Five Reasons That I WILL Finish My Thesis

1. A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner. The Thief is one of my all-time favorite books, I'll just go ahead and quote the review on the back because I've seen it so many times I have it memorized: not a word out of place. The day I found out there was a sequel was like finding out there was a sequel to The Three Musketeers in that I felt as excited as I had when I found out there really was a sequel to that. The Queen of Attolia went to some really dark places, and I was initially pretty upset by it-- I liked it, but I was not prepared for the world of my composed, clever protagonist to suddenly be as barbaric as its historic equivalent. But after awhile, I started having periodic cravings for that book. And when The King of Attolia came out, it was clear why Eugenides had to grow up. I don't think it would work so well as a stand-alone as The Thief does, but Costis comes close to being my favorite character in the series. And when I found out that there would be another book, and that best yet, it would bring back Sophos, one of my favorite early characters whom I feared had been a victim of the darker turn of the series, to get a hero's journey of his own... well let's say I've never preordered a book before. It's at home, now, in its box, where it will stay until my thesis is done, bound, uploaded, and signed, and I have graduated and moved home. IF IT KILLS ME. (if it kills me do not worry because this book will bring me back to life according to the level of rhetoric I've used throughout this description.
2. Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin. Man, the day I randomly heard an NPR interview with Ian Rankin was one of the luckiest days I ever had. I fell pretty hard for hard-bitten, isolated Edinburgh cop John Rebus, his young partner who might go down the same path Siobhan, and everyone's favorite, the charismatic and violent Irish mob boss Big Ger Cafferty. It's exactly the kind of detective that the Nursery Crime series parodies, but it's done so well. This one I have with me, and I've read a couple chapters. But it's a relatively short one, so I think that's safe. This is a series I'd like to start having copies of, and so this little paperback will be the start of a long journey through used-book stores.
3. I want to see mountains again, Gandalf, MOUNTAINS! It's been so long since I've let myself out of my little thesis cell for anything but interviews (and ok, New Orleans, but that was mostly shepherding around college freshmen).
   
4. It's time to get some hardcore drawing done. It has been over a year since I've turned out a Glockblob! Longer since I managed a chapter of SMF, although I'm not sure whether doing it or not doing it is more shameful. It's good practice on the human form. That's what I gotta keep telling myself.
5. NO. MORE. SCREAMING. DRUNK. FRESHMEN. AT. 2:30 AM.