Author: HCNewton Page 323 of 610

Screamcatcher: Dream Chasers

by Christy J. Breedlove
Series: Screamcatcher, #2

Kindle Edition, 250 pg.
Fire & Ice Young and New Adult Books, 2020

Read: August 3, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Screamcatcher: Dream Chasers About?

Having survived their trip to the world of her family’s dream catcher, Jory and her friends have determined they can help others in the same (or similar) situation they were in—and better yet, they can make some good money off of it. In my post about the first book I said, “I don’t see how this leads to a sequel, in fact, I’d have thought it precluded one.” This? This is the way to a sequel—most of these kids could use a decent income and monetizing this particular skill is a smart move.

I’m going to cheat, again, and use the official blurb:

Seventeen year-old Jory Pike knows a thing or two about Indian lore from her half-blood Chippewa ancestry. She can trap, hunt and fish with the best of them. She has a team of three other teens friends called The Badlands Paranormal Society. Instead of bagging groceries or playing on I-pods, they think they can excel at banishing evil spirits. They hope to cleanse houses and earn fat paychecks for their services.

Dream catchers aren’t just the chic hoops tourists buy at novelty shops—they work. And sometimes they clog up with nightmares until they collapse under their own evil weight, imploding and sending the dreamer into an alternate world. Jory uses her worst nightmare to enter the dream catcher world. She’s pulled her teammates in deliberately. Everything goes right on schedule but they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. Now Jory and her friends are there, trapped between the people who have confessed their sins to the Great Spirit and are seeking a way out, and the monsters and evil spirits, which are happy to keep them trapped in the web world forever.

They were once considered Seekers in the dream world. Now they’ve become vigilantes and call themselves Pathfinders. Is it spiritual enlightenment they after? Or have they now become fatally reckless?

I can’t put it better than that—or more succinctly without being flippant.

The Problem of Peril

These next two paragraphs get a vaguely spoiler-y. Sorry. You’ve been warned.
In the second book of a series, you pretty much take for granted that the series characters will make it to the end—no matter how much danger might be lurking around the corner. So the threat has to hover over the new characters. And for me, I didn’t feel that for a moment for any of the “Seekers” they were trying to help get out of the nightmare world. Yes, there were obstacles, deadly ones at that—but, I just never doubted that anyone would survive.

It didn’t seem that any of the Badlands Paranormal Society felt that much different than I did—it seemed like they were just approaching the whole adventure as just another day at the office (or at the fast-food cash register, they are that age). And while this is a job to them, it shouldn’t feel like they’re punching a time-clock already, they’re too fresh at this to be so jaded. If Breedlove had made them confident to only turn and make the reader and the characters see that confidence as hubris, I’d have been all over it. But no, it was a near-blasé attitude toward the dangers and obstacles they faced. That just didn’t ring true or right for me.

So, what did I think about Screamcatcher: Dream Chasers?

That said, I liked it. It’s imaginative, you never know what’s going to be lurking around the next corner and how the team will get through it. These nightmare worlds are fantastic, the monsters they’re filled with are, too—and the opportunities to do just whatever in them seem almost endless. The characters are likeable—but they could all use a little more depth. But in too many ways, this felt like a slightly tweaked version of the previous book. The problem with peril that I just talked about is another stumble. If Breedlove can address those, and I imagine she will, I can see myself sticking around for a while with these books, and I do think people in the market for a YA fantasy adventure—particularly one not in the Western European mold—will have fun with this book.

Now that I know how the series is going to go, the question I had last time about how Breedlove could build on Web World is answered and I like the answer. I see that I’ve taken so long to write this up that the third volume in this series is available, I’ll be ordering it here shortly. I have great hopes for it.

Disclaimer: I received this novel from the author in exchange for this post and my honest opinion—I appreciate that, and do apologize that it’s taken so long to get it read and posted.

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.

