I feel like I have been reading a lot less since I came back from Lousiana. Maybe it’s because I’m finishing up the Mayfair Witches trilogy by Anne Rice and have been immersed in nothing but flowery, gothic, weird, incestual plotlines for the last two months?

I read A Confederacy of Dunces as “homework” for my trip. I actually enjoyed the book quite a bit, it really reminded me of Youth in Revolt. Book smart, street stupid protagonist (if you can even call Ignatius that), an intelligent love interest whose motives are often questionable and everyone else existing solely to give the protagonist proof of his own (false) superiority.

The Witching Hour was my saviour when our flight was delayed, resulting in an extended layover in Houston and another night in Seattle. It’s well written tawdriness and Anne Rice’s descriptions of New Orleans are absolute perfection. She really captures the decaying beauty and southern gothic spirit of the city. There are about a billion characters in this book but luckily I love a good dynasty and I found the Mayfair family history utterly absorbing. I immediately recommended it to Jessica (that means I loved it).

Lasher verged on being a bit too “sci-fi” for my tastes. I’m really more of a ghost person than weird what evers. It was still a fast read for me though, even if I had to be Jessica’s “sponsor” for some of the more… ahem, challenging scenes. Now I’m reading Taltos and after that I think I am due for another ten year Anne Rice break.

Book-to-reads: Ka’iulani: Crown Princess of Hawai’i by Nancy Webb and Jean Francis Webb, Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Sussan, Barney’s Version by Mordechai Richler (I owe it to Jordan, even if I doubt he’ll ever read MY favourite book, Kushiel’s Dart).