Updates and Giveaway Winners!

So, what's going on here at Staffer's Book Review (and occasional musings)? Regular visitors may notice that I've substantially changed the way the blog looks. Specifically, I've changed the name of the blog because it sounds more like what it is, a book review blog. It's also brought about a new character here on the blog courtesy of an idea from Rob at Rob's Blog o' Stuff (he's waving hello in the banner).

In other news, I've got another giveaway coming up next week of Tobias Buckell's new novel Arctic Rising. I'll also have a review of the novel up, and a piece I wrote taking a look at him as an author and a dude. There's going to be an interview with Elspeth Cooper, author of Songs of the Earth, next week as well.  Furthermore, I promise to try to do something that'll piss people off.

Have a great weekend!

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Last week's giveaway of five copies of Robert Jackson Bennett's The Troupe ended last night. Congratulations to the winner below. The books will go out on Monday.

Rob from Kent, UK

Ryan from Colorado, USA

Eric from Kentucky, USA

Ken from Arizona, USA

Sherryl from Panay City, Philippines

Happy Thanksgiving, What's Coming, and a Giveaway Winner

Hey everyone, Happy Thanksgiving!  If you don't live in the States, umm... happy late November!  I'm posting this on Wednesday because I'm not going to be anywhere near a computer tomorrow.  Instead, I'll be stuffing my face and watching football.

So, the year is almost over and that means it's time for the 'Best of 2011' lists to start trickling out.  We've already seen some of the major review groups (Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, etc.) put out their lists, and the Goodreads fan vote is ongoing.  This year I'm planning on doing a series of awards.  I'm going to call them the Juice Boxes.  See if you can keep up here... so there are the Hugos.  My name is Justin.  Put those two words together and you get Jugos.  Jugo in Spanish means Juice.  The Juice Awards sounds like something O.J. Simpson would bestow on someone, so I added the box.  After all, who doesn't like Juice Boxes?

I'm going to be doing a short list (5) for each of the book awards and then just pick a winner in the industry categories.  I'll be doing a separate post for each category with a goal of having them all done before Christmas (we'll see).  My award categories are as follows:

Best eBook Press
Editor of the Year
Cover of the Year
Best Book I Read This Year Not Published in 2011
Most Disappointing Book (2011)
Debut of the Year (2011)
Book of the Year (2011)

I reserve the right to add nonsense awards at any time.  I'll probably also be doing a 'summary' post breaking down the 'stats' of this years collection of reading.  Stay tuned!

                                        

I am pleased to announced the winner of my most recent giveaway of Jon Sprunk's Shadow's Son and Shadow's Lure courtesy of the fine folks at Pyr:

Tim Lewis, OR

Congrats Tim!  They should be winging their way into your home, or heart, or hearth very soon.

Going to the Fair and Giveaway Winners Announced

I went to the National Book Festival this weekend.  It's a pretty impressive event and something I suggest to everyone who meets the following criteria: likes historical or biographical non-fiction, has children, and doesn't mind crowds.  The Mall was set up with a tent for each section - Fiction & Mystery, Graphic Novels, Poetry & Prose, Contemporary Life, et. al.  Making up the largest part of the event was a robust Childrens section.  Penguin Books, Scholastic, and PBS Kids all had a huge presence   It was great to see so many kids out at a reading event or maybe more importantly so many parents bringing their kids to it.

Yes, this is a terrible picture of the

Fiction & Mystery tent. Heavy on the

old people.

Unfortunately, the only adult genre writer in attendance was Neal Stephenson (although there was a few more among the young adult crowd).  I picked up a copy of his new novel Reamde intending to get it signed and giveaway on the blog.  But, I couldn't justify leaving my wife and daughter to go wait in line.  I'm still probably going to give the book away though - I'm not storing this monster at my house.

As a side note, if you have plans to visit the District of Columbia in the next few weeks, I'd suggest waiting.  The Mall now looks like someone roto-tilled it and then sowed it with turds.  Just saying...

More important than my "zany" weekend (overstatement of the year), I have the result of my first giveaway - two signed copies of T.C. McCarthy's debut novel Germline are on their way to:

Richard Auffrey, Stoneham, MA

Nicole Osier, Ironwood, MI 

I have to admit I was hoping this would go to some international folks since so many giveaways are US/UK restricted.  Alas, the random number generator of doom has it in for my readers from South Africa, Australia, and exotic Canada.  There's always next time.  Maybe we'll make the next one international only - if your face America!