And Then What Happened?

On 14th April the paperback edition of Stories (edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio) hits the bookstores (look out for my review shortly). It is packed to the brim of highly original short stories by massively talented authors - working on the premise 'And Then What Happened?'

Sam Eades - publicist extraordinaire at Headline - wanted to celebrate the publication of Stories with something a little special and invited a crew of bloggers to band together and each write 100 words of a short story. The fun began when we realised that we would only receive the previous 100 words, and so would have no inkling of the final story.

I've just received the story in full and MAN, did I giggle! With enormous thanks to fellows bloggers Catherine, Caffeinated; Caroline Smailes - In Search of Me; High Heels and Book Deals; The Speculative Scotsman; Dot Scribbles; The Book Smugglers; The Book Zone; Random Jottings of a Book and Opera Lover and Wondrous Reads - this was terrific fun to be part of!

Here is our tremendous 'book' cover:

And here, for your reading pleasure, is the short story we concocted with our feverish imaginations. Honestly, I'm a little worried about the collective state of our minds *giggles*. Enjoy!


Crash!

It happened so quickly.

The screeching metal bit, anyway.

The actual impact.

This came as a surprise to Michelle, who in idle moments had imagined a car crash must feel like it was happening in super slow motion. Seconds become minutes, and all that jazz. Wasn’t that what they said on those accident investigation programmes?

But now here it was, really happening, and it had been but a blink. It had happened so fast, in fact, that it wasn’t until a pair of feet appeared by Michelle’s forehead that she realised the car had flipped. They were upside down.

Blink.

Michelle woke in a bed, not her bed. The air was full of garlic and red wine. She could hear voices in a different room, people were singing and laughing.

‘Where am I?’ Michelle croaked into darkness.

‘Safe,’ a voice replied but no one stepped forward. ‘We were able to make you better,’ the voice whispered.

There was something in the murmur of the word that made Michelle ask, ‘Better?’

‘Enhanced, innovative, kinky,’ a voice replied. ‘The surgery was successful.’

Michelle tried to swing her legs off the bed but they wouldn’t move. It was then that she realised. She was tied to the bed. No, she was shackled to the bed. She tried to sit up but her wrists were shackled too. Wait. She could lift her head! Her eyes flitted around the room. She didn’t recognise anything. Where the fuck was she?

A bright light came on. Michelle noticed the walls were covered in padding - some sort of sound proofing. But she’d heard music, people. Had she been dreaming?

And then she saw him.

‘You said I was safe!’ She screamed. ‘If you touch me again, you mad bastard, I’ll fucking…’

Daniel came towards her holding not a knife, or even a needle. Of all things, the whitecoat bore towards her bearing Tupperware.

‘You’ll fucking what?’ Daniel teased as the dead-zone between them diminished.

‘You’re ours now, Michelle. You’ll do what we tell you, when we tell you. The sooner you make your peace with that, sweetheart, the easier this’ll be.’

But she wasn’t listening. She was transfixed by the red-black mess spattering the walls of the clear plastic container, whose horrific contents Daniel stooped to show her.

‘What... oh God, what is that?’ she choked.

His thin smile said it all.

‘Don’t you recognise your own brain Michelle? Hmmm, I would have thought anyone would recognize their own brain?.’

Michelle felt cold, Daniel was still smiling at her, a sick, twisted smile. She lifted her hands to her head and felt that it was covered in bandages.

‘How? I don’t understand? I’ve been here all the time, how am I here if you have that?’ tears welled up in her eyes.

‘Oh don’t worry,’ Daniel threw his head back and laughed, ‘We didn’t take it all and we filled in the gap with our own little device, as I said, you’re ours now. Now here’s the plan…’

Daniel went on (and on) babbling about his ridiculous evil plan but Michelle paid little attention to what he was saying. She almost rolled her eyes at the absurdity but managed to control herself just in time. She let him go on and cried a bit more so he would think she was utterly defeated. Little did Daniel and his minions know, she had the upper hand as her brain could regenerate and would eventually absorb the device.

‘They think I am theirs now, do they? Well, let’s see what they think
about the fact that they are about to become minions to a HIGHER POWER!’

With a wriggle of her nose that was unnecessary to the casting of the spell, but that Michelle knew was the cutest thing she did, she flung her arms wide and summoned the demon Anamalech. She smirked as the eyes of Daniel and his sniveling minions grew wide with panic. In front of them appeared a ball of smoke, which span and hissed and grew to man-size proportions. Michelle coughed discreetly into her hand as the smoke hit the back of her throat then cleared to reveal a confused looking gentleman. As a result of that ridiculous nasal twitch Michelle had inadvertently summoned a morris dancer called Derek.

