Author: HCNewton Page 248 of 623

DETAILS:
Series: Constance Verity, #3
Publisher: Gallery / Saga Press
Publication Date: March 7, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 290 pg    
Read Date: April 6-8, 2022

She pushed a chair into a corner of the room not visible from the street and sat. There was a feel to her life. Danger didn’t usually feel this dangerous. Danger was just background noise. But this was a lot of people trying to kill her. More than normal.

What’s Constance Verity Destroys the Universe About?

This book starts off with Constance Verity doing something almost unbelievable for her—normal things. She attends a dinner party to celebrate her best friend’s/sidekick’s upcoming wedding, she spends a day hanging out with her fiancé at a park and museum—sure, there’s a duel with an alien in there, as well as dealing with an international crisis, etc. But for Connie, that’s pretty sedate.

Then things stop happening—no death rays, mad scientists, pan-dimensional threats—not even a kitten stuck in a tree. It’s unnerving to all who know her well. On the plus side, Tia and Hiro’s wedding should go off without an interruption, right? And it does—the reception, however…

When things start happening again, there’s a distressing trend—people from all over the universe and time show up because they’ve been told that Constance Verity is going to destroy the universe, and they’re going to stop her. The assassins are plentiful enough that Connie’s getting nervous—so she does what she can to keep her loved ones safe and then sets out to see why people are saying she’s going to destroy the universe. All she’s ever done is save it, why would she change?

A Plethora of Ideas

Connie had a problem with Nebraska. And that problem was that it was too close to Kansas.

Kansas, where dark gods waited to rise from their forgotten tombs and bring about the extinction of mankind.

Kansas, where all time travel led to a black void where a pale, wizened figure would greet you, playing a banjo and singing endless choruses of “Achy Breaky Heart.”

Kansas, where Connie had come the closest to death on more than one occasion.

Kansas, her kryptonite.

In a sentence or two—or five brief paragraphs in the above quotation—Martinez is able to tell a whole story—or at least hint at one. Most of these little stories could be fodder for a novella or a novel, but in this trilogy, they’re given anywhere from a sentence fragment to a page. And then he moves on to something else so the plot can be advanced.

Every A. Lee Martinez novel has a surfeit of ideas that come flying at you, that’s nothing new. But I think in these Constance Verity novels that he’s outdone himself. Martinez treats these all as throw-away remarks, with no real investment of time on the reader’s part. But it has to be the kind of thing that would drive your average novelist to exhaustion just trying to come up with them all.

You get just a taste of a fantastic adventure or death-defying feat that Connie’s pulled off (frequently with Tia at her side) in these. You add enough of these together and you really start to see all the things that Constance has done and you understand how much is riding on her successes and how she’s become a legendary figure throughout the universe.

Sorry, Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus*

It probably says something about the way my brain works that my favorite writing on Free Will vs. Determinism comes from Science Fiction—particularly those prone to a comedic tone. Okay, it says a lot about me, but that’s for another time.

Constance Verity Destroys the Universe plays with those ideas a lot—even knowing (after being told repeatedly from reliable sources) that she’s going to destroy the Universe, Connie refuses to believe it and flat out says she won’t. This idea is treated with derision by some (rightly) and supported and echoed by others (also, rightly). The mostly retired demigoddess of destiny that has moved into Connie’s apartment building cannot muster up the desire to weigh in on this, and of anyone, you’d think she’d have a lot to say about it.

I’m not saying that I think Martinez has penned a well-developed treatise on the idea in the middle of this SF/Fantasy Action novel—I’m just saying he has a lot of fun playing with the idea and that anyone who enjoys that sort of thing will find the Free Will vs. Determinism discussion a tasty side dish to accompany the SF/Fantasy entree.

* Okay, not really sorry.

So, what did I think about Constance Verity Destroys the Universe?

“I don’t have a lot of other leads, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that when in doubt, point myself toward the nearest adventure and let it work itself out.”

