BLACKBOX : A novel in 840 Chapters, Nick Walker. While reading this, I consistently found myself flashing back to Geoff Ryman's "hypertext" novel 254, where each chapter takes on the thoughts and descriptions of a tube passenger. Blackbox explores a similar premise in the lives of interconnected strangers tied to a particular airline flight. As you might expect from the title, the chapters are extremely short and hop quickly and, at times, chaotically from one character to the next, forming tenuous connections that gain strength as further layers are revealed. It's a quick read, despite the bit of mental gymnastics, and, for all it's pre tense, not terribly profound. It does manage to entertain and question, which all successful novels should do, and for that alone, is worth a look.

Vox by Nicholson Baker.  Variously subtitled 'a novel about phone sex', Baker's Vox is more a literary experiment than a novel. Taking the form of a conversation between two anonymous strangers on a party line, the "plot" circles varying fantasies and sexual imagery in a playfully interrogative manner. I found it ultimately dissatisfying for it's failure to successfully inhabit a single genre. It fails to work as a novel because of it's digressive conversational notes. It fails to work as pornography because of it's analytic tone and over-abundance of plot, and it fails to work as social commentary because it doesn't say anything new about it's content. A masturbatory literary exercise with little lasting merit.

 Rosie Little's Cautionary Tales for Girls by Danielle Wood.  I was supposed to be organizing boxes containing all my worldly possessions, in preparation for a move when I came across a stack of ARCs.  Being the book addict and absentminded creature that I am, I immediately went through them and picked this up, rather than continue my tedious clearing.

Labyrinth  by Kate Mosse.  Yet another bestseller about the Grail, this one actually is worth picking up if you're a fan of historical action and suspense that likes their thrillers long.  And the length is really just about the only drawback - Labyrinth clocks in at nearly 700 pages, much of which is a result of perhaps overmeticulous research.  Mosse has obviously done her homework, and wants us to know it; there's a myriad of historically accurate descriptions of clothing, language differences, and the politics surrounding the crusades and the inquisition, but I'm not convinced it was all necessary to the background of the story. 
The novel's strength is that while it's ostensibly about the Grail, there's no Dan Brown-esque extrapolation as to its nature.  What we get is a split narrative, changing between thirteenth century France, and a more or less modern archaeological dig, and the two women central to the recovery of a mysterious book.   Mosse keeps the story moving despite the length, crafting a historical thriller full of strong women that should appeal to fans of suspense novels and SCA members alike.

Utopia , by Lincoln Child. A sprawling, near-future thriller, Utopia is a beach read on steroids. Set in a state of the art amusement park, Utopia concerns the terroristic threats of a group determined to take control of the park's cutting-edge holographic technology. While it remains an entertaining and enjoyable read, it's a bit too bloated for my taste. It shouldn't have taken more than 300 pages at best to tell this 500+ page story. This caveat aside, fans of robotics, amusement parks and heist films should enjoy this.

Next, Michael Crichton.  When I was in 8th grade, I used to gobble up the latest Michael Crichton with the enthusiasm I now reserve for the latest issue of the New York Review of Science Fiction.  I still grab them when I see them at the library, as it's always amusing to see what fear of the moment's potboiler-worthy.  The bad news is that Crichton's writing style's gone downhill at the same time as his quasi-intellectual notes pack the pages. 

The Broker, John Grisham.  Much of the success of what is largely a chase novel is that it doesn't read like a typical John Grisham. That said, it's an unremarkable airport thriller, but an ok way to pass an hour.

What Do You Say To A Naked Elf?, Cheryl Sterling.  About as silly as you'd expect from the embarrassing title, but surprisingly readable in spite of it. Sterling hits most of the fantasy clichés, and a lot of the bad sex ones as well, but it's all obviously in fun, and never takes itself seriously.

 

Bollywood Confidential, Sonia Singh. Chick-lit with a Southeast Asian flavor. The plot is as formulaic as all such novels, but there's extra amusement derived if you're familiar with the industry being lampooned.

Want a free copy?  If you're a Book Mooch member, its available for mooching in my inventory here.

Immortal Bad Boys.  About as substantive as the title suggests. I was hoping for more plot, but if you're into stereotypical romance novellas with almost no development and stock characters, I guess you could do worse.