Jan 13. A moving and suspenseful tale of love, language and memory. Lisey's recollections of her life with husband Scott appear at first to be digressions, but become crucial to resolving the "present" story of her problems with an over-eager fan. A very different King book, and possibly my new favourite. Mare Winningham's reading is touching and masterful. I will always hear it in her voice.

Feb 19. In the sequel to The Real Story, Donaldson expands his story to include the Amnion, the directors of the UMCP, and the desperate power play between Morn Hyland and Nick Succorso. Gripping stuff, but just as brutal as the first volume. Recommended, but not an easy read.

Mar 17. Mostly concerning the characters' internal struggles, Chaos and Order is the hardest Gap book to get through. There's action: space battles, assassination attempts and treacherous plots. And the characters' turmoil drives the story forward as much as events do. But I wished the characters weren't quite so introspective. Nevertheless, a cut well above the average.

Mar 24. Brought in for questioning about a murder of which she is innocent, Dolores Claiborne confesses to another. Written around the same time as Gerald's Game, and tenuously linked to it. A simpler story and tighter writing makes Dolores Claiborne the better of the two. Frances Sternhagen gives a wonderful performance in the audio version. Highly recommended.

Apr 15. Linked to King's Desperation, but best read separately to avoid distraction. The Regulators is a nasty, brutal tale of TV violence unleashed on American suburbia. It's a taut suspenseful thriller with a satisfying - although a somewhat ambiguous - ending. While supernatural elements reveal King's influence, the merciless violence and sense of hopelessness make this novel all Bachman's.

Apr 30. A collection of three stories about travelers whose journeys take a strange turn. The first story, a novella called "The Ballad of Road Mama and Daddy Bliss" is the strongest of the three, with suspenseful plot, an unpredictable course of events and compelling characters. The other two, while much shorter, give different perspectives on the common theme. Recommended.

May 7. Actually, Dune: Advent, a fan-written sequel to Frank Herbert's Dune series, available here: http://www.usul.net/fandom/marco/frames.html It's surprisingly well-written, and it continues some of the main themes that Herbert explored, but two-thirds into the story, it gets a little bizarre. Recommended if you want a different take on how the series ends.

May 26. A strange, checkered tale of horror, sex and hollywood satire. It reads like a series of short stories rather than a cohesive novel, although the end ties back neatly to the beginning. A little uneven, and the railing against hollywood superficiality gets repetitive, but entertaining enough. I don't think I'll read Garris again, though.

Jun 2. A collection of 12 tales, taken mostly from the mid 70s. Most of the stories are about robots or computers, and are generally longer than average. An uneven collection, but enjoyable and interesting. A few - including the title story - stand out as exceptional. This is a good place to start if you're new to Asimov, and not a bad collection for the fan to own, either.

Jun 16. A man with a lost memory gradually learns of his past, while being pursued by an assassin. A little tedious at first, with long descriptions of international banking, pedantic discussions to justify the somewhat contrived plot, and unbelievable characters. However, the last third of the book is a whirlwind sequence of plot and counter-plot. Recommended for the patient.

Jul 23. Linden Avery takes center stage in this third Covenant series. The threats to the Land are more subtle, and Lord Foul's involvement less clear. But there are some fascinating developments, cleverly built on events from the previous series. Many problems are raised, and not much is resolved in this first novel, but it's highly recommended for readers of the first two series.

Jul 30. More King than Bachman, and a great King novel at that. It's short, taut and suspenseful, but there's real heart here, too. The back story of Blaze's past is really just a way to make us empathize for him, but King/Bachman has the skills to pull it off. Likewise, Blaze's connection with baby Joe is completely believable. Don't leave this one on the shelf.

Aug 12. Volume 6 gives information about Voldemort's past, adds a dash of teenage romance, and sets up events for Deathly Hallows. This leaves little room for day-to-day school events and comic relief, and Half-Blood Prince lacks some of the charm of previous volumes as a result. Nevertheless, the stakes are raised, Voldemort has the upper hand, and Volume 7 awaits. Are you going to stop now?

Aug 25. The first part of this volume describes the development of the Return of the King. It is interesting to see how close - and yet how different - Tolkien's first conceptions were. The second and third parts describe the further development (from vol V) of the Numenor legend, in a wholly different framework. Fascinating stuff. Recommended if you like this sort of thing.

Sep 9. An outstanding novel that pulls your emotions in every direction possible. Great (if damaged) characters, wonderful dialogue, and a suspenseful and unpredictable plot. There are scenes of violence, horrible child abuse, suspense and redemption, but none are gratuitous or exploitative. I will definitely read Braunbeck's next novel (or short story collection, if that comes out next).

Sep 18. Banks' fourth non-SF novel, Espedair Street lacks the macabre edge that typified its predecessors, and its structure is simpler. But that's not a bad thing. The characters are memorable, the plot avoids any rock biopic cliches, and there are, as usual, laugh out loud moments. Banks' writing is as taut and interesting as ever, too, without any gimmicks to hide behind. Recommended.

Sep 25. A short, unremarkable novella of a mysterious pregnancy in a small town at halloween. Taking elements from horror stories you probably already know, it never feels fresh or original. Still, for a read of an hour or so, it's entertaining enough, and the sketches are well done. Wait for it to show up in an anthology, though.

Oct 17. A solid fantasy from Stephen King, with equal parts fairy tale and suspense novel mixed in. Possibly a little disjointed at first, with numerous flashbacks and memories delaying the "main story", but still a great read for adults and teens alike.

Oct 29. A book for teens, but entertaining and intriging enough for adults. Requires the usual suspension of disbelief, but avoids many of the usual "fairies in modern times" cliches. Nathaniel Parker is a wonderful reader, with an extraordinary array of accents and voices. Recommended.

Nov 24. Vol X recounts Tolkien's further development of the Valinorian Silmarillion tales, after he had completed the Lord of the Rings. These revisions integrated LotR elements into the 1937 Silmarillion versions. Also included are fascinating essays Tolkien wrote while re-imagining fundamental concepts of his world. Great stuff, and leads inevitably to Vol 11.