‘Magic and vanity do not mix well,’ Daniel hissed. ‘It is a precise art, where even the smallest twitch can ruin a spell.’

‘What are you afraid of? His handkerchiefs?’ he shouted to his followers. ‘Finish her off!’

Daniel’s drooling slaves surged forward as one, with Derek caught right in their path. However, the moment one of them touched him, there was a jangle of bells and another white-clad man appeared by his side. And then another. And another until Michelle could see Daniel no longer. Then came a flash as he summoned a lightning bolt and with one bound was free. In panic Michelle wriggled her nose again and prayed that this time she got it right. She felt herself whirling with lights flashing all around and shrieks of dismay from the Morris dancers who had been caught up in the maelstrom. She could hear cackles of laughter as Anamalech exerted his mighty power and she knew she had overestimated her control over him.

‘You are mine’ he shrieked. ‘Your brain may absorb the device, but I shall extract it from you and then I shall rule the world with my accomplice’ as he revealed Daniel at his side.

‘You did not think for one minute I was going to help you did you?’

But he underestimated British backbone and the dancers with their bells and sticks and cries of ‘Get them chaps’ turned on the deadly duo and soon had them lying on the ground crying for mercy.

Michelle watched full of gratitude that the whole ghastly business was now at an end.

‘So what exactly is this device’ asked Derek as he came towards her with a disconcerting gleam in his eye and an evil look on his face and Michelle realised with a sinking heart that no matter what she had done she was now helpless and alone and in the power of a bunch of Mad Morris Dancers...

Daniel wrestled his way up from the ground and through the Morris dancers, not even stopping to comment on their excellent choice of attire. That could wait, he thought; fashion wasn’t going anywhere, but he soon might be. He made his way over to Michelle, who stood rigid in front of Derek. Was this dude for real?

‘Get out of my way’, Daniel shouted, before pushing Derek to the side like he was nothing more than an unwanted hat stand. ‘Michelle, are you okay? We need to get out of here, like, now’.

‘But you don’t like me’, she sneered back. ‘You just spent half an hour trying to kill me, you bloody idiot’.

‘I know, but I just had a brainwave, if you’ll excuse the pun, and I don’t want to be anyone’s lackey. Least of all Anamalech’s. He’s starting to bore me, and you’re much more interesting. For one thing, I’m now much smarter than you. So, come on. Let’s go!’

With that he faced the open window, and a pair of giant, irridescent wings emerged from Daniel’s shoulder blades, bathing the room - and the Morris dancers - in bright light.

‘No fucking way’, grinned Michelle. ‘You’re TINKERBELL!’

THE END.

I hope you enjoyed! With thanks to Messers Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio for inspiration (go buy the book!) and to Sam for making it all happen.

The Floor to Ceiling Books Awards - 2010

Hey y'all! I've seen a large number of 'Best Of' lists cropping up all over the Internet, and I figured I sort of wanted to do one, but they're so arbitrary and basically me telling you my opinion. So I've decided to go one better, and created 20 special awards for 2010. I've picked the categories arbitrarily and decided on the winners arbitrarily. But, behind the fun, these are my serious choices as to the best and worst of 2010. Enjoy!

1)Most Fun Website

This is going to be a big old tie (but the only tie in my 20 categories, promise!) I've forced myself into proper decisions in all other areas - but simply could not separate SlushPile Hell and Good Show Sir! Both are incredibly funny, wickedly sharp and highlight some of the absurdities of this publishing industry we know and love. Check them out immediately!

2) My Best Interview

Told you these categories would be totally arbitrary! I have conducted very few interviews on my blog (I like to think they come along so rarely that everyone appreciates them all the more) but, out of all the interviews I've conducted, I have to call out the 'Living With the Writer' feature I did with Deborah Beale. I was surprised and pleased that Deborah would talk to such a fledgling blog - to then receive such candid and charismatic answers made it a joy to interview her.

3) Biggest Tearjerker

There is only one book that had me in tears this year - real to goodness, bawling my eyes out tears. The ending was positively visceral, and I can't believe that this author was a) brave enough to write the book and b) strong enough to go where she did in the last twenty pages. An exceptional story - Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma.

