aidan's so far. Aidan gives me more of what I want from this kind of novel -- an idea of what the hero actually does, besides be interested in the heroine. Not that Grange avoids this, but Grange is more likely to summarize Mr. Knightley's actions as "discussed parish business" or "talked with William Larkin about various problems", whereas Aidan is more likely to be specific.

Both authors also add original characters, which makes absolute sense; Darcy certainly would have a wide acquaintance, and while Mr. Knightley knows many of the same people Emma does, he'd notice different people than she would. Generally, the original characters work.

My quibbles: There's a couple bits in Aidan where I'm not sure what she writes is quite consistent with the books (very minor things -- for example, I think Colonel Forster married later in the original than he did in Aidan's retelling). And while my fanficcy heart loves one of the subplots of Grange's book, my rational mind admits its extreme unlikeliness. Still, both books are at least worth checking out from the library, and if the rest of Aidan's trilogy measures up to the first book, they may soon find a home on my shelves.

Some more summer reading catch-up:

• Eva Ibbotson, A Countess Below Stairs. A Russian countess works as a servant in England and falls in love. Enjoyable.
• Marvin Harris, Cow, Pigs, Wars, and Witches. Interesting ideas on why various cultures have practices that look irrational at first glance.
• Laura Kinsale, Seize the Fire. A princess and a military hero fall in love and find that each other isn't quite what they thought. Intense and well-written, but ultimately didn't hook me; I have no urge to reread it.
• Maria Snyder, Magic Study. Still good, but not as good as Poison Study.
• Stealing Heaven. The daughter of a professional thief makes friends for the first time and wants to change her life. Very interesting.

Didn't finish:

• The Darcy Connection. Two daughters of Mr. Collins go to London. Read about a third; didn't finish. The writing was good, and I liked Eliza, but after a while it started to seem too much like P&P. I might try this one again later.
• Vermont Valentine. Read about a third, skimmed the rest. A good romance, but just didn't click with me. (Though having a parasitical insect be the trigger for a romance is kinda cool.)
• Lady of Mazes. It's probably a great book; I just don't have the brainpower for it right now.

Movies I watched over the summer:

• Drumline. Great music, interesting characters (though I found myself rooting for Leonard Roberts's character rather than for the protagonist), and in general a fun movie for anyone who's been in a marching band.
• Samurai Rebellion. Beautiful and tragic. I predicted a couple of the plot turns, but still found them moving. Not a movie for days when you need a happy and hopeful ending.
• Animal Crackers and A Day at the Races. Continuing my education in Marxist thought.
• Vertigo. Continuing my education in Hitchcock films. Wow.
• The Incredibles. The ending is particularly fun to watch with a fussy newborn.
• Yellow Submarine. Its main redeeming value is a lot of good puns and of course Beatles songs; the aesthetics are interesting but did nothing for me.
• Penn & Teller's Magic & Mystery Tour. Penn & Teller talk to street magicians in China, India, and Egypt. Fascinating, though not for the weak of stomach.

While I haven't had much time over the past months for blogging, I've certainly managed time for reading. A partial list:

• Nita Abrams, A Question of Honor. A historical romance in which the heroine is Jewish (though, I gather, not strongly observant).
• Kathleen Korbel, A Rose for Maggie. A pleasant romance, and occasionally borderline treacly, but what makes it stand out: This author gets the mixed emotions of having a disabled child spot-on.
• Martine Leavitt, Keturah and Lord Death. I found the story a little choppy in places (or perhaps I was too sleep-deprived to follow the narrator's logic), but it was interesting, and the closing passage is beautiful.
• M. T. Anderson, Whales on Stilts and The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen. The first is absolutely wacky and hilarious; the second is wacky and hilarious and has a few bits that kick you in the chest. Heartily recommended.
• Scott Westerfeld, Peeps. An interesting take on vampires. Yep, he's deservedly popular.
• Robin McKinley, Sunshine. Another interesting take on vampires, and I want one of Sunshine's cinnamon rolls.
• C. A. Belmond, A Rather Lovely Inheritance. A charming book with interesting characters that find out interesting things about their pasts.
• Laurie Viera Rigler, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. I've never actually had the urge to live in Jane Austen's time, and now that I've read this book I never will. But it gives an interesting picture of what life may have been like for a well-off woman in Austen's era.
• Hilary McKay, Saffy's Angel. A family that I'd hate to live in but am fascinated to read about.
• Neil Shubin, Your Inner Fish. A really cool and very readable book on human body structures and their relation to structures in other critters.
• Loretta Chase, Lord of Scoundrels, The Last Hellion, and Your Scandalous Ways. Enjoyable historical romances. I really liked the first and last and expect to reread them many times, but while the second was fun and I liked the heroine's occupation and interests, there was too much BS about the heroine's ancestry for me to want to buy the book. (I also reread Mr. Impossible and still find it a wonderful book; the characters have actual brains, and their interactions are delightful to read.)
• Alan Weisman, The World Without Us. A fascinating look at how long human structures and artifacts will last after we're no longer around to maintain them. (Warning: after reading this, you may decide to switch to cloth grocery bags when possible.)

• Finished the Apple Laine Party Time socks.
• Started the Featherweight Fantasy stole from Knitter's Shawls and Scarves. (Malabrigo worsted, bought two days before Spud #2 was born.)
• Started the Wendyknits Southwestern Socks. (Fiesta Boomerang that's been in the stash for a year.)
• The sleeves on the Flutter Cardigan are almost done.
• The feet on the Trekking socks are almost done.
• The gussets on the Ivy socks are almost done.
• The feet on the Regia Lampion socks are halfway to the heel.
• I'm up to row 128 on Heere Be Dragone.

