Woo-hoo! (Recs: books and Austin hotels)

[telophase]

I have $20 in Amazon.com gift certificates. What should I buy and why?

(caveat: usually when I ask for recs, I end up not buying what people have recced, for whatever perverse reason, but I do end up putting a number on my wishlist and buying them later.)

In other news, I took the opportunity of Sora being out of it on Monday to make kanzashi (and myrialux helpfully came over and entertained Sora on Sunday while I made more). I need to finish them up - put them on clips and the like - so hope to have pictures of them soon. :) I'm going to the Ikkicon artist alley in Austin in early Feb, so need to increase my stock. :)

And speaking of which: anyone have any recs of a hotel/motel reasonably near downtown Austin that offers internet in its rooms (preferably wireless, preferably free, but pay and wires will do), is less than $100/night (preferably less than $75), and is not hot and cold running cockroaches? myrialux is coming down with me, but not attending the con, and will need to telecommute some on Friday.

Comments

[kate_nepveu]

Have you read _The Arrival_ by Shaun Tan?

http://www.steelypips.org/weblog/2008/02/tan_arrival.php

[litch.livejournal.com]

it's more than you want to pay but http://www.austinmotel.com/home.html rocks and is in a great part of town

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

I have two new drawing books that I'm grooving on:
http://www.amazon.com/How-Draw-Manga-Unforgettable-Characteristics/dp/4766118227/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232566885&sr=8-1
This one is figure drawing, from every angle. I like it a lot and my drawing from my head has improved a ton.

There's another one on perspective, Volume 4 in that same series:
http://www.amazon.com/How-Draw-Manga-Manga-Style-Perspective/dp/4766119142/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b

They don't worry much about ink or any of that, just the bones of the drawing. (If you know what I mean.)

[sparkylibrarian.livejournal.com]

I read a preview of this, and it was much better than I expected, as in, I would recommend it to others:
http://www.amazon.com/Song-Hanging-Sky-Toriko-Gin/dp/193361787X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232568919&sr=8-1

I can't recommend a hotel in Austin, alas. I've always enjoyed staying in businessperson "suites" when I'm out and about.

[riofriotex.livejournal.com]

We've stayed in the Austin Motel the last two years on Christmas night in rooms that had a total cost of $80 with taxes. Not fancy rooms but very clean and comfortable, and it's a funky sort of place that I think you would like. It's just a bit south of downtown on South Congress, and I think the Armadillo free bus service runs down there, but I am not sure.

No idea on the wireless as we've never had a computer down there. I would think some of those websites that rate hotels (like Trip Advisor) might give you some feedback on that.

Another note - the great "healthy Mexican cuisine restaurant El Sol Y La Luna" has moved and is no longer next to the motel. They told us at Christmas that a new restaurant with better hours (for a motel next door) will be opening in March I believe. I think El Sol moved downtown, but I would also recommend the Magnolia Cafe (http://www.cafemagnolia.com/) which also has a location on South Congress, about seven blocks south of the Austin Motel.

Finally, have you considered Hotwire? I got a great room at a Hyatt in a Chicago suburb for $55 (plus tax). Not sure if you can make free wireless a criteria in your search though.

[octopedingenue]

Doomed Queens: Royal Women Who Met Bad Ends, From Cleopatra to Princess Di: because it has paper dolls to cut out and pose against execution site backdrops!

Elena Dorfman: Fandomania: because it's cosplay art photography!

[ninja-tech.livejournal.com]

Is it sad that when I saw "Austin hotels" in your subject, I thought you were looking for hotels in England. I'm such a big Jane Austen nut that I misread it. Sad... *can't help herself*