November 01, 2011

October Bestsellers

Hardcovers
1. Children of the Sky by Vernor Vinge
2. Aloha From Hell by Richard Kadrey
3. Reamde by Neal Stephenson
4. Snuff by Terry Pratchett
5. A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin
6. The Departure by Neal Asher
7. A Beautiful Friendship by David Weber
8. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
9. In Other Worlds by Margaret Atwood
10. Zone One by Colson Whitehead

Mass Market Paperbacks
1. One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire
2. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
3. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
4. A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin tie with A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
5. Feed by Mira Grant
6. Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold
7. Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
8. Deadline by Mira Grant
9. Evolutionary Void by Peter F. Hamilton
10. Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

Trade Paperbacks
1. Kingdom of Gods by N.K. Jemisin
2. Briarpatch by Tim Pratt
3. The Bible Repairman and Other Stories by Tim Powers
4. Ganymede by Cherie Priest tie with After the Apocalypse by Maureen McHugh
5. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Overheard at the World Fantasy Convention

This is a feature that appears periodically, as we attend conventions and overhear things.  The tradition of keeping track of anonymous overheard bits and bobs started for us at the 2002 ConJose in San Jose, where trying (or trying not to) fill in the blanks on overheard conversations made us laugh so much that we made it a habit.  These are the (many!) things we overheard at the World Fantasy Convention in San Diego:

"This artwork makes me feel very Colonialist."

"We're staying at the Eldritch Moppet Hotel."

"I am no slave to grammar!"

"Me and ma Fey homies are gonna come down on you wid a quickness."

"It's a bit more stylized & a bit less moist."

"She writes slipstream. . .magic realism.  Our world with a bit of magic."
"So, urban fantasy?"
"No, because it's not set in cities."
"So, bucolic urban fantasy?"

"Your book made me stab my bathrobe.  It could have harboring footless midget zombies."

"Every time I see him, I want to fall to my knees and prostate myself."
"Don't you mean 'prostrate'?"
"No, I think I meant what I said."

"It was at ReaderCon when I karate-chopped a plate of crudite out of your hands."

[San Diego's famous Old Town is called the "Gaslamp District".] "I assume in the Gas_light_ District they change the street names every afternoon."

"It was a really knotty problem that I solved by not thinking about it."

"I really wanted to have sex but my genitals stopped me."

"Doesn't he usually kill his wife and then steal sausages?"

"Amazon regularly tries to sell me my own books."

November News Roundup

* California extends library privacy laws to E-books: <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2394064,00.asp#fbid=i1s49Zg-_iU>

* Cory Doctorow's LITTLE BROTHER will be on stage in San Francisco!  Adapted and directed by Josh Costello, the show will run January 13th - February 12, 2012.  More details here: Custom Made Theatre Company <http://www.custommade.org>
1620 Gough Street, San Francisco CA 94109, info@custommade.org

* Michael Palin (the Monty Python comedian, actor and writer) is urging readers to purchase books from independent bookstores: <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2048151/Michael-Palin-urges-readers-use-independent-bookshops-buy-work-bid-stave-threat-Amazon.html>

* At the World Fantasy Convention last month, Alisa Krasnostein and Jonathan Strahan talked with Alan Beatts about his recent article and the future of publishing for their podcast Live and Sassy: <http://liveandsassy.podbean.com/2011/11/12/episode-2-live-and-sassy-with-alan-beatts/>

* Amazon's "Lending Library" apparently lending titles without publishers' permission: <http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/49430-could-amazon--s-lending-library-end-in-court-.html?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly%27s+PW+Daily&utm_campaign=5c6796c607-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email>