Workin' for the Weekend...

Brian & I were supposed to go investigate a cemetery Saturday night with Texas Spirits Research Team (not to be confused with Texas Spirits Paranormal Investigations, which helps clients), but at the last minute I was recruited to work. :(

I mean, I can certainly use the overtime. And Saturday's investigation is just for fun and experience. But still...

On a positive note, I believe I'm getting the hang of my new shift at work! :) It's challenging, but I believe (knock on wood) that I'm getting into my groove!

Also, when not working I've been reading like a maniac, lol. I don't remember when I last talked about what I'm reading, so there may be some overlap. But here goes...

I just recently finished Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, which was AWESOME!!! :D This cat is really cool! His books may fill the void left by Michael Crichton's untimely departure. I was shocked by the subject matter. Some of the Noetics stuff is right up my alley as a paranormal investigator, and his take on Free Masons goes completely against everything I've heard as a consipiracy theory enthusiast, lol. But, as usual, The Lost Symbol is rich with history and science and action!!! Seriously, Dan Brown ROCKS!

I also just finished Shadow World by Brad Steiger. That was a very provocative read. really cool.

I'm following that up with The Complete Approach: A Scientific and Metaphysical Guide to the Paranormal by Barry Fitzgerald and Dustin Pari (of Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters International fame). One thing I like about their approach is the combination of scientific and metaphysical. When you read Jason & grant's book or Troy Taylor's books, you get the straight-up skeptical, scientific approach -- which is really useful and certainly has it's place! But the scientific approach tends to give the metaphysical aspect a complete miss because metaphysical stuff can't be imperically proved. However, reading a book that talks about paranormal phenomena simply from a metaphysical standpoint often takes a lot of stuff for granted, sort of makes assumptions that an investigator really shouldn't be comfortable taking for granted.

So a book that looks at the questions from both angles truly is a novel approach! (From what I've read, anyway.)

The book is a bit thinner than I would prefer. It's kind of designed to be a primer for newbies going into the field, or a refresher for investigators wo might be getting just a hair too comfortable with older ideas and practices.

And, of course, there's nothing wrong with this at all! But I'm coming off Steiger, who explores each topic in some detail, so Barry and Dustin's book feel a little light in my hands, lol.

Still, their observations are fascinating and they're not afraid to take a stand on a topic and simply say "We believe this phenomenon is this," which is refreshing.

After The Complete Approach, I plan to head back to Steiger and Beyond Shadow World, which I'm looking forward to! :D

When I'm not studying the paranormal I'm reading stuff that makes me feel all Halloween-y. I just finished The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. AWESOME!!! It has all the charm of a Dr. Seuss book, but with that Charles Addams kind of wicked whimsy. :) It sort of reminded me a little of reading the very first Harry Potter book... but sort of more like the Lemony Snicket books...

Anyway, "written by Neil Gaiman" is really all you need to know. ;)

I'm following The Graveyard Book up with Ray Bradbury's A Graveyard for Lunatics: Another Tale of Two Cities. It's pretty cool...

I'm not a huge Bradbury fan. That is to say, I LOVE his stories and his imagination... but his writing style is kind of poet-y for my taste. I'm not a very literary sort: I grew up on movies and I actually enjoy the way screenplays are written. Very sort of functional and efficient. I've never been into poetry (except when trying to woo a fine lass), so sometimes Bradbury's style (not just him, I get this with Koontz and even King from time to time) takes me out of the story.

Don't get me wrong: When it works, it SOOOOOOO WORKS!!! I mean, and The Halloween Tree and From the Dust Returned just flat-out RULE!!!

But A Graveyard for Lunatics is a murder mystery set in 1950s L. A., so Bradbury's flowery sort of "back when we drank pop from bottles and the sunset coursed through our veins" doesn't really match the material. I mean, his dialog and characters and story is all dead-on. If Graveyard were a film it would be riveting. But as a bradbury novel... it's sort of a wierd combination of story and style. (I know a few Bradbury fans -- one in particular -- who may have my testicals for saying that, but it's my opinion and my blog.)

Still, Bradbury ALWAYS gives you a world that's fun to hang out in, and I'm having fun hanging out in this one.

OOH...!

Dollhouse and Castle have started up again!!! :D I've been too busy to wacth the season premiers, but I hope to catch up thanks to the blessed and loving Hulu!!! :D Hulu really does love and, and we should all give thanks! ♥

Okay, so I'm working this weekend, but I hope YOU have a magnificent and fun-filled weekend!!!

:D