Kevin's Watch

I'm just wondering, as twice in February I received new books in the mail before their official release dates?

And this has never happened to me before??? And I buy quite a few books, especially on the internet. I've gotten them on the release date before from Amazon, but never weeks early before.

(In case you are wondering, Abercrombie's Before They Are Hanged came waaaaay early from Amazon, and last week the Science Fiction Book Club sent me Erikson's Reaper's Gale, closer to its official date than the other, but still early.)

If this is the "new" thing, I certainly won't complain. Hope Martin's A Dance With Dragons arrives earlier than its September release date. too!

Well, I know that the later Harry Potter books often arrived in homes a few days before the actual release date with "DO NOT OPEN BEFORE [insert release date here]!!!!" on them. Because one of my friends had preordered one of the newer ones (I think it was the 6th book).

As Holsety said the Harry Potter books were known to be delivered earlier than the date but that was more to have stocks ready for the day of release in my view. I work in public libraries and have noticed quite a few things delivered before the release dates, primarily cds. We sometimes have to put them on hold back for a couple of months before we are leagally allowed to put them out for the public. The same goes for dvds, althought his is normally just a few days before.
I'm surprised that you are receiving books that far in advance though!

Amazon seems to quite often do this. I received Reaper's Gale a week before its release last year, and I've had other books sent out before the street date in the past. Bookstores occasionally have books on display early as well.

I've never received a book prior to the release date. HP books were delivered to me on day of release. I tried to get several stores to sell FR to me on the day before release and none of them would do so.

dlbpharmd wrote:I've never received a book prior to the release date. HP books were delivered to me on day of release. I tried to get several stores to sell FR to me on the day before release and none of them would do so.

Prior to the last month, my experiences have been like Don's - getting it on the release date or a bit after - never before.

Once I picked up a music CD while grocery shopping (the closest grocery store to my house is a huge warehouse club that has music and large appliances and all sorts of stuff in addition to food). The clerk tried to scan it, and got a message on the register that it was not released yet, and that I was not allowed to buy it! they had a huge display up with a couple hundred of that particular release back in the music area; the clerk called to the back to have the display taken down.

Amazon is doing it again. The new LeGuin book is not due out until April 21; they started shipping it last week. It is due to get to my house on Tuesday.

I'm not complaining, though. It looks to be really good - a retelling of part of the Aeneid in the form of a tragedy, from the eyes of one of the women characters. It is called Lavinia, and I am really geeked up to read it.