Category: Book Tag Page 3 of 4

I saw this over at Bookforager’s blog and it was created by The Bumbling Blogger’s partner on YouTube.

First book in a series

Fellowship of Fear by Aaron Elkins

There are numerous first novels in a series on my shelves—many of which I’ve talked about at length, or at least about the series. I haven’t said too much about the Gideon Oliver books, so let’s use this as an opportunity to talk about them a bit. I started these novels thanks to the ABC Mystery Movie series. As charming as Louis Gosset, Jr.’s Oliver was, he wasn’t the forensic anthropologist I got to know in these pages. Lousy adaptations that lead me to good books are still a win in my book. Oliver is no stuffy scholar (although he can be when he gets carried away), he’s a fun character who is seriously into his field of study.

Two or more copies of the same book

I have too many books that could fit here, but let’s go with:

The Lobster Boy And The Fat Lady’s Daughter by Charles Kriel

So there’s the original e-book version and cover; the “plain brown wrapper” paperback Fahrenheit put out anniversary edition commemorating them selling the book initially w/o cover image, title, or author; and a nice, new cover that came out a couple of years ago. (I actually ordered a hardcover edition, too, at one point, but that seems to have never materialized—so I appear to be more restrained than I am)

Funnily enough, a couple of hours after I drafted this, I picked up my third copy of Raskin’s The Westing Game. It’s a nice paperback with a crisp cover image that appealed to me. There’s no real reason for me to have grabbed it, the last thing I need is another copy, I just couldn’t help it. Just one more option that could’ve been put here

Three colors on the cover

The Cartel by Don Winslow

This ended up being harder than I thought—I can find any number of two-colored covers, and even more with a dozen colors. But three? That proved pretty difficult. So, I ended up going back to my old-reliable Don Winslow. I seem to use one of his books on just about every tag (at least it feels that way).

Four or more perspectives

A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne

I thought about trying to go outside Fantasy for this one—it seems too easy to name a Fantasy novel for a multi-perspective approach. But the way that Hearne delivers these multiple perspectives is probably my favorite. So, it’s the one I’m going with.

A five-star read

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve mentioned this one, so let me take this opportunity to since its praises again. Humor, heart, action, mind-bendy time travel science…one of the best SF novels I’ve ever read.

Six (or more) short stories

Planet Grim by Alex Behr

I’ve talked about a decent number of short story collections here, but if you ask me to name one, this is always the first one that comes to mind. Every time. I can’t explain it, but I’m sure not going to argue with my subconscious. Can I tell you anything about any of the stories without grabbing it off of my shelf? Nope. But I can tell you that the collection really impressed me, and that I’d do well to pick it up again.

A seven on the cover or spine

Seven Up by Janet Evanovich

Going back to when I hadn’t grown frustrated with the Stephanie Plum books and could just enjoy them without reservation or qualification. Joe proposes marriage, Ranger proposes something far more temporary, Grandma Mazur is dating a mobster, and…well, there are plenty of antics.

Eight letters in the title

Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein

I’m sure I looked funny standing in front of my shelves counting to eight over and over again for this one. This is the second of the John Ceepak/Danny Boyle books, and it proved that the concept was going to work for more than a stand-alone. Someone’s coming for revenge against Danny and his friends for something they did years ago. Thankfully, super-cop Ceepak is there to help.

A book that ends on a page ending in a nine

The Player by Brad Parks

Had to go diving through the logs for this one, to make sure I found a book I don’t talk about a lot, I wanted to go for something older, so I wouldn’t have brought it up a lot recently. This is the penultimate Carter Ross mystery—there’s something causing people in one area of Newark to get sick, and Ross smells a cover-up involving pollutants. When he gets sick himself, it becomes more than just a story.

Ten books in the series

Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles by Jeanne C. Stein

I had the hardest time with this one—I found a couple of 9 book series, an 11/12 or two…and several that were far past 10. At a certain point, I was just going down my shelves counting…The only reason this one qualifies is that 6 years after concluding the series, Stein wrote one more (which I should probably get around to reading). But hey…I’ll take it.

So the Anna Strong books are about a Bounty Hunter who gets assaulted and turned by a vampire, thrusting her into a supernatural world she’s been previously unaware of. She finds herself dealing with supernatural baddies as well as the human criminals that she and her partner (who isn’t aware of the changes in her life) deal with. There’s a strange balancing act that she has to pull off in addition to a newly complicated love life and family.

