More Books for the TBR Pile

The upside of having unreliable post is that you forget what you’ve ordered and then it does arrive, it’s like an early Christmas present. 

Which was what happened with my not-so-recent purchase of Ellen Emerson White’s “White House Autumn” and “Long Live the Queen”.  I ordered them after I finished “The President’s Daughter” (thank you Angie for the rec!), which I read back in October.  And like all of Angie’s recs, it was a good one! 

I don’t think I’ve mentioned this book on the blog, but I did like many elements of the story, not least the peek into life on the campaign trail and in the White House.  Obama’s presidential campaign this time last year caught my imagination, and I admit that certainly contributed towards my fascination with this book.  I have to say that EEW came across as knowing her stuff very well; while I don’t claim to be an expert on politics, the endless press coverage of the US elections meant that we all pretty much became armchair pundits and all the tidbits of political info rang true to me. 

One of the things that did throw me though, was that I opened the book knowing it was written back in the 80s, and then suddenly there was talk of the internet.  I figured out pretty quickly that the book had been rewritten to make it less dated, but this actually disappointed me slightly because one of the things I love about reading older “contemporary” books is absorbing the accepted norms and behaviours of those times.  I would love to know what changes EEW made, and would do a re-read if I could get my hands on the original version.

I am all excited about diving back into Meg’s world and finding out how she grows up in the public spotlight – another two books go on my reading list for the Christmas holidays!

First Week of December…

Thea and Ana at The Book Smugglers have kicked off their annual Smugglivus extravaganza with guest posts and giveaways galore.  It’s only the first week and they’ve already had some very interesting posts.  I can’t wait to see what else they have planned for the rest of the month.

Speaking of which, two more working weeks until the holidays!  Well, until my holidays start, anyway.  I am counting down the days.  And it may be slightly sad, but one of the reasons I am so looking forward to the holidays is that I will finally have enough time to read the recent Diana Gabaldon. I know it came out back in September and I was so excited about it, but it is one hefty tome, and I just haven’t found the time to sit down with it.  So that is definitely on my list of holiday reads – I haven’t planned what else I’ll be reading though.  Any suggestions?

And finally, Juliet Marillier has confirmed that the title of her next Sevenwaters book (squeee) will be “Seer of Sevenwaters” (the working title was “Song of the Island”).  And the heroine will be Sibeal.  It’s due out December 2010 – that will be an excellent Christmas present for next year.

Around the Web – and a Bookstore Closure

The last day of November (yes, I am very aware of how inactive my blog has been for the past month) and it is absolutely freezing.  I wonder if we’re in for snow this year?

Anyway, a few posts around the blogosphere that have caught my eye lately:

Ilona Andrews posted about the difference in writing styles between her Kate Daniels and Edge books – it’s a lot more than just first-person v. third-person POV.  Fascinating stuff.  I also love the note about how her Samhain SF novella “Silent Blade” was written in the style of a Harlequin Presents (or M&B to us UK readers) – no wonder it felt so familiar!

On tor.com, their art director, Irene Gallo, posted about The Covers that Got Away, that is, covers that for some reason didn’t make the final cut.  We’re not talking the small tweaks we tend to see for most covers; instead, the two examples she gives are radical redesigns.  I adore the original Charles de Lint cover with a skeleton puppet – I’ve never read his books but that cover would have definitely caught my attention.

And finally, not blog-related but certainly book-related, Borders UK went into administration last week (note that they are a completely separate company from the US operation).  I’m not entirely surprised by this – the last time I went in there, their ground floor was crammed with non-book displays, which left me wondering who they were targeting.  I mean, if I wanted plush toys or jewellery boxes, I certainly wouldn’t have thought of going to Borders!

Sad news, however, not just for the employees who must be pretty much in limbo now, but also for readers.  I remember when Borders was the best place to get American imports in London – now, with the internet allowing you to purchase a wider variety of books for lower prices (and possibly more quickly too), it was probably a losing battle.

Waterstones is now the only specialist bookstore chain in London – and yes, I am all for supporting local independents, except there aren’t actually any near me!  Note to self: must go more often to Charing Cross Road.

