8 Books in 8 Weeks: Week Seven
Looking back, it was exactly two weeks before the official release of The Mermaid’s Madness that I started to see copies trickling into the bookstores.
It is now exactly two weeks until the release of Red Hood’s Revenge [B&N | Mysterious Galaxy | Amazon]. I’m just sayin’…
(If you do decide to rush out and search for the book, I strongly suggest calling the bookstore beforehand. The official release date isn’t until July 6, so most stores probably won’t have it in stock yet.)
Anyway, I’m counting down to July 6 by giving away another book every week. Congratulations to Marla Rudas, who won last week’s giveaway with her entry, “The Stepsister Scheme: Kills bugs dead!”
For this week’s giveaway, I want to know where you learn about new books. Friends and family? The library? Online reviews? Little book gnomes? Conventions? If there’s a specific resource you’d like to share, please do! (If it’s one I’m unfamiliar with, maybe I’ll try to send a review copy.)
I’ll pick one commenter at random to win their choice of the following:
14 days and counting…
Anita Kendall
June 22, 2010 @ 9:52 am
I learn about new books EVERYWHERE… friends, less often family, frequently the library (for example, I found The Stepsister Scheme when I was looking for alternative fairy tales by searching for “Princesses” by subject in the online catalogue), the websites and recommendations of authors I follow, recommendations from online bookshelves, etc. I also get a lot from the Smart Bitches over at http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/, but since their mission statement is romance, I don’t know if they’d review the Princess books, they would definitely love them however. I also read the comments on author blogs & at Smart Bitches to see what others are reading. 🙂
Stephen Hill
June 22, 2010 @ 10:04 am
I learn about new books from a variety of sources:
1. Goodreads.com – helpful since I can also read what other people think about the books as well as official reviews.
2. Recommendations from authors I follow (Like you Jim!! Thank you!).
3. Recommendations from friends.
4. Other SF and Fantasy websites.
This is a great idea as I am curious to see where others find their next great read.
T.J.
June 22, 2010 @ 10:10 am
Word of mouth, Borders website, author’s websites. Nothing too fancy here. Sometimes I’ll go walking around a bookstore and pick up a book and debate if it’s interesting enough for me. That’s my favorite method. There’s nothing like picking up the book, looking at it’s title, cover, back cover, and such. Again, that’s how I found Goblin Quest. Just wish I had known about it sooner and wouldn’t have wasted money on a different series that I’m yet to read.
MichaelM
June 22, 2010 @ 10:12 am
I generally hear about new books via SFFWorld.com, a website I’m pretty sure you’re aware of Jim 😉 But I do also look around the rare blog or pick something up after hearing about it from another website. Mainly, however, I just nose around bookstores.
Angela Korra'ti
June 22, 2010 @ 10:28 am
I learn about new book releases a lot from a) Amazon’s recommended New Releases and Upcoming Releases when I check there on my account, b) all the various publishing and author blogs I follow, c) Twitter, where people spread the word, and d) what folks share on Goodreads.
BTW, I’m now working on reading your Princess books after charging through the Jig trilogy and I’m enjoying the books quite a bit. 🙂 I’m about halfway through the The Stepsister Scheme and am hoping to get through The Mermaid’s Madness before the new one comes out!
Shane Ede
June 22, 2010 @ 10:37 am
Blogs mostly. And Friends. I also go through Amazon’s recommended stuff every once in a while. And I keep a list of stuff to read at goodreads as well.
Jim C. Hines
June 22, 2010 @ 10:38 am
SFFWorld … yes, I think I might have heard of that one 😉
Jim C. Hines
June 22, 2010 @ 10:39 am
Thank you! Very glad you’re enjoying it! (I always worry a little whether readers will still like the books when they switch from goblins to princesses, or vice versa.)
Bridgitt Dickey
June 22, 2010 @ 11:18 am
Family and friends recommendations mostly. Also: my favorite author’s websites, Amazon recommendations, Facebook ads, browsing the individual genre sections in bookstores.
Big B
June 22, 2010 @ 11:53 am
My favorite most trusted source lately has been suggestions by my favorite authors. Though most of the books I discover are through random happenstance, browsing the bookstores and websites. And free ebook giveaways are pretty cool. I’m always willing to give a free book a try.
Jeff Linder
June 22, 2010 @ 12:04 pm
Amazon.com recommendations is probably source #1, especially for authors I already read. Authors’ blogs are also key. Also locusmag.com – forthcoming books.
Conventions were a good source of identifying new authors to read when I went to more of them..
Mike
June 22, 2010 @ 12:24 pm
I learn about new books mainly from blogs and Amazon’s recommendations and books other people also bought.