4) Best Tie-in Novel

Okay, my tie-in novel experience has been confined so far to Warhammer 40K, but, of those, two authors have been standout - Graham McNeill and Dan Abnett. Both of incredibly talented and should not be confined or dismissed by people as JUST writing tie-in work. My absolute favourite novel, though, has been Horus Rising by Dan Abnett.

5) Breakthrough Blog

Okay, I've discovered some brilliant new blogs this year - they're doing some incredible work. Of those I've loved I'd like to recommend Tea & Tomes and A Fantastical Librarian, but my winner this year could only be Bookworm Blues, run by Sarah Chorn. Her reviews are insightful and sometimes biting; she is sarcastic and funny; and, more than anything, she is incredibly brave - fighting cancer while under a fairly public spotlight. Hopefully 2011 will bring her many books and lots of luck!

6) Novelist of the Year

It might seem strange to people that I would pick a novelist that I haven't even read yet, but I think Adrian Tchaikovsky has had an absolutely storming 2010. He's released a number of books in the Shadow of the Apt series, has signed contracts for more, been handed consistently lovely covers for his novels, and received very strong reviews for said books. I can't think of anyone else who has achieved quite the same amount in just one year - and all with a very quiet persona on the Internet. Incredibly impressive - believe me, 2011 will see me catching up on this series very soon!

7) Best Character

There honestly could be no other choice than Johannes Cabal. This sarcastic, bitter and dark character jumps from the pages of the two novels he's featured in so far - Johannes Cabal the Necromancer and Johannes Cabal the Detective. He's clever, grumpy and a total smart arse. He has almost zero social skills and, in many ways, I have no idea why I love him so much. But, truly, the books sparkled most when he was on screen.

8) Biggest Disappointment

Only one novel could win this award for me this year, and that is The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N K Jemisin. I know that this book will feature in many top ten lists of 2010 by other readers, but I found myself incredibly underwhelmed by this tale of Yeine and the gods. After hearing so many glowing reviews, I thought it was rather dull in comparison. Maybe if it hadn't been talked up so much, I might have liked it more? As it is, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms was my biggest disappointment of the year.

9) Best International Choice

By this, I mean Best International Blog - and my decision was incredibly easy. Dark Wolf's Fantasy Reviews is always entertaining, informative and has a unique focus on the artwork of novels. His interviews with heavyweights of the artwork are conducted incredibly well, and give real insight into the process behind producing the art for novels. At the moment his blog is a little quiet, but this is for the best of reasons - Mihai recently introduced a baby Wolf into the world, so congratulations to him!

10) Most Innovative Publisher

Honestly, there could be no other choice. Angry Robot Books are at the forefront of innovative new publishing choices - eBooks, electronic ARCs, picking up daring authors and mashing up genre. They have linked up more effectively with bloggers than any other publisher, creating a Robot Army that aims to spread the word about the books being released. Good job all round.

11) Breakthrough Novelist

Difficult choice, this one. There have been some outstanding novelists coming to the fore in 2010, but I think key among them is Stacia Kane. Props to Voyager for releasing her Downside trilogy in three quick months during 2010, but Ms. Kane is as much the architect of her success as her publishers on both sides of the pond. She has created a little Downside community, reaching out to her readers, creating a two-way communication and even producing merchandising. It has been an incredible year for Stacia Kane, and I wish her all the best for 2011.

12) Worst Book

I've had a small handful of truly awful reads this year (thankfully they've been in a real minority!) but worst of them was Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich. Here is my closing lines from my review of the book:

Wicked Appetite can be equated to eating candy floss – seems like a good idea at the time, but leaves you unfulfilled and with a great sense of disappointment.

Very, very poor - unfunny, ill-considered and a bad advertisement for such a popular novelist.

13) Breakthrough Publisher

Funnily enough, considering they published Wicked Appetite, I have decided to list Headline as my Breakthrough Publisher. I don't mean, in this case, NEW publisher. Rather, I mean the publisher that has fully embraced the new world of blogging and were the first to try and create a community by inviting the bloggers into their world. They are also picking up some creative new series - such as the Lex Trent novels, the Johannes Cabal novels. They stride across many genres, and have a proven track record in all of them.

14) Best Fight

There can be only one!

Many of the reviews about Sykes' first novel complained about the fight scene that went on for some 200 pages. It was, however, wildly imaginative and exciting. Everytime you thought it had reached a breathless climax, Sykes brought in another adversary and dialled up the action to another level. Just brilliant.