Books for November

Mid-November and I’ve only read two books.  At this rate, I’ll need to stop eyeing up the new releases, else it will be a losing battle against my TBR pile.  Maybe it’s a good thing there aren’t that many November releases that I want.  I think.

I’m definitely going to get Nalini Singh’s “Blaze of Memory” (paranormal romance), the latest in her Psy/Changeling series.  An autobuy for me really – this series has not grown stale and I love the strong romance in each book, combined with the excellent overall plot arc and world-building.  So far, Ms Singh just keeps on getting better and better with each book, although saying that, I’m slightly embarrassed to say that “Angel’s Blood”, the first book in her other series, is still sitting in my TBR pile.

Out now (excerpt here)

 

And then there’s Charlaine Harris’ “Grave Secret” (urban fantasy), the fourth book in Ms Harris’ “other” series, i.e. the one that is getting slightly less attention than her Sookie Stackhouse books.  I think this is the final book, but I’m not 100% sure.  Renee of Renee’s Book Addiction and Carolyn of The Thrillionth Page did a rather timely “Sleeper Series” post on these books.

I’ve just checked and the UK version (published by Gollancz with the cover on the right) isn’t out until January.  I wish the publishers would sync up their international releases.  Also, I much prefer the US covers for all of Charlaine Harris’s books.  The UK ones are pretty generic UF, IMO.

Out now (US anyway) and PDF excerpt here

 

And finally, I have just bought the anthology “The Dragon Book” (fantasy), edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois, and with stories by some of my favourite authors, including Naomi Novik and Tamora Pierce (and yes, it’s a Tortall story and no prizes for guessing the main character).  Oh, and Diana Gabaldon.  Ana from The Book Smugglers reviewed it last week, and I pretty much ordered it immediately.

Out now (more details on contributors here, with an excerpt that I haven’t looked at, because it’s a large PDF)

 

The maybes for November?  I will probably get around to buying Katie Macalister’s “Me and My Shadow” (paranormal romance), the latest in her Silver Dragon books, at some point.  IIRC, my copy of the previous book in this series had some chapters in the wrong order, which didn’t exactly improve my reading experience, especially since I didn’t figure that out until much later in the book. 

And Linda Howard’s “Ice” (romantic suspense) – normally an autobuy author, but I hear it’s a hardcover coming in at 200-odd pages.  And I haven’t adored her most recent books.  Probably a borrow-from-library book for me.

Linkage and Stuff

Via Jessica’s Monday Morning Stepback post at Racy Romance Reviews, I hopped over to Courtney Milan’s blog where she gives her take on Publishers Weekly’s top ten books of the year – the all-male one.

And wow.  Both the post and her responses in the comments?  I am in awe.  Plus I learnt what disemvoweling means – though God forbid I ever need to use it in my little corner of the internet.

Anyway, having been thoroughly impressed, I wandered off to browse the rest of her site, and ended up reading the excerpt of her upcoming historical romance “Proof by Seduction” (January 2010 release).  I can’t remember the last historical romance I read, but I loved her writing, the scene made me laugh, and the book is so definitely going on my To Buy list for January.

 

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On a different note, unless you’ve been under a rock (or internet-less), you’ve probably have heard of the launch of Harlequin’s digital-only publisher Carina Press.  I don’t really pay attention to publishing news, well okay, I’m interested but don’t get all excited about it, but this one grabbed my attention. 

Why?  Because a major publisher is actually going to try the DRM-free model for ebooks*.  It’s about time.  Let’s face it, pretty much every single DRM format can be hacked if you know how to use Google.  I’m hoping this marks a major turning point for the ebook market.  Too optimistic?  Perhaps.

* Yes, I know Baen does it (and I love them for it), but they only do SF/F.

 

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Finally, I finished reading Sharon Shinn’s “Quatrain” recently – her collection of short stories set in four of her different worlds.  I loved.  It was like revisiting old friends and I reveled in the familiarity.  I’m pretty sure it would work for readers new to her books, but I don’t think I’m objective enough on that count.

The Samaria story especially reminded me of how much I adored that world and her writing.  This sentence stayed in my mind for ages after I closed the book (the protagonist is listening to a quartet of angels sing):

I heard the pale-oak tenor, the black-satin alto, and the crystal-line soprano lay their individual architectures over [Stephen’s] flawlessly planed foundation.

