Category: Saturday Miscellany Page 5 of 33

I somehow deleted my list of new releases for the week–I’m pretty sure I reconstructed it all, but the haunting feeling that I missed one is going to eat at me for a day or two.

A shorter post this week, but…you have no idea how busy this site is going to be next week. I gave myself “plenty” of advance time to get things done–and promptly filled it with other stuff. So, I’m scurrying around a little today. Anyway, be sure to check out the Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week posts here and around the book blogosphere next week!

But for now:
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:
New ‘Dresden Files’ book is coming: See the cover reveal for ‘Twelve Months’—98% of those who care have likely seen this already—what do I care? I’m excited about the cover and the brief synopsis. January can’t get here fast enough! (although there’s plenty that I want to accomplish before then, so…maybe it can)
Who Gets a POV In Your Story? It’s a Political Decision: Everyone in a story is a person, and nobody is an NPC.—Yes, this is primarily for writers, but there’s something for we readers to chew on here, too.
Even Better the Second (or Third, or Fourth…) Time: In Praise of Re-Reading
Where authors gossip, geek out and let off steam: 15 of the best literary Substacks
The Thing You Want to Read Is Out There (Probably): On reading—and looking—outside your comfort zone
Book Blogging in 2025 Survey Results—I look forward every year to see what Jo Linsdell’s survey brings
Monthly Manga Mania Featuring First Duelist: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s by Masahiro Hikokubo
I Made a Massive 14,000 Page Book—This is disturbing, impressive, mind-boggling, and cool.
The Five Book Lover Languages

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
Murder Boy by Bryon Quertermous—I’ve often thought about revisiting this one to see if it was just the wrong time for me.
Armada by Ernest Cline
And I talked about the releases of Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (IT’S BEEN 10 YEARS ALREADY??); Armada by Ernest Cline; Scents and Sensibility by Spencer Quinn; Hostile Takeover by Shane Kuhn (I miss this writer); Last First Snow by Max Gladstone; Cold Iron by Stina Leicht; Alive by Scott Sigler; Once Upon a Crime by P. J. Brackston; Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Three Shattered Souls by Mai Cortland—I just finished book one of this trilogy last weekend, I haven’t even picked up my copy of book two (and won’t be able to read it until September), but am more excited about this release than anything else this week. And no, I won’t give a synopsis of it, because I’m hiding from any discussion of it.
Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue by Spencer Quinn—The widow is back in action (thankfully, no international travel is called for this time). I’ve been trying to write something since Monday…you’ll see me blather on about it soon.
American Mythology by Giano Cromley—Who doesn’t like a Bigfoot story? Moreso when it’s described as: “A spooky adventure story and a wry and heartwarming tale of friendship, American Mythology is a fabulous debut about the power of belief and our sacred bond to nature.”
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna—This sounds like a bit of breezy niceness. “A whimsical and heartwarming novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers—and her life—back on track.”

I clearly didn’t spend that much time online this week. This is probably a good thing when it comes to my mental health, but as I’m trying to put this together today, I find myself rather annoyed. Seriously, mental health is overrated, anyway, what was I thinking?

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:
The truth behind the endless “kids can’t read” discourse: Is there a literacy crisis? Or am I just old?—Ugh. Nuance. Who has time for that?
An Interview with Mary Jo Bang on Translating Paradiso by Dante Alighieri—if she only did a prose translation, I might be able to get my way through the trilogy. Nothing like Dante to show me how deficient my education (formal or self-) has been in teaching me to read verse. But this interview makes me want to try again.
Writing Advice and Literary Wisdom from the Great E.B. White—This was posted in honor of his birthday yesterday, and reminds us why people still care about White (and offers some good advice for the writerly-types out there)
11 Summertime Books to Read When You’re Not Feeling Very Sunny: Once the seasonal malaise hits, these novels will help you unwind.—I really don’t know how a listicle from Marie Claire ended up on one of my feeds. But hey, some good looking reads here.
Michael Robotham On Why We Love Stories About Gangsters
The REAL Lion King!—The Orangutan Librarian takes a break from being insightful and whatnot to sharing some old cartoons. Start here with Part 1.
5 Books Adults Recommended I Read as a Child that Didn’t Resonate with Me at All—An interesting approach to books from childhood (can’t help but agree with the last one)