15) Blogger of the Year

This is going to be a little ode to a blogger who has now departed. His final post was dignified and moving. But we all know he has gone onto better pastures - pretty much the pastures that all of us bloggers aspire to. I'm talking, of course, about James from Speculative Horizons. His blog was always professional; he raised a number of pertinent issues; and his occasional rants were controlled. His reviews were second to none, and I think everyone in the blogosphere will miss him keenly. Here's hoping he's enjoying his new role at Orbit as Editorial Assistant!

16) Best Duo

This is a bit of a cheat, since I have not yet read the whole book or reviewed it *grins*. I'm currently reading Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson, and Icarium and Mappo are just brilliant. Achingly sad, always mysterious and gentle humorous. I love all of their conversations, and I want them on-screen all the time.

My next two awards will feel a little repetitive, so I'm just going to list them rather than go into details:

17) Best Kiss - Chess and Terrible, from the Downside Ghosts series by Stacia Kane.

18) Best New Series Discovered - the Johannes Cabal novels, by Jonathan L Howard

And now to the two big awards....

19) Best Publisher

Seriously, this publisher is right at the top of their game right now. From having three contenders on the Arthur C Clarke shortlist to being the publisher of such fantasy greats as Scott Lynch, Joe Abercrombie and Patrick Rothfuss. Their success with Charlaine Harris cannot be quantified. This year they've branched into the lucrative YA market with some excellent titles. I've read a large number of their books this year and, even when not directly engaged, have either found something to like or been challenged by.

And 2011 looks like being more of the same, with The Quantum Thief having a great chance of being shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke award, and some massive releases on the way. I can't wait to join them on the journey.

20) Best Novel

This is by far my biggest cheat, but when I sat down and thought about all the books I'd read this year there was only one that I could feasibly put in the number one slot. I was blown away by the quality and the imagination. This is the start of something big. You guys will have to wait until March 2011 - but, seriously, it's worth the wait.

My book of 2010 is Department 19 by Will Hill.

Here is a key quote from my review (which will go up nearer the release date):

This book is going to be a phenomenon – you heard it here first. To all those publishers looking for the “next Harry Potter”? Harper Collins have found it in the form of Will Hill’s debut novel Department 19. This is going to be huge. Get in there from the very beginning.

There you have it - the inaugural Floor to Ceiling Books Awards! Hope you enjoyed.

Embarrassment About Books

This is a first for me. Since starting my blog, I am unsure whether to review one of the books that I've read. I've just finished Firefly Summer by Maeve Binchy. Since discovering her novels age fifteen, I've read and re-read her tales about provincial Irish towns, usually set in the 1950s. The stories intertwine the varied eccentric characters of the village - dealing with alcoholism, friendship, childhood, love, abortion (against all the commandments of the Pope and Catholicism). These books are warm, lovable, gossipy and I adore them.

But I'm also vaguely embarrassed by them. I sat here for an age wondering whether ANY of the followers of my blogs would have any interest at all in reviews of these books - so instead decided to open up the question of embarrassment in books you read. Do you experience this at all? Are there novels you would never review, never recommend, hide to yourself? Would you want to see a review of Firefly Summer by Maeve Binchy?

I'm embarrassed in this case because of the slightly aged nature of them, the rife gossiping, the degree of cutesy Irish charm. The covers of many are twee and pastel. And yet I can't resist diving in whenever I am in need of comfort - in this case, the snowy weather that has kept me housebound had me reaching for a book that celebrates the nature of village life.

So, what makes you embarrassed about books?

The Future of Publishing

Okay, so this is going to be a fairly free-form blog post - something I shall try to articulate, but will likely fail. It is a point that occurred to me earlier while writing my post on Recent Press Releases.

We've all been wondering about the future of publishing - how it is going to work out with eReaders, eBooks, self-publishing, small publishers. And then it occurred to me that we were seeing the root of where publishing is going to go...

Those press releases announced a new small publisher that was selling chapbooks from both well-known and up-and-coming authors; two authors who had decided to collaborate, and no doubt discussed their plan via social media of some kind; and a new eBook-only company who would donate profits made to charity. New authors are being given more of a chance through the fresh initiatives of companies such as Morrigan Books, with their eBook-only branch.

