Library Love Fest

Christopher Moore: Bite Me!

Here's a letter from the wild and crazy Christopher Moore.  Enjoy!

-Virginia

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Hey kids,

Christopher Moore, Author Guy here.

Just a couple of news items.

First, Fool comes out in paperback today, so for those of you who have been holding off, go for it. For those of you who want to have a hardcover for your collection, you should probably grab one soon.

Second, I have a new book, Bite Me: A Love Story coming out on March 23rd and I’ll be doing a national tour as well as four Canadian dates, the first time I’ve been back to the Great White North in ten years.

Full details for the tour (as well as a few FAQs) are here. There are a few ticketed events, so be sure to call ahead to those venues if you plan to attend.

Before you go, “Wait, why aren’t you coming to East Pisspants, South Dakota where I live? I want a signed book!” Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego will be taking orders for signed books and shipping them all over the country, we may even be able to personalize them. I suspect that Canadians need not apply. The link is here.

The ordering link goes live March 1st. Be sure to get your orders in early so they’ll be sure to have enough books for me to sign when I get there.

Hope to see you along the road.

Your pal,

Chris

Visit Chris Moore at http://www.chrismoore.com/

Or read his blog at http://blog.chrismoore.com/

On Facebook http://www.facebook.com/theauthorguy
and Twitter  http://twitter.com/theauthorguy

Sci-fi Book Buzz at the NYPL

Today we've got a special guest blog from editrix extraordinaire, Diana Gill, of Out of this Eos.  Many of us are overwhelmed by the amount of offerings in sci-fi/fantasy, but Diana is here to give us a great introductory course in the genre.  Sherecently presented upcoming Eos titles at the New York Public Library--her full presentation can be found here: Download Book Buzz Eos. 

Without further ado, here she is!

"A couple of weeks ago I presented current and upcoming Eos titles (science fiction, fantasy, urban and supernatural fantasy) to a group of approximately 40 NYC librarians in an SF Book Buzz panel, along with editors and marketing people from Del Rey and Macmillan.  It was my first time presenting to librarians (versus, say, fans at conventions), and I had a blast.

I talked about both some recent Eos titles and about our upcoming Winter ’10 list, which includes titles from Robin Hobb, Kim Harrison, and Raymond E. Feist, among others.  Afterwards, we offered each librarian a choice of one of several Eos titles, from science fiction to epic fantasy to urban/supernatural fantasy.  The most titles most requested were SANDMAN SLIMby Richard Kadrey, Brom’s dark retelling of Peter Pan, THE CHILD THIEF, and Margaret Ronald’s urban fantasy SPIRAL HUNT. Several people were interested trying sf/f, and not sure where to start.

Urban fantasy (and its cousin paranormal romance) is the easiest gateway to the genre—since it takes place in a world that is very much our own, only with magic.  Not coincidentally, it’s also the hottest thing going, between the phenomenon that is Stephenie Meyers' Twilight saga to the incredibly popular True Blood tv series.  Urban fantasies are an easy way for readers to try the genre, and there are a lot of great ones out there.

A Book Club...for Men Only

This morning I saw this article on male-only book clubs that have been springing up around the country.  Here's a fantastic quote from the piece:

"'We used to just sit around and drink beer and read Charles Bukowski, nothing great," says Pride, 51, of Quincy. 'But the other night we were talking about evil. Drinking our red wine and talking about evil. We're moving into a deeper dimension. We don't want to read junk.'"

Groups may focus instead on a shared topic of interest, like history, sports, or even poetry.  Other book groups don't read the assigned book at all, but use the time as a chance to catch up with old friends.  Whatever the reason, book clubs are a great way for men to build a sense of community and fellowship.  Here's a quick little list of titles that might work, depending on the book club.

For new dads, or the agriculturally-inclined:
Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting by Mike Perry

For thriller-lovers:
Shadows Still Remain by Peter de Jonge

For memoir-addicts:
In the Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White

For vampire fans:
The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

For outdoorsmen:
The Last of His Kind by David Roberts

For ultimate fighters:
Got Fight? by Forrest Griffin with Erich Krauss

For history buffs:
Masters and Commanders: How Four Titans Won the War in the West, 1941-1945 by Andrew Roberts

-Kayleigh

Buzzing about Guillermo Del Toro's 'The Strain'

Over on Roaring I'm blogging about Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's thriller, The Strain-- a chilling, epic novel that centers around a battle between man and vampire that threatens all humanity. It is the first installment in a trilogy, as well as an international publishing event. Put a heavy-reserve alert on this one! Now, I may be blogging on The Roaring 20s, but The Strain is not just a book for 20somethings.  Thriller fans, vampire lovers, even cinema geeks (you can vividly picture it as a movie) will love this book.  Head to Roaring for an interview with Guillermo Del Toro, and more information on The Strain.

-Kayleigh