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Fantasy Book Critic

Fantasy Book Critic Spotlight on August Books30 Juli 2011 9:47This month we are featuring 36 books. There are probably twice as many new sff and related releases this month in traditional publishing not to speak of the countless indies from Amazon and Smashwords but we are limiting ourselves to books that will be reviewed here or are similar with such. For the full schedule of August 2011 titles known to us, you can consult the Upcoming Releases page. The release dates are US unless marked otherwise, though for books released in the UK and US in the same month but on different dates we use the earliest date without comment and they are first edition unless noted differently. The dates are on a best known basis so they are not guaranteed; same about the edition information. Since information sometimes is out of date even in the Amazon links we use for listings, books get delayed or sometimes even released earlier, we would truly appreciate if you would send us an email about any listing with incorrect information. Sometimes a cover image is not available at the time of the post and also sometimes covers change unexpectedly so while we generally use the Amazon one when available and cross check with Google Images, the ultimate bookstore cover may be different.************************************************************************ “Steelhands” by Jaida Jones & Danielle Bennett. Release Date: August 2, 2011. Published by Bantam Spectra. (FAN).“Prince of Thorns” by Mark Lawrence. Release Date: August 2, 2011. Published by Ace. (FAN).“The Whitefire Crossing” by Courtney Schafer. Release Date: August 2, 2011. Published by Night Shade Books. (FAN). “Cold Vengeance” by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. Release Date: August 2, 2011. Published by Grand Central. (MISC). “Circle of Fire” by Michelle Zink. Release Date: August 3, 2011. Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. (YA).“A Blight of Mages” by Karen Miller. Release Date: August 4, 2011. Published by Orbit. (FAN). ************************************************************************ “The Last Four Things” by Paul Hoffman. Release Date: August 4, 2011. Published by Dutton. (MISC / US Debut).“The Crown of the Conqueror” by Gav Thorpe. UK Release Date: August 4, 2011. Published by Angry Robot. (FAN).“Reality 36” by Guy Haley. UK Release Date: August 4, 2011. Published by Angry Robot. (SF).“Awakening” by William Horwood. UK Release Date: August 5, 2011. Published by Tor UK. (FAN).“Final Days” by Gary Gibson. UK Release Date: August 5, 2011. Published by Tor UK. (SF).“The Magician King” by Lev Grossman. Release Date: August 9, 2011. Published by Viking. (FAN). ************************************************************************ “Isles of the Forsaken” by Carolyn Ives Gilman. Release Date: August 15, 2011. Published by ChiZine Publications. (FAN).“The Omen Machine” by Terry Goodkind. Release Date: August 16, 2011. Published by Tor. (FAN).“The Moon Maze Game” by Larry Niven & Steven Barnes. Release Date: August 16, 2011. Published by Tor. (SF).“The Tempering of Men” by Elizabeth Bear & Sarah Monette. Release Date: August 16, 2011. Published by Tor. (FAN).“The Unincorporated Woman” by Dani Kollin & Eytan Kollin. Release Date: August 16, 2011. Published by Tor. (SF). “Low Town” by Daniel Polansky. Release Date: August 16, 2011. Published by Doubleday. (FAN). ************************************************************************ “Ready One Player” by Ernest Cline. Release Date: August 16, 2011. Published by Crown. (SF).“Autumn: Purification” by David Moody. Release Date: August 16, 2011. Published by St. Martin’s Griffin. (HF).“Legacy” by David L. Golemon. Release Date: August 16, 2011. Published by Thomas Dunne. (MISC).“The Edinburgh Dead” by Brian Ruckley. Release Date: August 17, 2011. Published by Orbit. (MISC).“By Light Alone” by Adam Roberts. UK Release Date: August 18, 2011. Published by Gollancz. (SF). “The Third Section” by Jasper Kent. UK Release Date: August 18, 2011. Published by Bantam UK. (MISC). ************************************************************************ “Bringer of Light” by Jaine Fenn. UK Release Date: August 18, 2011. Published by Gollancz. (SF).“A Long, Long Sleep” by Anna Sheehan. UK Release Date: August 18, 2011. Published by Gollancz. (YA).“Ravensoul” by James Barclay. Release Date: August 23, 2011. Published by Pyr. (FAN / US Debut).“Mayan December” by Brenda Cooper. Release Date: August 23, 2011. Published by Prime Books. (FAN).“The Measure of the Magic: Legends of Shannara” by Terry Brooks. Release Date: August 30, 2011. Published by Del Rey. (FAN). “With Fate Conspire” by Marie Brennan. Release Date: August 30, 2011. Published by Tor. (FAN). ************************************************************************ “The Recollection” by Gareth L. Powell. Release Date: August 30, 2011. Published by Solaris. (SF).“Countdown: M Day” by Tom Kratman. Release Date: August 30, 2011. Published by Baen. (SF).“Roil” by Trent Jamieson. Release Date: August 30, 2011. Published by Angry Robot. (Steampunk).“Regicide” by Nicholas Royle. Release Date: August 30, 2011. Published by Solaris. (HF).“Awakenings” by Edward Lazellari. Release Date: August 30, 2011. Published by Tor. (FAN).“The Postmortal” by Drew Magary. Release Date: August 30, 2011. Published by Penguin. (MISC).

