The Drawing of the Three, by Stephen King. Ah, the Dark Tower epic. So addictive. For as thick as this book is, it reads fast. This second novel of the series in what a forward describes is supposed to in truth be one gigantically long uber-novel serves mainly to introduce more main characters; as such not as much seems to happen in it as the first novel, but that might just be because the main plot doesn't advance forward so much. Because a lot certainly happens in the course of introducing and fleshing out the eponymous-by-title three. As a sidenote, it's especially interesting how King often lends a completely secondary and tangential character a couple pages of background or character sketching, and then all of a sudden what would have been a random, forgettable scene becomes that much more memorable, and takes on that much more weight (kind of a reverse of the future-flash for the secondary characters in the film Run Lola Run).

Test of the Twins, by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. This was my favorite out of the second Dragonlance trilogy (courtesy once again of Mr. Bryce). For one, it actually expanded the characters out from the few the previous to novels had been kind of stiflingly centered on. Two, it actually approached the sense of 'epic' the first two novels wanted, but didn't achieve. Three, the time time travel schtick is handled tastefully and with aplomb in this novel. And four, there's relatively none of the bloody kender (to reiterate, that race in which there is constant disregarding of that which makes them uncomfortable, rationalizing of actions, and a complete lack of understanding of consequences). In that vein, a quote, (which I think you'd like, t) -
"They [the other kender] don't seem to understand. They just don't...well...care. It's hard - caring - isn't it, Caramon? It hurts sometimes."
"Yes, Tas," Caramon said quietly. They had entered a shady grove of trees. Tanis was waiting for them, standing beneath a tall, graceful aspen whose new spring leaves glittered golden in the morning sun. "It hurts a lot of the time. But the hurt is better than being empty inside."

Witty columns by Lore Sjöberg, for spare-time enjoyment