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week? (I was weirded-out about how brief these posts were…I’ve gotten talky over the years)
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Corsair by James L. Cambias
Stay by Victor Gischler
The Snapper by Roddy Doyle
And I talked about the releases of a handful of books: Splintered by Jamie Schultz; The Fraud by Brad Parks; Time Salvager by Wesley Chu; Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine; Letters to Zell by Camille Griep; The Six by Mark Alpert; Bum Rap by Paul Levine; Master of Formalities by Scott Meyer — looks to be as inventive and fun as his Magic 2.0 series.

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch—Sheep get eaten, the Folly heads to Scotland, and…well, that’s all I know, but that’s a strong start.
Yellow Medicine by Anthony Neil Smith—”starts with one of the most memorable and engaging anti-heroes in recent memory. Mix in bent cops, a psychobilly band called Elvis Antichrist, meth cookers in the Minnesota sticks, and a truly nasty pack of wannabe jihadists. Add a liberal helping of guns, knives and explosives.” I’m sold.
The Silver State by Gabriel Urza—”When a public defender receives a letter from a client on death row, he is forced to reexamine his role in the murder case he cannot shake; a gripping and thought-provoking legal thriller that redefines the genre”
The World’s Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Tully—”A brilliant Boomer detective and her ambitious Gen Z assistant try to get along in this delightful feel-good mystery.” Looks fun.
Heal the Beasts: A Jaunt Through the Curious History of the Veterinary Arts by Philipp Schott—”Sharing the stories of 22 different animal healers and veterinarians from across eras and continents, Dr. Schott examines the always fascinating, often unexpected, and sometimes hilarious veterinary methods employed to treat all manner of creatures. From healing dogs and horses to gorillas and even dragons, at the heart lies the evolution of the human-animal bond, which has been more cyclical than linear.”
Hour of the Pumpkin Queen by Megan Shepherd—One year after their wedding, “Sally must embark on a time-bending adventure to save Halloween Town–and her beloved Jack Skellington.” Okay, I’m probably not going to read this follow-up to The Nightmare Before Christmas, but I’m putting it here to remind me to buy it for my daughter (and, who knows, maybe one of you will find it intriguing)

Despite my furry companions’ certain conclusions, we survived the night/morning (who needs to set off celebratory explosions at 1:30 am??). Hope my fellow USA-ers did, too. And I envy the rest of you your sleep.

I hesitate to do this…it seems like a lousy time to bring this up. But we’ve launched a GoFundMe to raise money for travel expenses for my son’s impending kidney transplant (impending=hopefully anytime in the next 3 years).

Now, on with the 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:
The Top 10 Bestselling Books of 2025 (So Far)—from Publishers Weekly
The Emoji Tongue: If 😂 was a word, would that make emoji a language?
Sprayed Edges Are Everywhere and I Hate Them—Not sure I can co-sign this (he says looking at the edge of his copy of Five Broken Blades), but I get it
12 Must-Read WebToon Series
Urban Fantasy Starter Pack: 24 Must-Read Books That Bite Back—Because I need more UF to read? (actually, yeah, I do). Beth Tabler’s list combines stuff well-loved (or at least liked) here, and bunch of things I’d never heard of.
Yes that was six months of your reading year! Holiday Temptations Time!—Runalong the Shelves provides great TBR fodder for those looking to fill theirs out
Celebrating National Crime Reading Month – 30 days of crime recommendations!—a couple of weeks back, I’d pointed to Raven’s twitter thread listing their Crime Fiction Month reading recs. Well, here it is, nicely collected into one easy-to-reference list!
But Is It Marketable? Why I Gave Up on Traditional Publishing—one writer’s story
How do You Read so Many Books?—handier tips than mine. “Start with the first word, move on to the second, then the third, and so on.”