Beautiful.

Ebook Reader Envy – and a Tiny Haul

I was killing time in Waterstones today, and started playing around with the Sony Reader Touch they had on display.

Bad, bad move.  I now really want.

I had convinced myself that I was perfectly fine with my PRS-505 but oh, the touchscreen.  It was beautifully responsive, and I found navigation completely intuitive (although bear in mind I’ve been using a Sony Reader for almost two years now).

My main concern was the display quality because I’d heard that the trade-off for the touchscreen was a decrease in e-ink clarity (as the touchscreen adds a layer above the e-ink display).  But there was a Sony Reader Pocket right next to the Touch, and comparing the two screens, yes, it is probably just that wee bit less sharp, but really, not a massive issue if you’re reading in a well-lit room. 

£230.  Maybe at Christmas.

 

Oh, and I did leave with some paper books.  There was a 3-for-2 offer, so I spent a very enjoyable half an hour choosing my books, ending up with “Fire” by Kristin Cashore, a Susanna Kearsley (I think it’s “The Shadowy Horses”, as it was on the New Releases table) and George Mann’s “The Osiris Ritual”.

The latter two are new to me – I picked up the Kearsley because so many people have rec’d her books and her recent interview at Word Wenches intrigued me. 

And I’ve been meaning to get a Mann book ever since I read his short story “The Shattered Teacup” (link via tor.com) on his publisher Snowbook’s website.  Steampunk’s the in thing, isn’t it?  It is unfortunately the second book (the first is “The Affinity Bridge”, which wasn’t included in the offer), but I’m thinking (and hoping) it works as a standalone.

A Belated Thank You

To Nath, who went to Kelley Armstrong’s signing in Montreal earlier this month (and did a very detailed write-up of the Q&A session with Ms Armstrong).

Guess what arrived in the post a couple of weeks later?

 

Yes, Nath very kindly got ME a signed book.

There was much “OMG I don’t believe this” when the parcel arrived.  I had a a bit of a fangirl moment along the lines of “Kelley Armstrong actually wrote my name”!  Yes, I’m sad, but seriously, it totally made my day. 

Thank you Nath!!!

Books for October

A bit late with this post, but September had so many releases I wanted – I’m determinedly not thinking of the number of books I added to my TBR pile last month.  And October is shaping up to be just as good.

 

First up, Sharon Shinn is flooding the New Releases shelf – I’m not complaining though!  I’ve just ordered “Quatrain” (out now).  I’ve been waiting ever so impatiently for this quartet of fantasy novellas set in Ms Shinn’s various worlds (Twelve Houses, Samaria, Summer at Castle Auburn and Heart of Gold).  A very cool fact she mentions on her site:

While these four stories take place in radically different worlds, a lot of little details tie them together. For instance, the titles roughly correspond to the four elements; all four open with an almost identical sentence. And a few other things like that.

I can’t wait to get my hands on this one.

 

Ms Shinn then has a YA fantasy called “Gateway”, which she says is set in an alternate St. Louis (out Oct 15) – here’s the blurb from her site:

Adopted from China and raised in St. Louis, Daiyu is a teenage girl who one day steps under the Arch—and finds herself in an alternate version of her familiar city where almost everyone is Chinese.  She has been brought here by mysterious strangers to help them bring down the corrupt ruling government, but to do so, she must play a dangerous part among the elite members of this society.  Very quickly she learns to trust no one except a young man named Kalen.  He will help her carry out her plans and then find her way back home—but she is not so sure that, when her task is over, she’ll be able to leave Kalen behind.

I love the cover of “Gateway” – very striking.

 

And finally, she has a story in the “Never After” anthology (together with Laurell K Hamilton, Marjorie Liu, and Yasmine Galenorn), which is intriguingly described as fairy tales with a feminist twist.  This one is out Oct 27.

 

Moving on from Sharon Shinn (excellent interview here, btw, if you haven’t already read it), Kelley Armstrong has her latest Otherworld release out now as well, “Frostbitten” (urban fantasy).  Elena is definitely one of the narrators in this one, but I can’t remember off the top of my head if she is the only one. 