As is my custom, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with.

I’ve seen this on a few blogs, but it was on Bookstooge’s Reviews on the Road that I decided to do it myself. I don’t know where this originated, so I can’t credit them.

I really tried not to let recency bias rear its ugly head on these responses, but I ended up listing two books I read this year. Whoops.

1. Bread- What book is purely fluff, and has no real plot line?

I’m left scratching my head here–what doesn’t have a plotline?

Love by Roddy Doyle

There’s a plot here, but it’s slight–and covered under layers and layers of clever dialogue. (none of which is a criticism, it worked wonderfully)

2. Turkey- What book made you want to fall asleep?

Zorro by Isabelle Allende

It is Zorro–the swashbuckling, womanizing, swordsman who’s a proto-Batman figure. How do you make him dull? I still don’t know how you do it, but Isabelle Allende must, because she nailed it. The only reason I finished this was because I had to see if it ever got exciting. According to my logs, I read this in 2010–but at the time, I felt like I spent more than a decade reading it. So, I guess I might still be reading it.

3. Gravy- What book makes the whole series worth reading?

I’m struggling to answer this one–it seems to suggest that the others aren’t up to snuff, or aren’t even worth the time, “but this one book…” I’m sure there are some, but I can’t think of any. I’m tempted to say Red Dragon or The Silence of the Lambs are so good that it makes Hannibal worth it–but it’s easier to just skip the others.

I guess…

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I have problems with The Wise Man’s Fear. And, sure, I’d love to read The Doors of Stone. But you know what? I loved The Name of the Wind enough that I can live with what ever’s lacking in the others (including, but not limited to, not being published).

4. Stuffing- What book is stuffed full of action scenes?

A Wanted Man by Rob Parker

The first Ben Bracken novel is as non-stop as you could ask for. Pound-for-pound there’s more action in this book than any other I can remember. Sure, Parker can go whole paragraphs without much in the way of action–but he doesn’t do that often here.

5. Mashed Potatoes- What book looked good, and then wasn’t?

Behind Her Eyes by Sara Pinbrough

A Killer hook. A lot of hype. Some compelling writing. And an ending that made me want to hurl it across the room and into a shredder. It was a library book, however, so I really couldn’t indulge the impulse.

Also…really? l;ike Bookstooge said, what’s up with this slander against Mashed Potatoes? (not just saying this as a reflexive defense of the crop Idaho’s best known for)

6. Cranberries- What book has the sweetest romance?

Not Famous by Matthew Hanover

The first romance that jumped to mind was Nick and Alli from Hanover’s first book. (sure, most of the sweetness came from Alli, but Nick’s not bad, either).

I’m not convinced that cranberries are really all that “sweet,” however. Tart? Sour? Sure. Sweet? Eh, only with anough sugar added. Unlike everything Hanover’s written.

7. Corn- What’s the corniest book you’ve ever read?

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists
by Gideon Defoe

This is just a ridiculous novel–I laughed a lot. I cringed a lot, too. It was a delightful batch of corny silliness.

8. Green beans- What book is too long and needs to be shortened?

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

Part of the reason that I haven’t jumped on Troubled Blood is that this one was just too long. At the time (or since), I couldn’t figure out what needed to be cut, but something sure needed to.

Unlike any green bean dish I’ve ever had, however, I enjoyed Lethal White in the end.

9. Pumpkin Pie- What book do you read to get out of a reading slump?

Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin by Rex Stout

It’s been a while–a very long while–since I’ve been in a slump. But I could always count on some of my favorite Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin novels. They’re pure comfort food–tasty and sweet.

10. Dog/Cat- What’s your favorite Thanksgiving food that you would steal from the table?

This varies a lot from year to year, but more often than not, I’d say stuffing.

(image borrowed from Happy Life Blogspot)

As usual, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with.

I’ve seen this on various blogs, but can’t seem to find the creator, so I can’t credit them. I’d like to if anyone knows who did it. I saw this first at Read to Ramble, put it on my “do this tag list,” and promptly forgot about it. Then I was reminded of it on Witty and Sarcastic Book Blog—and it took me over a year to get around to it. I liked the category she added so I used it, and seconds before hitting “Publish” decided to add one of my own.

Also, just for fun, I added the music videos. Might as well sample a bit of the tunes we’re talking about, right?

What’s My Age Again – Blink 182

At what age did you discover your love of reading?