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
Splintered by Jamie Schultz
Lois Lane: Fallout by Gwenda Bond
Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich
And I mentioned the release of three books that I didn’t read, much less remember, but they looked pretty cool: The Dragons of Heaven by Alyc Helms, Ghost Fleet by P.W. Singer and August Cole, and Linesman by S. K. Dunstall

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Dogged Pursuit by David Rosenfelt—this prequel looks at Andy’s first big case as a defense lawyer is just great. I should be expanding on that soon.
The Grimdwarf, Vol. 1: Cursed by J.C.M. Berne—A “classic fantasy with a wisecracking cursed dwarf, a water witch, and a very good dog.” The short stories collected into one volume. And free for a week or two. Worth it at thrice the price!!!
Infinite Archive by Mur Lafferty—The physical embodiment of the Internet arrives on Station Eternity, bringing chaos and murder. I can’t wait to catch up with Mallory and the rest.
Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji by Keith Houston—there’s an excerpt above. This book “follows emoji from its birth in 1990s Japan, traces its Western explosion in the 2000s, and considers emoji’s ever-expanding lexicon.” I enjoyed Huston’s book on punctuation marks, this promises to be interesting, too,.

I get it…publications need to make money to pay authors, but man…too many things I had set aside for today’s list were behind them. Rats. Still, found a few things for the budget-strapped amongst us.

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:
“Bookworm, Cliché, Deadline…” And Other Unexpected Etymologies
Former Auburn football player turned novelist to receive top state literary award
The 144 Most Read Books of the 2025 Reading Challenge (So Far)
Jim Butcher WRITES WOMEN WELL?—this interview made me crack up (just the rules laid out at the beginning make this worth it)
What a Five-Star Review Means to Me—this is really close to my thoughts, phew, one thing I don’t have to write
Competitive reading needs to calm down—indeed
Captivating Characters of June—Another tantalizing entry in this series. I have my pick for the month (like I have every month I haven’t participated), will I get something put together? Oooh, the suspense.
Monthly Manga Mania Featuring Firsty Duelist: Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba—if I read enough of Firsty Duelist’s stuff, I’m hoping I can convince my kids I’m fluent in Manga.
Who’s moving to Germany with me—never been more tempted to emigrate

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson
The Rebirths of Tao by Wesley Chu
And I mentioned the release of one book I read and two books I don’t ever remember hearing about (probably my loss) The Cartel by Don Winslow; Tin Men by Christopher Golden; and The Leveller by Julia Durango

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Wraith and the Revolution by A.J. Calvin—was in my notes for last week, but I somehow overlooked it. It’s still available, believe it or not, however. This SF novel looks great.
Bookish Words & Their Surprising Stories by David Crystal—this also came out last week, but I didn’t know about it until I read the excerpt linked above.
The Medusa Protocol by Rob Hart—this sequel to last year’s Assassins Anonymous is just dynamite, as I’d have written convincingly if I’d found the energy this week. Just take my word for it (or nag me until it shows up on the blog)
Pride and Pompousness by Katie Cook—the third volume in her Nothing Special series follows up the story from Vol. 2, where the appearance of a long-lost heir (our pal, Declan) threatens the succession of power in fairy royalty.

