Category: Saturday Miscellany Page 28 of 35

Some of these miscellanies lately have felt extra miscellany, but maybe that’s just me. Hope you all are finding something worth your time here, I enjoyed all of these.

Also, in the States this weekend we observe Father’s Day, “the most sacred of the b******t Hallmark holidays” (as a href=”https://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2015/06/happy-fathers-day.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>the great Ken Levine has dubbed it). If you are blessed enough to be a father, I hope you have a good day.

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
Legible Launches Browser-Based Reading and Publishing Platform—I like this idea. Won’t be jumping on right away due to time/money constraints, but hope they’re around long enough for me to give this a shot.
On My Most Embarrassing Literary Encounters (So Far): Matthew Norman Doesn’t Always Play It Cool With Famous Authors
20+ Best Audiobooks for Family Road Trips—This is a really good list.
What is a Cozy Mystery?—a handy infographic
Book Covers Are in A Rut—yup. Which makes the good ones all the better.
Dos and Don’ts for Reading Outside—For those in less oppressively hot areas.
Music and Song in Books!—from Before We Go Blog, a nice look at some of the better uses of Music/Song in Fantasy.
Comfort Reads!—a comfy little post from Lizby’s Nerdy World
I came across a reference to when I shared this link a few years ago, and thought it deserved a repeat for the title alone: C.S. Lewis’s Greatest Fiction Was Convincing American Kids That They Would Like Turkish Delight—nice Lewis-esque title to accompany this great piece. Some great lines in this: “It was like looking into Harry Potter’s Mirror of Erised, but for desserts: When you think of a treat worth betraying your family for, what do you see? Turkish Delight is our collective candy id.”

Episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Blood Brothers Episode 60 with TJ Newman—Newman’s book is going to be one of the biggest of 2021, and this was a fun discussion. Worth listening to if only to hear this American trying to describe the wonder of S’Mores.

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Shots Fired by Ian Robinson—DI Nash and DC Moretti return for their third book, this one focusing on the hunt for a weapon tied to killings in Scotland and Northern Ireland in addition to London.
All Together Now by Matthew Norman—”A dying man brings his oldest friends together for one last beach blowout.”
A Good Kill by John McMahon—A School Shooting leads a Georgia detective to investigating a local conspiracy. I really dug this one.
Million Dollar Demon by Kim Harrison—Harrison’s revived Rachel Morgan/Hollows series is as strong as the series ever was. I had a bit more to say about it recently.
title by soandso—Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum
title by soandso—Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum

I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to Bethany Waller, who followed the blog this week, hope your fledgling blog does well!

This feels a bit more hodge-podge-y than usual, but hey, just one of those weeks, I guess. Hope you’re having a good weekend!

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
New exhibition shows Peanuts creator Charles M Schulz’s take on grown-ups—I would enjoy seeing this exhibition, while the one strip the article shows demonstrates that Schulz needed to develop things a bit more.
Telegraph columnist wrongly claims literacy at the lowest level in UK history.
Those Descriptions on the Inside of Book Covers Are Full of It: They’ve become meaningless mush—but they don’t have to be.—I think Farwell’s critiques are problematic, but I like the look at developing the descriptions for a book.
How TV Shows Use Books as Props: From SCHITT’S CREEK to MAD MEN
Shop Talk: Ace Atkins Writes on a 40-Year Old Keyboard and Doesn’t Believe in Word Counts—an interview with Atkins about his process—even if you’re not a fan of Atkins (which just means you haven’t read him yet), it’s worth a read. I love seeing how different authors go about things.
FPTV: Ben Aaronovich & Andrew Cartmel introduce Rivers of London: Body Work (Deluxe Writer’s Edition)—I haven’t found time to watch this yet, but it looks good. Also, I need to get my hands on the that edition.
Some Thoughts and a Problem—Many of us can identify with Bookforager here.
Dear Authors – This Reader Wants More Courage, Complexity and Atmosphere—BookerTalk has a wishlist for authors/publishers.
Pros and Cons of Audiobooks: My Experience So Far—FanFiAddict’s David S. discusses audiobook listening
Musings on Mood Reading
Lie About Your Age, Not About Reading Books—some good stuff about lying about reading and related ideas over at The Bookwyrm’s Den

