While I Am Off Doing Things, Look At This Pile Of Cool Upcoming and Just Released Books
Posted on August 14, 2012 Posted by John Scalzi 76 Comments
Buy them! Read them! Love them! Mostly in that order.
Anything in this pile you’re particularly interested in?
Hands down, most interested in the Neal Peart (Rush) / Kevin J. Anderson collaboration for Clockwork Angels.
I actually just read an excerpt of “Seven Wonders” and immediately placed it onto my watch list, while snagging Christopher’s “Empire State” for my Nook just before going camping over the weekend.
It’s also the only one in the frame of which I’ve heard.
McSweeney’s. For sure.
“Side Jobs” caught my eye! I didn’t know that Sub Press sent out complimentary copies of their editions. My copy is on its way to me, so I’m not too jealous (only a little).
How do you store all of those books? You must get a ton and it seems like your house would be full of bookshelves at this point.
Mongoliad, part 2.
I read the first volume waiting for surgery in a Korean hospital. Did wonders for the escapism I needed.
Tainted City and A Guile of Dragons!
Clockwork Angels – but I will buy it at the Rush concert in September. I expect that they will be selling it. The McSweeney’s Book of Politics & Musicals sounds amusing, will have to check that one out.
I honestly haven’t heard of any of them (although I do know McSweeny’s and am a fan), I like the spine design on “The Broken Ones”. I’d probably pick that one up first.
The Broken Ones and Seven Wonders. I’m about 3/4 the way through How The Hippies Saved Physics and I’m glad I grabbed it. (And annoyed that I forgot the French translation of Agent to the Stars…)
So jelly. Side Jobs and Clockwork Angels would be first off that stack for me.
I listen to audiobooks, Im in middle of The Stand by Stephen King and 2 other books.
Just wondering – you get so very many books (me = jealous) – where do you put them all? Do you donate them to charity, give them to friends, resell them on ebay, keep them in a storage unit, make quirky furniture out of them, or what?
The Lost Stars: Tarnished Knight. Immediately upon seeing the ARC, I felt an hideous envy… still feeling it.
Side Jobs! and Clockword Angels!
CLOCKWORK Angels!
Secondgenfan:
I can bring it to Chicon. Just remind me.
I’ve got a review coming out of The Dog Stars — would totally recommend that. And I’m planning to dig into my own ARC of Mongoliad v2 very soon…
John Scalzi,
You are getting sleepy, sleepy. You’re eyelids are becoming heavy. You are falling into a deep, comfortable sleep.
Now listen to me John. You are going to send that Jack Campbell book to Scorpius.
*SNAP!*
The Mongoliad Part 2 catches my interest. I was on a panel at Ad Astra that disected the book trailer for the Mongoliad, so the series caught my interest. If I wasn’t drowning in unread books right now I’d go and pick it up. Might do that anyways. :)
Huh, Clockwork Angels just wandered into my home with a friend who got an advanced reader. I hadn’t heard much about it, but now I have to have a look.
Ooh, I’m excited to get my Side Jobs from Sub Press! I also am interested in Clockwork Angels (book and album), The Tainted City and The Constantine Affliction.
Also, @Dave… I *love* the audio book of The Stand. That’s one of my very favorite King books and I have a recent review of the audio book up on my blog.
@paigevest: Are you collecting all the Butcher hardcovers from Subterranean? I have all of them so far (all with the same number, too).
Just heard about The Dog Stars on Fresh Air yesterday, sounds interesting. And the SO liked Side Jobs. (I’m behind on Dresden, so behind ;))
I will buy the second Mongoliad book and the new Jack Campbell book.
Two titles immediately grabbed me – Clockwork Angels and The Constantine Affliction
Ooooh… Seven Wonders. I am interested. Tainted City I know nothing about, but every time I see the word “tainted” I always read it at first as just “Taint” and so I was all like: “Taint City… gross…”
The only one I had heard of previously was Clockwork Angels, which I am very interested in. And, based solely on title and font, I am intrigued by The Constantine Affliction.
