I have so, so many books that I should read, but "political shenanigans and maneuvering and awesomeness" sounds great. After exams (hm, my last one is tomorrow and I really should study for it), I'm going to figure out just how much of that I can work into my "politics are totally cool, folks" story for Avatar. I'm still working out exactly what happened, but things got darker and the world is unhappy and it's a loose cross to V for Vendetta.

Tamora Pierce's latest for Tortall have been very fun. I never saw Buffy, but Pierce admitted in an interview that she based the new male lead on Spike. (I've never seen interview credit for it, but I strongly suspect that Joren of Stone Mountain is Draco II.) Trickster's was one of her best yet. All kinds of political rumblings and espionage and a tricky line for good guy/bad guy.