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:
Could the Semicolon Die Out? Recent Analysis Finds a Decline in Its Usage in British Literature and Confusion Among U.K. Students
Why Read: Seven Books About Our Passion and Need for Reading
Books About Books: Why We Write Them and Why We Read Them: On the charms of the bookish mystery.
While we’re on the topic, Carol at Reading Ladies posted this check-in yesterday: Bookish Books
Bad People, Good Art—James Lloyd Dulin wrote a very good guest post on a (sadly) evergreen topic. I think he’s onto something with his approach, FWIW.
My School Experience Barely Seems Reflected in Books
Maggie Stiefvater’s The Subtle Terror of Rereadability and the joys of turning pages slow, not fast might be the best thing I read online this week (says a life-long fast page turner)
Places with Teeth: Genius Loci and The Living Worlds of Speculative Fiction—Which isn’t to cast aspersions on Tabler’s work here (would love her to revisit this in an expanded version)
Coffee Table Books- Books You Can Dip into and Savour in Small Sips—you can never have too many of these around (sadly, due to my grandkids, dogs, and lack of coffee-table mean that mine are tucked away on shelves)

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Schmudgeon of Curmudgeon talked to JCM Berne (video link/audio link)—they covered a lot and had a lot of fun. Berne may have convinced me to revise my opinion of the opening of Wistful Ascending, too. (I think that means that I have nothing bad to say about the book at all)

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
How to Start a Fire by Lisa Lutz
Crossed Blades by Kelly McCullough—Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
The Genius Myth: A Curious History of a Dangerous Idea by Helen Lewis—”a timely and provocative interrogation of the myth of genius, exploring the surprising inventions, inspirations and distortions by which some lives are elevated to ‘greatness’ – and others are not”
I Think I’m in Love with an Alien by Ann Aguirre—A “quirky sci-fi rom-com” where “alien meets adorkable” looks like silly fun. Which sounds really appealing right now.

A small list this week, with an accidental (but appreciated) focus. I clearly didn’t spend much time online this week.

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:
The Real Jay Gatsby: Did F. Scott Fitzgerald model his titular character after his real-life Princeton school-mate?—huh.
S.A. Cosby’s newest book was released this week, and I’m enjoying all the interviews/features I’ve run across. For example:
S.A. Cosby on “King of Ashes,” Crime Epics, and the Softer Side of Monsters—Kowlakowski’s interview/look at the book (I’m going to have a hard time not stealing from this when it comes time for me to post about the book)
Southern Culture on the Skids: S.A. Cosby’s King of Ashes—that first sentence should give Cosby’s readers pause.
S.A. Cosby’s New Thriller Blends Southern Noir with Family Drama
The Ultimate Summer 2025 Reading List: Sun, Fun, Math, and Counting—I really enjoy LitHub’s Lists of Lists like this
In civilized nations that do things like this, June is National Crime Reading month. In honor of that Raven Crime Reads (one of my favorite accounts to follow) is posting a recommendation a day in the genre. Follow this thread and you will find more good books to read than you can handle (or you can enjoy when your tasts match up with Raven’s well-developed palate)

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
The Conversation with Nadine Matheson Coffee Break with S.A. Cosby: King of Ashes—a fun chat about Cosby’s new book (and a little more)
The Thriller Zone Why You Shouldn’t Miss Thomas Trang’s Debut: Dark Neon Dirt

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest (Kali Ciesemier, Illustrator)
Paw and Order by Spencer Quinn
The Fold by Peter Clines
Premonitions by Jamie Schultz

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
A Graveyard For Heroes by Michael Michel—as my dialogue coach Trent would say, “It is so money, baby.” This is the second of five installments in the Dreams of Dust and Steel series that is likely to end up on my all-time favorites list.
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby—hey, did I mention that Cosby has a new book out? Southern Crime and Family drama come together and bring us something dark—and likely spectacular. Hopefully I get to start this bad boy today. If not, Monday can’t come soon enough.
Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall—the writer/creator of Broadchurch‘s first novel looks like a great time. (if you’re into moody, dark, police procedurals)

