Last night's meeting went well. A full complement of our regulars, old and new, were on hand and we had a long, lively discussion of Connie Willis' Doomsday Book. It wasn't as well received as the previous Willis' title we read, To Say Nothing of the Dog (7.08 vs 8.25 on the IW scale). Despite the middling score, it's a not a book which leaves many readers in the middle. We had three ratings of 10 and a pair of 2's. You either love it or hate it plainly applies here. Next month's book is John Varley's The Golden Globe . I'm off this week and will endeavour to finish it this week. The book's in short supply, so if anyone needs to borrow my copy once I'm done, let me know. For August, Neal Stephenson's Anathem is on our plate.

Today marks the beginning of the second annual Imagicon in Birmingham, this year held at the McWane Science Center and environs. There'll be a number of members around the con, those of us who have them wearing our IW T-shirts Saturday, so keep an eye out. (Getting the newbies some gear will have to be addressed soon.) Of note, you'll want to check out Lou Anders' presentation on Saturday at 11:30 on Pyr Books upcoming titles. The Baen Roadshow follows at 1:00, though not on hand, Moon Princesses have significant influence on them (okay, complete control), so you might want to see what they're up to.

Speaking of Moon Princesses, lastly, and absolutely not to be forgotten, is the room party hosted by them in support of their bid for Deep South Con 50 in Huntsville, June 2012. It's at the Courtyard Marriott UAB Saturday night at 8 pm. Our very own Moon Princess Julie's running the show with able assistance from Princess-in-waiting Laura and various minions. Follow the signs and you'll find the fun. More info's at their Facebook and web web pages.