New Procurements

Lots of my highly anticipated titles have shown up along with a couple others I just leaned about that look quite interesting. I also bought three of the below as well and not pictured are a couple travel books I'm using to plan a big trip next year, but that is all hush, hush at the moment.

Perched on top is Timecaster by Joe Kimball - This pseudonymous work is by the infamous JA Konrath and his first foray into Sci-Fi. I generally love time travel books so this will probably get slid in between some larger works in the coming months. The story is also loosely connected somehow with Konrath's other novels plus the start to a series. Next is the deliciously fat The Goblin Corps by Ari Marmell - From the moment I heard the title I've been intrigued. It is supposedly LotR from the Orcs' point of view. Sounds like a good time to me. Will be dipping in soonish. Next was a surprise as I was intending to buy it next week. Embassytown by China Mieville - A new Mieville is an immediate read for me so this will automatically make it to the top of the to-read pile and this is the British edition to boot. Mieville doing Sci-Fi? Gotta check that out even if Kraken was a bit uneven in my opinion, but wonderful nonetheless.

The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma - This was a recent Steampunk find. Plus it is translated from Spanish. The number of genre related novels that get translated to English are few and far between. It is already a best-selling and award-winning title internationally and I must say Atria knocked themselves out with the cover design. The galley even sports a mix of matte/gloss/iridescent printing techniques. Simply gorgeous. It involves HG Wells as an investigator of supposed time travel incidents. That line gotcha ya didn't it?

Vortex by Robert Charles Wilson - The third and final book in the Spin Cycle, I mean Spin Trilogy. The first in the series is a modern classic in my eyes and I'm eager to see how this smart and humanistic series closes out. Than I have the historically minded The Enterprise of Death by Jesse Bullington - Bullington's debut blew me away with its originality and I've been looking forward to this despite hearing it doesn't have as much humor as his first. I must see how Bullington tries to top himself.

The Clockwork Rocket by Greg Egan - Really intrigues me.  It is hard future Sci-Fi with a Steampunk bent. It is also the start to a new series that Egan has written equations and theories to support the science of that universe. No Hero by Jonathan Wood - What would Kirk Russell do indeed? An action cthulhu-rama? That is a must-read. Plus these are both Night Shade Books releases and they have been blowing me  away this year between Hurley, McIntosh, Adams' latest antho, and Bradley Beaulieu's debut which I'll be talking about later.

The Last Four Things by Paul Hoffman - My trial with Hoffman's first book in this world The Left Hand of God is chronicled pretty well. The first 1/3 of the book blew me away so much so I wrote early glowing praise and than upon reading the remainder lost faith in nearly everything I said. Still I'm interested to see if Hoffman can recapture what he started with that first third at all. Definitely a make it or break book not only this series, but this author.

Awakenings by Edward Lazellari - A debut Urban Fantasy that hasn't been getting much notice yet. I think that will change as word spreads. Lazellari has a background in illustration for both DC and Marvel along with plenty of other companies. Hex by Allen Steele - This is the first in an off shot series from his Coyote work. I haven't had the pleasure of reading Steele in the past, but this looks to be a good entry way into his universe.

The Steampunk Bible by Jeff VanderMeer with S.J. Chambers - A beautiful coffee table love book to Steampunk. Gorgeous art from many of my Steampunk favorites grace the pages as well as some very good essays on the culture. Definitely a flip through book, but you'll find yourself doing it a lot.

You Might Also Like:
REVIEW | The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart by Jesse Bullington
REVIEW | Julian Comstock: A Novel of the 22nd Century by Robert Charles Wilson
REVIEW | The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman
REVIEW | Kraken by China Mieville
REVIEW | The City & The City by China Mieville
FREE FICTION | Ari Marmell's The Orge's Pride