I’ve talked here before about the family vacation where I was such a pain in the keister that my parents had to stop and find a place to get me a couple of books so I’d be tolerable to be in the car with (Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective and Sugar Creek Gang: Screams in the Night—unleashing my Mystery/Detective obsession), which is when I was 7. But I’d been reading like crazy before then, I just didn’t think about it as a thing.

All Star – Smash Mouth

What is your favorite genre?

Is anyone expecting me to say anything but Mystery/Detective/Crime? It’s no contest, really, as it’s never less than a third of what I read in any given month.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something

What’s your go-to reading snack/drink?

I don’t think I typically snack while reading—probably occasionally, but not enough to have a go-to snack (if this were a TV Tag, on the other hand…). A go-to drink? Probably water, I guess, really just whatever is witin reach. Coffee, hot tea, even a beer or a single-malt.

I did a post a few years ago, Pairing Potent Potables with your Perusals of Prose, where I talked about matching what you drink with what you read. Maybe I should revisit that sometime.

Give It Away – Red Hot Chili Peppers

What book do you ALWAYS recommend to people?

I don’t know that there’s one book that I’d always recommend—not in a “one book to rule them all” sense, anyway. It varies based on who I’m talking to, their interests, and the genre we’re talking about.

But…I guess Jane Eyre, The Golden Spiders, Early Autumn, The Name of the Wind*, Ender’s Game, Red Rising, Dead Beat, The Rook, Dawn Patrol, Kings of the Wyld would likely top the list of fiction. On the non-fiction front, it’d likely be How the Irish Saved Civilization, Christianity & Liberalism, The Bruised Reed, How to Think, or The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction.

* Unless I think they’re going to be someone who whines about book 3.

I’ve never understood the appeal of RHCP—so I used “Bedrock Anthem” instead.

…Baby One More Time – Britney Spears

A book or series you have read more than once?

If I actually responded to this prompt, it’d turn this tag into the longest post I’ve ever done. Every title I listed after the last prompt would work here.

Tearin’ Up My Heart – N’Sync:

A book that broke your heart to finish?

Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World’s Worst Dog by John Grogan. Nothing else needs to be said.

Crush – Jennifer Paige

Who was your first bookish crush?

I don’t know, really. This is a topic I always stumble on in these tags. Maybe Sally Kimball? Turtle Wexler or Eilonwy, daughter of Angharad (and so on) would be likely candidates, too. Yeah…Eilonwy is probably it.

Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana

A book that you read as a teen that you still love today?

Well, there are just so many. I’m not sure if that says that my tastes are adolescent. It just might. Jane Eyre again, the Gideon Oliver series, The Oathbound Wizard, Magic Kingdom For Sale-Sold!, I think I was a teen when I read the bulk of the Fletch and Flynn novels. I’m sure I could go on, but who’s paying attention at this point?

Hurt – Nine Inch Nails

What book do you love that deals with heavier subjects?

This is another question that could end up with too many answers. I’m going to limit it to Dennis Lehane’s Gone, Baby, Gone. This was my introduction to Lehane and the series and it hit me like a ton of bricks—I distinctly remember a couple of years after it was released my wife and I renting the audiobook for a road trip from a truck stop (a practice I’d all but forgotten about until I started this sentence), and both of us were on the verge of tears and laughing at each other for being self-conscious about it. There’s child abandonment, addiction, child abduction, police corruption, and while dealing with those topics (and others) honestly—it’s exciting, gripping, and frequently fun.

Superman’s Song – Crash Test Dummies

What’s your favorite superhero book?

It’s Superman! by Tom De Haven. This version of Superman’s origins, set in the 1930s, felt like the perfect modern take on the classic version of the hero. It felt 100% Golden Age Superman and completely fresh at the same time.

As usual, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with.

I was tagged by Esther at Cozy with Books to tackle this Book Tag, which was awfully nice of her because this was a lot of fun to do. As far as I can tell, this tag originated over on the Booktube channel Tia and All the Books a few years ago.

Adaptation Snob: Do you always read the book before watching the film/TV show?

Almost always. Sometimes I watch a thing and then discover it’s an adaptation, which leads me to the source material—like Vagrant Queen or Justified. If there’s something I’m interested in, I’ll try to read the source material first, but I can’t always do that—I was able to with Stumptown and Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares. That’s actually what originally lead me to The Dresden Files, now that I think about it.