I hate that this volume is the end of the road for this trilogy—but I’m not sure what else he could accomplish in this world. When the series started, Connie was an adventurer/savior-of-the-universe wanting a normal life and being unable to; and we wrap up things up with her finding her own brand of normal, which she’ll be able to enjoy if she survives the assassination attempts and doesn’t destroy the universe. That’s a pretty decent arc.

I think I like the arc that her side-kick/best friend Tia goes on a smidge better, but that might be because Tia’s a bit more relatable to those of us not burdened with cosmic destiny. Either way, it’s a good run.

The ending of this is perfect on several levels—exactly how a novel (or a series) like this should end.

Could you read this apart from the other two novels? Yeah, I suppose. But I don’t think it’d be a great stand-alone, but you could get away with it. Why you’d want to, I don’t know—the first two books in the series are a blast.

On Twitter and his blog, Martinez will insist that he doesn’t write humor or comedy, that he’s not that satirical. I’m not so sure, but let’s take him at his word. His SF/Fantasy adventures (this one and all his others) are so funny that you can see why people would make that mistake. But when you ignore the humor, you get a very satisfying SF/Fantasy story that takes tropes and themes you’re very familiar with and presents them to you in a way that makes you see them with fresh eyes and frequently makes you re-evaluate the trope/theme to come at it with a new appreciation. If you happen to chuckle along the way, consider that a bonus.

Obviously, I recommend Constance Verity Destroys the Universe to you—and everything else Martinez has penned. Thank me later (if you remember to).

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.

WWW Wednesday, April 13, 2022

By HCNewton

On April 13, 2022

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc., WWW Wednesday

I don’t know how things are where you are, but we’ve had “third winter” hit here this week–a lot of cold and a lot of much-needed rain (not enough by any means, but that’s a whole different post). It’s good reading weather, though, so I’ll take it. But enough blather, why don’t we see what’s going on on this WWW Wednesday.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Easy enough, right?

What are you currently reading?

I’ve got two print works running at the moment: the unexpectedly fun, Blessed Are the Bank Robbers: The True Adventures of an Evangelical Outlaw by Chas Smith, and the newest adventure of Peter Grant and The Folly, Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch. I’m also listening to How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question written and narratoed by Michael Schur (with Kristen Bell, D’Arcy Carden, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Manny Jacinto, Marc Evan Jackson, Jameela Jamil and Todd May) on audiobook.

Blank Space

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished A. Lee Martinez by Constance Verity Destroys the Universe (and will hopefully get a post about that up anytime now) and Meat is Murder by Chris McDonald, Stephen Armstrong (Narrator) on audio.

> Blank Space

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger and my next audiobook should be Force of Nature by C. J. Box, David Chandler (Narrator).

Blank Space

How are you spending the days before the dreaded April 15th?

REPOSTING JUST ‘CUZ: Constance Verity Saves the World by A. Lee Martinez: Connie Verity is trying to have it all — a personal life while saving the world on a regular basis

By HCNewton

On April 12, 2022

In A. Lee Martinez, Constance Verity, Fiction, Science Fiction

Like I said earlier, I’m not having any success with my post about the third book in this series. So I’m reposting what I said about the previous two books to 1: To Have something to post today, and B. To hopefully use this as a way to get my brain in gear.

Constance Verity Saves the World

by A. Lee Martinez
Series: Constance Verity, #2

Trade Paperback, 385 pg.
Saga Press , 2018<br/
Read: August 18 – 20, 2018

“It’s a problem I have. When you’re ten years old and dangling from a cliff while rabid hyenas circle below, you learn to be stubborn. You can’t quit, because quitting isn’t an option. You dig your fingernails and pray that root doesn’t come loose. And if it does, you plan how best to fend off hyenas when all you have is a Pez dispenser and a priceless diamond in your pocket. I fight. It’s what I do. It’s how I survive. When people turn and run, I go forward. It’s kept me alive so far, but it’s skewed how I look at things.

