New to Me Author Month and some other crap

A friend of mine on Goodreads announced that he was going to spend October only reading horror authors he'd never read before.  I broadened the scope to all genres and dug through my slowly-shrinking to-read pile.  I hereby proclaim October to be "New to Me Author Month!" 

Here's what I intend to read.  If I somehow get through all of them before October is over, I'll just have to buy a couple more books:

1. Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
2. The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi
3. Meat Puppet Cabaret by Steve Beard
4. The Ammonite Violin by Caitlin R. Kiernan
5. Farthing by Jo Walton
6. Hiero's Journey by Sterling E. Lanier
7. The Backwoods by Edward Lee

Once October is over, my reading life will go into semi-hibernation as I take on the NaNoWriMo Juggernaut.  Still no concrete ideas about what I'm going to write although a steampunk story is sounding better every day.  Possibly a steampunk expedition to the moon or something.  Or a weird western.  Or something with a werefox.  Or...

I'm taking off work and going to BoucherCon tomorrow to meet one of my Goodreads friends and hobnob with crime and mystery writers.  Should be a fun time.  I plan to take pictures and present a semi-factual account of events upon my return.