CHRIS
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
“Hyperion is about seven pilgrims on a journey through the Valley of the Time Tombs to confront the Shrike. It’s totally awesome! I’m reading it in large part because of Marie’s Sci Friday post about it. I completely agree with her and now totally defer to her on all things Sci Fi.”
ABBY
Truth in Comedy by Del Close
“Truth in Comedy is about Del Close’s approach to improv called ‘The Harold.” The “Harold” is a form of competitive improv involving six or seven players. They take a theme suggestion from the audience and “free associate” on the theme into a series of rapid-fire one-liners that build into totally unpredictable skits with hilarious results. He has worked with second city, and his techniques are used by comedic actors across the globe. I’m looking forward to trying these techniques with my friends at the 1st meeting of our new improv group!”
CHRISTY
Back to Blood by Tom Wolfe
“Tom Wolfe immediately pulls you into this multidimensional cityscape filled with racial tensions and fast paced action. Back to Blood , set in Miami, follows a wide cast of characters from a porn addicted billionaire to a gang-banging youth to weave an irresistible story. All of Tom Wolfe’s characters are so real, that’s what I love about his work. Even when the subject of one of his books doesn’t necessarily sound appealing to you he brings his characters to life and there is no putting it down.”
CALIE
Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
“Alloy of Law is set in the world of The Mistborn Series during the late 1800’s, early 1900’s in the rough west. In an outlaw’s frontier Allomancy and Feruchemy is being used in an effort to establish laws and justice. The result is a little steam punk meets Sherlock Holmes- it’s very fun! I’ve read the whole Mistborn Series and highly recommend it, especially for anyone looking for a strong female protagonist.”
CHERYL
How the Dead Dream by Lydia Millet
“How the Dead Dream is the first book in a trilogy. Her writing style reminds me a lot of Kurt Vonnegut. The story begins with a kid who is obsessed with money and grows up to be a stock broker then dips into animal rights. It’s a cerebral satire. Every page in every book of her’s I’ve read are a few quoteable and relevant lines. In my opinion she is one of the strongest female writers writing today.”
BookPeople 