Occasionally, I’ll be interested in an upcoming adaptation and hold off on the source material, though. I knew Game of Thrones would have to tweak the source material—there’s just no way that it couldn’t. So I waited until after Season One to read any of it. I wanted the show to be able to exist in my mind aside from the book. I purposely didn’t want to be saying, “oh, that was different in the book” every few minutes. Then I was able to be able to put the books in a different mental category as I dove in. Basically, “Baelor” (Season 1, Episode 9) floored me.

That doesn’t happen often, though. Generally, I’m “book first” and maybe the other stuff later.

Format Snob: You can only choose 1 format in which to read books for the rest of your life. Which one do you choose: physical books, eBooks, or audiobooks?

The answer I want to give: Physical Books. There’s the history, the tradition, the paper, the smells, the weight of a book in your hands—the example of Samuel T. Cogley that got implanted in my brain at an early age…

Actual answer: If we’re talking the rest of my life, I’ve gotta go with eBooks. I only have so much space to store them (and I get hives thinking about downsizing what’s already there, as much as I should do that). But most importantly, my eyesight is getting worse and worse, and there’s only so much that medical science/my wallet can do for that. Eventually, reading a physical book is going to be more trouble than it’s worth. Resizing font size (and font) as needed is the best way to deal with that.

Ship Snob: Would you date or marry a non-reader?

I’d better not date a non-reader, my wife would not approve.

I guess the answer to this would depend on what you define as a reader. By the standards of book bloggers, I did not marry a reader (although she’s had a couple of atypical years where she did). By the standards of almost everyone else she and I know, I did.

The better question to ask is: would I marry someone who doesn’t support and indulge my reading/book hoarding and isn’t willing to put up with me talking about books and what I’m currently reading. And that would be a hard no. Thankfully, the love of my life isn’t that kind of person—in fact, she encourages and enables my addiction. It probably keeps me out of her hair.

Genre Snob: You have to ditch one genre – never to be read again for the rest of your life. Which one do you ditch?

That’s a no-brainer. Over the course of my life, I’ve only dabbled in Horror. I’ve appreciated most of those, but even the best of those haven’t made me say, “You know what? I need to read things like that.” Given a lot of what I read, that might seem odd to some people (and occasionally does to me, too), I can only shrug.

Uber Genre Snob: You can only choose to read from one genre for the rest of your life. Which genre do you choose?

I’m sure any reader of this blog for more than 2 weeks can sing along with this answer: Mystery/Detective/Crime Fiction. Every month and/or year, when I look at my stats, this genre accounts for at least a third of what I read. And that’s only because I ignore a lot of titles/authors*.

* I ignore a lot of titles/authors in other genres, too, due to time constraints.

I have to admit, it’s kind of a cheat to say that, though. A half-way decent (never mind really good) Crime Fiction Novelist can use any genre to produce their work—I’ve read Humorous Crime (Dave Barry’s stuff, or Ken Levine, or Duncan McMaster); Ghosts in Crime (Jo Perry’s Charlie and Rose books); Zombies in Crime (The King of Crows); Westerns (William DeAndra’s Lobo Blacke/Quinn Booker mysteries, Hockensmith’s Holmes on the Range books); SF Crime (The Stainless Steel Rat, The Caves of Steel); Crime in Fantasy Worlds (Dragon Precinct, Eddie LaCrosse books); YA Crime (Robert B. Parker wrote a couple; the Digby & Zoey books); the romance between Spenser and Susan, Kenzie and Gennarro, Elvis Cole and Lucy Chenier, and even the “when will they just admit what we’ve known since halfway through The Cuckoo’s Calling” of Cormoran and Robin beats just about every Romance novel I’ve ever read (Digby & Zoey, too, now that I’m thinking about it).

Community Snob: Which genre do you think receives the most snobbery from the bookish community?

There’s part of me that wants to say anything that diverges from a progressive social worldview, no matter the motivation behind it. Buuuuut that’s a little too serious for this kind of thing.

I guess the snobbery would be directed to Romance (I might have unintentionally brushed against it above). At least in the circles that I find myself in. There’s talk about/appreciation for SF, Fantasy, Crime, Urban Fantasy—and YA versions of all of those. People will nod to classics and talk about some commercial literary fiction, and so on. Steampunk, Westerns, Non-Fiction of all sorts, too, make the occasional rounds. But almost nothing about Romance.

