So when I was in high school, I loved The President's Daughter and White House Autumn. They were quick light reads, and I probably read them half a dozen times. A couple of weeks ago I learned that there were two sequels to these books, one published right around when I graduated from high school and one published in 2007. Naturally I immediately went to Amazon and bought all four books--the first two for my daughter and the last two for myself.

Wow. Not much buzz, but I really loved this book. If you read Ed O'Loughlin's take on war correspondents (Not Untrue and Not Unkind) during Bookerthon--this book is ten times better. And shorter! And actually well-written! Will make my top-ten list this year, I'm betting.

Someone make me stop reading these things. (Oh, who am I kidding--there's only one more to go.)

Science fiction short stories from 1996. Not my favorite year's best anthology--my taste is more similar to Dozois's than to Hartwell's. But I did love the Le Guin story ("Coming of Age in Karhide").

Interesting and well-written.

Compulsively readable but not really as amazing as I expected it to be. But thoroughly entertaining. A little let down by the ending. I really empathized with Tracy, Alice, and Wendy. Couldn't quite see what Judd saw in Penny or Jen.

Continuing my love affair with A Song of Ice and Fire. My life is so hectic right now that it is really nice to disappear into an entirely different world. I especially love Tyrion's character.

Oh my God, I fell in love with this book. And I thought I didn't like epic fantasy. Love the characters, love the plot. Couldn't put it down.

I love William Trevor! But this book feels like warmed-over Trevor rather than something new and original. Suffers from many of the same flaws as Colm Toibin's Brooklyn, but I actually think Brooklyn is a finer book.

I really didn't like this. It reminded me unpleasantly of The White Tiger.

The end wasn't as amazing as the beginning and the middle, but it is still one of the best books I've read all year. Still thinking about it. Coetzee doesn't spare himself, that's for sure.

I'm about 2/3 of the way into this book and so far it is one of the best books I've read all year. Even though I usually don't care for all this the-author-is-a-character business.

Eh. Now that my vacation is over, I'm taking a break from all the murder mysteries. This one bored me silly by the end.

This novel comprises four intertwined stories. You think they will all tie together at the end (I think of this as the Seinfeld-episode novel structure). Except that they don't. Instead, they just sort of stop with a disappointing thud.

Having said that, the characters and situations are original and the writing in this book is very strong, although I would not have advised the use of the second person in the "Mirror Crisis" strand. I'm eager to read more by Hall.

Note to self: I have finished The Tin-Kin and The Quickening Maze in the past week, but haven't been able to add them here yet.

All of the scandalous bits of Byron's life. I read the second half in just a few hours. Good vacation reading.

One of George's better efforts, I think.

Eh.

Far more entertaining than I thought it would be.