I had what I hope was a good interview earlier today.  The job seems like one that would be fun, interesting and challenging.  So I'm hopeful.

Last night was spent finishing "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance" by Lois McMaster Bujold.  If anyone reading this hasn't read her Vorkosigan series, ignore everything that follows and go read "Cordelia's Honor" instead (which essentially starts the series).  For everyone else, this is the long awaited book focusing on Miles' severely overshadowed and underappreciated cousin Ivan.  It is the first one that shows events from his viewpoint, and therefore adds depth and understanding to his character.  Turns out he's not the "idiot" everyone calls him.  Instead, Ivan is the unambitious person in a group of overachievers (or, to paraphrase a comment of his, the only one who isn't an adrenaline junky), the smart person in a group of geniuses and, maybe, the tortoise in a family of hares.

Bujold has said that many of her books start with imagining the worst thing she can do to a character and then seeing how they cope.  This is certainly true of "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance", starting with the fact that Ivan is a character who wouldn't want to have a book about himself in the first place.  Then think of everything else that you imagine Ivan wanting to avoid and it probably comes up at some point (which I am hoping isn't a spoiler for people who haven't read the book yet).  I think my favorite in the series remains "A Civil Campaign" but this one is certainly enjoyable and will be reread (probably multiple times) with pleasure.