Author: HCNewton Page 326 of 610

Pub Day Repost: Spells for the Dead by Faith Hunter: Nell and Her Team Face a New Type of Deadly Threat

By

On July 28, 2020

In Faith Hunter, Fiction, Jane Yellowrock/Soulwood, Urban Fantasy

Spells for the Dead

Spells for the Dead

by Faith Hunter
Series: Soulwood, #5

eARC, 384 pg.
Ace, 2020

Read: July 13, 2020

What’s Spells for the Dead About?

PsyLED is called to the home of a country music superstar to investigate some mysterious deaths—the and her band had recently returned from a pretty successful tour and now many of them are dead and several of those who aren’t are in desperate need of First Responders to act quickly.

Sadly, no First Responder is equipped to cope with whatever happened to them, much less recognize and understand it. That goes for people later to the scene, including PsyLED. However, under the direction of T. Laine, their witch, they’re able to makes some guesses about treatment. Nell, Occam and Lainie focus on documenting everything they can as well as beginning preliminary interviews.

One of the first things they determine is that a witch was not behind this attack. Sadly, they reach this conclusion too late to prevent a local sheriff, with the aid of a less than ethical senior FBI agent, to lock up the band member who is a witch. Their logic is impeccable—paranatural crime, arrest the nearest paranatural. This anti-paranatural tendency shows up frequently among the humans in this book—particularly when it comes to witches. I appreciated the way that Lainie dealt with it (both in her more honest and then in her more politic approaches). Our trio being joined by their upline boss, Ayatas FireWind, helps in this manner somewhat (both because of his rank, and FireWind’s general demeanor).

On a semi-related note, you would think that people who believe/proclaim very loudly that lycans, witches, vampires, and so one are horrible monsters that want to kill all humans would be a little more circumspect when they’re around. Maybe it’s just me, but if I thought someone wanted to rip my limbs off and snack on them, I would go out of my way to not antagonize them.

Anyway, the team’s focus here is a little split—on the one hand, they need to both identify the type of magic behind the attack and continue to find better ways to treat those fighting off the effects; and on the other, figure out who had the motive and/or means to carry it out. Neither goal was really that easy.

So That’s the Main Story, What Else is Going On?

As with all books in this series, as much as this is about the PsyLED team, it’s really about Nell Ingram, her integration into the world outside the cult she left, even as she continues to deal with it and her family. God’s Glory Church really doesn’t factor heavily in this book, but it’s always in the back of her mind, shaping (either directly or in reaction to it) how she reacts to things.

There is a pretty intense moment related to the Church, but it has more to do with Nell’s family, than the Church itself. Nell doesn’t yet have full custody of Mud, but everyone’s pretty much acting as if she does. Mud’s continuing to settle in and push Nell in ways she wasn’t prepared for. Which is just fun. Both Nell and Mud are having to deal with their very pregnant sister, Esther. Esther’s pregnancy is causing her powers (and flowers) to come forward, and unlike her sisters, she’s not that interested in them. It’s a nice contrast—and it provides Mud with some great opportunities for growth.

On the work side, the team’s recent successes—particularly as the only predominately non-human team in PsyLED—are causing the Agency to make some changes to the way the Agency works—and this is going to spill over onto the team. By and large, the changes look positive and will provide good opportunities for the various members of the team. However, Nell doesn’t like change—doubly so when it applies to those things in her life she holds most dear. And since we read all this from her perspective, it’s hard to look objectively at all this.

If we’re looking at the Venn Diagram of Nell’s families (natural and found), the overlap is Occam. I’ve always loved this relationship, and now that they’re openly seeing each other and professing love? Occam’s so good, saying all the right things, doing all the right things, he’s practically a Gary Stu/Marty Stu. That “practically” there is important—Hunter’s written him in such a way over these few books that he comes across as earnest in all this, he’s not perfect, he’s just really close to perfect for Nell. They’re just fun together.

As for Nell herself? She’s continuing to work on herself, her approach to life. She makes some wise decisions and actions with her relationship with FireWind. She makes some great leaps with the relationship (if you can call it that) with the Vampire Tree. And we get some of the most solid information on just what kind of paranatural creature Nell is (watching her stifle her curiosity on this front to focus on the case was a great moment). Basically, Spells for the Dead contains more of that sure and steady, organic character development that’s been the hallmark of this series.