Imaginary Numbers by Seanan McGuire: The Most Exciting Mathematician This Side of Charlie Eppes and Dr. Larry Fleinhardt

By HCNewton

On August 17, 2020

In Fiction, InCryptid, Seanan McGuire, Urban Fantasy

Imaginary Numbers

by Seanan McGuire
Series: InCryptid, #9

Mass Market Paperback, 365 pg.
DAW Books, 2020

Read: June 16-19, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Imaginary Numbers About?

The Price’s cousin, Sarah, the Johrlac (aka “cuckoo”) adopted by the family years ago and last really seen in Midnight Blue-Light Special—but mentioned in almost/every book since—has finally recovered from the events of that book (5 years ago, in the series chronology), or at least recovered enough to travel on her own. She’s still not at 100% (and is further from it than anyone but Sarah realizes).

She flies out to Portland to reconnect with the family out there, and while she does reconnect with the Prices, she also finds herself connecting to a bunch of other cuckoos. Which is something that the species just doesn’t do—these telepathic apex predators have developed in such a way that they can’t share territory for long at all. So the fact that you have a group of them working together spells trouble for Sarah and any cryptozoologists trying to keep the peace between the species (and, in this case, to preserve a spot for every species that isn’t a Johrlac to live).

That’s a little brief, but I don’t know how else to be.

Imaginary Numbers’ Place in the Series

It’s been five years in series’ time, seven years and seven novels in our timeline, since we spent any real time with Sarah. I remember really liking her as a character for the first two books and couldn’t believe McGuire would do what she did to her so soon out of the gate for the series. But over the years, as she’s been largely “off screen” recovering, I’ve pretty much forgotten everything about her and what made her click for me as a character. I remembered enough to understand what a big deal it was for Sarah and Artie to see each other and to be say all they needed to say. But beyond that…it’d just been too long for me. Maybe if I’d re-read Midnight Blue-Light Special recently (or ever), this wouldn’t have been a problem.

This is our fourth narrator (fourth plus? There’s a lot of this book not narrated by Sarah) in this series, and like most fans, I’ve embraced that as a feature and as a strength. But this one feels more like a sequel to the Annie books (the previous three novels) than we usually get with a narrator switch. There’s a direct connection between the events of Verity’s Chaos Choreography and Annie’s Magic for Nothing, and all the other books show an awareness of the others. But the cast from <‘b>That Ain’t Witchcraft is present and accounted for here, and Imaginary Numbers is happening in its shadow. This isn’t good bad or indifferent, it just gives this book a different vibe than I’m used to in this series.

And the way this ends is pretty different, too—McGuire hasn’t given us a cliffhanger (this is a pretty complete story, thankfully) before. It’s a good one, but, again, not something I’m used to in these books.

One of the advantages of the way this series is set up is that it can do things like this—each book, or each “set” of books*, can take on a different flavor, a different way of approaching the story, a different way to fit in the series, a different way to end a book. While all being part of a larger, overarching story. But there are some dangers with this approach, too. And right now I’m not sure what to think of the Sarah set’s approach.

* The initial “Verity” set, the “Alex” set, then the three “Annie”s and now, two (at least) “Sarah”s, I’m not sure how to group the Verity novel between the Alex and Annie sets.

Hail, Aeslin Mice!

There was much rejoicing here (and I’m betting among all fans) that the Aeslin Mice were back in these pages. If we took nothing else from their absence in the last two books, it’s just how important they are for the telling of these stories—they’re far more than comic relief (although they are that), and for me, the best emotional moments of this particular novel came from them.

So, what did I think about Imaginary Numbers?

I liked it, but not as much as I expected to, not as much as I wanted to. There was just so much space devoted to getting everyone caught up with Sarah (and reminding us who she was/what happened to her). Then another big chunk explaining Jorlacs—and then there was another exposition dump when the Johrlacs explained what was going on to Sarah (and then another chunk when it was explained to the Prices). Just so much talking that it felt like the story got pushed out of the way.