But I’m willing to bet that in Romance-heavy bookish communities, there’s a snobbery about other genres—and I’m betting the numbers in those Romance-leaning communities are pretty significant, so their snobbery is nothing to shrug off.

I took a writing class a few years ago from one of the more commercially/critically successful local authors, who all but said that SF/Fantasy/Crime Fiction were wastes of time and not worthy of his attention. He said this after I’d submitted one assignment that was SF (but before he read my piece). He gave begrudging compliments about it and even managed to give a suggestion or two that helped it.

Basically, if you look for snobbery somewhere you’re likely to find it. People are garbage.

Snobbery Recipient: Have you ever been snubbed for something that you have been reading or for reading in general?

(Curiously, most of the blog versions I’ve seen of this Tag don’t have this prompt, but it was part of the original, and I thought it’d be fun to think about)

First, this question reminded me of a bit from the late Bill Hicks. You’ve got to watch the first two minutes of this:

If you’re not in the mood to take 2 minutes of your time to watch that, here’s a version of it that I lifted from JR’S Free Thought Pages. But you should watch the original instead of reading—it’s far superior. His timing and his expressions are chef’s kiss worthy).

I was in Fyffe, Alabama last year. After the show, I went to a Waffle House. I’m not proud of it, I was hungry. And I’m eating, I’m alone and I’m reading a book, right? Waiter walks over to me:

“Hey, what you readin’ for?”

Is that like the weirdest $#!% question you’ve ever heard? Not what am I reading, but what am I reading … for.

“Well, $#!% damn it, you stumped me. Why do I read? Hmm … I guess I read for a lot of reasons, and the main one is … so I don’t end up being a $#!% waffle waiter.”

But then, this trucker in the next booth gets up, stands over me and goes:

“Well, looks like we got ourselves a reader.”

What the $#!% going on here? It’s not like I walked into a Klan rally in a Boy George outfit, $#!% damn it. It’s a book!

I remember in Middle School/High School, getting a little flack for non-required reading (especially when I was supposed to be doing homework)—but generally, that quickly switched to a compliment from whoever gave the flack. But in college and after? Yeah, either from reading “popular fiction” (okay, I remember one would-be intellectual in high school who did that), fiction in general, religious books, and so on. But generally, I tune that out and turn the page (literally). But occasionally, it still gets under my skin.

I remember Felicia Day saying somewhere that’s the best thing about an e-Reader, no one knows what you’re really reading—and if you’re reading trash, you can just fib and say you’re chewing through Proust or whatever. Maybe that counts as another vote for the eBook question earlier.

Conversely, reading something specifically or in general is a great way to invite the right kind of people to talk to you. As that meme says, it’s like having a book recommend people to you.

wow…I got carried away there, didn’t I?

As usual, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with. Although I will tag Esther to add that last prompt, “Snobbery Recipient,” to her post, I’m curious how she’d respond.

I’ve seen this on various blogs, but can’t seem to find the creator, so I can’t credit them. I’d like to, if anyone knows who did it. I lost a couple of links somewhere in the ether, but I did enjoy the posts I saw on Westveil Publishing, Reader Voracious, and The Orangutan Librarian

I tried, I really tried, not to mention certain books/authors over and over and over. But so many of these categories overlapped, I just didn’t know how not to.

1. The best book you’ve read so far this year?

Oh man…This is how we start? It’s just so hard. One? It’s a tie between:

Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby (my post about it), Born in Burial Gown by M. W. Craven (my post about it), Dead Ground by M. W. Craven, and The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson (my post about it)

2. The best sequel you’ve read this year?

I resisted this because of recency bias, but I think I’m going to have to go with Till Morning is Nigh by Rob Parker (my post about it). I thought the first two sequels to A Wanted Man were entertaining enough, but they didn’t live up to it—or what it promised. Till Morning is Nigh more than delivered on both fronts.

3. New releases you haven’t read yet but want to.

Dreyer’s English (Adapted for Young Readers): Good Advice for Good Writing by Benjamin Dreyer (just curious about how he adapts this), and to catch up on The Frost Files.

4. Most anticipated releases for the second half of the year.

There are just so many things I want to list here. And probably twice as many that I’d want to list if I knew when they were coming. But, let’s go with: Risen by Benedict Jacka (the end of the Alex Verus series—I’m not ready to say goodbye yet); When Sorrows Come by Seanan McGuire (great title for the book featuring Toby’s wedding, doesn’t make me worried at all); City on Fire by Don Winslow (the kick-off to a new trilogy); Gated Prey by Lee Goldberg (can’t get enough of Eve Ronin) and The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (probably a strong contender for favorite sequel of the year).

