Bona Fide: Weekly Roundup #13

Hello and welcome to issue #13 of my Weekly Roundup. A lot of things have happened within this week. That is the reason why you have had to wait some hours longer to read this Roundup. Spring weather left my region on Friday. Now it is colder, the sky is gray and it rains a lot. But I'm fine. I received great books and mails. And I enjoyed the pleasure of Twitter. Unfortunately my time for Twitter is limited due to my work. Anyway look forward to May. Seak and I are making plans for some combined reviews.... Enjoy reading

Bona Fide's Menu

Books

1. Book Trailer: Wintercraft by Jenna Burtenshaw
   
2. The Ninth Avatar by Todd Newton
3. My Surprise of the Week: A package form Tor publicist Cassandra Ammerman

Blogosphere

1. Calendar: A Song Of Ice And Fire 2011
2. The Malazan Book of the Fallen: Blog Activities
3. The Pleasures of Twitter: Thanks to Beautiful Books
4. Two Interviews with Tad Williams
   

Movies

1. Today is Game Time: The Witcher 2. Assassin of Kings

Quotes

1. German proverbs, sayings and idioms Spring Tiredness . . . Blood
   

Books

In Weekly Roundup #08 I posted about Wintercraft (May 2010, ISBN-13: 978-0755370962) which the upcoming debut novel by Jenna Burtenshaw.

"Ten years ago Kate Winters' parents were taken by the High Council's wardens to help with the country's war effort. Now the wardens are back...and prisoners, including Kate's uncle Artemis, are taken south on the terrifying Night Train. Kate and her friend Edgar are hunted by a far more dangerous enemy. Silas Dane -- the High Council's most feared man -- recognises Kate as one of the Skilled; a rare group of people able to see through the veil between the living and the dead. His spirit was damaged by the High Council's experiments into the veil, and he's convinced that Kate can undo the damage and allow him to find peace. The knowledge Kate needs lies within Wintercraft -- a book thought to be hidden deep beneath the graveyard city of Fume. But the Night of Souls, when the veil between life and death is at its thinnest, is just days away and the High Council have their own sinister plans for Kate and Wintercraft. To help Artemis, Edgar and herself, Kate must honour her pact with a murderer and come face to face with the true nature of death." [Source]

A blurb without cover? Does this make sense? No, of course. But instead of the cover I like to present you the atmospheric Wintercraft trailer....


Like my good friend Harry Markov - the unbelievable guy behind Temple Library Reviews - I would like to spread word about The Ninth Avatar (2010, ISBN-13: n 978-0984207046) by Todd Newton. This debut novel has been self-published in 2009. Then it has been picked up by Trappdoor Books. What is the book about?
"Wizards have wondered for generations when a human would ascend to become the Ninth Avatar, and what would happen when they did. Opinions differ, but the Ninth Pillar of Magic—that of Darkness—is feared by many whether they use magic or not.
When Starka, an outcast priestess of the magic loathing Cathedrals of Myst, receives a prophecy heralding this ascension, a new force rises to threaten the entire known world. The Carrion army, a race of transformed humans bearing black horns and an unquenchable thirst for blood, destroys every city it comes across. Their leader, Zion, has only one goal: to become the living embodiment of magic that is the Ninth Avatar.
Aiding Starka in her quest to halt this are DaVille, a mysterious warrior bent on killing the Carrion leader; Cairos, a wizard from the betrayed city of Illiadora; and Wan Du and Lady Mayrah, a man and woman from rival nations now decimated by the Carrion. Amidst all this turmoil, Wadam, a Cardinal of Starka’s faith, seeks to seize control of Myst for himself and thereby subjugate the female leaders.
With the world in peril Starka must find the means to prevent these things, or die trying." [Source]
And now tell me which kind of cover would you expect? Left or Right?












UNBELIEVABLE!! A a difference like day and night!! The left picture shows the cover of the self-published edition. The right one shows the result of the Trappdoor Books cover art department.

Finally some more good news! Co-blogger Seak will get a copy of The Ninth Avatar soon. So expect a great review in April!


This week I received a package from Cassandra Ammerman, publicist at Tor.com. I knew that Alec tried to get some books for me but I was not sure what to expect. I opened the package with shaky fingers and ...... found two books - one ARC and one paperback. Both books have been written by one author. I speak about Kage Baker who died in January 2010 at the age of 57. Maybe you know her famous Company series.
Let's start with The Empress of Mars (2010, ISBN-13: 978-0765325518) which is a novel set in the world of the Company.

"When the British Arean Company founded its Martian colony, it welcomed any settlers it could get. Outcasts, misfits and dreamers emigrated in droves to undertake the grueling task of terraforming the cold red planet--only to be abandoned when the BAC discovered it couldn't turn a profit on Mars.
This is the story of Mary Griffith, a determined woman with three daughters, who opened the only place to buy a beer on the Tharsis Bulge. It's the story of Manco Inca, whose attempt to terraform Mars brought a new goddess vividly to life; of Stanford Crosley, con man extraordinaire; of Ottorino Vespucci, space cowboy and romantic hero; of the Clan Morrigan, of the denizens of the Martian Motel, and of the machinations of another Company entirely, all of whom contribute to the downfall of the BAC and the founding of a new world. But Mary and her struggles and triumphs is at the center of it all, in her bar, the Empress of Mars.
Based on the Hugo-nominated novella of the same name, this is a rollicking novel of action, planetary romance, and high adventure."

