Currant Events by Piers Anthony. As the first book in Anthony's second Xanth cubed trilogy (that's the 28th book in the series), it's just, well, more of the same zany, pun-filled fantasy. Clio, the Muse of History, discovers that one of her Xanth history books is already written although she doesn't recall writing it let alone reading it. So it's off to the Good Magician Humfrey to find an answer to that conundrum and on her quest, she must restock Xanth with dragons and come to terms with her body image as well. Fluffy fun, as usual, especially for those Xanth fans but the book's themes--or what's there anyway--is nothing new.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman. It seems like everyone has already read this tale by the time I got to it, but at least my enjoyment of it wasn't spoiled by all the glowing reviews. Coraline is a young girl who moves into an old house that's been turned into an apartment building with her somewhat oblivious parents. The neighbors, are to put it lightly, a bit weird--a pair of aging actresses and an old man training circus mice. Bored, Coraline takes to counting all the doors in the house and stumbles onto one door that leads into a parallel universe where there are her "other" parents who look just like her own except for button eyes and even creepier neighbors. It's just short of scary--a perfect read for a dark day.
The Misted Cliffs by Catherine Asaro. Firmly in the sword and sorcery genre is the second book in Asaro's fantasy world (started in The Charmed Sphere). Cobalt the Dark, a man with a tortured past and a terrifying reputation, frees his father Varquelle--the deposed king of Harsdown, and plots to take regain the country by marrying Melody, the current heir to the throne of Harsdown. The marriage alliance, however, doesn't prevent Cobalt from waging war with the neighboring countries and it is up to Mel and her blossoming magical powers to help her husband overcome the inner demons stemming from his abused childhood. An interesting tale--although it treads no new ground--and there is enough foreshadowing from Cobalt's cruel grandfather to the deposed rulers of the conquered countries for the reader to look forward to the next volume.
