Glasshouse, by Charles Stross

I am extremely picky about sci-fi, because a) I don't read enough of it to be "in" on a lot of the common language, so the made-up stuff often comes across as convoluted and confusing, and b) there is a lot lot LOT of terrible sci-fi out there that is terribly written & with no plot or believable characters to speak of. It took me a couple of chapters to get into "Glasshouse" (most of which covered the requisite "here's where / when we are & how stuff works"), but once the main story got going, it was interesting, creative (which I think is hard in sci-fi), full of dynamic & believable characters, and actually really funny at times. (I don't think it spoils anything to say that one of the main plot points early in the book is far-future people agreeing to be part of a sociology experiment where they're put into "ancient"--late 20th century--bodies & live "as the ancients" for a few years so that researchers can see how social interactions & relationships worked. Before the serious stuff goes down, this made for much hilarity without seeming like a gag.) A bit of a thriller & definitely keeps you interested in what happens next, but without getting so deathly serious that you feel like you need a nap afterward. Perfect if you want a bit of fun, engaging, interesting, well-written, not-too-creepy-&-weird sci-fi without a serious commitment.

The Night Circus, by Erin Morganstern

I loved this book! First & foremost I loved the style of the writing, so I hope we get another Erin Morgenstern release sometime in the not-too-dim-&-misty future because I will read the hell out of that. Without giving away too much plot I think this book is best described as Ray Bradbury meets Catherynne M. Valente -- beautifully poetic writing, descriptions that appeal to all of the senses, & nostalgic imagery, with a plot that is a sort of modern (well; late 19th century) fairy tale. The characters are carefully crafted and their relationships & interactions are believable and convincing while also subverting your expectations just enough to feel original & refreshing. It's so rare that a love story doesn't make me want to throw up a little, & Celia maybe the best written heroine I have read in a long, long time. I almost couldn't put this book down & that almost never happens to me.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer

Just read it. That's all I can really say.

The New York Trilogy, by Paul Auster

So the "trilogy" (City of Glass, Ghosts, The Locked Room) is really just one book. Like it doesn't even make sense to review them separately.

And um, wow. Crazy & interesting & clearly with SO much going on below the surface. (Now that I know how everything ties together, I may need to read it again to really get it.) Dream-like & spooky & incredibly well-written.

From a Washington Post Review - "Ever since City of Glass, the first volume of his New York Trilogy, Auster has perfected a limpid, confessional style, then used it to set disoriented heroes in a seemingly familiar world gradually suffused with mounting uneasiness, vague menace and possible hallucination. His plots — drawing on elements from suspense stories, existential récit and autobiography — keep readers turning the pages, but sometimes end by leaving them uncertain about what they've just been through." I'd say that's about right.

Short, though, even with all three put together. I could've gone on reading this for weeks.

Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt

Great & entertaining read. Yes, pretty bleak at times, but with enough light & humorous (and occasional absurd) moments to keep it from becoming completely & utterly depressing. I couldn't stop laughing over the part where his grandmother gets mad at him for throwing up God in her backyard & makes him go to confession.

Fire, by Kristin Cashore

Similar to Graceling in style, but definitely a bit more adult & mature in tone & in the nature of the plot. I enjoyed Graceling, but it was pretty squarely YA, whereas Fire is more NA. Looking forward to more from Kristin Cayshore.

Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson

A fantastic and enjoyable read (in spite of the fact that it boasts 1130 pages). Much easier to read (and funnier) than I expected (and really nothing like Quicksilver, though many of the big themes are the same). An epic and well-written story about the connections between economics, politics, war, and technology.