First posts are always the worst: a first date without the alcohol. To get us all past the sweaty-palms and social awkwardness, we’ll keep this short and simple, and just get straight into the good stuff. In medias res with a short prologue.

Before wading in, here’s something of an epigraph:

Any reviewer who expresses rage and loathing for a novel is preposterous. He or she is like a person who has put on full armor and attacked a hot fudge sundae. – Kurt Vonnegut

I’m going to do my best to remember this. Occasionally, I will probably fail. Link me to photos of ice-cream desserts when I do.