The Catcher in the Rye, my favorite =]

Philip K. Dick-Flow My Tears,the Policeman Said

SPOOK by Mary Roach. I liked her STIFF. Was hilarious - about what they do with 'donated to medical science/medical schools' bodies. Some of us will end up at the Body Farm, some of us will be in vehicle safety testing...some of us will be getting posthumous facelifts...

Just finished
 

The Void Captain's Tale - Norman Spinrad.

I'd actually reread this since I read it a long time ago and at a bad time due to a passing of a loved one. It was a mixed bag of emotions for me at the time. Between that and the Silverberg story on "rekindling" (Born with The Dead) it was a bit tough to get my mind straight at the time.

Now the VCT is less of a personal thing. I can look upon it, as I'm much more detached emotionally, as a parable.

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners and The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan...bit heavy going, Grace Abounding's a damn sight easier to get my head around than the Progress. Actually found myself enjoying Grace Abounding, last night.

Am also reading: Short Trips: Steel Skies ...a Doctor Who anthology *grins*

And Almost Perfect...a Torchwood novel

Obviously there's a bunch of other stuff mainly relating to class and gender, but I'll not bore you with that :P

Went on a Douglas Adams binge ... Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, the Universe, and Everything, and So Long and Thanks for All the Fish.

For reasons that are unclear, there is no Kindle Edition of Mostly Harmless, so I've skipped on to The Salmon of Doubt.

In between I finished a borrowed book, Hillerman Country, by Tony Hillerman, which was just lovely. It's a coffee table book of glorious photos of the Southwestern U.S.

I've also got Dead Men Do Tell Tales going. May take that to work instead of the Kindle, today.

I scored four Lemony Snicket books from the table in the mailroom at the apt, might hit those so I can throw them back into the wild.

Hell's Angels - Hunter S. Thompson.

In this "book" Thompson comes right out and states that women WANT not only to be raped but to be gang-banged, and that the women who allege rape against any Angel pretty much had it coming to them. Yeah, it's a beaut. I had to go and throw up so many times while reading (skimming) it that I now can fit into that mini skirt and halter top. Hope I get invited to some parties! /sarcasm

Juni---don't take this class. It's disgusting.

Dracula - Bram Stoker

A horror story with Victorian manners.

I think I recall the part you're referring to. The words were from an Angel to HST and he merely reported them and refrained from comment on them. I don't have the book handy at this point but if you could point out where it occurs and in what context I'll look it up next chance I get.

"What's your name, Catcher?"

--Justine in The Good Girl

I'm reading A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle to my kids and couldn't be happier with it. Outstanding story and perfect writing.

In our local library, I stumbled across the book titled something like 50 Books For Kids That Hate To Read (can't find it on Amazon) which recommended it along with some others that look really good.

Parts of it are a little scary but its very easy to edit as you read aloud to tone down the intensity. My kids are 8 and 9 which is probably on the younger side for the book. I grade kid's books partially on the extent to which the writing lends itself to easily visualizing the events and characters. That helps keep the kids interested and helps them remember the story. This book gets an A+ from me for that and for the story itself.

The Phantom Tollbooth is the best kids book...EVAH.

Future linguists will love it. :)

The Gay Blade
 

I'm a few chapters into The Steel Remains. I checked it out of the library last week. It's your basic sword and sorcery yarn except for the part where the hero is gay.

This sort of threw me when I first caught on. The good guy is gay and so far all of the priests are either corrupt inquisitors or nosy bullies. I could almost put up with it except the plot seems to plod and there is a little uncomfortable detail in some scenes.

Fortunately, a new Nightside novel was on the shelves Friday so I have something else to read.

Dead Men Do Tell Tales - William R. Maples, Ph.D. and Michael Browning

Not for the squeamish. I don't think the squeamish would make it out of the introduction.

A forensic anthropologist discusses his career and cases in more detail that most people need. It takes a special writer to really evoke the sense of the stench of decomposition in his reader.

I am also reading The Salmon of Doubt. Those sorts of posthumous collections of bits and pieces always make me sad.

A Clash of Kings - George R R Martin. Like Tolkein meets Machiavelli. Truly great series. The disturbing possibility of any of the main characters dying also makes a nice change.

Also just started Slavoj Zizek's Violence. Not sure what to make of it so far, but its early days yet.