Smart Shoppers Secrets

A deeply satisfying book, Mistborn is the second volume in Sanderson’s Mistborn world. It centers on a world almost China Mieville-esque in its despair. The population is divided into nobles and skaa; all are subject to the whims of the Lord Ruler and his minions, including the terrifying obligators.

Obligators are bureaucrats, enhanced with magical powers (called allomancy, and driven by the ingestion of base metals — Sanderson has a fascinating magic system going on in this book) and sadistic omnipresence.

Kelsier is our hero, determined to overthrow the Lord Ruler and exact revenge for the death of his lover, Mare. (As an aside, Mare? Really? As a character name? Totally fails, IMO. It’s hard to feel impassioned about a woman named for a female farm animal. Please consider Sow, Cow, Hen, Bitch, and all other similar names verboten going forward, okay?) Along the way, he picks up a teenaged street urchin named Vin, who has more than her fair share of magical ability.

Vin is a fascinating character. She’s flawed; a lifetime of abuse and pain have not been kind to her. But she’s unusually resiliant, in no small part due to the the unconscious use of magic to preserve her. (I know, trope, trope, trope, you can’t go six pages in this thing without a trope, but Sanderson does it well.) She’s particularly screwed up by her personal family history, including a brother who betrayed her and left her behind to settle his debts…apparently, he was just a font of bad advice and influence, although, at long last, Vin does admit that he loved him, screwed up as he might have been.

Mistborn is particularly effective as a romance novel. It’s really nice to see a heroine develop a love interest who isn’t our hero, and to have that relationship be problematic, and yet have love if not conquer all, at least play a major part in our heroine’s decision making.

Kelsier evokes Paul Maud Dib in some ways; he’s a hero with messianic tendencies, and it was fascinating to see the cast of characters struggle with Kelsier’s motivations, actions, and decisions. Complex characterization and extensive backstory proved to be riveting reading; Sanderson does a great job drawing the reader in and keeping you interested from the very first word.

Strongly recommended.

How about a boxed (a wooden box) set of five of my books? Very limited (only 800 will be sold, ever). Sold at a discount from retail, with cool packaging, assembled by elves, delivered by Martians, blessed by enlightened goats.

My goal was to make a rare item, even if it doesn’t make any money. More and more, I’m thinking of books as artifacts and souvenirs, as convenient and collectible packages for ideas that spread. I’m hoping that for a few hundred people, this boxed set will be an example of that.

Not sure how I feel about this, about the fetishization of book-as-artifact, the book-as-object, but Seth tends to be more of an influential visionary than I am. I have a lot of respect for his ability and predictions; he’s not afraid to make mistakes, and he swings for the fences each and every time. He’s a very smart marketer. I loved his Purple Cow book, and follow his blog regularly.

This week, on On the Media there was a fascinating interview about the impending publication of The Original of Laura

Nabokov had left these index cards (which form the bulk of the book, apparently they’re perforated so you can tear them out and arrange them in whatever order suits you!) with the specific instructions that they be burned after his death. But lo! He died, and the cards remained. Dmitiri, his son, held onto them, but did not publish them. Ron Rosenbaum, editor of Slate, (and like me, a Nabokov fan) said, and I’m paraphrasing here, “Publish them or destroy them but stop doing nothing, damn it.”

And lo! They have been published. Rosenbaum is conflicted about this, as you’ll hear during the interview, which okay, I can see. Sometimes when I get what I think I want, it turns out I really don’t want it after all! And there is a point where perhaps we should respect people’s dying wishes, and when someone flat out says get rid of this, perhaps we should.

He argues that we’d have no Kafka, and that would be a loss.

I first came to Nabokov, like every other little prurient teen, because I’d heard it was sexy. But I started with Eugene Onegin because I’d heard it was sexy. Little did I know he was translating Pushkin; I was not a very astute little pervert! Still, I perservered…and now we can probably pinpoint the origin of my deep distrust of governmental systems!

Obviously, I was looking for Lolita but I guess you all knew that!

Hands down the best anthology of vampire erotica I’ve read in nearly 20 years, The Sweetest Kiss: Ravishing Vampire Erotica is an absolutely stellar collection of fantastic stories that deliver everything one wants from this type of book: complex vampire societies, the passion of the hunt, the angst over immortal life, and tons and tons of hot sex.

