The Running Man by Richard Bachman
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Overview:
In some ways this book felt like a precursor to Ready Player One. We've got a nobody character with the odds stacked against him trying to avoid being snuffed out by a soulless corporate entity. In both books the protagonist is in a race to earn a fortune, and in both cases there is a desperate despair to the state of the world. The Running Man was a quick read full of tension and social commentary. Be forewarned however that racism and misogyny abound.

The Knights of Crystallia by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm reading this series with my seven-year-old daughter, and she loves it so much she can't wait for bedtime reading. Almost every day she tells me how excited she is to see what happens next. In my opinion, any book that gets a kid that excited about reading is doing something very right.

Lake Silence by Anne Bishop
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Overview:
If you were sad to say goodbye to to Meg Cabot and Simon Wolfgard, I strongly recommend you pick up this book. While this story is not directly related to the original books, the world of the Others continues to be intriguing and engaging, and Bishop's writing is top-notch.

World building:
This book is set in the world of the other slightly after the end of the original series. The brief human rebellion against the others has been crushed and things are pretty much back to normal except that the elders are paying more attention to the two-legged predators who share their land than they did before.

The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Overview:
This was a fast-paced origin story with a unique mythos. I'd recommend it for fans of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series.

Characters & Voice:
The first thing to strike me about this book was that it was written in present tense. Personally, always find a present tense narrative a bit jarring. It takes me longer to lose myself in the story. That said, it was well done. Just something to bear in mind if you (like me) have a tense preference.

The online book tour for Courting Darkness is officially underway!

The Scrivener’s Bones by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Overview:
A great continuation of the adventures of Alcatraz Smedry. In this second installment, Alcatraz isn't starting from zero. He's been established as the leader (however incompetent) of the group, and the challenges and stakes are ratcheted up accordingly.