Month: May 2022 Page 2 of 6

Towel Day ’22: Do You Know Where Your Towel Is?

On May 25, 2022

In A-B, Authors, Calendar Items, Douglas Adams, Fiction, News/Misc., Science Fiction, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

(updated and revised this 5/25/22)

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has a few things to say on the subject of towels.

A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-bogglingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can’t see it, it can’t see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.

More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitch hiker) discovers that a hitch hiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitch hiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitch hiker might accidentally have “lost”. What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with.

Hence a phrase that has passed into hitchhiking slang, as in “Hey, you sass that hoopy Ford Prefect? There’s a frood who really knows where his towel is.” (Sass: know, be aware of, meet, have sex with; hoopy: really together guy; frood: really amazingly together guy.)

Towel Day, for the few who don’t know, is the annual celebration of Douglas Adams’ life and work. It was first held two weeks after his death, fans were to carry a towel with them for the day to use as a talking point to encourage those who have never read HHGTTG to do so, or to just converse with someone about Adams. Adams is one of that handful of authors that I can’t imagine I’d be the same without having encountered/read/re-read/re-re-re-re-read, and so I do my best to pay a little tribute to him each year, even if it’s just carrying around a towel.

Some time in 7th or 8th grade (I believe), I was at a friend’s house and his brother let us try his copy of the text-based Hitchhiker’s Guide game, and we were no good at it at all. Really, it was embarrassing. However, his brother had a copy of the novel, and we all figured that the novel held the keys we needed for success with the game (alas, for us it did not). My friends all decided that I’d be the one to read the book and come back in a few days as an expert.

I quickly forgot about the game. Adams’ irreverent style rocked my world—could people actually get away with saying some of these things? His skewed take on the world, his style, his humor…and a depressed robot, too! It was love at first read.

It was one of those experiences that, looking back, I can say shaped my reading and thinking for the rest of my life (make of that what you will). Were my life the subject of a Doctor Who or Legends of Tomorrow episode, it’d be one of those immutable fixed points. I read the books (particularly the first) so many times that I can quote significant portions of it, and frequently do so without noticing that I’m doing that. I have (at this time) two literary-inspired tattoos, one of which is the planet logo*. In essence, I’m saying that Adams has had an outsized influence on my life and is probably my biggest enduring fandom. If carrying around a (massively useful) piece of cloth for a day in some small way honors his memory? Sure, I’m in.

* I didn’t know it at the time, but Adams didn’t like that guy. Whoops.

One of my long-delayed goals is to write up a good all-purpose Tribute to Douglas Adams and his work post, and another Towel Day has come without me doing so. Belgium. Next year . . . or later. (he says for at least the 8th straight year, a work ethic I like to believe Adams would endorse).

In the meantime, here’s some of what I’ve written about Adams. A few years back, I did a re-read of all of Adams’ (completed) fiction. For reasons beyond my ken (or recollection), I didn’t get around to blogging about the Dirk Gently books, but I did do the Hitchhiker’s Trilogy:
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Life, The Universe and Everything
So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish
Mostly Harmless
I had a thing or two to say about the 40th Anniversary of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Last year, I took a look at the 42nd Anniversary Illustrated Edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Also, I should mention the one book Adams/Hitchhiker’s aficionado needs to read is Don’t Panic by Neil Gaiman, David K. Dickson and MJ Simpson. If you’re more in the mood for a podcast, I’d suggest The Waterstones Podcast How We Made: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy—I’ve listened to several podcast episodes about this book, and generally roll my eyes at them. But this is just fantastic. Were it available, I’d listen to a Peter Jackson-length version of the episode.

I’ve only been able to get one of my sons into Adams, he’s the taller, thinner one in the picture from a few years ago.

You really need to check out this comic from Sheldon Comics—part of the Anatomy of Authors series: The Anatomy of Douglas Adams.

TowelDay.org is the best collection of resources on the day. One of my favorite posts there is this pretty cool video, shot on the ISS by astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti.

Even better—here’s an appearance by Douglas Adams himself from the old Letterman show—I’m so glad someone preserved this:

Love the anecdote (Also, I want this tie.)

