Meeting book lovers and fans… easily the best part about going to conventions, whether its BEA or Comic Con. Pulling in at a close second, however… is collecting swag. And I’m not just talking about t-shirts and kitschy pins & magnets that publishers and game companies dish out en masse. I’m talking about books. Oh, sweet sweet ARCs, how I love thee.
I spent this past Thursday through Sunday at New York Comic Con, doing my marketing thing for Quirk. Meeting Quirk lovers, dishing out books to media, selling titles to potential new fans… all in all, a great time. And in between chats with fans and press, I managed to sneak out of my booth to pick up some new(ish) titles from other publishers that I’m super psyched about. And really, you should be too.
1. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest: Okay, this isn’t a new book. But Tor did something brilliant on Thursday at Comic Con, during press day. They dished out free copies of the first title in Cherie Priest’s epic steampunk saga, which is set in an alternate 1880s America, full of zombies, steampunk and airships. There are two other books in the series already out, Dreadnought and the recently released Ganymede. I took my copy with me when I headed out to lunch.
After reading twenty pages, I immediately ordered the second and third book in the series. I tore through half of the book over the course of the weekend. So far, there is nothing not to like about it. Priest is an awesome writer, and I’m loving this world she’s created. Bravo Tor. Dishing out the first book in a series to get press (and potential fans like myself) checking out the books… good move. One I’m going to have to remember.
2. Crossed by Ally Condie: Alright. I’m not going to lie to you. A piece of me went to New York Comic Con on a mission to score this book from Penguin during their ARC giveaway. I stopped by their table on Thursday and scooped up their Daily Galley bulletin, which explained what books they’d be giving away at what time. One book every hour. And one of these titles was Crossed, Ally Condie’s sequel to her New York Times bestselling YA dystopian romance, Matched.
I skulked over to their table to figure out when I should drop by on each day. Thursday, no luck. Friday, again, no dice. Saturday, I sent my super intern, Chris, to go wait in line for me. SUCCESS. Much to my surprise, he didn’t make fun of me for squealing over a YA romance book, though I probably won’t be safe from my coworkers. But I just can’t help myself. The title officially comes out November 11th.
3. Mouse Guard the RPG: Like Boneshaker, this isn’t exactly new. The original hardcover version of the tabletop RPG game came out back in 2009. However, Archaia released a box set, complete with new characters, new adventures, dice, a map, figures, etc… just back in September of this year.
Confession? I am a straight up Mouse Guard fanboy. I own all the hardcovers, each signed. I bought the box set RPG and an additional hardcover copy of the RPG book while at Comic Con, just so I could get the hardcover signed by David Petersen. Last year, when I first met Petersen, I absolutely gushed over him. I managed to control myself this year (though asking to get my picture taken with him probably didn’t help), but a piece of me was terrified he might remember me from the year before. Thankfully, I don’t think he did.
I’ve never played a tabletop RPG before. Dungeon & Dragons, Wheel of Time, etc… I was just never interested. But put my favorite series into the mix, and I am SOLD. Reading the RPG book now, looking forward to planning some game nights with friends come the cold Winter months here in Philly.
Bonus: While looking up the RPG to learn more about it, I discovered a limited edition (1,000 print run) of Mouse Guard coming out in December. PRE-ORDERED!
4. Tumor by Joshua Hale Fialkov: I finished this book on my train ride from New York City to Philadelphia. What. A. Ride.
I scooped this up from Archaia after I bought the Mouse Guard RPG. I was immediately drawn to the incredibly unique packaging. That pages are cut like teeth, and the bellyband that circles the book interacts with the cover, revealing the main character’s brain. Little did I know that inside the awesome design, was one hell of a kick ass story.
In Tumor you meet a rough, aging Private Eye, who attempts to solve one last case. Only problem? He’s got a tumor killing him, and his sense of time is all jumbled up. His brain launches him into the past, into the present… and the plot is full of Slaughterhouse 5 references, surprise surprise. I tore through it, and wow. This is a must read.
Can’t wait to pick up more from Fialkov. What a writer.
5. The Storyteller: Okay yes, this is the THIRD book from Archaia that I’m talking about. Whatever. Fight me.
This title drops in November. Based off the classic Jim Henson show, Archaia presents several new stories in the Storyteller universe. Haven’t quite had a chance to dive into this one yet, but knowing Archaia’s experience with Henson’s workshop (their Fraggle Rock books are great), this one will definitely be a slam dunk. Great looking book, beautiful art, and some fab writers.