That sounds very promising for me. Let's have a look at the ARC of Not Less Than Gods (2010, ISBN-13: 978-0765318916) which is the ninth book in the Company series. Gulp!!! Should this mean I have to buy and read the other eight books before?? I turned the book, read the back and was relieved:

"Now that the main story arc of Kage Baker's Company novels is completed, she has embarked upon a goup of novels set in the same world and investigating some of the same characters. She has written the story of the young life of Edward Fairfax, who lives in a secretly steampunk version of Victorian England, and in a Europe filled with covered and hidden advanced technologies."

That convinced me to put away every other book and start to read . I know that's crazy!! But I tell you after 106 pages I DIDN'T REGRET! Expect a review soon..... This is the US cover and the blurb:

"Edward is an idealist, and as he grows into manhood, it becomes apparent that he is some kind of superman. He can think faster than normal people, has the utter charm to persuade others, and possesses physical strength. He has been manipulated from birth, created for hidden purposes, and now as a young man is sent on a European tour, as a spy and and an assassin. Edward the idealistic assassin - perhaps the most dangerous man alive."

I can promise you that I will definitely read more Company novels!

Blogosphere

Let me start this part with three questions. Do you like calendars? Do you like fantasy? Do you like ASOIAF? OK, it is not fair to work with abbreviations but in this case I could not withstand. ASOIAF means A Song Of Ice And Fire, a gorgeous series by George R.R. Martin. In July 2010 the new A song of Ice and Fire 2011 Calendar (ISBN-13: 978-0553808001) will be published.

Artist Ted Nasmith painted 12 castles located in Westeros, the world of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. I find the pictures more than impressive. And I think it is not only a calendar for fans...


Ever heard from the great series The Malazan Book of the Fallen? All these incredible books written by Steven Erikson. There is a community called Malazan Empire. They offer a lot of information but I found it difficult to enter this community as a newcomer.
Therefore I read the first book in the series - The Gardens of the Moon - in 2009 on my own and I have been blown away. Then I won a copy of The Gardens of the Moon (2009, 10th anniversary edition,ISBN-13: 978-0593065068) and I thought by myself that this right cause to reread the book which is so far the only book of the whole series I read. As I found out I'm not the only one who wants to read/ reread which is great. If you want to read/reread the series and to talk about it then I highly recommend to have a look at following posts: Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen: Joining forces by Mihai (Dark Wolf) and The Malazan Re-read of the Fallen: Introductory Post by Stefan Raets and Bill Capossere. Enjoy reading!


I have to avow that I like Twitter a lot. Why? If you follow the right people (publishers, authors, publicists, reader, blogger) you can get a lot information about books AND you can get books. From Monday to Friday I use the most part of my lunch break for Twitter. Let me share my story from Friday with you.
I read following tweet by beautifulbooks:

"If anyone wants to #FF us that would be grand. Would make my day to get to 200 followers by the end of the day."

My answer:

"@beautifulbooks I'm follower 203. So you reached your target. Maybe you get 222 by the end of the day ;)"

Then I have had a look at Beautiful Books website and found instantly to books I would like to read. Therefore I twittered:

"@beautifulbooks just had a look at your website and found instantly two interesting books: Sweet Smell of Decay and A plague of Sinners :)"

And this was the totally unexpected answer:

"@ediFanoB Excellent! DM me your address and I'll send you a copy of Sweet Smell."

Of course I sent my address. This is the book I will get. Expect a review within the next three months.
The Sweet Smell of Decay (2009, ISBN-13: 978-1905636426) by Paul Lawrence which is the first book in a new series entitled The Chronicles of Harry Lytle.

"Firmly located in Restoration England, these are universally enjoyable novels which combine wonderful period detail and atmosphere with a riveting page-turning quality.

It's London,1664, and Harry has a big problem. He's just discovered he has a young cousin, Anne Giles, and he’s had the pleasure of meeting her for the first time – mutilated and laid out on the slab for an autopsy. His father has tasked him with job of tracking down Anne’s murderer. Harry has some robust assistance from one David Dowling, a resourceful and impressively well-built, but equally hygiene-deficient, butcher. Together they follow a trail of blood, conspiracy and corruption that takes them to the dark and murky corners of Restoration London, featuring a great cast of ne'er-do-wells, cheeky wenches, harmless witches, likeable villains, and not a few unsavoury fellows keen on sending Lytle and his companion to an early grave." [Source]

One more book settled in my favorite town London...

Do you like the books by Tad Williams? I do. And so have been tickled pink when I - thanks to my Goodreads contact and my Google Reader entries - found out that there are two new interviews with Tad Williams are available. Jason Baki, the good guy behind KAMVISION, interviewed Tad Williams recently. Peter Williams, a member of the new blog Speculative Book Review, posted his interview with Tad Williams today. Well done Jason and Peter. I think interviews is one of things which should have to add to the blog in future. I still need to work on my interview skills. And I hope to present you my first interview within 2010... Tim will tell.



Movies

There has been I time where I played games like Morrowind, Oblivion, The Watcher. I liked them a lot. And then I discovered the book blogosphere abyss. I stopped playing.... Within this week I found the trailer for The Witcher 2. Assassins of Kings. That could be a reason to play again.... Watch the trailer. ATTENTION: There is blood, a lot of blood......


Quotes

Did you watch the Witcher 2 trailer? Then you know why I searched BLOOD quotes for you. Blood, the juice of life, vampire nutrition, Dexter - blood spatter analyst, ......