This is both so promising, but also scary! For someone like me, who is yet to embrace the eReader - am I being left behind? Are the traditional publishers who are failing to embrace both social media and eBooks already losing a race that seemed as though it had barely started? There are reports that eBook sales are up MASSIVELY on the same period from last year. NetGalley is a whole new principle on receiving ARCs that has been on the rise in a big way.

The new environment allows so much freedom - it seems as though anyone (with the right contacts and editorial experience) can begin a publishing company or a literary agency. A website, some contracts drawn up and off they go... Is it as simple as this? Are we destined to see many endeavours fail because we aren't quite accustomed to the new way of working?

I have already ordered that chapbook with the click of a Paypal button. If the charity eBook comes in a format I can use, I will no doubt buy that too. I am being access to work that would, previously, have either remained unpublished or found its way into one of the few anthologies that made the rounds. Some of the novellas/novels I'll be able to read will be edited by those with little traditional experience.

We open ourselves to the risk of diminishing returns in terms of quality. We will no doubt see god-awful self-published tomes that would never had seen the light of day without the Amazon Kindle store. Some of us traditionalists may be forced to embrace eReading technology before we ever really wished to in order to stay caught up with new goings-on.

And yet.... I feel positive. The future of publishing looks bright, albeit very, very different.

What do you think?

It'll Be 2011 Before We Know It! #2

This look into 2011 will be all books Headline, since I received their catalogue through the post very recently and immediately started drooling over all the pretties they are publishing next year! I'm not sure if there is on online version of the catalogue that I can link to - I couldn't find anything in a quick visit to their website - but I'm sure anyone who wanted a copy could contact Headline and have the catalogue sent to them. Warning: it will induce a book ordering frenzy!

First up is a novel I have already received the ARC for - it looks fab and the small amount I have read so far is thoroughly gripping. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness has swept through the US blogs in my Google Reader, garnering a great deal of praise, and I was most excited to realise that Headline would be publishing it in the UK. This one will be released in February 2011 (before that, look out for reviews, interviews with the author and more exciting stuff, across some of the best book blogs in the UK).

Next I'll give you a list of the chick lit books Headline are releasing that I'm most excited about (I'll say this for them, they do have a brilliant group of chick lit authors writing for them!)

• To the Moon and Back - Jill Mansell (February 2011)
• Getting Away With It - Julie Cohen (March 2011)
• It Happened One Summer - Polly Williams (April 2011)
• About Last Night - Adele Parks (July 2011)
• Heaven Scent - Sasha Wagstaff (July 2011)

I am heading on holiday in September for two weeks and I imagine that the five books above will feature heavily in my reading choices. I do love excellent chick lit and these five are doing sterling work in the field.

Now, this next novel is a really intriguing number - intriguing in that I have received a postcard with a cryptic message from one character in the book to another.

Cuckoo is the first novel from Julia Crouch in which she deftly explores the complex and obsessive nature of female friendship. If you liked Erin Kelly’s The Poison Tree, Barbara Vine and Tana French you will be gripped by this compelling psychological thriller, which taps into the irrational yet frightening real fear of a friend stealing one’s identity.

Rose has it all - the gorgeous children, the husband, the beautiful home. But then her best friend Polly comes to stay. Very soon, Rose's cosy world starts to fall apart at the seams - her baby falls dangerously ill, her husband is distracted - is Polly behind it all? It appears that once you invite Polly into your home, it's very difficult to get her out again...

Tense, emotionally wrought and menacing from the get-go, Cuckoo is filled with foreboding and a terrible sense of the inevitable. Inspired by Simone de Beavoir’s She Came to Stay and Nick Cave’s album The Boatman’s Call, Crouch builds a feeling of claustrophobia and in doing so delivers a gripping psychological thrill. Interestingly Julia completed the novel during NaNoWriMo, the annual creative writing challenge where participants are tasked to write 50,000 words of a new novel during the month of November.

On the YA side of things, there are a trinity of novels I find myself anticipating - all three are continuations of series that I am thoroughly enjoying reading.

Of course, one of these books is Lex Trent: Fighting With Fire by Alex Bell. I thought the first Lex Trent novel was both funny and original, and am looking forward to spending more time with the incorrigible young rogue.

As well as this, we also have Wintercraft: Blackwatch by Jenna Burtenshaw and Ghostgirl: Lovesick by Tonya Hurley. I thought that Jenna's first novel was a little mixed, but showed great promise and I am looking forward to seeing what she does in the second. There were parts of Wintercraft that truly sparkled with imagination and rich prose - if Jenna can bring that to the second novel more consistently, we'll have a fine YA story on our hands.

