God Save the Perfumed Blackout

This week's reading list from the staff:

Alan: "I'm reading an advance copy of BLACKOUT, the third book in Mira Grant's Newsflesh trilogy.  I really enjoyed the first two, FEED and DEADLINE.  They're two of the three best zombie novels out there, along with WORLD WAR Z.  Really, those three books (plus, I'm sure, BLACKOUT) are completely in a class by themselves.  No one else take a science-fictional approach to zombies (i.e. one in which things actually have to make logical sense, rather than just sounding good)."

Claud: "PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER by Patrick Süskind
, A BOOK OF TONGUES by Gemma Files [re-read, getting ready for A TREE OF BONES]
, and ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE: A LIFE by Alison Weir"

Heather: "Still reading A STORM OF SWORDS by George R.R. Martin."

Jude: "Since I couldn't wrestle BLACKOUT from Alan, I'll be starting to read that at 12:01 a.m. tonight (Tuesday).  I've also picked up an advance copy of THE RAPTURE OF THE NERDS by Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross and an advance copy of GOD SAVE THE QUEEN by Kate Locke (see Naamen's comments)."

Naamen: "Just finished GOD SAVE THE QUEEN by Kate Locke, first book in The Immortal Empire where it's 2012 and a vampire Queen Victoria still reigns and all of the aristocracy are vampires or werewolves. A fun, fast-paced romp through a really great present-day urban steampunk. Not usually a big fan of steampunk but this one won me over almost right away.
CREWEL by Gennifer Albin - A fresh and interesting take on YA Science Fiction about women called Spinsters, who can weave time and matter and therefore control every aspect of people's lives. I always enjoy a confident young female protagonist determined to make her own way and this book has that in spades."

Cary: "Reading an advance copy of WHAT IN GOD'S NAME by Simon Rich (comes out this August).  God wants to end the earth and to prevent it, two angels make a bet with God -- they'll get two socially clueless strangers to go on a date.  With in a month.  Or it's all over.  Reminds me of Christopher Moore."