Holden's Bookshelf: I Haven't Even Read It But I Know It Will Be Good

Today on Holden's Bookshelf, I'd actually like to do a plug instead. A sort of interactive one, because while I don't yet have the book I'll be plugging, I do fully intend to review it here upon its completion, because not doing so after bringing it up here would be kind of silly.

So, as some of you who know me are aware, I'm quite a fan of the webcomic Girl Genius. It earned the distinction of being my first Sunday Comics entry (and now, sometime soon, I'd like to revisit it using the subtle tweaks I've done to the format and having a little "how's it doing now?" re-review), and it had a big part in kick-starting my interest in Steampunk couture and aesthetic.

And now, it seems, while staying a comic, it is also making the transition to text novels. Yes, there is now a Girl Genius book, the first of many it seems. Needless to say, I was shocked, intrigued, and very, very happy. Oh ho ho, but that's not all. (That can't be all.) Phil and Kaja, the minds behind Girl Genius, are doing book signings all this week, all over Seattle! So please, give them some love.

- Today, Kaja's birthday, is the first signing. It will be taking place at Ravenna Third Place Books.

- Tomorrow, the thirteenth, there's one at The Night Kitchen, a specifically late-night eating venue down by historic Pike Place Market.

- The fourteenth sees a signing at the UW's own University Bookstore, starting at 7 PM. This is the signing I will be attending! If you read this blog and are in the area, stop by and help support one of my favourite author/artist pairs. I'll likely be decked out in something steampunky, in celebration of the occasion.

- Finally, from 3-4 PM on Saturday the fifteenth, they'll be doing a signing at RustyCon, a science fiction convention. Registration for RustyCon has closed, but there are still tickets available at the door.

Please, if you have the spare cash and want to support good, fun sci-fi, pick a venue and go! I have great anticipation for this foray into the world of pure text for this series.

...I friggin' love Seattle.

[Holden Out.] 

Cricket Cola: Another Shameless Plug

DRINK IT.

I jest. But it is good stuff. As several people who know me out there in the real world know, I have a bit of a thing for crickets, so there was a delighted grin when I first discovered this soda. It sorta became my little personal official beverage for a while.

Then it promptly disappeared for a couple years.

Now, it appears to be back (though still is probably kind of hard-to-find...was even back in the day). Tres woot.

It's supposed to be a blend of green tea and cola, though the green tea is fairly subtle. It's more like a very, very lightly carbonated cola with some green tea-ish notes to it. It's also a good stay-awake drink, since the combined efforts of the cola and tea give it a massive kick of caffeine.

Go give it a try. It's only like a buck a bottle, so you don't have much to lose (except sleep).


Holden Out.

Yogu-San is Awesome.

So, some of you may have picked up small twinges of anti-commercialism sentiment from me from time to time, either through this blog or through knowing me in real life. I totally think there's a time and a place for advertisements and understand why they exist and don't begrudge them for existing, I just think you should never pay a company for the privilege of doing its advertising for it, blah blah blah blah.

I don't think what I'm about to do violates any of this, because I'm not being paid or in any way coerced to do this. I'm just going to spotlight something I think rocks. I am going to give a place free advertising, which I think is the best advertising. Advertising generated by consumers for consumers because they honestly like a product. (This sort of entry is going to happen at least once more, so I've given it its own category, tongue-in-cheekedly labeled "Selling Out")

Long, rambling self-indulgent punkish-facade preamble now over, Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you...

Yogu-San.













Did you just hear a popping sound? That was the cuteness center of your brain exploding. This little dude is the mascot for which they are named. Squishy, swirly little Yogu-San himself. Or...itself. Whatever.
So what is Yogu-San? Yogu-San, dear friends, is a frozen yogurt place, in a similar vein as such places as PinkBerry and Red Mango...three flavour choices and a variety of toppings. And sweet Aunt Wendy's eyeballs, is it good. (My apologies to anyone who has an Aunt Wendy, I did not mean to desecrate her eyes.)

The available toppings range from the expected (crushed Oreos, chocolate chips, various types of fresh fruit) to the quirky and fun (Pocky, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruity Pebbles). The two "set" flavours are Original and Green Tea, with a third flavour that rotates/changes each month. As if Yogu-San himself wasn't cute enough, they also apply the "-san" honorific to their flavours, as though they're Yogu-San's relatives or something...Green Tea-San, Mango-San, etc. It's precious.

The yogurt itself I found to be awesomely delicious, though it might not be what you expect from frozen yogurt, necessarily--for one, it has a notably stronger "yogurty" flavour, rather than just being like soft-serve ice cream, and two, the texture is different from samesaid soft-serveish fro-yo, being sort of like snow. It breaks off in your mouth in chunks and quickly melts across your tongue.

Oh, and did I mention the workers have a genuine-feeling air of friendliness?

Yogu-San is located in the Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham, Washington. If you ever find yourself there, seriously check it out.

Eesh, even the name is fun to say. Yogu-saaaaaaaaaaaaan.



Holden Out. (of yogurt)