Bit Of A Funk...

I've been in some sort of mystery funk since Saturday or so, mystery meaning I have no idea what the hell is causing it. And of course I find that very aggravating. Mostly I've been waking  up extremely fatigued to the point where it's an outright struggle to get up and go to work. That and the idea of going to work is about as appealing as scuba diving with some great white sharks with a head wound. Again, no idea why.

So far my best guess is that the Olympic coverage is slowly sucking the life force out of me. Between constantly talking about it at work, having the live coverage on during lunch breaks, and coming home to sit glued to the television until ten or eleven o'clock at night, that's a pretty safe assumption. Maybe I'll magically recuperate from this funk after the closing ceremony (but hopefully before then).

And the cherry on top of this sundae of ugh would be tonight: My extended family has decided to throw a surprise party for my father's sixtieth birthday tonight. Which is all well and good, except that their idea of surprise party is to tell the rest of us in the house that they will be barging in at 6pm sharp so everything better be clean and everyone needs to have a shirt on. That and my family is CRAZY. I know everyone says that, but I'm telling the truth. As in the show Arrested Development is most likely a comical adaptation of my family. I kid you not.

What rankles more than all the frantic dusting and cleaning and negotiating my parents' crap is that I know without a doubt I'm going to get cornered and forced to talk about the divorce, which is something I wouldn't want to do with people who are actually gentle and considerate conversationalists, rather than gossiping drama-mongers.

It's harsh, I know. I love my family, but they're crazy. Just. Crazy. It could just be the funk talking.

I can only talk within the doom and gloom of it all for so long, so enough of all that nonsense. In an effort to cheer myself up, I'm going to end this post with some reading recommendations! I'll be the first to admit that I find the fantasy literature genre a bit of a joke, stuffed to the gills with Tolkien knock-offs and poorly written, D&D inspired treks of various wizards and elves and whatnot. But there are some really great gems to be found that can be quite a titillating read even if the genre isn't your cup of tea.

So here are my Top 5 Fantasy Reads for winding down the summer (assuming you're a literary sprint reader and can tackle multiple thousand-page behemoths in the next month and a half):

1. American Gods - Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is undoubtedly the king of urban fantasy, and many consider American Gods to be his masterpiece. It's a wonderful blend of urban fantasy, mythology, and the classic American road trip. The dark-ish tone and constant flirting with explaining and refusing to explain the unknown is amazingly delicious.

2. Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin

Who hasn't heard of this book by now thanks to the production values of HBO? Well, more people than have actually picked up a book because Sean Bean is on the cover. Whether you're a fan of the show or not, I highly recommend reading the book! It's a slow starter simply because you have so many characters and lore to get acquainted with, but once you do, you'll be hooked. The whole series, in fact, is addicting, and provides infinitely more detail, insight, and action than the show ever could.

3. Sabriel - Garth Nix

This one is considered Young Adult, but man is it a great read! It is amazingly well written, and the creativity that went into the world and the plot are wonderful. There's a touch of epic fantasy, necromancy, and a bit of WWII nostalgia stuck in there. The whole Abhorsen Trilogy is a great read, and for summer is a great way to spark your imagination, whether you are young or just young at heart.

4. Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss

Fans of the Harry Potter books, rejoice! If you loved Rowling's juggernaut of a saga, then you will love this trilogy-in-progress about a young boy navigating magic, alchemy, martial arts, and the magically immortal. It's a great epic fantasy to read at an easy pace, and is colloquial in approach without being patronizing or simply written. And there's plenty of boy-on-boy rivalry to go around, for those of you needing a new source for your Harry/Draco fix.

5. The Color of Magic - Terry Pratchett

The most traditional "fantasy" book on this list, full of dragons, wizards, and the like. But man, is it funny! Pratchett's whimsical style paired with a great sense of humor makes this a great read for those of you who love to poke fun at the stoic and serious. I wouldn't recommend taking on the whole Discworld saga (man, that's a doozy), but this opening book will provide plenty of fantastical intrigue and chuckles.