October Brings Books and Beer!

Gosh but I love October! I have managed to get my hands on a plethora of new books (well, new to me) and all of my favorite breweries are releasing their Oktoberfest beers. I can hardily recommend Keeping It Real by Justina Robson and Octoberfest Ale by Samuel Adams. They actually make a great combination when mixed with a some apple slices and some nice smoked Edam.

So here's what I'm going to be reading in the nearish future:


This one got good reviews at Fantasy Book Critic and I found it on Ebay for a good price. It looks really good and Ill be reading it as soon as I finish about 6 other books.







I ordered this one from Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore because Mr. Donanldson was there to sign his new book, So, I got a signed first edition. They were also kind enough to allow me to send my first edition copies of The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant and Mr. Donaldson most graciously signed them as well. This is the second book in The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant and I am really looking forward to reading it. Mr. Donaldson is one of my favorite authors and I have read virtually everything he's written...except this.


Another one I am ashamed to admit I haven't read before. I have read Ms. Willis' short fiction rather extensively and found it to be excellent. But this one won the Hugo and the Nebula and I haven't cracked its cover. I found an Easton Press edition on Ebay for cheap, so its sitting on my bookshelf waiting its turn.





I read the Golden Witchbreed books by Mary Gentle several years ago. They were very, very good science fiction. I found these as a matched set of ARCs on Ebay and snatched them up as the only bidder. I'll let you know how these read.

I fell in love with "Jasper Fforde" when I read Lost in A Good Book and started following the hijinks of Thursday Next. Now our favorite nom de plume has a new detective and new over done puns. The subtitle on this one is "Jack Spratt Investigates". I guess its up to me to get the skinny (UGH!) in this book. Piers Anthony fans should really appreciate Jasper Fforde. I picked up a signed first on Ebay.


I met Mrs. Kenyon at ArmadilloCon 2001 in Austin, Texas and attended a reading of what was, then, her upcoming book. She was nice enough to sign and give me the piece of her copied manuscript that she read from. I immediately went to the sales room and bought two of her books and since have acquired the one she read from. All feature remarkably different worlds that are full blown and believable. Her stories incorporate mystery and action against a backdrop of science fiction. I thoroughly enjoy it. This, if I am not mistaken, is her first hard cover release. I am looking forward to seeing what she's imagined now.



I just reviewed the first book in Ms. Robson's Quantum Gravity series and this is Book Two. I will mention again that this on was released on a new label: PYR, an imprint of Prometheus Books. I can't help but support smaller publishing houses that publish really good books - like Keeping It Real. You can find this one directly from the publisher, if you can't get it elsewhere.




Thanks to the fine man over at The Fantasy Review, I won a copy of this book which is the second book in this series. Now, I'll have to go out and find the first one. It looks really good. I'll let you know.






Once again, my lucky stars shine in October. Thank to Chris over at The Book Swede, I won copies of my first Forgotten Realms books. Thanks, Chris!





I've been watching out for a reasonable copy of this book since before it was released, I finally found a first edition on Ebay that was both signed and(relatively) inexpensive. This is the second book in the latest Tad William epic. The first one promises another great story from this author that proves that multi-book stories can be excellent!



So, I think I have enough to read to get me through Christmas. The challenge now is matching the proper beer and snacks with the proper book. With the holidyas coming up, I guess I'll be stocking up on amber ales, dark lagers and stouts. Partner a great book, a flavorful beer and some lovely smoked sausage and cheeses....I'm a happy boy! Good reading all. I'll see ya just as soon as I finish my current book, Acacia by David Anthony Durham.