Where are the Snowdens of yesteryear?

In an exciting last minute development, it's HOT. Yes, yes: You folks in Texas, New Mexico and other locations in and around the Warm World, please feel free to laugh.

Today's mission, which I see no way out of taking on, more's the pity, is to rewrite what I'm fondly calling Chapter Nine, replacing it with a new!exciting!and balanced! Chapter Nine which is the same shape and weight as the existing!lopsided!and boring! Chapter Nine. Don't get me wrong, the existing Chapter Nine is all very well, for a placeholder, but now I've got to get serious.

Viewed correctly, this could be fun.

Update: 2006 Book Log

...basically just a list for my own information...

The Carousel Keepers, Carrie Papa
The Celestial Steam Locomotive, Michael Coney
Worldwired, Elizabeth Bear
Fire Sanctuary, Katharine Eliska Kimbriel
Pretender, C.J. Cherryh
Will in the World, Stephen Greenblatt
Skeletons in the Zahara, Dean King
Dead to the World, Charlaine Harris
Dead as a Doornail, Charlaine Harris
Saturday Night at Moody's Diner, Tim Sample
Fruits Basket, Volumes 8-13, Natsuki Takaya
Uglies, Scott Westerfield
Pretties, Scott Westerfield
It Happened in Maine, Gail Underwood Parker