Steve Buchheit
June 22, 2010 @ 12:25 pm
The library. You know, after friends, other writers, etc, the library is an excellent place to find new authors and works.
Sherry
June 22, 2010 @ 12:35 pm
I browse bookstores. I don’t like to read reviews or hear other people’s opinion’s, I want to make up my mind for myself, and I love wandering the bookstacks, so I’m a browser. I’m rarely disappointed.
Joel Zakem
June 22, 2010 @ 12:55 pm
I learn about a lot of new books from Locus’ quarterly Forthcoming Books list. I also rely on my next door neighbor, who works at a local independent book store.
Anita Kendall
June 22, 2010 @ 12:58 pm
I should also note, I read a lot of anthologies if they have a story or two by authors I already like, or are from a publisher I am fond of, and always end up with a pile more books to read afterword. 🙂
Ryan McFadden
June 22, 2010 @ 1:33 pm
I primarily have three sources: 1) Bakka Phoenix books in Toronto (Canada’s specialty SF/F bookstore…I think it may be the oldest). The people there actually READ the books, so their knowledge is excellent.
2) Amazon’s ‘if you like…’ suggestions. This turned me onto many books before I had even heard of the writers.
3) Online blogs. These are more specialized than my friends’ lists (which tend to be only best sellers).
Gerard D
June 22, 2010 @ 1:41 pm
Mostly I find out about new titles either online or I drop by bookstores about once a week and look at what is new in the categories I am interested in. Friends also give me suggestions so that helps.
Chris
June 22, 2010 @ 3:54 pm
Usually I learn of new books through other authors. Having worked at a library previously, though, that was another easy method. Sometimes I’d just see a book on a shelf and be like, “Hey! Awesome cover!” (That’s how I ran across Goblin Wars).
mattw
June 22, 2010 @ 3:58 pm
Lately, I’ve gotten a handful of recommendations from Scalzi’s Big Idea pieces, and so far, I haven’t been disappointed. I work in a library, so there are always recommendations coming from there. And I have a friend that works at Boswell Book Co. in Milwaukee that’s always doing the hand-sell with me (although after a very long and boring book that he couldn’t stop talking highly about sometimes I have to question his judgment).
GoGo
June 22, 2010 @ 4:24 pm
Odd yet traditional ways
1. I look at recommendations from the staff of Powell Books (OR) and the Strand (NYC). I have a few others in other cities.
2. I look up random book presses like Skull Press and read excerpts of their current books.
3. Recommendations from friends
4. Oprah. what? Dude, she’s like everywhere and sometimes I want a sappy feel good about people books.
lol.
:)~GoGo
liz
June 22, 2010 @ 10:06 pm
#1. My brother. He likes the same genres that I do and has a very impressive library that I can dip into at anytime.
#2. I go to bookstores and browse. I have judging a book by its cover down to a science. This is how I discovered your books (I couldn’t resist a cartoonish blue goblin holding up a wobbly kitchen knife in defense from a dragon).
#3. I also use the internet to see what my favorite authors are up to.
Bill Pearson
June 23, 2010 @ 8:19 am
Hmmm, seems like most of mine comes from three sources.
1. Browsing our local B&N. So many shiny covers.. Not to mention it is about the only way to keep up on anthologies.
2. Amazon recommends selections. There is always something interesting on there, but it mostly tells me about authors I already read.
3. Author websites. John Scalzi’s site has been where I have been picking up most authors who are new to me lately.
Elizabeth Perry
June 23, 2010 @ 9:35 am
Goodreads tends to be my one-stop shopping place nowadays; I’m also a fan of clicking on things in my university library catalog. (And there’s always, uh, getting lost in the stacks and emerging an hour later with a armload.) Bookshop.dreamwidth.org is a pretty good source for me, too.
zollmaniac
June 23, 2010 @ 9:54 am
A variety of sources really. Friends, Family (esp. my mother), the web (twitter/blogs/etc), and browsing bookstores when I get the chance. Granted, I can’t say every book I learn about is just released when I get it, but its new to me!
I have to say that Twitter/Blogs/etc have been my main source of finding books that I want to read.
zollmaniac
June 23, 2010 @ 9:55 am
I meant to say “lately” to that last part.
Steven
June 24, 2010 @ 12:10 am
I just go to a book store and randomly search titles that catch my interest. Funny story, when i first saw stepsister scheme, my exact thaout was, i wonder if one of them is gay, wow what a surprise my imagination was right for once.
Jim C. Hines » Readers Promoting Writers
July 7, 2010 @ 9:30 am
[…] those of us not in a position to take over as a buyer, I refer you to the blog post I did asking where you learn about new books.