The Winslow book might get pushed back because I’m intimidated by size and scope, I’m going to get to Gated Prey and The Man Who Died Twice as quickly as I can, I might put off Risen for a few days due to what I think is going to happen. But I know that I’m going to drop everything for the Toby Daye book.

5. Biggest disappointment.

Red Widow by Alma Katsu (my post about it) there was some pretty good buzz around this espionage thriller by a former CIA Agent/bestselling author, and it was just….meh.

6. Biggest Surprise.

Moonlighting: An Oral History by Scott Ryan (my post about it). As long as Ryan didn’t spend half the book talking about how it didn’t reflect 2021 social values, like so many TV books I’ve read lately tend to do, I figured I’d enjoy this. But, I’m still suprised how much fun this book was. I really want to give it another read.

7. Favorite new to you, or debut, author.

Nadine Matheson or S. A. Cosby. They both blew me away—I knew within 20 pages of each book that they’d be new favorites.

8. Newest fictional crush.

Purvis is an eight-year-old bulldog and advisor to Det. P.T. Marsh in A Good Kill by John McMahon. (my post about it)

9. Newest favorite character.

This is another tough one…but let’s go with a three-way tie between: Avison Fluke from Born in a Burial Gown by M. W. Craven (my post about it), Madame Cormier from Chasing the Pain by Matthew Iden (my post about it), or DCI Okpara from Till Morning is Nigh by Rob Parker (my post about it)

10. Book that made you cry?

Huh…Don’t think I’ve read one this year. We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen (my post about it) might have in the right circumstance.

11. Book that made you happy?

Well, really, any book that I rated 3 Stars or higher (most of them for the year), made me happy. But I associate happiness with three in particular:
Dead Ground by M. W. Craven (Poe and Tilly just have that effect on me), The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter by Aaron Reynolds (my post about it), and Moonlighting: An Oral History by Scott Ryan (my post about it).

12. Favorite book to film adaption?

I don’t think I’ve watched many this year. I’m trying to remember when I watched the pretty decent C.B. Strike series—but I think that was in December. I guess it would have to be Amazon’s Invincible. I feel bad since it was the only one I think I watched this year, so it’d the default answer. But it was so good, it’d have to be in the running no matter what.

13. Favorite post/review you have done this year?

(I’ve seen the prompt both ways). I really don’t like to think of my posts about books as reviews, they’re too casual and brief, but I think my favorite post about one particular book is The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson: A Jaw-Dropping Debut.

My favorite non-review(ish) posts was These Dog Days Aren’t Over, a listing of books where the dog(s) live at the end, for those who are tired of all the dying dog books out there (it’s been revised and updated once this year, and will have at least one more coming), but a close second would be How Has Book Blogging Changed the Way I Read?, my musing’s from the 8th Anniversary of this thing.

14. Most beautiful book you have bought this year?

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Illustrated Edition by Douglas Adams, Illustrated by Chris Riddell (my post about it). I could—and have—spent a lot of time just flipping through and looking at it.

5. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

So, so, so many. I want to catch up on on the the Firefly novels from Titan Books, The Border by Winslow, Galbraith’s Toubled Blood, Blight of Blackwings, all the 20 Books of Summer books, AMORALMAN: A True Story and Other Lies by Derek DelGaudio…yeah, I’ve got too much to put here.

As usual, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with.

It’s been ages since I’ve done a Tag, I need to do more of them, I enjoy reading and assembling them. This one caught my eye. I’ve seen this on various blogs—like Booker Talk and Lou’s Book Stuff—but can’t seem to find the creator, so I can’t credit them. I’d like to if anyone knows who did it.

The last book I gave up on

Well, that’s easy, I just posted about that a couple of weeks ago, The Writer’s Library. But I have an easier time DNFing audiobooks, it seems, I’ve done that a couple of times in the last year. The last time I DNFed a book I was reading was back in 2017, Wrath of an Angry God.

The last book I re-read

I’m working through a couple of series as re-reads on audiobooks, the most recent of these was Raven Cursed by Faith Hunter, Khristine Hvam (Narrator), the last book I re-read was Robert B. Parker’s Ceremony (if that feels like splitting hairs, it kind of is. But the act of sitting down with a book to re-read feels different to me than putting on an audiobook while I drive or work.)

