A Look at the Nightstand

In the past few weeks, I've read:

Why People Believe Weird Things - Michael Shermer
A good book, but one that got bogged down with a bit too much theory and background, and not enough concrete investigations into specific weird beliefs. Still, the (too brief) look at cold readers was great.

She-Hulk: Single Green Female - Dan Slott and Juan Bobillo
Good, fun stuff, but nothing I would have been upset to have missed. Best piece was the look at the whole She-Hulk vs. Jennifer Walters dynamic. Also loved the half-mocking/half-loving treatment of some classic Marvel villains.

Avengers/Thunderbolts Vol.2 - Best Intentions - Kurt Busiek, Fabian Nicienza, and Barry Kitson
Didn't care for this much. Too much going on for someone who hasn't followed Marvel for several years.

New Thunderbolts Vol. 1 - One Step Forward - Fabia Nicienza and Tom Grummett
Better, and I liked the treatment of some of the new villains-trying-to-go-good; especially Radioactive Man. But I'm really pretty much over the whole "huge disaster hits New York and kills hundreds" thing. It's become numbing.

Devil in a Blue Dress - Walter Mosley
I'd always wanted to start the Easy Rawlins mysteries and finally did. A very good beginning; I can see how the character of Easy could carry a series--he's an interesting creation, noble but not, brave but not, smart but not. Lots of contradictions to play with. And Mosley can write with the best (this is only the second Mosley book I've read).

Quicksilver - Neal Stephenson
Tom will empathize. I gave this a go a year ago and ended up giving up at about page 600 (of a thousand). It's a great novel, but so dense that I had trouble getting through it. So many characters, places, times to keep track of. But the writing is constantly sharp, the characters intriguing, and the setting fascinating. So I'm back in. But here's the kicker. Because I put it down about a year ago, I'm starting all over again. Suicidal? Maybe. I'm at about page 80 now. Wish me luck.

Until Whenever