While I lick my wounds and hang my head at not making the shortlist for this year's Relit Award - side note: I'm tired of being unappreciated in my lifetime - I thought I'd better present the next chapter in my ongoing series on the book-reading habits of people who interest me.
Today's participant: Canadian novelist (Flyboy Action Figure Comes With Gasmask, An Opening Act of Unspeakable Evil) and darling of the independent publishing world Jim Munroe.
Jim's Bio:
Jim's summer readings:
Jim is also a heckuva nice guy, and his site is filled with useful info on all aspects of getting your book published with minimal outside help. And if you haven't read Flyboy yet, shame on you.Jim Munroe, 35, is a “pop culture provocateur” according to the Austin Chronicle, and Time Out Chicago dubbed him an “independent press icon”. After leaving HarperCollins for political reasons, he founded No Media Kings and published five books, the most recent one a post-Rapture graphic novel called Therefore Repent! He also started The Perpetual Motion Roadshow, an indie touring circuit that sent 100 artists on the road between 2003-2007, and currently he is running the Artsy Games Incubator, a writer’s-circle style group helping creators without programming skills make videogames. He lives in Toronto with a crafty ladyscientist and their bafflingly attractive baby.
Jim's summer readings:
Two books I heard about at Wiscon that I've just started:
Wit's End, Karen Joy Fowler
One of the main characters is a mystery writer, and I'm interested in the genre -- and esp. Fowler's take on it as she's a genre-jumper.
Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly
This came up during one of the panels about parenting and SF/fantasy, about a couple who're asked to kill a dragon. While it's got a dead-boring by the numbers cover, the first chapter has got a nice balance of realistic character and world detail, defusing the myths of yore without an obvious satiric approach.
4 comments:
I don't know where else to leave this comment, so here it is.
Just finished the Shelf Monkey. Loved it. Loooooooved it. My only complaint was that it was over too quickly. I think some of those guys work in my bookstore. There's this guy who owns an independent bookstore downtown, who i could totally picture around that fire, tossing Danielle Steele into the flames. Totally believable characters, nice pacing, excellent writing. You wuz robbed, from that shortlist. (there, now my comment has relevance to your posting.)
Who i'm reading this summer? just about to crack open Robert Wiersema.... and the title's just left my head... there is it. thank god for google. "Before I Wake".
I actually have an imposing pile on my beside stand, that's kind of overwhelming me a little.
Monica
Right now, I'm almost finished Lauren Groff's The Monsters of Templeton, and cannot recommend it highly enough. What an imagination. Then, I'll start Rawi Hage's Cockroach, and then Will Self's The Book of Dave.
Glad you enjoyed Shelf Monkey. Remember, every time you recommend it to someone else, an angel earns its wings.
Awww, Corey. now you've gone and done it. consider it recommended to everyone i know. (do they have to finish it, in order for the angels to get they wings?)
Monica
No, they don't have to finish it. It's the ka-ching of the cash register that does it.
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