Haikasoru - Viz Media

 Yesterday whilst browsing the shelves at work I noticed that we had a copy of  Battle Royale: The Novel on the shelves with a shiny new cover.
Now I am a bit of a magpie when it comes to book covers, shiny and catches my eye and I'm there with my wallet. Now sometimes this allows me to find spectacular authors whom I haven't tried before and other times well let's just say not everything that glitters is gold.
I already own this book so for once didn't part with my cash, however when I got home I jumped on the computer and headed over to the site to see what other delights were on offer.

What is Haikasoru?

Space Opera. Dark Fantasy. Hard Science.

With a small, elite list of award-winners, classics, and new work by the hottest young writers, Haikasoru is the first imprint dedicated to bringing Japanese science fiction to America and beyond. Featuring the action of anime and the thoughtfulness of the best speculative fiction, Haikasoru aims to truly be the “high castle” of science fiction and fantasy.

Now it turns out I've already read another book from this imprint, Zoo by Otsuichi which I thoroughly enjoyed. It is a collection of short stories that are like dark, horiffic fairytales. The stories themselves range from speculative fiction to the horror genre and are all completly engrossing. Each one is emotional and haunting and rather than spoil any of them my advice to you is buy this book you won't be disappointed.

That being said what do we have to look forward to from this imprint. Well, coming soon are three that I know I will definitely be buying and they are:

Yukikaze

by Chōhei Kambayashi

More than thirty years ago a hyper-dimensional passageway suddenly appeared... the first stage of an attempted invasion by an enigmatic alien host. Humanity managed to push the invaders back through the passageway to the strange planet nicknamed "Faery." Now, Second Lieutenant Rei Fukai carries out his missions in the skies over Faery. His only constant companion in this lonely task is his fighter plane, the sentient FFR-31 Super Sylph, call sign: YUKIKAZE.

Available January 19, 2010

The Book of Heroes

by Miyuki Miyabe

When her brother Hiroki disappears after a violent altercation with school bullies, Yuriko finds a magical book in his room. The book leads her to another world where she learns that Hiroki has been possessed by a spirit from The Book of Heroes, and that every story ever told has some truth to it and some horrible lie. With the help of the monk Sky, the dictionary-turned-mouse Aju, and the mysterious Man of Ash, Yuriko has to piece together the mystery of her vanished brother and save the world from the evil King in Yellow.

Available January 19, 2010


 

Brave Story

by Miyuki Miyabe

Alone after his father his hospitalized and his mother attempts suicide, Wataru Mitani ventures from the real world to the land of Vision, where he seeks five magical gemstones representing the qualities of charity, bravery, faith, grace, and the power of light and darkness. With these, perhaps Watari can change his fate and bring his family together again.

Available Now
Winner of the 2008 Batchelder Award

Of these the one that I am most looking forward to is The Book of Heroes and yes it probably is because it is the cover I like most!

Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2010 shortlist announced

Firstly I'm a little bit late putting this post up as the list was announced last week, but as this is fairly important in the UK children's market I decided better late than never.

The shortlist for the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2010 has been announced, with stories about dead hamsters, medieval monks and sorcerers in the running for one of the most valuable and prestigious children's book awards in the country.
"Horror and the supernatural often dominate children's fiction but this year we're seeing that balanced with serious, believable stories proving that sometimes real-life drama hits closest to home," said Sarah Clarke, Children's Buying Manager at Waterstone's.

Final judging is underway, and the winner will be announced on Wednesday 10th February.

The full shortlist:
1. Flyaway by Lucy Christopher (Chicken House)

2. The Great Hamster Massacre by Katie Davies (Simon & Schuster)

3. The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester (Macmillan)

4. Seven Sorcerers by Caro King (Quercus)

5. Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur (Puffin)

6. The Toymaker by Jeremy de Quidt (David Fickling Books)

7. Desperate Measures by Laura Summers (Piccadilly Press)

8. Superhuman: Meteorite Strike by A.G Taylor (Usborne)

9. The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh (Chicken House)

All the links will take you directly to the product page on Waterstones.

