Pick-a-Shelf discussion

Wow! I can't believe it's December at the end of this week! Where has this year gone?

Looks like we're finishing off the year with a fun shelf, Steampunk, thanks to Ebony! Okay, maybe fun to me and some of you but not all of you

What's on your TBR already that you'll pick up? Or what actually picked your interest from other's list / browsing the shelf?

I think I'll stick to print copies I actually have on my shelves at home:

Changeless (Parasol Protectorate 2)
Cinder (Lunar Chronicles 1)
The Seduction of Phaeton Black (Paranormal Investigator 1)

I've not read His Dark Materials yet but I will, one day! Kady Cross' Steampunk Chronicles also look good. One day I will also read Jenny Schwartz' Bustlepunk Chronicles, OMG - it's Aussie Steampunk!!!

I am one that finds this a difficult shelf, but I always read at least one on each shelf. There were a couple of classics on it (by Jules Verne and Mary Shelley) that I've already read, but otherwise none were on my TBR. Then I saw one of Jasper Fforde's books there and realized that I haven't read them all. So I am going to read
First Among Sequels which is #5 in the series.

I'll be reading Railsea by China Miéville, who is one of my favorite modern authors. This is a technically young-adult (but often said to be "too advanced" for YA...pish posh!) steampunk fantasy homage to Moby Dick, with the sea/ship replaced by wasteland/trains, the captain Ahab figure made a woman, and the whales replaced by giant moles. It's supposed to be quite a wonderful adventure.

I've had His Dark Materials at home for ages and have still not read them. My fiance picked them off my shelf and devoured them, and not he guilts me for not reading them yet. Maybe I'll try to fit the first one in in December.

Candiss wrote: "I'll be reading Railsea by China Miéville, who is one of my favorite modern authors. This is a technically young-adult (but often said to be "too advanced" for YA...pish posh!) steampunk fantasy h..."

Ooh, Railsea sounds interesting, Candiss. Err, I have to admit that I wasn't a fan of Moby Dick but Railsea sounds good regardless.

I have The Map of Time and Cold Magic on my TBR. Hopefully I will be able to get to one of them.

This is totally NOT my genre (more a fan of literary fiction). But ...

I have read and would recommend The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Also highly recommend Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

As for me ... I'll try to fit in one of these two
The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde (#3 in the Thursday Next series)
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

I really enjoyed His Majesty's Dragon as well as the Leviathan series.

I haven't actually read any steampunk yet, I've been resisting it, but now's the time to jump in I guess :).

LynnB wrote: "I am one that finds this a difficult shelf, but I always read at least one on each shelf. There were a couple of classics on it (by Jules Verne and Mary Shelley) that I've already read, but otherw..."

If Fforde is on the shelf, then I'm all set! I read The Eyre Affair a few weeks ago and loved it. The dry sense of humor he uses really cracked me up. I kept trying to explain the whole thing to my husband which is near impossible!

That being said, I think I will still try out (at least) one of the "true" steampunk styles (for lack of a better way of putting it). A few of my friends have recommended Cassandra Clare, so I'll probably try City of Bones or Clockwork Angel. I may try Soulless, either in addition to or in place of the others.

So here's my plan:
Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde
And at least one of the following:
Soulless by Gail Carriger
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

CassieV wrote: "I haven't actually read any steampunk yet, I've been resisting it, but now's the time to jump in I guess :).
LynnB wrote: "I am one that finds this a difficult shelf, but I always read at least on..."

I have really enjoyed Fforde's books. He is so very inventive....I keep being amazed at the things he comes up with.

There are so many on this shelf that I have been wanting to get to. The list could go on for ever, but I think I will go with one of the following:

The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
OR
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

I will definitely read The Diamond Age, then I am looking at
Behemoth
Perdido Street Station
The Prestige
Finch
The Lies of Locke Lamora
A Shadow in Summer
Sabriel

Yikes! Locke Lamora is in the steampunk shelf? It's really not! (The book is great though.)

I don't know what to read for this...nothing on the TBR so maybe I'll start that Jasper Fforde series I've been meaning to get to.

ETA: I just saw in there and that's a buddy read for another of my groups so I may read that one.

