The Quantum Thief - Macmillan Library

RUSA’s 2012 Notable Books & Reading List

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Ali Fisher

The 2012 RUSA reading list is in!

Between the noshable hors d'oeuvres, the wine, and the charming company, we had a riotous time at the announcement ceremony in Dallas. Yes, we were whooping and hollering when they listed books we love!

Don't believe me? Boom: proof.

Library Journal reported, "Some of the announcements were greeted by quite a bit of excitement, especially from Robin Nesbitt (on Twitter, @robnesb) of Columbus Metropolitan Library; Alene Moroni (@surlyspice) of King County Library System, WA; Talia Sherer (@macmillanlib) of Macmillan Library Marketing; and Stephanie Chase (@acornsandnuts) of Mutnomah County Library." So, yeah, we were excited.

opens in a new windowNow, on to the books!

2012 Reading List

ADRENALINE
Shortlisted:

NOW YOU SEE ME by S. J. Bolton
YOU'RE NEXT by Gregg Hurwitz

MYSTERY
Winner:

THE DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X by Keigo Higashino

Shortlisted:

KILLED AT THE WHIM OF A HAT by Colin Cotterill
A TRICK OF THE LIGHT by Louise Penny

SCIENCE FICTION
Shortlisted:

THE QUANTUM THIEF by Hannu Rajaniemi

See the complete list of RUSA winners, short lists, and read-alikes here.

2012 Notable Books List

NONFICTION:

THINKING, FAST AND SLOW by Daniel Kahneman

See RUSA's complete list of Notable Books here.

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Library Journal’s Best Books 2011:

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Ali Fisher

And wrapping up our week of annual best books lists is Library Journal's Best Books of 2011! Here are all of the Macmillan titles you should check out (library pun totally intended):

The Top Ten

Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitz
Tides of War by Stella Tillyard

More of the Best

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
Pulphead: Essays by John Jeremiah Sullivan
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Women's Fiction

Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews

Historical Fiction

Pacific Glory by P.T. Deutermann
The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

Thrillers

You’re Next by Gregg Hurwitz
Strong at the Break by Jon Land

Excellent picks, Library Journal! If you readers want to see all of Library Journal's great picks from 2011, you can see their "best of" lists right here.

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Kirkus Reviews’ Best Fiction of 2011:

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Ali Fisher

As previously mentioned, we're in that magical time of year when we get our year-end "best of" lists and our to-read/holiday wish lists expand exponentially!

Today we're taking a look at Kirkus Reviews' excellent list of the Best Books of 2011 in fiction. There are quite a few Macmillan gems on this list (if I do say so myself!). But you don't have to take my word for it...

AMERICAN MASCULINE by Shann Ray
BACK OF BEYOND by C.J. Box
THE HUM AND THE SHIVER by Alex Bledsoe
THE LEFTOVERS by Tom Perrotta
THE KING OF DIAMONDS by Simon Tolkien
THE MARRIAGE PLOT by Jeffrey Eugenides
ORIENTATION AND OTHER STORIES by Daniel Orozco
NOW YOU SEE ME by S.J. Bolton
PARTITIONS by Amit Majmudar
RIZZO'S FIRE by Lou Manfredo
THE QUANTUM THIEF by Hannu Rajaniemi
SCHOLAR by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
THE SISTERS by Nancy Jensen
THE SLY COMPANY OF PEOPLE WHO CARE by Rahul Bhattacharya
SPELLBOUND by Blake Charlton
STEALING MONA LISA by Carson Morton
THE TRINITY SIX by Charles Cumming
THE SUBMISSION by Amy Waldman
WHEN THE SAINTS by Dave Duncan
WITH FATE CONSPIRE by Marie Brennan

Minotaur was very enthusiastic about this list!

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Monday Fun Day!

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Ali Fisher

Thanks to the sage adage of our ancestors, we know that Monday is, in fact, Fun Day, and it's high time we began treating it that way! Today we've got a veritable* smörgåsbord of library and literary goodness for you. Enjoy!

opens in a new windowFirst and foremost, get up out of that rolly chair and join us in a standing ovation for the King County Library System, winner of the Gale/Library Journal Library of the Year Award.

"The innovations and programs, the creative management of KCLS resources, the ability to stretch but still serve the principles and core values of librarianship, the strong public support, and the vision for the system’s future make it clear that KCLS is more deserving than ever to be named Library of the Year." —Library Journal

Hear, hear! I am particularly giddy about this announcement seeing as KCLS is the library system I grew up on. Way to go, KCLS.

In other super-awesome awards news, THE WAY OF KINGS by Brandon Sanderson won the 2010 DGLA Legend Award for Best Novel! And Simon Winder's travel romp, GERMANIA, was shortlisted for the 2011 Dolman Travel Book of the Year!

