Category: Blog Series Page 43 of 230

Saturday Miscellany—2/22/25

On February 22, 2025

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

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 10 Book Displays I’d Love to See at the Public Library—I’ve honestly never stopped to think about this kind of thing (don’t think I’m going to start, either, but I’m glad someone does)
bullet Golden Rules of Reading—Mind Your Manners in the Bookish World—somehow slipped by me last month
bullet This follow-up/expansion on a point is also worth your time: Don’t Yuck My Yum—Why We Need to Stop Shaming People’s Tastes (also, I’m just enjoying saying “don’t yuck my yum”)
bullet Love Story or Romance: Is There a Difference?
bullet Toxic Love Affairs in Literature—I’ve only read two of these, and (unusually for me) am very glad that’s the case. Good writing really does get us to accept some lousy/creepy/skeevy behavior, doesn’t it? (as if Humbert Humbert alone wasn’t proof of that).
bullet A Few of My Childhood Favorites—A nice stroll down memory lane. I didn’t discover Caddie Woodlawn until my kids read it, but it’s nice to see it getting some love. I’m pretty sure I’d have read that one more than anything about the Ingalls clan if I found it at the right age.
bullet (Some) Indie Book Recommendations—Rebecca Crunden has put together a good-looking list here
bullet The 10 Best Self-Published Books I’ve Ever Read—Seplls and Spaceships has featured a lot of Self-Pub books.
bullet Genre Focus: LitRPG—Witty and Sarcastic Book Club is back with another focus on a Fantasy Sub-Genre, this time, it’s all about LitRPG. I probably know less about this one than any other type of Fantasy, so I really need this.
bullet …Featuring Justin Marks
bullet …Featuring David Dalglish
bullet …Featuring BardLyre
bullet …Featuring SerasStreams
bullet …Featuring CT Phipps
bullet February Reading Challenge: Dive into the World of Thrillers with “This or That”—ew…tough choices

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
bullet Firefight by Brandon Sanderson
bullet Gemini Cell by Myke Cole
bullet Plus One by Christopher Noxon—Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum
bullet And I noted the releases of: Half the World by Joe Abercrombie; Department 19: Zero Hour by Will Hill; and Shoot This One by Javier Grillo-Marxuach. Three books I never got around to buying or reading. oops.

This (or last) Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Not Marriage Material: Not a Romance Anthology edited by Sue Bavey—”In this non-fiction anthology, twenty authors and poets celebrate the ones who got away and the ones they were lucky enough to get away from. These relationships may not have ended in marriage, but they have provided us with entertaining stories.” I can’t believe I forgot to mention this last week, especially as I helped spread the word when she was looking for submissions. It does look like a fun way to spend some time.
bullet Picks and Shovels by Cory Doctorow—”The year is 1986. The city is San Francisco. Here, Martin Hench will invent the forensic accountant–what a bounty hunter is to people, he is to money–but for now he’s an MIT dropout odd-jobbing his way around a city still reeling from the invention of a revolutionary new technology that will change everything about crime forever,” the PC. I really need to start reading Doctorow, he says for (at least) the 13th year running.

WWW Wednesday—February 19, 2025

By HCNewton

On February 19, 2025

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

How is it that January seemed to be 450 days long, and we’re over halfway through February in maybe 6 days? It just makes no sense…

I wasn’t able to translate the holiday into extra reading–or furniture buying (not that I was thinking about it, but what else are you supposed to do with Presidents’ Day?). I did get some quality time with some family members, so I’m not complaining at all. And wherever this paragraph was headed, I lost my path. So, let’s just get on with the 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?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?


Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson	Passageways by Rebecca Carey Lyles, Editor	Johnny Careless by Kevin Wade, read by John Pirhalla

Last week, I said that I’d tried Snow Crash a couple of times before–I’m pretty sure that if I’d read another chapter or two, I wouldn’t have stopped. This is fun.

Passageways is an uneven, but interesting, collection that I should have wrapped up by the end of the month.

Wade’s first novel has promise, and still has a few hours to make me a fan. But it has to overcome a couple of serious deficits (and odd switches between 1st and 3rd-person narration that I don’t understand).

What did you recently finish reading?


Installment Immortality by Seanan McGuire	Ingredients: The Strange Chemistry of What We Put in Us and on Us by George Zaidan

McGuire’s latest was duly impressive. I need to come up with another 200+ words to express that by the end of the week. But that’ll do for a start.

Zaidan’s book is a great mix of information, cynicism, analysis, careful explanation, and goofy humor. Highly recommended.

What do you think you’ll read next?


