The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith

The fifth Precious Ramotswe book continues the trend of being even less about the mystery than the preceding book. Though, really, the mysteries have always just been an excuse for Smith to write about Botswana.

Here, Mma Ramotswe is asked by a woman to investigate the woman’s potential suitors, and decides to take charge of her own marriage prospects, while Rra Matekoni finds himself volunteered to jump out of a plane with a parachute in order to help raise money for the Orphan Farm. Mma Makutsi doesn’t have as prominent a role as she did in the last two books, but I suspect Smith may have realized that she was threatening to take over the series.

Still a very relaxing, delightful series, but not one I have a lot to say about.

Incidentally, does anyone know about an official DVD release for the TV series? The listing at Amazon says it’s for the series, but appears to be the same listing as what was once only the pilot. I really liked the one episode I saw, but haven’t seen more because (A) I never managed to get ahold of the pilot, and (B) I really do much prefer to watch things legally.

manga: Dogs: Prelude

Set in what appears to be the near-future, this series focuses on several killers of different types who live in the city. Mihai is a former enforcer for one of the gangs who returns to the city when his former protégée kills the boss. Badou is a chain smoking information broker who gets maniacal and trigger happy when deprived of his cigarettes. Naoto is an amnesiac who was raised and trained to fight by the man she believes killed her parents. Lastly, Heine is an albino who is the victim of genetic experimentation and has a slave collar bolted to his neck.

Heine is sometimes Badou’s bodyguard, and Badou’s path tends to cross with Mihai’s, particularly at the bar where Mihai lives with his…I’m not sure she’s his girlfriend, or even “friend with benefits,” but it’s where he parks himself. Mostly, though, the characters act independently of each other. Right now, the mangaka seems to be focusing on throwing out ideas and characters and showing how dark and violent the world is, but doesn’t seem to really have a cohesive plot or direction. Some manga can work like that, but I don’t think this one really can. The designs are interesting, though I get distracted by Mihai’s resemblance to Fullmetal Alchemist’s Hohenheim, and I like the characters, but I hope future installments are less aimless and more cohesive.

(no subject)

The following is a partial list of things I inherited from my father:

1.  Brown eyes.
2.  Nearsightedness to go with the brown eyes.
3.  ADD, and introversion to go with it.
4.  Love of books.  (OK, that's both parents.)
5.  A fondness for fiction involving swords, guns, and/or explosions.
6.  Nasal passages that are, in essence, allergic to seasonal and weather changes.

I love you, Dad, and so does Kleenex.

Meanwhile, yesterday I got a needle in one arm for labwork at the doctor's office, and a needle in the other arm for my flu shot, so now I have a faint bruise  on the inside of my left elbow, and there's a sore knot on my upper right arm.  Neither of which is unusual for me and their individual cases, but I'm not used to being doubleteamed.

Our client at work is also moving their loan customer service department to our site, and I have training for it next week.  At 8 a.m.  Those familiar with my sleeping habits know that 8 a.m. is a relatively alien concept for me.  I am also far too good at ignoring the alarm clock for my own good.  (Seriously.  My cell phone informing me that I have a new message fromn the other end of the apartment gets bigger results than the alarm clock 2 feet from my head, because it isn't expected.)  I'm sure the adrenaline and "OMG MUST GO!" will get me up in time when the time comes, but I've been trying to go to bed earlier so I can get up earlier and thus be moderately functional, but it isn't going too well yet.

Also, that's three work schedules within two weeks.  (Current schedule, training schedule, and new schedule which I don't particularly like, but it's the closest they had to what I wanted.)  Flipside is that the early training means I'll be able to go to the Adult Literacy Council Booksale next weekend without any trouble.

And I spent half my shift today decorating for Halloween and am very proud of my Macabre Table of Evilness, but I know everyone will spend the whole morning tomorrow messing with it before I get there...

In short, need sleep.  And new nasal passages.