There are nineteen stories in this anthology, all of which are exceptionally well written. Midnight at Sheremetyevo opens the book, by Remittance Girl – a enthralling tale of what happens when desire beats out prudence and a female vampire dallies where she shouldn’t.

Thomas S. Roche knocks it out of the park with Wait Until Dark, Montresor, a clever little story telling of an author who’s also a vampire, and what it takes to seduce such a creature. The voice in this tale is superb, and the tale delivers a powerful erotic punch due to the point of view used. I’m particularly fond of the meta-esque aspects of this story:

No one will ever believe you, you know; it’s just another brand of slash, the “I fucked the author” flavor, wicked and disconcerting, but really, Montresor, not very original.

Fans of historical erotica will want to clutch Anna Black’s The Temptation of Mlle. Marielle Doucette right to their hearts, for this tale set during the height of the French Revolution is amazingly beautiful, includes a very hot threesome scene, and illustrates that some passions are even stronger than mere lust.

Lisette Ashton’s Kiss and Make Up focuses on the power of make up sex…but we all know you can’t have make up sex without going delightfully off the moral high road first, while Sommer Marsden’s The Student makes research sound far more wonderful than anyone previously expected.

Then we get to Kathleen Bradean’s Red by Any Other Name, and suddenly this anthology goes from being really good to flat out amazing. This lush, cruel, twisted tale combines s&m and vampirism with such a deft hand that really, all one can go is gasp in wonder. It’s hot, sultry, and written with an insider’s knowledge of what really good power play is all about. If this book didn’t contain anything EXCEPT Red by Any Other Name, you’d have still gotten a bargain at twice the price.

Enlightenment by Amber Hipple brings us down to earth with a fleshy celebration, and one can’t help but love Teresa Noelle Roberts (a particular favorite author of mine) Jazz age vamps – their energy and the spirit of the age just shine off of the page. I’d love to see Blood and Bootleg in a longer form; that’s a world anyone would like to stay in for a while, although perhaps eternity is stretching it!

G.B. Kensington’s Fair Play isn’t what I thought it was going to be, at first glance, and that’s a delightful surprise. A scruffy little dumpster diver and a vamp hook up for a little fun and he gets both more and less than what he planned on.

Ciara Finn’s Advantage is a brilliant look at lust, addiction and need; it’s easy to identify with the self-destructive narrator, because how could you not yield to such temptation? Amazingly well written, this is another standout tale.

Critiquing Maxim Jakubowski’s work is always difficult: a giant in the field, he’s set the standard so many times it’s hard to expect anything BUT excellence from him. He does not disappoint with The Communion of Blood and Semen. It’s a very male story, as most of Maxim’s work is, but it’s a male POV with a certain tenderness and neediness that flows beautifully. Nicely done, although one is left wondering what comes next…

Madeline Oh’s Nightlife is a triumph. This is a phenomenal story of need and compassion and lust and beauty in unexpected corners; emotionally complex, it transcends the genre and delivers an erotic wallop to boot. Tender affection is hard to pull off, especially while attempting to titillate, but Oh did a fantastic job.

Evan More delivers a wry examination of modern sexuality as seen through very old eyes in Takeout or Delivery, and Andrea Dale will break your heart with Devouring Heart. This is the only lesbian tale in the anthology. The story is nuanced, the passion real, the sex smoldering hot, and the ending will take your breath away.

Michelle Belanger’s Wicked Kisses examines the common fantasy of being a vampire’s pet, petted and cossetted and fed off of. Fourth World by Lisabet Sarai proves why Lisabet is consistently named as a favorite author by people I respect — set in Thailand, this is far more than a Bangkok fuck fest. Being in thrall never seemed so sexy before.

Nikki Magennis’ Turn is creepy, focusing on the eroticism of becoming a vampire, very sexy and satisfying.

And then we reach Kristina Wright’s Cutter, a spectacular tale and easily the best in the book. A Las Vegas dealer meets a vampire and finds a brand new way to get rid of her pain; part fantasy wish fulfillment and part insightful characterization, Wright’s tale speaks eloquently of need, desire, and the beauty of surrender.