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Meat is Murder by Chris McDonald—the third Stonebridge Mystery finds the amateur sleuths investigating a death at an abattoir (not the routine kind, it should be stressed). I’ll be talking about it next week, hint: it was fun.
Darling at the Campsite by Andy Abramowitz—an “adrift thirty-three-year-old” returns to his hometown for the funeral for his estranged brother and has to deal with baggage from his past.

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
Support your local bookstore — before it disappears—there’s a reassuring headline
Watch a young Flannery O’Connor teaching her chicken to walk backwards.—sure…this is exactly the kind of thing you expect to see out of a literary legend.
9 most beautiful bookstores and libraries in Japan—some of these are just stunning (the others have to settle for being super-impressive). Would love to browse any of these.
What Novels Can Borrow from the Sweeping Mythology of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Benjamin Percy on Creating a New World Within the Old—Not sure I’m all that tempted to read this new series, but I find the thought process interesting
5 Old Book Features That Died with the Times (Thankfully)
Why I think you should check out self published SFF!—in case you haven’t dabbled yet, this from Spells and Spaceships, could be the encouragement you need. The list applies pretty well to things outside SFF.

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Dead Ground by M. W. Craven—the latest Washington Poe/Tilly Bradshaw novel finds them taking on a(seemingly) very different kind of case. Coincidentally, I’ve installed a cot near my mailbox for the next week or so.
Moonlighting: An Oral History by Scott Ryan—A great read for TV fans of a certain age, as I enthused recently.

I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to saniya | sunnysidereviews, Esther, and ljwrites85 who followed the blog this week. I appreciate the follow and hope to see you back here!

Okay, I think things at work are getting back to normal. Which means I should be able to browse more blogs/book sites, bloghop, etc. And maybe not feel like a zombie for 70% of my waking hours, too. Either way, things should be more, um robust here in the next week or so (who knows what the short week next week will bring).

For those of you this applies to: have a great three-day weekend, hope you enjoy it. Those who don’t have one right now? Sorry!

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
An Interview with Zoë Sharp—from Murder & Mayhem
On Accountability, Artistry, and The Hard Work of Becoming Better People—while I disagree with a lot (but not all) of this, Yoon makes some good points, and this kind of thing needs careful thought right now–not knee-jerk reactions.
We’re Drawn To Mysteries in Fiction Because Life Itself Is a Mystery—hmmm..
Eight thrillers and mysteries to read this summer—S. A. Cosby has some recommendations (the Post has some related articles, too—worth checking out)
15 Authors Share the Book at the Top of Their Summer TBR
15 Ways to Read More in 2021!—Now that June is nigh-upon-us, maybe you want to revisit some Jan. 1 Resolutions.
From Merlin to Mistborn—Witty and Sarcastic Book Club has a great series this week looking at various magic system, thoughts about magic in fiction, and related ideas. I can’t pick one or two to highlight, go read ’em all.
The Restorative Power of Reading—I think we’ve all felt that.
@JenMedBkReviews defines a couple of new terms that all book bloggers should add to their working vocabulary

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
The Curious Reader: Facts About Famous Authors and Novels | Book Lovers and Literary Interest | A Literary Miscellany of Novels & Novelists edited by Erin McCarthy & the team at Mental Floss—”This literary compendium from Mental Floss reveals fascinating facts about the world’s most famous authors and their literary works.” I’ve flipped through this a little since picking it up at my bookstore, I have no idea how to describe it—or how I’m going to write about it. But it’s going to be fun trying to figure it out.
Hard Reboot by Django Wexler—”Kas is a junior researcher on a fact-finding mission to old Earth. But when a con-artist tricks her into wagering a large sum of money belonging to her university on the outcome of a manned robot arena battle she becomes drawn into the seedy underworld of old Earth politics and state-sponsored battle-droid prizefights.” Oh, that old chestnut…this is just such a strange collection of ideas I think I have to try it.