"Dexter Morgan: Blood. Sometimes it sets my teeth on edge, other times it helps me control the chaos ”
[Source]

"Humor is a rubber sword - it allows you to make a point without drawing blood.”
Mary Hirsch

"The word 'politics' is derived from the word 'poly', meaning 'many', and the word 'ticks', meaning 'blood sucking parasites'.”
Larry Hardiman

"Aristotle was famous for knowing everything. He taught that the brain exists merely to cool the blood and is not involved in the process of thinking. This is true only of certain persons.”
Will Cuppy

Bona Fide: Weekly Roundup #12

Hello and welcome to issue #12 of my Weekly Roundup. I like to have a schedule for reading, reviewing and blogging. But as one of my colleagues told me: A plan is just a plan.... So much wisdom in six words. I could not finish reading The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin. Or can one of you my dear readers explain to me how to read with closed eyes? Corollary I could not write and post my review on Friday as planned. Fortunately I had one more review up my sleeve. On Thursday my wife and I could not go to gym in the evening because she has had migraine. So we postponed sport to Friday. With gym on Friday we had to postpone cinema... Beside this I started work on three days two hours earlier... Don't get me wrong. I don't want to complain. I just wanted to demonstrate the relationship between a plan and reality. But there is one very positive sign: More sunshine and it is getting warmer. Enjoy reading....

Bona Fide's Menu

Books

1. Tor reissues the Runestaff series by Michael Moorcock
   
2. One more science fiction series for me: Jump 225 by David Louis Edelman
   

Blogosphere

1. Tor/Forge's Blog
2. Bathroom
   

Movies

1. Today is Disney Classic Time: The Three Little Pigs

Quotes

1. German proverbs, sayings and idioms Spring Tiredness . . . Sleep
   

Books

Tor reissues the Runestaff series by Michael Moorcock. I faintly remember that I read some Elric of Melnibone novels in the 70's. Since then I never touched again a Michael Moorcock novel. Several days ago I read a review of The Juwel in the Skull (reissued January 2010) [US][UK] over at SFFWORLD.COM. And I must say I have been intrigued. Originally released in 1967 it is like a time travel in fantasy. The second book in the series The Mad Dog's Amulet [US][UK] will be released in March 2010. And now have a look at the new cover and the blurb:

"Dorian Hawkmoon, the last Duke of Koln, swore to destroy the Dark Empire of Granbretan. But after his defeat and capture at the hands of the vast forces of the Empire. Hawkmoon becomes a puppet co-opted by his arch nemesis to infiltrate the last stronghold of rebellion against Granbretan, the small but powerful city of Kamarang. He's been implanted with a black jewel, through whose power the Dark Empire can control his every decision. But in the city of Kamarang, Hawkmoon discovers the power inside him to overcome any control, and his vengeance against the Dark Empire is filled with an unrelenting fury."

I'm sure I will get these books sooner or later.....


My list of science fiction books is growing. My latest discovery is the Jump 225 by David Louis Edelman. And I have to "blame" Mark Chitty and his review of Infoquake (originally released in 2006) [US][UK] for it. He got me with following part of his review:

"To put it in simple terms, Infoquake is not your normal science fiction novel. It doesn't deal with an action hero, it doesn't focus on a threat to the world, there are no aliens or AI's. Infoquake is a science fiction story about business. Doesn't that sound interesting? Well, it is. In fact it's one of the most entertaining novels I've read. The story is interesting, the characters are likable and easy to read and the writing is aimed perfectly - there isn't much about Infoquake that I didn't like."

Yes, I ordered the reprint in advance. And yes, I will buy Multireal and Geosynchron too. This is the new cover and the blurb:

"Natch is a master of biologics, the programming of the human body. He's clawed and scraped his way to the top of the biologics market using little more than his wits. Now his sudden notoriety has brought him to the attention of Margaret Surina, the owner of a mysterious new technology called MultiReal. Only by enlisting Natch's devious mind can Margaret keep MultiReal out of the hands of High Executive Len Borda and his ruthless armies. To fend off the intricate net of enemies closing in around him, Natch and his apprentices must accomplish the impossible. They must understand this strange new technology, run through the product development cycle, and prepare MultiReal for release to the public - all in three days. Meanwhile, hanging over everything is the spectre of the infoquake, a lethal burst of energy that's disrupting the biologic networks and threatening to send the world crashing back into the Dark Ages."

Blogosphere

I follow the Tor/Forge's Blog. One of the things I like are the "dry" release overview post. You get either covers combined with links or lists of title and authors. I like to discover the mentioned books on my own. Have a look at March 16th releases. And if you want more look at the releases of the next three months. I wanted to present you some of the books in detail but as I explained in my introduction. A plan is just a plan. But I hope to catch up soon.

Bathroom
What did you think when you read this heading on a scfi-fi and fantasy blog? Maybe a post about the history of bathrooms? Far from it!
Did you know that Americans spend over 30 minutes each day in bathroom.And unbelievable but true men spend more time than women.[Source]
I'm no American but I also spend some time in bathroom every day -often with a book. But there are a lot more opportunities what you can do in the bathroom. Did you ever think of bathroom art? What's about toilet paper origami or towel origami? You can by books about it. Curious? Then please read Maybe your time would better be spent elsewhere.... Post includes book recommendations and pictures. Have fun.

Movies

With all the upcoming 3D movies we should not forget all these great movies and short movies from the last century. There are gems which are even older than I am and which I still like to watch. When I was a child we have had black and white TV. But I was happy every time when they showed something by Walt Disney. Nowadays you go to YouTube and watch the short movies in color. Today I like to show you one of the Disney's classics. Unbelievable that this amazing piece of work is 77 years old. The content is timeless.
I can tell you when you watch The Three Little Pigs and you enjoy it as much as I did, then you are still young maybe not physically but mental. Now watch and don't forget to sing together with the little Pigs: "Who is afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?"


Quotes

With the change of weather - it is getting warmer - I feel flabby and weary. It is like a kind of spring tiredness. I thought sleep quotes would be a great idea. Good night...

