Jingo by Terry Pratchett

This book is definitely one of the better City Watch Discworld novels. When a small island appears in waters between Klatch and Ankh-Morpork, both countries claim the territory as their own and prepare to go to war. But as the Watch quickly finds out, some of the diplomatic incidents that precede the war stink. I found this book to be quite funny and a good satire on war and politics. I also loved the Leonard of Quirm character--great take on Leonardo da Vinci!

Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones

This book continues the adventures of Alcatraz Smedry, an orphan who discovers that he has supernatural powers and that the world is bigger than he knows. Again, there's a lot of meta-fictional commentary on what authors do, and why they do it. There's also a neat conception of the Library of Alexandria (not destroyed, but moved). The plot twists may be a bit contrived at points, but this series is a lot of fun.

Emmanuel Appadocca, or, Blighted Life: A Tale of the Boucaneers by Maxwell Philip

This novel focuses on Emmanuel Appadocca's attempt to avenge himself and his mother on his father, who abandoned them both. It has elements of both the gothic and sentimental romances. Appadocca sees his piracy in a Robin-Hood light; he avoids stealing from those who have made their money honestly. An intriguing tale of adventure on the high seas.

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym by Edgar Allan Poe

This novel follows the adventures of Arthur Gordon Pym, after he stows away on a whaling ship and finds himself in the midst of one disaster after another. Mutiny, piracy, cannibalism, and betrayal are all part of this story. Although the plot is wild, this book is more interesting for its unconventional form. At times narrative, at times journal, it ends abruptly--apparently the death of Pym himself (an event too well-known, according to the editorial "Poe" voice, to need further explanation) has cut off the explanation of how Pym and Dirk Peters escape their latest predicament (and why the color white is so terrifying on Antarctica). While the story is a little out-of-control (one problem piles onto another), it poses some very interesting questions about race, community, and narration.

The Heroic Slave by Frederick Douglass

This novella tells the story of Madison Washington, an enslaved man who leads a rebellion on the Creole while being sent from Virginia to be sold in New Orleans. Although the story is based on true events, the life of Washington before the mutiny is fictionalized. The story never adopts the perspective of Washington; events are narrated first through the lens of Mr. Listwell and then sailors who had been on the ship. There are some gothic moments in this otherwise sentimental story.

Blood Lite III: Aftertaste edited by Kevin J. Anderson

This collection was better than the first two because fewer of the stories fell flat. I still think that there's a high percentage of stories that don't quite get the humor, but Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden story was great. The shorter stories (such as the contract provided by the Maleficium software company) were often funnier (and more unique in execution) than the longer ones. I might suggest that Harry Dresden fans just read the Jim Butcher story, rather than spend all the time with the whole collection.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

This book was an enjoyable romp through a wonderfully imaginative world: Under London. Under London is full of the people who slip through the cracks--people who most people living in London Above don't see. This London is almost feudal: divided into baronies and operates via trades. Lord Portico attempts to unite Under London, but is murdered. His daughter Door, in her escape from the assassins who killed the rest of her family, inadvertently brings Richard Mayhew, a Scot living in London Above, into her world. The story is, in part, the story of Richard Mayhew's coming into his own, in a really wonderful way. It is also full of red herrings and diversions. Finally, everything comes together in a convincing and delightful way. I look forward to reading more of Neil Gaiman. The narration on the audiobook was really lovely as well.