If you’re reading this, I apparently stumbled through this week mostly intact. I have so much I wanted to write about this week and even in this post, but while the spirit is interested and willing, this flesh is bone tired. It’ll hold, I think.

While I try to wrap up this week with a bonus shift at work, why don’t you take a glance at some of these. Hope something tickles your fancy. See you soon.

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
77 Strange, Funny, and Magnificent Book Titles You’ve Probably Never Heard Of—From Literary Hub—some of these titles really make you want to read the text.
How Much Money Do Authors Actually Earn?: It’s probably both less and more than you think
Should we separate the artist from the art?—a quick yet wise read. (Hat-Tip to: Jo Perry)
7 Great Occurrences in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy—Towel Day is right around the corner, might as well start thinking about The Hitchhiker’s Trilogy.
Confessions of a Book Addict!—I see myself in almost every bit of this post from The Orangutan Librarian
Is Summer Reading Season a Thing?—I never really thought so, but I know I’m the exception
And yet: 20 Books of Summer ’21 – Share your sign up posts!—I guess it is that time of year already. Time to start making plans, I guess.
Why I Love To Read… Fantasy—fun little post with some great recommendations

I’ve felt like I was half-awake from Tuesday afternoon through this morning. Anyone else have weeks like that? I seemed to function fine, accomplished almost everything I intended to, and so on–but it felt like it’d take me 0.3 seconds to go from active to unconscious. I had a point when I started this paragraph, but I seem to have misplaced it.

Hope you all had a good one and that there’s one or two things here that pique your interest as they did mine.

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
The slow (imminent) death of books and bookstores—Let’s start off on a cheery note, shall we? I think he’s probably wrong, but…
My kids won’t even pick up a book – and it is definitely all my fault—I can relate to this
An Ear for Reading: Audiobooks Take Center Stage in the Classroom—this is pretty cool
Then again… Why we remember more by reading – especially print – than from audio or video
I Couldn’t Travel, so I Read 100 Books Instead—I wouldn’t normally think of Fodors as a good source for pieces about reading. Exceptions happen.
An Interview With Andy Weir—Elizabeth Tabler interviews the author of Project Hail Mary (and a few other things)
Q&A With Curtis Ippolito, Author of “Burying the Newspaper Man”—from MysteryTribune
Why Are Crime Writers So Darn Nice?—I’ve heard this a lot over the last few years…I do wonder why that is.
9 Sigils I Wish Existed in Kevin Hearne’s ‘Ink and Sigil’—This was just so odd (and good) I had to pass it along.
Books Of My Childhood—I reposted a list of some formative childhood books earlier this week, apparently, I’m not the only one thinking about that kind of thing lately.
Book Blogging rules/advices I Follow and Don’t Follow—food for thought
Ways To Write More Creative Book Reviews—some more to chew on (I think I might have linked to this a year or two ago, but I saw it this week and it got me thinking)

Episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
The Waterstones Podcast How We Made: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy—I’ve listened to several podcast episodes about this book, and generally roll my eyes at them. But this is just fantastic. Were it available, I’d listen to a Peter Jackson-length version.
Fiction Fans Episode 8: Written in Dead Wax—a fun interview with Andrew Cartmel about the first book in his Vinyl Detective series (the second book in that series has been staring intently at me from it’s perch on my To Be Read Shelf since I listened to this episode…)

It felt very strange last night not to write or think about Tom Jones…

I guess I don’t have much else to say. I hope you all had a good week and that the weather where you are (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) is becoming as nice as ours is.