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:
Defending Adverbs Exuberantly if Conditionally: In which I argue for the usefulness of the most hated part of speech
“..I Want the Reader to Feel as if They’re There.”: An Interview with Return to Sender’s Craig Johnson
Speaking of Mr. Johnson, Longmire author wins Western literature’s highest honor
What Do Americans Really Want to Read? We (Might) Have the Answer
The Theater Kids at the End of the World or, All the Page’s a Stage and We Are Not Merely Readers—I admit that in paragraph 4, when Templeton started talking about a novel I’ll start in a week or so, I started skimming just to be safe. But the gist I got made this worth linking to.
To DNF or not to DNF – That is the question!
Row, Row, Row Your Boat- Books Set In or Around Water (that I actually like)
My Top 39 Fantasy Series/Books—Pete’s thought more about Fantasy Fiction than I’ve thought about almost anything…so it’s worth consulting this list.
Books We Loved As Children—LibraryThing’s List of the Month is just the thing if you’re needing a splash of nostalgia (hard to argue against most/all of the top 15)

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Crime Time FM THOMAS TRANG In Person With Paul
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend Ron Chernow—the focus is on Chernow’s new Mark Twain bio, but they touch on some of his other work, too.

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone
Soulless by Gail Carriger
What the Dog Knows: The Science and Wonder of Working Dogs by Cat Warren
I mentioned the releases of 2 books, one was absolutely worth the time. The other, not so much: The Fold by Peter Clines and Stay by Victor Gischler

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
This Dog Will Change Your Life by Elias Weiss Friedman with Ben Greenman—”A uniquely insightful, uplifting, emotional, and informative book that shows us how dogs make our lives better by making us better people”
Realms of the Round Table by John Matthews—”Rare and previously unpublished tales of one of the most famous legends in literature is brought to life for a new generation by one of the world’s leading Arthurian experts and illustrated by an acclaimed Tolkien artist.”
Not that Kind of Good Guy by John Ringo—I’m not going to try to fit a description of this take on superheroes into a sentence, go read the link.

Image credit: Grammarly

I didn’t think this was going to be a very full list when I started to assemble this post. But, boy howdy, are there a lot of good things below.
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:
N.J.’s Peter David, prolific comic book writer known for ‘Incredible Hulk,’ ‘Spider-Man,’ dies at 68—If I read any of David’s comics, it was unknowingly. But his novels? Oh man…my college years and 20s were full of them (and some of his more recent novelizations, too). The man was excellent at merging the humor and heart, darkness and hope, and bringing depth to concepts that don’t seem welcoming to it.
Twain Dreams: The enigma of Samuel Clemens—A Twain revival? Bring it on.
So, a certain “great bearded glacier” set off a firestorm this week in a blog post about a new project, Howard Meets Hercules—I could easily post a dozen reactions, but the AV Club’s summary will probably do. (okay one other, Duncan MacMaster’s is pretty much what I want to say.)
Finding Your Way Into Writing Fiction as J.R.R. Tolkien’s Grandson: Simon Tolkien on the Double-Edged Sword of a Mighty Literary Inheritance
“That Broken, Brave, Beautiful Man is Someone I Wanted to Write For”: Raymond Chandler’s Trouble is My Business Arvind Ethan David—I really wasn’t inclined to try this new adaptation, but clicked on the interview anyway. David’s second answer changed my mind.
Concrete Poetry & The Great Gatsby Re-Ordered—the story behind one of Fahrenheit Press’ latest projects. I can’t say I’m sold on the idea, but I am incredibly curious.
Monthly Manga Mania Featuring Firsty Duelist: Mashle: Magic and Muscles by Hajime Komoto—this is a great idea for a series, and maybe something that will get me to try my second manga 🙂 I’ve always appreciated his writing
Books I’ve Read With Characters Who Don’t Exist—Stephen always brings the oddest list categories–and they work. And with a title like this one, you just have to stop and read, right?
Is Fiction Getting Worse? Tiktok, Tropification and Toxic Ideology—I’m not sure what my answer to the question would be. Maybe?
Books for Men: Book Berne-ing 19!—Haven’t watched this yet, but I’m betting it’s worth a watch. Love the idea and can’t wait to see JCM’s take.

