In the case of Bujold's Desdemona e-books, they're self-published and I get the impression that she only sends the files to Amazon and other sites when she is satisfied with them. Whereas with books put out by standard publishers get announcements in various forthcoming book places (Locus, etc). Amazon probably gets announcements about them early on just like those places.

Fair! And a few of the other authors I like are self-pubbed as well,and I’d believe that.

I just finished The Mimicking of Known Successes and immediately preordered the sequel. Very good and thinky, in the ways I like my sf to be, with interesting characters and plot to boot.

Nice. I've had a sample of that sitting in my TBR for months but I keep getting distracted and reading something else. Maybe it will actually float to the top, now!

I've been listening to Demon Copperhead in the car. I am enjoying the voice a lot, but worry that it is going to be too depressing. Kid is damn resilient, but I will be most unhappy if the ending sucks. I am enjoying the narrative though so I'll stick with it.

Just finished Mercy by Jodi Picoult for book club. I just didn't believe any of the main characters. The minor characters were fine. I only endured it.

I did post on the condo community board asking if there was interest in a book club and had 6 responses! I thought that was great so on with the organizing. We have a couple of social rooms so we don't have to go to each other's places, which I think is more trouble for all.

Turns out the audiobook for Mimicking of Known Successes is free or included in a subscription or something so that is now Up Next

Did anybody read The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker (author of Dietland) ?

I did, and I am so mad at this book. I can't even throw it against the wall because it's on my Kindle.

Short version: Theme worthy, plot did not pay off on several levels, and writing was insanely basic to the point of laziness, and missed a kajillion opportunities for both introspection on the character's part and scene-painting description on the author's.

Short short version: BAH.

Oh, and the reason I read it was because of the glowing! fucking reviews from authors who should surely know better.

That would anger me as well, Amy. I've decided that I have to drop books that don't seem worth the time much earlier than I used to as there are too many in the TBR list.

That’s a bummer, Amy. Coincidentally, I am currently reading Everyone On This Train is a Suspect and authors blurbing each other (and why) is a plot point

Also, now that I have listened to The Mimicking of Known Successes I think I remember deciding to wait to read it until the second book was out (The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles, these titles are so good!) but at this point it’s only a wait of a couple of weeks so that has worked out well for me

Amy, I read it, but I kind of adored it. Sorry.

I'm currently reading Fourth Wing, which I'm both loving and hating. On the plus side, it has a kick ass disabled main character, but on the negative side the writing is just so so bad.