The Mongoliad Book 2 is interesting, both as a thing to read, and as an artifact of an interesting experiment.
Scorpius,
You are getting sleepy, sleepy. Your eyelids are becoming heavy. You are falling into a deep, comfortable sleep.
Now listen to me Scorpius. You are going to send that Jack Campbell book back to John Scalzi and ask him to send it to me.
*SNAP!*
I must say, the McSweeney’s Book of Politics and Musicals sounds fascinating. I have never heard of it, but with a title like that, I absolutely must read it.
Side Jobs!
“Clockwork Angels” would be a perfect anniversary gift for my husband — I already got him tickets to see Rush. (He’ll be taking the offspring — raising her right.)
I too thought the Fresh Air piece on “The Dog Stars” sounded intriguing.
Mongoliad sounds mighty interesting. Interesting participants, interesting approach to its construction.
And having some not-nonsensical swordfighting returning to literature sounds like a fine thing.
@JDF: I’m exceedingly jealous! I’ve only just discovered Sub Press (and didn’t discover Dresden until a couple of years ago, to my regret!) so I will only have the one book! *pouts*
Without looking each of them up, Clockwork Angels is the first pick (like many others)… but I’ll look into all of them at some point soon.
@paigevest: Whoops! sorry to excite your collector’s envy. It’s a feeling I know all too well. I was just lucky to discover Dresden a few years earlier (via the short-lived TV series). Believe me, I collect stuff in other fandoms, and really, really wish I had gotten in on the ground floor for them.
Yes the Subterranean edition of Side Jobs. Jim Butcher is, much like you, and author who has their very own bookshelf in my collection. Also the new Adam Christopher. I really enjoyed Empire State and I’m looking forward to Seven Wonders.
With out a doubt it is Zach Weinersmith’s (Weiner-Smith? I thought they chose to hyphenate?) new book “Trial of the Clone”. Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal has been a staple of my reading for years. If you don’t know about it, if I may John, let me recommend it. It can be found at www [dot] smbc-comics [dot] com. I have found it to be a consistently thoughtful and funny web comic.
I wish my copy was here already :(
Thank you to everybody else for the recommendations that I am now going to order. I tend to trust the options on this site more then any other book reviews out there.
All the Best,
D.
Read Side Jobs in ebook form about 6 months ago, or it would be top of my list. Otherwise its a toss-up between Clockwork Angels (Peart!) and Seven Wonders (Superheroes!). Followed closely by The Constantine Affliction. The Mongoliad project intrigues me, but I haven’t yet read book I, so getting II would be a tad premature. So many books, so little time. Even with Audible and 2-3 hours in the car every day….
Jack Campbell’s work. In fact, that’s how I ended up coming across your work. I bought one of his books and the book seller said I would like your books too. She was right!
@JDF: No worries! I’ll have to keep my eye out for future Butcher releases. I have a couple of Brandon Sanderson’s new novella on the way from Sub Press, which is how I discovered this publisher, when I placed my pre-order for the Sanderson books months and months ago.
I am a bad, bad Rush fan. I don’t have the new album yet, and I didn’t even know there was a book. I’ll have to remedy that. I hope to make it to their concert in November. I think that will be my tenth time seeing them.
While several of those titles are on my To Be Read When I Get Them list, it’s Trial of the Clones by Zach Weinersmith that I was most happy to see on your stack. It takes the concept of the old Choose Your Own Adventure books into levels of chaos and hilarity that I really didn’t expect. Zach has been sharing major snippets of it with the backers of his Kickstarter.
Side Jobs. I read the book which is awesome, but can’t wait for the new edition to get here. I’m with @paigevest I found the Sub Press version when I ordered Brandon Sanderson’s new novella. I’m going to need a part time job to keep up with my book addiction.
Ooh, Seven Wonders! It’s too bad there’s not a team of scientists here to harness my envy into a sustainable power source.
“Side Jobs” by Jim Butcher isn’t new. It came out two years ago.