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
Attack the Geek by Michael R. Underwood—I refuse to believe it’s been a decade since I read this
Off to Be the Wizard by Scott Meyer—see above comment
And I mentioned the release of some books that should not be that old, either: Long Black Curl by Alex Bledsoe; I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest; The Last Drive and Other Stories by Rex Stout
I’m apparently struggling with the passage of time today.

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon (and some I forgot to mention last week):
Instant Karma by Todd Morr—I read an earlier printing of this, but I love the idea of these Pocket Noir books, so I want to mention it. Also–you need to read this.
If You’re Not One Percent by Todd Morr—the populace of a quiet mountain town vs. mudererous rednecks on a thrill kill murder spree.
A Briefcase Full Of The End Of The World by Todd Morr—”Carter isn’t exactly the smartest guy in the room, but even he knows he’s in deep trouble. What should have been a simple snatch-and-grab turns into a nightmare when he realizes there’s something special about the contents of the case he’s stolen. Now, every lunatic, thug, and doomsday prophet in the city is after him, each with their own twisted plans for the mysterious prize.”
Return to Sender by Craig Johnson—Walt goes undercover (or tries to) to hunt for answers to a woman’s disappearance. I started this last night, and am having a blast with it. Also, this is not where I expected this book to go after the ending of First Frost (at least not yet)
Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler—sure, I haven’t read the first in this duology yet. But this looks great.

Before I get into things today, I’m curious–does anyone have a good recommendation for a bookmark app? I use Pocket to store the ideas for this post (and some other things, too). It was announced it’s going away recently, and I’m looking for a replacement.

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:
It May Be Too Late for Rural Libraries to Weather the IMLS Storm
Can indie novels save our minds? A renaissance takes brave authors—There’s a snobbishness/elitism/pretentiousness to this piece that grates my teeth. But if you can put up with it, there’s something worth reading, too.
How to Make a Living as a Writer
Forget chatbots: research suggests reading can help combat loneliness and boost the brain
When memories from fiction become part of who you are
14 Million Books Later, Jim Butcher Thinks His Wizard Detective Needs a Hug—my read of the week
Magic Doesn’t Have to Make Sense: In praise of fantasy that embraces rebellious, lawless, and delightfully un-rulebound magic.
Gods of Disasters and Wish Givers—another week, another great guest post from Shannon Knight
In Challenging Times, I Turn to Cozy Reads
Book Recommendations From My Dog—who could possibly be a more trustworthy source of recommendations? (also, the World’s Worst Book post linked to in the first sentence is almost as good a read)
Benefits of Book Club
When Fantasy Meets Mystery: Fantasy-mysteries that Everyone Should Read
@shinjutnt.bsky.social‬/Adam Rowan posted about a great word we all need to add to our working vocabularies—particularly in bookstores

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
SFF Addicts Ep. 155 Evan Leikam talks Anji Kills A King, Crappy Jobs, Video Games & More—While I’m not allowing myself to put Leikam’s novel on my TBR right now (I need to make progress on things before I allow myself to do that sort of thing), this was a fun episode (and I might have added a book to a certain list in light pencil).

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
“Concussion Cover-Up” & “NSA Priest” by Carac Allison—I periodically check to see if he’s done anything else, would really like to read more from Allison
Kickback by Ace Atkins
The Worst Class Trip Ever by Dave Barry
Woof by Spencer Quinn
And I mentioned the release of Kickback by Ace Atkins; Uprooted by Naomi Novik; Seveneves by Neal Stephenson; and Boo by Neil Smith