So what did I think about Spells for the Dead?

One of my favorite parts of these books is Nell’s reactions to new-to-her foods. We don’t see her introduced to anything here, but we still get to see her relish a few things she wasn’t exposed to for most of her life—Krispy Kreme donuts and pizza. This is actually kind of a good way to think about most of this book—unlike the previous books (particularly the first two), we’re not seeing Nell experience much that’s new here—mostly she’s living in this new world, rather than figuring things out. Hunter has established her world, has set up the characters, creatures, overarching conflicts, and whatnot. Now she gets to play with that world.

This means (at least for me, and at least for this book), that without the earth-shattering reveals, the Big Moments in Nell’s (or other characters’) life, the book has less of an impact on me. Spells for the Dead is just as good as the rest of the series has been, it just doesn’t hit me the same way. Which leads to a slightly lower rating. Hunter’s plotting, writing, and characters are still top-notch, it just didn’t blow me away. I got to spend some time with some really good friends—and I’m so happy I did—but it was comfortable, not exploratory. I trust that won’t always be the case, and that Hunter will certainly do things in this series that will cause my jaw to drop, but sometimes it’s simply going to be a really good/great novel instead of a fantastic one. Still making it one of the best series I follow.

I really got into this case—it wasn’t as fraught as some of the previous ones were, but it was interesting and unexpected. The side stories did everything they needed to. Spells for the Dead just solidifies the Soulwood books as one of the best UF series going.

4 Stars

My thanks to Let’s Talk! Promotions for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the book via NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group) they provided.

Classic Spenser: Looking for Rachel Wallace by Robert B. Parker

By

On July 28, 2020

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Robert B. Parker, Spenser

Classic Spenser

Looking for Rachel Wallace

Looking for Rachel Wallace

by Robert B. Parker
Series: Spenser, #6

Mass Market Paperback, 217 pg.
Dell, 1980

Read: June 26, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

“What is it you want to know?”

“Why you engage in things that are violent and dangerous.”

I sipped half a glass of beer. I took another bite of veal. “Well,” I said, “the violence is a kind of side-eiffect, I think. I have always wanted to live life on my own terms. And I have always tried to do what I can do. I am good at certain kinds of things; I have tried to go in that direction.”

“The answer doesn’t satisfy me,” Rachel said.

“It doesn’t have to. It satisfies me.”

“What he won’t say,” Susan said, “and what he may not even admit to himself is that he’d like to be Sir Gawain. He was born five hundred years too late. If you understand that, you understand most of what you are asking.”

“Six hundred years,” I said.

What’s Looking for Rachel Wallace About?

Spenser is hired to act as a bodyguard for Rachel Wallace. Wallace is a no-nonsense feminist activist and lesbian author. There have been threats made against her if her book exposing the discriminatory practices of several New England companies is published. The threats make little sense since the galleys have already been released (and therefore the material is out there), but they’re still there.

Despite clashing in their first meeting, Wallace agrees to her publisher’s choice in Spenser and he agrees to try not to annoy her. The two continue to squabble for the first eighty or so pages. Wallace keeps trying to provoke Spenser, questioning his professionalism, wanting to debate her brand of feminism with him. Spenser really doesn’t care about all that—and as much as he’s willing to discuss and think about those issues at other times (he’d read Wallace’s previous work before going to work for her)t—this is about work for him. He doesn’t care who she sleeps with, what she thinks, he’s about keeping her as safe as he can.

There is a moment where Wallace knows she’s going into somewhat hostile territory and tells Spenser to stand down beforehand. When security guards arrive to drag her off, and she goes limp to make it hard for them, Spenser intervenes. Which robs Wallace of the opportunity to make her statement, get the attention she wants, and hopefully a hearing with her target-audience. Wallace takes this as an insult, thinking Spenser’s machismo forced him to protect a (seemingly) helpless woman. And, yes, that’s true. But it’s also true, that if Wallace had been a male academic attracting this kind of response, he’d have done the same thing.

It was the wrong thing for Spenser to do regardless, which he admits later. Wallace fires him—and apparently doesn’t replace him. A couple of months later, she’s kidnapped. Belson* brings Spenser in for his perspective—and of course, that just spurs Spenser into his own investigation. He blames himself for not being a better employee, so he wasn’t around to protect her.

* It’s never explained why a homicide detective is brought in to discuss an abduction, but let that pass.

Spenser has very little to go off of here. He has one name, from a minor incident on his first day with Wallace to look into, and he essentially spends a lot of time trying to find evidence to tie this guy to the kidnapping. There’s also a KKK leader that Spenser arrested back when he was a law enforcement officer and hasn’t lost track of. Working off the assumption that a racist is going to operate in the same circles as a militant misogynist, Spenser harasses him for information. It works out (to a degree), but watching Spenser bully this guy on less than a hunch really bothered me.

Almost randomly, the one piece of evidence that Spenser (and Belson, to be fair) needs to tie everything together is essentially dropped into their lap. As a record blizzard descends on Boston, Spenser decides to walk (almost all roads are closed) fifteen miles to make the best of that piece of information. And well, you can guess the rest.

I Feel Compelled to Share this Quotation that has Nothing to do with the Plot

The Main Entrance to the Boston Public Library used to face Copley Square across Dartmouth Street. There was a broad exterior stairway and inside there was a beautiful marble staircase leading up to the main reading room with carved lions and high-domed ceilings. It was always a pleasure to go there. It felt like a library and looked like a library, and even when I was going in there to look up Duke Snider’s lifetime batting average, I used to feel like a scholar.

Then they grafted an addition on and shifted the main entrance to Boylston Street. Faithful to the spirit, the architect had probably said. But making a contemporary statement, I bet he said. The addition went with the original like Tab goes with pheasant. Now, even if I went into study the literary influence of Eleanor of Aquitaine, I felt like I’d come out with a pound of hamburger and a loaf of Wonder bread.

So, what did I think about Looking for Rachel Wallace?

I guess I’ve made it clear that this isn’t my favorite Spenser. But it’s not that I dislike it. I enjoy spending time with Spenser and Susan. I liked when Wallace and Spenser engaged with each other—seeing Spenser in these settings tells a lot about him, as does the way he reacts to Wallace. At the same time, it’s interesting seeing Spenser through her eyes (as mistaken as I think her estimation of him is, it’s not merit-less). The dialogue is great, Spenser verbally sparring with Wallace’s publisher and a prosecutor looking into her disappearance is just fun to read. I can’t forget there are some pretty good action scenes (even if Spenser does bring a handgun to a pie fight).

It’s just that this is the first one since The Godwulf Manuscript that I have to add provisos to my enjoyment. I have had the impression on many re-reads (including this time), that Parker was more interested in bringing up some of Wallace’s ideas, positions, and practices than he was in telling a good story. At the very least, he was frequently distracted during the telling.

Do I recommend it? Yeah, it’s a good read. It’s a great way to understand the character, and the story is okay. Am I in the same kind of fan-boy mode for it as I was for Mortal Stakes, The Judas Goat or Promised Land? Nope. Still, I’ll take this over almost Spenser novel from the 2000’s.

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—7/25/20

By

On July 25, 2020

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

How’re we already on the brink of the last week of July? Who’s ready for that?

I really don’t have anything to say here, I guess, on with the links.

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 The New Era of Book Launches—Social Distancing Edition
bullet Growing Up Surrounded by Books Could Have Powerful, Lasting Effect on the Mind: A new study suggests that exposure to large home libraries may have a long-term impact on proficiency in three key areas
bullet What 100 Writers Have Been Reading During Quarantine—interesting mix of writers and books
bullet There Have Always been Fantasy Novels For Adults – Article by Author Ryan Howse—I saw so many tweet reactions to this stupid article, “Finally: A Grown-up Fantasy”, and figured there’d be at least one good longer response. Howse knocks it out of the park (others may have, too, but I only saw this one—and it’s enough)
bullet 5 Things I’ve Learned in 5 Years of Blogging—Bookidote’s Lashaan has been blogging for 5 years now, and drops some wisdom (and Looney Tunes .gifs) to celebrate.
bullet Glossary for the Bibliophile—”a nifty list of words for all you book lovers out there”

This Week's New Releases That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Annihilation Aria by Michael R. Underwood—It’s been two years since I’ve had anything from Underwood to talk about. He’s back with the first book in a Space Opera series, “an adventure of galactic subterfuge, ancient alien lore, a secret resistance force, lost civilizations, and giant space turtles.” Here’s his Big Idea about it.
bullet The Sin in the Steel by Ryan Van Loan—This looks like a lot of fun, a fantasy about “dead gods, a pirate queen, shapeshifting mages, and a Sherlockian teenager determined to upend her society.”

Lastly I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome toNewDogNewTricks, francescocat, penelopeburns, tensecondsfromnow, and beyondthecryptsandcastles who followed the blog this week. Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK X., ii.-v.

By

On July 24, 2020

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

Fridays with the Foundling
Tom Jones Original CoverWe start off with the 18th case of mistaken identity and 47th fistfight of the book.

Some Irishman has come to the Inn late at night, looking for his wife. The maid assumes that he’s talking about Mrs. Waters, leads him to her room. He bursts in, sees clothing from two people scattered all over, a female in the bed and Tom jumping out of it to see who burst in. The stranger starts attacking Tom. Another Irishman is staying in the next room (I’m not going to bother trying to introduce them), a friend, and he comes charging in—only to help him realize that Mrs. Waters isn’t his wife. The two leave and Tom goes back to bed.

The maid and landlady discuss the events of the evening, only to be interrupted by a lady’s maid and her lady coming to take a room. After getting them settled, the maid comes down, looking for food and gets to talking things over with the inn’s made and Partridge. One thing leads to another and Patridge reveals to Mrs. Honour (naturally, that’s who the lady’s maid is) that Tom’s here with Mrs. Waters.

Partridge does a little more damage that I really don’t care enough to recap. Mrs. Honour tells Sophia about it, she’s highly offended (not realizing it was Partridge telling tales out of school, not Tom) and arranges to leave the fabled muff (which, of course, she has on her) and a note in Tom’s room.

There are a couple of stylistic moments that seem different from the rest of the book—as I’m currently at page 546, that’s no mean feat. They were nice touches, but I’m glad they’re just touches. Even without that, Fielding’s voice was as strong as ever, and I chuckled as much as I rolled my eyes at these silly circumstances.

Looking forward to seeing Tom dig himself out of this hole.

The Friday 56 for 7/24/20

By

On July 24, 2020

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

The Friday 56This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice

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

from 56% of:
Legends Rise

Venators: Legends Rise by Devri Walls

…the vampire grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him forward, roughly sinking his teeth into his neck and pulling blood in long, painful jerks. He’d heard vampires could make this process enjoyable. This one didn’t bother.

The instructions had been to leave him on the verge of death, with just enough blood to keep his heart pumping. He hadn’t stopped to think of one thing: What would stop the vampire from finishing him off?

GUEST POST: Making Peace With My Face by Samuel Moore-Sobel

By

On July 24, 2020

In (Auto)Biography, Non-Fiction

Earlier in the week, I threw a spotlight on Can You See My Scars by Samuel Moore-Sobel, and now Moore-Sobel is stopping by with this guest post. Give it a read and then go check out his book.

Making Peace With My Face

I used to hate my face.

As a teenager, I was in a painful accident involving sulfuric acid. The accident left me with scars on my face and arms. Gone was the smooth skin, replaced by rough, red, seemingly foreign objects covering the part of me most people see first when I come into view. As a result, looking in the mirror became a painful act.

I, like so many others, had something that I wanted to change about my physical appearance. I wanted my face to revert to its previous state. I looked back at old family pictures and longed to resemble the image of my previous self. I didn’t know how to adjust to my new appearance. All I wanted was to don a different face.

I liked the one with which I emerged from my mother’s womb. I liked the way my face grew during my childhood years. Even as a teenager, I enjoyed growing facial hair, only to shave days later, returning my face to its most natural state. During those days, I wanted to share my clean-shaven face with the world.

Motivated by pain and hurt, I spent years attempting to come to peace with my face. Foolishly, I believed some measure of success would drive the feelings of insecurity and inadequacy away for good. Achieving good grades in college, securing a job after graduation. Making a good salary and buying a home. Surely such drastic and positive changes in circumstances would bring me the sense of peace I so greatly desired.

Until such realities did nothing to change what I felt inside. So instead, I turned to relationships, eager to invite a woman into my life in order to have her tell me what I needed to hear. To have someone fall for me, despite my appearance. To love me even though I was unable to offer them a perfect face. I wanted a woman to smooth out the edges of my heart, and inject a sense of attractiveness into my soul.

Whether or not we have endured a traumatic accident, we all do these things, don’t we? There are a myriad of ways to self-medicate, to wish away the pain of the past in order to gain some semblance of peace in the present. So alluring can these forms of distraction be that they carry us away from being able to fully unpack the baggage we inevitably collect as we make our way through life.

Circumstances can so easily rule our existence. Dictating the way we move forward, the decisions we make, the relationships we enter, the life we pursue. Our deep longing and desire to be whole can lead us towards embarking upon life-altering courses. Sometimes, making peace with ourselves is the only way to break free from destructive patterns of thinking and behavior.

For me, it meant I had to make peace with my face. Reframing my experience from one of loss to one of gain. To identify the pieces of myself developed in the wake of trauma, instead of focusing on the many things that evaporated in its wake. To realize I am more than the way I look, or the imperfections of my body, or the scars on my face.

So, while I may never be a male model, I’m not sure that was ever in the cards anyway. And, while my face will never fully be restored to its previous state, I’ve chosen to embrace the marks I carry as indications of survival. To see myself for more than the physical attributes of my being, and instead adopt a more holistic view of my personhood in a world so eager to judge others by how they look.

So to those of you struggling with body image, take heart. Your physicality, even perceived imperfections, help make you unique in a world clamoring for conformity. The scars you carry or the physical characteristics you wish you could change are an inherent part of your humanity. For better or worse, they are a part of you. And the world needs you, all of you.

Even the parts of yourself you wish you could change.

Samuel Moore-Sobel is the author of Can You See My Scars? His book is available for purchase through Mascot Books and on Amazon. To learn more about the author, visit www.samuelmoore-sobel.com 

I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman: The Cat’s in the Cradle and all that…

By

On July 23, 2020

In Abbi Waxman, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

I Was Told It Would Get Easier

I Was Told It Would Get Easier

by Abbi Waxman

Paperback, 328 pg.
Berkley, 2020

Read: July 14, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

I sighed. “And I’m leaving day after tomorrow for the college tour.”

She laughed. “There you go, that’ll be a total freaking disaster and therefore for a great distraction from the impending end of your career.”

“Wow, that’s super supportive.”

“I scare because I care.”

“Thanks.”

“In other news this, this morning Sasha told me I make her want jump off a cliff.”

“What prompted that?”

“I said her uniform skirt was too short.”

“And that gave rise to suicidal ideation?”

“Teenagers are all about balance and reason.”

The Mother

The essence of this book is right there—Jessica (a lawyer in a pretty big law firm in L.A.) is taking her daughter, Emily, on a college tour days after leveling an ultimatum at her boss–make some serious changes to the way the firm treats female lawyers, and do it soon, or she walks.* Being jobless might not be the best way to prepare for her daughter’s college years, but you do what you have to. It should be stressed, that there’s no way that Jessica is going to mention this to Emily.

* Jessica’s efforts to change her firm from within, and the two associates she champions, would make a decent novel. I don’t know that it’s a very Waxman-esque novel, but she gives us enough of a flavor of the story that the reader can write that in their mind

The trip isn’t just about colleges—it’s about Jessica and Emily having a chance to reconnect. To bond a little before Emily moves to the next stage of her life. Jessica fears that she wasn’t around enough during Emily’s childhood, and now that she’s on the verge of leaving, the gulf between the two is too large, and she’s regretting many choices she made while Emily was growing up. That’s not precisely true, she’d make just about all of them again, she regrets the unintended consequences of those choices.

The Daughter

Everyone tells you middle school is fun, and then you get there and it sucks. Then high school is going to be fun, but you get there and it both sucks and is really hard. Now, apparently, college is going to be fun, but it really seems like one more hurdle standing between me and actual happiness. Whatever that is.

Emily, on the other hand, is not looking forward to this trip. She’s not sure she wants to go to college (but she knows that’s the expected next step and is planning on taking it), she isn’t looking forward to that much time with her mother—especially in Jessica’s “plan for the future” mode—and there’s something pretty big that happened at school recently. Emily isn’t going to be telling her mother about it, either, but she knows that at any moment, someone from the school will be calling to talk to her mother. What good is planning for college when you’re not even sure you’re going to survive high school? Still, anything’s better than being at school for the next few days, so the trip won’t be a total loss.

The Trip

This is a group tour—put together by some college prep group—ten students and their parents are flying from L.A. to Washington D. C. to begin a whirlwind tour of some of the bigger-named colleges on the East Coast (including one “Ivy”). The kids are all from top-tier private schools, and (most of) the parents have a decent amount of money. Waxman is able to take this situation and make it seem not all that different from a family stuffing themselves into a car to go check out a state college or two. Turns out that caring parents want the best for their kids and want a decent relationship with them, no matter the family’s social stratus. Who knew, right?

In addition to the schools they’re breezing through, there are a few excursions to take in some local culture and even have some free time. Emily’s prompted Jessica to reach out to some of her old college friends while they’re out there, so their free time features such diversions as: an old boyfriend (who is not subtle not even a little bit about wanting to rekindle that old flame—at least temporarily); an old friend who is now a professor of philosophy, and pushes both mother and daughter to look at things in a new light; Jessica’s father who drove her to be the best (read: most successful) she could be, and doesn’t quite get Emily’s way of thinking.

Then there are the people on the tour—the reader doesn’t really get to know all the students/parents, but we focus on a few—there’s the geology/math geek (and his equally geeky mother), the cute and thoughtful boy (and his cute and thoughtful single father), and then there’s Alice and Dani.

I think if either Jessica or Emily had known they were going to be along, they’d have rescheduled the trip. “Alice is [in Emily’s words] the kind of girl we’re all supposed to be, but I don’t want to want to be her, if you get me.” She’s super popular, super ambitious, “she arrived on the first day of ninth grade and assumed control ten days later.” The two were friends for a few weeks before Alice moved into a higher social group. Meanwhile, Jessica describes Alice’s mother, “Daniella—Call me Dani—is not the kind of mother I want to be, but I think she’s the kind of mother I’m supposed to want to be.” The wife of a studio exec, she spends her time mothering and volunteering. The presence of these two they know, but don’t want to; have to be nice to, but don’t want to; gives the pair a common cause (and shows the reader how similar they are, even if neither can see it).

I could probably say a lot about this part of the book, but all I’m going to say about the tour and the tour group is that I could’ve easily enjoyed another week of them hitting various educational institutions and discussing them internally. I enjoyed every second of the tour/tour group we got to see. Naturally, we got a little bit of the College Admissions Scandal of recent history mixed in—and I appreciated the way Waxman worked that in.

The Heart of the Matter

I swear…I’ll be graduating college and Mom will be on a call. I watched her nervously through the window at first, but it was clearly the office; she looked base-level stressed and didn’t throw any accusing glances my way. She’d missed pretty much everything I did in elementary school because of work, and though I totally support her, girl power and all that, it’s irritating. She complains about a work all the time, too, so I can’t help noticing I’m coming second to something she doesn’t even like.

(In her defense, Jessica notes (about having her phone on her and access to her email), “This is the problem with being able to work from anywhere… you end up working from everywhere.”)

The core of the book is the mother-daughter story. Imagine Gilmore Girls, if Lorelai and Rory didn’t know how to talk to each other without it quickly turning into an argument (yes, I know, they had their moments, but there was a friendship under-girding it). Their relationship was so frustrating, just a little bit of openness and/or bravery on the part of either one of them would enable them to talk—it made me sad. At the same time, I thoroughly enjoyed the book—and had a lot of fun with it.

I loved both characters—and was heavily invested in both of their stories and loved their voices. Seeing both events—and their fights—from both perspectives was a great way for Waxman to approach this. On those occasions when the two were on the same page? It was golden. Just a delight to read and spend time with them when they were that way.

So, What Did I Think About I Was Told It Would Get Easier?

Waxman’s writing is smart, funny, and full of heart. Her characters (even the less pleasant ones) leap off the page and you can hear them as clearly as I can hear my pug snoring at my feet. Between this book and The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, I think you can consider me a Waxman fan—and I’ll be getting to her backlist as soon as I can.

The word that comes closest to encapsulating my experience with this book is pleasant. I simply liked everything about reading the novel—it took me out of my circumstances and served as a pleasant oasis for a few hours. Sometimes—frequently—that’s the best gift an author can give, and Waxman delivered as surely as Old Saint Nick ever did.

4 Stars

2020 Library Love Challenge

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, July 22, 2020

By

On July 22, 2020

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

What, already? Another Wednesday? July is speeding by. Guess it’s time for 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’m reading Venators: Legends Rise by Devri Walls and am listening to The Monster in the Hollows by Andrew Peterson (narrated by the author).

Legends RiseBlank SpaceThe Monster in the Hollows

What did you recently finish reading?
I just finished Wesley Parker’s Coffee and Condolences and Land of Wolves by Craig Johnson, George Guidall (Narrator) on audio.

Coffee and CondolencesBlank SpaceLand of Wolves

What do you think you’ll read next?
My next book should be The Revelators by Ace Atkins (assuming it’s available at my Library in time), or it’ll be Betty by Tiffany McDaniel and Dark Jones by Alex Bledsoe, Stefan Rudnicki (Narrator) on audiobook.

The RevelatorsBlank SpaceBettyBlank SpaceDark Jenny

Hit me with your Three W’s in the comments! (no, really, do it!)

Down the TBR Hole (9 of 24+)

By

On July 22, 2020

In Books, Down the TBR Hole, News/Misc.

Down the TBR Hole

My most severe cuts yet, which I enjoyed. I’m up to 10% cut off the total list (and I’m roughly 40% through the list I started with), which isn’t quite as dramatic as I’d hoped, but it’s some progress. I’ve also reminded myself of some promising reads that I haven’t made time for yet.

This meme was created by Lia @ Lost in a Story—but Jenna at Bookmark Your Thoughts is the one that exposed me to this, and as my Goodreads “Want To Read” shelf is scarily long, I had to do this.

The Rules are simple:

  1. Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
  2. Order on ascending date added.
  3. Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
  4. Read the synopses of the books.
  5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
  6. Keep track of where you left off so you can pick up there next week! (or whenever)

What distinguishes this series from the Mt. TBR section of my Month-end Retrospectives? Those are books I actually own while Goodreads contains my aspirational TBR (many of which will be Library reads). The Naming of the two is a bit confusing, but…what’re you going to do?

(Click on the cover for an official site or something with more info about the book)

Don't Get Caught Don’t Get Caught by Kurt Dinan
Blurb: “Max Cobb—Mr. 2.5 GPA, Mr. No Social Life, known throughout the school as Just Max—has just been set-up by the prank-pulling Chaos Club.
But this time they’ve messed with the wrong guy.
​
Because if his favorite heist movies have taught him anything, it’s time for Heist Rule #7: Always get payback. It’s time to recruit a crew, and he knows just who to ask.
Let the prank war begin.”
My Thoughts: This looks like a fun way to spend a day’s reading. I’d probably enjoy it, and understand why I put it on the list. But…it’s just not going to happen.
Verdict:
Thumbs Down
Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? by Paul Cornell
My Thoughts: The third (and final?) installment in Cornell’s Shadow Police series looks good. I think the only reason I haven’t read it yet is that when it was released, my Library didn’t get a copy (I’d read the first two in the series from them), and I didn’t have the cash to get it. Now, I’m just being lazy.
Verdict:
Thumbs Up
Everybody's Fool Everybody’s Fool by Richard Russo
My Thoughts: A few years ago, I read all of Russo’s novels (and 50% of them since then). The completist in me feels like I need to read this one, but I really never cared for Sully and just am not that interested in spending more time with him. This is going to bug me, but I’ll get over it.
Verdict:
Thumbs Down
The View from the Cheap Seats The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction by Neil Gaiman
Blurb: A collection of non-fiction pieces by Neil bleeping Gaiman, “Analytical yet playful, erudite yet accessible, this cornucopia explores a broad range of interests and topics, including (but not limited to): authors past and present; music; storytelling; comics; bookshops; travel; fairy tales; America; inspiration; libraries; ghosts; and the title piece, at turns touching and self-deprecating, which recounts the author’s experiences at the 2010 Academy Awards in Hollywood.”
My Thoughts: It’s Gaiman. No contest.
Verdict:
Thumbs Up
Blood Defense Blood Defense by Marcia Clark
My Thoughts: I enjoyed Clark’s series about a prosecutor, would probably enjoy her take on a defense lawyer (if only because I have a soft spot for them), but these books have never drawn me. Guess I’ll pass for now.
Verdict:
Thumbs Down
True Grift True Grift by Jack Bunker
Blurb: “A bankrupt lawyer and a greedy insurance adjuster concoct a personal injury scam involving a runaway grocery cart and recruit a half-wit golf course greenskeeper as their fall guy. But the plan goes horribly wrong, and as it spirals into a murderous fiasco, the grifters must deal with betrayals, shakedowns, bombs and mobsters to avoid prison… or worse, an early grave in a Southern California landfill.”
Verdict:
Thumbs Down
Britt-Marie Was Here Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
Blurb: “[A] heartwarming story about a woman rediscovering herself after a personal crisis.”
My Thoughts: Fredrik Backman. No doubt about it.
Verdict:
Thumbs Up
Congratulations on Everything Congratulations on Everything by Nathan Whitlock
Blurb: “A dark and comic novel, Congratulations On Everything tracks the struggles, frailties, and cruelly pyrrhic victories of the middle-aged owner of a bar-restaurant and a 30ish lunch-shift waitress…In an era when the gourmand rules and chefs become superstars, Congratulations On Everything is a hilarious and occasionally uncomfortable dose of anti-foodie reality that reveals what goes on when the customers and Instagrammers aren’t around — and even sometimes when they are.”
My Thoughts: eh….
Verdict:
Thumbs Down
Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me: What Pop Music Rivalries Reveal About the Meaning of Life by Steven Hyden
Blurb: “Beatles vs. Stones. Biggie vs. Tupac. Kanye vs. Taylor. Who do you choose? And what does that say about you? Actually — what do these endlessly argued-about pop music rivalries say about us?”
Verdict: Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum
Thumbs Down
Life Moves Pretty Fast Life Moves Pretty Fast: The Lessons We Learned From Eighties Movies (And Why We Don’t Learn Them From Movies Any More) by Hadley Freeman
Blurb: “In this personalised guide, ]Freeman] puts her obsessive movie geekery to good use, detailing the decades [sic] key players, genres and tropes, and how exactly the friendship between Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi influenced the evolution of comedy. She looks back to a cinematic world in which bankers are invariably evil, despite this being the decade of Wall Street, where children are always wiser than adults, and science is embraced with an intense enthusiasm, and the future viewed with excitement. She considers how the changes between movies then and movies today say so much about pop culture’s and society’s changing expectations of women, young people and art, and explains why Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles should be put on school syllabuses immediately.”
My Thoughts: As I said about the first book in this installment, this looks like a fun way to spend a day’s reading. I’d probably enjoy it, and understand why I put it on the list. But…it’s just not going to happen.
Verdict:
Thumbs Down

Books Removed in this Post: 7 / 10
Total Books Removed: 53 / 240

Anyone out there read any of these books? Did I make the right call with any of them?

(Image by moritz320 from Pixabay)

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Can You See My Scars by Samuel Moore-Sobel

By

On July 22, 2020

In (Auto)Biography, Non-Fiction

I just don’t have time to read every book that comes my way, but I’d like to do my part to expose them to as many eyeballs as I can. So, from time to time, I’ll post a Spotlight to lend a hand. If this looks like it’s up your ally, you should jump on it. This looks like a pretty compelling read to me.

Book Details:

Book Title: Can You See My Scars by Samuel Moore-Sobel
Release date: September 1, 2020
Format: Hardcover/Ebook
Length: 282 pages
Publisher: Mascot Books

Book Blurb:

Can You See My Scars? is a raw and compelling memoir of trauma, adversity, healing, and recovery.

On a sunny day in September, Samuel’s job turns into his worst nightmare when it ends in a harrowing accident with sulfuric acid.

In the aftermath of the accident, Samuel faces surgical procedures, doctors’ visits, and medical complications. He grapples with vivid burn scars on his face, neck, and arms that transform the way he views himself and the world.

This powerful memoir explores the complexity of trauma and its effects on all areas of life: from Samuel’s family and friendships to his faith and romantic life.

Can You See My Scars? is a raw and beautiful memoir about a shocking accident, the complex pain of trauma, and the ability of the human spirit to overcome even the most challenging of circumstances.

About the Author:

Samuel Moore-SobelSamuel Moore-Sobel is a writer, speaker, and community activist. He is a columnist for the Blue Ridge Leader and previously served on the local disability services board. He writes about trauma, his experience as a burn survivor, faith, and political activism. When not writing and speaking, he works in the tech industry. He graduated from George Mason University with a degree in government and international politics. He currently lives in Loudoun County, Virginia. Read more at his website: samuelmoore-sobel.com.

Social Media

Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Website

Purchase Links

Amazon ~ Mascot Books

Page 326 of 610

Previous

Next

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén