Saturday Miscellany – 7/1/17

Odds ‘n ends over the week about books and reading that caught my eye. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:

Undoubtedly, you’ve read a little about the 20^th Aniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone this last week. Here are a few of the better things I read about it:
• A Potted History of Harry Potter — because who doesn’t like an infographic
• Twenty years of Harry Potter – the 20 things we have learned — from The Guardian
• The Three Year Summer: Reading Harry Potter, One Book at a Time
• Harry Potter Turns 20 — Novelist Harry Connolly looks back

…and some non-Potter reads

• Yesterday’s Pearls Before Swine — I’m with Doctor Dan
• Your Literary Idols and Their Wardrobes — ummmm
• A good reminder from Alex Bledsoe and Seanan McGuire
• LeVar Burton’s New Podcast is Like READING RAINBOW for Adults
• How One Man Overcame Blindness and Started an Audiobook Show for New Scifi and Fantasy
• Don Winslow: By the Book
• Fantasy author Myke Cole on grounding a medieval world with demons in it — can’t wait for this
• 10th Anniversary Edition: Cover Reveal for The Name of the Wind, I like the original cover better — but this is striking.
• Goodreads Readers’ Favorite Books of 2017 … So Far — huh
• B&N’s Sci-Fi and Fantasy blog gives us The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Books of 2017 So Far

A Book-ish Related Podcast Episode you might want to give a listen:
• Reed Farrel Coleman — on the Hear Me This Book podcast. I really wasn’t impressed with teh host (he derailed Coleman’s answers so many times), but I really enjoyed what Coleman had to say.

This Week’s New Releases I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
• The Right Side by Spencer Quinn — an injured soldier comes back from Afghanistan and as some trouble adjusting (to put it mildly). This is what I thought about it.
• The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch — A Peter Grant/Rivers of London novella, Ghosts and the London Underground — ’nuff said. If you care to glance at it, here’s what I had to say.
• SAUL by Bradley Horner — SF tale about a father trying to save his daughter. Horner writes some of the best reviews around, can’t wait to see what he produces on the other side of the fence.

Lastly, I’d like to say hi and welcome to dawgietime for following the blog this week.