What I’ve Been Reading

Read lately:

• Daywatch – Sergei Lukyanenko
• Twilight Watch – Sergei Lukyanenko
• Last Watch – Sergei Lukyanenko
• Children of the Night – Dan Simmons
• Song of Kali – Dan Simmons
• Rise of Christianity – Rodney Stark
• Old Man’s War – John Scalzi
• Ghost Brigades – John Scalzi
• The Last Colony – John Scalzi
• Zoe’s Tale – John Scalzi
• Android’s Dream – John Scalzi
• Dead Until Dark – Charlaine Harris
• Backup – Jim Butcher
• Turn Coat – Jim Butcher
• Mean Streets – short story collection, featuring one by Jim Butcher.

I may write up reviews on these. Any you’re interested in hearing about?  The only one on the list that I wouldn’t HIGHLY recommend is Song of Kali, the author’s first novel, and that only because I found the denouement unsatisfying. Children of the Night, same author, was one of the smartest vampire novels I’ve read.

The whole NightWatch series by Lukyanenko is worth a read. It’s good urban fantasy. Capt. Tuttle refers to them as my Russian vampire novels, but there’s more to them than vampires.

John Scalzi’s sci-fi is probably the most fun I’ve had reading anything in years, and that includes Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden novels. Barely, but still. My wife asked me to read in the other room a few times because I was actually laughing out loud every page or three.

In progress:

• Bowling Alone – Robert Putnam
• Drood – Dan Simmons

Drood is a freakin’  TOME and is taking forever to finish. The fact that the author is imitating Wilkie Collins (a contemporary of Dickens) style of prose (more or less) is not helping.

Considering reading:

• The Moonstone - Wilkie Collins (found out I own a nice hardback, courtesy of my dad.)
• ?????

Any suggestions?