Not my most productive (reading or writing) week, but have had fun with it. Last night I was told I could pass for Rothfuss if I grew my hair out (I’ll take that as a compliment) and I got to see and meet Craig Johnson (post to come) — nothing wrong with an evening like that.
Lacking a segue, here are the 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:
- “It was, and remains, not a book that you happen to read, like any other, but a book that happens to you: a chunk bitten out of your life.” Says Anthony Lane in this great piece about The Hobbit, which was published 81 years ago today (the book, not the piece, which was from 2001).
- Ace Atkins reminds us that Robert B. Parker would’ve been 86 this week with some nice words and great pic of one of the authors that changed my life/aesthetic.
- Books nobody can read
- Audible vs Libro.fm: Which Audiobooks Option Should You Choose?
- Either way, you may want to get your hands on this audiobook: Tatiana Maslany to narrate special-edition Hunger Games audiobook: First listen — which doesn’t technically make Katniss a seestra, but it’s close.
- A book by any other name: why does the US change so many titles? — amusing to read, but not super-informative
- Speaking of that . . . What 10 Classic Books Were Almost Called
- This Week’s New Releases I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
- Lethal White by “Robert Galbraith”– the fourth novel in the Cormoran Strike series — a mystery novel that’s the size of an epic fantasy (enjoying it, but wishes the point could get cut to a bit more often).
- How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler by Ryan North — in case you time travel to the far past and accidentally wipe out civilization, this book will show you how to rebuild civilization. Which sounds handy.
- Soulless (Illustrated Hardcover Edition) by Gail Carriger — I rather enjoyed the books in this series that I read before getting distracted. Maybe this new edition will help me get back into it.
- Battlestar Suburbia by Chris McCrudden — humorous SF, I’m not going to try to summarize in a sentence. Click the link.
- The Queen of Crows by Myke Cole — the middle, and likely darker, novel in the Sacred Thrones trilogy.
Lastly, I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to hellotheregigi and NAME for following the blog this week. 
pcochrun
Did I read that correctly? Are you reading Lethal White at the moment? I’m 70% through…
HCNewton
You did read that correctly. And you’re a little ahead of me.
pcochrun
Cool. Looking forward to swapping ideas about it.
passmethatbook
You’ve read more than me this week, though to be fair I had Penned Con in St. Louis (a gathering for Indie Author to see in person), a family emergency with my younger sister also in St. Louis, a lot of moving between Missouri, Kansas, and Missouri again, and finally, there was my battery for my computer crashing. I think I managed maybe two and a half books this week, which is rather sad.
Perhaps both of us can get better with reading next week? You did at least perk my interest with three books listed on your productive list to check out! *eyeballs Lethal White/TheQueenofCrows”.
HCNewton
Penned Con? That sounds interesting. Hope the situation with your sister is alright.
passmethatbook
Penned Con is over for this year as of today, but I can send you the link to its website if you want? You can plot and plan for next year. This was only their fifth year doing it, and they support autism awareness as well!
My sister was having serious asthma issues due to the sheer amount of smokers in the building. It’s all resolved now! =)