SFF Hot from Printers: New Releases discussion

Bearing in mind that by April we'll know Nebula nominees I suggest for April to read one Nebula nominee (unless the unlikely scenario that we'll manage to read all before) and one fresh 2020 book, so to start getting ready for the next year.

Any suggestions/ideas/alternatives?

Your idea sounds great. Starting to add 2020 books early will be good. Also, last year, about March or so, Tor put a bbunch of their 2019s on sale, so I will keep looking for them to do it again

Sounds good to me

I suppose I'm the dissenting voice so far. Maybe it's a difference in idea about the nature of the group ("new releases" vs. "reading in time for award participation").

Since we are actually voting on the Hugos, I would like to focus on the nominated novels until we've covered the whole list. Which means reading through the Nebula shortlist ASAP would be a priority for me. The Hugo shortlist will be released early in April so could be used to nominate for May.

I do think if the group is doing 2 novels at from the shortlists, given that we've already read some that are likely to populate both lists, this would probably be done by June, leaving the whole second half of the year to focus on 2020 releases.

Kalin wrote: "Which means reading through the Nebula shortlist ASAP would be a priority for me. The Hugo shortlist will be released early in April so could be used to nominate for May."

The priority of nomination process is exactly the reason we plan to add another book to monthly reads in March, when Nebula is out on Feb 20th. Here I'm speaking about April noms, i.e. after Mar 13th deadline for Hugo noms.

I agree that if Hugo nom list will have novels unread by us we ought to nom them for May

I have at least one 2020 book to read in April (The City We Became) so I am planning to nominate that one.

So, lets start nominating for April. The following rules apply:

- each member can nominate up to two books
- one nomination should be foe 2018-2019 book and one for 2020 book. For 2018 books that were nominated for something are preferred. All books should be of SFF genre
- nomination ends March 7th

I'd like to nominate Blackfish City (published 2018; it's the only Nebula best novel nominee from that year I haven't read yet) and The Unspoken Name (published Feb 2020).

I would read Blackfish City... I believe some of the H&N nominees group read it last spring though.

I really want to read The Quantum Garden by Derek Künsken, which is a 2019 release. The problem is it's a sequel, and I don't think any of you read the first (which I really recommend). But if there's a way I can nominate this, I'd like to.

I just received an ARC for The City We Became, so that's probably going to get my vote for 2020, but Silvana is nominating that one.

Kalin wrote: "I would read Blackfish City... I believe some of the H&N nominees group read it last spring though."

Ooh, thanks for the heads-up. I will think about whether there is another book from 2019 that I would like to nominate instead.

I just added The Quantum Magician to my TBR, so maybe I will be able to read it by April!

I read Blackfish City last year, I am sure

Kalin wrote: "I really want to read The Quantum Garden by Derek Künsken, whic..."

The first one, The Quantum Magician was published in 2018 and was Locus Award Nominee for First Novel (2019), Prix Aurora Award Nominee for Best Novel (English) (2019), so can be nominated. And if a lot of members like it, they can BR the second

Kaa wrote: "I'd like to nominate Blackfish City (published 2018; ."

Here is non-spoiler discussion https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Are novellas eligible?

I vote that novellas are eligible. Anybody else?

Ok, novellas are eligible

In that case I nominate This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal el-Mohtar and Max Gladstone.

Oleksandr wrote: "Ok, novellas are eligible"

Great, then I nominate Finna by Nino Cipri, cause this is the only 2020 release that comes to my mind.

I nominate The Sun Down Motel

Oleksandr wrote: "
The first one, The Quantum Magician was published in 2018 and was Locus Award Nominee for First Novel (2019), Prix Aurora Award Nominee for Best Novel (English) (2019), so can be nominated. And if a lot of members like it, they can BR the second "

Alrighty, I nominate The Quantum Magician!

Oleksandr wrote: "Kaa wrote: "I'd like to nominate Blackfish City (published 2018; ."

Here is non-spoiler discussion https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/..."

Thanks! Guess that's my cue to go join that group as well. I am removing Blackfish City from nomination here.

@Kaa, I joined the other group after they read Blackfish City, so I'm definitely still down to read it. It's sitting over there on my shelf lonely and unread...

Kalin wrote: "@Kaa, I joined the other group after they read Blackfish City, so I'm definitely still down to read it. It's sitting over there on my shelf lonely and unread..."

Sounds great! How soon were you thinking of reading it?

The last call for nominations. The poll will be set tomorrow

So I nominated The Quantum Magician (2018) but I have no 2020 nom, I'm not ready for 2020 books yet.

Can I nominate Lent (2019) by Jo Walton?

Kalin wrote: "Can I nominate Lent (2019) by Jo Walton?"

You cannot, one nomination per category. However, I can and I do nominate it because Jo Walton is one of the great but underappreciated SFF authors

The polls are up!

I nominated This Is How You Lose the Time War for the 18-19 poll, but it doesn't seem to be included.

Antti wrote: "I nominated This Is How You Lose the Time War for the 18-19 poll, but it doesn't seem to be included."

Sorry, missed, I'l add it

Added April reads:

Lent by Jo Walton
and
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

Do we want to read the "new" Heinlein. The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

I mean, obviously not this next month, but I plan on rereading The Number of the Beast first anyway . . .

Kateblue wrote: "I mean, obviously not this next month, but I plan on rereading The Number of the Beast first anyway . . ."

I'm in re-reading this one and then the new one in April I guess. I don't have high hopes for it, it from the period of his rumbling and grumbling, but, hey, it's RAH!

Exactly! Everybody needs an editor, which is what I think is the problem with RAH's later work

Buddy read of The Number of the Beast and then The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes? Just wondering . . .

Kateblue wrote: "Buddy read of The Number of the Beast and then [book:The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Paral..."

Yes! I'll even start tomorrow for the book is big

OK, I have at least one book I have to finish first (really two, but I can push the second back)==I haven't even started it.

So it will be second on my list.