The lyrics for Jessica’s favorite song at the moment. She’s always pretty happy to sing it, and appallingly, seems to like it when her mother and father sing it to her. Sophie doesn’t mind either, but I think she has her eye on the presents…

Oh, you better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I’m telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town!

He’s making a list,
Checking it twice,
Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.
Santa Claus is coming to town!

He sees you when you’re sleeping,
He knows when you’re awake.
He knows if you’ve been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake!

Oh! You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I’m telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town!

Ursula Le Guin further clarifies her thoughts on the Earthsea tv series in the essay “Earthsea in Clorox”. Worth reading.

Yesterday, your tardy correspondent just discovered, was Sharyn’s birthday, which is an extremely cool thing. On her LiveJournal (which I can’t post to), she asks the birthday question: tell me something about myself. Hmmm. Well, she has great taste in books, is smart and funny, and is disarmingly direct, but that isn’t what I’d choose to tell her. I think I’d say that she lives more fully than most other people I’ve met, is more completely and passionately herself. I can’t imagine Sharyn wanting or pretending to be anyone other than Sharyn. And that is cool. Happy Birthday.

Jeff is talking about the story of the Family Shriek at VanderWorld. It sounds great, but I think I want to read it in winter. There’s something about it that doesn’t feel like it suits the harsh white sun of a 100 degree day. More like, a grey, wet mid-winter. Funny how things like that can be important when reading.

Regular readers of this blog will, no doubt, have noted my seemingly insatiable taste for near-pointless listing and weighing/sorting of stuff. The latest to occur is this: what new book are you most excited about that is going to be published during 2005?

Now, allowing that Midnighters 3: Blue Noon is at least a year away, and that Coode Street long since abandoned waiting for anything by George R.R. Martin (though it’s a pleasure when it comes), I’d have to say for this little black duck, it’s hands-down, without-a-doubt Kelly Link’s Magic for Beginners. Don’t get me wrong here – I’m excited about Rangergirl, Hearts of Whiteness, Fifty Degrees Below and many others – but Magic is on my mind. Can’t wait to see it. So, how about you? Are you waiting for Transcendant, The Coyote Road, or something else? ‘Fess up.