Hard to believe it's already mid-August, and the back-to-school ads have already begun to appear--much to my youngest daughter's chagrin. For me, though, it seems like summer's just begun, because at last the rigors of launching a new book are receding AND because here in Seattle the weather, oh-so-belatedly, is starting to deliver the sunny, dry, cool days that make Seattle's summers so amazing, and that make the city's rainy and dark winters tolerable.

At the moment, I'm looking forward to a month of completely escapist lit. Right now I'm twenty pages from the end of a 1970's-era thriller, Black Sunday, by Thomas Harris, best known for his later novel, Silence of the Lambs. Talk about thrillers--this one is dynamite (no pun intended). And speaking of thrillers, I just finished another good one, The Informationist, by Taylor Stevens. If you liked Lisbet Salander in the three Girl Who books, I think you'll like the heroine of this novel as well.

I'm thirty pages into The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, and am thoroughly hooked, like through the eyeball. This is one of those books for which I'll ration my nightly reading, because I don't want to reach the ending too soon.

I've also started reading The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, and I confess I'm pretty much entranced. It's a great book for anyone who finds his or her personal dreams under assault from the naysayers and doom-mongers among us who don't like it when we dream big.

Also in my personal line-up for the next month:

The Leopard, by Jo Nesbo. This is his newest Inspector Harry Hole novel.

Robopocalypse, by Daniel H. Wilson. By the way, I met Wilson for lunch in Toronto last spring, where we both turned up while promoting our books. He's way too smart and talented for someone so young.

And finally, The Last Werewolf, by Glen Duncan. Okay, who doesn't love a book about a werewolf?

Quick note: To all of you who have pointed out the several typos in my newest book, In the Garden of Beasts, thank you!--but please know that thanks to alert early Goodreaders, we were able to correct them all long ago, for readers of forthcoming printings!

Happy end of summer! And for all you kids, I'm so so sorry--but school is only weeks away! Mooohahahahahahaha......