"As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.”
Leonardo da Vinci, Italian engineer, painter, & sculptor (1452 - 1519)

"Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone.”
Anthony Burgess, British composer & novelist (1917 - 1993)

"People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one.”
Leo J. Burke

"I cannot sleep unless I am surrounded by books.”
Jorge Luis Borges, Argentine novelist & poet (1899 - 1986)

Bona Fide: Weekly Roundup #11

Hello and welcome to issue #11 of my Weekly Roundup. It is incredible how fast a week pass by. Yesterday I watched Shutter Island - read my impressions. It seems I'm getting busier beside work. Cinema, fitness studio three times per week, watch series on TV - Fringe, CSI, Bones, Flashforward, MD House. And still I find time to read and review books. And yes, I sleep every day several hours (mostly five). On Friday I took part in book giveaway on twitter for the first time. Scroll down to read more. Compared to last week I reduced the number of my unread google reader entries from 1000+ to 800. Enjoy reading....

Bona Fide's Menu

Books

1. Prize of the week: The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke
   
2. A Book Recommendation from James
   

Blogosphere

1. Editor's Business: Julie Crisp
2. Coming up in April: A Sci-Fi Appreciation Month
3. New Blog: Genre Reader
   

Movies

1. SHUTTER ISLAND - First impressions

Quotes

1. German proverbs, sayings and idioms Spring....

Books

I love books and I love giveaways. Therefore I take part in a lot of giveaways. On Friday (March 12th) I have had a premiere. First the first time I took part in giveaway on Twitter. The giveaways on Twitter are a lot faster. After 70 minutes it was over. Orbitbooks offered 15 copies of The Last Stormlord (2010) [US] [UK] by Glenda Larke. It is the first book in the Watergivers trilogy. To keep it short: I WON one of the 15 signed copies! What a great start in the weekend. Now I wait for the copy.
By the way Gave from NextRead wants to read it too. Now have a look at the cover and read the blurb.

"The Cloudmaster and his stormlords command wealth and power. But can they save themselves from a rogue rainlord?
Terelle is on the run when an old man with the ability to paint pictures on water employs her as his apprentice—and paints her portrait. She thinks she is safe, until she discovers his floating artworks can fix an immutable future for those portrayed in them. She has become a prisoner of her own painted future.
The Cloudmaster and his stormlords keep the land alive with their power over water and rain. However, the current Cloudmaster is dying and has no stormlord heir because all the promising young men and women have died in troubling circumstances.
An expedition mounted to scour the countryside for a potential stormlord locates a young village lad called Shale. Kidnapped and imprisoned, Shale finds himself a tool in a struggle between the warring factions of the land—because whoever commands a stormlord, commands the water of a nation…"[Source]

Like you, dear readers, I follow other blogs and of course I look for recommendations. One of the blogs I follow is James Long's Speculative Horizons. James doesn't give away compliments easily. His reviews are profound and he likes to discuss about book covers. On March 11th he posted a review which ends with following sentence (I censored the title of the book due to dramaturgical reasons):

"XXXXXXXXXX is one of the most emotionally-engaging books I've ever read, and if that's not a good recommendation then I don't know what is." [Source]

Which book impressed James so much? You want to know? Then click here. I can tell you that the book is not on my book list but on the book list of my wife. Anyway after reading Jame's review I know that I have to read this book too.
No, No, No, I won't tell you the title. Go, read James' review and tell me whether it was worth to read the review or not.

Blogosphere

Do you know editors, book editors? Do you know what a book editor has to do?
I must admit I "know" one editor via Twitter and I don't much about the book.
Julie Crisp, queen of Tor UK, is the editor of Col Buchanan - read my review of Farlander - and of Mark Charan Newton - author of Nights of Villjamur and City of Ruin.
Mark Charan Newton has been so kind to interview Julie Crisp. If you want to get to know more about Julie, her job, her relation to authors and her opinion about book covers then I highly recommend to read Interview With My Editor: Julie Crisp.

When you follow the Roundup regularly then you will know that I want to read more science fiction in 2010. One month ago Alec and I have been asked by Mark Chitty to contribute a Sci-Fi-Appreciation Month in April 2010 over at Walker of Worlds. Even we both don't have much time we couldn't deny the request. So we both will contribute. Let me quote Mark's post.

"I'm a sci-fi fan through and through, and while I enjoy fantasy it usually takes a back seat to whatever sci-fi books I have on the stack. So when Mark Newton posted last year on Why SF is Dying (and the follow-up post) I started to think about this and how I felt about what he was saying. There isn't too much to go into really, I think sci-fi has - and will - take a back seat to fantasy, but I don't think it's dying.
While I'm never going to change the world with this blog, I can spread the word on sci-fi books that I love - and that's exactly what I thought I'd do. With the help of fellow bloggers, authors and publishers I'm running an Sci-Fi Appreciation Month during April where myself and others will be posting various things on sci-fi, from reviews to guest posts, to show that there really is plenty out there to enjoy and love. I'm still putting the schedule together, but suffice to say I'm very excited about it!
What I also wanted to do was open this up to you guys, the readers of the blog. What do you enjoy about sci-fi? What are you favourite books and authors? What would you recommend without hesitation, both to hardened veterans and newcomers to the genre? If you want to participate in this (which would be great!) then please email me on mark@walkerofworlds.com. This also goes out to any bloggers, authors and publishers that have anything they'd like to contribute - the more the merrier!" [Source]

When you want to contribute the Sci-Fi Appreciation Month like we do, then contact Mark Chitty. If you can't I'm sure Mark and his contributors will be happy about every visitor and every comment. I really look forward...