“Somebody tells me I can’t do something, I want to do it more. Want isn’t a strong enough word. I need to do it. Give me that big red button labeled DO NOT PUSH in bright neon letters, and I’ll push it every time.”

Having fought for the ability to have a normal life in The Last Adventure of Constance Verity Connie’s out to try to have one. Which is harder than saving the world a few times a week. She’s still saving the world regularly, as well as having all sorts of adventures. She’s trying to settle down with her boyfriend Byron the accountant, while relying on her best friend/sidekick Tia some more (all the while, Tia is trying to strengthen her relationship with her ninja-thief boyfriend, Hiro). There are evil geniuses, aliens, robots, and vampires living in her condo — all of them behaving themselves, thank you very much.

One of the activities that takes most of Connie’s time right now is trying to help out an old friend cleanup the supercriminal organization that he’s in charge of now that his mother has apparently died. There’s a lot of rogue agents, assassins and experiments that need cleaning up if the organization is going to be come a legitimate force for good — or at least not a force for evil and chaos in the world. Connie’s tempted to spend more time doing that than she should, to the detriment of her relationship with Byron. Thankfully, Tia’s there to help keep her priorities in order. Hopefully, that’ll be enough.

You ever find yourself eating something — say, some cake — and you’re not sure if it’s too rich, if the frosting is too sweet? And then you realize how stupid you sound? Wondering if the cake is too good? Well, that’s the experience I had with this (and, I’m pretty sure with the previous Constance Verity book) — where there too many quips? Too many (seemingly) random ideas, aliens, evil masterminds, robots, henchmen of a variety of stripes, strange occurrences? What a stupid thing to ask. Yeah, there’s a lot going on, but it actually doesn’t get to the overload status. It may come close, but it stays on the right side. It’s like asking if there are too many animated personages in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, if there are too many Easter Eggs in whatever your Super-Hero movie of choice is. No, there’s not — there’s a lot of good things that are fun. Shut up and enjoy.

Really, that’s the worst thing I can say about the book — occasionally, there are too many fun things happening. The pacing is great, the characters are rich, lively, and well-developed (including many of those only around for a page or so), you’ll laugh, you’ll be moved, you might even have a thought provoked. It’s just a charming book set in a delightful world.

Do not make the mistake of thinking this is a romp, just a free-wheeling ball of fun, snark and self-referential humor. It’s an A. Lee Martinez book, so yeah, there’s a lot of that — but laying underneath that is a good story, some interesting ideas about relationships, about trust, about fate. A whole lot of other things, too, I’m sure, but let’s stick with those. Too many people will read this, focus on the “fun” stuff and will miss the very thoughtful portions — it’s Martinez’ strength and weakness that it’s so easy to do with his works. There’s nothing wrong with a silly adventure story, and there’s nothing wrong with a book that’s about something. But when you have a novel that’s both — you should pay attention to both.

I knew Martinez could write a series if he wanted to — I had no idea what it was going to look like when he did. I’m glad I got the chance to find out. Constance Verity Saves the World is equal to its predecessor in every way that it doesn’t outdo The Last Adventure of Constance Verity — which is no mean feat. It’s fun, the characters are better defined and have grown some, and there’s never a dull moment. Constance Verity, the caretaker of the universe, the Legendary Snurkab, possibly the only woman with more titles than Daenerys Targaryen, is a character you need to get to know. Her sidekick Tia is, too. I cannot wait to see what the two of them do next.

—–

4 Stars

REPOSTING JUST ‘CUZ: The Last Adventure of Constance Verity by A. Lee Martinez

By HCNewton

On April 12, 2022

In A. Lee Martinez, Constance Verity, Fiction, Science Fiction

I’ve spent a couple of hours trying to say something about the third book in this trilogy, but haven’t come up with more than “this is good.” So I’m going to repost this (and then what I said about Book 2 later on) while I go back to the drawing board.

The Last Adventure of Constance Verity

by A. Lee Martinez
Series: Constance Verity, #1

Hardcover, 384 pg.
Saga Press, 2016

Read: September 8 -12, 2016

“I didn’t think you believed in jinxes,” said Tia.