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Kaua’i Storm by Tori Eldridge—is a thriller with a lot of heart. “Returning to Kaua’i, park ranger Makalani finds her family divided and their way of life at risk in this rich and emotional adventure.” The culture of Kaua’i is brought to life here.
Nightshade by Michael Connelly—Oh, phew, Connelly has a new series. He really needed another. Didn’t stop me from buying this debut about a LASD Detective on Catalina Island.
Food Person by Adam Roberts—”a delectable comedy of manners about cooking, ambition, and friendship set in the food world as a young and socially awkward writer takes a job ghostwriting the cookbook for a famous (and famously chaotic) Hollywood starlet.”
An Ethical Guide to Murde by Jenny Morris—”Thea has a secret. She can tell how long someone has left to live just by touching them. Not only that, but she can transfer life from one person to another–something she finds out the hard way when her best friend, Ruth, suffers a fatal head injury on a night out. Desperate to save her, Thea accidentally kills the man responsible and lets his life flow directly into Ruth…How can she really know who deserves to live and die, and can she figure out her own rules before Ruth’s borrowed time runs out? “

(original tweet)

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:
Pay Attention! The invention of close reading.
Extraterrestrial tongues: Imagining how aliens might communicate prepares us for first contact and illuminates the nature of our own languages
Crime Novelist Don Winslow Unretires For ‘The Final Score’—color me giddy
Murder, Mischief, and Mayhem: The Best Campy and Humorous Thriller Series—Good list (although, I might quibble with one and I have no experience with one other), but better yet, Gagnon putting together a list like this means she has something to plug! See below.
Chapters for Change posted this great video about the Poe and Tilly series (one more of you need to be reading)
Changing the World by Shannon Knight—a good post from Knight (as one expects)
AI Audio vs Human Narration—A great video from someone who knows the subject well.
Are Kids “Bored” by Books Below Their Reading Level?
Do Your Book Reviews Change Over Time?—ooh, this is a good topic, and an interesting take on it.
WELP IT’S BEEN A DECADE SINCE I STARTED BLOGGING – Ten Things I Wish I Could Tell My Younger Self—Only 10 years of The Orangutan Librarian? Good lessons that someone should’ve taught me, too.
Top Five Dragons of All Time—a flawed list, but very fun to read
Announcement: Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week 2025—the annual celebration of Self-Published Authors is back (and I should probably get to work planning what I’m going to do). If any self-published author is reading this and wants to participate on this site, let me know!

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
The Younger Gods by Michael R. Underwood
Another Man’s Moccasins by Craig Johnson
Buried Secrets by Joseph Finder
Rolling Thunder; Fun House; and Free Fall by Chris Grabenstein
And I mentioned the releases of: How to Start a Fire by Lisa Lutz; Dry Bones by Craig Johnson; Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll; Goddess of Buttercups & Daisies by Martin Millar; and Rumrunners by Eric Beetner

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
This came out two weeks ago, and I’m ashamed to admit that I forgot it: The Amazing Twin Chicken Freedom Fighters by Zephaniah Sole—Reasons to consider this book: That’s a great title; the cover is eye-catching as all get-out; and the blurb: “The war between the agents of the Worldview Freedom Fighters and the minions of the mysterious Hip Gnosis spills into our reality when Jake and Joy, two lost and broken souls, wake up one day in chicken suits they can’t remove and learn they are the key to a prophesied revolution – a revolution that will not be pasteurized.”
Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up—As I said yesterday, this memoir is a great combination of (compressed) personal history and fun anecdotes
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie—Abercrombie’s take on The Suicide Squad in an alternate medieval Europe populated by Fantasy species? Sign me up!!
Slaying You by Michelle Gagnon—back to the world of Killing You? This is going to be a wild and twisty ride.
Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder by Rachel McCarthy James—”Whack Job is the story of the axe, first as a convenient danger and then an anachronism, as told through the murders it has been employed in throughout history: from the first axe murder nearly half a million years ago, to the brutal harnessing of the axe in warfare, to its use in King Henry VIII’s favorite method of execution, to Lizzie Borden and the birth of modern pop culture. Whack Job sheds brilliant light on this familiar implement, this most human of weapons. This is a critical examination of violence, an exploration of how technology shapes human conflict, the cruel and sacred rituals of execution and battle, and the ways humanity fits even the most savage impulses into narratives of the past and present.”

(which reminds me, I need to get going to “the candy shop”)