Let's hop aboard the Booktastic Bus!

A couple of my favorite authors have new books out, and I wouldn't be doing my job as a blogging bookworm if I didn't mention them...

I've just finished George Pelecanos' new one, Drama City. It's a good, fast read, although IMO not his best (that would be King Suckerman or Hell to Pay). But Pelecanos ranges from good (his pre-1994 books) to very good (where this one falls), to absolutely brilliant, to the point where I've literally shaken my head in admiration. It's great that he's so prolific, even though he's a writer and producer on The Wire (which just got renewed).

Also, Chuck Palahniuk's new one, Haunted, comes out in May. It's a short story collection with a connecting storyline (and FWIW, the Amazon page gives away what I would consider spoilers). He's hit or miss with me (didn't like Invisible Monsters, couldn't get into Fight Club, but loved Choke), but he writes the type of fiction I would like to. In fact, I consider the Halliburton holiday story I wrote last December a Palahniuk pastiche (or rip-off, it's the same thing).

So, these guys will probably get my money down the road. And with the disintegrating social safety net, that's a high compliment...