Another blog I follow is Jeff's Fantasy Book News & Reviews. Jeff decided to run a new blog because his interests changed a bit. Beside fantasy his love for espionage and mystery is growing. That means he also wants to review books beyond fantasy. But the name of his current blog doesn't go hand in hand with his new interests.
Therefore he decided to run a new blog: Genre Reader - Reviews of Espionage, Mystery & Fantasy Novels.
Some explanantions from Jeff:

"On this new site, you will still get fantasy reviews. However, you will also see many more espionage and mystery reviews..especially “spy novels”. I will also continue to cover ebook related news, and sometimes music as well. The main difference from the old site will really be my coverage of additional genres. And, the fantasy review index will most likely be gone (99% sure of that)." [Source]

I hope you will follow Jeff to his new blog like I do.

Movies

On Friday night (March 12th) my wife and I watched Shutter Island. We haven't been sure whether it is a horror movie or not.

But now we are wiser: SHUTTER ISLAND IS DEFINITELY NO HORROR MOVIE !!
So if you expected this then don't watch Shutter Island under that precondition. If you do it you will be disappointed.

I find it extremely difficult to talk about Shutter Island without giving away too much. But I can tell you when you talk and think about a movie hours after you have left cinema it must have been a good one.

Shutter Island is a gorgeous, intense, gripping and intelligent movie with suspense and full of twist and turns. It is a movie about the psyche of human beings and how people in the 1950's coped with emotional disorders at isolated bedlams. Leonardo DiCaprio and the other actors played intense and emotionally.

Shutter Island starts slow but you get hooked soon. If you like intelligent entertainment which makes you uneasy, which forces you to follow all the twists and turns and where you get the final clue with the very last scene then you should definitely watch Shutter Island.


Quotes

I'm really tired of cold, wet and gray days. I yearn for SPRING.....

" No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.”
Proverb

"Spring has come when you can put your foot on three daisies.”
Proverb

"In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.”
Mark Twain, American author (1835 -1910)

"It's spring fever.... You don't quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”
Mark Twain, American author (1835 -1910)

Bona Fide: Weekly Roundup #10

Hello and welcome to issue #10 of my Weekly Roundup. I'm quite late to write it. Just came back from cinema where I watched Alice in Wonderland in 3D. Scroll down to read more about my impressions. I'm still in the process of rearranging my life. I think I'm on a good way except my google reader - 1000+ unread entries are far to many. But I hope I found some interesting topics for you. Enjoy reading....

Bona Fide's Menu

Books

1. Delivery of the week: The Time Traveller's Guide To Medieval England by Ian Mortimer
   
2. Spontaneous order of the week: The Skinner by Neal Asher

Blogosphere

1. NextRead Magazine
2. Blake Charlton goes audio
   

Movies

1. ALICE IN WONDERLAND - First impressions

Quotes

1. German proverbs, sayings and idioms Skin....

Books

Some time ago I discovered a book which isn't a fantasy novel but it is related. A lot of fantasy books are settled in a kind of medieval world. Medieval Europe is often a template. And I ask you. What do you know about medieval Europe? Be honest. I assume most of you have an average knowledge like me. Wouldn't you like to know more? I want. And therefore I ordered following book which I received on Friday:
The Time Traveller's Guide To Medieval England (first published in 2008) [US] [UK] , by Ian Mortimer. The subtitle - A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century - explains more.
Product description
"The past is a foreign country: this is your guidebook. Imagine you could get into a time machine and travel back to the fourteenth century. What would you see? What would you smell? More to the point, where are you going to stay? Should you go to a castle or a monastic guesthouse? And what are you going to eat? What sort of food are you going to be offered by a peasant or a monk or a lord? This radical new approach turns our entire understanding of history upside down. It shows us that the past is not just something to be studied; it is also something to be lived. It sets out to explain what life was like in the most immediate way, through taking you, the reader, to the middle ages, and showing you everything from the horrors of leprosy and war to the ridiculous excesses of roasted larks and haute couture. Being a guidebook, many questions are answered which do not normally occur in traditional history books. How do you greet people in the street? What should you use for toilet paper? How fast - and how safely - can you travel? Why might a physician want to taste your blood? And how do you test to see if you are going down with the plague? The result is the most astonishing social history book you are ever likely to read: revolutionary in its concept, informative and entertaining in its detail, and startling for its portrayal of humanity in an age of violence, exuberance and fear." [Source]

For me that sounds promising. I will read and review it next month.

When I find time you will find me on Twitter. On last Friday I spent part of my lunch break on Twitter. Julie Crisp, the editor of Spellwright (2010) [US] [UK] by Blake Charlton, twittered about Blake Charlton's Spellwright and about Neal Asher's Shadow of the Scorpion (2009) [US] [UK].[Source]. I have heard about Neal Asher but I never read one of his novels. So I asked Julie which of Neal's book she would recommend me to start with. And that was her answer: The Skinner (2002) [US] [UK]. It is the first book in the Spatterjay series.

"Welcome to Spatterjay...where sudden death is the normal way of life; To the remote planet Spatterjay come three travellers with very different missions. Janer is directed there by the hornet Hive-mind; Erlin comes to find the sea captain who can teach her to live; and Keech - dead for seven hundred years - has unfinished business with a notorious criminal. Spatterjay is a watery world where the human population inhabits the safety of the Dome and only the quasi-immortal hoopers are safe outside amidst a fearful range of voracious life-forms. Somewhere out there is Spatterjay Hoop himself, and monitor Keech cannot rest until he can bring this legendary renegade to justice for atrocious crimes committed centuries ago during the Prador Wars. Keech does not realise that Hoop's body is running free on an island wilderness, while his living head is confined in a box on an Old Captain's ships. Nor does he know that the most brutal Prador of all is about to pay a visit, intent on wiping out all evidence of his wartime atrocities. Which means major hell is about to erupt in this chaotic waterscape." [Source]

I must admit I have been intrigued. And then I did what I normally try to avoid. I ordered The Skinner spontaneously. That means one more scfi-fi book for me which fits to my plan to read more sci-fi.

