When I scheduled today’s post, the postperson (actually, the UPS person) had not yet arrived.
So there is presently an addendum.
Tor and Orbit are really quite generous to me. Still not at all used to that.
In no particular order: Jane Lindskold, ARTEMIS AWAKENING; Jamie Lee Moyer, A BARRICADE IN HELL; A.M. Dellamonica, CHILD OF A HIDDEN SEA; Greg van Eekhout, CALIFORNIA BONES; Brian McClellan, PROMISE OF BLOOD; Max Gladstone, FULL FATHOM FIVE; and Karl Schroeder, LOCKSTEP.
The first three are relevant to the SWM column for Tor.com, and I hope to read fast enough to cover them there in good time. Then there’s the fact that a friend has challenged me to read and blog about McClellan and Cameron over the summer – desiring, I suppose, to distract me from work by encouraging me to do MORE work – and I suppose I’ll see, eventually, if anyone wants to pay me for reviews of van Eekhout, Gladstone, or Schroeder.
Or if I can manage to read them. I’m having awful trouble with Rjurik Davidson’s Unwrapped Sky, I don’t mind telling you: the world-building seems as though it ought to be shiny, but the characters wander around being sad and morally compromised and acting more like symbols than real people, as though for all its talk of workers and oppression there’s no real fire in its belly. As of page 120 (of 400-odd) it’s far from the most compelling thing I’ve started reading lately, and I keep wanting to cheat on it with history books.
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea 
If the Gladstone is anything like its predecessors, it should be relevant to “Sleeps with Monsters”, though it’s written by a man. Max Gladstone really impressed me with his treatment of female protagonists (and side characters, and antagonists), sexuality, and social issues in “Three Parts Dead” and “Two Serpents Rise,” and I was fascinated by the way he made gender not-quite-relevant in the choose-your-own-adventure game “Choice of the Deathless.” I’ve been reading almost exclusively female authors lately, but Gladstone and Guy Gavriel Kay are notable intrusions on my autobuy list.
I should note that “should be relevant” should probably be “COULD be relevant,” since upon further thought I recalled that “Sleeps With Monsters” has only had one or two “men who write women well” posts. Ah well, I hope you get around to reading and enjoying the book anyway! I’m jealously sitting on my hands waiting for its release…
That’s some damning commentary… cheat on a novel with history books… eesh.
But, Justin, they are very good history books. I’m trying to fill some gaps in my Roman cultural knowledge in my spare time [sic], and Temin’s work on the Roman market economy and Invisible Romans and Popular Culture in Ancient Rome are just marvelous!
Plus I have a biography of William Blackstone and a comparative treatment of Sapphic love in French and Arabic medieval literature on the go. So I’m really tempted, when I read a phrase like “there are molecular reactions happening among the citizens” …to go read something lovely and historical and more suited to my tastes.
Mary Beth – I liked Three Parts Dead a whole lot, but still haven’t managed to finish Two Serpents Rise. Hopefully Full Fathom Five will bring the magic back, for me; Gladstone is a very good writer. Probably the main reasons I still haven’t finished TSR is because of being a)spoilt for choice and b)having to read things in order of Most Useful For Deadlines.
I really enjoyed Invisible Romans; a bit dry in places, but fascinating in subject matter and perfectly clear. Should I go try out Popular Culture in Ancient Rome next? The title alone sounds promising.
Whereas I am all Invisible Romans</em. HEY STOPPIT YOU ARE OVERSIMPLIFYING, and I WANT MORE EVIDENCE FOR YOUR ASSERTIONS and WHERE ARE YOUR FOOTNOTES?
I think Popular Culture may very well interest you. I also recommend Prince of Medicine: Galen in the Roman Empire, but I believe I’ve said this to you before. :)