This book is more of a long article, really, as it was part of a series of Quick Read Books published in England. Danny Wallace is one of my favorite comedic writers. He has a child’s fascination with the world around him, always willing to go anywhere and do anything in the name of…well, mostly he only needs a very small reason to do anything. In this case, after having discovered his new apartment was near the center of the world (Greenwich, where the line of demarcation between the eastern and western hemispheres lies), he does a Google search for the center of the universe. And he discovers it’s been found! It lies in a town in Idaho, right in the middle of the street. When Danny finds that the name of the town is Wallace, he decides it’s cosmic fate, and he must travel to the Center of the Universe. Danny usually has a message in his books about the interconnectedness of people, the importance of our lives, and our place on Earth (it’s subtle, butt it’s there). There is some of that with this book, but the enjoyment (for me) came in the fact that the entire story takes place over the course of 24 hours and makes a tiny town seem like a bustling city. Another reminder from Wallace to look around you, lest you miss life passing you by.

This is book 2 in Sanderson’s Mistborn Trilogy.

I was quite taken by Sanderson’s first novel, Elantris. It was an amazing work of fantasy told in one volume, a rare find these days. I’m not a huge fan of Fantasy in general. The books all tend to be cookie-cutter, spending a few chapters building their world, explaining magic, creatures, the lay of the land, etc. I prefer books that get into character and politics, the latter of which Sanderson does quite nicely. At the end of Mistborn, the evil Lord Ruler had been defeated, the skaa (a slave class) had been freed, and the entire political spectrum of the world had shifted.

Book 2 begins with Elend, the loafing, somewhat brattish son of a nobleman, assuming the throne and attempting to put his political ideals into action. He’s determined to forge a democracy where a centuries-long dictatorship once stood. There’s an immense amount of political maneuvering to be done, and thankfully Sanderson paints these in broad strokes, not getting bogged down in minutiae while still creating a solid and believable “West Wing” scenario.

Vin, the titular Mistborn from book one, has grown into her powers, and now stands as Elend’s royal bodyguard. She’s overworked, as noblemen from around the land are all seeking to displace Elend’s new government and seize power for themselves. The book continues the overarching storyline (the quest to understand who the Hero of Ages was, and why he’she would be able to save the world, and what went wrong when they did). The city falls under siege by two invading armies, and Elend must work to secure his people’s safety while Vin works to solve the greater mysteries: the Mist that envelops the world at night seems to be lingering longer into the day, and at times seems almost sentient. On top of that, another powerful Mistborn stalks her in the night, with plans of his own for the future.

The book suffers a bit from “second part syndrome”, setting things up for the third book while tying things up from the last book. The action sequences are tightly paced, and I’m definitely excited to see where this all leads. Unfortunately, late in the book, I discovered pages 528-560 were missing from my copy, and I got this a long time ago through Amazon, so there’s a couple of things I’m missing (pretty important stuff for book 3 setup). I’ll have to hunt down a copy in Borders and sit and read…

My short story, “White,” is now live at a new web magazine called Lobster Cult. They’re just getting started, but there’s also a short called “Signs” by Brandon Tietz, author of Out of Touch. Enjoy!

Also also, I’ll be entering Angel Falls in this year’s Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards Competition. So, soon you’ll all be pestered by me for votes and hits and etc. We can make this happen!

Man it’s raining a lot here. A LOT. Nigh biblical, it is! The lagoon across the street form our apartment is typically shallow or empty most mornings, but it is approaching street level slowly but surely. I’m not too worried just yet. The beach is being eroded and eaten away as well. This is a shot from my morning bike ride to Santa Monica, somewhere near Shutters on the Beach. Typically, the ocean is about 30-40 yards from the bike path. And now…it IS the bike path.

I’ll get some pics from the home beach at Playa del Rey later today (if the rain lets up) because there’s some awesome devastation happening to our shorelines too.

EDIT: Returned to the beach for a few night shots. Mostly because a boat washed up here months ago and they still haven’t cleared it out, so I wanted to see if any new boats had come along to keep it company…

A fantastic collection of short stories from up-and-coming author Caleb J Ross. He’s been all over the place lately (even HERE with a guest blog! Is he man or is he machine?)

The table of contents is presented as a faceted gem, which is highly fitting, for each story presents a different facet of human nature. The stories are at times uplifting and insightful, but more often haunting and heartbreaking. A fantastic collection that’s over far too quickly. It’s difficult to describe the level of melancholy and depth of noble sorrow Caleb imbues in his characters. Most of them aren’t people you’d have in your circle of friends, but he gives them quiet dignity on a level that makes you NEED to know them for the all-too-brief duration of each story. These flawed characters aren’t trying to overcome their imperfections, but rather coming to accept them and shape their lives around them. The non-fiction piece “A Chinese Gemini” was my favorite, particularly because of the way it blends so neatly into the collection. The honesty of the tale merely strengthens Caleb’s voice in the surrounding story collection.

Worth the read! Be sure to check out the links on Caleb’s blog post and buy the book!

I think I’m going to try to post a music video here every Monday. Something I’m listening to as I write, or just something that catches my attention, but hopefully nothing you’ve heard before. Jason Webley is a bit like a young Tom Waits with an accordion (in this song at least). He’s got range, he’s always willing to try new things with different artists. He’s even one half of a Siamese twin sister act, Evelyn Evelyn.

This song has two of my favorite ingredients: heavy melancholy and accordion. The lyrics are quite moving, and the fact that he’s up there, alone and raw, makes this performance all the better. Enjoy!

I had to meet with a potential client in Thousand Oaks this morning. I live by LAX, so this was a 55 mile commute on the motorcycle in what should have been no traffic (north of the 10). Instead, there were three accidents on the 101, and none of these jerks knew how to properly stay in the middle of their lanes so that I could split lanes. Still made it on time.

I met a bird, a parakeet of some sort, and then sorted through a box of assorted animal bones, and then I held a cured and dried bull’s penis. A bundle of them, actually. It was one of THOSE mornings.

Then I had to stop at Borders to pay a bill via WiFi because I almost forgot it was due today.

This is me in my safety orange gear, because I am a Power Ranger.