Starter Villain [September 26, 2023]

[Yanique, Thread Master]

This is a Buddy Read for Starter Villain by John Scalzi starting September 26, 2023.

[Choko]

Yanique, you are awesome!!!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I love me some Scalzi... can't think of many sci-fi authors that writes such a variety of books that I love...

[Choko]

Same here! He has a great sense of balance in storytelling. The funny and the tragic...

[Narilka]

This is going to be fun :D I hope the audio is released at the same time. I'm definitely looking forward to Wil Wheaton's narration.

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "I love me some Scalzi... can't think of many sci-fi authors that writes such a variety of books that I love..."

Dittoing Choko--I think Scalzi is the first author to write a book that covers the same events from a different viewpoint that I actually enjoyed--Zoe's Tale...

Also has several of my favorite quotes all over...

[Saar The Book owl]

After reading The Kaiju Preservation Society, I want to read more Scalzi and there are cats in this one, minions and stuff...Looking forward to this one.

But it seems that the expected publication date was changed to September 23rd.

[Chris]

I'm in

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I'll probably just edit the thread/BR/Form Inputs, closer to September, when the release date is ironed out... when I clicked the GR link, it said the 19th, not the 23rd...

[Felina]

Oh wow, I was sold on this just from the cover. Seeing who the author is was just icing on the cake. I’m going to try to do this one.

[Felina]

I was forced to pre-order the hard cover. I must own this in print.

[Narilka]

Yeah, that cover is awesome :D

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Umbrella Academy villain vibes

[Ann-Marie]

So I got home yesterday to an ARC of this book and I lasted less than a day before I started it.....Sadly the copy I received is generic and not the awesomeness of the actual cover but I am really enjoying it so far lol

[Felina]

That cover is everything. I was forced to purchase this one because I need to be able to see the cover daily for the rest of my life.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Have you never seen business cat?

https://www.businesscatcomic.com/

[Felina]

I have but this cat is regal.

[Ann-Marie]

Felina wrote: "That cover is everything. I was forced to purchase this one because I need to be able to see the cover daily for the rest of my life."

It really is and I am enjoying it enough that I may end up buying a release copy at some point.

[Narilka]

Ann-Marie wrote: "So I got home yesterday to an ARC of this book and I lasted less than a day before I started it.....Sadly the copy I received is generic and not the awesomeness of the actual cover but I am really ..."

Lucky!

[Nirkatze]

Felina wrote: "That cover is everything. I was forced to purchase this one because I need to be able to see the cover daily for the rest of my life."

LOL I feel you Felina. I caved and jumped on the Subterranean press signed edition...

So glad to hear that the insides live up to the outsides, Ann-Marie, even if that specific copy's outsides don't live up to the insides. Hm.

[Chris]

Started this last night....I'm really liking the comfortable reading tone of Scalzi...Which shouldn't surprise me as his writing always works for me...

[Ann-Marie]

Chris wrote: "Started this last night....I'm really liking the comfortable reading tone of Scalzi...Which shouldn't surprise me as his writing always works for me..."

I am a big fan of COVID Scalzi books

[Nirkatze]

Just read this spoiler-free review... making me excited to start! My copy just got shipped and I'm keeping an eye on tracking...

https://winteriscoming.net/2023/09/19...

[Chris]

Finished!

Has that ever happened before, that I was first to the end? lol

[Chris]

Nirkatze wrote: "Just read this spoiler-free review... making me excited to start! My copy just got shipped and I'm keeping an eye on tracking...

https://winteriscoming.net/2023/09/19......"

That's a great review, and much better than whatever I'll say about it....

But I will say that my wife found my behavior odd at times when I'd suddenly crack up laughing while reading.

[D.B.]

I would like to join in on this reading. Are there rules to follow?'

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Just put spoilers in spoiler tags < spoiler > will be hidden if you don’t put spaces between the brackets< /spoiler > and that closes the spoiler…

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I’m loving this… this and Kaiju remind me of Scalzi’s earlier work, which was full of weird/fun ideas, before he veered into more serious/harder sci-fi…

[Ann-Marie]

Chris wrote: "Finished!

Has that ever happened before, that I was first to the end? lol"

Excuse me, Sir but I finished a while back but didn't post because it was so much sooner than the start date for the BR lol

My non-spoiler review: This was such a fun read! The premise was ridiculous and over the top and funny as well, I loved it! The characters were great especially the cats and dolphins <3 I would absolutely go see a movie adaptation of this, like opening night Thursday previews. Also OMG THAT COVER, so awesome!!!