Kimberly Menozzi and... Water Makes Rust

As one might suspect, family dinners are a huge part of my Italian life. These happen an almost-monthly basis, marking the important events on the family calendar: holidays, birthdays and the occasional "Just Because" meetings. In the last eight years, there are certain things I have come to expect and look forward to each time we meet.

A typical dinner usually goes like this:

Unless there is a storm of some kind, my husband, Alle and I walk the three or four blocks to his father, Paolo's place. I enjoy this most in autumn or winter, my favorite seasons, as the quiet and calm of our neighborhood is especially noticeable then. A walk in the cold tends to increase the appetite, after all – and it keeps the bottle of wine we bring along that much colder, too.

When we arrive at the palazzo, we call on the citofono to let him know we're there. He buzzes the door open and we take the elevator up to the top floor, where the door to Paolo's flat is already open, waiting for us to enter. The smell of whatever is cooking wafts out to us, filling the small entryway when we step inside and start to remove our coats and hang them up in the small corridor where the bedrooms are.

We go into the living/dining room, where the TV is usually on, the sound low while everyone talks or plays with Mia, the littlest member of the family. The chit-chat continues, sometimes in a mix of Italian and English. My sister-in-law, Roberta and her English husband, Andrew let us know what's new with them (even though we just saw them the night before at their place, in the flat right below our own).

A few minutes pass while Paolo and his girlfriend, Tamara, bustle about in the kitchen, one or the other of them popping out to put some sort of appetizers out on the table. Various types of bread and sliced meats frequently feature in this part of the dinner, and I allow myself a few bites only, so I won't spoil my appetite.

It isn't long, however, before we're encouraged to sit for the meal we've come to share, and that's when it happens. You see, there's a little ritual my Italian father-in-law undertakes each time we gather for a meal; at least, it happens whenever I'm there. Sometimes it's before we sit down to eat, sometimes it's after, but it always happens.

Paolo takes care to show me that he's purchased at least one or two 1.5-liter bottles of Coca-Cola (or Pepsi). One is placed on the table amongst the bottles of mineral water – both still and sparkling – and vino, the other left out on the balcony (in winter, of course) to chill along with the other, unopened bottles of wine. Then, he points out the one or two bottles of Lambrusco amabile – which he doesn't much care for, but he purchased just for me, because I once let him know I could drink it.

You see, I'm not much of a wine drinker. I never developed a taste for wine or other alcohol (aside from Bailey's Irish Cream – which tastes like candy to me), and this was something which puzzled Paolo from the start. For what it's worth, my husband isn't a big drinker, either: the occasional glass of wine with friends, a sampling of bitters with Andrew after a dinner and he's satisfied.

At one dinner – one of the first I can recall – Paolo offered me some wine. When I refused as politely as I could, my husband explained that I didn't drink it, and everything was fine. At the next dinner, Paolo offered again, and Alle explained once more that I'm not a wine drinker. Soon enough, this happened at every meal, until at last Paolo insisted that I try a particularly sweet dessert wine. I liked that one well enough (it was, I believe, a fragolino, or strawberry-infused wine).

In time, I realized he was on a quest. Every meal brought with it another bottle of wine, selected with me in mind. Whether it was dessert wine (dolce) or something simply a little less dry, Paolo brought out another glass for me to sample. If I tried it and didn't like it, that was okay: but I had to try it.