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
This survey shows that people prefer printed books – even in the digital age—I don’t think many would be surprised by this, but it’s interesting to see these international stats from the World Economic Forum, which I just casually read all the time… (how did I find this link??)
You Don’t Need To Feel Guilty About Books You Haven’t Read Yet—I’m not sure it helped me get over my guilt, but it helped. And it was fun to read. Steinmetz feels like someone I’d have a lot in common with.
Why do moms get sidelined in SFF?—from Before We Go Blog
My Go-to Authors!—a list that should prompt a lot thought, and compilation (not necessarily posting) of similar lists upon reading.
How to Run a Book Blog… Seriously (Not Serious)—some good advice here, folks. I think I could provide examples of each of these from the last few years.

Episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Fiction Fans: Which Discworld Book Should You Read First?—This is something I probably should’ve listened to a few years ago before I attempted to read the series (although the gentleman who gave the final push did suggest I start with #1). This could be valuable to others.

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir—Weir’s latest looks more like The Martian than Artemis, which should help sales, even if it seems like a cheat for him to try (looking at you, Ernest Cline). I’ll get to it as soon as my wife is done.
Robert B. Parker’s Payback by Mike Lupica—Lupica’s got a firm hand on the Sunny Randall series now which results in a solid read, as I discussed recently.

I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to Zeeshan Amin and Cole Rush who followed the blog this week. Thanks for the follow! Don’t be a stranger.

Wow, anyone else see the finale to Invincible? For something based on a comic I’ve read umpteen times, I didn’t expect it to pack that much of a wallop.

I threw my back out Thursday morning and I’m suprised at how it practically stopped my reading and writing–you’d think something that forces me to be as motionless as possible would allow me to do both (it’s been a while since I’ve done this as thoroughly as I did Thursday, and have forgotten how it impacts me). I’m almost back to normal, thankfully (pun unintended, but embraced).

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
Writers Orgs Form #DisneyMustPay Joint Task Force—a few months back I linked to some posts about Disney stiffing Alan Dead Foster, and while I’m glad to see they reached some sort of agreement with him, more and more authors are coming out with similar stories. Authors and Writers’ Groups are applying pressure to put an end to this.
Why you shouldn’t feel guilty about your to-be-read pile—I’m not sure the piece matches the headline, but I’m feeling better about the size of mine now…
In-Person Author Tours Won’t Be Back Anytime Soon—As someone who lives in a place where it’s rare to get some authors, I’m okay with the virtual-ness of these (there’s no way I’m seeing Luca Veste in Boise, for example).
6 Benefits of Listening to Audiobooks
Novels and Novellas and Tomes, Oh My! The long and short of novel lengths
Driving in the Dark: Getaway Drivers in Fiction and the Dark Side of the American Dream
Why I Read the Last Page of a Book First—I’m not sure if this is an interesting perspective or a cautionary tale. I’m leaning toward the latter.
Zack Argyle on “The Rise of Self-Published Fantasy”
The One Where this is one of my favorite things about reading: Let’s Talk – Rereading and why I love it—Not only do I like and agree with just about everything in this post, I love the way Mehek wrote it.
Do I Like This Book or Not?—I can identify with this post in so many ways…

Episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Crime Time FM#9: Ace Atkins—A wide-ranging conversation about Spenser, Quinn Colson, classic PI novels, and more. Following the conversation, there is the best review of the Netflix movie Spenser Confidential that I’ve come across.
Like the Wolfe Lone Wolfe: Glenn Fleishman—just a couple of fans talking about Wolfe. Fleishman had a point about a line in Some Buried Caesar that made me reconsider the scene and how I’ve always reacted to it. A fun listen for Wolfe-types.

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Eye of the Sh*t Storm by Jackson Ford—the third Teagan Frost adventure looks great (and reminds me to get my act together and read #2)
Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O’Neal—I’m not even going to try to summarize the description in a sentence or two. Click the link and you’ll probably be as intrigued as I am.
(I wish I knew the source of this!)

Not much to say, it’s been another one of those weeks (it’s that time of year)—long days and a bonus shift that started a couple of minutes before this posts. Hope you have a good weekend, and get out there and support your friendly-neighborhood-Independent Bookstore.

