April Featured Title

by Jude Feldman

A CROWN FOR COLD SILVER by Alex Marshall (Orbit, Hardcover, $26.00) comes out April 14th.  This is my favorite new fantasy - a throughly enjoyable, entertainingly complex story that falls somewhere in between Patrick Rothfuss and Joe Abercrombie.  Fabulous characters, ethical ambiguity, and an author who trusts in his readers' ability to "get it" without being smacked over the head.

This book is noteworthy for several reasons, but two aspects I especially appreciated were the kick-ass middle-aged female protagonist and the casual lack of heteronormativity, both extremely unusual in fantasy novels.  The pacing, dry humor, and logical but unexpected plot twists are also reasons to love it.

This is going to be my next go-to novel for fans of George R.R. Martin, Scott Lynch, and of course Abercrombie and Rothfuss.  Alan and everyone else here who has read it recommend it, too.

Upcoming Events

Rick Wilbur (editor) and Jacob Weisman and Kim Stanley Robinson (contributors), FIELD OF FANTASIES (Night Shade Books, Trade Paperback, $15.99) Saturday, April 18th at 3:00 pm

Mission Local Neighborhood Discussion, Tuesday, April 21st at 7:00 pm

SF in SF and the Locus Science Fiction Foundation present authors Peter Straub and Michael Marshall Smith at the Book Club of California, 312 Sutter Street, 5th Floor, Friday, May 1st.  Doors at 5:30 pm, event starts at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $20.

Betsy Streeter, SILVERWOOD (Light Messages, Trade Paperback, $18.95) Sunday, May 3rd at 3:00 pm

Marie Brennan, VOYAGE OF THE BASILISK (Tor, Hardcover, $25.99), and Mary Robinette Kowal, OF NOBLE FAMILY (Tor, Hardcover, $26.99) Thursday, May 21st at 7:00 pm

Peter Orullian, TRIAL OF INTENTIONS (Tor, Hardcover, $27.99) Saturday, May 30th at 3:00 pm

Coming up later in the year, look for events with Paolo Bacigalupi, Peter Clines, Alec Helms, a Tiptree Winners' Celebration with Jo Walton, and much, much more!

From the Office

by Alan Beatts

Hi Everyone,

I am, sadly, still playing catchup, still behind on my email (sorry to all of your who have been waiting for replies), and still over-the-moon happy that we're not closing.  I'm also really looking forward to our first Sponsors' Social, which is going to be on April 16th (in less than a week).

Speaking of our sponsors: if you were a sponsor as of the 19th of last month, you should have received an email from us.  If you didn't get that email, please let us know so that we can get whatever is wrong sorted out.  Much of the communication that we're going to have with sponsors will be via email and so we're working very hard to make sure we have correct addresses and that our emails are getting through.  If you got your sponsorship after March 19th, don't worry, we'll be sending out a note to you shortly.

Due to the work load right now, I don't have much clever or interesting to say this month except for one thing.  Our friends at Comix Experience < http://www.comixexperience.com > are running into some of the same challenges regarding the San Francisco Minimum Wage that we faced (i.e. the prices for their goods are set by the publisher and they will have a hard time meeting the minimum wage as it goes up).  However, they aren't planning on closing.  Instead they're offering a graphic novel subscription service that, with sufficient support, will allow them to continue operations and meet the increasing minimum wage.  You can find all the information about it here < http://www.graphicnovelclub.com > but the thumbnail sketch is that, for a flat monthly fee of $25, you will receive a copy of the graphic novel of the month.  There is also a price break if you want a year-long subscription -- that's just $240.  Those are the in-person pickup prices but shipping (for those of you outside SF or those of you who just work too damn much), by Priority Mail no less, only adds $6 a month.

April News Roundup

* OVERHEARD IN THE STORE:
"Sometimes I'm on the internet and it's exactly like reading a bottle of Dr. Bronner's Soap - the gallon size."
"There are only two kinds of bookstores in Vallejo: those for Bibles, and those for porn."
"Just try it.  How can you _not_ smile when you say 'dachshund Easter egg hunt'?!"
"Sex comes and goes; chocolate is forever!"

* We're currently hiring counter help at the Cafe (not the bookstore, sorry!).   No experience is necessary, and high school students are welcome.  Fluency in English is a must, and a love of reading is a plus.  Afternoon and evening shifts to start; pay is $12.25/hour plus tips.  Drop off a resume at the Cafe or email it to abeatts@borderlands-books.com .

March Bestsellers

Hardcovers
1. PRUDENCE by Gail Carriger
2. TRIGGER WARNING by Neil Gaiman
3. THE THREE BODY PROBLEM by Cixin Liu translated by Ken Liu
4. HALF THE WORLD by Joe Abercrombie
5. THE BURIED GIANT by Kazuo Ishiguro
6. THE PERIPHERAL by William Gibson
7. SYMBIONT by Mira Grant
8. THE CALLING by James Frey and Nils Johnson
9. KAREN MEMORY by Elizabeth Bear
10. WAISTCOATS AND WEAPONRY by Gail Carriger

Mass Market Paperbacks
1. POCKET APOCALYPSE by Seanan McGuire
2. FLEX by Ferrett Steinmetz
3. HALF-OFF RAGNAROK by Seanan McGuire
4. FOXGLOVE SUMMER by Ben Aaronovitch
5. WORDS OF RADIANCE by Brandon Sanderson
6. SKIN GAME by Jim Butcher
7. THE WINTER LONG by Seanan McGuire
8. THE GOBLIN EMPEROR by Katherine Addison
9. 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson
10. EMPEROR OF THORNS by Mark Lawrence

Trade Paperbacks
1. ANCILLARY JUSTICE by Ann Leckie
2. THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir
3. SOULLESS by Gail Carriger
4. ANCILLARY SWORD by Ann Leckie
5. HALF A KING by Joe Abercrombie