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Veronika Duerr as Viola and Jeff McKerley as Malvolio The comedy "Twelfth Night" is one of Shakespeare's comedy that I have never either seen nor read before now.  But when this play opened up last week, I decided it was high time to correct that oversight and to introduce my kids, 10 and 13, to Shakespeare.  I have been to the Shakespeare Tavern downtown only once before, and I love "Irma Vep" so much I saved the ticket stub.  But would they do a reasonable Shakespeare? The acting company at  The New American Shakespeare Tavern  did not disappoint. We arrived early, per instructions  at  "How It Works"  on the website, and waited a few minutes to be seated in the main area.  Once seated, we grabbed a quick dinner (they serve an interesting menu ) of Rainy Day Tomato Soup and Cornish Pasty, then we discussed what to expect from the play. A little while later, the magic started! While the actors speak in an older dialect of English, we u

Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire My rating: 5 of 5 stars "Discount Armageddon" by Seanan McGuire promises a good story - and the story fulfills the promise with gusto. In the beginning of the book, you meet Verity Price, a cryptozoologist with aspirations to be a professional ballroom dancer. The first several chapters vacillate between current action and providing background information for the reader, then it's full steam ahead. I love how the author, Ms. McGuire, balances suspense and comedy within the story. The Aeslin mice are my favorite supporting cast - I almost wish I had my own splinter colony living in my house. As for the characters, everyone seemed deep enough for their participation in the story. The only place where I wished for a bit more is the interaction between Dominic and Verity. For solid enemies, it seems like they learn to tolerate each other a bit too quickly. Not that I'd change their story, it just seems too convenient

Wolfsbane and Mistletoe by Charlaine Harris My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wow - this book took me by surprise! I expected good stories, but not the depth, variety, and sheer creativity in this collection of short stories. Let me do a quick summary of the stories: "Gift Wrap" by Charlaine Harris - Sookie Stackhouse finds a naked man in her woods on Christmas eve. It's a nice, short story with little drama and a lot of cheesiness. "The Haire of the Beast" by Donna Andrews - A brother asks his sister to help him make a werewolf potion. Things go a little awry. I actually laughed out loud reading this one. "Lucy, At Christmastime" by Simon R. Green - A sad story about a vampire in a supernatural bar on Christmas Eve. I liked this one, even though it seemed more thoughtful and less action-oriented than the other stories. "The Night Things Changed" by Dana Cameron - Imagine that vampires and werewolves are the world's supernatura

An Exercise in Futility by Steve Thomas My rating: 4 of 5 stars "An Exercise in Futility" by Steve Thomas tells the story of a war between nomadic tribes, the Gurdur, and their ancient enemies, the Kalhar. The story focuses on a small set of people, from the protagonists Ezekiel and Charity, as well as their families, to the antagonists, Emperor Kathelm and General Meunig. Each character tells part of the story, creating a patchwork of viewpoints. I found the book a quick and entertaining read. While I found some of the plot to be predictable, the author created such a good story that I didn't mind the predictability. The characters grew within the story, each of them coping with the whims of fate. I highly recommend this book to people who like fantasy books. View all my reviews