Contra Costa County Fair

On Sunday May 21 Frank and I took Alex to the Contra Costa County Fair in Antioch. This fair is not nearly as extensive as the one for Alameda County which runs two weeks and three weekends. The Contra Costa County fair runs only one weekend and is on a much smaller fairground than the 270 acres of the Alameda county one in Pleasanton.

The first activity we encountered when we entered was the K-9 Kings dog show, where the pups ran after and caught Frisbees, did flips, jumps, and stretches. They all seemed enthusiastic, energetic, and happy. There were no more seats in the bleachers but Alex was quite enthralled with his ringside seat on the grass, up close and personal. The eight canine athletes performed for about 30 minutes and then there was a meet and greet with the dogs.

Normally at a county fair we spend an hour or so in the bunny section with Alex, his favorite. For some unknown reason the livestock section was closed when we were there. This was a bit of a bummer but we walked back and forth the length of the fair and ate some typical fair food. Frank and Alex had a hot dog each. We all shared a funnel cake and a large lemonade. Then we headed home. We stopped and watched the K-9 dog show again, this time from shady seat in the bleachers. Alex was just as engaged the second time, clapping and shouting "yeah". 

The day had been low key. The weather was quite warm but not unbearably hot.  If Alex smiles and laughs at least for part of an outing we consider it a success. He had a dog gone good time.

Ponder: Smoke & Bone, Blood & Starlight

Daughter of Smoke & Bone ©2011 by Laini Taylor is the first book in a trilogy whose demographic audience is young adults. It is a fantasy novel packed full with visually imaginative creatures: angels, seraphs, chimaera (so-called "monsters" spliced together with human forms), and oh yes, humans. 

Karou is a teenage girl, ostensibly an art student in Prague. Her sketch book is filled with images of hybrid creatures. She is best friends with fellow art student, Zuzana and they share typical teenage angst over boys and similar adolescent topics. Karou has azure blue hair and does not know what type of creature she is truly is or from whence she came. She has been raised by four chimaera and lives with them. She is sent on errands by Brimstone, the head creature, to fetch teeth, traveling through magical portals to other worlds or to far reaches of the earth. Why does she fetch teeth? Why does Brimstone string them? To answer these questions would be a spoiler.

Karou falls in love with an angel Akiva. Inter-creature relations are considered taboo by many. To enjoy this book, the reader must truly suspend disbelief and enjoy the fantastical ride. It is the unknown that keeps arousing the readers' curiosity and drawing them page by page through the book.

The final words in Daughter of Smoke & Bone are,

"That the name Brimstone had given her was more than a whim. That this was not the end. ... to be continued"

"Days of Blood & Starlight ©2012 by Laini Taylor is the second book in the trilogy. Karou now knows who and what she is and from whence she came. She meets another of her own kind. Akiva the angel has a half-brother Hazael and a half-sister Liraz. The relationships grow and morph. It is these interactions that keep drawing me on into the book. The extent and number of battle stories and can be gruesome. I would not want to watch the depiction of these scenes in a movie but reading them is fine for me. The allegiances and betrayals are hard to track, but are engaging none the less.

In some ways the unveiling of the action in this book reminds me of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, those books which are battle packed. The creatures rival the bar scene in the Star Wars IV: A New Hope

The final words in Days of Blood & Starlight are,

"Tonight, they let themselves look at each other, for just a little while.
... to be continued"

Aargh!!! I need to forge ahead and finish the series even though each book is over an inch thick and 400 to 500 pages each.

I am on the waitlist at the library for the third book but I was concerned that I might forget the characters and the plot in the three weeks or so before it would be available to me. I ordered the cheapest, used version of the third book I could get from Amazon, and should have it in a few days. I will write another post on Dreams of Gods and Monsters ©2014 after I have read it.

I give the Daughter of Smoke & Bone and Days of Blood & Starlight four stars each. I got next to nothing done in the three days total it took me to read them. I could not put either one down.

★★★★☆ Really good; maybe only one weak aspect or limited audience