Conviction by Aaron Allston

This book brings both Natasi Daala's reign as Chief of State and Tahiri Veila's trial to their closes. Luke, Ben, and Vestara track Abeloth to a strange planet with an insidious kind of insect/parasite and a twisted relation to the force that you may remember from Planet of Twilight. There's some pretty good MacGyver-type solutions to seemingly insurmountable obstacles, which on the one hand marks most Star Wars fiction, but on the other, it's much more fun to read about characters who aren't entirely in control. I'm particularly interested to see what happens to Tahiri, Ben, and Vestara after this outing.

A Forest Apart by Troy Denning

In this novella Malla and Lumpy's visit to Coruscant is marked with adventure when Lumpy's taken hostage by a thief in Princess Leia's chambers. The plot allows Chewbacca to work out some of his feelings about being an absentee parent (all those times we see Chewie gallivanting around the galaxy with Han and Leia--just think of the wife and child he's left back home on Kashyyk!). This story is a bit of light reading--entertaining, but nothing that will make the other Star Wars novels unclear.

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

I enjoyed this book which imagines the story of the first Wampanoag graduate of Harvard (Caleb) from the perspective of a minister's daughter (Bethia) who befriends him. The figure of Caleb is historical, but Brooks admits in a note that she has imagined his character. I particularly liked the book's attention to religion and the role of religion in the early settlement of New England, and the book's interest in education: especially in who gets it and in under what conditions. Finally, the book paid a lot of fruitful attention to what a cross-cultural friendship might look like. Another satisfying read from this author.

The Squire's Quest by Gerald Morris

In this book our attention returns to Gawain's squire, Terence, who has aged, but is still pretty sharp. He's worried because he hasn't heard from his family at Avalon for quite some time. Furthermore, a young man called Mordred has turned up at court, and while he impresses almost everyone, a few (including Terence and Kai) remain skeptical. There's a long bit with the Emperor of the Roman Empire (in Constantinople) and a Romeo and Juliet type plot, too. Overall, I liked this book; it seems to be shoring things up as they draw toward a conclusion.

The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

I particularly enjoyed how this book brought all its characters together for the climax in Tear. As the story wends its way on, I find myself wanting most to know about the back history of the world. Why is there a taint on saidin (the male half of the One Power)? Can this taint be cured? I enjoyed watching Nynaeve, Elayne, and Egwene team up to hunt the Black Ajah.

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters

This book unfurls its story by moving backwards in time. While I enjoyed the portrayal of London during the Blitz, and while I found it intriguing to tease out the dense web of inter-relationships between the characters, I wasn't quite sure what arranging the book backwards added to the telling of the story (except perhaps as a bit of bragging--look how clever I am!--on the author's part).

The Song is You by Arthur Phillips

This book takes us into the musical world of Julian Donahue, who lives through his iPod. We see the crossed-signals he gets and gives as he becomes increasingly obsessed with a young, Irish singer whose music is all the rage. There's a sort of rough humor to this book. I enjoyed piecing it out, and I liked the story, but this book is not on the same level as The Egyptologist or The Tragedy of Arthur.