dreams of pirate ships and patty hearst

I've fallen out of the habit of cataloging the books I read. But, still, good to have an occasional reminder of what I thought!

Recently:

Dreams Made Flesh by Anne Bishop. A collection of stories set in the Black Jewels universe, from the origin story of the Jewels to the story that tells of what happens after the events of Queen of the Darkness. Not too bad - mostly had the same strengths and weaknesses as the original trilogy. My favorite story, though, was the one about Lucivar and Marian - a completely enjoyable romantic fantasy story, with just the right balance between tension and the interactions between the characters we already love. I was left slightly disappointed, however, by the final story, which seems to draw the story of Jaenelle and her followers to a close. It wasn't bad - I think she did the characters justice - but she muddied it with too much peripheral story. I would have been happier with less intrigue from outside. But, all in all, a good anthology, good additions to a rich universe.

Sherwood by Parke Godwin. I'm always a sucker for Robin Hood stories, and I couldn't believe I'd never gotten to this one when I found it at the used book store. I really liked it - I was intrigued by the decision to relocate Robin from the time of Richard the Lionheart to the time of William the Conqueror. It makes sense, gives the rebellion a believable cause. What I liked more, though, was the incredibly complex character of Ralf Fitz-Gerald, Sheriff of Nottingham, who really went through more of a profound hero's transformation throughout the story than Robin did. Good stuff, recommended if historical(ish) fiction is your thing.

On the TBR shelf, Laura Anne Gilman's Staying Dead, an MTV book that Karen lent me, a Jennifer Crusie book that Karen also lent me, and Nora Roberts' Angels Fall. No idea what I'm in the mood for. Actually, that's not true, I'm in the mood for rachelcaine's new book, but I don't have that one yet. Boo, hiss. ;)