...It's sad seeing something I posted a year ago, and I still haven't read the second witcher book/Kafka on the Shore/1Q84

:(

Recently read are Emperor Mollusk Versus the Sinister Brain by A. Lee Martinez and Rule 34 by Charles Stross.

I am a fan of A. Lee Martinez's earlier novels and happened upon this one while browsing the new release table at the local book shop. It is a very breezy read, but it was rather obvious and not quite as amusing as some of his other works. I enjoyed Monster and Divine Misfortune much more.

As for Rule 34, it was decent. First and foremost, the entire book is written in 2nd person. There are several main characters who you jump from. This is something I haven't experienced in such length and it took a bit of time for my brain to wrap around it (that and the Scottish accents and slang some use). I like the idea and setting more than the sum of its parts. Having read most of it, I was upset to find it is the second book (after Halting State), but doesn't seem to tie in much beyond the world it is set in and one character. I think Stross is a great writer, with a good grasp of technology and creates believable characters, but it just seemed like a few good ideas (more topical than the title would lead you to believe) crammed together and then forced to reach a conclusion. I guess it gives the reader some interesting food for thought, which is something a lot of books don't strive for, but I would recommend it to someone with very specific tastes.

I am currently reading Year Zero by Rob Reid. This is another book that I picked up based on the concept, and thus far it seems to be going along well enough (about 1/3 at this point). The overall plot can be boiled down to the RIAA vs aliens. Interesting characters and ideas. I have found it genuinely lol funny in places. We will see how it resolves and whether it doesn't fall apart under its own weight. Another very fast read.

Not sure where I will go from here. I have the full run of Walking Dead graphic novels available. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson which I surprisingly haven't ever read, and The Dog Stars by Peter Heller are also on my to-do pile.

I've heard Strange Embrace is really good horror series. I'll give it a try.