Connie didn’t.

But she wasn’t so sure that jinxes didn’t believe in her, and they’d had a long, long time to build a grudge.

I go in to a Martinez book assuming I’ll like it, this one took less time than usual for me to know I liked it. Lines like that are just part of why.

Thanks to a gift from a fairy godmother, since she was 7, Constance Verity has been saving the world as she goes on unbelievable adventure after unbelievable adventure — she travels the galaxy, time, alternate realities and all over (and under) the Earth. She’s run into demons, aliens, wizards, killer robots, mad scientists and many more threats — and overcome them all. A couple of decades later, she’s starting to think that she’s missing out on something despite all the excitement. She’s missing out on being ordinary.

Haven’t you saved the world on multiple occasions?”

“That’s what people tell me, but I’m beginning to think that the world isn’t as fragile as all that. The universe got along just fine for billions of years without me. I don’t think it needs me to save it. I think it all works out about the same in the end. Sometimes, I like to think of myself with a dead-end job that I dislike, a husband who is letting himself go, and some ungrateful kids I take to soccer practice. It sounds dreary, but at least it would be my life.”

Connie doesn’t stop to consider if she’s really cut out for ordinary, but if anyone can rise to the challenge of normality, it’s Constance Verity.

So she and her ~~sidekick~~ best-friend, Tia, head out to get that normal life for her. Step 1: Kill her fairly godmother.

I really don’t know what to say about the book beyond this without getting into more details than I ought. I guess I could say a few things about character. Connie is a great character, for someone who’s lived a superhuman life, she’s really human. Tia is incredible — wise, funny, caring, a real good friend. The relationship between the two is almost perfect.

This is a typical Martinez — a strange combination of loony and thoughtful. You can laugh and then be struck by a profound thought within a couple of pages. This is a fun adventure (a handful, really), and a bit of a commentary on heroes, villains, tropes and themes in SF stories (particularly the pulp-ier variety).

This is the first installment in a series — which is something Martinez hasn’t done before — I have no clue how he’ll pull this off, the book ends like I’d expect a Martinez stand-alone to end, so I have no idea how he’s going to follow this up. But I cannot wait to see.

—–

4 Stars

Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian: A Modern Take on a Classic Mystery

By HCNewton

On April 11, 2022

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Under Lock & Skeleton Key

by Gigi Pandian

DETAILS:
Series: Secret Staircase Mysteries, #1
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: March 14, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 333 pg.
Read Date: April 5-6, 2022

What’s Under Lock & Skeleton Key About?

Tempest Raj was an illusionist whose star was on the rise—until a new illusion went awry during a performance. We don’t get a lot of details, but it was bad—injuring people and property. Tempest herself might have died. Her career did.

Her career in tatters, she goes back home to lick her wounds and decide her next steps. Magic’s all she’s known—it’s a family business and has been for generations, but her grandparents and father never wanted her to go into it in the first place, and are hoping that she won’t return to it.

Instead, they’re hoping she’ll join the family business—Secret Staircase Construction. The company makes things like secret staircases, hidden rooms, and treehouses that you can double as residences. Tempest stops by their worksite one day when a large sack is found in the existing wall—inside that sack is a body. Not just anybody, but Tempest’s stage double.

The questions that leap to mind are: Who killed her? How did the body get in the wall (it’s a move worthy of her father’s or Tempest’s skills)? Why hide it there? Was it a case of mistaken identity—was that supposed to be Tempest? The police land on a quick answer, but Tempest doesn’t buy it.

So Tempest looks into things on her own, while she tries to come to terms with her life, rebuild some friendships she abandoned when she left home, and deal with some other personal stuff that we don’t have time to get into.

Illusionist as Detective

A few years ago, didn’t ABC have a series where a stage magician acted as a police/FBI consultant? Sort of a Mentalist/Castle/Instinct thing. I’m pretty sure I watched an episode of it and resented the time lost.