And I ordered a signed copy with that awesome cover since the ARC I got was a plain one lol

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "I’m loving this… this and Kaiju remind me of Scalzi’s earlier work, which was full of weird/fun ideas, before he veered into more serious/harder sci-fi…"

I haven't read anything but Kaiju and this one and I loved them both.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I started with Old Man’s War, and everything newer, but eventually went back and did everything with audio…

[Chris]

Ann-Marie wrote: "Chris wrote: "Finished!

Has that ever happened before, that I was first to the end? lol"

Excuse me, Sir but I finished a while back but didn't post because it was so much sooner than the start da..."

Ok then....I'm just glad to not be the one dragging behind the group for once lol

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I loved it from the start... altho I missed details last night, and had to rewind a bit this morning to doublecheck the agreement in chapter 3, and what led to the "Starter Villainy" in chapter 7-8, before continuing on for the rest of the book...

I'd love to see an artist interpretation of the house in chapter 6-7ish, whether it's fanart or a movie... just the idea of (view spoiler)[a house designed basically from the ground up for cats to live in, with cubbies and cat stairs along the walls.. (hide spoiler)]

And then the volcano island lair (I had to doublecheck that was mentioned in the blurb): (view spoiler)[any time I see sharks/dolphins in fiction these days, I'm reminded of Arc of the Scythe... (hide spoiler)]

And the names of all the animals :D :D :D

I'd love to see an Intermediate Villainy book in the future :D

[Ann-Marie]

Chris wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "Chris wrote: "Finished!

Has that ever happened before, that I was first to the end? lol"

Excuse me, Sir but I finished a while back but didn't post because it was so much sooner..."

I am just glad I got the advanced copy, I used to get them all the time when I was reading romance but not any longer....

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "I loved it from the start... altho I missed details last night, and had to rewind a bit this morning to doublecheck the agreement in chapter 3, and what led to the "Starter Villainy" in chapter 7-8..."

I was happy (view spoiler)[that the cats came through for him to set him up with the house & bar at the end. I would absolutely read another in the series. (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I finished the last couple chapters, and know now my dream is unattainable :D

[Nirkatze]

LOL Loving all the banter! Really looking forward to joining y'all... may have to take a break from current epic read and just jump in this weekend...

[Tonari no Emily]

Read this a couple days ago cuz I really needed a pick-me-up. Sooo glad I did. Fantastic as always :D

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

It was great

[Ann-Marie]

I enjoyed it so much I ordered a signed copy that got here yesterday so I loaned the arc copy to my brother-in-law under threat of death if he breaks the spine lol

[Narilka]

Ann-Marie wrote: "I enjoyed it so much I ordered a signed copy that got here yesterday so I loaned the arc copy to my brother-in-law under threat of death if he breaks the spine lol"

haha nice! Yeah I had to stop loaning out books when they started coming back in less than ideal conditions. My booklover self just couldn't take it lol

I'll be joining soon. Only 3 hours left on BOC BOC, then I'll be starting this one as my next audio.

[Tonari no Emily]

Oh yeah I soooo know that feeling. There's probably only 2 people I trust to 1. give the book back and 2. in good condition.. But even with them I'm protective of my hoard lol

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I love how you/we just refer to the book/series as BOC BOC now, and nobody that doesn't know what it means even asks about it lol :D

Beware of Chicken

[Narilka]

Yeah but BOC BOC is the second book ;) Two BOCs!

[Nirkatze]

Tonari no Emily wrote: "Oh yeah I soooo know that feeling. There's probably only 2 people I trust to 1. give the book back and 2. in good condition.. But even with them I'm protective of my hoard lol"

I hear you... I want my library to be a get-other-people-hooked library... but I also love my shinies...

[Ann-Marie]

My sister got insulted when I would not let her borrow a signed, numbered, limited edition. I was like that book is not leaving this house!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Ann-Marie wrote: "My sister got insulted when I would not let her borrow a signed, numbered, limited edition. I was like that book is not leaving this house!"

treat it like a museum piece (kinda)... tell her you will flip the pages, and she can take pictures, and read the pictures :D

(I think a real fragile museum piece is also supposed to be protected from photography lights?)

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "My sister got insulted when I would not let her borrow a signed, numbered, limited edition. I was like that book is not leaving this house!"

treat it like a museum piece (kinda)...."

That might be safe lol

[Nirkatze]

Ann-Marie wrote: "My sister got insulted when I would not let her borrow a signed, numbered, limited edition. I was like that book is not leaving this house!"

Totally on your side here. That's not a book, that's a piece of readable art.

[Nirkatze]

Okay, didn't finish current read, but couldn't resist the Scalzi... had to start. Three chapters in, and this is not doing anything for my cat youtube addiction. By that I mean, it's definitely exacerbating it.

And I feel like there are more options than (view spoiler)[food, features, and mythology for cat names! And book characters should get their own category... or make it "famous names" instead of "Mythology"...

Definitely a lot to empathize with in our MC though... (hide spoiler)]