Spring is for signings
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Even without Amazon, my shopping hasn't slown down any. Some purchases over the past two weeks:
The BSFA 2012 Awards. Not really a purchase, but a nice little thing that the BSFA mails through every year. It contains all the short stories, screenshots of the non-fiction and samples of the cover art. I like that the BSFA does this - it means that, even if not everyone has read every novel, they can vote in a vaguely-educated way in all the other categories. Good stuff.
Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company. I've never read any of the Black Company books and this big fat compendium seems to be just what the doctor ordered. (Oxfam)
Fairest #12 and #13. The one comic book I collect as single issues. Obviously I'm a shameless Beukes fanboy, but I love the art as well - and the Adam Hughes covers are amazing. (Delighted that two finally don't just feature "naked Repunzel". DC! Progressive!) Anyway, enjoying this series, will be sad when it ends. (Forbidden Planet)
Supergods by Grant Morrison. I love this book. Reviewed it, ran an extract (first time we ever did that!), did a giveaway, etc. Had a inscribed copy from his Foyles signing - then made the rookie error: leant it out. Alas. I've wanted a new copy for ages, and this one is signed, so... that's halfway back to where I was. (If you see a copy signed "To Jared" in a charity shop, snaffle it for me, will you?) (Forbidden Planet)
The Holy Machine by Chris Beckett. I'm fairly sure this is the first edition (2003/Cosmos/Dorchester printing?). But I'm not sure. This is just reverting to my old habits - I see a signing coming up, so I start stockpiling... (some random indie via Abebooks)
Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger. Realised it came out. Made beeline to store. Bought. Devoured. Happy. (Foyles)
Vurt by Jeff Noon. Mwahahaha. I'm not-so-secretly collecting nice editions of Clarke Award winners and Vurt has been the trickiest to find. With his upcoming signing, I figured I'd give it another go. The new anniversary edition looks lovely, but when I spotted the first edition on Abebooks for a (really) reasonable price... it is battered, bruised and slightly torn, but it isn't ex-library, no one has scribbled in it and it is mineminemine. (Another random indie via Abebooks)
The Skating Rink by Roberto Bolaño. Got caught without a book (eek!), fortunately, I was at Old Street Tube Station, home to Camden Lock Books. Bolaño's latest/posthumous novel, The Third Reich, was the first of his I'd read, and I was blown away. The Skating Rink, a much quicker read, was also pretty good, if slightly less, I dunno weighty. Perfect for a few days' commute. (Camden Lock Books)
I'll almost definitely be at the Terry Brooks signing and Fantasy in the Court. The latter event is being a bit coy about the lineup (Orbit, for example, confirmed at least three authors not on the list), but I'm sure that'll be good chance support a local bookshop by buying everything in sight.