I’m not a big pre-orderer of books. Mostly that’s because I don’t pay enough attention to know what is coming out in the future. Also, a lot of my auto-buy authors have been fairly quiet lately.
Here’s what I am looking forward to enough to have put some money down.
Releasing October 2, 2018
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Skaife
“The ravens at the Tower of London are of mighty importance: rumor has it that if a raven from the Tower should ever leave, the city will fall.
The title of Ravenmaster, therefore, is a serious title indeed, and after decades of serving the Queen, Yeoman Warder Christopher Skaife took on the added responsibility of caring for the infamous ravens. In The Ravenmaster, he lets us in on his life as he feeds his birds raw meat and biscuits soaked in blood, buys their food at Smithfield Market, and ensures that these unusual, misunderstood, and utterly brilliant corvids are healthy, happy, and ready to captivate the four million tourists who flock to the Tower every year.
A rewarding, intimate, and inspiring partnership has developed between the ravens and their charismatic and charming human, the Ravenmaster, who shares the folklore, history, and superstitions surrounding the ravens and the Tower. Shining a light on the behavior of the birds, their pecking order and social structure, and the tricks they play on us, Skaife shows who the Tower’s true guardians really are―and the result is a compelling and irreverent narrative that will surprise and enchant.“
I follow him on Twitter so of course I need to read his book.
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography by Eric Idle
“We know him best for his unforgettable roles on Monty Python–from the Flying Circus to The Meaning of Life. Now, Eric Idle reflects on the meaning of his own life in this entertaining memoir that takes us on an unforgettable journey from his childhood in an austere boarding school through his successful career in comedy, television, theater, and film. Coming of age as a writer and comedian during the Sixties and Seventies, Eric stumbled into the crossroads of the cultural revolution and found himself rubbing shoulders with the likes of George Harrison, David Bowie, and Robin Williams, all of whom became dear lifelong friends. With anecdotes sprinkled throughout involving other close friends and luminaries such as Mike Nichols, Mick Jagger, Steve Martin, Paul Simon, Lorne Michaels, and many more, as well as the Pythons themselves, Eric captures a time of tremendous creative output with equal parts hilarity and heart. In Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, named for the song he wrote for Life of Brian (the film which he originally gave the irreverent title Jesus Christ: Lust for Glory) and that has since become the number one song played at funerals in the UK, he shares the highlights of his life and career with the kind of offbeat humor that has delighted audiences for five decades. The year 2019 marks the fiftieth anniversary of The Pythons, and Eric is marking the occasion with this hilarious memoir chock full of behind-the-scenes stories from a high-flying life featuring everyone from Princess Leia to Queen Elizabeth.”
He’s always been my favorite. This comes out on the same day but I ordered this from Audible so that fine.
Releasing November 15, 2018
A Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian
“It’s the story of a publisher who wants nothing more than to print her scandalous novels and maybe keep her seditionist pamphleteer brother out of prison. She accidentally winds up falling in love with a handsome illustrator who is extremely cranky to discover he’s the heir to a dukedom. Yes, this is an actual m/f romance.”
I love Cat Sebastian books so I automatically order the next in the series
Releasing February 19, 2019
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlà Clark
“The Haunting of Tram Car 015 returns to the alternate Cairo of Clark’s short fiction, where humans live and work alongside otherworldly beings; the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities handles the issues that can arise between the magical and the mundane. Senior Agent Hamed al-Nasr shows his new partner Agent Onsi the ropes of investigation when they are called to subdue a dangerous, possessed tram car. What starts off as a simple matter of exorcism, however, becomes more complicated as the origins of the demon inside are revealed.”
Tor is the only publisher that I pay attention to. It seems like whenever a book sounds really original it comes from them. I loved this description.
Releasing March 19, 2019
“Rebellions are built on hope.
Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.
With the help of newly made friends also trapped within the internment camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and an unexpected alliance, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the internment camp’s Director and his guards.
Heart-racing and emotional, Internment challenges readers to fight complicit silence that exists in our society today.”
I feel like this will be a big-news book but I just heard of it now in the same tweet thread as the last book. My pre-ordering brain was already on so I got this one too.
