Suck on this, Captain Trips

Boulder won't save you now.



Yes, this was the productive thing I did instead of climbing tonight. :P Monoceros vampyrus sparklensis was a sneaky little parasite, creeping out of Madagascar and slowly infecting the world, leaving only glittery hoofprints in its wake. Greenland kept its hospital open till the very last, frantically searching for a vaccine (the first attempt failed miserably), but finally the valiant doctors succumbed to fever and fatigue and fluid in the lungs. After that, the rest of the world's survivors became depressed (no shit), so I unleashed a plague of madness to cheer people up. It didn't take long after that.

In other news, Gretchen is asleep on the couch, snuggling with Alberto the eyeless monkey. It's very charming.

And of course, happy birthday atheilen! Happy birthday truepenny!

Reading recs: Pretty intrigue edition

Help me, o my flist and o the delight of my eyes! I'm trying to wake up some characters, and would like other people's books to read to do so. I'm looking for court intrigue type stories--plotting and scheming and assassinations and pretty clothes. Smart and pretty and devious with conflicted loyalties. Obviously fantasy is my first choice, but I'll take SF or historicals or even modern thrillers if they have the right sort of vibe. Anything to get these slacker characters pulling their weight.

What books do you recommend?