Blog

ByGD

Daughter of the Forest

Daughter-of-the-forest book coverI was introduced to Juliet Marillier’s Daughter of the Forest by the fabulous Felicia Day and her Vaginal Fantasy Bookclub. But I don’t know how I missed it on my own, since it’s right up my alley. Set in a mythological Ireland when Druids still held the upper hand against expanding Christendom and Fair Folk still meddled in the lives of mortals, Daughter of the Forest is a retelling of the “Six Swans” fairy tale. Read More

ByGD

Ghost of Solstice Past

Jabba at Solstice

Now it is winter solstice, but my neighborhood is best known for its celebration of the summer solstice. Here is a float from the annual parade a few years ago.

ByGD

Heavy Metal Road Trip: Iceland Southern Route

Solstafir Otta EistnaflugIceland attracts a lot of specialized tourism. Some people come just for volcanoes, or for glaciers, or for the sagas. Now with big festivals like Airwaves and ATP, music has become a big draw. This summer, Iceland was the destination for my heavy metal road trip. Read More

ByGD

Nothing New Under the Sun

BlankPageYou know when you find a $20 bill in the laundry? I was having a hard time coming up with a blog topic for today when I found a post I wrote in early November, on the day I felt like I was coming down with a cold. It is no less relevant today for the month it spent forgotten in my files:

I know this comes as no surprise to the literary among you, but writing fiction is hard. Read More

ByGD

My Daughter Got a Lammily for her Birthday and You Won’t Believe Her Response

Lammily doll in boxHow’s that for a Buzzfeed-worthy headline? Anyway, I remember hearing about the crowdfunding campaign for Lammily and thinking, “She’d better have awesome clothes.”

Oh wait, I’d better back up. Lammily is a new Barbie alternative designed after actual human body dimensions. The first time I saw a picture of one, I thought it looked weird. Then my daughter received one for her 6th birthday, and her response actually did surprise me. Read More