Spook Country, Gibson
The future has caught up with Gibson, so he’s no longer writing SF, he’s writing contemporary techno-thrillers. But, you know, GOOD ones. I liked seeing some elements from his SF life reappear in this new genre (Afro-Cuban religion, VR visors). Four stars.

Bad Monkeys, Ruff
This book defied my expectations about 3-4 times, in a good way. I was excited, interested, and creeped out. Read the first chapter and tell me you’re not hooked. Four stars.

Emperors of Dreams: Drugs in the Nineteenth Century, Jay
(not at the library, but you can borrow my copy if you are my pal) A very well done tour through the discovery of the effects of and changing attitudes to drugs in the UK and US, many of which were old, but newly introduced to those areas within living memory of that era. I would recommend knocking off after the chapter on cocaine, as the last two are less solid. Four stars.

The Devil You Know, Carey
Solid noir detective yarn set in a world filled with ghosts, were things, and the risen dead. Quite gripping! I’m glad I had a day of poor health to get through it. Three stars.

Zounds!: a browser’s dictionary of interjections, Dunn
I browsed this for quite a while, but decided that I finally just needed to read it all the way through. It’s a very fun book, and Dunn injects a lot of humor and personality into word selection, definition, and examples. Three stars.

The Year of Living Biblically, Jacobs
It turns out that the Encyclopedia Britannica (The know-it-all: one man’s humble quest to become the smartest person in the world) is more interesting than the Bible. Didn’t finish.

Mutter Museum: Historic Medical Photographs, ed. Laura Lindgren
Alternately beautiful and horrifying images from the early days of the use of photography in medical education. The very early photos are taken at photographic studios, with the same props and many of the patients dressing nicely for the occasion. The doctors did what they could (many images are before and after), though not as much as they can now (be grateful for modern medicine). Also, people used to just let things go (or had to) more than they do now (or at least in my neighborhood). Four stars.