I have no one but you to blame thank, jms, for becoming hooked on the "Em Hansen" mysteries by Sarah Andrews. I'm reading the third one, having devoured the first two a couple of weeks ago.

Other recent absorptions include:

+ The first three "Artemis Fowl" novels for young readers -- loads of fun, combining contemporary tech and Faerie with espionage-type adventure. [thanks, Mary Anne!]

+ Revelation Space, the first of Alastair Reynolds' novels -- set in a far future where the Fermi Paradox has a concrete, and chilling, explanation. [Frank recommended the series here a couple weeks ago, or so...] It suffered somewhat from "first novel syndrome" -- I have seen characters better defined in 2000-word short stories -- but the version of the galaxy he's constructed is plausible (no FTL or ansible), detailed, and sufficiently convoluted in its human and alien politics to keep my interest, in spite of the preponderance of cardboard players. I've reserved the second one, Chasm City, to see if his story-telling technique improved. There's nothing wrong with his physics or his plotting, that's for sure.

Speaking of short stories... My free reading time has been pre-empted of late by my editorial duties, including:

+ 260 pages of poetry and prose for the final print issue of Ink Pot, due out October 1. The order of appearance was entrusted to me, as managing editor... so I had to read them all again and take notes, to try and find a thematic flow. The full Word doc is now assembled and in the hands of the Ed in Chief.

+ Upwards of three dozens submissions to The Hiss Quarterly, whose staff I joined in April [I'll be on the masthead with the August issue].

Sadly, all pro bono...