Today’s monster Stacking the Shelves brought to you (and me) by the release of the 2017 Hugo Packet. For those wondering what that is, why that is, or both, here’s the quick recap. The Hugo Awards are nominated and voted upon by both the attending and supporting members of Worldcon (World Science Fiction Convention) for that year. (I am a supporting member of Worldcon 75 in Helsinki. Not going; too far, saving pennies for 2019 in Dublin). It used to be the members’ responsibility to find copies of the nominated works to read before voting. How many and whether everyone did or does is an open question, but as usual I digress. One of the joys of ebooks is that it is relatively inexpensive for publishers to provide ebook copies to the voters of all the nominated works. Considering that a supporting membership currently costs $40, and that the value of the ebook copies of just the best novel nominees is WAY more than $40, it’s a steal. (For those who want the books but not the membership, this year Tor is offering a package of all of their nominated works for $20. Still a steal)
So I’ve listed just the tip of my iceberg here, the best novel, novella, novelette and related works that I didn’t already have. I also picked up the best short story and best graphic novel nominees. You get a lot for that $40 along with the right to vote for the ones you like best. Or vote against the ones you liked least. I intensely disliked All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders, but it got nominated. Taste is individual, and that seems to have been a book that no one was neutral about, either readers loved it or like me, found it completely derivative. We’ll see what happens at Worldcon in August.
For Review:
A Conspiracy in Belgravia (Lady Sherlock #2) by Sherry Thomas
Glass Houses  (Chief Inspector Gamache #13) by Louise Penny
Lowcountry Bonfire (Liz Talbot #6) by Susan M. Boyer
So Great a Prince by Lauren Johnson
Urban Enemies by Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, Kelley Armstrong, Seanan McGuire Jonathan Maberry and others, edited by Joseph Massise
You Say It First (Happily Inc #1) by Susan Mallery
Received in Hugo Packet:
The Art of Space Travel by Nina Allan
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers #2) by Becky Chambers
Death’s End (Remembrance of Earth’s Past #3) by Cixin Liu
The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson
The Jewel and Her Lapidary by Fran Wilde
Ninefox Gambit (Machineries of Empire #1) by Yoon Ha Lee
A Taste of Honey (Sorcerer of the Wildeeps #2) by Kai Ashante Wilson
This Census-Taker by China Mieville
The Tomato Thief (Jackalope Wives #2) by Ursula Vernon (from Apex Magazine)
Too Like the Lightning (Terra Ignota #1) by Ada Palmer
Touring with the Alien by Carolyn Ives Gilman (from Clarkesworld)
Traveler of Worlds: Conversations with Robert Silverberg by Robert Silverberg and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
Words are My Matter by Ursula K. LeGuin
You’ll Surely Drown Here if You Stay by Alyssa Wong (from Uncanny)
Borrowed from the Library:
The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston
The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher
I was fairly neutral about All the Birds in the Sky. It should noooot win a Hugo. It’s just got the Nebula, though. Sigh.
I really need to sign up to vote in the Hugos. Money’s a bit short right now, but soon…
My STS.
Oh my, that is a lot of books! I am looking forward to reading A Conspiracy in Belgravia. I’m sad about the romance in the first book, so I can’t wait to see how things go in this sequel. I hope you enjoy all of your new books!
Have a fabulous week, Marlene. =)
Check out my STS post!
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