If you are interested in Neal Asher's books too then I recommend to visit Neal Asher's website and blog. Neal Asher is quite helpful. Only to days ago he posted the reading order of his books.

Do you like his books? Let me know.


Blogosphere

Once a while blogger like to leave their paths and try something new. The latest one is Gav - the kind soul behind NextRead. He is starting up an online bi-monthly magazine. He asked me to share word about it and I promised to do it. You will recognize that this is the second time we do it here. Some days ago Seak posted NextRead Magazine Opens For Submissions.

NextRead Magazine is a themed bi-monthly short story magazine contributed to by anyone who wants to have a go. Each magazine with contain six to eight short stories on a given theme. It’s an electronic magazine published and supplied in both PDF & ebook (epub) formats.

Each issue will cost £1.50 (correct at the time of writing)

Launch issue is due on the 1st May 2010.

For detailed informations please check out the submissions page.

One week ago I reviewed Spellwright by Blake Charlton and liked it a lot. And Blake is still busy like an ant. He found a special way to celebrate the release of his debut novel. Together with Mark D. Hines and Paul Hurley he created an hour long audiobook!!! It includes the Prologue and chapters one to four of Spellwright (2010) [US] [UK]. And you can listen to it for free! Strap on your headphones and enjoy......

Spellwright Audio Sample from Blake Charlton on Vimeo.

Movies

This time I want to do something different. This evening my wife and I went to cinema and watched Alice in Wonderland. I would like to share with you my first impressions. This is now review...

Not every movie must be shown in 3D. Compared to Avatar I must say that the 3D effects in Alice in Wonderland looked partially artificial and clumsy. I would like to read impressions of the non 3D version.

The story is divided in three parts: Before Wonderland - Wonderland - After Wonderland. The Wonderland part is the longest one and of course the best one. As you may know this is the movie about Alice's second visit in Wonderland. Now she is grown up and of course she acts different. I missed partially the carefreeness of youth. To be honest I expect a bit more depth in story.

I think Tim Burton missed the chance to shoot a burtonesque version of Alice in Wonderland. It seems he spent a way too much time for the 3D effects.
Don't get me wrong. Wonderland is an entertaining movie with wonderful creatures.The highlight and the real star of the movie is gorgeous Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen.

Watch again the trailer and let me know your impressions.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND




Quotes

My spontaneous order of the week inspired me to search for quotes related to skin.......

" The Earth has a skin and that skin has diseases, one of its diseases is called man.”
Friedrich Nietzsche, German classical Scholar, Philosopher and Critic of culture, 1844-1900

"Years wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.”
Douglas MacArthur, American General, 1880 - 1964

"Every human being has hundreds of separate people living under his skin. The talent of a writer is his ability to give them their separate names, identities, personalities and have them relate to other characters living with him.”
Mel Brooks, American Actor, Author, Producer

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Martin Luther King, 1929 - 1968

Bona Fide: Weekly Roundup #07

Hello and welcome to issue #07 of my Weekly Roundup. Only fifteen days left until end of February. It seems this month I will read more books than the three I read in January. . Since the last Roundup I know I have to be even more careful with my writing. From time to time I speak and/or write only two-thirds of my thoughts which causes misunderstandings. My wife can tell you a thing or two about it. Enough talk. Enjoy reading........

Bona Fide's Menu

Bona Fide's Question of the Week

1. Answers to questions from last Roundup

Books

1. Delivery of the week: Black Hills by Dan Simmons
2. An anarchist classic: Hartmann the Anarchist by Edward Douglas Fawcett
   

Blogosphere

1. Harry Markov - Reviewer Time: Season Two
2. Tor.com Webcomic: King of an Endless Sky by Kurt Huggins and Zelda Devon
   
3. Razor Wire Public Hair ???
   
4. I'm your pain in the neck: The David Gemmell Legend Award
   

Movies

1. The Last Airbender
   

Quotes

1. German proverbs, sayings and idioms Anarchy....

Bona Fide's Question of the Week

Answers to questions from Roundup 06
No answers to that question. Maybe it was the wrong one.
I need to think about this topic. So this week no new question.

Books

It has been on my list. Of course it has been on my list. After reading Terror (2007) [US] [UK] and the awesome Drood (2009) [US] [UK] (my review), by Dan Simmons it was just a question of time until I get my copy of Black Hills (2010) [US Februaryl][UK April]. And then I read Liviu's review. I have been blown away.
There was no way out. I wanted the book as soon as possible. So I checked amazon.de. You can't imagine my surprise, that the paperback was available. I still can't believe it. It as been published by hachette in US but it is not available at amazon.com!!! I ordered the book and on Friday I received my copy. This is the cover and the blurb.

"When Paha Sapa, a young Sioux warrior, "counts coup" on General George Armstrong Custer as Custer lies dying on the battlefield at the Little Bighorn, the legendary general's ghost enters him - and his voice will speak to him for the rest of his event-filled life.
Seamlessly weaving together the stories of Paha Sapa, Custer, and the American West, Dan Simmons depicts a tumultuous time in the history of both Native and white Americans. Haunted by Custer's ghost, and also by his ability to see into the memories and futures of legendary men like Sioux war-chief Crazy Horse, Paha Sapa's long life is driven by a dramatic vision he experienced as a boy in his people's sacred Black Hills. In August of 1936, a dynamite worker on the massive Mount Rushmore project, Paha Sapa plans to silence his ghost forever and reclaim his people's legacy-on the very day FDR comes to Mount Rushmore to dedicate the Jefferson face."[Source]

I can't wait to read it!!!

