This Thursday night (January 14) at 6:00 p.m., I will be hosting a game of "Pictureka!" for any of you brave enough to come and be silly with me. I will have pretzels and Gatorade. If you want a different snack, please bring enough to share with about ten people.

I don't have a whole lot to talk about this morning, I'm afraid. I have yet to start The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan. I am getting ready to read Ballad, by Maggie Stiefvater. If you are not familiar with her, check out her video on YouTube. If you search for "Kraken, the new vampire," you'll probably find it. This will familiarize you with her sense of humor, if nothing else.

Ballad is the sequel to Lament, and both are stories about the fae interacting with people in our time. The main characters in each story are very gifted musically, and musical talent is something the fae prize. Much spell-casting and temptation ensue.

Ms. Stifvater also has a new trilogy in progress. This time she's writing about werewolves. Shiver is out now (and available in the Lexington County Library System) and will be followed by Linger in July 2010, and by Forever at an unmentioned date. Here's Maggie's website . Enjoy!