Books You Should Look Into

Well...I've done it again.

This typically happens to me in some strange cyclical fashion, usually coming full circle every few months. Somehow, I'll accumulate several books that I find engaging and worthy of my time, only to realize that...well...I have several books that I find engaging and worthy of my time, but am lacking the time to read all of them!

Yes, yes...too much to read and too little time to read it all. However, I CAN do these works some justice and share them with you loyal readers out there. Do yourself a big favor and check these out if you get the chance, okay?

Garth Nix's "Abhorsen" Trilogy
I've only just begun this series, but I'm already entranced. The first book tells the tale of Sabriel, a young girl that suddenly finds thrust upon her the responsibility of being the "Abhorsen", a job held previously by her father. What is an "Abhorsen"? Well, as far as I can tell, it's a sort of necromancer that deals in keeping the dead things dead. A wonderfully creative and colorful world, this series is shaping up to be quite the enjoyable read.


"Dies the Fire" by S.M. Stirling
I'm actually rather ashamed of myself, as far as this one is concerned. This is a REALLY good book and yet I somehow find myself constantly putting it down and forgetting about it (definitely NOT a reflection on the quality of the work, I assure you). I guess I'm a bit hyperactive when it comes to reading material. Anyway, this is the first in a series describing a world where technology suddenly stops and the world is thrust back into the medieval days, people having to fend for themselves. Give it a look. Now.

"The Great Book of Amber" by Roger Zelazny
This is kind of a cheat, considering the "Great Book" is actually a compilation of all of Zelazny's "Amber" books, but he still wrote them all, so I'm sticking to it! Zelazny presents the reader not only a whole new world to experience, but an entirely different cosmos! At the center of all that is lies Amber, the one city from which all other cities are but shadows. And from Amber comes the nine princes of Amber. And with those princes comes back-stabbing, conflict, battle, etc. etc. etc.

"The Dresden Files" series by Jim Butcher
I'm sure many of you may be familiar with this one already, but if you aren't: SHAME ON YOU! I aim that admonishment at myself as well as you all, gentle readers, for I neglected this series for quite some time too. Chronicling the adventures of the "only wizard in the phonebook" Harry Dresden P.I., the reader gets thrown into a world very much like that of Joss Whedon's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" if it were deeper, more complex, and more adult.

If you're a fan of science fiction, fantasy, science fantasy, good stories, or just books in general, check out any of the above titles. You won't be disappointed!

A Doctor Who Christmas Carol: The Christmas special we've been waiting for

As most Doctor Who fans are aware, having watched the past several seasons and their various Christmas specials, the specials tend to be less about Christmas and more about some crisis that happens to be occurring ON Christmas. The "Christmas" aspect just doesn't seem to play a part in them at all.

However, head writer Stephen Moffat doesn't disappoint with the 2010 special "A Christmas Carol" as he merges the classic Charles Dickens tale with the unusual adventures of our favorite time traveler. This special actually feels like it's injecting heart and drama into the action and conflict being presented as the Doctor's "Problem of the Week", giving a real sense of Christmas emotion instead of Christmas setting.

The story begins with our favorite new companions Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill, now upgraded to full companion) in danger as the ship their honeymooning on is crash landing on a cloud-covered planet. Amy, knowing exactly what to do, calls the Doctor for help. The Doctor visits the man who controls the cloud cover, the miserly and Scrooge-like Kazran Sardick (Michael Gambon), and finds him unwilling to help and perfectly content letting the 4000+ passengers die. To save the passengers and show Kazran the error of his ways, the Doctor, using Charles Dickens "The Christmas Carol" as inspiration, travels back in time and begins altering Kazran's childhood as the miser's "Ghost of Christmas Past".

Heartwarming, heartbreaking, light-hearted in the right places, the 2010 Doctor Who Christmas special has a lot of heart. Stephen Moffat not only succeeds but excels at giving the viewers the special they've been clamoring for since the days of Christopher Eccleston.