...and That.

I don't write in this blog much, at least anymore. Maybe I never did.

Here's a joke: What do you call a writer who's concentrating on his art?

UNEMPLOYED.

Hah hah.

Yeah, that's me. Although I didn't quit my job so I could focus on being a writer, I quit my job to move to the Chicago area to be near my fiance.

I will be looking for a new job once I get out there (next week), but in the meantime while I am unemployed, I need to keep myself busy and actually work. So my job will be to look for work and be a writer. So I'll need to spend specific "on the clock" time each day working on my writing.

So, in between packing, arranging for a cross-country move, and playing Dragon Age: Inquisition, I will be writing. I'll be ramping up and in a few days I'll get back into my novel, but day 1 is writing a blog post. I'll also do some work on the two short stories I have finished, minor work on one and a bit more on the second, get those finished and stamped.

Anyone else eat the crusts off of grilled cheese sandwiches first, and then the delicious gooey interior? You should. Also, little known fact, ice cream goes will with grilled cheese. as in, goes well on top of grilled cheese. Very nice mix of salty, sweet, and savory, crunch and cream.

Books I've read this year:

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami.

What an odd little book. Of course, that statement is true of every Murakami book. Well, not always the "little" part. This one isn't especially little either, I guess. But it's not one of his mega spider-killer books, like 19Q4 or such. I've read quite a few Murakami books in the past one-plus years since I first read Wind Up Bird Chronicles, and I think the two best are Wind Up Bird Chronicles and Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. But boy howdy, the man sure likes to revisit his themes in his books. He's a good enough writer though that he can pull it off, at least if you're the sort who likes to read his books anyway. I love how much he doesn't answer in his books, but understand, to leave as much unsaid as he does, you've got to be good. He is.

Annhilation by Jeff Vandermeer

I loved this book. I picked it up at the suggest of my good friend Jesse who said I would like it. Also, I was intrigued to see if the author could pull off the feat described in the summary: none of the characters have names. A great combination of nature, survivalist, dystopian, bio-punk, horror, mystery, and surrealist story. He gives you just enough answers that you are satisfied with the ending, but leaves so much unknown and unexplored that leaves the perfect sense of disquiet and interest. There's two more books in the series: they rapidly moved up my to-read list. To, like, now. As in I'm reading the second one, Authority, right now. Well, right now as in right after I finish this blog post.

Swamplandia! by Karen Russel

I didn't know what to expect from this book, but I was impressed. Interviews and reviews I read suggested it was very surreal, Alice-in-Wonderland-ish, and the back cover summary implied something almost mythological. It wasn't as magical realism as I expected, but there was enough mystery and curiosity to keep me going. And, as I have grown to love in books recently, enough unknown and unanswered. The author pulls off a rare success, too, in writing a book that combines both first person perspective and third person limited perspective. The swamp is definitely magical, and the villain, when he/she appears, is not who you expected, but also is very sinister. There is a very unnerving scene at the climax of the book, very well done, but sensitive folks might not appreciate. It's executed appropriately, and without vulgarity, which is necessary to explore it. I can't really go into it any more, because, SPOILER WARNING. It certainly loses it's impact if you know what's coming.

Anyways, it's been a good year for books so far. Three isn't an extraordinary number, but it's better than I was doing the last half of last year. I'll keep it up. Hopefully, I'll try to be on here more often.