Hey everybody. It's been a while, eh?

First and foremost, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukka, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy whatever you've been celebrating these past few days. I had a great holiday, very relaxing, I've been catching up on all the gaming I've missed in the past months, and have also been skiing and skating a lot. I've played a bunch of Modern Warfare 2. Yesterday I finished the campaign on Veteran (which was a decidedly frustrating but fufilling experience), which means I just have to grab all the intel and finish Spec Ops (still looking for partners to play through this with me *wink wink* [GT: "Purple Polo"]) to get the full 1000/1000 points, which, depending on how I feel, I might just do. A really awesome game.

For Christmas I got Asssassin's Creed II from my parents, which I took as a sign that it's time to finish off the original. Assassin's Creed is an interesting experience, but I'm finding it a struggle to play through. Originally I was doing all the side quests and exploration, but now I'm just burning through the story in anticipation of playing the supposedly-excellent sequel.

I've also been taking advantage of the excellent XBLA sales. I bought Shadow Complex for 33% off, Monkey Island for 1/2 price, and I'll be buying Castle Crashers for a mere 560 points on Dec. 30. Looking forward to playing through these arcade goodies. Shadow Complex is a lot of fun.

Hope you all had a great 2009.

Hey guys. Played and beat Modern Warfare 2 last night and today, and then jumped online for a few matches. It's great. The campaign is really intense, but ultimately isn't quite as moving as CoD4's. However, the online is much improved. If you want to play some, add me on Xbox Live: Purple Polo.

The fantasy genre has always been my favourite, for some reason. I don't know what it is about dragons, elves, dwarfs, and magic that draws me in, but I get sucked into these books and often end up reading them cover-to-cover in the wee hours of the morning. They have affected me so much that I am writing my own fantasy novel, and have already poured dozens of hours of my life into the project. So today I thought I'd tell you about my five favourite fantasy authors and their best books. Maybe you'll find a new favourite here too.

5. J.K. Rowling, "Harry Potter"
What can I say that has not already been said? It's Harry Potter. They're amazing books, and although I think Rowling herself has been rather corrupted by fame and money, Harry Potter remains an incredible series that I have read five or more times.

4. Cornelia Funk, "The Inkheart Trilogy"
Funk's books are great, especially Inkheart, which I've read many times. Ultimately, it was a tough decision between her and Tamora Pierce for this spot, but I think I like Funk's books a bit more. Check out Inkheart (but skip the movie, which was nowhere near as good).

3. Jonathon Stroud, "The Bartimaeus Trilogy"
Perhaps a bit of a lesser known choice, Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy are excellent. They paint a dark picture of a modern world controlled by magicians, and looks at the corruption that would come with such power. As a bonus, the book's wily protagonist, Bartimaeus, is a hilariously cynical djinni. It is he who truly makes the books great.

2. Terry Pratchett, "The Discworld Series"
I only started reading Discworld in the summer of '08, but since then I have been devouring them at a freakish pace. They are witty, but not stupid, something surprisingly hard to find in a novel. Pratchett was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's, but I hope that he continues to write, for his books are superb.

1. J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Lord of the Rings"
Is anybody surprised? The Lord of the Rings is undoubtedly the epitome of the fantasy genre, an epic, exciting, immersive adventure. I greatly admire Tolkien's ability to be descriptive but not long-winded (something Christopher Paolini could take note of). This book, along with the Harry Potter series, is probably the most influential fantasy book of all time. It simply can't be beat, and that's why Tolkien is my favourite fantasy author.

Honourable Mentions: Nancy Farmer, "The House of the Scorpion," Tamora Pierce, "Circle of Magic Series," Eoin Colfer, "The Wishlist," T.A. Barron, "The Great Tree of Avalon Series"

Do you guys have any authors you think I might like? I'm looking for a good book to read.