Nothing to See Here (Audiobook) by Kevin Wilson, Marin Ireland: This Family Drama Hits All the Right Notes

By HCNewton

On May 24, 2022

In Audiobook, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

Nothing to See Here

by Kevin Wilson, Marin Ireland (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: HarperAudio
Publication Date: October 29, 2019
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 6 hr., 40 min.
Read Date: May 16-17, 2022

What’s Nothing to See Here About?

Over a decade ago Lillian and Madison were roommates at a boarding school for the upper crust (or scholarship kids like Lillian). They were incredibly close until Lillian was expelled. Even then, Madison wrote Lillian regularly and Lillian responded sometimes. They didn’t see each other, only corresponded.

Madison’s gone on to success in politics—first as a campaign staffer, now as the wife of a Senator, who is likely to be tapped for a Cabinet position. Lillian…well, she’s not done really well for herself. The controversy over her expulsion followed her through school—she didn’t get the scholarships she needed to get out of her situation. She’s still living with her mother—which is a pretty contentious relationship.

Now Madison writes with a job offer/plea for help. The Senator’s previous wife has recently died and he needs to take custody of their children. Madison would like Lillian to act as a governess (Lillian keeps saying “nanny,” much to Madison’s consternation) for them, at least until her husband’s nomination is confirmed by the Senate.

There’s a catch. The twins will sometimes burst into flames. Like Johnny Storm without the flying or the trip into space that goes horribly wrong.

They won’t suffer any injury from it, but the same can’t be said for their clothing or anything near them. Lillian needs to keep them out of the press, away from Madison’s son, and hopefully under control. They want to/need to take care of the twins, but really don’t want to have anything to do with them.

This will be the best-paying job Lillian ever has held. She knows nothing about working with kids—and the only models she’s ever had for it are horrible. But she’ll do whatever Madison asks (and she could use the money). Also, she knows what it’s like to be a kid who needs a break—maybe she can help these kids out.

A Pleasant Twist

So you have a couple of kids who burst into flames from time to time. 97% of authors are going to devote the novels to the rest of the characters spending the bulk of the book trying to figure out how or why that happens, and what they can do to stop it/duplicate it/fight crime with it.

Wilson’s in that other 3%, thankfully. Yes, there are some efforts to learn why it happens, but that’s never the focus—and most of the time, those who are investigating aren’t characters who were supposed to be that sympathetic.

The focus remains on the kids as kids—how does Lillian help them feel safe? Wanted? Normal? She does work with them on not bursting into flame—but it’s not so much about the ability/affliction, but about helping them to be comfortable in their own skins—whatever temperature it is. It’s about self-acceptance (which leads to control).

How Was the Narration?

Normally, it takes me a chapter or two to “get into” a new-to-me narrator, or at least to decide what I think of the narration overall. But Ireland won me over within the first couple of minutes—as a certain janitor says, “I don’t know what IT is, but [s]he’s got it.”

She’s a narrator I’ll keep my eyes out for. I don’t know that I’ve seen her in anything, but I saw today that she’s going to be in the Justified revival—I’m looking forward to that.

So, what did I think about Nothing to See Here?

One of the reasons that I put off reading/listening to this book for so long, was that I remember The Family Fang falling apart in the end—or at least not ending as good as the first 80% or so of the book was*. I was more than a little apprehensive that the same thing would apply here. Thankfully, I was wrong.

* My memory of it is hazy, that’s just the sense I have—I could be wrong.

This book started strong and kept getting better—it didn’t end like I thought it would but ended the only way it could’ve (in retrospect). The only way it could’ve been better is for the middle bit to be longer and more detailed. These are fantastic characters, and the concept is just as fantastic. These kids belong in a speculative work of some kind—SF or Fantasy (Urban or otherwise). But no, Wilson puts them in the middle of a family drama. And it’s great to see. Funny, warm, and heartfelt—Nothing to See Here scored on all fronts for me.

4 1/2 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

The Traitor’s Heir by Anna Thayer: He’s Gonna Have to Serve Somebody

By HCNewton

On May 23, 2022

In Fantasy, Fiction

The Traitor’s Heir

by Anna Thayer

DETAILS:
Series: The Knight of Eldaran, #1
Publisher: Lion Fiction
Publication Date: May 15, 2014
Format: Paperback
Length: 541 pg.
Read Date: May 16-17, 2022

What’s The Traitor’s Heir About?

