Bookish News: SF, Awards, Sales + Links!

Hey, it's Earth Day! The one day per year that serves as a reminder that we all share a beautiful planet we need to care for. Check out earthday.org for information about their "Green Cities Campaign" -- learn, act, impact!

It's April, so it's also time for awards and/or nominations. In the science fiction realm, both are making a big splash at the moment. The British Science Fiction Award (BSFA) winners were announced and the winner(s) for Best Novel were Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (Orbit) tied with Ack Ack Macaque by Gareth L. Powell. I've only read the Leckie novel but it is a favorite.

And, Countdown City by Ben.H. Winters (Quirk Books) won the 2014 Phillip K. Dick Award for distinguished original science fiction paperback. This award is sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society and the Philip K. Dick Trust. Countdown City is the second book in Winter's The Last Policeman trilogy. So far I've really enjoyed the first two books and am waiting impatiently for the last one, World of Trouble, to arrive at my doorstep!

Last, but certainly not least, the Hugo nominations have been announced and I'm looking forward to the final results in a few categories. I've only read one book from those nominated: Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie in the Best Novel category, and I have one of the nominees for Best Novella in my TBR, Wakulla Springs by Andy Duncan and Ellen Klages, so I don't have a lot invested, but made a list of books to read instead.

However, I'm dying to find out who wins for Best Professional Artist -- I'm a big Dos Santos fan, although this year I'm leaning toward Julie Dillon. I'm also excited to see two long-time favorite Fanzines as finalists: A Dribble of Ink with Aidan Moher and The Book Smugglers with Ana and Thea. Finally, I always enjoy reading what Foz Meadows has to say at Shattersnipe: Malcontent & Rainbows, so I'm glad she's on the list under Best Fan Writer. Congratulations to all! See complete list of nominees here.

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Speaking of nominations, Weightlessbooks.com is offering a sale on digital copies of all eight Lethe titles nominated for the 2014 Lambda Literary Awards. If you're interested, click here to buy them at $4.99 each. I took advantage and purchased one of the two books from that list I missed reading last year, Like Light for Flies by Lee Thomas.

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Personal bookish news: I'm still going through a serious reading "slump." At the moment I'm just reading short stories, here and there, from different anthologies. But so far, I have only finished four books during the entire month of April although I've started reading countless books. I'm really frustrated at this point and don't know what to do. Rereading is not working, neither is adding new books to my TBR (been there, done that!) I'm just going to relax about it and continue to read what grabs me. Hopefully that will work sooner or later.

February 2014 Recap: Reads, Minis + Link

I didn't read a lot of books during February -- either because I didn't have the time or because I wasn't able to concentrate. However, the majority of the books I was able to read were highly enjoyable.

TOTAL BOOKS READ: 6    DNF: 1
Contemporary Romance: 2
Science-Fiction: 2
LGBT: 2 (Young Adult)

TOP READS OF THE MONTH:
Annihilation (Southern Reach Trilogy #1) by Jeff VanderMeer: A-
Annihilation is one of my two top reads of the month. The emotionless, distant, disconnected voice of the biologist as she narrates the fantastic setting and weird events that occur in Area X swept me away to another world and kept me on edge to the end. I'm now both dreading and waiting impatiently for the continuation of this story in the next installment Authority.

The Unwanted by Jeffrey Ricker: A-
The Unwanted also made it as one of my February top reads. I finished it on the 1st and it was the best way to begin my reading month. I really loved this LGBT young adult fantasy by Jeffrey Ricker who created a great adventure filled with wonderful characters and relationships.

Honor's Knight (Paradox #2) by Rachel Bach: B+
I liked the second book in Rachel Bach's science fiction Paradox series even more than Fortune's Pawn! And I liked that first book. Devi's space adventure continues, her budding romance goes through some changes, and the overall story arc takes some twists and turns that you wouldn't believe. I'm having a lot of fun reading this series.

Too Much of a Good Thing? by Joss Wood: B

Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing when everything clicks in a new relationship? Apparently so. Lu chose to give up part of her youth and a career to become a full time mother to her twin brothers when their parents died. Now that the boys are grown and leaving home maybe it's time to catch up on what she missed out -- things like clubbing and dating. Ex-rugby player, now rugby coach Will Scott is in town temporarily and after meeting him under unusual circumstances, Lu decides he is perfect for a temporary, fun relationship. But complications arise when they click perfectly, in every way.

Will has more than a bad boy reputation, he was a bad boy during and after his failed marriage to another athlete. He really likes Lu and would prefer to spend time and have fun with her as a friend/companion instead of having a temporary sexual affair or a couple of romps in the sack. Lu, on the other hand, really wants that romp. The problem? They become friends who have fun together and genuinely like each other and neither wants to mess that up, but when they are together the sexual tension and desire takes over.

I liked that they're both adults and frank about their desires and objections. This is a really sexy couple even when they are not having sex. A few things niggled. One: Lu chose to give up her career, etc., (she didn't have to) to take care of her brothers, but seems to spend an awful lot of time feeling sorry for herself about it. Two: It is true that people change and are affected after a failed marriage, but Will sure gives his ex and that failure a lot of power over his life for a long period of time -- too long if you ask me. Regardless, those niggles didn't take away my enjoyment of the overall romance between Lu and Will. The push and pull and sexual tension, the friendship and adult relationship that develops, all serve to make this an enjoyable, solid contemporary romance. (Harlequin/KISS/ November 19, 2013, Kindle Ed)

The Last Guy She Should Call by Joss Wood: B

This is another solid contemporary read by Joss Wood. In The Last Guy She Should Call, Wood uses a "friends to lovers" device where the main characters go from fun, hostile, bickering interactions to a hot, "OMG, I have to have him/her" lust filled relationship. Wood develops this one well, particularly since both the male and female protagonists have family issues to work on. I like that those issues are not wrapped in a neat little bow at the end because in real life that's not always possible. Yet, the romance is still the focus and quite enjoyable. I'll be reading more books by Joss Wood. (Thanks to Nath for her review and recommendation).

Mark of the Demon (Kara Gillian #1) by Diana Rowland: DNF
It is never easy for me to DNF a book, unfortunately as it turns out this popular book was not meant for me.

UPCOMING REVIEW:
Cub by Jeff Mann
Cub is a young adult LGBT contemporary by the talented Jeff Mann that released in February. I'll be telling you all about it soon.
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LINK/COMMENTARY: I am an avid science fiction reader and a huge fan of the science fiction genre. As such, I've been following the latest controversy involving the Hugo Awards and Jonathan Ross. There is a great post written by Ana at The Book Smugglers that resonated with me, particularly since my love of SFF, speculative fiction, and magical realism first came from reading books written in the Spanish language by authors from different cultures. I'm still thinking about her words. Check it out: Smuggler’s Ponderings: History, Fandom and Masters of Science Fiction .