Bona Fide: Weekly Roundup #36

Hello and welcome to a new issue of my Roundup; it has been a rough week since the last one. On one hand I had a lot of work at work, and on the other hand Alec has been tied up with family matters. Therefore I had to take care of the blog alone for the first time and I'm glad that I found time for three posts. I could not manage more, but fortunately Alec is back! This week there are no movie trailers but that should not hinder you from taking a look at the rest. Enjoy reading!

Books

I was not really sure where to put this part of the Roundup: books or blogosphere? Finally I decided for books because it gives you something to read. I assume a lot of you have read The Lies of Locke Camora (2006) [US] [UK] and Red Seas under Red Skies (2007) [US] [UK] by Scott Lynch. Both books belong to my "library of unread books". And fans wait still for the next Locke Lamora book. In order to bridge the time gap Scott Lynch started an online serial novel titled Queen of the Iron Sands in order to " to keep people amused while I revise and finish several other important projects." And this is the blurb:

"At the height of the Second World War, Violet DeVere was a WASP-- a Women's Airforce Service Pilot, trusted with ferrying the most advanced warplanes in the United States arsenal. Five years after the war, she's barely making ends meet as a crop duster and part-time science fiction writer.

Kidnapped across a hundred million miles of space, Violet suddenly finds herself a prisoner in an impossible empire, an inhabited Mars shielded from earthling eyes by a scientific illusion called the Veil. Mars and its people are ground beneath the heel of the ruthless All-Sovereign, whose legions rule the skies. All resistance to his absolute despotism has been driven to the deadly red sands beyond civilization.

Outgunned and outnumbered, Violet DeVere and her few brave Martian allies make a desperate stand against the All-Sovereign... against an ageless tyrant with the power to destroy every living thing in the solar system."

Chapter three will be available on the 4th of September. I did not find the time to read it so far. In any case, if you have read it please leave a comment and let me know whether you liked or not, and why.

Ever read a YA steampunk novel? No? Then you should have a look at Leviathan (October 2009)[US] [UK] by Scott Westerfeld. Visit his site which has a very cool steampunk ambience. And this is the blurb:

"Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She’s a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn’s paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever." [Source].

I know there are conflicting opinions about book trailers, but the one for Leviathan is a great example of what they can do, take a look:


Blogosphere

Some weeks ago I posted about the upcoming steampunk novel Boneshaker (2009)[US] [UK] by Cherie Priest. She posted a map of her version of 1879 Seattle. Save the map for when you start reading.

I really look forward to Book Blogger Appreciation Week (September 14 -18, 2009). And these are the daily blogging topics (Source):

Monday September 14
The shortlists for the awards will be announced next Monday, September 7th. The first day of BBAW, Monday September 14th, we encourage you to write a post thanking and spotlighting your favorite blogs that didn’t make the shortlists.

Tuesday September 15
We will post our blogger interview swaps!

Wednesday September 16
We encourage you to be creative with this! Please choose one or two questions to answer or try to answer all the questions in five words or less. Or choose a picture to answer a question! Brevity is the goal of today!

Thursday September 17
Today we encourage you to blog about a book you read only because you discovered it on another book blog. Preferably, this will be a book you loved! You might also write a bit about the blog you discovered it on!

Friday September 18
Setting Goals! Write in 50 words or less…what do you like best about your blog right now and where would you like your blog to be a year from now?

Quotes

This week all quotes are related to fatigue. And I feel fatigue. Looking forward to a relaxing weekend.

"The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue.”

Napoleon Bonaparte

"All forms of fear produce fatigue.”

Bertrand Russell

"Fatigue makes women talk more and men less”

C.S. Lewis

"Fatigue is the best pillow.”

Benjamin Franklin