Based on the way this ended, I’m not sure I can actually say what I thought about the book. I might have to wait until the end of Calculated Risks. Still, I enjoyed it. I like this world, I like the characters. McGurie writes a good book, and is probably incapable of writing anything but.

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.

Saturday Miscellany—8/15/20

By HCNewton

On August 15, 2020

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

So, last week I started off talking about an interesting message I received with some valid critiques about my blog theme and mused about tweaking it in the future. Before the day ended, my friend who helped me move hosts recently gets a hold of me. “You know, I was thinking about this during the move…” and bam! By the end of the day, I have a shiny and new look. Which is by far my favorite iteration of The Irresponsible Reader.

Which leads me to this week’s musing, I recently received an email suggesting I add a couple of thousand dollars to my saving account…..

Seriously, I want to thank my correspondent (who likes the new look) and Micah for all the work.

And I think we have made some serious progress in the Comment woes I’ve had the last couple of weeks.

Annnyway,
that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
How to Show Kids the Joy of Reading
An Expert’s Guide to Finding and Listening to Amazing Audiobooks While Social Distancing
Now you’re talking! The best audiobooks, chosen by writers—I haven’t listened to any of these, but I’ve heard some of the narrators. Look like good choices, and I like the way the narrations are described.
The Joys of Mystery Fiction’s Most Enduring Tropes—one of the best recurring things in Crime Fiction
Followed by one of the worst…It’s Time to Demystify the Serial Killer—(which doesn’t mean a well-written serial killer isn’t a real pleasure, but, man…we’ve got too many of them
Ace Atkins on writing Mississippi noir in terrible times—a little bit about The Revelators, a little about the series as a whole
The World of Robert B. Parker’s Spenser and the Birth of the 1970’s Private Detective: The hardboiled protagonist who navigated both crime fiction’s progressive and reactionary strands.—I quibble with Lee over some of this–mostly the way she evaluates the strands. But this is one of those aspects of Parker’s writing that has appealed to me.
Stephenie Meyer: ‘I’d like to be remembered for writing The Host – but it’ll be Twilight’—Yeah, Meyer’s not a go-to of mine, and I have no intention whatsoever of picking up the new one. But I clicked on this one on a whim and actually enjoyed reading it.
Why Escapism is Important
6 things I love about blog tours!
Beginner’s Guide to Blog Tours—This is a very handy guide
Tips for Battling Reviewer Writer’s Block

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Lone Jack Trail by Owen Laukkanen—The sequel to Deception Cove, this time the ex-con is a murder suspect, and one of the investigating officers is his girlfriend.

I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome toconsideringthebibletogether who followed the blog this week. Who hoped to see you around.

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK XI., iii.-viii.

By HCNewton

On August 14, 2020

In Fiction, Fridays with The Foundling, General Fiction/Literature

Fridays with the Foundling
Allrighty, folks…buckle in. We’ve got to get through 30 pages here to get back on schedule.

We start with Mrs. Fitzpatrick telling Sophia what has her on the road, essentially recapping her entire life from the time she married Mr. Fitzpatrick. It takes three long (by Fielding’s standards) to get through. In short, she was taken in by his (fleeting) charms—a personality that disappeared soon after their wedding, and looks that went the way of all things. He, on the other hand, seemed primarily interested in her “Ready Money” (in the words of one of his impatient creditors). Even as she becomes aware of the latter, he’s able to talk her into returning to Ireland with him and to take up residence in an increasingly gloomy house. From this point, we get a tale of repeated arguments, infidelity (on his part), imprisonment in her quarters, and attempts to force her to sell part of her landholdings.

What a great guy, eh?

They’re interrupted briefly by the landlady with news that the French have arrived to throw in with the rebellion against the Queen. It’s distressing news to Sophia, but she’s so worried about her father’s arrival and what Mrs. Fitzpatrick’s been telling her that her reaction isn’t quite right.

