Speaking of vampire books, has anyone read "Sunshine" by Robin McKinley? I've ordered it from the library and was wondering if it was good. Seems somewhat different from her other stuff, hopefully it's as good as the rest. The review intrigued me (esp. the ref. to Buffy):

'Buffyesque baker Rae "Sunshine" Seddon meets Count Dracula's hunky Byronic cousin in Newbery-Award-winner McKinley's... adult-and-then-some romp through the darkling streets of a spooky post-Voodoo Wars world.... Most of the charm of this long venture into magic maturation derives from McKinley's keen ear and sensitive atmospherics, deft characterizations and clever juxtapositions of reality and the supernatural that might, just might, be lurking out there in "bad spots" right around a creepy urban corner or next to a deserted lake cabin. McKinley knows very well — and makes her readers believe — that "the insides of our own minds are the scariest things there are."' — Publishers Weekly

There is also an exerpt here , which is where I got the review as well.

Read two books on my trip to NYC yesterday.

Read another tonight.

Have rather blown through the stack I bought at the used bookstore last week. Sadly, it's my only good usedbookstore source, and is thus tapped out for at least a few more weeks. Augh. Need better used bookstores here. (Any DCistas have suggestions? I'll tell you where mine is...)

However, I also have realized I have a free afternoon next week in Portland. With a rental car. Also, the obligation of lugging my stuff back to DC. How much self-control will I need in Powells?

L I B R A R Y meara. Pick what you want online and put it on reserve. They send you an email when you can go pick it up.

Powell's is so cool. So's the public art around town. And Coffee People! Machismo Mouse!

Speaking of Frankenstein, I found this in my EW:

It's alive, alive! Adam Golberg and Parker Posey are on for the USA net's Frankenstein, a cop-show-esque update of the horror classic. And Scorsese is exec-producing. Wow.

Heh. But see, Java, I want to HAVE the books.

Also, i tend to do very well at the library for a little while...and then have a catastrophic failure to return several books for months, and finally return them, and avoid the library forever for fear of the fees.

Not the most efficient way.

(snorting lemon soda through my nose at Java's response on the SOMA situation)

Dani, you are not to buy yourself These Old Shades, OK? I'm sending you one. And I got your package today, and you rock. email shortly.

Er, that was him, not me. I should edit that. But yeah. I suggested that maybe he should throw in a design company or two that survived the dot com bust, the female members of whom tended to wear "bebe" fluevogs and gave him a link. I kept thinking about South Park (the SF one).

I think someone at Borders has been reading this thread. The display table which usually has very little of interest today had Barbara Hambly, Jennifer Crusie, Georgette Heyer, at least three vampire-related novels the names of which escape me. Also an anthology edited by a writer Hec mentioned recently (Pat Cadigan). No Deb Grabien (dammit) but they did have a Tad Williams, which I bought.

No, no, I got that, Java. I meant, the reponse you got. Sorry.

But it was funny. Perfect description of what happened to my beloved City.

Brenda, Borders hates me. Smack them for me, please?

Will do.

(I look you up in the bookfindy-computer periodically, on the theory that they might actually look at that data someday. Yes, my mind works that way.)

Also, i tend to do very well at the library for a little while...and then have a catastrophic failure to return several books for months, and finally return them, and avoid the library forever for fear of the fees.

That is so me. Wait, I'm in a new city now. I can start the process all over again. Whoo!