FF: Laughter and Art
During a week where the news has been very stressful, I’ve turned to comedy for relief and balance.
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Wow! Horned Toads Aren’t Toads!
For those of you just discovering this feature, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week. Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.
The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list. If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.
Once again, this is not a book review column. It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.
Recently Completed:
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. Audiobook. Bonus on the audio is a very short interview with Ms. Hale talking about some of her considerations when writing this novel.
Creatures, Critters, and Crawlers of the Southwest by April Kopp. New Mexico has six of the seven “life zones.” The only one we don’t have is “tropical.” Lovely photos a bonus, although I wish the rule I was taught back in high school that you don’t “gutter” a photo in layout was still adhered to!
In Progress:
How Much For Just the Planet? by John M. Ford. A completely insane Star Trek novel about a planet that doesn’t want to join either the Federation or the Klingon Empire. I’ve laughed out loud so many times that Jim has put dibs on this for when I’m done.
The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale. Audiobook. Just started. I’ve read the first of the stories included in a charming illustrated children’s book. I’m curious how the words will hold up without the pictures.
Battlepug, volume 2 by Mike Norton, Allen Passalaqua, and Chris Crank. Graphic novel. I saw this one the library shelf and immediately thought of my friend Dominique’s pug Merlin. The story’s so quirky I’ve ordered the other volumes.
Also:
As I gear up to the next stage in self-publishing my very odd original novel Asphodel, I’m spending a lot of time reviewing works on illustration, looking for just the right cover art approach. I never thought I’d find myself working as an art director, but there it is.
