Grab bag

Right now I'm enjoying Robert B. Parker's Split Image, an entry in the author's Jesse Stone series. This one also features a heavy dose of Sunny Randall, another Parker protagonist, one often featured in her own books. As usual with this author, so far the book is a fast, fun read, and I'll write about it more fully when I'm finished with it.

I'm also reading a comic book trade paperback called Batman: Under the Hood, which collects seven consecutive issues of the Batman comic book into one handy volume. It's a storyline about a new crime boss in Gotham, who may have some very personal ties to Batman. It's good so far. The original comics came out in 2005 and 2006, and the storyline quickly became a fan favorite. Hence, its eventual collection into the handy "trade" I'm now reading. Batman: Under the Hood (actually, this is volume 1 of 2) is available for about 10 bucks in comic book shops and your local Borders or Barnes & Noble.

Finally, I'm listening to Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City on unabridged audio, courtesy of an Audible.com download. It's the true story of the Chicago World's Fair (mounted in the early 1890's) and the serial killer who stalked its exhibits. It's fascinating and creepy so far. More on this later, too.

As for the rest of the day, there's a good chance that my wife and I are going to enjoy our day off (she's on spring break all week and I have off for good Friday) by taking a day trip to the New Jersey seashore. I try not to take for granted that, living in the Philadelphia area, the seashore is only an hour and twenty minutes away when the mood strikes. If we want to see the ocean and grab some pizza on the boardwalk, it's easy to indulge ourselves.