Beast of the North Woods by Annelise Ryan	Dead Money by Jakob Kerr, read by Rachel Music

It’s the third adventure for Morgan Carter. I’m looking forward to seeing how she goes about this creature hunt.

I apparently have another debut thriller on deck. Hopefully, this one makes a better first impression.

Are you in the middle of something good right now, or are you waiting for something to convince you it’s worth your time?

Saturday Miscellany—2/15/25

By HCNewton

On February 15, 2025

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

It’s not often that I have a theme for these posts (outside of year end wrap ups, but even then…), but boy howdy, no one seemed to talk about anything else this week (outside of a certain SF creep or two).
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 Is That a Familiar Feeling?—”Rosalind Harvey explores the complex emotional and professional terrain of literary translation, weaving together attachment theory, career precarity, and the unseen labor of bringing words across linguistic borders.” (which feels like a lot to cover, but Harvey does it well)
bullet THE BEST OF THE BEST- My Favourite Books of All Time—How anyone could accomplish a Herculean task like this is beyond my ken. A good list, for sure (including a prodding to get to one book that’s been sitting on my shelf for too long)
bullet Twisted Love: 7 books with vampires (that aren’t Twilight)
bullet Five Signs You Might Be Crushing on a Book—If I had time for fan-fic, I’d likely have experienced all of these. Otherwise, yeah, I’ve had several crushes (every year of my life)
bullet Books with Relationships for People Who Don’t Love Love: 2025 Edition—We don’t get all gushy and swoony this week. Jodie plays the Scrooge to keep us from it.
bullet What Literary Love Story Are You Destined To Have? (A Valentine’s Day Personality Quiz)—I’ve never read my personalisty type, but Mrs. Irresponsible Reader has a well-read edition. Probably a good sign for me.
bullet Dating App Profile For Book Characters—No offense to anyone, but this might be my favorite of the week.
bullet A Few of My Favorite Literary Couples

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
bullet I had exactly one post for the week in 2015, in which I mentioned the release of Deadly Spells by Jaye Wells (a book that I never got around to picking up)

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Annihilation Aria by Michael Underwood—has been re-released. I’d call this Underwood’s criminally-underselling space opera, but I tend to describe all of Underwood’s work as “criminally-underselling”, and I hold all of you responsible. This story about space archeologists, found family, and alien cultures is absolutely something you should read.
bullet Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett—everyone’s favorite dryadologist gets plunges into the intrigue of a Faerie Kingdom.
bullet Retreat by Krysten Ritter with Lindsay Jamieson—I’m semi-curious about this, becasue of Ritter’s previous novel more than because of this premise. But props to Ritter/the Publisher for crediting the ghostwriter.

(people still say, “props to ___” right? Fellow Kids, tell me that’s still a thing)

Grandpappy’s Corner: Goodnight Darth Vader by Jeffrey Brown: Han Snored First

By HCNewton

On February 14, 2025

In Grandpappy's Corner, YA/MG/Children's Books

Goodnight Darth Vader

by Jeffrey Brown

DETAILS:
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Publication Date: July 22, 2014
Format: Hardcover
Length: 64 pg.
Read Date: February 8, 205

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….

Episode Eight P.M.: BEDTIME

Lord Darth Vader rules the Galaxy, while attempting to rule his twin children, Luke and Leia Skywalker. He has commanded them to go to bed, but they have other ideas….

What’s Goodnight Darth Vader About?

This is a book in the style of Goodnight Moon featuring Darth Vader and his twins (in a very non-canonical way) while he’s trying to get them to sleep, with looks at individuals from throughout the Empire (or former Empire) as they settle in for the night.

Let’s Talk about the Art for a Minute

Brown has this great style that both gets the detail necessary for the droids, aliens, ships, and all that. At the same time, he keeps it playful and appealing for people of all ages to look at.

You can see plenty of examples of this on his website.

Who Is This Book For?

I really don’t know who the audience for this book is—I know it’s sold for kids, it seems to be intended for kids, but I think this is a better fit for Star Wars fans than for the toddler (or younger) set.

Sure, it’s not like a toddler gets the references (or understands most of the words in) Good Night New Orleans (to stay on-theme) or just about any other book I’ve talked about in Grandpappy’s Corner. So it’s not a big deal if a reader doesn’t get the Ackbar joke or know who Dexter is. So, sure, read it to your kid. But to appreciate this truly? You need to be a fan of the series.

So, what did I think about Goodnight Darth Vader?

I had a blast with it—I liked the art, the humor, the take on the Goodnight Moon style of book, and so on.

