New Books and ARCs, 12/20/17
Posted on December 20, 2017 Posted by John Scalzi 34 Comments
For your perusing delight, a baker’s dozen of new books and ARCs that have come into the Scalzi Compound. Anything here you’d like to see under the tree this year? Share which it is (or they are) in the comments!
I’ve heard great things about Station Eleven, and Subterranean editions are always nice.
Station Eleven, for sure.
Dear Santa, I would have asked for Penrick’s Mission if I hadn’t already bought it. May I please be, ahem, have a hamster princess? As you know I have been mostly good all year.
I bought the Sub Press version of Station 11, and damn, that’s a pretty book.
I taught Station Eleven for three consecutive semesters in three different classes, and each time found more stuff to excavate. It’s an excellent novel, and a great read.
I’ve had Whiskerella pre-ordered for my daughter since the pre-order was available.
New Hamster Princess! Squee!
And I just checked Station Eleven out of the library.
OMG THERE’S A BUJOLD I HAVEN’T READ!!eleventy!!!
Station Eleven, as many previous commenters note, is an excellent book. It will certainly hold a place alongside other dystopian classics.
MOAR Ursula Vernon!!!
Eric Flint writes great alt-history, I’d go with his new one.
oh sweet, a new McDevitt! And a Bujold! Guess I should check out Station 11, from the comments above…
Station Eleven is a fantastic read.
I have enjoyed all of Lois Bujold’s “Penric & Desdemona” stories to date. Be advised that “Penric’s Mission” is the 4th (of 6 to date) in internal chronology, and probably not the best place to start. All of these are set in the “5 Gods” universe, perhaps 100 years after _The Hallowed Hunt_ and 150 before _The Curse of Chalion_ according to the author’s notes.
I have enjoyed most of the 163x books, and particularly the ones in the ‘Vatican” arc, so I will probably get that one soon. I have not read any of the others, and most are by authors whose names I don’t recognize. Who knows which i might pick up.
I’m giving Station Eleven this year — what a fantastic book!
Wait… the hamster one is Ursula Vernon? I’m in.
Station 11 was really interesting. Surviving the apocalypse through culture, not just living hand to mouth. I can only hope if we have to go through something like this, we keep our books and plays and music and art. Otherwise, why bother?
I, too, have been enjoying the Penric series – but then again, I enjoy everything Lois Bujold writes.
The Infernal Battalion looks interesting, and I bet it would be great to share with my husband. (who introduced me to Lois Bujold’s Vorkosigan saga).
I really liked Station Eleven. I wanted more story when I finished reading it!
Dear Santa,
As I have been a better boy than John this year, and will be paying a lot more in taxes to help out the good people of Ohio, could you please, ah, relocate The Long Sunset from John’s tree to mine? Thanx in advance!
Another vote here for Station Eleven. I’m also excited for Tarnished Gifts – although I suspect I should go back and reread the first book in order to appreciate the story properly.
I’ve read all of Jack McDevitt’s Alex Benedict series, but just haven’t found the time to read the Priscilla Hutchins series. Maybe with a new one out (and I have the rest of the series), it’s time to binge.
Personally, I liked the beginning of Station Eleven but it lost me at the nasty (spoiler-deleted) villains. Surely there’s a better way to create a sense of community.
Always thrilled to see a new McDevitt.
I get a bit annoyed whenever a new 163X novel comes out, because I’d love to keep up with the series but I just plain don’t care for most of the secondary authors who are clearly doing most of the writing these days.
Bujold. No question.
New Shadow Campaigns is a must read!
Yay Penric’s Mission! Gimme!
And the new 1936 book, the series has dragged on to the “sometimes good,sometimes these people lost track” stage.
Every ARC I look for Peace Talks. Every ARC I leave depressed.
Nice stack, though! Hope you enjoy them!
Loved Station Eleven, and I’m behind on the Bujold Penric books and need to catch up. Pleased to hear the Jack McDevitt is another Priscilla Hutchins book; I’ve enjoyed those too.
I am having a marvelous time with the Bujold series of novellas. I highly recommend and don’t be put off by the fact that it isn’t the first. She writes so that you can come into these with any story and I think this one would be a particularly great place to start!
OK, how come this stack is more interesting than the top stack that went up today? Should be the same smaller set of interesting in each stack, right? John, do you sort these out in some way? or just the luck of the stack?
Oh well. Flint, Bujold, several of the others, I’m not good with authors, was terrible in lit classes, I love to read, remember plots but not character names, nor authors. Not stupid, nor ignorant, just a hitch in how my memory works. Or am I being too defensive here?
New Jack McDevitt! Me want! Me want!
I loved Station Eleven!
The Jack McDevitt Hutch series is my favorite of his, and I love Jack in general. Would you…? Could I…? (I’ve said too much already…)
Loads of authors I like in this pile: St. John Mandel, Wexler, Bujold, McDevitt and Flint.