This is a long-ass post. I'm sure the next ones'll be shorter.

Currently

The Runelords / David Farland
I had picked this up two or three times a couple years ago, but couldn't get into it. But in the meantime I've read both the subsequent sequels, Brotherhood of the Wolf and Wizardborn. As with a lot of genre fiction, if the writing is good enough, then the main thing you focus on is the world creation. The idea of "endowments" which allow people to donate their attributes like strength and beauty to other people is interesting, especially in the context of the end-of-the-human-world pressure that comes with the invasion of "Reavers", a creature I can only describe as a combination of insect and dragon.

Anyway, with the idea of endowments (which were the reason I never got into the first book -- felt too D&D in concept), the novels have an interesting through-line about human rights in face of massive danger.

Autobiography / Mark Twain
This is for a project I'm working on. An idea for an alternate history set in Chicago around 1871-1877. I haven't decided on the exact date yet. But may as well use Twain for flavor, even if he doesn't appear.

A Stitch in Time / Gene Elston

Also research for the Alt-Chicago Project. One of the characters I'm thinking about is a black baseball player, so Moses Fleetwood Walker comes to mind. Always go with the catcher, mang. They're always the most interesting ballplayers.

This is a bizarre book, because the chronology is not by year, but by date. So, for example, May 6 has entries for everything important that happened of interest in baseball -- in this case in 1892, 1917, 1953 and 1982. Looking for 19th Cent. baseball info is, obviously, a pain in the ass. Entertaining, though.

Last Few Finished

Soul Music / Terry Pratchett
Interesting Times / Terry Practhett
Small Gods / Terry Practhett
I have a lot of the Discworld books and felt like going through a binge of re-reading.

Dead Sleep / Greg Iles
Serial killa thrilla. Iles is really good at keeping the copy tight and fast. So when all the pretty interesting characterization comes up against some "whut th'?" plot twists, it's fine, just fine.

The Tipping Point / Malcolm Gladwell
Kind of an amazing book about decision-making, and group adoption/excitement of things into the culture. Also amazing in that I don't remember him using the word "meme" once.

Active

Stone Dancer / Murray Smith
This is a fine spy novel about currency counterfeiting and various James Bond-ish espionage, with a faint tinge of Le Carre.

I'm only about halfway through the book. I've been saving it for reading on the El, on my way to meetings and so on. I'd've been finished with this about three weeks ago if I'd felt like reading it on the crapper or anything.

Mr. Clemens and Mark Twain / Justin Kaplan
Iron Men, Iron Will: The 19th Indiana Regiment of the Iron Brigade / Craig L. Dunn
Forged in Battle: The Civil War Alliance of Black Soldiers and White Officers / Joseph T. Glatthaar
Terrible Swift Sword / Bruce Catton (the man! the legend!)
The Story of American Freedom / Eric Foner
American Heritage History of the United States / Douglas Brinkley

This is all for the Alt-Chicago Project. I doubt I'll read them all in their entirety, just scan and skim. On a random note, it's always amusing to read Eric Foner. I never really got along with the guy during college, but, man, are his books good.