I’ve seen the covers for some of the other books along these lines that Brown has put out, but I haven’t read them—I only read this one because someone gave it to the Grandcritter. I’m going to take steps to get my hands on the others now.

The art, the strange creatures, the smiling kids—that’ll keep the young readers/read-to involved. The characters and jokes will help the fan enjoy this—even after multiple, multiple readings.

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, the opinions expressed are my own.
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WWW Wednesday—February 12, 2025

By HCNewton

On February 12, 2025

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

It’s the 43rd day of the year, also known as February 12. And you know if I’m resorting to counting the days, I don’t have a lot to say by way of introduction. So let’s just get on with it.

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?

Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:

What are you currently reading?


Installment Immortality by Seanan McGuire	Passageways by Rebecca Carey Lyles, Editor	The Greatest Nobodies of History: Minor Characters from Major Moments by Adrian Bliss

I just started the ARC for the upcoming InCryptid novel from McGuire, and am eager to see what kind of mess was left after the last book.

1.5 years after I was given this short story collection by Becky Lyles, I’m done putting it off.

This book by Bliss is an interesting mix of humor and history (heavy on the former, but informed by the latter). Love the concept, if nothing else.

What did you recently finish reading?


Anxious People by Fredrik Backman	Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson, read by Barton Welch

Backman’s Anxious People was hilarious, touching, sobering, heart-warming, and wise.

I appreciated going through Stevenson’s book again, I was able to better appreciate the structure, the way he set everything up, and so on without being distracted by all the twists, turns, and reveals.

What do you think you’ll read next?


Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson	Long Past Dues by James J. Butcher, read by James Patrick Cronin

Snow Crash is the selection for the SciFi Book Club this month–somehow, I’ve yet to make it past the first third of the book in the decades I’ve spent trying, as much as I’ve enjoyed that third. That streak ends soon.

I remember being thrown by the way Butcher’s second novel ended. It’ll be good to revisit this and to see how he laid the groundwork for it.

Do you have a date with a book for St. Valentine’s Day, or are you going for something more conventional?

Book Blogger Hop: How Do You Read Book Series?

By HCNewton

On February 12, 2025

In Book Blogger Hop, Books, News/Misc.

Book Blogger Hop

This prompt was submitted by Idea-ist @ Get Lost in Literature:

Do you prefer to read series one book after another, or can you read other books in between?

Once upon a time, I used to binge-read series. One after another after another like Lays potato chips. But I don’t let myself do that anymore–there are two reasons for this,

I kept losing track of which novel was which, they just ran together into one huge book. Which doesn’t sound all that bad, but it took away from appreciating each novel as its own thing. (some TV critics have said the same thing about releasing/watching an entire season of a show at once instead of the week-by-week approach).
Burnout. Part of this is spill-over from the one-giant novel effect. But really, just too much of a series voice at once just cuts the effectiveness of it.

If we’re talking series with several volumes released, I typically like to do one book a month or so. Enough time to soak in the details, ruminate on each book (hopefully write a post on it), and then get into the next book.

Huh. I thought I had more to say on this than that.

What about you, are you a binger or do you stretch things out?

Opening Lines: The Greatest Nobodies of History by Adrian Bliss

By HCNewton

On February 11, 2025

In Blog Series, Currently Reading, News/Misc., Opening Lines, Quotations

Head & Shoulders used to tell us that, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” That’s true for wearing dark shirts, and it’s especially true for books. Sometimes the characters will hook the reader, sometimes the premise, sometimes it’s just knowing the author—but nothing beats a great opening for getting a reader to commit.

I think it was Julius Caesar’s barber who once said, “Everyone remembers the heroes, but it is the nobodies who make history,” which was just so like him. He was right, of course. If Genghis Khan’s childhood nanny had been a touch more attentive, and if Alexander the Great’s friends hadn’t suggested a group trip to Persia, everything would’ve been different. Neither you nor I would be here and this book would never have been published. Thankfully, in this timeline, everyone did their bit, from Michelangelo’s marble dealer to Cleopatra’s hairstylist and as such, we are all here, and so is this book.

from The Greatest Nobodies of History: Minor Characters from Major Moments By Adrian Bliss

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Saturday Miscellany—2/8/25

By HCNewton

On February 8, 2025

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

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 US Authors Guild to certify books from ‘human intellect’ rather than AI—Good idea. Sad that it’s necessary, but glad to see it. Click here to see the Guild’s site.
bullet Book publishers, authors, Donnelly Public Library sue Idaho officials over library materials law—’tis a stupid law, and I wish this suit success.
bullet Local bookstores, dealt another blow by L.A. fires, become ‘community touchstones’
bullet Children’s Editors on the Worst Places They Were Ever Pitched—at least one of these will make you snicker
bullet My First Thriller: Lee Goldberg—a good look at Goldberg’s roots
bullet A Literary Crossword for Book People—a little fun for the day
bullet Domestication Interview with Author Shannon Knight—looking forward to watching this
bullet I must be in a certain frame of mind this morning, here’s another quick grin-inducer from @writesofnovember (November J. Brown) on Threads
bullet Will 2025 Be the Return of the Classic?—one might be tempted to ask where they went, but I know I shouldn’t.

