Category: Fiction Page 100 of 348

DETAILS:
Series: Andy Carpenter, #25
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 5, 2022
Format: eARC
Length: 304 pg.
Read Date: June 20, 2022

What’s Holy Chow About?

About a year ago, Rachel—a new widow in need of a companion—came into the Tara Foundation’s dog rescue facility and fell in love with a Chow Chow named Lion (who reciprocated)—Andy remembered her fondly. Then she calls out of the blue with a favor—will Andy take the dog if she dies and her stepson, Tony, can’t/won’t take the Lion?

Andy says of course he will. Within a week, Rachel’s been murdered and Andy learns more about this woman. She was rich, in an eye-popping kind of way, and Andy is told to come to the will reading. He’s confused by this, but assumes it has to do with taking possession of Lion (just in an unusual way). The reading is interrupted by the police coming to arrest that stepson for her murder.

Andy visits Tony and decides to take his case—for solid, evidence-based reasons, and not at all because he seems like a nice guy, his Great Dane mix had recently died and he’s excited to take Lion. Okay, that’s not true—Andy smells something off about the case, but it’s (naturally) because Tony’s a nice, dog-loving guy.

The police and prosecution are presenting this as a case of an heir being angry at the size of their inheritance. But Tony doesn’t have a history of being that interested in money. Andy wonders if the murder might have something to do with the fact that Rachel had been taking an interest in her late husband’s company’s day-to-day activities lately. Or is there maybe something else afoot?

It’ll take the combined efforts of Andy’s firm, The K-9 Team, and the Bubeleh Brigade (the retirees-turned-hackers that Andy uses from time to time) to get to the bottom of this.

When Will They Ever Learn?

I’m not wondering why prosecutors don’t immediately drop the case when they hear that Andy has taken on a client. He does have a few guilty verdicts on his record. Although, you would think they’d require the police to tighten up their cases and make sure there aren’t any threads hanging once Andy requests discovery.

But what I wonder is that given his track record, why they don’t take him seriously when he calls the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security, or any other three-lettered agency. (note: I wonder similar things when Joe Pickett starts meddling in non-wildlife issues). I’m not saying they need to roll out the red carpet or anything for him—don’t let Andy Carpenter, of all people, call any shots. But he shouldn’t have to rely on favors from a friend of a friend or threats to get someone to take him seriously anymore.

How does no one have this conversation:

Agent 1: Hey remember that guy who tipped us off to that terrorist organization and saved all those lives a couple of years ago?
Agent 2: That lawyer with the hot wife and the scary bodyguard, sure. Didn’t he also tip us off to the smuggling ring last Winter?
Agent 1: Come to think of it he did.
Agent 2: Why are you bringing him up?
Agent 1: Well, he’s got this theory about _________ now.
Agent 2: Might be worth sitting down with him, looking at his theory.

Although, some of that threatening and calling in favors can make for entertaining scenes. So, y’know…

So, what did I think about Holy Chow?

Andy Carpenter #25? That’s a mind-boggling number. I know it wasn’t that long ago that I read #24, but I don’t think it registered. So, does the Andy Carpenter series have anything new up its sleeve? (I’m tempted to make an old dog/new tricks joke here) I won’t rule it out, but we don’t see much new here.

But that doesn’t make this stale, either. There’s a comfort and a reassurance in knowing Andy’s behavior while the jury deliberates, the fact that Pete and Vince are going to bust his chops and put their food on his tab, that taking a walk with his dogs will help Andy come up with an idea, and so on.

I’m not trying to take a shot at anyone here, but where this feels comfortable and not tired and repetitive is that Andy has settled into these patterns—this is his life. He’s not, say, constantly second-guessing his choice of career (as much as he complains about it), he’s not trying to decide between a sexy Homicide Detective love interest and a lethal and hot Security Specialist love interest after 30+ books. Just to come up with some completely random example that no way could be describing any particular series.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that the twenty-fifth novel in this series might not have a lot that’s new, there’s still a lot of fun to have. And, we might get a glimpse of a different side of a long-running character (a continuation of something from Citizen K-9)

The humor is still present and sharp, the courtroom antics are fun (maybe a little subdued this time compared to others because of the case), and you can’t beat the time hanging with these characters. Both the solution to this case, the reveals involved, and the resolution are as well-delivered as always.

Readers new to the series or those who’ve been around since 2003* will find plenty to enjoy in the pages of Holy Cow. A good time should be had by all.

* Or at least since Open and Shut, no matter when they read it.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

4 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, opinions are my own.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Audiobook) by Dennis E. Taylor, Ray Porter (Narrator): Big Laughs and Big Ideas Litter this SF Adventure

By HCNewton

On June 21, 2022

In Audiobook, Science Fiction

We Are Legion (We Are Bob)

by Dennis E. Taylor, Ray Porter (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Bobiverse, Book 1
Publisher: Audible Studios
Publication Date: December 26, 2016
Format: Audible Original
Length: 9 hr.,  56 min.
Read Date: June 10-5, 2022

What’s We Are Legion (We Are Bob) About?

