Just finished Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon. This was on a "best of" list from last year, so I put it on hold at the library and just got it to read as one of my 24-in-a-year books. It turned out to be a much better "break" book than Chronic City. It is well written, suspenseful, and simply one of the best multi-narrative books I've read in a long time. I got into it right away--how could I not when it starts off with a severed hand?--and couldn't put it down.

Now it's back to Don Quixote. Which is also well written, but does not start with a severed hand. And is very, very long.

It is well written, suspenseful, and simply one of the best multi-narrative books I've read in a long time. I got into it right away--how could I not when it starts off with a severed hand?--and couldn't put it down.

Thanks for the review, megan. I've seen good recommendations (and had it recommended to me specifically), so it's been on my List. Good to know it lives up to the hype.

SFWA removes Amazon links from site where possible (if a book is only available through Amazon they leave it up).

If anyone's jonesing for more complexly-plotted epic fantasy with characters who are neither entirely good nor entirely evil--and want a finished story, I can make a couple of recommendations. That is, if you need something to read while you wait for Martin to finish (or the tv show to start).

Kate Elliott's "Crown of Stars" series, which starts with Prince of Dogs. Seven volumes, complete, is based loosely on early-medieval Europe (specifically Germany/the Low countries), cast of dozens, strong and plentiful female characters, long complicated plot involving theology and apocalypses. I lost some of the plot thread by the end, but it's quite a ride. Her newer stuff, the "Crossroads" series starting with Shadow Gate, is even better.

Sherwood Smith's series about pirates and kings and families and love and betrayal and war, starting with Inda. Interesting worldbuilding, great battle scenes, creative social and emotional relationships. Could use a character list, although I think there is one on her website.

I don't have a lot of patience for kitchen-boy-makes-good fantasy, but if you like epic fantasy with a lot of scope, you could do worse than Elliott or Smith.

I liked Kate Elliott's take on gender roles, with the more nurturing roles like high church officials being women roles, as opposed to power=male. And the landed rulers being either male or female, but with the warlord generally being a man regardless. I stopped reading them, though, because I was so upset by what happened to one of the nice characters. Shallow, I know.

I just finished Dresden Files' author Jim Butcher's fantasy series, the Codex Alera. It's 'shepherd-boy-makes-good', but Butcher writes such great characters, suspenseful action scenes and wonderful plots that when I finished I wanted to go back to the beginning and start again. (Sadly I couldn't 'cause I loaned the first two books out already.)

They were really stupid about naming the books, though. If you're interested, start with the first book and try not to look at the titles of the later books. The path is obvious by the end of the first book (Furies of Calderon), but you still don't want it spelled out before you've even started.

Decided there's no way I can destroy a book published in 1880. Even if the bookstore did give it to me for a carved book project, I just can't.

Crap!! That means it will have to go into the pile of books that are too good to get rid of, oh woe is me, for I am ever too short of shelf space.

No, instead I think I'll sink my exacto knife into an outdated PDR I picked up for the gilded edges. I have no real qualms about taking that one away from future generations of bibliophiles.

Will have to keep an eye out for one of those giant legal books so I can do a project with a lot of depth.

Yay, preservation!

Are there any copies of Sarah Palin's bio around you can practice on?

Can you carve a dartboard out of a book?

it's thin ... won't require much carving