Upcoming Books Thread (one only right now)

[Dante]

Double-post. I hope you'll forgive me considering it's been three months.

Anyway, the matter up for discussion: Amazon.com is currently listing The Miserable Mill or, Hypnotism! as coming out on February 28th, 2009. (Note: Strangely, I can only see this release date on a search page, not in the entry itself.) This isn't just their old entry for it with a rescheduled release date; it's an entirely fresh listing, which may well indicate that it's genuine. Strangely, it's listed as a "library binding," which usually denotes a hardcover with dust jacket, i.e. not a paperback, but it may be an error. Could the paperbacks be making their triumphant return? We'll see if they release any cover art in the coming months. (The past record on the paperback cover art is that it's released either five months beforehand with an updated version a month later, or three months beforehand with an updated version two months later. The alleged release date is five months away; I'd look for cover art around December-time, if it's real.)

[Gigi]

Thanks for the update, Dante. I was beginning to give up any hope of completely the paperback series.

[Dante]

The Lump of Coal, Lemony Snicket's 2008 tome of Christmas cheer, is out today in the United States!

Here's the information we have:

Title: The Lump of Coal
Release Date: 30th September 2008 (Link.)
Cover:

Synopsis:This is a story about a lump of coal who can think, talk, and move itself around. Is there a more charming holiday tale to behold? Probably, but Lemony Snicket has not written one.
Other Details: Published December 2004 in USA Weekend magazine; Snicket will go on a promotional tour for the book (Link).
Read It Online: Here.
Illustrated By: Brett Helquist (as per the original)
Publisher: HarperCollins

[Gigi]

In my e-mail today:

September 2008

Dear Reader,

If you ever believed in a certain mysterious figure with an odd name who sometimes disguises himself with a white beard and a strange suit, then you know it’s never too early to try to get on his list. After all, he’s checking it twice.

“Certain mysterious figure” is a phrase which here might mean Santa Claus, Lemony Snicket, neither, or both. For this reason, you should probably know that Mr. Snicket’s new book, The Lump of Coal, is now on sale.

Do you really want to be the first on the list of nice and/or naughty people who buy it?


With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket


Enter The Lump of Coal sweepstakes

[Dante]

Curious that they haven't got a page for it on LemonySnicket.com, and had to use HarperChildren's. Even The Latke got a LemonySnicket.com page, and that wasn't even published by HarperCollins. Oh wait, my mistake, they do have a page for it on LemonySnicket.com! I never noticed that go up, but I don't check LemonySnicket.com particularly regularly. Still, strange that they didn't use that page, especially when it has a link to the sweepstakes and everything.

...What is the nature of Lemony Snicket's list, and should I be worried?

[Gigi]

I thought the "list" was just a reference to the lists that Santa Claus keeps. In other words, do you want to be on the "nice" list or the "naughty" list?

Dante, I didn't read the fine print. Is the sweepstakes only open to US residents?

[Dante]

Oct 1, 2008 16:23:49 GMT -5 Gigi said:

I thought the "list" was just a reference to the lists that Santa Claus keeps. In other words, do you want to be on the "nice" list or the "naughty" list?

I took it to be ambiguous. Lemony Snicket's creepy stalker-ness has probably led him to creating lists of children who are good or bad before now.

Dante, I didn't read the fine print. Is the sweepstakes only open to US residents?

"The Sweepstakes is open to all legal residents of the United States (except Rhode Island, Colorado, Arizona, Florida, and U.S. Territories and Possessions), excluding employees and immediate family members of HarperCollins, and its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, assigns, advertising, promotional and fulfillment agents, attorneys, and other representatives and the persons with whom each of the above are domiciled."

So it's closed to me. ...And to Colorado, Arizona and Florida? Or am I misreading that? Maybe it's the opposite, you just don't have to be a legal resident there to enter. But yeah, I can't enter because I'm not a legal resident to the U.S. Oh, and possibly also because - well, it's all academic, anyway.

[Dante]

I just got a Book Blast e-mail concerning The Lump of Coal, which contains various items of interest, including a podcast from Mr. Snicket himself.

---
There is an old Christmas tradition that good boys and girls get presents and terrible children get lumps of coal. Can you imagine how terrible this makes a lump of coal feel? Lemony Snicket, the author of many other depressing books, would like to share the tale of one such lump of coal in his new book, The Lump of Coal. And, if you would like Mr. Snicket to further dampen your holiday spirit, be sure to listen to his new podcast, enter for a chance to win a copy of The Lump of Coal, and, of course, visit www.lemonysnicket.com.
---

The podcast is particularly good - it's Episode 12 down the page. "Well, I have been in retail establishments during the month of December, and then there are often large men dressed in costumes who invite me to sit on their lap; who exactly these men may be is a continuing source of mystery for me."

[t]

I hope that those books still link to the Baudelaire mystery. Perhaps, those books contain a clue or two to make our minds work.

[Dante]

Received a short while ago:

---
A message from Lemony Snicket
---
December 2008

Dear Reader,

This is the holiday season, an expression which here means "the time of year when everyone gets a gift." Some will receive THE LUMP OF COAL in their stocking, and be either underwhelmed, overjoyed, overwhelmed, underjoyed, or all four. Others who are even less fortunate will be given THE COMPLETE WRECK, which includes all thirteen books in A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS.

As our gift to you, we present an exclusive first look at the cover of Lemony Snicket's next book: THE COMPOSER IS DEAD, which will be published in March. Wouldn't you prefer the cover of darkness?

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

For more holiday misery, including a special reading from THE LUMP OF COAL, visit www.LemonySnicket.com.
---

Poor HarperCollins. It's not the first look at TCID's cover; we first saw it a month ago.

[s]

Where did we get the cover from first?

I love that NPH is reading The Lump of Coal. That's one more connection to make on my web of people I'm a fan of.

[Dante]

Dec 10, 2008 18:36:43 GMT -5 s said:

Where did we get the cover from first?

It was in the article which revealed Snicket was writing a new series, and it's been on Amazon.co.uk for a little while.

[cwm]

Are/do these new books going to build on the A.S.O.U.E. world at all?

[Dante]

Hm, let me check my list:

Already released:
The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming: No.
The Lump of Coal: No.

To be released:
The Composer is Dead: Almost certainly not, based on what we know about the live performances.
The paperback reissues, assuming they continue: Debateable, but in any meaningful way, no.
Unspecified unwritten hypothetical new series: Unknown.
Pirate novel: Improbable.

I think that pretty much sums it up? Oh, and, hello again.

[cwm]

Marvellous. Thank you.

I wonder if I'll find them in my Christmas stocking. I never got Horseradish.