I haven't read her last 3 books, but I've read everything else, and yes, she doesn't hesitate to write about brutality. But, IMO, it's never gratuitous; it's based on emotion, not "Ooh, I need something shocking."

Absolutely, and it's very believable violence for the stories she tells. I just recently purchased her latest book, but I haven't felt like reading something that heavy yet. Besides Beloved I have read The Bluest Eyes and Song of Solomon. I think that's it; although I have a couple others on my shelf that I will read eventually.

This is pretty funny--a webpage set up to "help" students write papers about LoTR: [link]

Probably it was more effective before the movies came out...

University of Regina is going to have a Game of Thrones course.

What with being out of town and such, I hadn't gotten a copy of Blackout. Went by the bookstore to pick one up and it wasn't out - not on display with the new books, not on the shelf with the others. I asked a nice bookstore employee who checked and said it should be out with the best sellers (yay!) but on checking, they'd all been sold. So he went "downstairs" and pulled out a bunch to put out on the shelf. With the best sellers.

Woo! Come back to chat about it when you are done! I will be slowly tapping out a review in the next days -- hopefully I can get it done before surgery. (I asked for a local, but it has to be a general, dammit.)

For Parasol Protectorate fans - seemingly there is (or will soon be) a manga version of Soulless.

Paul Krugman: became an economist because of science fiction.

Has anyone read the YA book Shiver, about a young woman and a young werewolf? I read it yesterday and really liked it and am thinking of buying the sequel today!

I haven't yet, but I gave it to the neighbor kid, who loved it, and I just loaned it to my niece.

I picked up a copy at the library sale and currently have it about 3 books down the to-be-read pile. Glad to see the rec.