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
It’s Independent Bookstore Day—There are a lot of Events at a Store Near You (and/or Virtual this year). Check them out. Support an Indie Store. Libro.fm has a great deal related to it going on too.
Outcry over book ‘censorship’ reveals how online retailers choose books — or don’t
Why Should You Read?: Will Self Wonders What the Hell We Think We’re Doing—this is worth cheweing on
Grammar-Nerd Heaven: A new exhibit showcases the surprisingly contentious history of English grammar books.title
In the Instagram age, you actually can judge a book by its cover: Social media is now a vital platform to promote new titles. And that means jacket designs that hit you ‘hard and quick’
Can This Two-Week Program Make You a Better Reader—And Do You Want It To?
Some of my favourite book cover designs!—746Books was inspired by that Guardian article.
Fictional Places I Would Like To Visit
In Defense of Retellings

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Dead Secret by Noelle Holten—The fourth Maggie Jamieson thriller came out yesterday and it’s another good one.

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

1. It’s weird to look off to the right there and not see History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding listed there.
2. My ISP went down for a day-and-a-half this week, making it a real challenge to get anything posted, but it did help me catch up on reading. But I’m super-behind on blog-hopping, commenting, and everything. I’m looking forward to catching up and seeing all the fun stuff I missed this week.
3. I’m apparently in a list-making mood today.
4. I came across a thing I did for a bit on an old blog and then Facebook years ago, and decided I’d try to resurrect it on these posts. If you still see it in a month, I guess we’ll call it a success.

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
In honor of today being the 124th Anniversary of the play, LitHub posted Watch Spalding Gray perform Our Town’s legendary opening monologue.—First off, Our Town is my favorite play, full stop. I’ve read better, but none affect me the at it does. I cannot make it through the third act dry-eyed (I’ve seen high school drama departments stumble through it, ditto for college and amateur troupes, several filmed versions—and in print). I also loved the part of Gray’s monologue, Monster in a Box this post mentions about his role and the reaction to it. I’m rambling now—just read and watch.
Lauren Hough Vs The World—For the 4% of you that didn’t watch this trainwreck live, this is a good summary.
Turns Out It’s Pretty Good: Reading First Thing in the Morning
How Would the Publishing World Respond to Lolita Today?: Jenny Minton Quigley on the Novel Her Father Published
Rare book burial brings a little-known Jewish custom to Naples (Hat tip: Jo Perry)
10 of the worst sentences found in literature—Thoughts: I don’t know how they ever settled on one from The Da Vinci Code; the New Moon selection as great; and I don’t know how I managed to read the rest of The Killing Floor (much less the 25 following novels) after that sentence.
What makes you pick up a book?
Amanda’s Book Format Battle
My first reads!—this was a fun read and sent me down a fun trip down memory lane.
@HiuGregg gives some handy advice in this thread

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Okay, I’ve got nothing for this. Which is happening a lot lately—have I gotten that picky?

(that I can’t imagine finding a use for)
At least 80% of all cars in Afghanistan are various years of Toyota Corollas, mostly brought into the country used.
Daniel Boone didn’t like flat coonskin caps, but preferred high-crown felt hats so he’d look taller. (yeah, I know I mentioned this in my post about the book, but it was so ingrained my mind from childhood on that I have to mention it again). Also, I’m taller than Daniel Boone was, and I’m not tall, definitely not “tall as a mountain.”
The American custom of having race tracks constructed to run widdershins comes from a “rabid revolutionary,” William Whitleywho built one of the first horse tracks in Kentucky, who deliberately wanted to do so contrary to the British custom.
My new word for the week is, “Funt” which looks like a misprint when you come across it in a book. But after a quick internet search, you find out that it’s not and kind of wish that you didn’t know what you now do.
Sources: The Lore of Prometheus by Graham Austin-King (verified because it made me curious); Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America’s First Frontier by Bob Drury, Tom Clavin (for the next two items); Robert B. Parker’s Payback by Mike Lupica.

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