I discovered Hartmann The Anarchist (2009) [US] [UK] (186 p.), by Edward Douglas Fawcett. sometime in 2009 and I was intrigued. The story has been published first in 1892! But that is not the main reason why I wanted this book. It is settled in London and there are dirigibles. It is the harbinger of steampunk. Not decided yet when to read it.

"Dirigibles, Zeppelins, Airships, Blimps – whatever you want to call them there's no doubt these inflatable monsters of the sky exert a deep fascination for fans of aviation and modern day "Steam Punks" everywhere. Well, this book is where it all began!
Hartmann the Anarchist was originally published in 1892 when Edward Douglas Fawcett was 16 years old and has been out of print for more than 100 years. In it, Fawcett's imagination creates "The Attila" from a wondrous new form of lighter-than-air metal, canvas and ships' rigging and has it piloted by Rudolph Hartmann, one of the most fiendish villains in literary history, raining pitiless death and destruction from the skies on Parliament, St Pauls and the City. Just 20 years later, Fawcett's apocalyptic vision came true when German zeppelins bombed London.
Hartmann the Anarchist is a man who harnesses the power of science, engineering and Victorian ingenuity – only to use it for diabolical means although some might argue his choice of targets is understandable.
Keep watching the skies, comrades!" [Source]

Blogosphere


Harry Markov is back! Back with second season of Reviewer Time over at Temple Library Reviews
And Harry, what did you change for the second season?

"As promised I have returned with the semi-beloved feature that has rippled through the fragile and ever changing ecosystem that we know as the Bloggerverse [is it just me or does it sound like a Marvel project waiting to happen]. Reviewer Time has returned. A new season with a new design, marvelous cast and revisited format. Your host has not been replaced by a semi-sentient robot with world domination written on his underwear and remains Geeky-Me, one of my multiple personalities. The spirit of this feature remains: see behind the curtains of the blogs that welcome with open arms [or drag in the dirt] genre fiction titles. However, there are certain changes."

Who will be your first "victims"?
Gav from NextRead [February 14th]
Peter from Ubiquitous Absence [February 28th]

I look forward to read these new interviews. Alec and I have been part of the first Reviewer Time season.


Do you like comics, webcomics? Then you should have a look at King of an Endless Sky by Kurt Huggins and Zelda Devon over at Tor.com. It partly reminded my of the Little Prince.

If believe it or not Razor Wire Public Hair is book title. Don't worry it has nothing in common with all the books we present here on the blog. Go, look at the cover, read an amazon.com review over at Judge a Book by its Cover and build up your mind.



I posted about The David Gemmell Legend Award regularly in the past Roundups. This week you get an update!

This is the Legend Arward nomination list. You can vote here.

This is the Morningstar Award nomination list. You can vote here.
I voted for Lamentation by Ken Scholes,ISBN: 0765360918, which I reviewed recently.

This is the Ravenstar Award nomination list. The poll is now open and you can vote here.

If you want to meet interesting people, talk about fantasy books, share your opinions in a friendly fantasy atmosphere, support your favorite book and SIGN IN:

Visit The David Gemmell Legend Awards
Hope to meet you soon over at The David Gemmell Legend Award ...............

Movies

I was not sure whether I want to watch the Last Airbender or not. But the following trailer convinced me. Let's have a look at M. Night Shyamalan’s film adaptation of Nickelodeon’s stellar animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. But first a synopsis:

"Water. Earth. Fire. Air. In the old days, there was peace between the four nations of the world. The Avatar -- Master of all four elements -- kept peace between the the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. Only the Avatar has the ability to Bend (manipulate) all four elements, but one day, he Vanished. Then the Fire Nation attacked, forcing a war on the other three nations for one hundred years. Now, for the good of the world, it's up to 12-year-old Aang (Noah Ringer), the new Avatar, and the last of the Air Nomads (Airbenders), to return peace and balance by putting an end to the war and mastering all four elements. Aang must accept his destiny by stopping the Fire Nation's war and defeating the Fire Lord for good." [Source]

Quotes

Hartman the Anarchist inspired me to search Anarchy quotes. And I really found some.....

" The worst enemy of life, freedom and the common decencies is total anarchy; their second worst enemy is total efficiency.”
Aldous Huxley

"Anarchy is the true nature of all things. Monarchy, democracy, communism, all useless forms to control the human mind. But a mind cannot be control. It cannot be restrained. It has no boundaries. It has its will. Anarchy is the true nature of all things... ”
Alex Battig

"Inside every working anarchy, there's an Old Boy Network.”
Mitchell Kapor

"The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had.”
Eric Schmidt

"If you have an apple, and I have an apple, and we exchange the apples, then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea, and I have an idea, and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas. ”
George Bernhard Shaw

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Bona Fide: Weekly Roundup #06

Hello and welcome to issue #06 of my Weekly Roundup. When you followed the blog during the week then you know that we are now a trio: Alec, Michael and Bryce. That mean three reviewers :) I hope we will cover more topics from now on. We three have a dream: A quality post per day. I promise we work on it.
But before you enjoy reading let me solve the riddle from last week:

An awesome g...... A new c...... Three r...... And the w...... is
An awesome giveaway (DROOD) A new contributor (Bryce) Three reviewers (Alec, Michael, Bryce) And the winner is Neville T. from South Africa (winner of BEST SERVED COLD & BONESHAKER)

Bona Fide's Menu

Bona Fide's Question of the Week

1. Answers to questions from last Roundup
2. Do you like and read excerpts on blogs?
   

Books

1. One more interesting debut novel: Farlander by Col Buchanan
   

Blogosphere

1. Answer: The Number is Not Important
2. Tor.com: Vilcabamba by Harry Turtledove
3. Pax Britannia: Have your say
   
4. I'm your pain in the neck: The David Gemmell Legend Award UPDATE!
   

Movies

1. Funny Money
2. Female Androids
   

Quotes

1. German proverbs, sayings and idioms Charles Babbage....

Bona Fide's Question of the Week

Answers to questions from Roundup 05
Not many answers to that question. It's a bit sad because I really wanted to know the reasons why readers don't comment.

