Review of Eureka, The Real Thing

Short version: Better than Lost, but not Eureka's best. Longer version: Up on the Geek Girl Project, natch!

Link to Review of Once Upon a Time, The Stranger

Right here, on The Geek Girl Project!

And don't miss Rebecca's review of Doctor Who, The Unearthly Child.

Once Upon a Time: The Return, a Review

Short version: Now that’s more like it! A Rumpelstiltskin story is always a win, and his motivation I believe!

Full version: Here, at The Geek Girl Project.

Link to Review of Return to Quag Keep

Short version: Fantastic intro, so so book. Longer version posted  here, at the Geek Girl Project.

Edit April 24: I started Quag Keep today, and my opinion of Return to Quag Keep has just plummeted. On its own, it's a mildly entertaining, paint-by-numbers read. As a sequel, it's dire.

Murder at Mansfield Park by Lynn Shepherd, a Book Review

I read Murder at Mansfield Park for two reasons: 1) Fyrefly liked The Solitary House, which is also by Lynn Shepherd but was not in the library at the time and 2) The murder victim in Murder at Mansfield Park is Fanny Price. Seriously, who hasn't read Mansfield Park and had vaguely homicidal urges(1)?

Sadly, Fanny's demise is the best the novel has to offer. In replacing Fanny with Marry Crawford as the resident "good woman," Shepherd has simply swapped one banal character for another. Mary is described as level-headed, practical, and indispensable to Charle's Maddox's investigation of the murder, but, other than one observation about the state of Fanny's body, actually does little that qualifies her for any of these adjectives, many of which are rather oddly placed. For example, upon finding Fanny's body, Mary promptly faints and remains unconscious for a good, long spell, recovering just in time to stagger out to hear Edmund and his brother wondering who ought to prepare the body and mention her as an option since, "there is no one so steady, so capable..." as Mary, a "woman of rare strength of mind." While there is absolutely nothing wrong with a heroine fainting upon finding a body, I would never use this as demonstrating strength of mind, capability, or prudence. Her heroic decision to quietly go and wash Fanny's body did little to convince me of anything much, though I was surprised Maddox never mentioned any variation on "tampering with the evidence" to her in any of their conversations.

I had difficulty believing in either the love between her and Edmund or the attraction between her and Maddox, both being more stated than showing in development.

Also, while Shepherd writes reasonably Austenian prose, she does this in part by mining Austen's books and letters for phrases, and I found this awkward at times: Having Mary and Edmund echo the conversation between Elizbeth and Colonel Fitzwilliam on the care young men must take in marrying makes some sense: Like Colonel Fitzwilliam, Edmund can't necessarily bothy marry the woman he loves and maintain the life of a gentleman. On the other hand, the near-echo of the conversation between Elizabeth and Darcy at the ball made no sense whatsoever: Mary has no reason to wish to "vex" Edmund. I confess, I got quite dizzy at times trying to track these echoes. They also gave the text a somewhat stilted air.

What's that? How will someone who doesn't read Austen like it? Probably not much. There is too little character or relationship development happening to make anyone particularly interesting. We're told that Mary gradually realizes that Edmund isn't the stuffed shirt she and Henry first thought he was, but we don't see her finding it out, much less witness any actions or speeches on his part that lead to her undying love for him. The same is true of Maddox's fascination with Mary (and her belated attraction to him): It's stated, not shown. This makes it hard to care whether or not either pairing happens (though Maddox makes the better proposal).

My verdict? Pass. I will still be trying The Solitary House, however. It was written later and may very well be a stronger book. Also, despite my disappointment with Murder at Mansfield Park, I am curious to see how Shepherd handled Bleak House.

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(1)I must confess, I have not exactly read Mansfield Park. It was more a case of crossly skimming it and throwing it down periodically. I still own a copy which I feel I really ought to read. Some day. Maybe.

The Laughing Mannequin

I'm starting to keep an eye out for her:

At the beach.

Near Halloween.

Last year at the Civil War reenactment.

Rock Art: Mosaic on First and PCH

By Donna Billick

Helme Park, Huntington Beach, Notes

 I just noticed that all the pictures from Helme Park that I thought worth keeping are of trees. So, yes, it did well on the tree quotient. It shows up as a small, green blob on the map, and it isn't terribly large. It is, however, big enough to have a good-sized row of conifers (pines? But I want to call them all pines, and I don't think that's really right) on one side. They provide a good amount of shade. At mid-afternoon, when I got there, they were shading the entire play area.

