The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson Paperback - 784 pages Spectra - June 3, 2004 Started: October 3, 2004 Finished: October 11, 2004

Undead and Unemployed by Mary Janice Davidson Paperback - 294 pages Berkley - August 2004 Started: September 22, 2004 Finished: September 22, 2004 It's always a pleasure to read a sequel that actually improves upon the original, and Davidson has managed to do just that with the second book in the Betsy, Queen of the Undead series (the first book being Undead and Unwed). The first was a good mix of humor and romance, set in a world where a secret vampire society exists, but the p...

Pipsqueak By Brian M. Wiprud Paperback - 320 pages Dell - June 1, 2004 Started: September 23, 2004 Finished: October 2, 2004 This book, for me, was a classic example of false expectations ruining what otherwise would have been a fairly enjoyable novel. The two blubs on the cover (from Harlan Coben and Publisher Weekly) led me to believe that this book would be somewhere along the lines of a Carl Hiassen or Ben Rehder novel. But while the plot is a bit off-the-wall, the character...

Heroics for Beginners by John Moore Paperback: 246 pages Ace Books - August 31, 2004 Started - September 15, 2004 Finished - September 21, 2004I was a little leery about this title when I first saw it in the bookstore. Pulling off a decent fantasy satire is no easy task and I've read quite a few that came close but didn't really make it. I'm happy to say that that is not the case with John Moore's book. It is the perfect blend of farce and story, with neither side outweigh the oth...