No kidding. He makes despair sound like the most sublime emotion people are capable of.

New Leguin?

I just finished Gaiman's Fragile Things. The DH got it for me for Christmas, and then absconded with it.

I'm always a little disappointed with Gaiman's novels, but OMG his short stories! It's a difficult form, but really where he shines, I think.

Ooh, I'm reading it right now, too! But I've never read any other Gaiman. I was totally won over from the opening of the first story, because I love the Holmes.

I've read Smoke and Mirrors, and I find his short stories to be kind of hit-or-miss with me, much like his novels (although those are generally hit-or-good-but-not-quite-great).

After sj posted the link to American Gods, I started reading it at the link (because it's not like I'm going to *work* at, you know, work). So when the end of the day rolled around, I had read a chunk of it, and needed to keep reading it, so I went to Half-Price Books and bought it. I'm about 2/3 of the way through it.

I had read it about 6-7 years ago, and I remember having trouble with how dense it was, and struggling to identify all the gods. This time around I have the internet, and many a geek before me has already identified all the gods, so its making my reading of it incredibly rich.

I like his novels and many of his short stories. I also like his comics.

signed

Gaiman Fanboy.

I will say, if anyone can explain Bitter Grounds to me, I'd be obliged. I read it years ago, in a collection of zombie/voodoo stories, and couldn't figure it out then either.

My foray into children's lit continues. I read Number the Stars by Lois Lowry last week, and this week I'm working on Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. For class next Monday I have to read Alia's Mission which I think I need to track down a copy of also.

And I owe msbelle an email... t note to self

I mentioned this over in Natter, but it's probably better here. I was weak at B&N on Saturday and brought home three books.

• America's Hidden History: Untold Tales of the First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation by Kenneth C. Davis, who does all those Don't Know Much About... books. A freebie advance reader, and one I'll eventually read, probably when I go on vacation in April.

• Dearest Friend, the collected letters of John and Abigail Adams, which I am definitely looking forward to reading, being the long-time Adams fan that I am (ever since I saw 1776 back in junior high)

• Lost Christianities by Bart Ehrman, which I'm on page 20 of and really didn't want to go to work this morning because I'm already getting engrossed in it.