The last book I bought

I can’t remember which was technically last (I didn’t tie a red thread around either of them), but I picked up these two most recently: 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 and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Illustrated Edition by Douglas Adams, Chris Riddell (Illustrator).

I’m both a little shocked and a little proud that it’s been more than two weeks without buying a new book.

The last book I said I read but actually didn’t

Wow…I don’t remember, it’s been so long since I’ve done this. Probably something for a class in the last century. More recently I might have confused a book’s title with a previous one in a series (fairly certain I’ve done that in conversation about John Rebus or Fiona Griffiths books).

The last book I wrote in the margins of

I can only do this with a clear conscience in math or language textbooks, I get the arguments for people doing it to books, but it just feels wrong to me. So, that would be Learn Biblical Hebrew by John H. Dodson (didn’t help me enough, either).

The last book I had signed

2020 probably made it hard for all of us to get one signed, but I was able to get Devri Walls to sign a copy of her most recent novel, Venators: Legends Rise.

The last book I lost

As I’ve been unpacking my books after my move—and taking the opportunity for the first time in years to really organize them, I’m finding a lot of holes that I know shouldn’t exist. Sure, I have a few boxes yet to be unpacked, but I’m worried about some of these missing books. I could list a few here, but the two books that are bugging me more than some of the others are Solomon vs Lord and Deep Blue Alibi by Paul Levine. I don’t know why the gap on the shelf there bugs me more than some others, but it really does (and yes, I’ve left gaps just in case I find some of these MIA books).

The last book I had to replace

That’d be the aforementioned Ceremony by Robert B. Parker. I have no idea what happened to the paperback I bought back in the late 1980s. Just all of the sudden, it wasn’t there, and I needed it for the re-read. I didn’t have time to go shopping/have something shipped, so I got an ebook. After decades of reading it in paperback it didn’t feel right (was still a great read, it just felt strange. See Garth’s comments about the studio for Wayne’s World).

The last book I argued over

Actually argued? Nothing’s coming to mind…

Matthew Hanover and I discussed the ending to Matthew Norman’s Last Couple Standing a little and had divergent takes on the ending—I think I owe him a response, but I was waiting to finish my post about the book and work it into that. Months later, it’s one of those books I haven’t posted about.

I know my friend Paul and I have disagreed about how much we appreciate Johnson’s Depth of Winter and Herron’s Slow Horses. Although, The Jigsaw Man could be a reasl source of conflict, as soon as he finishes/DNFs it.

The last book you couldn’t find

I’m not sure what the difference is between this and the above question about being lost. I guess it has to do with wanting to buy a book/read a book, but you can’t find a copy anywhere?

This is a dangerous question, there have been a few books lately that fall into that category, but in trying to answer this prompt I’ve done another search and have found every one of them. I almost spent $70 in trying to answer this (but have resisted the impulse to complete the purchase). I’d better stop before I get in real trouble.

As usual, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with.

I saw this over at Books are 42, and I needed a break from looking backwards. Nice to look ahead a bit.

How Many Books Are You Planning on Reading in 2021?

200

That’s the goal I’ve set on Goodreads since 2017, have beat it each year since. Seems like a good one to stick with.

Name Five Books You Didn’t Get to Read in 2020 But Want to Make a Priority in 2021?

The Mermaid’s Pool by David Nolan
Troubled Blood by Robert Galbrieth
Evil Valley by Simon Hall
Fools Gold Ian Patrick
The Border by Don Winslow

Name a Genre You Want to Read More of in 2021?

Lad Lit/Lad Lit-type stuff.

I just like the headspace these books leave me in.

Three Non-Book Related Goals for 2021

Non-Book Related Goals? People have those?
Spend time with my family without most of them further than 6′ from me.
Get a different/better job. One I can grow in.
Drop the weight I’ve put on since I’ve started sheltering-in-place, regain the fitness I’ve lost (and had barely just begun to get!).

What’s a Book You’ve Had Forever That You Still Need to Read?

Stiletto by Daniel O’Malley

I’m pretty sure that I’ve mentioned this in one ortwo tags before for similar reasons. Clearly, it’s not working yet.

One Word That You Hope 2021 Will Be?

Irenic

As usual, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with.

I saw this over on Way Too Fantasy last month, and it looked fun. It was maybe a touch too long in the end. But still, hopefully you enjoy. I’d like so see what you all come up with for these.