When the book opens, Eamon Goodman, the orphaned son of a bookbinder currently a cadet in the final stages of his training as a member of the army of the Master of the River Realm. He doesn’t seem to be very good at being a soldier but is committed to passing and taking the oath. Beyond that, his heart doesn’t seem to be in it, either—but maybe it’s just the best route for some sort of security for him.

He seems to be a decent guy in an army that doesn’t have a lot of them—although those traits seem to be highly valued. After taking his oath, and achieving more success than seems deserved he meets someone who claims to be a descendant of the true king, deposed some centuries ago. Eamon agrees to work for this King in the capital.

Eamon isn’t the Chosen One—that’s (presumably) the King. However, Eamon is a direct descendant of the last King’s First Knight—champion and advisor. He’s not the Chosen One—he’s more like the Chosen Sidekick. Eamon’s calling seems to be to aid the King to reclaim the throne and serve him.

He goes to the capital and follows the King’s wishes. Until, with the help of a beautiful noblewoman, he gets distracted and serves the Master. Then circumstances lead him back to the King. And then…he ping-pongs between the two until he makes a final choice.

What I Don’t Get…

I’ve run into this issue before, this isn’t me picking on Thayer. The reader is clearly to get invested in this struggle between the King and the Master, we’re supposed to want to see the Master defeated and the King to retake the throne. But…

There is no reason to root for the King and his forces here beyond “generations ago his ancestor lost the throne due to the duplicity of his trusted knight. We have no vision of how he’ll improve anything for anyone but those supporters of his that have to hide their allegiance or have to live in his secret campground. His being on the throne would allow them to live openly and/or in society. Yes, he seems to be kind, compassionate, and honorable, but…there are a lot of good guys who happen to be related to someone who used to be in power that shouldn’t be put back in a position of authority.

There aren’t a lot of reasons for the reader to want to see the downfall of The Master. Sure, he treats those sewing dissension in the populace and/or actively working to bring down his government harshly. But…what government doesn’t? The methods he uses seem extreme and capricious, but also seem like the kind of thing a government in this setting would do.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s clear that The Master is evil, he manipulates Eamon throughout—and anyone who gets “behind the curtain” to see how the government is run should have qualms about it. But John and Jane Smith working away in their village outside the city aren’t being oppressed. They’re not being starved. They’re not being exploited. The same is true for Jill or Joe practicing their trades or selling their wares in the cities.

I can tell you why Panem’s President Snow should be defeated. I can tell you why the Golds should be replaced by the government that Darrow’s revolt made possible. The Sheriff of Nottingham? Oh, absolutely—Robin Hood is in the right. The White Witch and her never-ending (and Christmas-free) Winter need to be overthrown. But I can’t tell you how things are going to be better for the River Realm or its people. That’s really hard for me to push past.

So, what did I think about The Traitor’s Heir?

Thayer has a thinly disguised allegory here—our protagonist is a good man who has sworn an allegiance to an evil master while being given grace by the rightful king, who appeals to him to freely choose to serve this king. Allegories aren’t necessarily supposed to be subtle, but this was just one degree shy of Pilgrim’s Progress-level obviousness. Go for allegory if you want, but unless you’re Bunyan, do something other than use it like a 2×4 in the hands of “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan.

Eamon didn’t struggle between the two who wanted his allegiance. If you think of his allegiance as a number line from -10 to 10, he was wholly devoted to -10 and then swung to the other extreme. Then he’d rush back to -10. He never spent any time at 5, or -5—always the extreme. Show me some wavering. Show him spending some time around 0, teetering in each direction. Give me conflict. All I see is a flake that two antagonists are vying over—for no discernible reason than his status as Chosen Sidekick.

Eamon is a problematic character for me—even without his wavering allegiances. I clearly can’t buy into the political struggle. I’m dissatisfied with the world-building (I had a section detailing it, but deleted it because this post was becoming too negative). This book was headed for the DNF pile…and yet.

And yet…

Thayer kept ensnaring me. I couldn’t stop reading. I wasn’t enjoying anything, didn’t think I was reading a decent book—but I had to know what the next page held. And the next. And the next. Sure, I kept checking the page number so I knew how much longer this would go (and kept wishing the number was closer to 541)—but I’d have to see what 253 held. It makes no sense to me—but Thayer got her hooks in me. Her knack for that means I can’t go lower than 3 (begrudging) stars

So yeah, this was a compelling, if frustrating, read. Your results may vary. I know at least one friend/sometimes reader of this blog will disagree with me (he is, after all, who recommended the book to me). Others are more than welcome—encouraged, even—to weigh in and tell me what I missed. Give this a shot if the idea appeals to you—the trilogy looks like it’ll take a different shape than most. Just that novelty may be enough to intrigue you (it pulls on me).

