New Year's Eve Eve at AF

Hey, all! I just wanted to say thanks to those I met at Amazing Fantasy's New Year's Eve Eve party tonight. It was great of y'all to listen while I read and wonderfully fun to watch you sing karaoke and work on coloring your pictures. :D

I wasn't sure what to expect reading at AF; I'm more likely to visit the Tinley location, so I didn't know anything about the community that existed at the Frankfort one. But what a friendly and welcoming group I met there -- and Lori and Mike are so dedicated to the store. I had a great time, and I hope that more people head over to AF Books soon!

Merry Christmas! (Plus, reminders about all the stuff that got buried under the gifts)

Hey! Hope you've had a good holiday if you've been celebrating and a good winter if you haven't. I'm a happy camper here -- I received a copy of Ikegami's book on Japanese bookbinding techniques. You know what that means, eh? MORE BOOK MAKING PROJECTS!

And just a couple of reminders: 1) I'll be reading at the Amazing Fantasy Books in Frankfort, IL, this Wednesday the 30th from 4 p.m. until 5 p.m., and 2) "Trolls in the Modern World" is still available for you to read and download for free -- just scroll on down a few posts for the link!

Tales from Outer Suburbia

So I put together a book full of short stories about life in the suburbs that was to help me deal with the anger, fear, and frustration I felt with what I saw, especially what I saw in me. Shaun Tan put together a book full of short stories about life in the suburbs that's brimming with hope, honesty, humor, and amazing artwork.

Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia was up for a World Fantasy award this year for Best Collection. It didn't win -- the other nominees are damn good, too, and I couldn't pick one as the best -- but Tan did win for Best Artist. I think he deserves it. This book is so beautiful, and not just visually; the images and words bring out the best in each other. I really recommend it.

To get this book, I had to go to the children's section of the local library. Sometimes I feel awkward doing that, as if I have no right to go in there without a child of my own. But I remind myself, as I tell you now, that good books that have the "juvenile" label on them will ring just as true to adults. Read Shaun Tan's book, and you will be richly rewarded.

Another reading!

Yay! I get to read again! Wednesday, December 30th, 2009, at Amazing Fantasy Books, 20523 S. La Grange Road, Frankfort, Illinois, 4-5 p.m.

This reading is part of the store's day-long New Year's Eve Eve party. Lori, the store's manager, tells me that I'll be going on before karaoke. Whew, at least I won't be trying to read during karaoke. I cannot compete with "Don't Stop Believin'." Stop on by, listen to stories, and grab a book -- if not mine, then one of the ones that AF will have on super-sale that day!

"I'll never be your beast of burden..."

...but I will read more of Beasts of Burden when I pick it up from the shop! I know that I'm slow in going through my piles of comics, but I enjoyed what I've read of this four-issue miniseries from Dark Horse, and I keep re-reading the first two issues. Jill Thompson's artwork is beautiful, and Evan Dorkin really seems to understand the feel of old, scary folklore -- even when he has that lore being explored by domestic animals. Who doesn't love a smarmy pug?