That said, reading this makes me think they were onto something with the Magician-turned-Detective. The way that Tempest thought about some of the aspects of this work because of her background/career is perfect for this kind of thing. She’s better equipped to tackle investigative work than a lot of amateur sleuths.

Oh, the Food…

So, Tempest’s grandfather is spending most of his retirement cooking (or at least that seems to be pretty much what he does). He moved from India to Scotland as a teen and only moved to California a few years before the novel. His food seems to be a combination of traditional Indian flavors and Scottish dishes.

Really, all I know about Scottish cuisine comes from So I Married an Axe Murderer, and I have a beginner’s appreciation for Indian food, but, boy howdy the food in Under Lock & Skeleton Key sounds great. The descriptions of all the food Grandpa Ash puts together just kept making me hungry. Thankfully, there are a couple of recipes at the end of the book that will help with the cravings the text induced (and more on the author’s website).

So, what did I think about Under Lock & Skeleton Key?

The character work—not just with Tempest, but all the characters she comes into contact with–is the best part of the book, I want to spend more time with these people and to get to know them better (even the killer!). They’re a great batch of personalities, backgrounds, and interests—a cast unlike any series I can think of.

The book as a whole is like a course in classic mysteries (think early 20th Century), especially in the vein of locked room/closed circle mysteries. And that’s before one character actually starts lecturing Tempest in classic mystery structure (I loved that section of the book and would’ve willingly suspended the action for a little longer for that section to be 2-3x as long as it was).

I’m not entirely certain that the mystery was as good as the writing and characterization would lead the reader to expect, and the solution was a little bit of a letdown. The reveal of that solution, on the other hand, was exactly what I wanted. Everything else about the novel more than makes up for the slight disappointment I experienced.

I see this is the first of a series, but it feels like a stand-alone to me. Also—how often can you find a body on the premises of a remodel? How many times can an author get away with these characters coming across a murder that’s magic-adjacent? I really don’t think I care. I’ll buy whatever weak excuse Pandian can come up with for at least another one or two of these.

I’d recommend this for die-hard mystery readers or even those who only occasionally pick one up–the premise and characters for this novel/series are fresh, intriguing, and entertaining.

3.5 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.

What Are Christians For? Life Together at the End of the World by Jake Meador: A View for Living in Culture and Nature

By HCNewton

On April 10, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

What Are Christians For?:
Life Together at the End of the World

by Jake Meador

DETAILS:
Publisher: IVP
Publication Date: February 21, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 170 pg.
Read Date: March 27- April 3, 2022

God looks at this world and loves it, which is why we can and should do the same. This world is not something we should seek to escape through conquest or bend to our will through technique, power, or control. Rather, it is a gift given to us by God for our joy and his glory. Because God is love and his law is good, we can look at our neighbor and love him or her. Because God gave himself to us, we can give ourselves to others. We can confidently and joyfully enter into these debts of love that we build up over a lifetime of living in the world, and we can dispense them with extravagance, trusting that whatever wrongs we might experience today as a result of such living will be gathered up and made right in the glorious and perfect love of God.

The Back of the Book

What does a Christian political witness look like in our day?

Politics ought to be defined by fidelity to the common good of all the members of society. But our modern Western politics are defined by a determination to bend the natural world and human life to its own political and economic ends. This wholesale rejection of the natural order is behind the dominant revolutions in our history, and defines our experience in Western society today—our racialized hierarchy, modern industry, and the sexual revolution.

In What Are Christians For?, Jake Meador lays out a proposal for a Christian politics rooted in the givenness and goodness of the created world. He is uninterested in the cultural wars that have so often characterized American Christianity. Instead, he casts a vision for an ordered society that rejects the late modern revolution at every turn and is rooted in the natural law tradition and the great Protestant confessions. Here is a political approach that is antiracist, anticapitalist, and profoundly pro-life. A truly Christian political witness, Meador argues, must attend closely to the natural world and renounce the metallic fantasies that have poisoned common life in America life for too long.