3 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Book Blogger Hop: DWR? (Drinking While Reading)

By HCNewton

On May 23, 2022

In Book Blogger Hop, Books, News/Misc.

Book Blogger Hop

This prompt was submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer:

Do you drink tea or coffee while reading?

Yes.

Phew, that was easy. See you next week!!

Seriously, yes, I’ll drink tea or coffee while drinking. Or water. Or an adult beverage. Or…okay, that’s pretty much it, right? There aren’t a lot of other options. I don’t have a go-to beverage while I’m reading–pretty much whatever is on hand, or what I’m in the mood for at the moment.

This is something I’ve thought a little about (which I admit is odd, who spends time thinking about drinks?). A couple of years ago, I wrote a little about Dryad Teas Dresden Files varieties. I still like the idea of teas based on fictional characters and would like to find some more, just to try. Anyone have any recommendations?

I also wrote a post called Pairing Potent Potables with your Perusals of Prose, where I tried to think of perfect beverage/literature combinations. I’ve tried a couple of times to update it, but haven’t found anything that worked.

So, yeah, I have committed DWR, and will do so again, without compunction.

What about you?

The Doctrine of Scripture: An Introduction by Mark D. Thompson: A Strong and Helpful Entry this Series

By HCNewton

On May 22, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

The Doctrine of Scripture:
An Introduction

by Mark D. Thompson

DETAILS:
Short Studies in Systematic Theology
Publisher: Crossway
Publication Date: April 26, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 185 pg.
Read Date: May 15, 2022

The Christian doctrine of Scripture is an integrated account of the word of the living God given to us in written form through the conscious, creative, yet faithful agency of human servants especially prepared for this work, and attended at every point by the Holy Spirit. As a doctrine, it does not arise from isolated and unusual “proof texts.” Instead, it emerges from a broad and deep biblical theology and is ultimately anchored in the being and character of the triune God. At its center is Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, who himself appealed to the written word, both endorsing and fulfilling the Old Testament and, through the commission he gave to his apostles and the promise of his Spirit, authorizing the New Testament.

What’s The Doctrine of Scripture About?

This seventh volume in the Short Studies in Systematic Theology series addresses (as the title states), the doctrine of Scripture.

Thompson grounds his discussion in Christ’s view of Scripture—how he uses it, refers to it, and points people to that. If that’s his view, then those who follow him ought to share it. From there, he discusses God’s speaking to his people as depicted throughout Scripture—as He is a communicative God, we ought to rightly esteem and study that communication—starting with the spoken word and then the record of it—as well as the rest of the written revelation given to us. He then explains the attributes—or character—of Scripture: clarity, truthfulness, sufficiency, and efficacy. The book then closes with some guidance and encouragement for how the believer ought to use scripture—how we are to be discipled by it.

Highlights

I typically like to address highlights in a book like this—sadly, I don’t think I can really point to any. I can’t point to a chapter or two, or line of argumentation, or anything that I thought was more valuable, made a bigger impact on me, or anything else. It’s a strange feeling, really. Each chapter was equally strong—it’s not often you find a book like that.

I guess the strongest part of the book was Thompson’s approach—he kept it centered on Christ. Nothing against other books on the Doctrine of Scripture or Sola Scriptura, etc.—but few of them focus on Christ this way.

So, what did I think about The Doctrine of Scripture?

How a person responds to the word of God, spoken by Jesus or written in the Scriptures, has serious consequences. The most articulate confession of the nature of Scripture and the strongest affirmations of its authority mean nothing if a person is not willing to live under that authority with repentance and faith. In contrast Jesus once exclaimed, “Blessed . . . are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28).

This is one of the better entries in the series—it covers all the basics in clear, comprehensible terms, and then goes a little further, prompting the reader to further reflection and study.

