Books and such

After Friday's trip to Barnes and Noble, I've discovered that not even a $1000 would be enough to get all the books I wanted to get, and the gift cards weren't unlimited.

So I had to narrow it down to my three favorites. And those were:

The Outback Stars by Sandra McDonald. I was getting this book no matter what, 'cause I sorta know the author from the non-LJ world - and I know for damn sure that she has the chops. The question was, would I invest in the hardback? Well, I got to reading and it definitely earned hardback privileges (which I extend to very few authors, because I'm cheap and I wait for the paperback). Plus, dude, if I'm gonna make an author rich might as well be someone I know and am so jealous of, talent-wise admire.

What really made this book earn its hardback privileges? The writing is what I can only describe as clean and polished and professional, and I appreciate when a writer does not screw around on a prose level. Cliche-free, stays on task, and doesn't describe what doesn't bear description and doesn't overdescribe what only needs a few simple words. Plus there was angst without being emo in our heroine, which I appreciate as well. And I can't think off the top of my head of any female-viewpoint military SF novels. I'm sure there are some, but it's not like the "I'm a sassy vampire huntress who shags the very creatures I kill" genre which you can't swing a dead cat in a bookstore without hitting.

Plus, I totally know the author. That's my policy: if we're friends and you get published, I'll chip in and buy your book. Because dude, how cool is to know someone who wrote a book? And you can all say you knew me in the pre-publication days. *nods*. When I get all rich and famous, you can go on the news and talk about how we were bestest buds. I won't mind.

[/pipe dreams]


Cast in Shadow by Michele Sagara. Confession time: I'm wary of books that are from the Luna imprint because that imprint is owned by the Harlequin people, and no offense to the romance writers out there, but any company that has such specific guidelines for exactly how their novels should be written sorta makes me wary, both as writer and reader. Plus, a few of the Luna imprint books I've sampled have been not so much with the good writing.

But I had a stack of books and I figured, what the hell. And because I'm a little stupid, I saved this 'til nearly the end. So that day I had a "read just the first 20 pages" policy going on because I had so much I wanted to sample. Well, I got to about page 40 before I realized I'd read waaaaaay past what I'd meant to. Which is the sign of a damn good book. I liked the heroine, who apparently was having the worst bad hair day ever. Even better? I was on the train thinking "hmm, I bet if I shoved this guy over a little, I could get my book out of my bag and keep reading".

So far, this book has kept me turning the pages as an amazingly fast rate and I'm keeping up with everything nicely and even better, this book does not waste time. It got straight to the plot, no messing around. Something I love dearly when a writer is smart enough to know that my time is limited and I don't have time to meander aroud for a couple of chapters until the writer GETS ON WITH IT (I need an icon for that).

So, of course I bought it.

Blood and Iron by Elizabeth Bear. This book was on my list for some time, and I've been eyeballing it on the shelves for a while, but didn't either have time/money to give it a proper sampling. Well, I did. It hits a lot of the write notes for me, as far as mixing the fantastic and the mundane. Even though there were places, even in the first 20 pages, where I found myself having to go back and re-read certain passages because I found myself going from understanding to "WTF? How the hell did we get here?" in a hurry, but so far I think that this book will be worth having to pay closer attention. I'm sure I'm just reading this carelessly.

I'll lay down my final verdict for these books when I get done, and judging by how fast I'm tearing through "Cast in Shadow", that won't be too long.

There were a few books that didn't make the cut, some because I just didn't have enough and they were slightly less appealing to me than the three I got and a few because, *dude*, they just failed in the first 20 pages.

Books that lose me when I sample them lose me for one of two reasons: because they don't get to the point quickly enough or they over describe/explain.

I understand that introductions and explanations and expositions might be in order, but if I'm still wondering what the hell the point of what you're writing is by, say, page ten - I'm gonna get real bored real quick, and there are lots of other books with pretty cover art and better first chapters.

I also don't put up with stopping every five paragraphs for an introductory lecture on your world/character/situation. Give me knowledge when I need it, and don't get nervous. I'm not as dumb as I look, I can pick up more than you think.

Or: They're called CONTEXT CLUES, betch. Look into it.

Also, it's a personal quirk, but I don't really care that much about the look of your characters unless there's some really defining characteristic (for example, a scar, tattoo, deformity) that I need to know about. Otherwise, just keep it simple. The thing about text, for me, is that it's more of an exercise in sound. So telling me hot someone looks in your book is like a Playboy in braille. You can do it, but why?

Long, dark, flowing locks and piercing sapphire eyes don't do much for me (piercing. Hahaha. Can you put someone else eye out with yours?). Invest your time in witty banter and good prose and you will keep me happy. Also, I'm such a sucker for emotional gut punches, so the more time you invest in good, quality angst the more money I will invest in you.

Oh, and if you want to go for the triple lutz, insert a good, creepy, bonechilling mystery (or at least something that haunts me) and I will lavish my meager wealth upon you. Lavish, I tell you.

Mostly, though, I hope I can keep these writers and other writers doing what they do. I figure that while they'll probably never know that I read them - the least I can do is throw a few dollars their way. So there you go. There are now three of you who are just a *little* bit richer. Enjoy.