Wiscon 33 - Books
One of the books I bought is missing from the photo because it was hiding on me when I gathered them all together to take pictures. But you can see I did go a little crazy on the book-buying, to make up for the year before when I couldn't really afford to go to Wiscon, let alone buy books there.
A Room of One's Own: The first place I bought books was the feminist bookstore, during the reception and before the GoH readings. I picked up What Remains, a special run chapbook with pieces and interviews by the two Guests of Honor. I had my pick of numbers, but bought Copy #13. I later got this signed by the both of them at the SignOut. Ellen read her story that's published in here, so I look forward to reading it. (I'm better at reading than listening when it comes to books.) I also bought The Kappa Child by Hiromi Goto, because I was pretty certain I'd seen it on a Tiptree list and it can be difficult to find books from the Tiptree lists elsewhere. I also also bought Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu because I'd heard good things about it. I later got this signed by Nnedi and her daughter at the SignOut. She's one of the GoHs next year, so now I have a deadline to read it by.
Used Bookstores: On Friday morning, I had time to myself, so went 'shopping'. I'd had intentions of buying new sneakers, maybe some clothes, etc. I bought a Tshirt and chapstick at Walgreen's, a soda and water at a campus bookstore that was pretty much cleaned out, heavily browsed Goodwill and bought nothing, and finally hit two bookstores.
The first one was more of a typical used bookstore -- smallish, cramped, feeling like you could find something if you just looked hard enough. They had a whole section on Deaf Studies/ASL, and if the copy of the Green Book that I needed was in better shape, I would've gotten it. Their sf/f section was small, at least unless they were hiding more elsewhere. Browsed the children's section, also small. Bought nothing.
The second bookstore was an Antiquarian one. It was huuuuge. I was trying to get back in time for The Gathering, so I didn't spend as much time there as I could have. I had intended to go back, maybe with someone else in tow, but I never did. However, I did buy two books by Suzette Haden Elgin, because I liked her xenolinguist/feminist series despite the heavy feminism, and hadn't heard of these two books. Furthest and Communipath Worlds. That latter one has an intriguing cover picture, doesn't it? And I bought The Survivors by Marion Zimmer Bradley and apparently her husband or brother, because I decided I need to read a whole lot more MZB. And by "a whole lot more", I mean more than the 3 I have read. The books turned out to be more expensive than I was expecting. That's where the Antiquarian comes in, I guess. I think they were about 4$ a paperback. So I'll go back, spend more time, and be careful not to buy everything in sight next year. The children's section was a little bigger than the other place, and organized. Didn't find any Dorrie books, K, sorry.
The Gathering: Last year I went a little crazy with the 1$ ARCs, but this year I only found one I was interested enough in buying. Next year, I'll make sure to get there right when they start and keep circling the table with the other vultures until the supply runs low. You can't really see it in the picture, but I got V: The Original Miniseries by Kenneth Johnson and A. C. Crispin. They're coming out with a new V tv series, so I think it's a find. And I still need to find A. C. Crispin's final Starbridge books, so she's been in the back of my mind for awhile.
The Dealer's Room: I don't think I realized this was open or made my way in there until Saturday, or possibly even Sunday. First thing I bought was a Tor Double, because I've kinda been collecting doubles. For those who don't know, it's basically two novellas printed in the same book, but you can flip it over. So it looks like one book on one side and a completely different book on the other. This one didn't make it into my picture. It's Press Enter by John Varley and Hawksbill Station by Robert Silverberg. I believe I paid 2$.
I stopped by Aqueduct Press with a handy 'buy 1 get second half off' coupon from the freebie table. I bought The Wiscon Chronicles Volume 3 after spotting shweta_narayan had a piece in there! (Plus other cool people, really.) I started reading this while at the con. It's really interesting to see what other people experienced of Wiscon 32 and thought about it afterward. Also made me nostalgic. Also bought at Aqueduct, Cheek by Jowl, a collection of essays by Ursula K. Le Guin about fantasy. I've just finished reading this. Alanya to Alanya by L. Timmel Duchamp. Tiptree, GoH last year, first of a series. Got this signed at SignOut.
I may have bought at Tachyon Publications, Portable Childhoods by Ellen Klages, because I did buy it somewhere and it's not on my A Room receipts. Got this signed at SignOut. Also, probably bought at the same table, Content by Cory Doctorow. It's a collection of essays on technology and copyright and etc that I've been eyeing at the library for awhile.
A different trip to the Dealer's Room, and I bought Water Logic by Laurie J. Marks from the Small Beer Press table, because it was a good deal and I was pretty sure I didn't have it yet. Still need to read the second one in the series, which I bought at a previous con. Shamelessly did not buy a book by the author actually manning the table. Although Superpowers had previously caught my eye in A Room. I'll probably regret not getting it.
And then, suddenly it was Monday and SignOut was looming. I'd intended all along to buy at least one copy and maybe a couple of A Green Glass Sea because I really, really liked it and get it/them signed. So I stopped in the Dealer's Room to do so, only to discover that A Room had packed up their table and left and no one else had copies!! Fortunately A Room was open on Memorial Day, so I trekked down there to get a copy, only to discover they didn't open until noon. SignOut, already in progress, and here I am standing outside a bookstore. (Note to myself and everyone for next year: If you intend to buy a book, don't wait until Monday.)
So of course I'm standing outside their window display and seeing all the other books by people going to be at the SignOut and thinking maybe I ought to buy some. Talked keyan_bowes into joining me at the bookstore, and talked her into buying A Green Glass Sea, which I think she'll really like. We seem to have gotten the last two copies that A Room had. Also bought Paper Cities by Ekaterina Sedia, The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy, The King's Last Song by Geoff Ryman, GoH. Got them all signed at SignOut, though I was running out of time by the time I got back to the hotel and ran around the SignOut room with all my books.
Though I did have Rhetorics of Fantasy by Farah Mendlesohn with me, after having purchased it at Readercon, and though I was on a panel with her, I did not get this signed.
And to be completist, I brought with me the library's paperback copy of Shaman's Crossing by Robin Hobb that I have mysteriously started to read before and yet apparently never finished. Also, bought a 5$ Variety puzzles book in Logan airport.
It was a good book-buying con.