A book this good deserves more than that sentence as an evaluation, but there’s not much more to be said. If you’re looking for a capable, accessible, and useful introduction to the Doctrine of Scripture—or a refresher on the essentials on this vital topic, you will be well served to give this a read.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Saturday Miscellany—5/21/22

By HCNewton

On May 21, 2022

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet Where to dispose of unwanted books? Try a library bookstore—worth a shot, right
bullet What Do We Lose—and Gain—As Book Tours Move Online?
bullet A Quick Note on Dear Fahrenheit 451—Yes, this book looks like a great read, but I’m linking it because of this review. Wish I could write something as good as this.
bullet A Deep Dive Into The Book Community’s Toxic Cancel Culture—I have a degree of trepidation in using the phrase “Cancel Culture” because of the way it’s being used by a lot of people from all over the spectrum, but…there’s a lot of good things to chew on in this post.
bullet Why I Keep My Books
bullet Borrowing Books and Stuff – A How To—There’s a mental list of people that I want to send this to. I won’t, because I prefer that they still talk to me and not about me, but they could sure use it.
bullet A Guide: How I Read More Than Most Probably Do
bullet Let’s Talk: Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week—SPAAW is coming back this July.

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman—”When Laura Costello moves to Los Angeles, trying to escape an overprotective family and the haunting memories of a terrible accident, she doesn’t expect to be homeless after a week. (She’s pretty sure she didn’t start that fire — right?) She also doesn’t expect to find herself adopted by a rogue bookseller, installed in a lovely but completely illegal boardinghouse, or challenged to save a losing trivia team from ignominy… but that’s what happens.”
bullet Dead Against Her by Melinda Leigh—the new Bree Taaggert looks like it’s going to take care of most of my ongoing complaints about the series in one fell swoop. Can’t wait.

The Friday 56 for 5/20/22: Heroic Hearts edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes

By HCNewton

On May 20, 2022

In Currently Reading, Fantasy, Fiction, News/Misc., Quotations, The Friday 56, Urban Fantasy

This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice.

RULES:
The Friday 56 Grab a book, any book.
Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
Find a snippet, short and sweet.
Post it.

from Page 56 of:
Heroic Hearts

Heroic Hearts edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie Hughes, “Comfort Zone” by Kelley Armstrong

My faith in humanity has been tested by the sheer number of the last kind. Ghosts trapped in this realm by bitterness and a need for revenge. I’ve taken to humming “Let It Go” as my answer, which works much better on modern ghosts.

Then there are the ghosts who treat necromancers like an Internet connection. They want us to pop off an e-mail. Or check the stock market. Hey, you there, necromancer, can you tell me how the Cubs are doing this season? Can you tell me how my favorite TV show ended? Simple requests, easily completed, but once you start doing them, you never stop, and pretty soon, you have a dozen ghosts wanting weekly coffee dates, during which they watch you creep on their family and friends’ social media accounts.

Just say no. The mantra of necromancers everywhere.

Heroic Hearts ed. by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes: Street-wise Herculeses to fight the rising odds

By HCNewton

On May 20, 2022

In Alpha & Omega, Fiction, Harry Dresden, Iron Druid Chronicles, Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, Patricia Briggs, Urban Fantasy

Heroic Hearts

edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie Huges

DETAILS:
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: May 3, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 345 pg.
Read Date: May 18-19, 2022

Heroes have fascinated humanity since we started telling stories. They became even more fascinating when we started writing the stories down—and achieved the status previously reserved for pantheons of deities when we started putting them on the big screen. Heroes have become big business.

But heroes, real heroes, aren’t titans or icons.

Real heroes are standing behind cash registers, starting cold trucks, getting kids out of bed. They’re the everyday humans who happen to be standing there when something bad happens, and when there is a sudden need for skill, courage, or intelligence. They’re the regular people in irregular circumstances who find themselves considering others first and standing up to do whatever needs to be done.

What’s Heroic Hearts About?

In her Foreword, Kellie Hughes describes this as

a collection of hopeful stories about courage, bravery, codes to live by, and people you can trust.

Who doesn’t love a hero story? Here we have twelve stories from a dozen UF authors all approaching this idea in their own distinctive ways. Some are stand-alones, some are parts of a series.

Authors I’m Not That Familiar With (if at all)

It’s the rare anthology that will be full of only authors you know well—half the point of one of these is to be exposed to someone new so you can decide if you want to read more by them.