ADR Forte’s Once An Addict finishes the book, and it’s a perfect ending note: a vampire cures an addict, only to find he still has a demon of her own confronting her. Wry and sexy, a very well constructed tale.

Overall, one of the best erotica anthologies I’ve read in a long time. Strongly recommended.

(The full disclosure bit: I received this book as a review copy from Cleis, although I didn’t ask for it, it came with a title I did request, and HOORAY for wonderful surprises. If you buy a copy using the Amazon link below (and you should, because I’m not about to loan out my copy!) I’ll receive a small affiliate commission.)

Ah, there’s hope! It’s still a little slow here, but we did add one more book to the library:

33. No Time To Teach — The Essence of Patient & Family Education for Health Care Providers by Fran London, MS, RN

Received as a review copy, primarily for my gig as the editor of The Journal of Nursing Jocularity.

Added To the Amazon Wishlist:

1. The Girl Who Fell From The Sky by Heidi W. Durrow
2. Hespira: A Tale of Henghis Hapthorn by Matthew Hughes
3. The Spiral Labyrinth: A Tale Of Henghis Hapthorn by Matthew Hughes
4. Majestrum: A Tale Of Henghis Hapthorn by Matthew Hughes
5. Ayn Rand and the World She Made by Anne C. Heller

#5 was added specifically due to a review in the NY Times; #1 won a prize, and I’m not sure where I heard of 2-4.

According to this article in the Guardian, author Philip Roth thinks that as a society, we lack the attention span, concentration and focus required to read novels — and that that trend will continue, going forward. The need for story is being filled by TV, movies, and the computer, rendering books irrelevant. He talks about books becoming a ‘cultic’ fascination, something reserved for a small minority of eccentric weirdos.

Which, okay. I can see that. What I’m curious about is why Roth thinks this is the trend of the future and not the reality right now, right this minute. Reading is not the most popular activity going, you know? It’s been hard to nail down an exact stat, but the average American reads somewhere between 1-11 books a year, with the lion’s share of that ‘average’ group tending far closer to one or two books annually. A few years ago, the Washington Post reported that 25% of Americans didn’t even read one book in a year.

I think we could make a good argument that reading is already a ‘cultic’ activity, particularly serious reading. If you get outside of popular fiction, past the romance novels and popcorn books, how many books do people read in a year? Will the trend continue, the way Roth describes?

I think it might — but I also have faith in the staying power of books. What I don’t have faith in is the staying power of publishing the way it is currently working: will there CONTINUE to be this unbelievable access to relatively cheap books on anything and everything that interests those of us who do have attention spans? The mind boggles. What do you think?

This morning’s discussion is prompted by this fascinating article which analyzes the book buying behavior of British readers. I’d love to see a similar survey done for American readers — does anyone know of one?

I have to say social media has absolutely impacted the way I buy books. For one thing, in many cases I have developed relationships with the authors. They are people I like, know, and trust. They have become friends. When they have a new book out, I want to buy it — not only because I know they’re an entertaining story teller, but because I know every sale matters and I want them to do well. (Especially small press authors!)

Additionally, social media has raised my awareness of books. I’ve been exposed to a greater range of books and authors than I normally would have been, left to my own North Country devices. I’ve discovered entire genres! For the geographically isolated reader who doesn’t have quality independent bookstores within a reasonable distance (let’s say 50 miles) social media is the next best thing, imo.

What are your thoughts? Are you more likely to buy a book due to social networking? How has facebook, twitter, linkdin and other social media platforms affected what type of books you buy, how you buy them, when you buy them, who you buy them from?

The American Booksellers Association is asking Congress to look into price fixing in the book market Color me cynical, but I don’t think you’re going to get a lot of results out of that. Wal-Mart gutting another industry? Quel surprise!

On November 17, Going Rogue: An American Life by Sarah Palin, hits book stores everywhere. But it won’t be alone. Oh, no! There’s also Going Rouge , the parody, appearing the same day.

Lethe Press is putting out Sean Meriweather’s latest, The Silent Hustler. Here’s the promo copy:

Best known for editing the edgy and erotic gay fiction of the Velvet Mafia website, Sean Meriwether has quietly been writing short fiction and building up a body of his own work. The Silent Hustler collects his short fiction published over the last decade. Meriwether’s fiction spans in range from the literary (”Things I Can’t Tell My Father”) to the revolutionary (”Burn the Rich”) to the downright raunchy (”Sneaker Queen”). Slip into bed with The Silent Hustler. You won’t feel guilty in the morning.