Do you like and read book excerpts on blogs?
When I look around I see a lot of blogs who post excerpts. I must admit that I read excerpts on author websites but not on blogs.

Books

Only a few weeks to go until Farlander (2010, 384 p., hc) [US][UK] by Col Buchanan will hit the stores. On more debut novel but with less hype. And this is the blurb:

"The Heart of the World is a land in strife. For fifty years the Holy Empire of Mann, an empire and religion born from a nihilistic urban cult, has been conquering nation after nation. Their leader, Holy Matriarch Sasheen, ruthlessly maintains control through her Diplomats, priests trained as subtle predators.

The Mercian Free Ports are the only confederacy yet to fall. Their only land link to the southern continent, a long and narrow isthmus, is protected by the city of Bar-Khos. For ten years now, the great southern walls of Bar-Khos have been besieged by the Imperial Fourth Army. Ash is a member of an elite group of assassins, the R shun - who offer protection through the threat of vendetta.

Forced by his ailing health to take on an apprentice, he chooses Nico, a young man living in the besieged city of Bar-Khos. At the time, Nico is hungry, desperate, and alone in a city that finds itself teetering on the brink. When the Holy Matriarch's son deliberately murders a woman under the protection of the R shun; he forces the sect to seek his life in retribution.

As Ash and his young apprentice set out to fulfil the R shun orders - their journey takes them into the heart of the conflict between the Empire and the Free Ports ...into bloodshed and death."

Two things aroused my interest: There is a dirigible on the cover and the blurb reminded me of the Malazan Books of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson. I'm reading the first book of the series.

Blogosphere

Let's start with a quote from Harry over at Temple Library Reviews:
"I am as usual a tad late on these discussions, but since I started it for a change of pace, I will present my take on the posed question, which is ‘How many is too many?’ posed by Gav. The origin story for his question precedes my meddling, but it has to do more or less with our bet to nail six novels each month as a preemptive strike against the Leaning Pile o’ Shame, which led to Mark Charan Newton’s reply:"

It is a quite interesting question and I left my two scents over at Nextread and over at Temple Library Review. And like Harry and Gav I try to read a least six books per month. Go there, follow the discussion and don't hesitate to add your comments.

First of all I really like to read BUT my time is limited. I searched for a way how to make most of my available time for reading. And the choice of six to eight books per month in advance is a help. After the selection I don't look for other books on my TBR. From the chosen books I try to review four. Fortunately it is my own decision which book to read and to review. In the end there is one important thing: I want to enjoy reading and it doesn't matter if I read three books (like in January) or ten books.

Harry Turtledove is well known for his alternate history works including several short stories and novels.
This week he presented his new story Vilcabamba over at Tor.com. The illustration is by Jason Chan.

"The Krolp are bigger, meaner, and more technologically advanced than what remains of the Free United States. What's a President to do?" You want more? click here.

If you follow this blog regularly then you know that I'm a big fan of the steampunk series PAX BRITANNIA (my posts: The World of Pax Britannia, Review: Evolution Expects by Jonathan Green).
A few days ago Jonathan Green posted Have your say.

"To put it simply, what would you like to see happen in a Pax Britannia steampunk adventure on the Moon? ... So, if I haven't scared you off, drop me a line by replying to this blog and we'll see what happens."

For the whole post follow the link to the post. Feel free to add your ideas and comments like I did.


I posted about The David Gemmell Legend Award regularly in the past Roundups. This week you get an update!

This is the Legend Arward nomination list. You can vote here.
Following books have been added to the list:
The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke
Beyond the Wall of Timeby Russell Kirkpatrick

This is the Morningstar Award nomination list. You can vote here.
Following books have been added to the list:
The Wounded Guardian by Duncan Lay
The Dark Griffin by Katie Taylor

I voted for Lamentation by Ken Scholes,ISBN: 0765360918, which I reviewed recently.

This is the Ravenstar Award nomination list. The poll is now open and you can vote here.

If you want to meet interesting people, talk about fantasy books, share your opinions in a friendly fantasy atmosphere, support your favorite book and SIGN IN:

Visit The David Gemmell Legend Awards
Hope to meet you soon over at The David Gemmell Legend Award ...............

Movies

I'm sorry to say but this week you don't get videos. But during my web ramble I found two wonderful post over at Dark Roasted Blend porcupined with pictures and information. Follow the links and enjoy:

Funny Money: Unusual and Fascinating Currency Paper money is still fascinating

Female Androids' Shapes & Anatomy
This post fits perfectly to the book I ordered this week: Crossover (2009) [US][UK] by Joel Shepherd (for more information look at Roundup #02)

Quotes

Every time when I think about steampunk the name of Charles Babbage comes up in my mind. This inspired me to search for quotes by Charles Babbage........

" The economy of human time is the next advantage of machinery in manufactures.”
Charles Babbage

"A tool is usually more simple than a machine; it is generally used with the hand, whilst a machine is frequently moved by animal or steam power.”
Charles Babbage

"Errors using inadequate data are much less than those using no data at all.”
Charles Babbage

"At each increase of knowledge, as well as on the contrivance of every new tool, human labour becomes abridged.”
Charles Babbage