Bob Johansson is a nerd—he’s both into SF and actual space travel, and the technology we’re developing to study space—he’s also come into some pretty good money by selling off his software company. Just as you start to like the guy, he’s killed in a freak accident—and he wakes up 117 years in the future.

Between cryogenics not really working out the way anyone intended, some change in governmental policies, and a bunch of other stuff better described in the book—Bob finds himself as a sentient AI, a possession of a post-USA government. Assuming he functions well enough to pass some training, Bob’s destined to control a space probe—one capable of making duplicates of itself (himself?).

Bob and his clones are charged with finding new planets for humans to colonize—a task made urgent after events that happen after the initial launch.

The Tone

What I haven’t said anything about there is the tone—this is a comedy. There’s interstellar travel, combat, death, destruction, and the threat of human extinction—but Bob and his clones are a hoot and they’ll keep you grinning and chuckling throughout.

It’s not a comedy like Adams—it’s more along the lines of John Scalzi or Scott Meyer—there’s a decent plot and a mostly serious story with actual stakes—but the characters are ridiculous and/or consistently funny and quirky.

How was the Narration?

I thought the description I read for this book had promise, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to give it a try until I saw that Ray Porter was narrating it. A no-longer active book blogger had told me Porter was her favorite narrator, and I thought he did a fantastic job with Winslow’s The Dawn Patrol. His involvement convinced me.

I’m so glad it did—he was great. I think I would’ve enjoyed this with most narrators or in text form, but something about Porter’s narration and characterization of the clones added just the right element to an already fun book. Part of the conceit of the book is that the clones have slight (but noticeable)-to-significant variations in personality. I think making some of those with the slight variations noticeably different in the first-person narration is a great achievement—it’s hard to describe, I realize. You need to hear it for yourself.

So, what did I think about We Are Legion (We Are Bob)?

I don’t have a lot to say about this, sadly, it’s one of those I wish I could say a lot about. I had a lot of fun listening to it, and couldn’t wait to get back to it when I walked away.

It had just the right amount of seriousness to keep it from being nothing but jokes, and you really got invested in all/almost all the clones—that level of investment in AIs is rare for me. Bob (well, the Bob that woke up an AI) and his several clones are nothing but fun.

I spent most of the book thinking that as much fun I was having, I probably wouldn’t continue. But by the time I finished, I knew I’d be back for more. I’ve read/listened to a little more SF this year than I normally do, and it’s books like this that are fueling that.

3.5 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, opinions expressed are my own.

The Lost by Jeffrey B. Burton: Mace and Vira Race the Clock to Find a Kidnapped Girl

By HCNewton

On June 20, 2022

In Dogs, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

I was interrupted more than usual while writing this post by one of my dogs seeking attention. “Could I give you scritches later, girl? I’m trying to talk about fictional dogs,” is a strange mind space to be in.

The Lost

by Jeffrey B. Burton

DETAILS:
Series: Mace Reid K-9 Mystery, Volume 3
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: June 27, 2022
Format: eARC
Length: 288 pg.
Read Date: June 16-17, 2022

What’s The Lost About?

Mace and his dogs are moving in different circles after the events of The Keepers, and get called to help the FBI look for a missing mother and daughter—they were kidnapped after a home invasion went wrong. Their husband/father, financier Kenneth J. Druckman, was beaten and left behind. It’s up to Mace and Vira to give them a lead.

Sadly, it doesn’t take long for Vira to find the mother’s body on Druckman’s land, or for her to act like Druckman did the killing. It’s not like Mace can just point at the billionaire and shout, “J’accuse!” He’s going to need to find more than the word of his young dog—he also needs to help the FBI (if he can) to find the five-year-old girl before it’s too late.

Kippy Gimm (now a detective) and the rest of Mace’s dogs are, of course, in on this, too.

Non-Mace Perspectives

Typically, I’m not a fan of a first-person narrated book frequently switching to the third person—usually the killer. It doesn’t turn me off of a book, but I really don’t enjoy it. Burton, however, has done a better job of it in this series than most authors. I don’t know that I can say that I’ve enjoyed every instance of it—but, unlike most, in the previous two books in this series, those sections have added to the novel.

That really doesn’t sound like a compliment, but it was one.

In The Lost, most of those scenes/chapters are essential. The way this novel is set up—and the crimes perpetrated by the various criminals involved (and there are a handful)—necessitates that we see things from several perspectives that aren’t Mace’s. There’s just no way that he can find this information (he doesn’t require it, but the reader is going to demand to know what’s going on)—and it’d take months of investigation after these events for the FBI to figure some of this out (assuming they’d try).

The later in the book we get, the better these non-Mace portions get. Particularly those from the daughter’s point of view, they brought a lot to the table and got me really invested in these characters.

I still think I’d prefer more Mace and less of everyone else in future books in the series—but The Lost really shows that this approach can work. It also underlines how good at it Burton is.

So, what did I think about The Lost?

