This is both charming and gorgeous. Two teenagers sent a Lego Man into space! Check out the stunning video.
Oooh! Watch This!
January 25th, 2012Loving the Process
January 24th, 2012Regular customers will know that we’re putting a third floor onto our building. At least, we’re trying to. Turns out the construction process is a steeplechase lined with hidden delays. Like, for instance, the giant wire that crosses through our construction zone.
Hydro took three weeks to inform us that the line belongs to Bell. Bell took six weeks to inform us that the line actually belongs to Rogers. Rogers took only thirty minutes to get a technician here (!)… to inform us that the problem will be referred to another department that may or may not get back to us within three weeks.
Sigh. Did I say steeplechase? I meant freeze tag.
Alyxandra Harvey
January 20th, 2012Canadian author Alyx Harvey, author of the Drake Chronicles, is coming for a visit. Please join us at 3pm tomorrow as we celebrate the launch of her new collection, Briar Rose (And Other Fairy Tales Darkly Revisited). That’s right here at the store at 3pm tomorrow, Saturday Jan 21st.
Fairy tales; fancy cookies; a fun place to come in out of the cold: what more could you ask of a Saturday in January?
This Just In!
January 18th, 2012Mass Market
Book of Joby, Mark J. Ferrari
All the Lives He Led, Frederick Pohl
Hardcover
In the Lion’s Mouth, Michael Flynn
Shadows in Flight, Orson Scott Card
Rook, Daniel O’Malley
Trade Paperback
Dark Victory, Michele Lang
Home Fires, Gene Wolfe
Horizon, Sophie Littlefield
Timelink vol. 1 &2, John Preddle
MM9, Hiroshi Yamamoto
Briar Rose, Alyxandra Harvey
You Know What Would Be Cool?
January 13th, 2012If it snowed without raining immediately before or after. It would certainly be novel. And, speaking as the person who has to shovel the sidewalk, it would certainly be appreciated.
So Hungry
January 10th, 2012For those of you who don’t know, we’re right next door to Splendido, one of Toronto’s finest restaurants. They often smoke and/or barbeque during the day. Given our proximity, the smell is… deliciously distracting.
New Year, New Books
January 5th, 2012Trade Paperback
Serpent Sea, Martha Wells
Nameless, Kyle Chais
Quantum Thief, Hannu Rajaniemi
Switched, Amanda Hocking
666 Charing Cross Road, Paul Magrs
Among Others, Jo Walton
Crescendo, Becca Fitzpatrick
Seven Princes, John R. Fultz
Mass Market
Up Against It, M. J. Locke
Mortal Bone, Marjorie M. Liu
Hardcover
Grantville Gazette VI, Various Authors
Winterling, Sarah Prineas
Scottish Prisoner, Diana Gabaldon
Sisterhood of Dune, Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson
Cinder, Marissa Meyer
Power Play, Ben Bova
Count to a Trillion, John C. Wright
I Have a Conundrum
January 4th, 2012First, some backstory. Martha Wells’ book Cloud Roads is one of my top picks for 2011. It’s imaginative and original, and every time I re-read it, I feel like I’m visiting friends who always have something fascinating to say. Just a few minutes ago, we received Wells’ Serpent Sea, which continues the adventures of the characters from Cloud Roads. So here’s the dilemma: Do I read it right away? Or hold off for a while?
Point for the latter: Savouring the anticipation
Point for the latter: I WANT TO READ THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW!
Help me out here.
2011 Bestsellers
January 3rd, 2012It’s always interesting to find out what sold best over the course of a year. We never know quite what to expect. Some titles explode onto the sales scene (this year, anything by George R.R. Martin), while others accrete over the entire year. Here are our bestsellers for 2011 (* = Canadian author)
Mass Market
1. Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller
2. Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin
3. Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
4. Watch, Robert J. Sawyer*
5. Midnight Riot, Ben Aaronovich
6. Clash of Kings, George R.R. Martin
7. Storm of Swords, George R.R. Martin
8. Hounded, Kevin Hearne
9. Feast for Crows, George R.R. Martin
10. Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin.
Hardcover
1. Wonder, Robert J. Sawyer*
2. Dance With Dragons, George R.R. Martin
3. Wise Man’s Fear, Patrick Rothfuss
4. Go the Fuck to Sleep, Adam Mansbach
5. Fuzzy Nation, John Scalzi
6. Embassytown, China Mieville
7. Reamde, Neal Stephenson
8. Snuff, Terry Pratchett
9. Wild Ways, Tanya Huff*
10. Vortex, Robert Charles Wilson*
Trade Paperback
1. Blindsight, Peter Watts*
2. Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro
3. Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
4. Once Every Never, Lesley Livingston*
5. Cyberabad Days, Ian McDonald
6. Tempestuous, Lesley Livingston*
7. Thief, Megan Whalen Turner
8. Pattern Scars, Caitlin Sweet*
9. Tesseracts 15, Julie Czerneda & Susan MacGregor, eds*
10. Quantum Thief, Hannu Rajaniemi
Glad That’s Over
December 30th, 20112011 is almost over, and frankly, it can’t end soon enough. Too many disasters, too many funerals, too much bad news all around. But that being said, every year has some grace notes. Here, in no particular order, are some of our high points. Please feel free to add your own: 2011 can use all the help it can get.
A) World class chocolatier Soma opened a second location at King West. That alone was good news, but then good friends introduced me to the the glory that is their Mayan hot chocolated served over ice. Best summer drink ever!
B) The near-tropical weather over Thanksgiving. I went swimming every day that weekend. In Lake Ontario. In October!
C) Seeing Spiderman: Turn off the Dark. It was gigantic, web-slinging, superbowl-excess-type fun, with some excellent performances. You’re laughing, but I know that deep down, you’re jealous.
D) George R.R. Martin’s A Dance With Dragons actually came out. And it had words all the way through, and stuff. Amazing. We’d been more than half-convinced it was an urban myth.
E) The ‘jeans’ scene in Thor. You know the scene I’m talking about.
Here’s looking forward to a brighter New Year. Have fun, and remember: only total idiots drink and drive.