Thursday afternoon we returned to the Planned Parenthood Book Sale for our third visit. We were partly motivated by a request from my sister-in-law to look for books by Kathy Reichs and Tess Gerritsen. And partly just because we wanted to look for ourselves. We all found a few books, and I found some I am particularly happy with. So, it was a good visit.
Today I feature a few of my son's choices. He leans more towards fantasy and science fiction.
The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack
This is the first in a series of six books by Mark Hodder. From the back of the book...
London, 1861.
Sir Richard Francis Burton—explorer, linguist, scholar, and swordsman; his reputation tarnished; his career in tatters; his former partner missing and probably dead.
Algernon Charles Swinburne—unsuccessful poet and follower of de Sade; for whom pain is pleasure, and brandy is ruin!
They stand at a crossroads in their lives and are caught in the epicenter of an empire torn by conflicting forces: Engineers transform the landscape with bigger, faster, noisier, and dirtier technological wonders; Eugenicists develop specialist animals to provide unpaid labor; Libertines oppose repressive laws and demand a society based on beauty and creativity; while the Rakes push the boundaries of human behavior to the limits with magic, drugs, and anarchy.
Out of Time by Mario Diana
From the author's website:
First book of the Synchrony trilogy, Out of Time’s adventure start when an American tourist (Aurelia) and her friends find an old (or is it?) watch in Venice, Italy. It is this watch that becomes the connecting thread between times and places across Italy as an operative (Jay) on a recovery mission from the future is entangled in their story.
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
Description on the back of the book:
The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone… …so she ventured out from the safety of the enchanted forest on a quest for others of her kind. Joined along the way by the bumbling magician Schmendrick and the indomitable Molly Grue, the unicorn learns all about the joys and the sorrows of life and love before meeting her destiny in the castle of a despondent monarch – and confronting the creature that would drive her kind to extinction.
Orconomics: A Satire by J. Zachary Pike
From the author's website:
The adventuring industry drives the economy of Arth, a world much like our own but with more magic and fewer vowels. On Arth, professional heroes are hired to slay fantastic creatures with magic weapons. The beasts’ treasure is hauled back to town and divided among investors.
Since his career as a professional hero ended in failure decades ago, Gorm Ingerson’s life has been a cycle of petty crime, heavy drinking and avoiding the Heroes’ Guild. But when the Dwarf helps a Goblin secure its NPC documents, he quickly finds himself in the clutches of the guild’s enforcers.
Light by M. John Harrison
From the review at The Complete Review
The first word of Light is "1999:", the second chapter heading is: "Gold Diggers of 2400 AD". There's almost reassurance in this specificity, localizing events, letting readers know at least when (and then also where) they are situated. But in fact, soon enough, uncertainty prevails -- appropriate, perhaps, for a novel that fully embraces the quantum world and offers technology (and more) based largely on it. ...
The book alternates chapters, focussing on three different characters. First there is Michael Kearney, a contemporary scientist involved in a privately-funded project that is beginning to show some inexplicable results. Kearney also has some personal demons to deal with -- as well as some trouble with women .....
Some four hundred years in the future there's Ed Chianese, who suddenly finds that there are lot of people after him. Down on his luck in New Venusport, he continues to manage to get by, somehow, without understanding much of the world he is facing.
Finally, there is Seria Mau Genlicher, spaceship captain of the White Cat. She has quite remarkable abilities, as she essentially is her ship, connected directly to the mathematics and able to do incredible things. She too is on the run -- and, like the others, less successfully so than she would like.
12 comments:
A good selection, but nothing I'd want to read I'm afraid. Looking forward to seeing what you got.
True, fantasy and science fiction are not your thing, but these stories are intriguing to me.
You got some interesting selections, Tracy. I'm not the well-versed in sci-fi and fantasy, but I respect authors who are able to create those whole new realities.
The first two seem very interesting. I look forward to your reading and reviewing them.
Tracy, I made a quick trip to the Books by Weight exhibition this (Sunday) afternoon and came away with just four paperbacks dating 50s through 80s, my preferred reading era. I also came across cartons of books with unusual titles and covers, like the ones you've displayed above, but didn't know what to make of them. I held myself back from picking up more.
Those two do seem very appealing, Neer. I am probably most attracted to the last one in the list. I will see how my son likes them first though.
Books by Weight sounds like heaven, Prashant, but I would have much less restraint. My son sometimes picks up books in series he has already read, but he has often discovered new authors by just trying books that look appealing.
Oh I do too, Margot. How they even come up with these complicated scenarios is a mystery to me. Even though these aren't featuring a crime plot, I often find that fantasies and science fiction stories have a mystery element.
Interesting selections, Tracy. Kind of dipping my toe in fantasy so I'll look out to see what you think of these. I did enjoy one writer, Sarah Monette but she's very dark but her writing was very addictive. The first book in case you *might* have an interest is Melusine. --Keishon
Thanks for the suggestion, Keishon. I did look up Monette and that series and it did sound interesting. If I don't run into that first book in the next year, I will check at the book sale next year.
Some very cool books, Tracy! THE LAST UNIFORN is supposed to be a classic. I found the first three Mark Hodder books all at once for dirt cheap on eBay last year. I hope to get to them this year. Hodder is the creator of the fabulous Sexton Blake website which you ought to check out some day and learn all about that iconic pulp character.
You've inspired me to write about all the unusual books I found in Omaha and Nashville, our two summer getaway weekends that took place in August and earlier this month.
Definitely, John, I would love to read about the unusual books you found in Omaha and Nashville. It would nice to get to Tennessee again.
I do plan to read THE LAST UNICORN, I sampled a few pages and it appeals to me. That is very interesting about the Sexton Blake website. I will take a look.
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