Then Sophia tells her tale—Fielding tells us that he won’t recap what she says, because we’ve already read it. But, there’s a catch:

she made no more mention of Jones, from the Beginning to the End, than if there had been no such Person alive. This I will neither endeavour to account for nor to excuse. Indeed, if this may be called a Kind of Dishonesty, it seems the more inexcusable, from the apparent Openness and explicit Sincerity of the other Lady.—But so it was.

A Gentleman arrives at the Inn and, after a lot of fuss and bother, is revealed to be the gentleman and neighbor of Mrs. Fitzpatrick who helped her escape from her home and get to England. He agrees to help the ladies get to London safely.

I’ve got to say, this was hard to get through. It was exactly the kind of info dump that most authors try to avoid today, and just wasn’t that interesting. I hope, hope, that learning all this pays off eventually and is something more than just Mrs. Fitzpaterick’s backstory just to be told it.

Still, that little nugget about Sophia leaving Tom out of the tale of her last few months is interesting…

The Friday 56 for 8/14/20

By HCNewton

On August 14, 2020

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:
The Rome of Fall

The Rome of Fall by Chad Alan Gibbs

“Wait that kid is in my class,” I said, after the quarterback took off his helmet and jogged to the sideline. “Rome is starting a freshman quarterback?“

Deacon chuckled. “Who, Kyler? Naw, his parents held him back a year for sports, then he failed kindergarten. He should be a junior.”

“Wait, he failed—good lord,” I said then flinched as the sky filled with celebratory fireworks after the extra point split the uprights. “When did Rome get pyrotechnics?” I asked.

“Those were the brainchild of the great Jackson Crowder,” Deacon said. “He thought it was safer than fans shooting their own Roman candles.”

Of course it was safer, but I held my tongue.

The Revelators by Ace Atkins: It’s All Been Leading to This

By HCNewton

On August 14, 2020

In Ace Atkins, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Quinn Colson

The Revelators

by Ace Atkins
Series: Quinn Colson, #10

Hardcover, 386 pg.
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2020

Read: August 4-10, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

“Place kinda looks like when you came home ten years back?”

“Nope,” Quinn said, placing the small bottle back in the glove box. “It’s a lot worse.”

What’s The Revelators About?

How is it already book ten?

The Revelators starts with Boom Kimbrough trying to keep his friend alive. Quinn Colson has been responding to a call about a domestic dispute and had been ambushed by The Watchmen—the far-right vigilante militia beating him and then someone shooting him. When a book starts off with your series’ protagonist clinging to life, you know it’s going to be a grim time and it is.

A year passes and Quinn’s rehab has gone pretty well. The governor has appointed someone to fill in as Sherriff, and that man is everything that Quinn isn’t, he make’s Quinn’s crooked uncle look like a fine lawman. He’s not entirely physically ready, but he can’t wait anymore—Quinn’s got to step up and do his job before it’s too late and criminal elements have completely taken over. Quinn, Boom, Lillie Virgil, and the Jon Holliday (plus who knows how many undercover agents he has—he won’t tell anyone) prepare for a significant move that’ll put most, if not all, of the major elements in prison.

Meanwhile, the new Sherriff and ICE raid a local chicken processing plant (to the surprise of almost everyone in the county), arresting everyone, not allowing anyone to provide their immigration papers (of those who have them), merely sending them off somewhere to await deportation. Lillie and her church have their hands full with the children left behind by this move. If anything, this action galvanizes Quinn to step up his work.

Fannie Hathcock is making moves of her own, securing her position not only in Tibbehah County but the entire state (and beyond). And…well, I don’t have the space to keep going. There are so many moving pieces in this book I’m not even going to attempt to summarize.

There’s at least an allusion to the previous books, and many characters/crimes/events from them directly impact what happens here. The Revelators is the culmination of ten novels’ worth of events and nothing’s going to be the same after it. It’s clear from the get-go that Atkins has something major in mind and the atmosphere of the whole book reflects that. At various points in the novel, I have notes like “please don’t do anything to X and Y.” And at times it feels like this could be the series finale, and I spent a little time wondering how there’ll be any way for it to continue.*

* I’ve heard/read enough interviews of Atkins at this point to know he’s not keeping the next novel a secret, so I don’t feel bad about saying that.

