twickster, I don’t know if I can answer your question about The Séance without the book at hand, but from what I recall, I thought it was built as a priest’s hole originally, maybe wired up later. By Magnus? It is difficult to follow all these little details! 
The newest Dresden Files shipped today! Hooray! I’ll have it in time for my trip next week.
I’m reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.
Not sure where it’s going though. She’s talking to animals…
I just finished this book, too. I really loved it and I’m so excited that there’s a sequel in September. It was one of those rare books I could not put down and read in two intense sittings. I just ordered a used copy online to give to a friend as a gift. It’s the first book since Replay that I’ve wanted to give to all my friends, though it has a different appeal- less my dad and uncle and more my coetaneous girl friends.
I’m currently reading River of Gods by Ian McDonald. Not bad, but slow going and one of those ensemble books where nine characters slowly intertwine. I’m sticking with it, but I hope it picks up.
Thank you!
Finished with Regenesis and Sabriel, both quite good. Now reading:
1)The Glasswright’s Apprentice by Mindy L. Klasky, a fantasy set in a Medieval Europe-ish world with strict caste divisions. The young protagonist starts out relatively safe in her position, but tragedy knocks her loose and she has to scramble to stay alive while trying to determine who framed her for a foul murder. So far, so good.
- Shakespeare’s Insults by Wayne F. Hill and Cynthia J. Ottchen. (Pretend there are two dots above the “O” in Ottchen.) It’s neatly arranged for reference and promises to be a good bedside read.
Yeah, I started getting pretty damned confused at the end – but …
[spoiler]the priest’s hole was part of the structure of the building, and is where Cornelius used to hole up (sic) to write his imaginary diaries, and where he died. The suit of armor is that thing on the table or wherever, and it got wired later, but was a thing that you could close yourself into it actually in the room, visible to people, but with the secret escape hatch in the back.
I think.[/spoiler]
Ah well, not important, really.
I just finished Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which is my first encounter with Truman Capote. I’m wavering on whether I like the book or the movie’s ending better.
I just started last night on The Middle Kingdom, the first book of the Chung Kuo series by David Wingrove. It’s about a sort of world-city situation ruled by China. So far, so good.
I encourage you to read In Cold Blood. I’d never read any Capote before that, and it’s really, really good.
The new Jim Butcher came today! Drood, I’m afraid you’re about to take a back seat. You just aren’t that compelling.
Finished Wild Ducks Flying Backward: The Short Writings of Tom Robbins. It was good. Definitely a must for Tom Robbins fans. The first sections were better, especially the travel articles. Later, he often becomes mired in sanctimoniousness. I’ve often thought him a bit too clever for himself. He goes off on these annoying literary riffs sometimes, like his intro to Skinny Legs and All, about the “room of the wolfmother wallpaper” and all that. I suggested the wife read Skinny Legs and All once, because at the time she had regular dealings in Jerusalem, but she just couldn’t get past that and gave up, and her English is excellent. As for Wild Ducks Flying Backward, I figured there would be a short story about it, but no, no clue about why the title.
Next up: Digital Fortress, by Dan rown. Found this in our library, and we both enjoyed Brown’s The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons.
i just finished High Spirits by Robertson Davies, a collection of comedic ghost stories set at a Toronto college. In “The Night of the Three Kings” the narrator is visited by the ghosts of King George V, King George VI and William Lyon Mackenzie King in a search for a valuable postage stamp. In “When Satan Goes Home For Christmas” the Prince of Darkness sneers at Christmas traditions, but admits to being homesick and unappreciated. Enjoyable.
I have begun “Born To Kvetch” by Michael Wex, and in the first twenty or so pages learned a great deal about the beginnings of the Yiddish language, very wittily told.
Turn Coat by Jim Butcher
Finished *Brisingr *last night. It wasn’t bad. There is something about his writing I don’t care for, but I’m having trouble defining it. I believe it is better than it was in Eragon, but I still think something is missing.
As mentioned above - on to Turn Coat.
To tell the truth, I won’t be reading Turn Coat yet. I am still reading Blood Rites and will be reading through the series sequentially. I am liking it so much that I actually bought the latest book ahead of time.
Started Drood by Dan Simmons. Some reviewers are complaining that Simmons takes too long to get to the story – he spends too much time on Dickens’ personal life. As someone who knows nothing about Dickens, I’m okay with this.
I just started My Lobotomy a memoir by Howard Dully. At age 12, Dully received an ice pick lobotomy, at the behest of his step-mother.
I’m only a few chapters in, but I’m already finding it sad and compelling.
I’m one of those complaining. I’m bored out of my mind. And the love/hate relationship between Dickens and Wilkie is annoying. (everything about Wilkie annoys me, even the name Wilkie.) I wonder if Dickens was as big a jackass as Simmons makes him out to be. I’m about half way through and I just don’t really care what will happen. I’ve decided to put it down for now.
However, if, when you are done, you say that there is a spectacular finish, then I may pick it back up. I’ll wait and see.
I keep seeing that advertised in the Bas Bleu book catalog out of Atlanta. I’ll be interested to learn how you like it when you’re done.
Well, I’ll be…I just realized I do have Dresden Files #5 at home (Death Masks). I was getting impatient waiting for my library to get me the wrong book!
I’m going to set Necrophenia aside a bit longer. It’s good like that…fun reading but it doesn’t need to be given much attention.