One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde

Published: March 8, 2011 Publisher: Viking Adult Genre(s): Fantasy, Mystery, Satire Format: Hardcover Length: 384 pages If you happen to be a book nerd who likes fantasy, mystery, satire and a healthy dose of metafiction, the Thursday Next series will be right up your alley. It quickly became one of my favorite series after I … Read more

My New Reading List: The 2011 Hugo Nominees

I always look forward to the yearly announcement of the Hugo Award nominations. Unlike other awards (even the Oscars), the Hugos are almost always relevant to my reading interests, and for the past few years I’ve made an effort to read as many of the books nominated for best novel ahead of time so I … Read more

Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks

Published: October 28, 2010 Publisher: Orbit Genre(s): Science Fiction, Space Opera Format: Audiobook Length: 20 hrs and 23 mins Surface Detail is the ninth book in Iain M. Banks’s Culture series, and the third I’ve read. As soon as I read the summary, I couldn’t wait to pick it up. Fortunately, the Culture books are … Read more

Dangerous Laughter by Steven Millhauser

Published: February 12, 2008 Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Genre(s): Fiction, Slipstream Format: Hardcover Pages: 244 I was drawn to this collection of short stories by two things; first off, the cover is gorgeously designed, evoking both the period setting of many of the stories – the 1950s and 1960s – and the unsettling, off-kilter themes … Read more

Fun and Games by Duane Swierczynski

Published: June 20, 2011 Publisher: Mulholland Books Genre(s): Crime, Thriller Format: Paperback Pages: 283 Duane Swierczynski is a name I’ve come across several times before. It’s a hard one to forget, even though I probably couldn’t spell it if my life depended on it. Amazon has been quite sure that I would enjoy his work, … Read more

Warren Ellis: Crime and Science Fiction are the Same Thing

First off, the good news is that Warren Ellis has a new two-book deal with Mulholland Books, who are also the new home of one of my all-time favorite authors, Charlie Huston. I read Crooked Little Vein last year and thoroughly enjoyed that vulgar little volume, which alternates between dark humor and varieties of sexual … Read more

iZombie Vol. 1: Dead to the World

Published: March 22, 2011 Publisher: Vertigo Genre(s): Fantasy, Graphic Novel Format: Trade Paperback Pages: 144 Pop culture has been in zombie/vampire/werewolf overdrive the past few years, and it’s pretty rare to find a story that has a unique twist on the mythos. iZombie, an ongoing series from Vertigo by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred, isn’t … Read more

A Game of Covers

One of my friends just sent me a link to a tumblr by Matt Roeser, a graphic designer who “reads books and then designs new covers for them”, Most recently he’s re-done all of the Song of Ice and Fire books by George RR Martin, and my friend’s comment is a plaintive “do want”. I … Read more

Across The Universe by Beth Revis

Published: January 11, 2011 Publisher: Razorbill Genre(s): Young Adult, Science Fiction, Romance Format: Hardcover Pages: 416 Across the Universe is a mash-up of scifi, mystery, and young-adult fiction, with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. In a nutshell, it tells the story of a colony seed-ship on a journey towards a distant … Read more

You Were Wrong by Matthew Sharpe

Published: August 31, 2010 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Genre: Literary Fiction Format: Paperback Pages: 192 You Were Wrong is a short book, but manages to wear out its welcome in no time at all. I was ready to throw it against the wall after two chapters, but forced myself to continue reading so that I could … Read more

St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves

Title story from St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell, published 2007. I’ve recently been making a point of reading more short stories because I’m interested in trying my hand at writing some. As I’ve read more, I’ve discovered that there are certain genres that seem to excel in a shorter form. There’s … Read more

Hello and Welcome!

Hi there! I’m your host, Jeff, and I’ve started this blog as a place to discuss books and reading. I’ve been writing occasional reviews for the past year or so of books that I’ve received from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, and I thought it might be nice to put together someplace a bit more … Read more