Is this Fiction?

From the ICE raid on a chicken processing plant—and the way that parents are kept from their children afterward, to the police corruption and abuse of power, to the militant (and well-armed) right-wing group pushing their way around, and a few other spoilery actions—these “ripped from the headlines” storylines made me wonder time and time again how little fictionalization/sensationalism Atkins was pouring int this. I’m so relieved that it is fiction but at far too many points, it doesn’t feel all that fictional and you get a little sick wondering just how much of this could really be happening in Mississippi (or your own state).

Lights in the Darkness

In the middle of all this corruption, crime, inhumanity, and impending doom, there are moments of hope, joy, and family. Quinn’s nephew, Jason, falls for a girl (who falls right back). Quinn and Maggie are expecting. Maggie’s son Brandon grows closer to his new family—there’s one very sweet scene between Brandon and Quinn. Caddy seems to have found another chance at love.

And an old foe realizes how far down the wrong road they’ve gone and seeks to make it up to Quinn. I had to read a couple of scenes twice to make sure I understood what was going on.

Not only does that kind of thing keep Quinn and his allies going—it’s a reason to keep fighting, even if things are worse in the ten years since he came home. But, it also makes it easier to read. If it was all crime, corruption, racism, impending doom, and the rest, sure, it’d be worth reading, but these brief reminders that even Tibbehah County isn’t as bad as it could possibly be make it so much easier to keep reading.

So, what did I think about The Revelators?

“Johnny Stagg, J. K. Vardaman, the Watchman—all of them come from the same place,” Quinn said. “Me and you been fighting them over since we came home.”

“Been here long before me and you were born,” Boom said. “And they gonna be around long after we die.”

“That’s a hard take,” Quinn said.

“Do I lie?”

That is a hard—and honest—take. But what Quinn leaves unspoken is that it really doesn’t matter how long this kind have been around, people like he and Boom have been around resisting, fighting back the darkness, and trying to make it easier for light to shine. That’s why readers have kept coming back to this series for ten years. And they’ll keep coming back as long as that fight’s being waged.

Atkins has outdone himself this time—there are so many moving parts, so many interweaving plotlines, so much that he has to reveal slowly (or not let us see) so that he can let it all loose at the right time.

While reading it, I kept muttering about how good it all was, how fantastically Atkins was pulling off this very ambitious novel—and he made it look easy while keeping the reader white-knuckling the cover.

Book 11 in this series is going to look pretty different than the ten that came before, but it’ll be Quinn facing off with the same type of people—and as long as we get books of this caliber (or near it), that’ll be more than good enough.

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.

Going Back by Neil Lancaster: Improvise, Adapt, Overcome. Just another day for Novak.

By HCNewton

On August 14, 2020

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

Going Back

by Neil Lancaster
Series: Tom Novak Thriller, #3

eARC, 506 pg.
Burning Chair Publishing, 2020

Read: August 11, 2020

What’s Going Back About?

Over the last couple of books, Tom Novak has received some pretty significant favors from Mike Brogan, his old friend who does some sort of work for American Intelligence (I like how vague his actual role is kept). And now he’s collecting.

There’s an ex-Serbian Special Operations officer who was freed from a prison van by a paramilitary force using some sort of device that seems like a portable EMP. Which is something that everyone (including governments around the world) wants, but no one’s been able to create. There’s a two-fold interest in this—1. can that portable device actually do what they think? and 2. There seems to be something major underway from this officer, probably using the EMP-like device. Which is not good for anyone.

Brogan’s team is pretty sure they know who’s bringing the tech-savvy to the team. Stefan Cerović left the country about the same time as Novak—but he ended up in the States. He was recently fired from a prominent tech company for failing a drug test and resurfaced in Belgrade. Cerović appeared to be relying on one particular black-market arms dealer, who’d recently been arrested. The job is for Novak to present himself as a new supplier as a way in. His ability with the language and similar background to Cerović is seen as a way for him to connect.