The Ghostgirl sequence are great fun - gothic, yet giggly. I loved the first two, so this should be a great read!

And finally *big drum roll please...* - one of my MOST ANTICIPATED books of 2011.... No cover art, I'm afraid, and absolutely MONTHS to wait...

In June 2011, Headline are releasing Johannes Cabal and the Fear Institute by Jonathan L Howard. The first two novels about Johannes Cabal have been right up there in my top ten books of the year - ghoulish, sarcastic and very, very funny. Pick up the first two, catch up and then join me in the achingly slow countdown to the release of the third!

Okay, I know you're not able to link through to a Headline catalogue - but are there any of the above that you're excited by?

A visit to Atom Towers

When I received an invitation from the lovely Rose to attend a blogger event at Atom Towers, I jumped at the chance! I am a massive fan of a number of the Little, Brown imprints - Atom and Orbit chief among them - and I was keen to see where the magic happens *grins*

WELL! The building in which they have their offices is just beautiful - and slightly intimidating. I was so relieved that Molly from Words and Pieces was also in reception and looking as lost as me!

We were greeted by the Atom team with champagne - and the most unbelievable cupcakes:



The Atom girls - Kirsteen, Gina, Sam, Kate and Rose - then gave a knowledgeable and enthusiastic presentation about the books coming from Atom in 2011. It sounds as though it will be a year of firsts from Atom - as well as treading well-loved and familiar ground.

We will be seeing some great new paranormal titles next year, including the 8th book in the House of Night series (Awakened) and Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

In terms of firsts, we can expect to see Atom's first non-paranormal tale in the form of Rosebush by Michelle Jaffe. This one is a taut dark mystery - and, I have to say, the cover looks *gorgeous*. Us lucky peeps also got a copy of it in our goodie bag and I can't wait to dive in!

Atom are also bringing out their first translated book - The Game - which is originally from Germany and aimed more at the teen boy market. As is *takes a deep breath* "One Seriously Messed-up Week in the Otherwise Mundane and Uneventful Life of Jack Samsonite". Yes, that's all one title! This book sounds like a sort of up-to-date Judy Blume for boys and I can't wait to get my hands on it!



Of great interest to me was the new initiative that Atom are starting - the Atomics. There will be a press release coming for this one, but it basically involves initiating the future generation of bloggers! Getting under 18s/teens reading books and sharing their thoughts and ideas about them. If you have any friends or relations that fit the remit (teens!) then let them know that Atom need them - and look out for the official announcement soonish.



I had a simply lovely day (which had started with a visit to Gollancz and a coffee with Jon and Simon - they gave me a copy of Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch, which looks great - and then a flying visit to to Ewa in Lush - more freebies received!)

Thanks very much to all at Atom for putting on such a great party.

Honesty and Impartiality

I want to be honest and transparent, since this issue has been raised.

I do work for Tor.com - they are connected with Tor the publishers, but are a separate website and entity, with the aim of trying to build a SF/F community and connect with fans. I get paid by Tor for my Malazan re-read work. I spend approximately three hours a week doing the Malazan work and am paid a small amount for this.

I would like to state that I remain impartial in terms of reviewing, but I know me saying and you believing will be two different things. I like to think that my reviews til now have shown impartiality and honesty.

But I want to say right here and now that if you find you cannot read my blog any longer or trust my reviews, then I do understand and I wish you well. There are some tremendous book blogs out there with no links to any specific organisations, and I invite you to check out Speculative Horizons, My Favourite Books, OF Blog of the Fallen and The Speculative Scotsman for excellent examples of entirely impartial blogs. If you want to stick around and still see what I have to say, then that's cool too. Entirely up to you!

Not Reading

Those who know me in a more personal capacity will have realised by now that I've been left pretty devastated by some news from the weekend.

I'm going through the usual not eating, not sleeping routine. What is more disturbing to me is I'm also struggling to read.

It is almost amusing that there have been times in recent weeks when I would have given anything for more time to myself to read - and now I don't want to.

Over the years reading has always been a massive source of comfort to me. It is what I turn to when I want to just forget the world and escape elsewhere. To not be able to do that leaves me feeling a little lost.

What I want to ask you, my readers, is: have there been times when you have lost the reading mojo? If it isn't too private, what caused it? How did you get it back?