Ms Armstrong also released a free mini-story called “Recruit” (PDF link), that I believe is linked to the events leading up to “Frostbitten”.  I’m a sucker for freebies.

 

Finally, and I almost forgot because it’s already sitting on my bedside table, Juliet Marillier’s “Heart’s Blood” (fantasy) is also out now (US and Australian editions out Nov 3).  I’ve read and loved every single one of her Sevenwaters books (I really need to catch up on the rest of her backlist), and this one sounds just as amazing.

And I adore the atmospheric UK cover.

From her website:

A haunted forest. A cursed castle. A girl running from her past and a man who’s more than he seems to be. A tale of love, betrayal and redemption…

Whistling Tor is a place of secrets, a mysterious wooded hill housing the crumbling fortress of a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the district in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan’s family and his people; the woods hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom.

And yet the derelict fortress is a safe haven for Caitrin, the troubled young scribe who is fleeing her own demons. Despite Anluan’s tempers and the mysterious secrets housed in the dark corridors, this long-feared place provides the refuge she so desperately needs.

As time passes, Caitrin learns there is more to the broken young man and his unusual household than she realised. It may be only through her love and determination that the curse can be lifted and Anluan and his people set free…

I somehow don’t think I’ll run out of books to read this month.

A This and That Post

So many things, so little time.  A few things that have caught my eye this week:

For those UK readers considering the Kindle (and yes, that would include me), NextRead has an excellent post summarising what you will and won’t get.  After shipping and taxes, the cost is around $387 according to this MobileRead post.

I’ve decided to hold off for several reasons:

• Firstly, I want a UK store – why would I want to be held hostage to exchange rate fluctuations?  And pay for shipping and taxes myself?  And buy a UK power adaptor?  The launch does feel rushed.  They’ve certainly grabbed headlines by doing a massive worldwide launch, but there looks to have been some trade-offs.
• Secondly, I’m put off by the price: $387 roughly equates to £242.  Too expensive to be an impulse buy, and let’s face it, I’ve a perfectly-working Sony Reader.  And then there’s the surcharge of approx $2 on top of US retail prices.  I’ll be curious to see what the pricing is like – both for the reader and for the ebooks – when they do launch the UK store.
• Thirdly, and probably most importantly, I want a ereader that supports the epub format, because that is rapidly becoming the common format across the industry (both Waterstones and WH Smith, among others, sell epub books).  By only supporting the Amazon (Mobipocket-based) proprietary format, the Kindle will tie you in to buying books from Amazon*.

So I’m holding off for now, but I’m glad to see ebooks becoming more and more mainstream.

* Unless a store sells DRM-free (i.e. non-protected) Mobipocket books.

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A post on Word Wenches alerted me to the fact Jo Beverley and Mary Jo Putney are releasing their older books via a new UK publisher, Everlyn.  I think I already have the books listed so far, but the new covers are gorgeous and very very tempting.

Jo Beverley is doing a signing tour across England to support the re-releases (4-17 November 2009), and if I lived nearby, I would definitely want to go.  Very cleverly, it’s billed as “… retracing the steps of her characters as they flee across the South of England”.

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Recommended read of the week: Ilona Andrews’ “On the Edge”.  I love her (their?  I’m never sure of how to refer to two writers writing under a single pseudonym) Kate Daniels series, so this was an auto-buy for me.

The authors call it a “rustic fantasy”, as opposed to “urban fantasy”.  I sort of think of it as fantasy romance, and actually, it reminded me of Western historicals.  A very entertaining read, and I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

And I know the cover is not universally loved, but I like.  The male model matches my mental image of Declan exactly.

Reviews are up all around the web: The Book Smugglers (7 – Very Good), Angieville (Angie quoted one of my favourite passages in the book, and has more review linkage), Literary Escapism (loved), Dorkgasm (3 1/2 out of 5) to name a few.

Let me know if you’ve reviewed “On the Edge” and I’ll add a link.

Kindle in the UK

Ahhh… the Kindle comes to the UK.

I was tempted, even though I am totally happy with my Sony Reader.  But I am sort of lusting after the 3G capability of the Kindle. 

Come on, Sony, release your wireless Reader in the UK.  I so would.

More discussion on Kindle going international on the Mobileread forums.