Saturday Miscellany – 10/8/16

It occurred to me this morning that I’ve only spent one evening at home since last Saturday — which explains why I haven’t read/written as much as usual, and why this first list is shorter than I like — and why I’ve been so tired (fell asleep writing 3 times this week — did finish one of the posts, though).

Never fear — I think I get to be my introverted self this coming week. Without further ado, the odds ‘n ends over the week about books and reading that caught my eye. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:

• Amazon’s New Reviewing Rules – Could it Affect Authors in the Future? — One book reviewers’ take.
• We’re So Pretty, Oh So Pretty… — reflections on Fahrenheit Press’ first year — and a look ahead to the second. I need to find more time to read their stuff — that’s one of my 2017 resolutions (if only just to read the stuff of theirs that I’ve bought!)
• How Lev Grossman Is Wielding The Bright Sword — Grossman’s next project is Arthurian? sweet.
• “Dystopia Is Too Easy”: Laurie Penny’s Tomorrow — Outside of this profile, I know almost nothing about Penny — but I think I want to learn more.
• How I Always End Up Buying More Books — Pretty much, yeah.

This Week’s New Releases I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon. Great stuff this week (I think/expect), too much of a good thing, really:
• The Failed Fellowship by Michael R. Underwood — The end of the first “season” of Genrenauts stories — this time, something’s wrong on Fantasy World. Not-at-all-shockingly, I loved it.
• The Rise of Io by Wesley Chu — A decade or so after we left Tao & his hosts, we pick up with a very different Quasing, Io, and her fledgling host. I said it already, and will say it again, I might end up liking this trilogy more than the original.
• Break the Chains by Megan E. O’Keefe — Steal the Sky was just about everything I want in a SF novel — I can’t wait to see what the sequel holds.
• The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan — Magnus Chase and his pals return for another Norse-mythology-inspired adventure.
• Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple — another comic (yet tragic) look at a woman for whom life isn’t going well and who might be her own biggest problem.
• Crosstalk by Connie Willis — let this quotation from Penguin Random House sell you: “Science fiction icon Connie Willis brilliantly mixes a speculative plot, the wit of Nora Ephron, and the comedic flair of P. G. Wodehouse in Crosstalk—a genre-bending novel that pushes social media, smartphone technology, and twenty-four-hour availability to hilarious and chilling extremes as one young woman abruptly finds herself with way more connectivity than she ever desired.”
• A Star-Reckoner’s Lot by Darrell Drake — a fantasy unlike anything you’ve read. Here’s my post on it, which doesn’t include the line: “Do not be misled by the author’s light hand (and occasional bad puns); this is a story with some haunting imagery and deep themes, and not one I’m going to forget quickly.” But I should’ve said it. Glad that Words & Birds did.

Lastly, I’d like to say hi and welcome to doddyaboutbooks and booksfromdusktilldawn for following the blog this week.