May 4-9 Book Porn

Nine books this week, six of them being purchases, the other three being either from the publishers or (in one case) from the author. Some of the purchases were as the result of the female authors suggested to me in a prior post (with more to be made in the coming weeks), while others reflect my interests in other literary genres.

Top: J.G. Ballard, The Atrocity Exhibition (I had read part of this years ago in The Best Short Stories of J.G. ballard, but re-reading "Why I Want to Fuck Ronald Reagan" again was still a fresh experience. Ballard's commentaries at the end of each story were insightful, such as the revelation that someone photocopied the above-mentioned story sans title and distributed it widely at the 1984 Republican National Convention, where it was praised!); Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, Zahrah the Windseeker (this was her first novel, I believe, and since I liked her second, The Shadow Speaker, quite a bit, I finally decided now was the time to buy this book, which I'll read in the near future); Ian Cameron Esslemont, Night of Knives (this is the US tradeback edition of a Malazan story written by Steven Erikson's collaborator that was originally published in the UK four years ago. I reviewed it a couple of years ago and found it to be a solid epic fantasy, but nothing really outstanding about it); Nicola Griffith, Slow River (one of the books suggested to me after my Genderfail? post from a couple of weeks ago. Read the first 40 pages before this past week's illness led me to put aside most reading for the rest of the past week. Enjoyed what I've read so far and will finish the book in the next few days, perhaps); Kelley Eskridge, Solitaire (the other Genderfail? book that I've ordered so far. Bought a used copy that lacked a cover. Will read in the next few weeks).


Top: Edward Willet, Marseguro (after I remarked in a previous Book Porn post that I couldn't read Willet's sequel without the first book, the author found out about this and emailed me to offer me a free, signed copy. I agreed and I do plan on reading this and the sequel in the next few weeks); Johann Wyss, The Swiss Family Robinson (reminiscing about my adolescence in a post a few days ago led me to order this book, which contains the original 1816 English translation and not the expanded edition that another translator added passages that were later approved by the Wyss family. Started reading it and fond memories have returned. Will finish in the next week or two); Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Petals of Blood (enjoyed his 2006 novel, Wizard of the Crow, so I thought I'd buy and read his 1977 novel, which is very well-regarded in both Kenya and elsewhere in the world); Karen Traviss, Star Wars: The Clone Wars: No Prisoners (uncertain if I'll read this tie-in novel, since I haven't even bothered seeing the last few Star Wars-related releases).