Charlaine Harris wrote the only story I didn’t appreciate in this collection, I just couldn’t get into it. That’s likely something to do with my mood/what I ate today/something else. Most days, I simply wouldn’t have cared—I don’t think it’s in me to really like this one.

I thought the rest of the stories were entertaining and well-executed, but a few are going to get me to keep an eye out for authors/series. Chloe Neill’s “Silverspell” tempted me to check out the rest of that series, these are characters and a world I could spend more time with. Jennifer Brozek’s “The Necessity of Pragmatic Magic” was great—ditto for “Grave Gambles” by R.R. Virdi.

“Troll Life” by Hughes was just wonderful. It’s everything you want in a short story—we’re given a well-developed world, a handful of strong and interesting characters, a good plot, and it just made me smile throughout.

Authors I’m Very Familiar With

Kevin Hearne, Patricia Briggs, and Jim Butcher are what brought me to this collection. I’ve read everything I can by them, so that’s not surprising, right?

We meet up with Atticus, Starbuck, and Oberon in Australia, looking into the cause of a massive forest fire, in “Fire Hazard.” It’s told from Oberon’s point of view, which makes it a sure-fire win. I’ll read just about anything in Oberon’s voice—and this story demonstrates why. It’s funny and action-packed. Some of the best lines in the book are in this story, too.

I wasn’t that interested in “Dating Terrors,” by Patricia Briggs based on the idea. “Asil on a blind date” just doesn’t draw me in—sure, I’m curious about Asil’s activities, so I wanted to read it. But the concept didn’t grab me. That lasted only a few pages—now I want to see more about Asil’s date and her friends. Preferably with Asil around, but that’s not necessary. I should’ve known Briggs would hook me by the end, and come into it with better expectations.

This brings us to the story the book opens with (but I saved until the end), Jim Butcher’s “Little Things.” This happens days after Battle Ground, as the city (and its wizard defender) is trying to recover from those events. The “Little Things” this story focused on are Major General Toot-Toot Minimus, his forces, Lacuna, and Mister. When a threat to the castle slips by the guards and other defenses, these heroes have to rise to the challenge. It’s deceptively fun, light, and breezy. But it’s Butcher, you know he won’t let you off that easy. Dresden in the shadow of Battle Ground? The emotional core of this story isn’t small. The story made my day…I’ve got nothing negative to say about it.

So, what did I think about Heroic Hearts?

This is a strong collection of Urban Fantasy stories, with a little something for everyone. Anything I didn’t mention above was fine—they’re all written well, but some characters/stories aren’t for everyone, and that would describe the few I didn’t talk about. Every story was worth the time (except for that thing by Harris, I just didn’t see why that was written—and I wouldn’t be shocked to hear that most readers of the book will think I’m nuts for that).

This probably would’ve gotten a warm 3 Stars from me, if not for the Briggs and Butcher stories. I enjoyed almost all of these stories, and really only disliked one. But wow, those two were just outstanding. Nothing that made me as happy as those two did is going to get less than 4.

Even if you’re new to the genre or are only a fan of one or two of the authors, I expect you’ll find yourself enjoying most, if not all, of the book. Pick it up.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions expressed are my own.

Spelling the Month in Books: May

By HCNewton

On May 20, 2022

In Books, News/Misc., Uncategorized

Spelling the Month in Books: May

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Like many people my age, I came to Robert C. O’Brien’s novel through the animated adaptation, The Secret of NIMH. But after seeing the movie a few times, I tracked down the novel for one of my first lessons in “The Book is (almost) Always Better.” There’s just something about the story of this poor mother mouse having to get help from the escaped Lab Rats with their advanced technology and knowledge to help save her family, and the lengths she goes to in order to help those rats herself. It was award-worthy in the 70s and would be today, too.

(I imagine…I mean, it’s been ages since I read it)

Alchemystic

Anton Stout’s The Spellmason Chronicles kicks off with this blast of a novel. A struggling artist discovers she comes from a line of magic-users (she also discovers that magic is a thing) and that she has a gargoyle protector. It’s a great new magic system, I really enjoyed Lexi and her friends (who have great story arcs of their own), the gargoyle, Stanis, is a great creation—really, the whole thing is a fun adventure, and the trilogy that ensues is a favorite around my house.

