Happy Thursday everyone! It’s officially ‘curl up next to the fire with a good book’ season here in the northern hemisphere, and with some people lucky enough to have time off of school or work for the holiday season, they’ll need some books to read.
I’d love everyone to give a recommendation (or two, or three) of the next book people should read and why! Make sure to include author and genre so people know what they’re getting into! This won’t be the last time I do one of these book rec type questions, so don’t worry if you can’t fit all your favorites in this time.
All you have to do is reblog, comment, or send an ask with your book recommendations! Anyone and everyone is free to participate.
Ooo! I can’t wait to go through the other notes and get some more books to read (as if I need more books to read)!
I would recommend basically anything by Robin Hobb. Her Realm of the Elderlings books are fantasy at its finest. To start at the beginning, you read the Farseer Trilogy which starts with Assassin’s Apprentice. It’s the story of an individual, but also of dragons and prophets and people and relationships and love. There are a lot of books in that universe now (I think 16?) but nine are my favorites: a trilogy of trilogies about Fitzchivalry Farseer.
I also highly highly recommend Kate Elliot’s Crossroads Trilogy, which starts with Spirit Gate. I picked the first two books up randomly from a used bookstore and suffered before getting my hands on the third and finally finishing reading the trilogy. (I tell you so you won’t make my mistake.) The world Elliott builds is strange and beautiful and vast but the stories are personal and human. And there are giant eagles. (Thank me later.)
^ Is it really a roadtrip if you fly there? just sayin’
Organised by online travel company Contiki the tour covers Germany, Italy, France and England and features a variety of challenges and tasks for the YouTubers to complete on the way.
Along for the ride are Meghan Camarena (strawburry17), Charles and Alli Trippy, Charlie McDonnell, Michael Aranda, Bryarly Bishop, Jimmy Wong, Kate Elliott (katersoneseven), Jack Douglass, Jesse and Jeana (bfvsgf), Corey Vidal, Nadine Sykora and host Tim Deegan.
The whole shebang kicked off on Saturday with the YouTubers having flown in to Munich, Germany the previous day.
Gatherings
The first of three planned gatherings took place at Kultfabrik, a veritable hive of pubs, clubs and bars described as “Europe’s biggest party zone”.
However, despite it’s reputation (and unlike a certain Hyde Park gathering we all know about) it was reportedly “totally chilled out and awesome” and attendees got to talk to their favourite YouTubers without fear of being impaled on anything.
The other two are due to take place in Paris and London on the 13th and 14th of October respectively.
^ Munich Gathering
Competition & Voting
The tour will be splitting up into three groups to compete for prizes that they will then be giving away to their subscribers.
The challenges will be spread across the cities of Munich, Venice and Paris with the YouTubers racing through the streets of Venice, taking to the stage at Oktoberfest and showing off their video creation skillz at the Paris film festival.
Those stuck at home can win a trip of their own by registering to vote at the Contiki roadtrip site.
^ Meghan Camarena and Jimmy Wong gearing up for the Octoberfest challenge this afternoon
Contiki isn’t the first business to utilise the powerful audiences of YouTubers to gain access to their target domographic -in this case 18-35 year olds positively heaving with wanderlust- but it may well turn out to be the best attempt so far.
Instead of cynically trying to use idols to push products Contiki is selling adventure itself.
Something we could all probably use a little more of.
I know I haven’t been active on tumblr for a while, for which I am very sorry. I’m just so busy working that I have cut back my social media presence (you can find me on Twitter, and intermittently on FB).
But if any of you are attending SDCC this year, I will be there and I would love to meet you. Also: free books!
Here’s my schedule for Friday 22 July:
10 am – 11 am: Panel: Love in the Time of YA Room 32AB
(Mary Pearson, Kami Garcia, Andrea Cremer, Brenna Yovanoff, Amy Tintera, Alexandra Bracken, Kate Elliott)
12 pm – 1 pm: Signing (with all the above mentioned panelists): AA 09
1:30 – 2:15: Signing at Orbit Books booth #1116 (giveaway of copies of Cold Magic & Black Wolves)
BONUS:
On Thursday from 6 pm, at the Little, Brown Books for Young Readers booth #1116, they’ll be giving away copies of Poisoned Blade.
In honor of the last tiny bit of the 10th anniversary year of the publication of COLD MAGIC, a small end of the year gift to my Spiritwalker readers, up at @booksmugglers
This heartwarming G-rated coda story to the trilogy accompanies an illustration by @KelseyLegit
Please share widely! Trying to reach all Cold Magic readers!
In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews calls the novel
“a maelstrom of palace intrigue, interstellar back-stabbing, devious plots, treachery, blistering action, ferocious confrontations—and a heroine for the ages, tough, resourceful, loyal, intelligent, honorable, courageous, and utterly indomitable. Enthralling, edge-of-your-seat stuff hurtling along at warp speed. Grab!”
Publishers Weekly also gives Sun a starred review, describing it as an “impeccable coming-of-age adventure” “rich with history, tongue-in-cheek humor, cultural references, and vibrant characters.”
Out today (Oct 10, 2017): THE BOOK OF SWORDS (ed by Gardner Dozois), an anthology of epic fantasy stories.
My story “’I Am A Handsome Man,’ Said Apollo Crow” is set in the Spiritwalker universe. It stands alone (no need to have read the Spiritwalker trilogy (Cold Magic, etc). However those who have read the trilogy will recognize some familiar faces.
“Magic and religion, patriarchy versus matriarchy, hierarchical versus decentralized government; these themes are all seamlessly integrated into the action-packed plot.High-fantasy series rarely attract serious literary scrutiny, yet when done well—as here—no genre is better fitted to trace the threads of history from past to present and explore the fascinating patterns they weave.“
I’m thrilled to get this starred review from Kirkus for Buried Heart, a book I’m really proud of (and the whole Court of Fives trilogy as well). You can read the whole review here but the rest of it is full of spoilers so your mileage may vary.
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