I've recently read some pretty cool books. (Thanks, Brandi, for letting me borrow them!) They include:

Lunar Park, by Bret Easton Ellis. I suppose this would be categorized as . . . uh . . . autobiographical fiction? The author is the narrator in this book, but the story quickly takes a turn for the fantastic, incorporating ghosts and Patrick Bateman (the lead character from American Psycho, which Ellis also wrote) and stuffed animals that have been possessed by demonic forces. It's a strange, riveting story about the things that haunt us. And there were times when it scared the living crap out of me.

The Alienist, by Caleb Carr. This is a wonderful piece of historical mystery fiction. It takes place in late 19th century New York City, and involves a small group of people who employ a new-fangled practice called 'forensics' in their efforts to find a serial killer. It's really a fascinating peek into another era. Bonus: Teddy Roosevelt is a character.

Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro. Wow, this one was a doozy. A beautiful story about a group of children attending a special school. I can't say much more . . . half the fun of this book is discovering what's really going on with these kids. But I can tell you that the story is elegantly written, unflinching, and more than a little heartbreaking.

Other Random Stuff on my Mind:

1. I now have a gorgeous framed poster of There Will Be Blood hanging on my wall. Interior decorators of the world, I drink your milkshake!
2. I just don't understand this Sarah Palin thing. Does McCain really believe that Hillary supporters will rally around his VP pick when the woman is pretty much the ideological opposite of Clinton herself? Does he believe women are so irrational? Are we now, perhaps, going to be prescribed radical shock therapy for our troublesome Victorian hysteria?
3. Check out this trippy piece of retro fabulism. I've been listening to it all week.
4. Did you ever notice that those Halloween costume stores seem to spring up overnight? You wake up one morning and there they are, fully stocked, with their ancient Bill Clinton masks and their sexy nurse costumes. No one ever sees them bringing trucks up to the door. No one sees the workers through the windows busily stocking the shelves. The stores just materialize out of thin air. Then, when the first day of November rolls around, they disappear back into the haze again. It's pretty creepy if you think about it. Like if Brigadoon were a horror movie.