I’m not sure how the space is given to the non-Mace perspectives in this book compares to the previous novels, but it’s significantly more—that alone makes this novel feel different. The fact that many/most of those sections of the book take place prior to Mace’s involvement with the Druckman family also contributes to that feeling. I appreciate the fact that Burton’s doing things in Book 3 to make sure the series doesn’t get in a rut.

Sure, it’d be a fine rut to get stuck in and I’d have gladly read more books that were structurally similar to The Finders and The Keepers.* But I’m glad Burton made the step now and didn’t wait until he needed to shake things up.

* I read The Keepers a year ago and didn’t get the title until right this moment. I’m not too proud to admit that.

I’m not sure that we needed to learn about Kippy’s job woes at this point—it didn’t have an impact on this book, as FBI-centric as it was. It might have been better to talk about her difficulties with her new assignment when it’d have a bearing on the plot, and wouldn’t risk feeling like a repeat when it does come up. It’s not a good position for her to be in—I don’t want to minimize that—I’m just not sure the reader needed to get that information now, I don’t know what we’re supposed to do with it. As complaints go (and I think it’s the only one I had with this book), that’s a pretty minor one.

The pacing on this is strong—we hit the ground running with Mace and Vira at the beginning and we really don’t stop. There isn’t a lot of time here for contemplation and rumination—it’s not a breakneck speed, but it’s a steady jog. Again, it shows that Burton’s doing something different in this book.

I feel like I’m spending too much time talking about how different The Lost is from the other books—and I don’t mean to harp on it, I’m just commenting on the various ways it is. I don’t know that readers who aren’t writing about the book are going to spend that much time thinking about it—I think they’ll note the freshness of it, they’ll feel the overall effect, though. I’m not saying it’s better or worse than the other two, just appreciatively different. And that’s a nice thing.

As always, any time spent with Sue, Maggie May, Delta Dawn, Vira, and Billie Joe is a boon. They’re a fun pack of animals to read about—and I’m already looking forward to their next adventure. Mace and Kippy are good, too—but we all know who the stars are here.

This would be an okay jumping-on point to the series, I’m not sure you’d get the full idea of Vira’s special talents—but that’s okay, it’s not required to appreciate the books. The important thing is that mystery readers—particularly the dog-loving kind—jump on to the series at some point.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

4 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, opinions expressed are my own.

Against All Odds by Jeffery H. Haskell: It’s the Chance He’s Gotta Take

By HCNewton

On June 17, 2022

In Fiction, Grimm's War, Science Fiction

Against All Odds

by Jeffrey H. Haskell

DETAILS:
Series: Grimm's War, #1
Publisher: Aethon Books
Publication Date: April 19, 2022
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 448 pgs.
Read Date: June 13-16, 2022

Chief Boudreqx rolled the ship until the belly faced Kremlin and the cockpit looed out into open space…open except for her.

The Interceptor. The front of her hull was painted like a shark’s head, but it was old and faded, scratched and worn.

Jacob had spent most of his life waiting for this moment, and in it, all his concerns about his past, his present, and his future faded away.

He didn’t care if she looked like a beaten prizefighter with her armored hull dented and streaked from action. Or if the turrets were scratched, streaked, and patched.

Only that she was his.

What’s Against All Odds About?

Two years ago, Lt. Jacob Grimm, did the right thing in a crisis situation. Sadly, the optics of his action were horrible and the political fallout from it turned a promising Naval career into a dead-end endeavor. He’s assigned to an obscure post—where he does well but is destined to fall into obscurity and having to leave the navy.

Then politics intervenes again—and he’s assigned a ship to command. The commander unexpectedly died of natural causes a couple of months ago, and Interceptor needs someone to get it back into shape. Grimm doesn’t know the politics behind this assignment—and doesn’t care. This is his last hope of doing anything with his time in the Navy that won’t be covered in scandal.

In the intervening months, the ship has fallen into disrepair (its major drive component is missing!), and there’s little-to-no discipline among the crew. Grimm has his work cut out for him.

Meanwhile, a hostile (foreign) government, pirates, other criminals, and an obsessed scientist are at work in this sector—naval high command is up to something, too. Grimm and his crew only know about the pirates, so they don’t realize just how interesting/dangerous life is going to get.

The Technology of this Universe

He wasn’t in uniform, but the cap was a universal spacer adornment. Ships were almost always on the cold side, enough to be uncomfortable without warm clothes and a watch cap. If a ship was warm, something was terribly wrong.

One thing every book about interstellar travel has to deal with is how both travel and communication are handled. I appreciated Haskell’s approach, it feels as grounded as any series that’s not going to force generation ships on everything can be.

The way he designed the technology/construction/etc. of the ships really appealed to me. There’s a very Star Trek-feel to the whole thing, but without the shiny panels and great lighting, the physical aspects of the ships are more Firefly-like. Think Moore’s Battlestar Galactica, just slightly less advanced.* There’s also a feel of 20th Century Navy ships and submarines—unforgiving metal everywhere, a focus on function over comfort/aesthetics; cold temperatures everywhere; worrying about what could happen to things that aren’t bolted down while the ship moves; food that’s nutritious, but not necessarily appealing.