P.S. I hope you can all understand that the blog might suffer for a few weeks. I hope to keep up posting, but, if there is less to read, I do hope you'll stick around and be back when I feel more capable.

Embargo!

On 2nd November one of the most hotly-anticipated fantasy books of the year is being released. The 13th book in the Wheel of Time - Towers of Midnight - is causing a frenzy of excitement as fans wait the last couple of weeks before getting their hands on what will be the penultimate novel in this long-running series started by Robert Jordan and continued by Brandon Sanderson due to RJ's untimely death.

For many fantasy readers, this release is beyond exciting - they just want to get their hands on the book and devour the new events, without having anything spoiled for them.

Hence, the limited amount of pre-release ARCs that went out to bloggers were embargoed. As in, bloggers were not supposed to release reviews of Towers of Midnight until 2nd November, so that everyone had the same chance to read the novel without risk of spoilers.

Embargo = a restraint or hindrance; prohibition


However, one particular blogger thinks that he is not restricted in the same manner as other bloggers. Most people have been respectful but there has been a certain amount of boasting about events/scenes in the book by one blogger - and I find this enormously distasteful.

Rules are rules, and there for a reason. Bloggers were asked to keep the lid on reviews til 2nd November - to go against this (even under the heading of "not a review - thoughts so far") is rude to the publishers who provided the early book and rude to the other bloggers who have managed to abide by the rule.

When Mockingjay came out, it was embargoed for EVERYONE until release day. Again, some people couldn't resist boasting about having secret copies, and spoilers were put on Goodreads that ruined it for many people.

Bloggers have a privilege of early copies. I have a copy of The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie. I have been asked to sit on my review until much closer to the release date, and it is not in my nature to spoil anyone else's reading experience of this novel. I am abiding by the rules.

If one blogger breaks this rules, there is a chance that publishers will become more chary about allowing this privilege of early copies for *ANYBODY*.

My opinion is that embargoes are only given on few books - and bloggers should follow the rulings given. If a person breaks embargo, they should have their privilege stripped. It is a matter of ethics - the same as when people sell ARCs, even when asked not to by the publishers. I am angry that this is likely to go unpunished.

What do you think? Major over-reaction?

Is it not time to kiss and make up?

Okay, I'm fed up. In the last few days (actually, weeks, months and years) there have been discussions like this and statements like: Proposition: We read SF to show how clever we are. We read litfic to show how clever we *think* we are. I've seen people ask: Are we, as SFF readers, our own worst enemy in marginalising our own genre?

At the same time, I've also been looked down on for participating in X Factor discussions on Twitter. People sneer at the fact I like entertainment shows. They've also said (not the same people) that I feature far too much literary fiction on my blog (which is odd considering my blog is called Floor to Ceiling Books!)

I think it is time for us to kiss and make up! I recently wrote this post, declaring my love for all books, and struck a chord with a few people. I also did a review of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - a literary book rather than SF but one that absolutely should be read as widely as possible.

There are awesome literary books. There are fabulous SF books. In my opinion X Factor has as much merit as Newsnight in entertainment terms. I want us to join collectively and declare our love for BOOKS. (You don't need to declare your love for X Factor - I just want you to accept that everyone likes different things!)

All books are literary - they are literature. I am tired of having my book choices analysed and criticised. I am tired of all these barriers. Some authors such as Michael Marshall Smith are writing fabulous novels that cross all genres and enrich the lives of anyone who reads them. They might never win an award (although I think MMS has?) but who cares? I recognise them for being excellent, thought-provoking and enjoyable.

Okay, it seems as though it is my turn to rant! But I reiterate: can't we all kiss and make up?

The Dreaded TBR Pile

So, recently I revealed how many series I was currently reading and asked y'all to do the same, which you did in droves (well, there were a few blog posts *grin)

The reason I was poking around in my stacks was to find out the definitive number of my TBR pile. And I finally have it. The number of books waiting to be read and reviewed for the blog is *drumroll*

1770

Crazy, non? I hasten to add that the bulk of these books are those I owned before I started this blogging lark - I've always been a bookworm!

What scares me is I have books in there that I can remember buying over ten years ago that I was absolutely bound and determined to read - and then they got put to one side in favour of my latest shiny...

Anyway, that's my naughty number - dare you share?

An Ode to Books

Today has been a tough day.

The day job is uninspiring, mundane and a trial to get through. I struggle to engage with any aspect of it. I cannot even suffer through the days with colleagues, since I work in a quiet office with just one other person who is often absent.