I haven't touched any other projects, but with a new baby and given that I'm back at work, I figure I'm doing pretty well.

I'm halfway through the heels of the Apple Laine socks, but no other progress.

So in lieu of craft progress, I present my newest work-in-progress, and three proofs that a new baby is appreciated by needleworkers:

Exhibit 1: knitted baby blanket by Kathleen M.

Exhibit 2: crocheted baby blanket by Dena H.

Exhibit 3: baby quilt by Holly P.

The Baby Surprise Jacket is done, except for buttons, and I'm not sure I'll bother to add those. (It's summer, in Texas.)

The Felted Piano Bag is also done. Fortunately, the natural-colored Cascade 220 felted just fine in spite of being a light color. Alas, the stranded section of the bag pulled in a lot more than the rest, to the point where I couldn't stretch it to match the rest. But it looks okay, so I'm going to live with it. In theory I'm going to line the thing, but we'll see.

I went ahead and started a new pair of socks, Regia 4-ply in color Lampion. Once I finish this pair, I'll have used up all the yarn from my first Loopy Ewe order.

I've also started the second sampler towel, in spite of the fact that the loom still needs some tweaking.

Other craftage:

• Row 120 on Heere Be Dragone.
• On the gussets of the Ivy socks.
• A few rows on the Trekking socks.
• A smidge on the Apple Laine socks; another inch or two, and I'll be ready to start the heels.
• A couple inches on the Flutter sleeves; I'm almost to where I start the sleeve shaping.
• A couple rows on the Microsock.

Elizabeth Lowell, A Woman Without Lies. I've read more romance novels in the past couple years than I had since middle school (thank you, Smart Bitches, Trashy Books). Some of them have become favorites, but a large number of them, even though well-written, don't do anything for me. This book is helping me articulate why.

There are a lot of really good things in this book. Angel and Hawk are interesting characters, as are the secondary characters. The descriptions of fishing and of stained glass work are fascinating. The storyline is generally plausible; the characters' interactions make sense based on their histories. I kept reading because I wanted to see how the couple would overcome their differences and get together.

So what don't I like about it? I don't like reading characters when they're thinking about their emotions[*]. I don't like the author's telling me what the character feels instead of showing me. I especially get annoyed by passages to the effect of "she instinctively knew that he felt more for her than he was showing". And in the romance genre, these things are acceptable parts of the style, so I run into a lot of books that annoy me.

[*]Actually, I need to clarify this. I love passages like

"From such a connection she could not wonder that he should shrink. The wish of procuring her regard, which she had assured herself of his feeling in Derbyshire, could not in rational expectation survive such a blow as this. She was humbled, she was grieved; she repented, though she hardly knew of what. She became jealous of his esteem, when she could no longer hope to be benefited by it. She wanted to hear of him, when there seemed the least chance of gaining intelligence. She was convinced that she could have been happy with him, when it was no longer likely they should meet."

or

"Like was surely not an adequate word for this hash of delight and anger and longing, this profound respect laced with profound irritation, all floating on a dark pool of old pain."

(Austen, Pride and Prejudice, and Bujold, A Civil Campaign.)

They're beautiful words; they make the character's feelings clear; they stop after at most another paragraph or so. Once the author makes her point, she stops beating me over the head with it. In romance, on the other hand, it seems much more acceptable for the author to say "See? Here's what this character's feeling. You in any doubt? Okay, I'll reiterate!"

And the romance authors I enjoy the most seem to be the ones who do the least of this, who are writing a story about a relationship but showing me the growing love between the leads rather than insisting that the love is there. Take another recent read, Jennifer Crusie's Faking It. Cruise makes it obvious that Tilda and Davy are falling for each other, and shows why they're a great pair; I get to learn about the characters as they learn about each other, and when they finally break the remaining barriers between them, I'm as thrilled as they are.

And when they think about their feelings at all, they do it in unique voices; they sound like themselves, not like any of a hundred other characters. Lowell has a few passages where Angel thinks of her feelings in terms of stained glass or Hawk in hunting metaphors, and that works for me, but when they think in more generic terms, I start skimming. That's probably the biggest thing right there, actually. If your characters must spend paragraphs being introspective, at least make them think in their own voices, not thoughts that could be cut and pasted into another novel without editing.

The Hula socks are done. The foot is a tiny bit long, but not long enough to bother me (though it does occur to me that the best time to measure socks on my foot is not when I have swollen ankles), and I rather like how the heel turned out.

I also knit up a felted hat (Narrow Brim Hat, Galeskas, Felted Knits) out of two skeins Artful Yarns Shakespeare. The colors are great, and I like how the hat turned out.

And the Fat Bottom Bag is done. (Three skeins RYC Cotton Jeans, about a half yard of fabric that I had in stash for lining, and two 18-inch pieces of chain from Home Depot.)

So it's been a good couple weeks for finishing stuff. Other craft progress:

• Up to row 98 on Heere Be Dragone.
• A few rows on the Ivy socks. It'd be nice to get those done this month, but we'll see.
• A half inch on the Trekking socks.
• An inch or two on the Apple Laine socks.
• A few rows on Flutter.
• Half a pattern row on the Turkish sweater before I realized that I didn't account for the chart error; I'll have to rip back.
• Several rows on the Baby Surprise Jacket; it's almost ready for me to cast off the neck edge stitches.
• A few painful rows on the Microsock.
• A few easier rows on the piano bag. Time to start the chart!
• A few tufts on the latch hook rug.
• The loom cords are conditioned, though I still have to figure out how I'm going to adjust the harness height.