* I’m a little annoyed with myself here. I spent the entire novel thinking about the Star Trek/Firefly comparison and only got around to BSG because I wanted to throw on some Bear McCreary as I wrote this. BSG is a better way to envision the tech/atmosphere. There’s a very non-subtle Star Trek homage in the novel, so I feel okay getting it stuck in my mind.

So, what did I think about Against All Odds?

I’ve enjoyed the first two novels in Haskell’s Full Metal Superhero series (and have been kicking myself for years for not reading more of them), but this? He’s clearly been working his craft since 2017, and it has paid off here.

I spent a good portion of the novel wishing he’d spend less time on the subplots—assuming they’d end up being important, but all I wanted to do was get back to the Interceptor. It made me question several of my reading choices over the last couple of years—why didn’t I read more things like this? There was a brief spy vs. spy thing, too, as part of a subplot—I could’ve used more of that. But once the subplots started converging on the Grimm/Interceptor story? It was like having my cake, eating it, too—and not caring about my A1C levels.

My impatience aside, this was skillfully paced—he kept the tension mounting as you become more invested in the various crews and characters, and as the layers of the plot get pulled back to reveal Haskell’s game plan. The combat scenes—the ship vs. ship scenes in particular—were great. There are times I feel shallow and adolescent for enjoying that kind of thing the way I do, but I get over that pretty quickly.

I would say the Epilogue felt unnecessary—if the reader didn’t assume most of what we got there already, I’m not sure they were paying attention. I think it’d have been better for Haskell to trust the reader to assume the Epilogue and/or to see the effects of it play out over the next book or two without spelling it out quite the way he did. That’s my major beef with the book, and if it takes until the Epilogue to get something like that? That’s a pretty good sign. There were a couple of other choices I questioned, but I want to see what Haskell does with them before I spend too much ink on them.

I’ve got Book 2, With Grimm Resolve, scheduled for mid-July—and at least one too many books on my June schedule—but it took all my discipline not to dive into it after finishing this. Do yourself a favor, grab some popcorn and settle down with this for a couple of hours—you’ll have a whale of a time.

4 Stars

Magic Kingdom for Sale–Sold! (Audiobook) by Terry Brooks, Jeremy Arthur (Narrator): A Nostalgic Trip I Maybe Shouldn’t Have Taken

By HCNewton

On June 16, 2022

In Audiobook, Fantasy, Fiction

Magic Kingdom for Sale–Sold!

by Terry Brooks, Jeremy Arthur (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Landover, #1
Publisher: Random House Audio
Publication Date: March 28, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 12 hrs.,  48 min.
Read Date: May 19-24, 2022

What’s Magic Kingdom for Sale–Sold! About?

Ben Holiday is a recently widowed trial lawyer from Chicago. His wife’s death has left him devastated, he is essentially going through the motions in all aspects of his life. One wintery day, his mail includes a holiday catalog addressed to his wife (younger readers should consult their parents about mail-order catalogs). She loved those kind of things, so Ben flips through it as a way to connect with her. One listing catches his eye—an offer to purchase a magic kingdom, with all that is implied by that.

He can’t get the idea out of his mind, eventually flying to New York to meet with the representative for the company about the offer. It’s sincere, he’s told, for one-million dollars (largely refundable within a brief period of time), he can buy a kingdom—becoming its king, with all the benefits that come with that.

He’s so desperate to change his life that Ben gambles on it. Takes a leave of absence from his practice, liquidates 1/3 of his investments, and buys it.

He’s astounded to find out that the advertisement was true—it’s another world, he gets there magically and the world is full of magic. He has a wizard advisor, a scribe who’s a talking dog (okay, technically a man accidentally turned into a dog), a magic castle, and a pair of kobolds as servants.

Sadly, it’s been so long since a legitimate king sat on the throne that the Kingdom’s magic is dying. The magic is weakening, and the people, plants, and animals are suffering. If something doesn’t stop it, Landover will cease to exist.

Does Ben Holiday have the ability, conviction, and grit to restore Landover to its former glory?

Ben’s Emotional State

One of the best things about this book is the depiction of Ben’s clinical depression. It’s never described in those terms, but it was clearly shown. His desperation at finding a way out of this life—and then his second thoughts, once he saw how real (and un-fairy tale-like) Landover was, also rang true.

I’m not quite as convinced that Brooks’ depiction of his resolve to stay and fix things—or the reasoning behind it—was quite as successful. It was clear, but it was a bit more telling than showing.

I’m willing to bet that when I read this back in the 80s/90s, I didn’t appreciate this aspect as much as I should’ve, but I sure do now.

How Was the Narration?

This was a much different book than the other time I listened to Jeremy Arthur (Looking for Calvin and Hobbes), so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I would’ve hoped for a little more “life” to it—I wanted him to bring out the personalities just a little more. I’m not saying he did a bad job, at all, he could’ve brought a little more “oomph” to it, is all.

I do wonder if a little of that impression should be directed at the text and not Arthur. That’s absolutely possible, maybe even likely.

