I've got to catch up

My mom has been in the hospital this week, and I spent one night with her as she is 95, blind, and mostly deaf. The staff was afraid she would get up and become disoriented, and end up breaking her hip. So I taught Wednesday, spent the night at DMH, then left to teach all day Thursday. I was a zombie, really. But she's home now, and doing well. Then DH and I went away for a romantic overnight at a local bed and breakfast, and a wonderful shopping trip. So...lots of reading, but no blogging. Here we go!
31. Windhaven by George R. R. Martin and Lisa Tuttle. This was a huge disappointment, as I am a huge fan of Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. I've never heard of Lisa Tuttle, so maybe the blame can be laid at her door. This is the story of Maris' struggle to overcome tradition and allow skill to determine who can become flyers. Sounds wonderful, but the whole book is depressing. Every victory is tainted with death and loss, and at the end of the book you just feel like the whole thing wasn't worth the effort. Meh.
32. Sten by Chris Bunch and Allan Cole. Wonderful start to an old SF adventure series, full of memorable characters and true love that survives all odds. Definitely worth the read.
33. On Basilisk Station by David Weber. Strong female character with cute cat character who is a charismatic hero, a captain of her own ship who never gives up, who never surrenders. Great book, although heavy on the theoretical physics (I just skim over that), and peculiarly repetitive on the fact that Honor is not pretty. I suppose because a beautiful woman wouldn't be taken as seriously?