Monday Morning Update

I wanted to post a short update as I've got a feeling I'll be a little quiet on here for the next couple of weeks. Work is really getting busy and with the students due in next Monday for Fresher's Week and then the semester starting properly on September 28th, I'm going to be pretty hectic. So...

I've got a couple of reviews to write up at the moment - Emperor's Mercy and The Colour of Magic - both of which I'm hoping to get done and up by the end of the week. For some insane reason I'm also reading seven books at the moment - I can't explain why, I just kept on wanting to read something different.

• Winter Song by Colin Harvey: This is set in a very interesting universe and I'm enjoying it so far, definitely high on the list.
• The Mammoth Book of Mindblowing SF edited by Mike Ashley: I've had this by the bed for quite some time now, but each story has been enjoyable and it's always nice to read something shorter.
• The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King: I'm listening to this over the weekends while at home doing various bits and bobs, suffice to say I'm enjoying my return to Roland's world.
• Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein: I started listening to this a couple of weeks ago but wasn't enjoying the narration so I picked up a copy from the library to finish it off.
• Mindstar Rising by Peter F Hamilton: love Peter's work and Greg Mandel is a nice, quick read - this is one I'm reading because I love it.
• Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card: I'm listening to this on my ipod and in the car at the moment - loving it. It's got excellent narration and the story is really sucking me in.
• Fast Ships, Black Sails edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer: An anthology of pirate stories, can you ask for a better subject matter? Two stories in and I've got a feeling this will be in the top five reads of the year!

It's also getting to that time of year when I start looking at what I've got on my shelf and what I want to read that was released this year. There are a couple I need to pick up, but on the whole I feel that I'm not doing too bad with keeping up with releases in the UK. There is a publisher or two that I'm not as up-to-date with as I'd like, but these things will always happen. Now I need to organise my to-read stack so I can get the most out of 2009.

Oh, and it's my birthday on the 20th so I'm hoping to add a few more books to the stack then :)