SciFiChick.com

I read a total of 144 books in 2008, a few less than last year actually. I blame it on adopting Lois Lane.

The number breakdown:

59 authors never read before.
130 scifi/fantasy novels or graphic novels read.
35 were young adult or children’s books.
91 book reviews written.

8 movies received in 2008.
315 books received in 2008.

127 titles received from Penguin Books (ACE, ROC, DAW, etc).
48 titles received from Pocket Books.
39 titles received from Hachette Books (Orbit).
22 titles received from Gold Eagle/Harlequin.
12 titles received from Abaddon Books.
11 titles received from Random House.
9 titles received from HarperCollins.
8 titles received from Mirrorstone Books.
7 titles received from Solaris Books.
6 titles received from Shadow Mountain Publishing.
4 titles received from IDW.
3 titles received from Tor/Forge.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

Press Release from Orbit Books:
Introducing the One Dollar Ebook from Orbit!

Orbit – in partnership with a number of major ebook vendors – has launched an innovative promotion offering one ebook for sale each month at the introductory price of $1.00. At the end of the promotional month the cost of the ebook returns to its standard price and a new book will be offered at the discount. Details of the promotion are at http://www.onedollarorbit.com

The promotion will include The Way of Shadows by debut author Brent Weeks, Empress by Karen Miller, as well as classics of science fiction such as Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks.

VP and Publisher of Orbit Tim Holman said: “We believe that this promotion will give readers a great opportunity to discover new writers. Most of our consumer marketing has an online focus, and the digital marketplace offers the perfect platform for price-promotion initiatives such as this. It will be very exciting to see how effective it is. The range of titles chosen for the promotion includes a mix of frontlist and backlist, from both new and established authors, and we will be monitoring the performance of every title very closely.”

A list of titles that will be available at the discount price can be found at http://www.onedollarorbit.com

Sorry about the down time.
It was a combination of transferring my domain name and mixing up a password.

But we’re back and all is fine!

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn, by Alison Goodman

Eon is a candidate for the next Dragoneye, but he has a couple things working against him. First, he is a cripple, from an accident he can’t remember. And the other is that Eon is actually Eona, a girl. But females aren’t allowed to be dragoneyes, so she is forced to hide herself as Eon. A secret, that if found out, could kill her.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

Ender in Exile, by Orson Scott Card, is a sequel to Ender’s Game.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

Courtesy of mPRm and Universal Studios, I received a review copy of Death Race on DVD.

In the near-future, prisons have begun airing live and lethal car races where inmates compete in hopes of eventually winning their freedom. When Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) is framed and convicted of killing his wife, he finds himself asked to participate in the death race. And he reluctantly agrees in hopes of seeing his daughter again.

Jason Statham already has a presence as an action hero, and he does a fantastic job as the tortured yet ruthless Ames. He’s determined to escape and get his daughter back, but not before exacting revenge on those that killed his wife and put him in prison. The supporting cast was equally dark and disturbing. Highlights were Joan Allen as the evil Warden Hennessey and Tyrese Gibson as Machine Gun Joe Mason.

Of course, this movie being called “Death Race” the movie revolves around car races to the death. And this is where most of the action lies. It’s non-stop, cringe-worthy action and violence that lives up to its name.

The plot may be a bit weak with over-the-top violence, but the suspense kept me thoroughly absorbed. I enjoyed this one much more than I thought I would.