Faithful Presence

In his discussion of the Christian response to those revolutions, Meador borrows a scheme from James Davison Hunter describing the four postures Christians have taken: defensive against, relevance to, purity from, and faithful presence.

He doesn’t spend a lot of space—but sufficient space—defining and then critiquing the first three, but gives more space to faithful presence. And actually, everything he argues for in the remainder of the book could fit in this category. I want to say I’d heard of Hunter’s categories before this, but I can’t remember where (in print or lecture). But first off, I really appreciated the schema in terms of describing how the American Church has responded. But even more, I appreciated Meador’s explanation of faithful presence and then his application of it.

Influences

Meador builds the arguments in this book on the work of Herman Bavinck—particularly his book, Christian Worldview. But he’s drawing on several other thinkers and writers from across the theological spectrum (a methodology borrowed from Bavinck). You can see the fingerprints of Lewis, Tolkien, Wendell Berry, John Paul II, Solzhenitsyn, Martin Bucer—and others. There’s a breadth of influences here that’s impressive and adds a lot to the arguments (and makes narrow-minded guys like me a little uncomfortable).

So, what did I think about What Are Christians For??

What did [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn] propose as a way through the revolution? We must turn, our eyes upward to the heavens, he said, not as a place to conquer, as his compatriots in the space program believed, but as a reminder that our lives exist as a vapor in the wind, and then comes the judgment.

We do not conquer the heavens; we are judged by them. And if we fail to discover the sources of spiritual health, there is nothing else for us. Our spiritual lives will continue to be trampled on by the weight of our age. And if our spiritual lives are destroyed, no amount of wealth or power can atone for such a loss.

This seems like one of those books that I need to read a handful of times and then read some scholarly reviews—pro and con—before I can really say I have a handle on the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments. Thankfully, this isn’t that kind of blog.

How did it read? Very nicely. Meador’s writing is strong, it’s clear, and he’s able to express complex thoughts in a very digestible manner. Sure, I think I need to read it a few more times before I could say I mastered the thoughts—but that’s on me, not the text, this is just not the kind of thing I spend a lot of time thinking about. I appreciated Meador being critical of both the American Left and the American Right (you rarely see that in Christian literature), while putting forth a vision built on the best of the Christian traditions.

I don’t think Meador offers a perfect solution to the situation we find ourselves in, but there’s a lot of insight and wisdom to be found in these pages. And even if it’s not perfect, it’s a whole lot better than anything else I’ve found.

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.

Saturday Miscellany—4/9/22

By HCNewton

On April 9, 2022

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

I don’t look at these posts on my phone–almost ever. But something led me to an old one yesterday, and ugh. These Saturday Miscellany posts just do not look right on them–I made a small tweak today that should help. If you read this on your phone/tablet, will you let me know if this looks better than usual? Also, my apologies.

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 Congress Investigates Book Banning in Schools—Oh good. Congress is getting involved. That’ll help.
bullet ALA Releases Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021—I don’t know much about the majority of this list, but I’ve read a couple of these and the noted complaints about them are pretty baseless. Can only imagine the rest of the list is similarly meritless.
bullet Will George R.R. Martin Ever Finish A Song of Ice and Fire? (And Does It Matter Anymore If He Doesn’t?)—The penultimate paragraph is pretty much were I am.
bullet Treasuring the Books No One Else Seems to Love—I think most of us can find ourselves in this
bullet How to Read More Books! 7 Tried and True Tips—Shelf Centered weighs in on this evergreen topic. Some handy tips.
bullet Buying Secondhand Books
bullet My Top 36 Fantasy Series/Books—As I demonstrated yesterday, I don’t think I could pull off a list like this. My hat’s off to Peat Long for doing so. Also, I’m coming back to this next time I’m in the mood for a fantasy read.
bullet Why I Love To Read… Middle Grade
bullet The 10 types of book reviewer!—Do you see yourself in one/more of these?
bullet PSA: Honesty and Book Reviewing—I may have linked to this last time Bookstooge posted this. I probably did. Still, it’s worth reading again.