In getting-pumped-for-ALA-Annual news, Library Journal's Barbara Hoffert made a super convenient, printable PDF for this year's author signings and hot galley giveaways. View and print Barbara Hoffert's ALA Galley & Signing Guide 2011 here! Here's a sneak peek:

Barbara's ALA Picks

Oh, and a reminder for all you sci-fi fans: io9 is holding a book club discussion for THE QUANTUM THIEF on June 28th. I'll definitely be dropping by. Need convincing? Read the reviews!

And finally, this weekend I waited in line for a scrumptious burrito and morita lunch combo behind this brilliant fellow:

Never Underestimate

Seriously good taste, my friend.

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2011 Locus Award-finalists Announced

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Ali Fisher

Locus Magazine has announced their 2011 Locus Award-nominees! Look at all this amazing work from Tor and St. Martin's Press:

Fantasy Novel
THE SORCERER'S HOUSE
Gene Wolfe

First Novel
SHADES OF MILK AND HONEY
Mary Robinette Kowal

THE QUANTUM THIEF
Hannu Rajaniemi

Novella
“The Mystery Knight”
George R.R. Martin (WARRIORS)

Anthology
THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE FICTION: TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL COLLECTION
Gardner Dozois, ed.

WARRIORS
George R.R. Martin & Gardner Dozois, eds.

Non-fiction
Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century: Volume 1: 1907-1948: Learning Curve
William H. Patterson, Jr.

And More
Congratulations are also in order for David G. Hartwell, nominated in the Editor category, Tor, nominated in the Publisher category, and Tor.com, nominated in the Magazine category!

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A Smart, Inventive Sci-Fi Debut: The Quantum Thief

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Ali Fisher

It's difficult to describe a book like Hannu Rajaniemi's stellar sci-fi debut, THE QUANTUM THIEF. This book is structurally defiant, believably bizarre, and driven by the hot desires of desperate theives and clever detectives. It's very smart and it's a helluva trip.

You may have already seen it on lists like Kirkus Review's 10 Can't-Miss SFF Books for 2011 and io9's Books We Can't Wait for this Spring.

"Finnish author Rajaniemi’s outstanding debut demonstrates a level of complexity and storytelling skill rarely found from even the most experienced authors. Rajaniemi belongs in a class with Gene Wolfe and Samuel Delany and deserves a wide readership." —Library Journal (starred review)

"A sort of paranoid-conspiracy, hard sci-fi whodunit: the Scotland resident, Finnish author's jaw-dropping debut. All this barely hints at the complex inventions and extrapolations, richly textured backdrop and well-developed characters seamlessly woven into a narrative stuffed with scientific, literary and cultural references. [...] Spectacularly and convincingly inventive, assured and wholly spellbinding: one of the most impressive debuts in years." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

[UPDATE]: Publishers Weekly has also given THE QUANTUM THIEF a starred review. They say, "Rajaniemi melds a caper novel, New Wave aesthetics, and theoretical physics into a stellar debut. [...] The plot itself is straightforward, allowing the mix of multiple narrative styles and viewpoints, elegant world building, and gonzo futurism to astonish without overwhelming."

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10 Can’t-Miss SFF Books from Kirkus Reviews

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Ali Fisher

This week Kirkus Reviews highlighted 10 Can't-Miss Science Fiction and Fantasy Books for 2011 including a few of our in-house favorites!

They selected Jo Walton's AMONG OTHERS because, "All SF fans will get what Morwenna is about, particularly the joy she experiences discovering new books and other people to talk to about them."

Richard Matheson's OTHER KINGDOMS caught their eye for the "accomplished and tragic" story: a "star-crossed romance between two lovers from different worlds."

Finally, THE QUANTUM THIEF made the list because author Hannu Rajaniemi, "is clearly one of those disgustingly brilliant people whom you could hate if you didn't admire him so much." [...]

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io9’s Spring Title Parade!

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Ali Fisher

io9, that great hub of all things science and science fiction, announced which spring titles are making them wiggly with anticipation. Six of the must-haves are available from Tor:

  THE GRAVITY PILOT, by M.M. Buckner
  DEATHLESS, by Catherynne M. Valente
  AFTER THE GOLDEN AGE, by Carrie Vaughn
  ALL THE LIVES HE LED, by Frederik Pohl
  FUZZY NATION, by John Scalzi
  THE QUANTUM THIEF, by Hannu Rajaniemi

Having just finished Carrie Vaughn's AFTER THE GOLDEN AGE, I can only agree that this modern heroine story is an April must. It's the kind of book that lives in front of your face making getting off the bus at the right stop or pouring coffee in the cup, instead of all over the counter, impossible. Next up for me from this list is Hannu Rajaniemi's debut, THE QUANTUM THIEF, a hard sci-fi May release handed to me by our old buddy Ben. [...]

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2012 Reading List

2012 Notable Books List

The Top Ten

More of the Best

Mystery

SF/Fantasy

Street Lit

Women's Fiction

Historical Fiction

Thrillers