Evil Editor hosts a monthly book discussion on his blog. Books are chosen by EE with an eye toward providing exposure to a different genre each month. Perhaps after encountering an author you wouldn't normally read, you'll want to purchase his/her other books.As the Evil Minions live all over the globe, it is unlikely everyone can participate in the discussions, but the text of the discussions remains on the blog for those who read the book but couldn't make the discussion. An edited version of each book chat may be viewed on this blog. Each discussion will last about an hour toward the end of the month. The exact dates and times will be announced at least ten days in advance. Here's the upcoming schedule:
November, 2009
Devil's Cape (Superhero Novel), Rob Rogers
If New Orleans has earned its "Sin City" nickname for its debauchery, then its nearby sister Devil's Cape has earned its "Pirate Town" moniker for the violence and blatant corruption that have marred the city since its founding. A city where corruption and heroism walk hand-in-hand, and justice and mercy are bought and paid-for in blood, Devil's Cape is a city like no other.
Devil's Cape is a novel like no other. It blends the gritty crime novel with a heavy dose of the supernatural and weaves a tale of superhuman heroes and villains.
Devil's Cape is the author's first novel. He is hoping to attend the chat.
December, 2009
Black Hole (Graphic Novel), Charles Burns
Starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Booklist and School Library Journal. Plus: Winner of the Eisner, Harvey, and Ignatz Awards
"Smoldering brilliant... "--The Boston Globe
"The best graphic novel of the year... One of the most stunning graphic novels yet published."--Time
"Black Hole is Burns's masterwork."--The New York Times Book Review
"Surreal and unnerving... A remarkable work."--Chicago Sun-Times
January, 2010The Gentling Box (Horror), Lisa Mannetti
Winner of the Bram Stoker Award for best first novel of 2008. The author is hoping to attend the chat.
February, 2010
The Courtesan's Secret (Regency Romance), Claudia Dain
"Clever, smart, fresh, and passionate, this lively romp is the latest addition to Dain’s Courtesan series (The Courtesan’s Daughter); readers will find it as delightfully entertaining as the last." - Library Journal
The author is hoping to attend the chat.
March, 2010Dangerous Laughter (Short Story Collection), Steven Millhauser
Millhauser won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. This collection was named one of the ten best books of 2008 by The New Yorker.
April, 2010
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (Nonfiction), Anne FadimanThe book was winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for general nonfiction, 1997.
The author hopes to attend the chat.
Sorry. Because taking book suggestions from the Evil Minions would result in a veritable flood, you are stuck with EE's choices.
17 comments:
What is the queasy factor of DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY? I've read both factual and fictional accounts of this before (including Robert Bloch's AMERICAN GOTHIC and Schechter's book) and prefer to avoid anything that dwells on the gory aspects. I am too prone to nightmares.
Query: What author, relatively unknown by his own name but famous under another pseudonym, also wrote as "H.H. Holmes"? (No fair looking it up!)
If we don't want to read TWILIGHT, can we substitute another book with the same cover?
http://tinyurl.com/2c54r9
(courtesy of the Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Books blog)
and prefer to avoid anything that dwells on the gory aspects.
Having read none of the books, I can only say that the books you've read were not nominated for the National Book Award, and that this is a history book. It sounds like you'd be pleased to read the first customer review at Amazon, which states:
It would appear that Larson goes a bit too far out of his way to avoid the lurid and sensationalitic aspects of Holmes' killing spree. One has only to visit some of the numerous web sites devoted to Holmes to see that Larson is particularly reticent to discuss Holmes' sexual deviance. This is understandable, as Larson wants to be taken seriously as an historian, yet the facts are out there (most of them well documented) so it wouldn't have hurt to have included a bit more of the darker details.
Thanks. I think that QPB might still have it, and I probably have enough points to get it for free.
Hit the book store tonight and Homicide My Own is out of print. Hopefully I'll find it elsewhere.
I won't get Perfect Circle for a week, so I'm also hoping March means sometime well into the month and not near the first. Do you know about when these discussions will take place?
They'll all be near the end of the month.
I've ordered Homicide my Own from Amazon.com.
BAMM.com has it too. There is a sequel out; two reviewers at Mystery Guild think it's awful, but it's well-rated at amazon.com.
For what any of that is worth.
OK- I'm on Amazon right now - ordering the first two, and checking your list.
I see you've been moving on through the rest of the months - this is great- thanks so much for doing this. It's a whole different ball'a wax - having a book club with an editor at its center.
A hearty agreement with evil's selections!! And ++ good on the first go.
I just read Homicide My Own twice. In one sitting. Thanks for recommending it. (I got it from the library.) It's hard to believe this was a first novel.
Do we have a date for May yet? I'm home all week so should be able to make this one!
Thursday, 29th, 6PM eastern.
So, what's September's book?
To save other people the hassle, for some reason amazon.co.uk has issues with October's book. I couldn't find it by searching World Enough and Time and the author's name, or just the author's name etc ...
Finally, it turned out that searching on this specifically:
World Enough and Time (Voices of the South)
brings up the book, which is available used.
Cold Moon Rising (paranormal romance/urban fantasy) C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp
Is this the auction winner? Still showing as pre-order only on Amazon.co.uk. Do we have a date for release?
That's the book, release date August 4.
Another possible list for next summer :
‘PW’ Unveils Top Titles of 2009 - 10/28/2009 7:45:00 AM - Publishers Weekly
The top picks of the year; which include both fiction and nonfiction titles, are: The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes (Pantheon); Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon (Ballantine); Big Machine by Victor LaValle (Spiegel & Grau); Cheever by Blake Bailey (Knopf); A Fiery Peace in a Cold War by Neil Sheehan (Random); In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin (Norton); Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi by Geoff Dyer (Pantheon); Lost City of Z by David Grann (Doubleday); Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B. Crawford (Penguin Press); and Stitches by David Small (Norton).
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