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
bullet Blood Brothers Episode 87 with Ben Aaronovitch—a discussion with Aaronovitch on the eve of the next Rivers of London book. Aaronovitch was on his game here, very fun podcast.
bullet Fiction Fans Storm Front (Dresden Files) with Literature & Lofi—Ben from Literature & Lofi and the hosts talk about Butcher’s Storm Front, I’d quibble with some of the discussion, but on the whole, it was a decent look at the book/teaser for the series.

This week, there were no New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon. So I won’t be tempting you (or be tempted myself). Time to catch up on what you already decided to read!

The Friday 56 for 4/8/22: Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian

By HCNewton

On April 8, 2022

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

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:
Under Lock & Skeleton Key

Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian

This isn’t the family curse, Tempest told herself as she backed away from Cassidy’s body. It doesn’t really exist. Magic could be a dangerous profession if you weren’t careful. Before her grandfather’s eldest brother had died while performing an underwater escape, Ash hadn’t believed in the Raj family curse. But with the tragic death of his brother Arjun Raj, the whispers of a curse that had begun two generations before turned into a full-fledged legend.

The eldest child dies by magic.

Tempest couldn’t know what exactly had occurred over the past 150 years. What she did know was that a month after she nearly died on stage, her stage double was dead—and presented to Tempest like one of her own seemingly impossible illusions.

Book Blogger Hop: Favorite Books?

By HCNewton

On April 8, 2022

In Book Blogger Hop, Books, News/Misc.

Book Blogger Hop

This prompt was submitted by Julie @ Stepping Stone Book Reviews:

Are you able to choose your favorite books?

Um, er…yeah.

Sure.

Maybe?

I need some parameters, or we’re going to be here for a while. Quite a while.

How many can I pick? My desert island, all-time, top-five? Favorite Books in _____ Genre? Favorite Books from a certain year/decade/century? Favorite books by an Author?

And even then…an hour or so after I gave you my list, I’d have to revisit it.

And then a month later, and….you know what?

No. No, I am not able to choose my favorite books. I even tried to come up with a partial list, 2-3 books, with a few alternatives and I just quickly realized that I was going to spend more than an hour on the joke. A not-very-good joke.

Rats.

What about you?

COVER REVEAL: The Watcher by Lisa Sell

By HCNewton

On April 8, 2022

In Book Tour, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Welcome to The Irresponsible Reader’s part in the Cover Reveal for Lisas Sell’s Byline! We’ll get to the (intentionally) disturbing cover in a bit, but first, let’s read a little about the book, okay?

About the Book

The Watcher is a psychological thriller that will keep you hooked from the first page until the last…

What the reviewers are saying about The Watcher:

★★★★★ If you’re looking for something to keep you gripped, read this.

★★★★★ I have never read a book by this author, but I will definitely read more.

★★★★★ Such an intense, chilling, and spooky novel.

★★★★★ The plotline is superb, and the characters are brilliant and really help carry the story forward.

★★★★★ It had me captivated until the end. An easy, fast-paced read.

Harmony House has a voyeur. Someone with hidden cameras throughout the building. The residents are unaware they’re being watched, especially the ones up to no good.

I spy with my little eye; someone is going to die…

Purchase Link:

Amazon

About the Author

Lisa Sell is a thriller, crime, and mystery author. She is an avid reader with a to-be-read tower rather than a pile.

Music rocks Lisa’s world too, particularly a good eighties tune. If lost, you’ll find her in a DeLorean, headed for her favorite decade.

Lisa’s cats try to help her write but often fail. The furry pests demand attention and desk space. Lisa is currently applying for cat wrangling to be recognized as an Olympic sport.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram

The Cover

The Watcher Cover
That just makes you feel all creepy, doesn’t it? This releases on April 20, but why not go pick up a copy today?

My thanks to Red Dragon Publishing for the invitation to participate in this reveal and the materials they provided.