Saturday Miscellany—8/31/24

While prepping this post, I took a glance at what books are coming out next month, so I can get on library waitlists and whatnot. Reader, I tell ya, my brain is melting. Tiffany McDaniel (one of my absolute favorite authors) is releasing a middle grade series. That’s strange enough, but the first book is described as, “a light-hearted and whimsical middle grade fantasy about a young girl who must save her witch aunt from an uncommonly voracious hat.” if you’ve read just one book by her, you’ll get what I’m saying.

Anyhow, we’ll save more thoughts about that until later next month. In the meantime:

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 Suspected burglar caught after sitting down with book—I’d pick up a copy of the clearly engrossing book if it was available in English (or if I read Italian), this is such a great advertisement for it. (the headline is good enough, but it’s worth reading the rest of the story)
bullet The New Trend In Book Covers Is Old-Timey Animals—good-bye to the era of color blobs
bullet Labors of Love: Eli Cranor on Education, Empathy and Experience —Great interview with Cranor (practically a tautology, I know), about one of those “why haven’t I read this book yet?” novels
bullet What Lasts and (Mostly) Doesn’t Last: On the books that are remembered, rejected, repudiated, and rediscovered
bullet 20 Old Words for Ignorant People: From ‘wantwit’ to ‘dorkmunder’ to ‘ninnyhammer.’—I’m such a sucker for lists like this. I’m going to work on getting #17 into my working vocabulary first (probably directed toward my dogs), but the rest sound almost as good.

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
bullet Hounded by David Rosenfelt
bullet Robert B. Parker’s Blind Spot by Reed Farrel Coleman—Coleman’s start to my favorite run on the series (yes, that includes the original).
bullet Lullaby Town by Robert Crais
bullet I noted the release of: Lock In by John Scalzi, The Revenge of Seven by Pittacus Lore The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter: The Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire, Book 1 by Rod Duncan, and Once Upon a Rhyme: Volume I of the Charming Tales by Jack Heckel (I only got around to half of these, probably the right half for me)

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet An Honorable Assassin by Steve Hamilton—I was truly worried that we’d seen the last of Nick Mason. Phew.
bullet Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B. B. Alston—Amari’s third book promises to be action-packed. It wouldn’t suprise me if Alston get at least one of Amari’s opponents to see the light and abandon the path they’re walking. But I hope they get smacked around a little first (I’m not proud of that). Still, I’m looking forward to seeing Amari and her friends step up here.
bullet Marvel: What If . . . Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? by Seanan McGuire—I’m not What If . . .‘s biggest fan, but “Peter Parker” and “Seanan McGuire” together override any disinclination I have.
bullet Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman—this looks like a ridiculous amount of fun that I probably should’ve read before now
bullet Kayfabe by Chris Koslowski—a humorous novel of about a brother and sister in professional wrestling.
bullet The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard—great premise. Probably too feline-y for me, but I might get to it

'To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life. -- W. Somerset Maugham' next to a picture of a young man reading in a tent flap. The tent is made of an open hardcover book

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2 Comments

  1. I feel bad smiling over an attempted burglary, but the way he got caught was just so relatable.

    • HCNewton

      You know that would be my downfall. (So appreciated the author’s response)

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