I wonder how many of these books John actually has time to read.
If I see a picture of A Memory of Light a few months before its released, I am going to be very jealous. I have waited over 20 years to read the ending.
The Constantine Affliction. I can send you my address…
Not knowing any of them, I’d go for Clockwork Angels due to the title.
Will nobody else mention how weird it is that Rush got mentioned so many times in the comments? Or is that some insider joke of which I’m unaware (as an outside, of course)?
Side Jobs & The Constantine Affliction, but I’m too broke to buy either. =(
@Patrick D.: I don’t know that a part-time job would cover my book addiction. I dropped WAY too much cash earlier this year on every edition there was (except author-signed, since just discovered by me Donald M. Grant Publishers only allows people who have previously bought signed books to buy new signed books) of SK’s The Wind Through The Keyhole. So yeah… I like to buy books!
@Caladan: The edition of Side Jobs in the pic and that we’re discussing is a new limited (or lettered) edition published by Subterranean Press. Some limiteds are still available for purchase: http://subterraneanpress.com/store/product_detail/side_jobs_stories_from_the_dresden_files
@Randall Hauk: Clockwork Angels (the book) is an accompanying album to Rush’s new album, Clockwork Angels: http://www.prweb.com/releases/Kevin/Anderson/prweb9575872.htm
An accompanying novel, rather.
@Randall Hauk – Looks like the book “Clockwork Angels” was co-written by Neil Peart, the band’s drummer.
@Randall Hauk:
Clockwork Angels is a companion book to Rush’s latest album co-authored by Neil Peart (their drummer) and Kevin J. Anderson.
Note to self: refresh before answering a question that is likely to get duplicate responses.
“The McSweeny’s Book of Politics and Musicals” is the one I’d most like to read as the description makes it sound entertainingly loopy; but I’d say the best title is “A Guile of Dragons”. What a great name for a group of beasts known for their guile.
@Dave Branson: Refresh is a good thing, but duplicate responses aren’t terrible. :o)
I actually want to plug the Quantum Thief – I got the first one as an awesome Kindle Deal ($4) and it was so good I pre-ordered vol 2 which hits in October. Amazingly good.
Guys, we’re focusing on the books in the picture (this is not to say the Quantum Thief is not a fine book, however).
Clockwork Angels has my interest.
The Constantine Affliction is already on my list to pick up–T. Aaron Payton is T. A. [Tim] Pratt.
WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME OF THE SUB. PRESS DRESDEN FILES BOOKS UNTIL NOW!!!!
Not that I have $75 to drop on a single book, but gorram that “Summer Knight” cover was gorgeous.
Jim Butcher!
dog stars. on my read list.
Actually I’ve been looking forward to that Enge book for a couple of months now. But seeing everything else coming out soon I may have to move it down on the reading list for a little while.
Mr Scalzi–all the books in the stacks you’ve pictured here are fiction. Do you ever get any non-fiction/science-related books?
Jon M,
After I’m done reading, of course. It’ll probably take me a week since I’m so busy.
;)
I had to do a double take there. Could’ve sworn I read Cockwork Angels. *sigh*
I just added The Dog Stars to my “to read” list a few days ago, so that would be my pick.
I’m eagerly awaiting my preordered copy of Clockwork Angels, as one of the rare female Rush fans, as well as loving Kevin Anderson’s early Star Wars books. Can’t wait! Well, I guess *I* have to … ;)
We’re not actually all that rare, Cerulean. We’re just underreported.
Of course I’m interested in the Peart/Anderson collaboration (much as I’m slightly annoyed at Peart for what I think is a mishandling of the “Watchmaker” concept/Deism allusion in the song “BU2B,” grumble grumble pedantic fan is pedantic), but seeing the book here reminds me that I still haven’t heard back from the record shop that was supposed to be ordering me a copy of Clockwork Angels in LP form.
I shall have to call them up when they are next open.
That Side Jobs copy sure does look pretty.