In June:

- A Betrayal in Winter, Daniel Abraham - Some flaws, but very good. I wish there was more fantasy like this.
- The Map of Time, Felix J Palma - Fun, but otherwise unimpressive. Would make for the perfect popcorn novel if it wasn't so long.
- Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of the World, Haruki Murakami - An interesting idea, but flat prose and characters that seem incapable of being surprised or bothered by anything make it a difficult book to enjoy. The novel is one of Murakami's first and this is, I believe, easy to see. Brief flashes of stunning prose hint at what Murakami is capable of and what I encountered when I read After Dark last year.

In July:

- I have decided to give Daniel Polansky's LOW TOWN a second chance. My last attempt ended on the second page, when the narrator held up a mirror and described himself. For a while there, I thought that I might have been a little harsh, perhaps too quick to judge, but a quick poll on Twitter told me that, at the very least, I am not the only person who hates this or thinks it an example of lazy writing. The book has been getting all sorts of praise though, so I figured I would give it another go and see if I was too hasty in my decision to drop it.

I am probably thirty or forty pages in and I don't think I made the wrong decision in putting it aside. My biggest problem with the book is that the author strives to write a dark'n'gritty urban fantasy, but really only manages to come across as suffering from a severe case of Trying Too Hard. There's a chance the author might catch his stride as the book goes on, so I will stick with it a little longer.
- I am still reading David Albahari's Leeches. A decent book, but slow going.

Planned for July, though subject to change:

- The Devil All the Time, Daniel Ray Pollock
- The Golden Age, Michal Ajvaz
- The Secret History of Moscow, Ekaterina Sedia

I am not as excited to read A Dance with Dragons as others are, but I might get it out from the library if I am able. I will reserve my money for the long list of other books I'd like to buy first.