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
Nothing, really. It was a very slow month for me on the blog-front. I believe there was a lot of traveling, preparation for traveling, and recovering from traveling going on. However,
bullet I did post a Saturday Miscellany, and noted the release of Funny Girl by Nick Hornby; The Way Into Darkness by Harry Connolly; and Covenant’s End by Ari Marmelltitle.

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Little Aiden: A Big Kid Book for Toddlers by Albert and Anna Choi, Bettina Braskó (Illustrator)—A cute book for toddlers that happens to be free until midnight PST. Grandpappy’s Corner featured it yesterday.
bullet Food for Thought: Essays and Ruminations by Alton Brown—Brown “shares exactly what’s on his mind, mixing compelling anecdotes from his personal and professional life with in-depth observations on the culinary world, film, personal style, defining meals of his lifetime, and much more.” You pretty much have to get this in audio, right? You’re going to hear his voice in your head when you read it anyway, cut out the middle-man (i.e., your brain) to make it easier.
bullet Dead in the Frame by Stephen Spotswood—after the cliff-hanger Spotswood left us on, I have no need to read a blurb. I just need resolution!
bullet The Complete Critical Companion to Better Call Saul by Alan Sepinwall—Sepinwall’s book on Breaking Bad was fantastic. Surely this will be the same.

Grandpappy’s Corner: Little Aiden: A Big Kid Book for Toddlers by Albert and Anna Choi, Bettina Braskó (Illustrator): Aiden’s a “Big Kid” Now (well, bigger)

By HCNewton

On February 7, 2025

In Grandpappy's Corner, YA/MG/Children's Books

A quick note before I dive in—from 2/6-2/8 (11:59 PST), this book is available for free for Kindle. Now’s as good a time as any to pick it up!

Little Aiden: A Big Kid Book for Toddlers

by Albert and Anna Choi, Bettina Braskó (Illustrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Little Aiden 
Publisher: Mytogo Publishing
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Format: eBook
Length: 45 pg.
Read Date: January 6, 2025

What’s Little Aiden About?

Aiden’s grown up a bit since we last saw him, and he’s working out how to be independent. Sometimes with great results, sometimes with unfortunate ones (and some of those are cute from the perspective of the reader, while frustrating for the Chois in the moment, I’m sure).

There’s a lot for the young reader/read-to person to identify with—perhaps a mildly mischievous inspiration, too (not that most toddlers need it).

Let’s Talk about the Art for a Minute

Braskó’s work is the star of the show. Particularly in the depiction of Aiden’s Teddy. I don’t know if that’s all Braskó or if the Chois give direction for Teddy—even if they split credit for it, it’s Braskó’s execution that sells it. I think that Teddy’s background antics are going to be the main appeal of this book/series (aside from the all-important bonding with the young reader/read-to).

As for the main action? Aiden’s as cute as you want, the illustrations are bright and whimsical—the affection between the family is clear. I have a pretty good idea what this little moppet is like from this book alone.

How is it to Read Aloud?

It’s full of short, declarative sentences. No flair, no goofy words or rhymes—it’s a piece of cake on that front. I think the text serves well as a launching pad for discussions about the scene depicted and how it’s like their life.

It’d also be good for early readers to use to read to a younger sibling (I think).

What did the Little Critter think of It?

N/A—my phone screen is the only reader I have at the moment that can handle the color, and it’s too small for us to use. But it’s the kind of thing he’d dig for sure.

So, what did I think about Little Aiden?

It reminded me of I Am a Big Brother by Caroline Jayne Church, in that it’s not so much a story or a book to teach about something/render a lesson. It’s just a look at the life of someone going through something the reader can identify with—having a younger sibling in Church’s book, going through this stage of life in this case. I think seeing that commonality with others is an important thing. It’s also good to see that bigger people care enough about this stage of life to make books about it—it’s not all about big kids/adults or creatures having adventures or all about the cute baby stuff.

And there are some younger types who need to see early on that people who may have different ethnic backgrounds have similar experiences.

