In addition: I do love a well-written biography, too.

The Emperor of All Maladies has been my favorite book of the year, despite its subject matter. It is also an amazingly well-written and easy read.

I'm currently readin Role Models by John Waters . its interesting and quite funny

Read Role Models (I used to stalk John Waters when I lived in Baltimore) but haven't read The Emperor of all Maladies. Good stuff.

Have you read The Magicians? I liked that one.

I just finished The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson. It was a good read.

Have you read The Count of Monte Cristo?

I've been on a Wodehouse kick lately. I started with The Inimitable Jeeves, and blew through it in close to a day.

Have you read any J. G. Ballard? His works cannot be characterized (including some avant-garde) so finding something that interests you should be easy. Whatever you choose will be top-notch prose, I assure you.

For some vintage science fiction that holds up well today, Clifford D. Simak or Theodore Sturgeon are good, and I believe free if you have a Kindle.

The Gone-Away World, by Nick Harkaway. Or the two Patrick Rothfuss novels, The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear. The first is a clever and meandering yarn about an exceeding improbable apocalypse that is WAY better than it has any right to be, the latter two are epic fantasy you won't be ashamed to be seen reading.

A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin. Definitely better than David Eddings.

Someone that I've enjoyed a few books from is Christopher Brookmyre. They are sort of pulpy action stories, but...written by a Scot, so the language is a little different. I've found a number of his to be real page turners.

If I recall correctly (I'm terrible in that I forget everything I read, almost immediately), I did really like All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses an Eye, as well as Quite Ugly One Morning and One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night - maybe one of those will tempt you!

We just got Sex at Dawn, and while both of us have other reading stuff in the queue, the first few pages suggest that it will be a very fun read.

I'm going to take a stab at Moby Dick this summer.

I have a feeling you'd like David Quammen's Song of the Dodo and Monster of God, though I also kinda have a feeling you might've read them already.

Try "Feed" by Mira Grant. It's nominated for the Hugos, and is a pretty brilliant dissection of the impact of zombification on the United States of America, wrapped in a political campaign, wrapped in a murder mystery (where the victims don't stay dead). You might like the virology part of it especially.

Try "Feed" by Mira Grant. It's nominated for the Hugos, and is a pretty brilliant dissection of the impact of zombification on the United States of America, wrapped in a political campaign, wrapped in a murder mystery (where the victims don't stay dead). You might like the virology part of it especially.

And the second book in the series, Deadline, just came out a few days ago.

Thanks! I just requested Feed from ILL.

I just put a book in the mail for you, 'pode, but it won't get there until after you've left on your trip. But it's a very New York-y story, so probably better to read at home.

Thanks everyone! Some of you must know me, somehow, because I love and own tons of Wodehouse, ditto GRRM. I made a list of the rest and I'll go out tomorrow and see what I can pick up. (the rest I'll get from the library).

And thanks, Senyar!

On the popular fiction front, I really liked all three of the The Girl Who books by Stieg Larsson, as well as the (anti utopian style fantasy) Mockingjay series by Suzanne Collins. They are perfect summer reads.

On the fantasy front, I'm going to give a plug for Game of Thrones in audio form, with Roy Dotrice narrating. I'm currently on the third segment of Clash of Kings (the second volume in the GOT series), and looking for opportunities to take walks or car rides with the Ipod plugged in to listen to it. There is a lot to be said for a summer vacation that includes an excellent audio book with an excellent narrator playing in your ear.

Also on the fantasy front, I loved the Bartimaeus Trilogy, which I also "read" by listening to it, with the awesome Simon Jones narrating. Be prepared to laugh aloud at unexpected moments.