You

If you take the love of video games and late 20th Century American pop culture from Cline’s Ready Player One; the ability of Michael Chabon in The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay to tell a compelling story while also giving a history of a creation of a medium; and mix them with Lev Grossman’s The Magicians series’ sense of disillusionment that comes from childhood loves and obsessions meeting with the real world—you might get something like Austin Grossman’s bittersweet story of friendship.

This is Going to Hurt (Audiobook) by Adam Kay: It’s Funny Because It’s True. Also, Dispiriting Because It’s True

By HCNewton

On May 19, 2022

In (Auto)Biography, Audiobook, Humor, Non-Fiction

This is Going to Hurt:
Secret Diaries of
a Junior Doctor

by Adam Kay

DETAILS:
Publisher: HarperAudio
Publication Date: March 7, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 5 hr., 47 min.
Read Date: May 17-18, 2022

Doctors must be psychologically fit for the job — able to make decisions under a terrifying amount of pressure, able to break bad news to us anguished relatives, able to deal with death on a daily basis. They must have something that cannot be memorized and graded; a great doctor must have a huge heart and a distended aorta which pumps a vast lake of compassion and human kindness.

What’s This is Going to Hurt About?

This book covers the years that doctor-turned-comedy writer Adam Kay spent as a junior obstetrics doctor in the NHS. I’m going to gloss over the various titles he had because it’s a different system than I’m used to, and I’d botch it—but basically, it’s the first few years post-medical school.

Essentially these are excerpts (details tweaked to everyone’s privacy) from his diaries from that time showing the day-to-day realities he faced. Told with a comedic bent, sure, but it’s just real life—a version of real-life that’s more exhausted, more stressed, and covered in more and various bodily fluids than most of us have, sure. It’s told very anecdotally, he’s not trying to construct a narrative here, just “here’s Day X, here’s Day X +2,” and so on.

He talks about preposterous situations he’s put in because of his low-ranking status and/or NHS regulations, he talks about funny situations with patients, ridiculous colleagues, unsympathetic friends, harrowing experiences, and just strange ones. Given his specialty, he deals with expectant mothers, newborns, clueless fathers-to-be, and heartbreak. We get the gamut here.

Bonus Material

The audiobook I listened to was released with the paperback release and contained some bonus material—a few more diary entries and an afterword. The afterword was essentially a rallying cry for people to support the NHS’s existence.

I don’t have a dog in this fight—but I found his arguments compelling, and I thought his support of the NHS throughout the book (while freely critiquing aspects of it) added some good and necessary grounding to the humor. The life and death aspect of the book did, too—obviously—but that’s common with medical memoirs, this is distinctive (at least in my limited experience)

So, what did I think about This is Going to Hurt?

Called to the Early Pregnancy Unit by one of the SHOs to confirm a miscarriage at eight weeks—he’s new to scanning and wants a second pair of eyes. I remember that feeling only too well and scamper over. He’s managed the couple’s expectations very well, and clearly made them aware it doesn’t look good—they’re sad and silent as I walk in. What he hasn’t done very well is the ultrasound. He may as well have been scanning the back of his hand or a packet of Quavers. Not only is the baby fine, but so is the other baby that he hadn’t spotted.

I audibly laughed—twice—during the Introduction, so I was instantly on board with this book. The laughs really didn’t let up. At times, I wondered if it was a little too jokey, and wished we got more of the narrative about his experience—but then he’d say something else funny and then I decided I didn’t care because he’s a good comedy writer. Bring on the jokes!

Like the best medical comedies (e.g., MAS*H (in all its forms), Scrubs), Kay intersperses the laughs with drama and tragedy—stories of hard-fought success and heartbreaking—even devastating—loss. That augments both ends of the spectrum—while you’re chuckling, you’re more open to feeling the empathy to appreciate the dramatic. When you’re reeling from a hard experience, you need the laughter. If Kay’s TV scripts are anything like this, I wish I could see some of his episodes.

Kay handles his own narration here and is great at it, wry detachment mixed with a no-nonsense delivery. He knows it’s funny, so he’s not trying to push the humor, he just trusts the material and lets it do the heavy lifting.

When the library told me that my hold for this was ready, I didn’t remember requesting it—wasn’t sure at all why I did. But I gave it a chance, and am so glad I did—it made for a very entertaining 5+ hours. I think you’ll find the same if you give it a try.

3.5 Stars

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