Debbie's Spurts

Just starting.  A favorite author -- but not one I would associate with YA.

For booklikes book club at http://booklikes.com/book-clubs/12/ya-book-club 

One of the classic SF/F always been meaning to read.

For booklikes book club at http://booklikes.com/book-clubs/50/virtual-speculation 

Hurry before it's gone: 

Download at https://ebookclub.tor.com/ once you submit your email to get notice of each month's free ebook.

Publisher page for more info on the book is here. 

Book club reading the TOR freebies on booklikes is here.    

From:

  Wild Things - Chloe Neill  

From:

  Wild Things - Chloe Neill  

Series has been uneven for me, but so far liking this one.

I've had a fun few days.  Internet issues then cell phone issues where couldn't even internet on my phone (went through a new battery, a new phone, another new phone, and now a new phone and a new carrier)).  

I'm actually moving into a new house so getting new service from Cox -- a long story with lots of service visits but finally today have wired internet at least and they are crying uncle and bringing a new router for the wifi.

Will catch up with dashboard and my own reading/shelving later.

Missed you!

I love these series of articles despite what they do to the TBR pile.

Lots of new and familiar authors.  Most I haven't tried.  I think these were when I was a very broke person just starting working for a living without a good book budget.

Ones that wouldn't fit the "big" pictures at top of post:

  Overshoot - Mona Clee 

  The Stars as Seen from This Particular Angle of Night: An Anthology of Speculative Verse - ,Carolyn Clink, et. al.

  How Like a God - Brenda W. Clough 

  Legacy - Molly Cochran  

  The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks - Joanna Cole

  Sunglasses After Dark - Nancy A. Collins  

  The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit - Storm Constantine  

  Love and War - Tonya C. Cook, et. al.

  Mask Of The Wizard - Catherine Cooke  

  The Black Horn - Clare Cooper

Author of article also mentions (but not sure of works or where to start with them):

• Susan Carroll
• Ellin Carter
• Ann Cathey
• Deborah Chester
• Pam Chillemi-Yeager
• Mary E. Choo
• Patricia B. Cirone
• G. O. Clark
• Marcia Cohee
• Marion Cohen
• Valerie Nieman Colander
• Sherry Coldsmith
• Isabel Cole
• J. L. Comeau
• Judith R. Conly
• P. E. Cook
• Susan Coon
• H. J. Cording
• Vonnie Winslow Crist
• Annette S. Crouch
• P. E. Cunningham
• Chris Curry

I love how article's author puts it: 

"For me, that requires the intended audience to include teens, that the genre be science fiction in the narrow sense, that the protagonist be a young adult, and that they get to do something that actually matters in the course of the book."

I think that last is a big part of why some YA books, particularly SF ones, miss the mark with me.  I need something to matter, to make me care about the characters or turn the page to see what happens next; something to invest in.  Endless angst and who winds up with who and vain things don't cut it for me.  And, yes, I realize the Heinleins looking back are problematic -- particularly in gender issues -- but at the time they actually were progressive and did have females doing something other than being queen bee mean girls or underdogs needing rescue, being prizes or objects or worse merely encoujraging admirers.

The Ballad of Black Tom - Victor LaValle   is currently free on publisher TOR's (Macmillan) site at https://ebookclub.tor.com. Only free October 9 through midnight October 12.  

They tout it as "H.P. Lovecraft’s legacy has been the subject of intense debate. And this book has its finger on the pulse of that discussion."

Yeah, I'm late posting this but once again I did not get my email notice and only spotted it in today's emailed newsletter.

Publisher page for book details is https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765386618 

This book ... ah ... wow.

I wish RL would back off and let me read.

*whisper* even Book Shelf BINGO taking a backseat (and I'm the team captain).

Only five?  And Mike and Hal not making the cut?

Article also mentions a free online read at https://uncannymagazine.com/article/fandom-for-robots/ :

"Bonus short fiction - 

“Fandom for Robots” by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Uncanny Magazine) is a fantastic Nebula-nominated story that gets inside the head of a vintage robot called Computron who starts writing fanfic for a TV show because its favourite character (a robot) is handled so badly by all the humans in fandom. A clever, fun piece about the value of #ownvoices perspectives and how robots can be compelling characters to read about even (especially) when they don’t sound remotely like humans. –Tansy"

Attention, Kindle and e-book lovers!

I have good news for you. If you are interested in checking out my first novel, Heartstrings, the e-book will be one sale for one week starting next Friday.