Mike will be around as backup, and of course, Pet will be around, too, doing all the typical technical wizardry.* Pet’s one of those characters that changes every scene she’s in—and makes Novak a more likable character when she’s around. I forget how much I like her until she shows up.

* Minor spoiler: Pet makes a costly mistake. I was so happy to see this. So often tech wizards like her are depicted as nigh infallible. But she makes a bad judgment call and she and Tom pay for it, keeping her human—a fantastically talented human, sure—but human.

As things are wont to do, after some initial success (Cerović’s a lot more interested in drugs than initially thought, which opens up so many doors for Novak), Brogan’s nifty plan goes off the rails—but not in a way you’d expect. Novak and Pet have to rely on Novak’s Marine slogan, and improvise and adapt so they have a shot at overcoming their opponents.

Serbia, huh?

I keep wondering how much mileage Lancaster’s going to be able to get out of Novak’s heritage and assume at some point we’re going to get a novel where it’s not so central. But until then, I’ll continue to be interested in seeing how Lancaster can adapt it.

This time out, putting him in his old homeland allows (forces?) him to confront and better understand his history (both recent and decades-old). Lancaster is able to get a two-for-the-price-of-one return here, not only is it the perfect setting for this kind of story, but we get a little character development.

One Gripe…

No self-respecting Texan is going to describe himself as from the “Deep South.” Sorry. Yes, it’s a minor issue, but it took me out of the moment. And for a book/series that reeks of authenticity, it’s a conspicuous blunder.

I did read an eARC which I know are still subject to change. Hopefully, that’s one of those edits that’s addressed before publication date.

So, what did I think about Going Back?

The first two books in this series had a pretty clear line of demarcation between the “undercover police officer” part and the “action hero” part of the book, and it worked pretty well. In Going Back, however, Novak slides back and forth between the two pretty easily (although the there is a clear shift in emphasis). I liked that a whole lot and hope Lancaster can do more of that in the future.

Throughout the whole book it felt to me like Lancaster had taken everything that worked best in Going Dark and Going Rogue, combining them while leaving off everything that didn’t work as well. Giving us the best in the series, a confident and well-paced thrill ride that will please fans and probably pick up a few for the series. You don’t have to have read the previous three to enjoy this one, the backstory isn’t that important to it. This is a fun way to spend a couple of hours and I recommend it to you.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from the author in exchange for this post and my honest opinion—thanks for this.

The Answer Is . . . (Audiobook) by Alex Trebek, Ken Jennings: The Living Legend Reminisces

By HCNewton

On August 13, 2020

In (Auto)Biography, Audiobook, Non-Fiction

The Answer Is . . .: Reflections on My Life

by Alex Trebek, Narrated by: Ken Jennings, Alex Trebek

Unabridged Audiobook, 4 hrs., 35 mins
Simon & Schuster Audio, 2020

Read: August 3-4, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s The Answer Is . . .: Reflections on My Life About?

Trebek starts off talking about why he wrote the book at this time, how it’s not an exhaustive autobiography, and really too brief to be a memoir, instead, it’s some sort of French term that I didn’t catch—little vignettes about his life, some brief stories or impressions of a time/place, some are longer reflections about something.

He talks about his childhood, his parents, his education (including feuds with particular teachers—including a petty-sounding beef with a priest he in prep school that he hasn’t totally gotten past), his early days in TV in Canada, moving to the US, and starting on Jeopardy!. He even talks a bit about the impressions that Eugene Levy and Will Ferrell did of him. Beyond that, Trebek discusses the charity works he does, his family, and, of course, his cancer.

He talks a little about American culture and the state of the nation right now (exacerbated by COVID-19), and gets a little more political than we’re used to him being (more political than I think he’s used to being). While I think if he got more detailed and in-depth with his analysis, I’d probably differ with him on the details—but he didn’t, so I could only nod along with him. We need a few million more people saying what he said (and living the way he seems to).