And let me just add that Sean has a great literary sensibility, is a gifted writer, and has an eye like few other erotica writers out there today. I’ve never been disappointed by Sean’s work — you should check him out!

My friends, let us talk about what it looks like when a book gets a tremendous amount of publisher support. For an illustration, I’d like to use And Another Thing… by Eoin Colfer, who you will note, is not Douglas Adams.

Douglas Adams is unfortunately very, completely dead. But people still love his work, and Eoin Colfer has written a sequel to his The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy which is, as far as I’m concerned, required reading for the universe.

Now, I’m very wary of people playing in this particular sandbox, on the grounds that their efforts have largely sucked. But suckitude has never prevented anyone from trying, and apparently, Hyperion thinks that Colfer’s got the chops to do it. Or failing that, they have faith in the franchise’s brand to make them a cubic boatload of money.

As evidence, I’d like to present this website. Now, I know a lot of full grown marketing types that would regard this as a thing of beauty. It has EVERYTHING. It has so many calls to action that the freaking phone has fallen off the hook. You can join a community of other Adams fans. You can view a timeline, which includes Douglas Adams’ posthumous book, The Salmon of Doubt which is a mish mosh of things Douglas intended to getting around to someday, eventually, and contains a disturbing amount about rhinos. You can view the Flickr album, you can play a game, you can even download ringtones to your phone. There’s so much to do here that SHOPPING for the book is an experience in and of itself, something to be enjoyed even BEFORE you have the book in your grubby little paws.

Do you know how much it costs to build something like this?

Having supervised similar projects myself, and full disclosure, our websites weren’t even HALF as cool as this, I feel qualified to offer the following estimate: a boatload of money, that’s what you’re looking at, right there.

So now one wonders: will it earn out? Is this investment going to sell more books? I turn to you, gentle readers, and ask: Does spending time on this website make you want to buy the book? One would assume that that is at least PART of the raison d’etre of the whole shebang.

I am very curious to see if there are comparable websites out there for any other new title. Can you think of any? Please send links; inquiring minds want to know!

Another question: Why is Hyperion emailing me about this six days ago, when the book was released on the 12th and the contests referenced on the site was closed on 9/30? Do those type of timing issues bother anyone, or is it just me?

Do you think the franchise is so strong that marketing is immaterial? Does this hoopla affect your purchasing decisions? I’ve been known to buy books because I THOUGHT Douglas Adams wrote them, so I’ll likely buy this too.

Here’s a whole bunch of Douglas Adams links, so you can complete your library. I’m passing fond of the biography, myself: it gives a good picture of the mind behind the magic.

I am a little late to the party here, as The Bookmaker’s Daughter: A Memory Unbound came out three years ago. Had I known what a wonderful writer Shirley Abbot is, I certainly would have sought out her work earlier.

The Bookmaker’s Daughter is a memoir, detailing Shirley’s childhood. It’s largely a love story; the love a daughter has for her father. Hat Abbot is not a simple man. On one hand, he’s a criminal, working as a bookmaker. On the other, he has a love of Roman history and a determination to make his daughter into something ‘more’ than her surroundings. He’s a hard man to admire — he turns his extended family out onto the street when he can finally purchase a home, he is determined to have a farm over his wife’s protestations, and leaves her to do the hardest, most laborious work — but he has a charming side as well. Abbot’s love for her father resonates deeply.

She also does a phenomenal job detailing the times in which she grew up. You can see the school room, almost hear her teacher’s voices, feel the cold and leaden disappointments of her childhood. I particularly appreciated the attention to domestic detail, the eye on how progress suddenly made everything they’d had and enjoyed suddenly insufficient. She grew up after the Depression, but the impact of national poverty was clearly still there.  Her commentary on growing up during WW2 and how everything seemed abstract and unreal is chillingly relevant now.

The portrait of the Abbot’s marriage was obviously guided by an adult’s perspective, but Abbot brought childhood memories and perception into play as well.  A masterful demonstration of literary skill, strongly recommended.