Working, Reading, Babysitting...

I closed at Target last night. I'm opening this morning. This should mark the final switch in shifts for me. At least until the mystery job comes through. (If it comes through. I'm still waiting to hear back).

Last week the month of unemployment finally caught up with me, and I'm still behind in bills. My first significant paycheck from Target is already spent two days after receiving it, and that's not even including the food and gas I'll need between now and the next one. Hopefully the next check will have me caught up, and hopefully my internet and/or electricity won't be shut off before then.

I'll pick up a few extra bucks tomorrow watching my friend's baby while she takes a final. I have no prior baby experience. Never changed a diaper. I think I'm qualified.

Last week I finished an entertaining sci-fi novel, Sun of Suns. It's a "world building" novel. A lot of science fiction takes place in standard universes we've seen before. Giant space stations and alien worlds or future earths are the norm. Sun of Suns contains a world completely original, unlike anything I've seen elsewhere.

The basic concept is that a giant atmosphere-filled balloon is somewhere out in space. Within the balloon (Virga) are numerous free floating cities and nations. Most cities rotate to create gravity, but many of the smaller ones are left in zero G. Oceans exist as large spheres of water, complete with aquatic life. Because the world is completely enclosed, the people have to create their own suns. This is the cause of most of the world's political turmoil, as powerful nations with suns try to prevent subservient smaller nations from creating their own suns and becoming independent.

The story is a bit more typical. A young man seeks revenge against a large empire that killed his parents, who were part of a small radical group attempting to create a new sun. Along the way he discovers that his enemies are not who he thought they were, and that there is a reality outside of Virga that is much different than anything he knows.

Overall it's a great opening to a series. The zero gravity world makes for some great original settings, as well as some spectacular action scenes (and there are quite a few). Think Ender's Game, only with large ships and jet bikes as well as hand-to-hand combat.
Now I'm just waiting for the sequel to be released in paperback.

The book I'm reading now is The World Is Flat. I'm not very far into it, but it's interesting so far. I'm just at the part that describes what the huge call centers in India are like. I've gotten most of those details from other sources by this point, so it's not new, but it's still an entertaining read.