You get a little bit of everything—some is lighthearted, some is heavier, a lot just comes across as a humble and grateful older man reminiscing. Which is exactly what this is.

A Little About the Narration

Ken Jennings was a great choice for narrator—it’s hard to think of either of them without thinking of the other (well, since 2004, anyway). He sounds like a natural doing this and I’d enjoy listening to him narrate other audiobooks (he did the audiobook for his own, Planet Funny, and I bet it sounds pretty good).

But Trebek read a few chapters himself—the one about why he swears so often (it surprised me, too), the one talking about notable Jeopardy! contestants (like Jennings), the one about his wife (Trebek didn’t like the idea of someone else talking about his wife that way), and the last chapter, where he discussed his cancer and coming to terms with his impending death. I understand why he couldn’t do the entire book himself, but I’d have preferred it (nothing against Jennings—I’d have been content with Jennings doing the whole thing). But I’m so glad he did those chapters, you could hear the sincerity in his praise for Jennings, Eddie Timanus, Cindy Stowell, and others; his love for his wife; and the resolution and contemplation he’d put into his final days (hopefully there are many more of them).

I’m still tempted to grab a copy of the hardcover, just so I can see the pictures. But, I’m so glad I got to hear parts of this in Trebek’s own voice.

So, what did I think about The Answer Is . . .: Reflections on My Life?

You can argue that my evaluation of this book is all about sentiment, fanboy-ness, and is devoid of any sense of judging the skill of writing, the depth of insight, or anything like that. I won’t disagree. Trebek’s been a fixture in my life/consciousness for longer than I can really remember. Every time I’ve heard/seen an interview with him (which, admittedly, isn’t often), I’ve been more and more impressed with him. I won’t say he’s a hero/role model or anything, but I admire the guy, respect his work ethic and attitude. I’ve got his Funko Pop figure in my cubicle at work. He’s just…well, like a said, a fixture. So listening to stories about his life tapped into that sector of my subconscious that’s been labeled “Alex Trebek” since I was a pre-teen and he started on Jeopardy!.

This book would’ve had to have been really bad for me not to love it. Thankfully, it wasn’t.

And if you can hear him talk about his wife, his children, his cancer—and the effect that the cancer’s having on his wife and children as he prepares for death without being moved? There’s something wrong with ya. At that point, any thought I had about pretending to be objective and analytical went out the window.

My sole complaint is that it’s four-and-a-half hours long. It’s just not long enough. I get that he wasn’t trying to be exhaustive—and I don’t necessarily want that—but when you start to hear these quick stories about his growing up, his getting established in the business (either in Canada or the States), his friendships…and of course, Jeopardy!—you just want it to keep going for hours and hours. So I dinged it half a star (but it deserves all 5).

I loved this book, I laughed, I was surprised, I chuckled, I learned a little, I got choked up. Can’t ask for much more.

4 1/2 Stars

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Coffee and Condolences by Wesley Parker: Two People with an Incredible Amount of Baggage Trying to Fit It All in the Same Overhead Compartment

By HCNewton

On August 13, 2020

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

Coffee and Condolences

by Wesley Parker

eARC, 268 pg.
2020

Read: July 21, 2020

There’s a bit from the movie Grosse Pointe Blank that has inexplicably gotten stuck in my brain, to rear its head from time to time.

Debi: You know what you need?
Marty: What?
Debi: Shakabuku.
Marty: You wanna tell me what that means?
Debi: It’s a swift, spiritual kick to the head that alters your reality forever.
Marty: Oh, that’d be good. I think.

This snippet of conversation came to mind a few times while reading this book, because if there’s anyone who needs Shakabuku, it’s Miles Alexander. The only question is: where will this kick be coming from?

What’s Coffee and Condolences About?