D.G. ~Shameless Hussy~ wrote: "ETA: I just saw The Night Circus in there and that's a buddy read for another of my groups so I may read that one...."


I just finished that one earlier this month. It's not really sci-fi (but then Thursday Next doesn't take place in Victorian times ...) Regardless, it's been shelved as steampunk and it's a good read. Enjoy!

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

Just because I haven't read steampunk before and apparently some of the books on the shelf are not actually steampunk (although I know those are okay to read as long as they are on the shelf) can someone tell me what steampunk is? Thanks :)

I'll start with Clockwork Angel and The Well of Lost Plots.

I also want to read The Windup Girl, but for some strange reason our library has only the audio version. Not sure I'll finish it in a month that way, but I'll try.

And I'm 3 out of 6 on the waiting list for a digital version of Neverwhere. (Again -- why, oh why, does the library not even own a hard copy?!) So I don't know if that will happen or not.

Beyond those three, I'm not sure. I already had so many on my TBR, and I see great new ideas above that some of you have found, so I'll have a lot to choose from.

@ LynnB

The site at http://www.writersdigest.com/qp7-migr... says:
"Steampunk: a specific type of alternate history in which characters in Victorian England have access to 20th century technology." Think EARLY 20th century, i.e., steam power. But I think that's a little more restrictive than people usually use it. It's come to include just about any time period -- not just Victorian England -- imagined as it would be if the primary source of power were steam (as in steam engines, steam locomotives). And, as in Leviathan, there are often sources of power that theoretically could have been discovered during the age of steam, even though they weren't.

Susan wrote: "@ LynnB
The site at http://www.writersdigest.com/qp7-migr... says: "Steampunk: a specific type of alternate history in which characters in Vic..."

Thanks Susan. Makes sense! I had heard of the genre before but wasn't quite sure what it encompassed.

Susan wrote: "I'll start with Clockwork Angel and The Well of Lost Plots.

I also want to read The Windup Girl, but for some strange reason our library has only the audio version. Not sure I'll finish it in a mo..."

Susan - Neverwhere is my favorite Neil Gaiman book so far. I hope you get to read it. It is really good, and I have often wished that he wrote a sequel to it.

And thanks for the definition. It is great!

Hey all - Don't forget to post quotes from your Steampunk books during the month. Here is the link http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1.... I would love to see lots of quotes this month as this is a genre I am not very familiar with and I would love to get some ideas on what to put on my list.

Susan wrote: ""Steampunk: a specific type of alternate history in which characters in Victorian England have access to 20th century technology." Think EARLY 20th century, i.e., steam power. "

But the steam engine was invented in the 18th century so the fact that people in the Victorian era can use steam power is appropriate.

Steampunk is sort of a mix of sci fi but in the Victorian era (usually as Susan said but not all the time). You usually have steam power and lots clockwork and sometimes even more advanced technology. In the The Iron Duke, there is nano techonology and robots but it's never explained how that came about (I just read the first book and the prequel.)

LOL, I just found Dracula in the steampunk shelf!

D.G. ~Shameless Hussy~ wrote: "LOL, I just found Dracula in the steampunk shelf!"

oh dear - maybe someone SHOULD write a steampunk mish mash of Dracula, that would be very interesting!

I agree, a steampunk Dracula might be really interesting.

I'll be reading Leviathan as it has been recommended by several people here :)

I'm listening to it now (Dracula) and it's really good. I can only imagine the uproar the book made when it first came out! It's just so modern.

Yay! Found Neverwhere for this month in the used bookstore yesterday, as well as Ammonite for the Game 4 birthday game challenge.

I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to read for this shelf this month--really busy crafting month too! But coincidentally in project "Clean Up the Kindle" my next book is Steampunk. All that to say, the next book I read should be Throne of Jade. Or I might read Blood and Betrayal. Both will fit the shelf, though I might not get to them for a while!

I have just discovered that my library does have His Majesty's Dragon but under another name, so I might add that to my list although I have not been reading nearly as many books as usual this month.

Coralie wrote: "I have just discovered that my library does have His Majesty's Dragon but under another name, so I might add that to my list although I have not been reading nearly as many books as usual this month."

Just curious ... What name do they have it listed as?

They have it as Temeraire.