Recent Read Run-Down

I devoured quite a few books over the last week's vacation.  Many of which are sure to end up on my favorite list and a few others that won't but they were fun to read regardless of their flaws.  I didn't get to Strata (shortly) or To Say Nothing of the Dog (soonish), but I did finish everything else I brought including Empire in Black and Gold, which surpassed all my expectations with a review to come in the next couple of weeks. Here's a bit more on each:

1. Dead to Me by Anton Strout - This one is a bit too on the soft side of Urban Fantasy for me.  I kept wanting it to be darker or deeper, but the agencies created piqued my interest and I'll probably pick-up the second in the series to see if the ante gets raised appropriately. Still the dialogue was quite fun.
2. The Skinner by Neal Asher - The first book in the Spatter Jay series was quite good.  A little slow paced, but still highly recommend for Sci-Fi fans out for something different in the genre.  The only comparable series I can think of is Jeffrey Thomas's Punktown, but vastly different and a bit more Space Operaritic.  Asher certainly has a flair for creating grotesqueries.  After finishing I'm most interested in trying a Polity book, which is the series set in the same universe only 700 years in the past.
3. The Guinea Pig Diaries by A.J. Jacobs - Jacobs as always is very drool. This slim collection features mainly Jacob's writing for Esquire, but most of it was new to me.  The chapter on him out sourcing his life was one of the best along with him doing everything his wife asks for the month, which might give my wife a few bad ideas. I'd recommend waiting for the paperback in July as the cover price is a bit much given its diminutive size.  If you haven't tried Jacobs's memoirs I highly recommend The Year of Living Biblically.
4. Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding -  This will definitely be making it into my top reads of the year even though I still have a few chapters left, but I'm loving every page. Piratry, chicanery, and ambiguous characters in the skies makes this one of the most action filled books akin to Scott Lynch's work. Full review to come and I've already pre-ordered the sequel.