maribou | Drunkard's Swish, Engulfed Files, United Runaways of Babel, Noir Moneylender Roses; Fantasy Houses

When You Are Engulfed in Flames, by David Sedaris
Funny and sweet as always. It might just be me but it seems like as Sedaris ages he gets more and more sweet, but less funny. Anyway, it was good.
(129/300)

Swish, by Joel Derfner
Very very funny and very sharp and sometimes punch-in-the-gut true. A lot more intellect than I'd expected from the advance press I read. Gets pretty damn serious at times for such a shallow putative topic.
(130/300)

The Spellman Files, by Lisa Lutz
A hoot. A smart hoot, even. Really looking forward to reading the sequel.
(131/300)

The Drunkard's Walk, by Leonard Mlodinow
If only this book had been written when I was in 12th grade math, having issues wrapping my head around probability's trickier conundrums... it was still fun to read, though I learned most of these lessons either the hard way or by having certain math or philosophy majors beat them into me, ages past. But the narrative voice, and the historical anecdotes, were entertaining enough that I didn't mind the review. Or the memories of having said points drilled into my skull last time :).
(132/300)

The United States of Appalachia, by Jeff Biggers
Very interesting. The author occasionally stressed me out with poor word choices (I do not think that word means what he thinks it means, sort of thing), but other than those few bloopers, it was extremely well-written. And the stories being told definitely kept my interest throughout, and weren't just the same-old same-old I've read in other books on the topic. I will be giving this as a gift to my favorite Appalachian.
(133/300)

Runaways 2: Teenage Wasteland, by Brian K. Vaughan et al
Ah, Brian K. Vaughan, you do know how to make me happy. It doesn't always stick for any length of time after I'm done reading, but I always enjoy the experience.
(134/300)

The Dragons of Babel, by Michael Swanwick
If I were of a more writerly bent, I would reread this book alongside Iron Dragon's Daughter to try and figure out why this one feels so much more optimistic throughout even though equally horrible things happen as did in the first one. I suppose it could just be that I was more braced for them this time around, or a host of other minor factors that have occured to be, but all those factors don't quite add up to how different it felt, reading this one - less bleak, more enthusiastic. Just as beautiful and engrossing though.
(135/300)

The Moneylender of Toulouse, by Alan Gordon
Fun, smart, still love those jesters. I'm not sure it was his best, but I was also frequently distracted while reading it, so. Not his best still == very good. Also, Pelardit is awesome.
(136/300)

Blood Noir, by Laurell K. Hamilton
I shall refrain from any judgments of quality on this book and merely state that I really shouldn't start reading any of hers at 11:30 at night. I did go to bed... eventually ... once I'd finished it...
(137/300)

Blood Roses, by Francesca Lia Block
Oh, Francesca Lia Block, if only all your work were as good as your best work. I find it hard even to work up a 'meh' for this one.
(138/300)

The Fantasy Hall of Fame, edited by Robert Silverberg
Many awesome stories which I had already read but didn't mind rereading or in some cases rererere...reading (I never get tired of Unicorn Variations and Jeffty Is Five is probably my favorite of all Harlan Ellison's works), many new to me but really nifty stories, nothing I hated. Excellent bathroom book. Props to

cow, who gave me this one many moons ago.
(139/300)

Houses of Time, by Jamil Nasir
Very yummy, but weird. I think his previous book that I read last month, Tower of Dreams, is a better example of this writer's skills wrt plot, characterization, etc., and you should try that one first. But if you like that one as much as I did, you will probably like this one as much as I do - just need to lower your defenses a bit first, I think. Works much better if you don't try to argue with it, just slip in and go along, and you will be richly rewarded.
(140/300)