There is a really good mix of titles in this list with quite varied subject matter which can only be a good thing.
I'm halfway through The Crowfield Curse at the moment and should have a review up by the weekend.

Apologies and Bree Despain

I have completely failed at keeping on top of my life this week and as a result have managed to do nothing that I intended to on the blog.
However the reviews for The Left Hand of God and The City & The City should be ready to be put up late on tomorrow evening... Fingers crossed.
However quick bit of news, Bree Despain author of The Dark Divine which has just been published in the US and is on my YA Debut list to be read and reviewed when I get my grubby little fingers on it, has celebrated her birthday this week and is running a competition on her site, you'll need to be quick though as it finishes on Saturday, January 16th at 11:59pm. To enter click here.

Author Chat - Richelle Mead

Join author Richelle Mead, author of the Vampire Academy books, for a chat at the Watercooler on Thursday, January 7th at 8 PM EST.
Now, unfortunately for those of us in the UK that means 1am (Thurs night/Fri morning) which means that it is highly unlikely that my darling daughter is getting to stay up and chat to one of her favourite authors!
If you don't have an evil mum or are a "big person" who sets their own bedtime sign up here.

Forthcoming Reviews

Okay, let's get started I am currently reading the following, which I hope to have reviews done for by the end of the week, completely ignoring the planned blog schedule. Ahh the best laid plans of mice and men.

The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman

Format : Hardback
ISBN: 9780718155186
Size : 153 x 234mm
Pages : 448
Published : 07 Jan 2010
Publisher : Michael Joseph

» Read the opening of The Left Hand of God by downloading the Penguin Taster here


Also being read is The City & The City by China Mieville

Format : Paperback
ISBN: 9780330493109
Size : 197 x 130mm
Pages : 384
Published : 01 Jan 2010
Publisher : Pan

Which for some unknown reason kept getting shuffled about in the to be read pile of doom! However this has to be rectified and as the book has just been released in paperback this is the ideal time.

Temple Library Reviews Comic Book Appreciation month!

On my travels around the internet yesterday I discovered that Harry Markov over a Temple Library Reviews is having a comic book month.
Now anyone who says they don't like comics is, in my humble opinion a philistine! Only kidding, each to their own.
So if like me, you have at least a passing interest in the subject then head on over it looks like it is going to be a fun month, with a very busy schedule.
Along with that Doug over at SciFiGuy.ca has his usual fantastically useful and there goes all the cash in my bank account list up. Urban Fantasy, Paranormal and SFF Book Releases for January 2010 go look you'll see what I mean.
Continuing that theme Natasha at Writings Of A Wicked Book Addict also has her list up which can be found here.
Orbit US also have their Spring/Summer 2010 list up here, but still nothing about Orbit UK so I just have to sit and wait like a good girl.

New Year, New Decade, New Goals

Okay so last year I fully intended on getting this blog up and running but somehow always managed to get sidetracked by other things.
So this year I have decided I need to be far more structured in my approach.
Now obviously working in a bookshop I read a lot and I do mean a lot! So reviewing my reading habits was supposed to help me keep track of what I'd read and enjoyed. Plainly this just didn't happen.
Now for work I am very good about doing in-store reviews and theme of the month choices and obviously what would make sense is to put these up on the blog, I've done the work already and life should be much easier that way.

So going forward the plan is this;

• Monday - Roundup of the previous weeks bestsellers in the shop.

• Tuesday - New releases this week.

• Wednesday - In depth review.

• Thursday- News and views from around the net.

• Friday - Review of one of the themed books.

• Saturday - mini review.

• Sunday - tbc (possibly a day off)

On top of that I will try and give a quick rundown of what is due to be published over the next month on the last weekend of each month.

Pheww......