That’s probably a little deeper than people need to think about a picture book, though (or is it?). So let’s go with this—it’s a cute read with fun pictures. At the end of the day, that’s enough for the audience.

Like the other two books in this series, I recommend it.

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The Pilgrim’s Regress by C.S. Lewis: Everyone Has to Start Somewhere

By HCNewton

On February 6, 2025

In Book Blogger Hop, C.S. Lewis, Fantasy, Fiction, Further Up and Further In, General Fiction/Literature

Further Up and Further In A Year with C.S.Lewis

The Pilgrim’s Regress

by C. S. Lewis

DETAILS:
Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
Publication Date: October 22, 2014
Format: Paperback
Length: 230 pg.
Read Date: January 1-3, 2025

A Bit of Personal History (feel free to skip)

Back in ’91 or ’92, I saw a copy of The Pilgrim’s Regress on a bookstore shelf. I was in a “read everything by Lewis you can get your hands on phase,” so I instantly picked it up. But the back of the book talked about it as the modern equivalent of Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress in a way that I figured I should read Bunyan before it.

It took me a little while to track down the Bunyan (the toilsome times before online bookshops), and by the time I worked my way through it, the bookstore didn’t have that copy any more and I was distracted by other things.

I’ve often thought about trying this book since then—but it wasn’t until I started thinking about this project that I finally combined ambition with general curiosity.

What’s The Pilgrim’s Regress About?

This modern-retelling of The Pilgrim’s Progressis an allegory about a man named John on his journey from childhood exposure to religion in Puritania to an Island of pleasure. Along the way, he has to deal with several physical, spiritiual and itellectual challenges to take him away from his journey (pretty much like Bunyan’s Christian).

This was the first thing that Lewis wrote after his conversion, and it’s considered to be an intellectual biography of that journey.

Basically, think Bunyan for the early 20th Century and you’ve got it.

A Couple of Things That Helped Me

Early on, John encounters a “brown girl” who distracts him from his interest in—or at least pursuing that interest. They begin a sexual relationship, which goes awry and causes some serious problems for John (actually, that entire relationship from her introduction on is a serious problem.) I was pretty sure that Lewis wasn’t making any kind of ethnic characterization or anything, but it’s hard to shake the feeling. Thankfully, reading this blog post by a Lewis expert made me feel so much better (and shows I was on the right path in general with it). I’d explain it, but Dr. Hurd does it better.

The other thing that helped was the afterword that Lewis wrote for the Third Edition, ten years after the original publication. He points to some flaws, or at least things he could’ve done better. I agreed with most of his self-diagnosis, and at least one point, his explanation made me understand an aspect of the book (and, yes, he was right to critique himself).

So, while I’m glad for the additional things that helped me appreciate the book, I trust that with very little effort, I could find more. I shouldn’t have to look to these kinds of things to appreciate a book. To gain a better understanding, sure. But to move me from “meh” to “okay, that wasn’t that bad/objectional” should come from the text itself—not from others.

So, what did I think about The Pilgrim’s Regress?

It’s been almost a century since this was first published, and I cannot decide if it’s a good thing or not that so many of the characters and ideas John encounters are still relevant and identifiable (although some details may have altered a bit). The reader can see that these intellectual movements are nothing new—sadly, many of them haven’t been forgotten. One of the best things about reading theological works written generations before me is wondering exactly what the author is targeting (or why they’re bothering)—but the ideas that Lewis wants to confront are still in his readers’ lives. Probably even more than they were for him.

The beginning of the book seemed promising with an uncaring and cold clergy, parents who were off the mark, and so on—I thought John’s journey would lead us to a correction of or confrontation with these things. But no, we get the brown girl and then things go far from where I thought we were going. Naturally, I don’t mind that—but I would’ve appreciated something more definitive. That’s personal taste, though.

Like many allegories, particularly Bunyan’s, there is nothing subtle about The Pilgrim’s Regress. That doesn’t mean it’s not good, or that it’s so clear always that there’s no thinking involved, but, wow—it does tend to feel like it’s hitting you with a brick when John encounters a new person/idea.

Am I glad that I read this? Yes. So I can see Lewis’ development as a writer, to satisfy a certain curiosity in general, and to cross off a decades-old item from my “To Read List.” For people who don’t have at least two of those motivations to pick this up, I can’t really recommend it. I’m not sure I really can for those who do have those motivations—but it satisfies those particular itches.

Is this bad? By no means. It’s not good either. I did particularly enjoy certain lines, scenes, or encounters. I thought some of the ways that Lewis framed the better alternatives to be refreshing and helpful. But overall this really did nothing for me.

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, the opinions expressed are my own.
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