They are also big enough and have enough branches that kids can climb them. When I was there, someone was up in one, claiming it proudly as "My tree!"

There were at least four other kinds, as well, that had been planted out at different stages. One had a nice pair of birdhouses in them (Actually, these show up in several parks, which is awesome), but it was quite the wrong time of year for checking to see if any bird ever used them.

Critter quotient: I heard several finches and saw some interesting flying and fluttering creatures too small and too fast for me to identify. It seemed slightly above average, more than the neighbor's lawn, say, but not outstanding. Thanks to the trees, the picnic tables might actually be in the shade sometimes--and by shade, I mean full, deep, cool shade.

Playground equipment: Yes. The standard yellow-and-red setup. There's also a large sandbox which, as a child, I would have found enchanting. As an adult, I confess, I wonder about the neighborhood cats.

Bathrooms: No.

Water fountains: No.

Parking: on the street.

Will you be able to forget you're in the city? No, but it is a quiet neighborhood and a pleasant little park for a picnic, especially if you have kids.

Langenbeck Park, Huntington Beach, Notes

Langenbeck Park is (according to the official website)half a mile long, a long skinny L of a park directly below humming power lines and decked with huge, spiked power-line towers, complete with "Do not climb" warning signs.

Picnic Tables: Yes. Some of them are even in the shade. This is not a given, by the way. I'm not sure that the people who plant the trees and the people who park the tables ever talk with one another at all, or look at how far shade is likely to reach.

Trees: It has plenty of trees. I counted at least four kinds, most kept to the tall, straight ideal, not my favorite kind, I admit, but a tree is a tree, and I'd rather straight than none.  They also included a couple of types I had not seen in other parks, so hurray for keeping things interesting and varied!

Two were even flowering when I visited. It's not the sort of park that really invites sitting down and pondering the nature of the universe, but still, the trees are there to provide grace notes and to shade the path.

Critter quotient: I went in the early fall, which may affect the count somewhat. Still, this is Southern California, so looking for birds and bests is not unreasonable. Overall, it was lower than I'd have expected for that much open space, with most of the birdsong coming from chattering finches who seemed to really like the power-towers (contrary creatures!). Most of the crows I saw were flying over nearby houses, though a couple had strayed into the park. Oh, and a pair of ring-necked pigeons were hunting for food under one of the towers.

I did not do a very detailed bug-hunt. Nothing notable flew up when I scuffed my feet. I did see a Phoebe sitting on one of the picnic tables, though, which is an indication of at least some bug-ness. Overall, I'd put the critter count at higher than average for the city in general, but I wouldn't suggest going to Langenbeck Park to bird watch.

The landscaping is not especially welcoming for birds and beasts, being mostly clipped grass and the aforementioned trees. No raggedy edges or ripened grass for anything to hide in or eat from.

Bathroom? Nope.

Drinking fountains: Also no. (As someone commented, "If you don't drink any water, you won't need to pee.")

Sports stuff: No. No kite flying, either, for obvious reasons.

Parking: On the street. It looked like there were plenty of different neighborhood areas with access to the park, so I doubt there's much trouble finding space, though I do advise checking street-sweeping days and the like.

Play Structures: I can't remember, and I didn't make notes on this.  I think not, but I'm not going to swear to that.

 

 Does this look like something you'd want to climb?

Will you be able to forget you're in the city? Not with those towers and that hum overhead. That said, there are worse uses to make of power line land (I've seen some stretches of rocky, barren wasteland, all fenced off and good for no one, not even the bugs). Also, there is a nice, long, curving sidewalk running the length of the park, and I imagine that it must make a pleasant addition to the daily walk or run. I saw quite a few people walking their dogs and one person intently rollerblading along the way.  It looks like it might be nice for varying a bike route, as well, but I did not think to check what the park regulations said about that.

As an added bonus, someone who wants more than half-mile Langenbeck provides can also cross Magnolia at the crosswalk by the nearby Home Depot and continue on through Talbert Park.

Talbert Park, Huntington Beach

Talbert Park and Langenbeck Park are, in many ways, two halves of one park. In fact, if Magnolia did not provide a rather considerable interruption, there would be no reason to say They were two different parks.

