I usually keep a year’s worth of new releases stacked up in the “Saved For Later” list on my Amazon account and purchase by the month as the calendar rolls over. The May list was particularly rich this year and I came home from my last trip on Saturday to find my May Amazon box waiting for me on the kitchen counter. I thought I’d put up a quick post letting you know which new titles I just placed “On The Shelf”.
Here’s one – the second book in “The Murderbot Diaries” – following “All Systems Red”.
“All Systems Red” received both a Hugo and Nebula Award for Best Novella. I read it and reviewed it here:
http://booksofbrian.com/on-the-nightstand-all-systems-red-1-16-2018/
I enjoyed it but didn’t quite feel that it lived up to the recognition it recieved – caveating that judgement with the observation that I hadn’t read any of the other nominees in the Novella category for either Award. I did say that I’d buy the next two installments in the series but not in Hardcover – a judgement that obviously hasn’t stuck. Still – “All Systems Red” was good enough to leave me interested in finding out where Martha Wells is going with this one. It’s a short read – another Novella length work – that I hope to get to soon.
Next out of the box was “Uncharted” by Kevin J. Anderson and Sarah A. Hoyt. I don’t know Sarah Hoyt but I have read some of Kevin Anderson’s stuff – he’s written some decent stuff – the Dune Prequels and the first book in the “Saga Of The Seven Sons” series. None of that bubbles to the top of any of my lists but I was intrigued by the premise here and decided to give it a try.
Third was a new series by an old friend – Raymond E. Feist. This is the first book in a new series called “The Firemane Saga”. I ordered this one with a bit of hesitation – I’ve read every word Feist has written about Midkemia and – by the end of that marathon – it was more a test of endurance than a pleasure. Still – I’ve made a huge investment in this guy and I’m really interested in seeing how he goes about re-inventing himself. It’s like that old saying – the triumph of hope over experience.
This next one reflects the “eternal optimist” aspect of my reading life. I’ve been meaning to really explore Neal Asher’s “Polity” works for a loooong time and made a start by reading both “Prador Moon” and “The Shadow Of The Scorpion”. That’s where I stopped – not because I didn’t like the books – I did and I’ve reviewed them both. I just got side -tracked – put my time into other books and haven’t made it back. There are so many books in this body of work that I probably don’t stand a chance of finishing them all but like I said – it’s in the plan and I know I’ll eventually getting back to the Polity. I thought I’d pick this one up just to stay current and be prepared for the day.
Last but certainly not least – in fact, this is probably the May arrival that I’m most excited about – “The Wolf” by Leo Carew – first in a series called “Under The Northern Sky”. This one does really look good and it’s likely going to be my next read – as soon as my Military Science Fiction binge runs it’s course.
Plenty of good stuff and more coming in June – not sure where I’ll find the time but here’s hoping for a long life and a leisurely retirement.
I’m debating whether to dive into The Soldier or to wait until the whole trilogy is completed. On one hand, I love Asher’s stuff but it is always complex enough that trying to remember what happened 2 years ago and make the narrative come together as a cohesive whole is rather hard.