I don't really have anything to say today (which I know will surprise those who know me well), so as a public service message, I will simply propose to you two books that you should look into:

1. Lord of Sunset by Parke Godwin: come join me in my healthy obsession with English history. This one goes pretty far back, to the years leading up the 1066 Battle of Hastings. I've never read a book like this before, with the author convincingly telling the story from the perspective of almost every main character in the book. And there's something about the language of the book -- something that I can't identify or pin down -- that is unusual and more compelling than other authors' language. Is it simply that it's well-written? Is it that a character's thoughts are written down EXACTLY as I would think them myself? Is it that the characters are insightful and self-aware and honest without being overbearing or too-intelligent-to-be-human? I can't explain it. Just read it.

2. Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx by Adrien LeBlanc: you've probably seen this one hyped in recent months. So far, it lives up to the hype. The literary counterpart of the television documentary, it's far more interesting and reads like an intensely good novel, if only because of the incredulity you will feel when starting the book, and the longings to return to it as quickly as possible when you put it down for bathroom breaks. Part of you is fascinated, in the "it's too bizarre/funny/sad/tragic, you can't make this stuff up" sense; part of you is intrigued at the inside look, gleaned from 10 years spent with one extended family in the South Bronx; part of you wants to ignore the reality and just pretend it's a good book; part of you objectively admires the excellent writing which turns a simple biography into a compelling saga. It's no rollicking good time, but read it anyway.

What a boring blog entry. Can someone entertain me so I have something to write about?