Three-quarters April: Traveling, e-arcs, Baen, and Lee and Miller
I traveled to Houston this week. Traveling usually derails reading but there was an exception this time. I'd started a reread of Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce, but didn't want to carry the hb with me. Instead I took Aaronovitch's Moon over Soho and got about a third of the way through.
Sharon Lee posted that the e-arc of Ghost Ship was going to be available at http://www.webscription.net this week. An e-arc is an electronic advanced reader's copy. Normally an arc (cheaply published) is sent out to reviewers a few months before the publication date. The text is a beta version--it may or may not have been through copy-editing and will often contains typos and other mistakes. Although they're not supposed to be sold or passed on, there's always been a market for them, and if the book is anticipated...Prices can get into the hundreds. I've bought several over the years, usually for around $10-$40 (usually $15-$20), but I always buy the hardcover as soon as it's out as well.
Jim Baen found that rabid fans were willing to pay for an electronic version, $15. It's also possible to buy a webscription for a particular month. It contains 6 or so books, 3-4 new ones, the rest already published. For the new ones, in the months coming up to publication, another portion of the books can be downloaded. For the July 2011 webscription, the first halves of the new books are now available.
Ghost Ship went live on Tuesday. Due to work commitments, I couldn't get access to it until that evening. I probably got about halfway before I collapsed, then finished it the next night. I'm not going to say much about it and definitely no spoilers. It joins the main I Dare storylines to Theo Waitley's (Fledgling, Saltation). It's closer in feel to Plan B or I Dare--a lot of plotlines and viewpoint characters--than to Conflict of Honors or Fledgling. My thoughts at the end consisted of--Argh! I have to wait for the next book! I want to read more of these people!
So I may be rereading some of the books. I particularly want to read Crystal Soldier and Crystal Dragon again.
On the plane ride home, I should have picked up Moon over Soho. I instead read a good chunk of Justice Hall by Laurie R. King on my android phone. Which kills the battery like crazy.
I've picked up Trickster's Choice again and should finish it today.