First, a book I bought while on a trip to the coast. Things like this often interest me.
The Curve of Time by M. Wylie Blanchet [Whitecap Publishing, 2014, new] non-fiction. Following her husband’s death in 1926, Blanchet embarked on annual summer cruises along the British Columbia coast with her five children. This 1961 book documents these travels.
I seem to be picking up more science fiction than mystery lately, a trilogy by Timothy Zahn at the end of March and now these.
The Shoal Sequence:
Stealing Light by Gary Gibson [published 2007, Tor 2013 paperback, purchased new] Nova War by Gary Gibson [published 2009, Tor edition 2013 paperback, purchased new] Empire of Light by Gary Gibson [published 2010, Tor edition 2013 paperback, purchased new]
Description: The 26th Century. Humanity has gained access to the stars thanks to the Shoal, the only race in the Galaxy to have developed a transluminal drive. Humanity leases space on the great Shoal coreships as they make a circuit of inhabited systems in the Orion Spiral Arm. The Shoal guard the secrets of FTL jealously and even murderously, so when a human colony discovers an ancient alien derelict in the Nova Arctis system, apparently with a still-functional FTL drive, the colonists make the decision to secretly extract and replicate the drive for themselves.
However, the alien ship is guarded by ancient software protocols and defense systems that ordinary humans cannot overcome. To this end, Dakota Merrick (a ‘machine-head’ with illegal brain implants) and Lucas Corso (an expert in computer language) are drafted in to help with the retrieval operation. Needless to say, the operation does not go as planned, for both the Shoal and their enemies are one step ahead of the game..
There is a fourth book, published last year, Marauder, which I will buy if I like these first three.
Tip the Wink 
Nice. I like wraparound book jackets a lot, and I prefer covers of series paperbacks to be in sync as these are.
By coincidence I got in a number of books yesterday. It was our library’s monthly sale day and we picked up 8 paperbacks (6 for Jackie, 2 for me) at fifty cents each, three for a dollar. I got F. Paul Wilson’s collection (trade pb) THE BARRENS AND OTHERS, which I am afraid I’ve already read (but for 50 cents, no big deal) and Mel Odom’s LETHAL INTERFACE, described as a “Science Fiction Thriller” set in “Dallas, the day after tomorrow.”
From PaperbackSwap I got the second and fourth of Andre Norton’s Solar Queen series, PLAGUE SHIP and POSTMARKED THE STARS plus another Peter Turnbull procedural featurning Hennessey & Yellich of the York police, FALSE KNIGHT, And for a penny (plus $3.99 shipping) I picked up a book Bill Crider featured on his blog, RAZORED SADDLES: Macabre Western Tales, edited by Joe R. Lansdale & Pat LoBrutto. Some of the authors are Robert R. MNcCammon, Lewis Shiner, Scott Cupp, F. Paul Wilson, Richard Laymon, Neal Barrett, Jr. & Howard Waldrop.
Yep, the cover is what caught my eye.
I tried for Plague Ship from PB Swap, but the copy didn’t meet my criteria (no ex-lib, no torn covers or water damage). The person was pretty snooty about it, too. So it’s on my reminder list until that copy is sent. What condition is the one you got? If it’s the one she didn’t send, then I need to put that title on my wish list.
I just checked – – the copy I refused is the only copy available, so how the heck did you get one??
I can’t put the book on my wish list unless I accept that copy, so it’s a catch 22 for me. I’ll come across a copy one day, meanwhile I’ve lots to read.
Don’t know! I got the two books together – obviously not from the snooty woman – and it is in pretty good shape. In fact both are better than the one I sent you.
I really like the covers on all of the books on this post. But I’ve been burned by great cover artwork around mediocre fiction before.
Yes, I’ve been burned by covers too, George, it’s easy enough to do. The cover of The Curve of Time really caught my eye while browsing at Cannon Beach Books.
Curve of Time not only sounds like a wonderful book, I love the cover too.
Carl, that cover is what pulled me in. I liked the book too, but, I admit, not quite as much as that watercolor painting on the cover.