I do see that the previous version of the audiobook was recorded by Dick Hill. Nothing against Hill, but man, I’m glad I got this version—I just don’t see how he was the right guy for the job. Then again, I’d have said the same thing about Dave Barry books, and he surprised me with Best. State. Ever., so what do I know?

I guess what I’m saying is that Arthur did a fine job—I’m not over the moon, but I’m not complaining. I don’t think I did a great job of conveying that.

So, what did I think about Magic Kingdom for Sale–Sold!?

I don’t remember exactly the first time I read this book—it was published in 1987, and it’s entirely possible I read it that year. If not, it was soon after that. I loved it and read it several times in the following years. I wasn’t sure how it’d hold up after all this time, but I had hope that it’d be okay.

It largely was. As is so often the case, the memory was better than the reality. Nostalgia a tricky thing.

Some of the language—especially in dialogue—was a bit stiff and stuffy. I kept thinking, this is a story about a guy who buys a magic kingdom, it should be a little more fun. Holiday didn’t have quite the sense of wonder about Landover that I wanted—he had some, but he was a bit too serious about everything. He wasn’t quite like Eustace Scrubb pre-dragon cave, but he sure wasn’t like the Pevensies, either.

I love the concept, I think all the characters are exactly what you want in this kind of story, and the worldbuilding was spot-on—all the ingredients are there, I just didn’t love the execution. It was an entertaining read and did everything right—it just felt reserved. If this was first published today, the drama would’ve been starker, the joy/wonder would’ve been turned up and it’d have been more amusing overall.

Basically, I probably should’ve left good memories stay that way.

I remember thinking the first sequel was okay but the next one really disappointed me, and I didn’t continue with the series. I went into this thinking I probably wouldn’t continue—and I likely won’t. If only to keep what luster is still attached to my memories.

3.5 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, any opinions expressed are my own.

Payback by RC Bridgestock: A Decent Start for this Procedural Series

By HCNewton

On June 14, 2022

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Payback

by RC Bridgestock

DETAILS:
Series: DI Charley Mann Crime Thrillers, #1
Publisher: Canelo
Publication Date: January 11, 2021
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 334 pg.
Read Date: June 8-11, 2022

What’s Payback About?

Newly minted DI, Charley Mann, returns to her hometown in Yorkshire. She grew up here, fell in (and out of) love here, and started her career in the police here. She clashed a bit with a superior, got promoted, and was sent to London for a few years to get some more experience.

Now she’s back and ready to get to work with the people and area she loves. As is the rule for newly transferred DIs/DSs in British procedurals, before she can even meet with her team or superior, she catches a murder case. I’d pay good money to read a book where someone transfers into a new assignment, settles into their office, gets to know people, and starts to wonder if anything ever happens in these parts before being hit with a major case (if only to see how an author could give us a couple of interesting chapters along those lines).

Back to Payback—this is a gruesome and odd murder. It’s not an easy crime scene to understand—there are too many things that are incongruous. Charley begins to suspect that’s intentional—a suspicion that grows after another body is discovered just as the investigation starts to stall. Things get really interesting from there.

So, what did I think about Payback?

I don’t have a lot to say about Payback, and that bothers me. Hopefully, Condemned sparks more thought.

I’m conflicted here, I’ll admit. Let me start by saying that I enjoyed this book, I’m looking forward to picking up the second one, and I think that I can recommend it (with some provisos) to you.

At the same time, there are some big problems with the book. The dialogue is typically wanting—frequently, it feels like they use 33% more words than they need to. Quippy bits, snappish retorts, etc. would land a lot better if they’d chop off a third of the lines. Trust your audience to get what you’re going for without the explanation. The narrative portions—especially those explaining Charley’s backstory or emotions—are less than good*. It’s the telling vs. showing thing, it’s a lot of being too wordy (see above), there’s some unexplained motivations—it’s hard to explain without spending more time than it’s worth. Lastly, the characters—with the exception of the killer—all need a little more sketching out. It’s the first in a series, so you can assume that’ll happen and I’m not going to complain about that (too much).

* That said, there were a couple of moments that shone—I just wish they weren’t buried amongst the “meh.”

That’s a lot to complain about there, so why did I say I enjoy it? The police procedural part of the book—thankfully, the bulk—saves this. The murders, the motive, the way that Charley leads the investigation, all the ups, downs, and curveballs—that was exactly what I came looking for in this book. Even some of the “Charley over-explains things” work because she’s trying to help a detective and a uniformed officer understand some things about the job. The moment when Charley starts putting everything together, connecting all the dots, and so on at the end? That was great. I can shrug off a lot of problems when the central plot is executed as well as this.

I realize a lot of people are going to disagree with me about some of my problems, and that’s okay, we’re all wrong sometimes. I do recommend this, I just think you need to go into it with the right expectations. I am looking forward to the next two books—I want to see if Bridgestock can build from this, how a story arc or two are developed, and if the one impending personnel change brings a better character than the one being replaced.

3 Stars

Crazy in Poughkeepsie by Daniel Pinkwater: “Crazy” Might Be An Overstatement, How About “Ridiculously Odd”?

