Books on My Nightstand I currently have a pile of books that looked great, on seeing them in the bookstores, but I am slogging through them without much joy:→[More:]

Your Inner Fish, which is sort of a survey of current though about our (humans) genetic similarities with other forms of life, and how certain genes are iterated in ways that make up people, sharks, or flies.

I usually eat this stuff up but I do not think the guy is that good a writer. Plus, he's full of himself, IMO.

This Republic of Suffering, which my wife laughed at me for when I got it at Powell's. The ways in which the Civil War transformed the collective Amercican ideas about death. So far, it's about death and decay and "OMG John's dead and laying in the field in another state and how shall we get his rotting carcass home for a decent burial?"

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is, I think, this year's literary equivalent to Snakes on a Plane. I had to get it. It's OK, but I have never been an Austen fan and not that much into Zombies but the concept was so cute. . .Oh well.

Roadside Geology of Washington. I got this because I saw something up there and made a guess about its provenance, and happened, strangely (because I am geological idiot) to be correct. This might come in handy if I ever travel some WA backroads, but then I am usually driving and fam. never wants to stop and look at rocks.

So, um, do you ever collect books and then fall out of love?