I am an accountant and I a) can't imagine how I tripped and fell into something such as this and b) can't comprehend how utterly different it is from my true love in life. Which would be books.

I adore books. I love every part of them - from the browsing and choosing of them; to the deciding which one to read next; to the cracking open of the first page and not knowing quite what is ahead of you. I love being transported to different worlds. I love being so frustrated with a book that I throw it down in disgust. I enjoy the use of words, the formation of sentences, the lushness of truly great prose.

Books are my sanctuary. They are my hiding place. They shield me from a world that is often too terrible to contemplate. They provide me with inspiration, regret, humble appreciation and melancholy.

Every time I come into work and struggle through my eight hours I have the knowledge that a book is always waiting for me.

To those authors who read this: you made this. I am eternally thankful.

To review...? Or not to review?

Okay, folks, it is navel gazing time again here on Floor to Ceiling Books!

Well, actually, it is time to ask a few questions of those bloggers I read regularly to find out their opinions on the subject.

The subject today is: Reviewing!

I would welcome input from all quarters on this one, just to find out how, where, when reviewing takes place.

My questions are:

1) When do you review a book? Immediately, during, after a few days...? (this question was shamelessly stolen from Friday's Book Blogger Hop: I read a few responses and it intrigued me enough to think about a few more questions in the same vein).

2) Do you review every book that you read? What prompts you not to review a book? Do you feel the obligation to review all advance copies you receive?

3) How do you do your reviewing? Making notes as you read or just sitting down and jotting down thoughts and feelings once the whole thing is read?

I think that's enough!

On my part, here are my answers?

1) I always review a book immediately on finishing it, although I am having the thought that perhaps I ought to let the novel percolate for a little while before spilling all my reactions on paper. Sometimes those initial reactions are the most truthful, but other times, without putting distance between myself and the book, I can sometimes be overly effusive or a tad harsh, which I think I wouldn't if I waited.

2) At the moment I am reviewing every book I read. It makes Floor to Ceiling Books a little unfocused in terms of genre at times, I will admit, but I started this blog as a way of recording what I read and what I thought about the book so, under those principles, I am sticking to reviewing everything - good and bad. Having to give a negative review would never stop me from reviewing, but I know others will not post up a review if they hated a book.

3) Sometimes I will dash around the house looking for pen and paper to jot down an immediate reaction to something in a book; I will fold the corner of pages with pertinent quotes; but most often my reviewing is a gush of thoughts and ideas once the whole book is read. This means that sometimes I end up missing things that had occurred during the read, which can be frustrating, but mostly works.

Now...what about you?

October Theme?

In August I decided to begin doing themed months, picked by you, the reader. I will offer you three options and the option that receives the most votes will be the theme for the following month.

In September (although you wouldn't have believed it!) I did an historical fiction themed month. I say this because a surprising amount of other reviews also appeared on my blog, although these had been scheduled from before my decision to move to themed months. I hope you have been enjoying those reviews of novels with an historical bent!

Now, we are moving rapidly towards October and it is time to pick a new theme. I know that a number of blogs around the blogosphere are choosing to go with a horror/paranormal theme for the month of October, thanks to Halloween. Rather than follow the crowd I have picked three themes that hopefully avoid this!

1) Chick Lit (who wouldn't want to plough through some books with pink, sparkly covers in the dark month of October?)

2) Black Library novels (alright, war in the far future might be dark enough for October!)

3) Books published by Quercus (I received a number of books from this lovely publishing house, and would like to celebrate the diverse novels they're currently bringing out).

So, there you have it! Which do you want to see for October?

Kicking Off Book Blogger Appreciation Week

Back in June I registered for Book Blogger Appreciation Week, and put Floor to Ceiling Books forward for a few of the awards. I wasn't longlisted for any of these, but, regardless, this week is still my opportunity to join in all the festivities that surround BBAW!

On this first day we've been invited to talk about our first treasure i.e. the first book blog that we discovered (if we're new to the blogosphere).

My first book blog, which I return to constantly, is Graeme's Fantasy Book Review. I love Graeme's blog - he is down-to-earth, constantly enthusiastic, slightly flustered now with the recent arrival of his new daughter Hope, and as far from a book snob as you can imagine. As long as the novel features speculative matters, he will read and review it. He is candid about why he doesn't like books, he froths at the mouth for everything zombie, and is generally an all-round nice guy.

Who is your first treasure?