What Makes This Book So Great

Starred review from November 18, 2013
For anyone whose to-read pile is not quite tall enough, this collection gathers 130 of Walton’s blog posts from science fiction site Tor.com (July 2008 to February 2011) about her favorites works of sci-fi and fantasy. The books she discusses are not the latest to hit the market, but those that novelist Walton (Among Others) has reread time and again, because “something only worth reading once is pretty much a waste of time.” These brief essays are perfect for picking at random; binge on too many and the books cited might blur together. In the transition from Web to print, something is lost in translation: it’s disconcerting to see questions such as, “So, what sort of series do you like?” without accompanying comments. At the same time, the themes of the essays interweave nicely; many are meditations on the genre as a whole more than reviews of specific works, and Walton often ties her points back to earlier posts (most notably in the extended review of Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan saga). Walton intentionally approaches these works as a fan rather than a critic, and she successfully captures the sensation of reading on a personal, sensory level. For readers unschooled in the history of SF/F, this book is a treasure trove; for those who recognize every title, Walton evokes the joy of returning to a well-worn favorite. Agent: Jack Byrne, Sternig & Byrne Literary Agency.

Starred review from January 1, 2014

The Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of Among Others believes there are two types of readers: those who reread and those who don't. She tells of her own experience as a rereader in this collection of more than 130 essays, which first appeared as blog entries on the Tor.com website. Walton's case for revisiting favorite books, eloquently made in the introduction but illuminated in each essay, is that the practice can be simply comforting but can also provide endless opportunities for new perspectives and even revelations about works that readers thought they knew well. Walton shares not only her deep love for sf and fantasy in general and these novels in particular but the insights of a truly thoughtful reader. Especially enjoyable is her book-by-book analysis of Lois McMaster Bujold's "Vorkosigan Saga." VERDICT Although readers will miss out on some of the spirited discussions that appeared in the comments for these blog entries, it is still worth the time and money for any serious sf or fantasy fan, akin to a genre version of Nancy Pearl's Book Lust. Walton's affection for many of these titles is contagious, and fans will find their own reading lists growing. Since the author covers many core texts of the genre, this volume is also useful for collection development librarians seeking to fill holes in their sf shelves.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2013
The author is a distinguished sf and fantasy writer in her own right (write?) who, some years ago, Tor Books turned loose on their website to write a bunch of capsule reviews and critical essays on sf and fantasyno less than 130 of them. The range is wide, going back to the nineteenth century (George Eliot and Lord Dunsany) and forward to authors so new that this volume may be the first time many readers have heard of them. Along the way she covers practically the complete works of Lois McMaster Bujold and Steven Brust, praises a number of classics by Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein, praises with faint damns a good many books she thinks ought to be better known, and provides broader perspective in such essays as the difference between criticism and just talking about books. She also writes clearly, avoids political hatchet jobs, and altogether highly repays a careful reading.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)