Your Humble Professor

Today's book is one of my favorites: "The Adventures of Doctor Eszterhazy" by Avram Davidson. If you ever want more adventures set (sort of) in the Girl Genius universe (written by a much better writer) then this is The Book for you. Glad I didn't write it, because of how much I enjoyed reading it.

The plan is for Kaja to stream tonight, so tune in! She has cookies! It starts at 6 PM PST. It's low-key fun for them that like that sort of thing, and it's the closest we get to socializing between shows.

Today's book is "A Burglar's Guide to the City" by Geoff Manaugh. One of those books that's not only educational and entertaining, but actually makes you look at everything around you– stuff you took for granted–and allows you see it in a new and different way. I love it when that happens, and I loved this book.

We are back. As it turns out, Cheyenne was also in Las Vegas, (which is why the page is in black & white) but HE was there on vacation! The very idea! I mean, it's not like he doesn't deserve it, but I find it unnatural.

Reference book Sunday! Today it's "Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary" by Josefa Heifetz Byrne. The first collection of weird words I ever bought, and still a perennial idle browsing favorite. The only attempt at organization is alphabetical, so you get niche words in a delightfully chaotic jumble.

Today's book is "Piranesi" by Susanna Clarke. All the cover blurbs assured me that this would be THE fantasy book that everyone would be talking about!! …It wasn't. In fact, until I found it, I'd never heard of it. Having read it, I can see why.

Today's book is: "Fiddler's Rose" by P.D. Haynie. This is a cool, weird book. The story is told almost entirely through dialog between 2 characters who are not human, one of whom is a ghost, and they've never even met. Oh, and it's a love story. It hooked me fast, and I really liked it.

Today is a swirl of packing and whatnot for our expedition to Las Vegas.

Also planning on again hitting the best sushi restaurant we've ever tried: Sakana's. I recommend the fried monkey's brains. 100% real menu item, made with 0% real monkey.

Today's book is Edgar Cantero's "Meddling Kids" which is a mash-up of Scooby-Doo and Cthulhu, & rest assured, it treats this set-up with all the grace, dignity, & respect that it deserves. Is it great literature? No. But unlike many other books whose covers avowed that they were "great literature", it's still in print.

Had a very laid back Father's Day yesterday. The kids got me comics & socks, Kaja made us a pizza, and I lazed about and worked on my upcoming Tarot deck. A very nice day, if I say so myself. Back to work!

It's The King of Bathroom Books: Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable. Pretty much what it says on the cover, & opening it in idle curiosity is to risk losing several minutes (hours! Days!) while you learn things both obscure & fascinating from throughout history and from around the world. No writer should be without it, although I will warn you that the 20th edition clocks in at over 1500 pages.

Today's read is Robert J. Bennett's "The Tainted Cup". The second book in this series: "A Drop of Corruption" is up for the Hugo, and I liked that so much I bought this one and was not disappointed. I love me a weird mystery, and this book delivers. I can only hope Bennett breaks his habit of only writing trilogies.

Man, I have been trying for the last month to pull ahead on the story to give us a bit of wiggle room for when we travel this summer–and I am failing miserably. Too many "real world" things happening with "real people". Bah!

Spending a LOT less time scrolling on my phone and man, does it feel good. Today's book is "Angelmaker" by Nick Harkaway. One of those delightful books where you can't really slot it into a particular genre, and by the time you realize that, you no longer care. There's science-fiction, crime drama, humor, espionage, steampunk, and a soupçon of kinky sex. I will read more by this guy.

Getting ready for our MTG show in Vegas

The last of the Hugo nominees is Alix Harrow's "The Everlasting". An interesting premise, and what seems like an intriguing exploration of predetermination and the construction of myths…but I just wasn't feeling it. Obviously people like it– it's on this list– but I couldn't get into it.