On occasion, when I tried to refuse altogether, Paolo would resort to pouring a splash into my empty water glass (the other glass would usually have some sort of cola in it). This made me laugh, as it was done playfully, and I would drink a little and then give the rest to my husband.

As I sat at one dinner drinking my water after refusing the wine yet again, Paolo shook his head with a half-grin and poured himself another glass. "Kim, Kiiim..." he said, making sure I looked his way. "L'Acqua fa la ruggine," he said, toasting me. I looked at my husband, puzzled, as everyone laughed.

"What did he say?" I asked, and my husband laughed again.

"He said, 'Water makes rust'," Alle explained, and I had to laugh, too.

Clearly, I was part of the family if my father-in-law was so willing to work so hard to protect me from rusting.

"Italy in Books" - July reviews

Thanks again for joining the "Italy in Books” reading challenge 2011! What? You haven't joined yet? No worries, there is time to sign up until the very last day of the year...

Below you can find a list of all the book reviews submitted in July (via this link). I am sure that everyone will find it useful to learn about new and interesting reading ideas - in fact, I suspect that as a result of this challenge my TBR list will expand dangerously!

Whether you know the books that are being discussed or have never heard of them, I strongly encourage you to leave comments below and on the blogs themselves. I want to hear your voices! Despite its name, the reading challenge is not a mere competition, rather an opportunity to share ideas and bond over common interests!

Let's begin!

01. Barbara read and reviewed Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon.
02. Maggie read and reviewed The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato.
03. Gretchen read and reviewed Caesar's Legions by Stephen Dando-Collins.

And remember, two July reviewers are in for a chance to win a copy of Inspector Cataldo's Criminal Summer by Luigi Guicciardi, courtesy of Hersilia Press. Buona fortuna!

LGBT reading challenge - July reviews

Thanks again for joining the LGBT reading challenge 2011! If you haven't joined yet, don't worry: there is still time.

Below is a list of all the book reviews that have been submitted in July (via this link). Hopefully you will all find new and interesting titles to explore - I, for one, am sure to gather another few books to add to my TBR list!

Whether you already know the books that are being discussed or not, I strongly encourage you to leave comments below and on the other blogs. I want to hear your voices! Despite its name, the reading challenge is not simply a competition, more of an opportunity to share ideas and bond over our common interests!

Let's begin!

01. Juliet read and reviewed The Mammoth Book of New Gay Erotica edited by Lawrence Schimel.
02. Lucy read and reviewed All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville-West.

Don't forget, one June reviewer is in for a chance to win a copy of Before Night Falls by Reinaldo Arenas, courtesy of Serpent's Tail!

Book review: Faithful Place

By Tana French
Reviewed by Natazzz

There are crime novels that you read to pass the time and crime novels that you truly enjoy. Faithful Place (2011) by Tana French is one of the latter. Having already read her previous two novels - In the Woods and The Likeness - which I thought were both great, I was eager to get started on this one. Luckily, it did not disappoint.

Faithful Place tells the story of Frank Mackey, an undercover cop in Dublin (who was also a main character in the previous novels). Twenty years ago he planned to run away with his then girlfriend Rosie, but she didn't show up and he never heard from her again. He decided to leave home anyway and hasn't looked back since. That is, until he hears that Rosie's suitcase has been found. Frank is forced to return to the place where he grew up and get reacquainted with his dysfunctional family. Back home, Frank is soon to discover exactly what happened all those years ago.

It is your typical crime novel, but with a difference. The difference being that it is narrated really well. Just as in her previous novels, French makes you identify with her main characters and you end up feeling what they are feeling and even rooting for them. The novel is fast paced and doesn't waste pages on unnecessary details, which is always a plus. It also scores pretty good on the suspense factor, as for most of the novel I was not aware, yet very curious, as how the story would unfold.

To sum it up, Faithful Place is everything I look for in a good crime novel. It's got a good storyline, it's fast paced, suspenseful, with likeable main characters you can identify with and an outcome that it not too predictable. If you enjoy a good crime novel, you will enjoy this one!

Win Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy!

To celebrate the start of my summer reading challenge, MacLehose Press has been so kind as to offer one set of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy for one of you lucky readers!

What do you have to do to win?

Not much!

You just need to sign up for the reading challenge via this link and sit back. On July, 31st I will randomly select a winner, who will then be contacted by e-mail.

Good luck!