By HCNewton

On June 13, 2022

In Fantasy, Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

Crazy in Poughkeepsie

by Daniel Pinkwater , Aaron Renier (Illustrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Neddie & Friends, #6
Publisher: Tachyon Publications
Publication Date: May 9, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 173 pg.
Read Date: June 7-8, 2022

“I’ve been to see the ghosts,” she said.

“And how was that?” the Guru asked.

“Hoo boy! You won’t believe what goes on in that old churn factory. They’ve got a whale in there!”

“An actual whale?”

“It’s the ghost of a whale, and may I say, it’s a whale of a ghost.”

What’s Crazy in Poughkeepsie About?

Mick comes home from two weeks at summer camp to find out that his brother’s trip to Tibet to find a personal guru ended up being much shorter than anyone expected. He did find a guru—Guru Lumpo Smythe-Finkel—and that guru came home to Poughkeepsie with him. The guru and his dog will be sharing Mick’s room for a while.

Mick’s life is sure different afterward—the guru takes him under his wing (or tries to) and they spend most of the daytime together. Mick also picks up a couple of friends—a would-be graffiti artist, who tags buildings with warnings of environmental/health dangers and a quirky young woman (who probably isn’t crazy) who lives in trees.

Before the summer year is out, Mick will play a ghost flute, attend a ghost party, meet people a whole lot stranger than anyone I’ve mentioned so far, see a dog use a stuffed rabbit to help a car navigate, and things too strange for me to summarize in this way.

How Were the Illustrations?

They were fittingly odd. I enjoyed them and thought they added a nice little bit of seasoning. They’re not essential to the text, they’re a pleasant accent.

I really liked the ghosts—the whale in particular. I think drawing ghosts among and around some of the living has to be a challenge, and I like Renier’s approach.

I do not have a lot of experience with parties, almost none, in fact, if you don’t count little kids’ birthday parties with the paper hats and the cake and ice cream. This means I don’t personally have a basis for comparison, but I feel safe in saying that a party with ghosts is completely unlike any other party anyone may have been to.

So, what did I think about Crazy in Poughkeepsie?

This is a wonderfully weird story. The absurd moments flow effortlessly from one to the next. As always, I’ll not that seemingly effortless moments obviously are the result of effort, skill, and talent.

I haven’t read a Pinkwater book since…wow. The 1980s? I don’t think he’s missed a step—some of the jokes feel a little dated—do people still do the plastic covering on furniture?. But maybe not (although when I was a kid I think I wondered the same thing). Either way, most of them are fresh or evergreen. Jokes aside, there’s a sense of ridiculousness running throughout this that has to appeal to readers young and old—especially those who embrace life’s quirkiness.

The plot is on the lean side, but it’s not the important part. This book is about the journey, not the destination—and it’s a fun ride (to a pretty good destination, I should add). It’s been too long since I’ve spent time with this author, I need to fix that.

Also, any MG book that’s both amusing and uses the word “obstreperous” casually is worth a read.

3.5 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, opinions are my own.

Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman: She Gets By with a Little Help from Her Friends

By HCNewton

On June 10, 2022

In Abbi Waxman, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

Adult Assembly Required

by Abbi Waxman

DETAILS:
Publisher: 9780593198766
Publication Date: May 16, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 374
Read Date: June 2-4, 2022

“My name is Laura Costello, and I’m having a bad day.” She realized that made her sound like a member of a twelve-step group with an extremely low requirement for membership, but it’s what came out.

What’s Adult Assembly Required About?

This is not the most auspicious way to meet your protagonist—she’s in a new city, she knows nobody, and is about a month away from starting grad school, so is in kind of a limbo—waiting to start the next chapter in her life when her apartment burns up (with everything she owns) and she’s caught in a massive rainstorm before stumbling into Knight’s bookstore.

Thankfully, Knight’s is just the right place for someone to stumble into—not only will you find a great selection of books and people to help you find the right one, (at least in this case) they’ll take you in, get you a towel, a cup of tea, befriend you, and will help you find a place to live—the illegal boarding house that one of their staff lives at has an opening.

Maggie Morse is a widowed therapist, her children have moved out, so to fill up her house, she rents out as many rooms as she can—once Laura moves in, that total is five boarders, two dogs, and a cat. All are just a wee bit eccentric, which is just what Maggie wants—to fill her life with interesting people. The 80s sitcom just begs to be made, doesn’t it?

She and Laura hit it off, and Laura moves in. We quickly learn that today isn’t the only bad day that Laura’s had—she’d had a couple of years’ worth of them and has moved to L.A. for a fresh start as well as graduate school (she could’ve stayed in NYC for that, but her overbearing family and her ex-fiancé are there).

And from this point? Well, life—and possibly love—ensues.

No Islands, No Rocks

If The Bookish Life of Nina Hill was about finding and understanding family (while finding love), Adult Assembly Required is about friendship and its power to help you define yourself and your place in the world—alongside, or possibly in place of, family—(while possibly finding love).

It’s not just about Laura’s new friendships—there are so many layers of overlapping, intertwined, and free-standing friendships of various levels of closeness throughout this book it’d be nearly impossible to diagram. You could really excise (or ignore) the romantic plots within this and it’d still carry a heavy emotional impact.

Study after study, article after article, book after book talks about how disconnected Americans are today, that people are lonely and isolated—even those in close-knit families feel this way—that we need friends, friend-groups, and social connections outside the home. And to see all of these strong friendships and the impact they have on the people involved—topping it with how Laura’s life changes for the better and she becomes stronger because of and as she develops friends? It’s fantastic to see. You want to be friends with some/all of these people.

I’ve got nothing against a decent love story (over one book or a series), teams/partners working together are great, and there are plenty of great rugged individuals all over the literary landscape. But there’s something special about healthy and solid friendships.

The Nina Hill of It

“…I’m not a big Halloween person.”

“Not even Reese’s peanut butter pumpkins? They’re the best of the shapes,” said Nina. “It’s the perfect ratio of chocolate to peanut butter.”

Laura looked at Nina with interest. “You really do spend a lot of time thinking about things, don’t you?”

“‘Fraid so,” said Nina cheerfully, nodding. “It’s what keeps me from gnawing my own fingernails off.”

I was a little apprehensive about the idea of revisiting Nina Hill—that book was just so good, and we left her in the perfect place—a good chance of a Happily Ever After, a fresh start with her family, and her vocation/life purpose was revitalized and re-energized. Why disturb or revisit that?

But in making her a supporting character—Waxman gets to give fans (and, I expect, herself) some more time with this delightful character, but doesn’t have to jeopardize anything from the ending of The Bookish Life, because the focus is on Laura along with Polly and Impossibly Handsome Bob. Nina is just one more of the eccentric characters that Laura encounters in L.A. and as she becomes a friend she helps Laura—but the agency, the interest for the reader is on Laura.

I wasn’t sure I wanted anything like it, but now I’m fully on board with the idea of a Nina Hill Extended Universe and hope Waxman will return to it frequently (but not necessarily exclusively).

Only Missing Taylor Doose

One of the most impressive things that Waxman did in this book (and to an extent in The Bookish Life was making this little area of L.A., Larchmont, feel like a small town—not just a small town, but an idyllic small town like Stars Hollow.

It’s still in LA—with the traffic, weather, intricate highway systems, and questionable public transit—but in at least this one area it’s a community. Neighbors help and support each other’s businesses, know who the quirky people are, go to street fairs, have a Booster Club that’s apparently effective, et cetera.

I’m sure there are real communities scattered about in larger cities like L.A., but this feels different—yet believable.

So, what did I think about Adult Assembly Required?

I’ve tipped my hand already, here, I’m sure. But I loved this. By the time I’d read four pages I’d laughed enough that my daughter was giving me a look from the other side of the room. That settled down a bit as I re-acclimated to Waxman, but the book stayed as engaging and witty from there.

Waxman’s narrative voice is the real star of this book—Polly’s a fantastic character, ditto for everyone else in Maggie’s house, I’d love more time with Polly’s grandmother, and the assorted cats and dogs* are fantastic—but I’d be more than willing to read a version of this book without any of them just to read this narrative voice. It’s chatty, it’s snarky, and it’s still a reliable third-person omniscient. One day, I may be able to define the je ne sais quoi to define what it is about this voice that makes it so special, but until then I’ll just enjoy it (and not really care if I can describe it).

* Ugh. The pets! I forgot to write anything about the pets! Especially Daisy the pug. I don’t have time, and this post is too long anyway. They’re all pretty great, even the cats. But Daisy is magic. Am thinking of starting a petition calling for Book 3 in the NHEU to be about her.

I’ve spent a lot of time talking about everything but Laura Costello. Primarily because I don’t know how I could do so without making you reading the book irrelevant, once I start, I don’t know that I would know where to stop. From the moment you see her in the bookstore and hear about her bad day, you want to see her have a good day. When you do see that, you want to see more of them—and you want to see her put herself in positions to have many more of them. And as she has them, you want her to have even more.

She took some hard and important steps to put herself in L.A.—but those aren’t enough. She has more work to do (I don’t think she realizes how much more), and she needs support to get it done. The remarkable thing is that she gets that support, she’s surrounded by it, when she realizes her need—these friendships enable her to get to the point that she can see her need. And (very importantly), it’s not one-sided, she’s able to give support and encouragement and prodding even as she receives it.

Impossibly Handsome Bob is probably also Impossibly Good. But who cares? He’s just fun to read about, especially as he reacts to Laura.

Adult Assembly Required is funny, it’s sweet, it’s heartwarming, and will make you feel good all over. I canceled a thing or two and shuffled around my plans so I could find more time to read this because I just didn’t want to stop once I started (and didn’t regret it!). I’m not promising you’ll have the same reaction, but I don’t see why you wouldn’t have one like it.

5 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, opinions are my own.

Noodle and the No Bones Day by Jonathan Graziano, Dan Tavis (Illustrator): A Great Dose of Adorableness to Pick Up Your Day

By HCNewton

On June 9, 2022

In (Auto)Biography, Dogs, Non-Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

Noodle and the No Bones Day

by Jonathan Graziano, Dan Tavis (Illustrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Noodle and Jonathan
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: June 6, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 32 pgs.
Read Date: June 8, 2022

What’s Noodle and the No Bones Day About?

I’m going to assume you, dear reader, are like the 74.3% of humanity and are aware of Noodle (and, as an afterthought, Graziano). Last year Noodle took over the Internet—magazines, websites, TV news shows, social media, etc., etc., etc. People all over the world checked-in daily to see if that day was going to be a Bones Day (where Noodle, an elderly pug, wanted to get up and go for a walk) or a No Bones Day (where Noodle just wanted to stay in bed and relax all day).

This little book tells their story. It starts off describing their life—and then focuses on the first No Bones Day. Noodle isn’t sick, he isn’t depressed or anything. He just needs to spend a day getting pampered—bonus belly rubs, bonus snuggle time, and bonus snacks. Who can’t relate to that?

What About the Illustrations?

I skipped over half the words the first time I opened the book to pour over the illustrations—and I’m telling you, that never happens with me. Even in picture books, words are my priority. Typically, anyway.

These are simple drawings—there’s not a lot of clutter on the page, or background details. Just a man and his pug and their emotions. The picture where you can’t see Noodle’s face, only the rest of his body (tail end sticking up in the air) as he burrows into his bed is asymptotically close to Aristotelian perfection. The rest of them ain’t bad, either.

Dan Tavis is a gem. I have bookmarked his site to shop in case I have to activate Grandpa Mode and need to equip my home and have picked out a couple of things from his Etsy shop that would look good on my walls)

So, what did I think about Noodle and the No Bones Day?

Is this the most adorable book that I’ve read this year? Hands down. Will something come along and usurp it? Doubtful (but, please, suggest contenders—I’m sure I could use the pick-me-ups in the months to come).

There’s a good reminder—especially for the grown-up reading this book to a child—that there are times when someone needs a day (or even a few minutes) to step back from their normal activities to show someone some extra attention and affection. Or be shown that. Even just taking the few minutes necessary to read this book to a child would be a good start.

This is a cute book. It is sweet. Nigh-unto-irresistible. The illustrations made (and make) me smile. It is perfect to use to cuddle up and read to a child and/or beloved pet. If you’re a fan of Noodle (and, I suppose, Graziano), you’re going to enjoy it. If you’re not a fan of either of them, buy this and improve your life.

It’s also a reminder that the dog in your life probably wants and deserves a snack right now. Best get on that.

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, any opinions expressed are my own.

EXCERPT from There Goes The Neighbourhood by S Reed

By HCNewton

On June 9, 2022

In Book Tour, Fiction, Quotations, Science Fiction

For the next part of my stop on The Love Books Blog Tour for S Reed’s There Goes The Neighbourhood, I present to you this little excerpt from the novel. Enjoy!

Underappreciated

Poppy Field Lane is like any typical American suburb of the 50s… but it’s the mid-90s and the (mostly) terrible fashion notwithstanding, the Lane is a time capsule of life in Upstate New York before the feminist movement. The men go to work, and the women stay home and look after the house. The men have all the fun, and the women clean up afterwards. The men set all the rules, and the women abide by them… except when the men are out of town. None of these rules apply to eccentric widowed billionaire Ignatius Feltrap who is as young as she is rich.

She lived in the biggest house – a mansion, really – the biggest in all of Poppy Field Lane, but one day, she decided she no longer liked her neighbors, so she paid an extortionate amount of money to have her house moved to the beachfront.

Not because she liked the view, but so it would spoil the stunning vistas for her abhorrent neighbors, Carol and Frank, the Lilinsters (there are better names that Ignatius likes to call them by, but none of them are polite). Ignatius is convinced they have risen from the fiery depths of hell just to try and ruin her life; try to, anyway. It also gave her a chance to throw even wilder parties without the worry (not that she did) of a noise complaint from said neighbors. In fact, if it weren’t for them, most of the town wouldn’t mind her. And don’t think she doesn’t take pleasure in their indignation. Carol, especially, lived for calling the cops to Feltrap Manor, although she would never give it that name. She’d usually say something like “That woman, I believe her name is Ignatius, yes, the widow, well, she’s throwing an illegal party again”, and she would purr over the word ‘widow’ and let it hang in the receiver’s ear like a moldy piece of fruit. Ignatius hoped taking that power away from the vile witch would make her melt, but it only seemed to exacerbate the tension between the two of them. To Ignatius’s disdain, Carol and her brusque husband tick on. How she loathes the ground they walk on. If you ask her, the Lilinsters are to blame for her being outcast from the rest of Poppy Field Lane. If it weren’t for them, she would be accepted by the town, despite being ‘new money’. And despite her rambunctious attitude, she does want to be accepted, but she will not conform to the Lane’s outdated ways.

There is an unspoken understanding that they and Ignatius are civil toward each other in the street… However, only one of them got the memo and read it. The other, it seems, set it on fire… with a flamethrower.

Read the rest in There Goes The Neighbourhood by S Reed.

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this Tour.