That's right, kids. You remember it. Dad coming home with nicely wrapped apostrophes, mom dressed in a flowing gown made of semicolons. Ahh, the memories.
No seriously, today is, in fact, National Punctuation Day. Don't believe me? Look here.
So what's your favorite punctuation mark? I don't have a favorite, but I despise semicolons. Just make up your mind and decide whether you're a period or comma for God's sake.
I also have a particular fondness for the old em dash--love it.
Chicago Celtic festival
I've always enjoyed reading about Celtic mythology and history. My novel (out to agents now) borrows from Celtic legend in a few places: names, creatures, flora and fauna. This means I never miss the Celtic Festival every September in Chicago. It was here again this past weekend and I went down to check it out.
One thing I had to do there was replace a ring I bought the year before from a vendor called Sean's Celtic Creations. It was a Tree of Life ring. Unfortunately, I took my old one off once when I washed my hands in Baltimore Washington International Airport and left it on the sink.
Right now, a custodian somewhere is wearing a very cool ring.
Or some businessman.
So I ventured down to get the new ring and see the sights. Fortunately, I found the vendor. Once I saw the sign for his booth the name clicked. Sure enough, I found the same ring!
I also saw a lot of fun stuff but I didn't get many good pics because I only had my camera phone.
My addiction
As much as I try, I can't beat my addiction: buying new books.
Lucky authors. I hope they return the favor when I'm published (think positive!)
I bought The Hunger Games, which needs no introduction (unless you're some kind of literary snob and don't think there could be anything of Real Cultural Importance in a YA book.)
I also picked up a book that has been getting some buzz. The Magicians, by Lev Grossman. I've already read about 100 pages and can't stop. It's really good fiction. Harry Potter for grown-ups,
is what some reviewers are calling it.
The premise: what if there really was a school for magic, concealed right on the edges of our world. That's what perpetually daydreaming high school senior Quentin Coldwater finds at a school called Brakebills in upstate New York.
When we read fantasy for kids and young adults, we accept that the worlds of magic, vampires, faeries, etc. are real. We buy into it. That's something you have to accept on page one. In adult fiction, we have to be convinced. Grossman tackles this concept with great wit and wonderful literary abilities. There are a few other books that come to mind in this field of Literary Fantasy Fiction: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke; The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue, and of course many others including Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere and American Gods.
Know of any great books by "literary" authors in the field of fantasy or speculative fiction? Tell me about them.
Look for my spoiler-free review of The Magicians soon.
Cindy Pon's Silver Phoenix
I loved this book. It's beautifully written and full of wonderful prosaic passages. Cindy's character, Ai Ling, is a spunky--wait a minute--she's not spunky. She's smart and a little reserved, determined, brave and grows over her journey.
If you have ever stopped by Cindy's blog, you know that she likes food.
And taking pictures of food.
Well, don't read Silver Phoenix on an empty stomach. There are wonderful Asian delicacies throughout, described with sumptuous detail. Ymmm.
As for Ai Ling herself, hers is a journey through a world she thought was only myth, in search of answers to her father's disappearance. She is joined by Chen Yong, a young man in search of answers, too.
It seems to me that the thread of Family runs throughout the book. There are moments of great beauty, pain and violence, some of it rather gruesome, but I'm all for the gruesome. Cindy handles it well and with a sure hand.
Silver Phoenix is a treat. If you don't have it, go buy it. It's a good, classic book, unaffected by trends or modern cliches.
I think it will be around a long time.
If you have ever stopped by Cindy's blog, you know that she likes food.
And taking pictures of food.
Well, don't read Silver Phoenix on an empty stomach. There are wonderful Asian delicacies throughout, described with sumptuous detail. Ymmm.
As for Ai Ling herself, hers is a journey through a world she thought was only myth, in search of answers to her father's disappearance. She is joined by Chen Yong, a young man in search of answers, too.
It seems to me that the thread of Family runs throughout the book. There are moments of great beauty, pain and violence, some of it rather gruesome, but I'm all for the gruesome. Cindy handles it well and with a sure hand.
Silver Phoenix is a treat. If you don't have it, go buy it. It's a good, classic book, unaffected by trends or modern cliches.
I think it will be around a long time.
The Nettlehorse
There's an elementary school in my neighborhood called Nettlehorst. On weekends in the summer they have a nice, outdoor French market where one can buy fresh vegetables, flowers, wonderful breads and other goodies.Today, as my wife and I walked by, I was drawn to this incredible horse made up of scrap frames. The name on the plaque below it reads: The Nettlehorse.
It looks wonderful. Of course, this got the gears in my fantasy-inspired brain churning and I'm already thinking of a way to use this name in a story. Maybe it's a short story. The horse comes to life after the kids build it! Yippee! I'm off to go work on this. (Click photo to enlarge for a better view.)
Overheard on cell phone
First in an ongoing series:
Twenty-something guy walking down street:
"Because I'm not going to go to a straight sports bar at ten a.m."
Twenty-something guy walking down street:
"Because I'm not going to go to a straight sports bar at ten a.m."
Cold Love
I was lucky enough to snag an ARC of Maggie Stiefvater's novel Shiver at the American Library Association convention here in Chicago a few months ago.I haven't read her other book, Lament, but I plan on it.
Shiver is a well-written novel about two souls who have known each other from a distance for a long time. But they don't really know each other. They just have this connection.
Only problem is, one of them isn't human. Well, at least not all the time.
It depends on the weather.
That's all I'm going to say.
You probably know the storyline already anyway, but I'll keep it quiet for the few visitors who might drop by who don't read MG and YA fiction as obsessively as I do.
At its crux, Shiver is a neat concept. It's about transformation, shedding a cloak, wild nature, the beast in us all.
I really enjoyed the community of creatures and how they interacted while in their human form.
Grace, our heroine, is very genuine. We can relate to her. Her parents are distant and have no idea what she's doing half the time. Mom's a flighty painter. Dad is invisible to her.
It's a love story, of course, and has a very lyrical style.
The more I think about it, as I write this, I really liked this book. She's definitely a good writer.
Check it out.
Magnificent Mile, Indian Style
Michigan Avenue in Chicago is the premiere posh shopping strip. They call it the Magnificent Mile. Saks, Bloomingdales, all the designer names.
The other day, amidst the bustle of shoppers and tourists, I heard singing and the sound of bells and whistles. I looked up, hoping to see Legolas and Glorfindel, or maybe even a band of dwarves, but instead, passing right by the Chanel store, was a long, colorful
caravan proceeding down the Michigan Avenue sidewalk, complete with this chap on a horse!
A wedding!
It was fantastic. I got a few pics on my camera phone. Not the best quality but you get the idea.
It was a nice moment.
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