New Books and ARCs, 10/24/14
Posted on October 24, 2014 Posted by John Scalzi 36 Comments
A very fine collection of books and ARCs to show off this week. Let me know which ones you wish you had in your hands, down there in the comments.
Posted on October 24, 2014 Posted by John Scalzi 36 Comments
A very fine collection of books and ARCs to show off this week. Let me know which ones you wish you had in your hands, down there in the comments.
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Athena Scalzi, editor – AMS
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What a pretty stack you’ve got there!
Amber’s new book, of course – she’s always a good time!
Also very curious about Razorhurst; I greatly enjoyed Liar.
I still can’t believe that there is a Patrick Rothfuss book that is smaller than an actual head. Can the power of that beard really be constrained into such a slender tome?
I’ve heard good things about Mercedes Lackey’s book. That’s the one for me.
Gotta say I hate the font on the Larbalestier book. Razor something? AZORHUNT?
I will now use my psychic power to determine that the basic message of the Tepper book is “MEN EVIL, WOMEN AWESOME”. Protip: I am not psychic.
Has there been a 163X book worth reading in the last few years? I enjoyed the first two quite a bit, and I quite like the premise, but soon after the dreaded smaller print co-authors started showing up I gave up because the quality was too hit or miss. And now there’s two smaller print co-authors. That can’t be good.
I can’t find any info on the Swanwick – is there any jacket copy? There’s none on MacMillan, Amazon, or himself’s website.
Baen sure sends you lots of stuff, all things considered. :)
A Darger and Surplus tale from Michael Swanwick is always a treat. And Mark Spice, take a look at the Rothfuss story in the “Unfettered” anthology to see just what the power of the beard can do in a tightly confined space.
Mark Spice: I had EXACTLY the same thought. Well, not so much about the beard, but about the heads.
Thank you, John. Your photo encourages me to believe that Rothfuss’s Auri book is a real thing, not just a hope and a promise – Yeah! Will definitely pick that one up.
I’m jealous about Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier and The Witches of Echo Park by Amber Benson
Rothfuss! AHHHHH!
old aggie
Believe it is real. I saw 25 copies come into my library today.
Merz, Rothfuss, Benson and Sykes would be the ones I grabbed first from that stack
Ooh, ooh, a 163x book! I love those things! I love how it’s expanded out into a kind of crowd-sourced shared universe.
Also, the Rothfuss one is encouraging, but the length makes me think it might just be an ARC with the first few chapters of the next book. About like giving 1 (one) M&M to a starving man.
Oh, it’s a standalone Auri story? Well, okay then. That’s a bit more like an appetizer before the main course :)
Nice collection!
Rothfuss for sure.
I’m also very curious about the Sam Sykes novel. His Aeon’s Gate trilogy was kinda nifty, and a very good first entry. I’m interested to see how he does and if his plotting has gotten any better.
Ooh, new Sheri Tepper. And my copy of SLOW REGARD OF SILENT THINGS ought to be in soon. And– wait– Amber Benson? THAT Amber Benson? What doesn’t she do?
Rothfuss. Sykes. Swanwick. Good stuff there.
Jesse Ball’s “Silence Once Begun” is really excellent. It doesn’t have any speculative elements, but so what?
Ooh, a new Michael Swanwick! Well, new to me, anyway. And a new “1632” series book, yay! Normally I would also be jumping for joy over a new Tepper, except… I really was disappointed by the last one I read, although when I passed it on to my daughter-in-law, she loved it, and normally we like the same things, so maybe it’s just me. But it’s nice to know these things are out there without having to wade through hundreds of “suggestions” from the likes of Amazon.
The Rothfuss is getting good reviews, and Swanwick is always good.
Razorhurst is a fabulous novel – Larbalestier’s best so far in my opinion. It’s been out in New Zealand and Australia for some time and with a much nicer cover than the one in the picture.
I too love the 163X series, although I’ve fallen way behind in my reading of them. (Baen’s Library and e-book prices really are irresistible. I don’t like most of their catalog — just not, for the most part, my particular cup — but damn if that’s not a great thing, at least for the reader.) Also, put me down as a huge fan of the “crowdsourced” nature of the 163X universe; the slight variations in styles and the huge variations in characters means, at least to my way of thinking, a much more interesting series than if Flint (whose solo work in the series WAS very good, mind) had continued entirely on his own. I’m also intrigued by the the new Amber Benson — I’ve never read her work, but I’ve heard good things, and Witches Of Echo Park is a great title. And I’ve heard nothing about any of the others — but I’d definitely pick up The City Stained Red and The Sword Of Michael on the strength of the titles alone.
Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier! Liar and Team Human were SO good. And Swanwick’s Chasing the Phoenix. But only after I’d finished Garth Nix’s Clariel!
Reblogged this on oshriradhekrishnabole.
The Slow Regard of Silent Things sounds provocative. If nothing else, it qualifies for my “let’s pick up a new book because the title is unique”
Slow Regard. Thanks
Just how many storage lockers do you rent to store the never-ending stream of these things?
The Tepper. I thought her early work was too one-sided but some of her works in the past 8 years or so have been quite imaginative.
captainned @ October 25, 2014 at 1:05 pm:
“All these boxes and totes are filled up with finished books which are going to be a donation to the local library.”
http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/03/09/off-to-the-library/
Oh! Fishtails! Can’t wait for my reserve copy from the library.
Amber Benson’s title is so good it’s pretty hard to resist, even though the sub-genre is not my thing. And it’s AMBER BENSON!
That Michael Swanwick is the new (!!!!) Darger and Surplus novel, and out August 2015 according to Amazon UK. Which is way too long.
Is there a trend towards retro cover designs or is that just how ARCs loo?
(Oh, and I’d pick up the Rothfuss and the Amber Benson first from this pile.)