Miles Alexander is a man on a mission. Following the death of his wife and children and a suicide attempt worthy of Lane Meyer*, his therapist points out that there are two women alive that he needs to repair his relationship with—his mother and sister. For pretty understandable reasons, Miles is willing to work on only one of those—so he flies to New York to track down his sister at NYU, where she’s working on her Master’s.

* Yeah, I did just make a second John Cusak reference, not sure where that came from.

The damage he did to their relationship was pretty bad, and Lily’s not over it. But, she loves her brother and is willing to forgive. They spend some time connecting, but they largely ignore the problem. I enjoyed and appreciated watching the two of them spar and support each other.

While waiting for Lilly, Miles stops off at a coffee shop near campus and falls in deep smit at first sight with a barista, Melody. She seems to be interested in him, too (giving him her phone number unsolicited was the first clue). She knows that Miles is working through some stuff, and gives him space to do so and tell her about it in his own time—she’s got her own particular kind of baggage, too. She’ll share that when she’s ready.

Readers will know her secret almost immediately, but that’s okay, the focus isn’t supposed to be on the mystery—it’s about Miles working through things and when he learns it, that’s the important part. As nice as the romance is, as fun (and important) as the brother/sister bond is, the book’s focus is Miles and his continuing grieving and healing. In a move reminiscent of Nick Hornby’s Rob coming clean to the reader about the horrible thing he did to his girlfriend*, Miles eventually tells his reader about the horrible thing he did shortly before his wife’s death. It wasn’t entirely unexpected, but you can’t help but feel for the guy—he and his wife would’ve worked through it (you sense) had they been given the opportunity. Instead, it’s something that Miles has to work through on his own, so he can move forward with his life. With Melody’s secret and the revelation Miles gives us, the important part isn’t the content—it’s how Parker delivers the revelation. And he does it exactly right.

* Not a Cusak reference, I meant the book. But it’s close.

Lilly gives the support and encouragement, Melody gives Miles the security to process what he needs to—and Dr. Felt helped equip him to do these things. Somewhere in there, Shakabuku.

Yes, eventually, their mother appears and Miles has to deal with her. Up until the end, the whole thing between his mother and Miles didn’t click with me—it’s probably a problem with me and my attention span, not with Parker’s writing. But anything that took focus away from Lilly or Melody wasn’t really that interesting to me. But once Miles got serious about mending fences and making amends with her, I finally bought into the relationship and thought Parker did a good job with the resolution there.

Now, sure, you might be thinking that a therapist by the name of Dr. Felt has all the subtlety of a brick flying through the air. And you’d be right. But, you know what? The name Felt actually works for her. She’s a cool character, and a nice tribute to the mental health professions on Parker’s part. The Miles/Dr. Felt relationship/interplay is one of my favorite parts of the book.

What can I say about the ending without any spoilers? It’s sweet and gratifying. Just what the doctor ordered.

So what did I think about Coffee and Condolences ?

It occurs to me as I write this that I’ve enjoyed a lot more of “Lad Lit” in the last year or so—mostly self/independently published. I dabbled in some of it years ago, and largely was annoyed and turned off by what I read. But since I read Matthew Hanover’s Not Famous, I’ve been exposed to some really good—and really entertaining—works in this subgenre. I need to get better at talking about them, because I feel myself floundering here—and I feel bad about that. Parker deserves a little better than what I’ve come up with.

The plot was decent, I liked the characters (not necessarily everything they did, but them) and was engaged with most of them right away, I was invested in the outcome of most of the plotlines, I thought it was a great idea to tie in the therapy Miles received to what was going on, and I enjoyed Parker’s voice and most of his choices.

Coffee and Condolences was like a medium-dark chocolate mocha. Just a hint of a bite, but a sweet treat (and I specified medium, because I wanted a little more), a very pleasant experience. I recommend it, I will be in line with cash ready for the next book Parker releases.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for this post and my honest opinion—I appreciate that, and apologize that it’s taken me so long to get this posted, but it had no impact on what I said or how I rated the book.