They share the same long, straight stretch of power line, the same definite hum, and the same curving path under the trees. Also, with the  nearby shopping center providing a nearby crosswalk, it's not too bad getting from one to the other, a definite plus for those who want to get their daily jog or walk in without having to stick to city streets.

Trees: Yes, including some rather pretty ones with nice, large, pink flowers (see above). Lake Park has a big one, but they don't seem too common.

It looked like there were maybe one or two different plantings of trees, as well, which always adds to the beauty, letting the trees be different sizes. Also, there are a couple that have been allowed to gain character.

One big one has a good spread of low-lying branches at crazy angles. It looks like it might be worth sitting under for a while.
Critter count: This surprised me. There were a whole lot more birds here than in Langenbeck, and all I had done was cross the road--and I noticed the difference crossing back, too. However, the Talbert Park website mentions that Talbert Channel is nearby, and that may explain matters. Both birds and bugs are going to be happier with water nearby. I wonder, though, is Talbert Channel like Talbert Lake, a come-and-go matter? This year, it would be all "go," water-wise,but there may not be any water at all, some years, if it's like many of our creeks/lakes/channels.

Bathrooms: I didn't see any.

Water fountains: I didn't see any.

Playgrounds: Yes. The standard setup with the yellow slide, red ladders, swings. Comes in two sizes, too, so it's great for all ages. Don't bring any little ones who are potty-training, though (see above on bathrooms).

Sports stuff: Yes. Talbert Park actually spreads out later on, merging with a school area, and has some big, flat areas for soccer etc. You'll have to check just what, though, as I forget. The sports equipment is not really high on my list of priorities, I'm afraid.

Parking: On the street--not on Magnolia, though.

Will you be able to forget you are in a city? No. See humming power lines. Is it a Good Thing to Have? Yes. Definitely. Parks are always good!

Drew Park: Notes

Good-sized. Nice, curved pathway running through.

Trees of character: No. I suspect this of being a relatively recent park because, with the exception of a stand of evergreens at one end, the trees are all young. At most, two plantings worth in there.

Critter quotient: I went too late in the day to do any sort of decent count. IT was also cloudy, which sends quite a few of the small sort into hiding.

Has a small basketball court which was in use. Swings, a variation on the standard yellow-and-red set (monkey bars and a different sort of ladder), only for the bigger kids, no preschool version in sight.

No bathrooms, no drinking fountain.

Picnic tables. It was, as I said, overcast the day I was there, but I'd be surprised if the shade on those little trees ever reached the tables. Give it a year or five, and there should be enough shade to keep everyone happy.

Not a remarkable place, but a pleasant one, and I'd guess the neighborhood is glad of it.

Review of Eureka: Lost

Short version: No, the "twist" did not make up for the frustration of thinking they had hit the reset button again(1).

Longer version: Up on The Geek Girl Project.

(1) I actually like the Season 4 reset, since they had the guts to keep the changes, and the sense to make sure the core characters traveled together & kept their relationships, but things can be carried too far, and this would have been. "It was all a dream" is almost never a workable solution.

Just Because: Birds by the Long Beach Bike Path

I think these are swallows, and I think the nests are in progress rather than finished. They're under the extremely busy, extremely loud Long Beach Boulevard, and there are hundreds of them. They seem to like the scrubby area around the river and the bike path quite a lot:

Review: Once Upon a Time, The Stable Boy

I have my review of Once Upon a Time: The Stable Boy written & posted. The full version is up on The Geek Girl Project. The short version: For the first time ever for an episode of Once Upon a Time: "Meh."

Intruder, by C. J. Cherryh, a review

Short review: Intruder is an excellent book that quite thoroughly held my attention and brought the Foreigner series forward while promising much more in the following two books. It’s a must-read for anyone who has been following the series and absolutely not an entry point for anyone who has not.

The full version is up on The Geek Girl Project. Nope, it's not replacing my blog, but I'm posting my geeky stuff there where I shall shortly be joined by others--I know there are some video interviews in the works!

Just Because: And the Ladybug Came to the Ladybug Picnic

Just Because: A Cozy Tree

I recently visited the Mesa Verde Library again, and of course I checkd to see if the knitted "sweater" was still there. I couldn't actually tell whether or not the original was still up, but in in any case, it is a very well-wrapped, cozy tree: