Author: HCNewton Page 586 of 625

2014 New Year’s Reading Resolutions

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On January 1, 2014

In Books, Calendar Items, News/Misc.

Since I was 7, books and reading have pretty much dominated my life, so it’s not too surprising that the only New Year’s Resolutions that I can come up with revolve around them. Here are a few to get things kicked off:

  • Come up with a response for all the people who say things like, “I notice you’re reading a lot of novels lately” — as if they’re a second-class (or worse) thing to read.
  • Think more about what I read (this blog helps, but I need to do more)
  • Enjoy what I’m reading more — the process, the moments, the words.
  • Re-read more. I think I re-read 6 books last year, not even 5% of my total. I’ve got shelves and shelves of things that I want(ed) to read again — I should do that.
  • Do a better job here — in the reviews/rants as well as in branching out — posts about books/authors, not just about a particular book.

On the more micro-side — books in particular — I still don’t have a “big” aim or goal like I have most of the last few years, but I have a few smaller ones.

… all in 190 books or so.

Enough blather, gotta hit the books.

Happy New Reading Year!

By

On December 31, 2013

In Calendar Items, News/Misc.

I’ve really abandoned things around here lately, haven’t I? Between the busy-ness of the holiday season, kids being home from school and demanding attention — and the silly, ego-driven need to read a few more books to meet my year end goal (with a few hours to spare), things were just too busy for me to update this. I did try to do a Saturday Miscellany post last week, but couldn’t find enough to make up a post (not going to be a problem this week!).

Anyway, 2013 was pretty productive for me: 190 books (down from 206 last year) and a few short stories, graphic novels, and whatnot — mostly good, some great, a few not; a whole new blog (this one here, in case you were wondering)’ a bunch of reviews (not as many as I’d hoped). Which basically boils down to a lot of time spent with books — just about my favorite way to spend time.

Thanks for those of you who’ve read this, are following this blog. Hope you’ve had a good 2013, and may we all have a better 2014.

2014

Dusted Off: A Fistful of Collars by Spencer Quinn

By

On December 30, 2013

In Authors, Chet and Bernie, Dogs, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, P-U, Spencer Quinn

A Fistful of Collars (A Chet and Bernie Mystery #5)A Fistful of Collars

by Spencer Quinn
Series: Chet and Bernie, #5

Hardcover, 320 pg.
Atria Books, 2012

Little makes me as happy as a good Chet & Bernie story — and this one fits the bill. Quinn avoids some of the pitfalls of his other books — certain scenes/plot points that are becoming more than threadbare are absent here.

The main storyline was pretty predictable, but it was well — and entertainingly — executed. The subplots are the key to this one, and most of those were handled deftly.

Good, solid entry in this series with one of the best narrative voices around — give this one a read!

—–

4 Stars

Dusted Off: To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn

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On December 30, 2013

In Authors, Chet and Bernie, Dogs, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, P-U, Spencer Quinn

To Fetch a Thief (A Chet and Bernie Mystery, #3)To Fetch a Thief

by Spencer Quinn
Series: Chet and Bernie, #3

Hardcover, 307 pg.
Atria Books, 2010

What can I say about this? Read it. Love this series. At this point, I think the only “voice” I enjoy reading more in this world than Chet is Archie Goodwin, and Chet’s still with us, so he could pass Archie.

On my first read, I didn’t love it as much as the first — but slightly more than the second — in this series. I think Quinn did a bit more with Bernie’s character than he has in the past — Bernie could probably carry his own story w/o Chet now (Heaven Forbid). Less Suzie, more Charlie and the ex. Good subplot involving the latter two.

Good mystery, nice action, etc. like always. I just love these books, wish I could articulate it better and get more folks to read ’em.

—–

4 Stars

Dusted Off: Tempest by Kelly Meding

By

On December 30, 2013

In Fiction, Science Fiction

Tempest (MetaWars, #3)Tempest

by Kelly Meding
ebook, 384 pg.
Pocket Star, 2013

Dynamite! Likely the best of a really good series. Again, we have a different protagonist/1st person narrator going on a voyage of personal discovery while battling some bad guys and further exploring this world that Meding’s created. And tho’ that’s the same M.O. as the other books in the series, she pulls it off so that it feels fresh. No mean feat there.

I really liked this guy and his story, and am ready for the next book

—–

4 Stars

Dusted Off: Changeling by Kelly Meding

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On December 30, 2013

In Uncategorized

Changeling (MetaWars, #2)Changeling

by Kelly Meding
Paperback, 384 pg.
Pocket Books, 2012

I’ll be honest — when I saw that this sequel would have a different narrator/central character than Trance, I lost a lot of interest in it, and really only started the thing since I’d already spent the $$ and had a mild dose of curiosity. Within 20 pages, though, I was in–hook, line, sinker, and probably even rod and reel.

The same fun, excitement and heart that characterized Trance, are fully present and accounted for in this installment. This is a great world that Meding has created for us, and I can’t wait to get back to it.

—–

4 Stars

Dusted Off: To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway

By

On December 23, 2013

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

To Have and Have NotTo Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway

What a miserable book! Harry Morgan is an almost thoroughly despicable character in a pointless book full of sad, pathetic and incomplete plots. I think I can see where Hemingway was trying to stretch as an author, the multiple perspectives he writes from here is a different approach for him (one that doesn’t succeed too well), for example. But I thought this failed utterly.

Towards the end of the book, there’s a few pages where Hemingway gives us snapshots of various characters aboard different boats in the marina — all of whom we only see here in a few paragraphs — I thought this was effective, light years beyond the rest of the novel. It felt quite out of place, a diamond in the rough. (which may suggest it wasn’t as good as I thought, it just seemed so much better — I don’t think that’s the case, but it’s possible)

Oh, this also featured possibly the least erotic sex scene I’ve read this side of Tom Wolfe (actually, may be worse than Wolfe). Nothing to make hay about there, just thought I’d note it as it really bugged me.

—–

2 Stars

Dusted Off: In Pursuit of Spenser, Otto Penzler, ed.

By

On December 23, 2013

In Authors, Robert B. Parker, Spenser

In Pursuit of Spenser: Mystery Writers on Robert B. Parker and the Creation of an American HeroIn Pursuit of Spenser: Mystery Writers on Robert B. Parker and the Creation of an American Hero

by Otto Penzler
Paperback, 247 pg.
Smart Pop, 2012

I loved this book.

It has been years since I’ve read a festschrift–and this is the only one I’ve read that wasn’t about a figure in the Presbyterian/Reformed tradition. I’d forgotten how nice they can be.

It was like hanging out with a bunch of articulate friends talking about our dearly departed friend/mentor/idol. Insightful, occasionally moving, occasionally factually wrong (extreme fanboy alert)–a great tribute to Dr. Parker.

—–

5 Stars

Random Ruminations: Richard Russo and Looking Ahead to 2014

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On December 20, 2013

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc.

I’m about at the halfway point in Richard Russo’s The Bridge of Sighs and have just about decided that if I were to find myself in a Master’s program in Literature, I could very easily be content studying the minutiae of his work. I’m sure I could find enough for a few theses at least. Of course, I have no incentive to do more than come up with vague notions and theories, so I’ll have to trust that somewhere out there is an academic with a stronger drive than I and hope I run across their writing.

Besides, if I actually had the chance to do that kind of reading, researching and writing, I’d end up going with Rex Stout, Robert B. Parker or Jim Butcher.

When I finish this book, I’ll be just three books short of most of my goals for the year (10 short of the total I’d hoped to hit — still might make that, but it’s looking grim). I’ll have read all of Russo’s novels at least once; I’m one short of Hemingway’s novels (and a couple of his posthumous works, which I typically don’t do); and 1 to go in both the Stephanie Plum and Kinsey Millhone series to get up to this year’s release (I did that with Jack Reacher this week, and a couple weeks ago totally caught up on the Andy Carpenter books). I’m not sure that actually made sense — hopefully my year-end 2013 post will be clearer.

I’m pretty clueless about what I hope to accomplish in 2014 — get caught up on the Temeraire novels (an unfulfilled 2013 goal), read the rest of the Lydia Chin/Bill Smith and Longmire books. But nothing of a more serious vein. Need to get to work on that — and, as always, I’m open to suggestions.

Which, by the way, is a long way of saying I’m not going to get a rant, rave, or review up today — Russo’s sapping all my attention and energy for the moment, so I could only jot down these few random thoughts.

Have a good Friday, and — always, always — thanks for reading.

U is for Undertow – Sue Grafton

By

On December 19, 2013

In Authors, Fiction, Kinsey Millhone, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Sue Grafton

U is for Undertow (Kinsey Millhone, #21)U is for Undertow

by Sue Grafton
Series: Kinsey Millhone, #21

Hardcover, 416 pg.
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2009

Grafton again goes for a multi-perspective, bouncing back and forth between Kinsey’s present and the case’s past approach to this book. It weaved an interesting arc, once you put all the pieces together. I see why she’s using it, I appreciate the skill, but it’s a trick she’s relying on too often, I fear. It’s starting to dull the effectiveness.

This wasn’t a typical case for Kinsey — other than the cold-case nature of it, which she seems to do a lot of lately. A missing persons case this time, brought to her by — never mind, it’d take to long to explain, you’re better off hearing it from the client.

Typically, in a PI/mystery novel, you get hardened criminals, seemingly destined for it since birth — sadists, psychopaths, just generally mean people, that sort of thing. But really, crimes are probably just as often perpetrated by the stupid, the bored, the desperate — it’s good to have reminders of that. It’s also entertaining, because it’s the last people you’d think to look for, so when someone like that pops up in a book, it’s refreshing.

I did really appreciate the self-aware flash of insight Kinsey has while listening to someone unloading a well rehearsed recital of family sins against her. Kinsey sees what she must sound like to others when she does so. Not often that someone as self-assured as she is has such a moment of clarity, and it’s nice to see that Kinsey’s capable of it.

Even better is that this insight led to a very promising leap forward in the ongoing story about Kinsey’s estranged family.

Oh, as an added bonus…there’s some pretty helpful writing advice tucked away in here.

Another worthy entry in this long-running series, not much else to say, really.

—–

4 Stars

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