Saturday Miscellany—3/14/26

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:
I don’t think I noticed last October when Southern Living named its 50 Books From The Past 50 Years Everyone Should Read At Least Once—an impressive and daunting list, to be sure. But I did notice that Books of Brilliance talked about that list this week: Southern Living’s 50 Best Books of the Past 50 Years: The Novels That Defined Modern Literature
Why Motive Matters Even More than Truth in Crime Fiction:
Nadine Matheson mulls how to create narrative satisfaction rather than random violence—Matheson nails this
Acclaimed crime fiction writer M. W. Craven on upcoming TV adaptation —a good interview about upcoming adaptations, his MG James Bond series, and more.
Popular Book Genres Seen as “Easy Reading”—a typically thoughtful post from Briana at Pages Unbound.

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
The Conversation with Nadine Matheson Coffee Break with Neil Lancaster: The Dark Heart—a fun chat.
In Person With Paul Neil Lancaster—a more serious and wide-ranging conversation (that includes several great recommendations)

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
I had a light posting week due to running around getting things like fingerprints and drug tests for a then new job. But I did mention the releases of Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs; Stop the Presses! by Robert Goldsborough; The Stone Bearer by Jacque Stevens

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Butterfly Effects by Seanan McGuire—Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum I tried to express my enthusiasm for it earlier this week.
The Shadow Carver by Nadine Matheson—DI Henley is on the hunt for another grizly serial killer
The Dark Heart by Neil Lancaster—As you probably guessed from the above, Lancaster has a new book out. This time DS Craigie tangles with some spies.
The Best Dog in the World: Essays on Love edited by Alice Hoffman—”Fourteen beloved authors celebrate the life-changing bond with their canine companions in this heartwarming essay collection.” Something tells me that a Kleenex or eight on-hand would be a good idea.
The Most Dangerous Pet Shop by Paul Regnier—”On the night of his thirteenth birthday, Tristin is pulled through an enchanted mirror into a medieval fantasy realm with no way home. Stranded in the magical town of Springhaven, the fate of his family’s otherworldly pet shop is in his hands. But dealing with snapping dragons, talking animals, and mischievous pixies is a lot to handle.”
This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum—”Best friends Benny and Joy like to say they’ve been saving each other’s lives since the moment they met. Until the day Joy disappears and Benny is suspected of murder . . .” Check out the review over at Before We Go Blog.
Nobody’s Baby by Olivia Waite—A cozy sci-fi mystery novella set on an interstellar passage liner. This is the second in a series, but looks so good I’m getting my hands on the first one!
Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett—”When a magical hotel appears smack-dab in the middle of the most unmagical of worlds, the last thing the residents expect is to fall in love.”
The First Step by Tao Wong—”In a spectacular world of immortals, spirit beasts, and mystical martial arts, the young farmer Wu Ying’s life will be changed forever when he is unexpectedly invited to join an elite school of cultivation.”