Do You Get Sick While Reading In The Car?

Not typically, but on a recent road trip, I got hit hard by it. I was in misery, my wife couldn’t understand what was going on–reading’s supposed to be the thing I can do anywhere, anytime. Thankfully, it passed after a miserable hour (and I was able to finish the book before it was my turn behind the wheel).

Which Author’s Writing Style Is Completely Unique To You And Why?

I honestly don’t get this question (and read a few other bloggers versions of this tag, which didn’t help). Lisa Lutz, Josh Bazell, Russell Day, Douglas Adams, Abbi Waxman jump to mind as great voices, with fantastic styles. If I spent more time, I could find another dozen names to list, but I’m not sure any qualify as “completely unique to me.”

Harry Potter or Twilight? Give 3 Reasons Why.

Harry Potter

1. Better written, better plotted, better executed.
2. I liked each successive Twilight book less. Exponentially so.
3. I want to re-read Potter several more times. Can’t see myself ever picking up a Twilight again.

Do You Carry A Book Bag? If So, What’s In It (Besides Books)?

Not since college.

Do You Smell Your Books?

Of course. I’m only human.

Books With or Without Illustrations?

Don’t know if I have a preference one way or another, but I’m always in favor of a well-done and fitting illustration.

What Book Did You Love While Reading, But Discovered Later It Wasn’t Quality Writing?

“Discovered” bothers me in that question. I find it amusing that every version of this I read points at Twilight. There are plenty of books I really enjoy while not being all that impressed with the writing, but I can’t think one that fits this scenario.

Do You Have Any Funny Stories Involving Books From Your Childhood?

Should probably ask my mom–she’d be the one who’d remember those. I just remember never having enough of them 🙂 (a problem that plagues me to this day)

What Is The Thinnest Book On Your Shelf?

Being There by Jerzy Kosinski

What Is the Thickest Book On Your Shelf?

Jane Austen The Complete Novels by Jane Austen

I have a Don Quixote paperback that’s about the same size, but I have an image of The Austen, so I’ll give that the credit.

Do You Write As Well As Read? Do You See Yourself Being An Author In the Future?

I have written a few novels that should never be seen by anyone. A handful of short stories, essays, and whatnot. I don’t see myself developing the necessary discipline to get published, but you never know.

When Did You Get Into Reading?

I don’t remember a time that I wasn’t. There are stories of me getting into reading when I was three and starting to figure out that the black squiggles meant words. Once I got into school and had a lot more options available to me, my addiction got worse.

And worse.

And worse.

And now…

What Is Your Favorite Classic Book?

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.

What Was Your Best Subject In School?

History/Social Studies/Government. Though English classes were always my favorite.

If You Were Given A Book As A Present That You Read Before And Hated, What Would You Do?

Thank profusely and add it to my shelf. Not to read again, but to remember the gesture.

(and to chuckle to myself about, I’m sure)

What Is A Lesser Known Series That You Know Of That Is Similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games?

Similar to Potter? Jeremy Scott’s The Ables, just replace Wizards and Witches with Super Heroes.
Similar to the Hunger Games? Mercedes Lackey’ Hunter series, you’ve got the media/celebrity thing, the exceptional young woman from a rural area who proves to be a superstar/super-competent fighter.

What Is A Bad Habit You Always Do (Besides Rambling) While writing?

I can’t spell definitely to save my life. I overuse “honestly,” “to be honest,” ellipses, and so on.

What Is Your Favorite Word?

Sesquipedalian? Floccinaucinihilipilification? Indeed? Flummery?

Pfui. Too many to choose from.

Are You A Nerd, Dork, or Dweeb?

Nerd. (I prefer Geek, but it wasn’t an option)

Vampires or Fairies? Why?

Fae.

Shapeshifters or Angels? Why?

Shapeshifters. Changeling (formerly, and now, known as Beast Boy was one of the first superheroes that I got into–and remains a favorite. Then I got into Lycans and similar characters. I just find them interesting.

Also, the use of angels always leaves me a bit uneasy. No one gets them right, and it’s usually stepping too close to the sacred for my comfort.

Spirits or Werewolves? Why?

Werewolves. This is related to the above. Spirits are to ephemeral, ineffable, and insubstantial to really work for me.

Zombies or Vampires? Why?

Vampires. They have brains, agency, personality.

Love Triangles or Forbidden Love?

Forbidden love, I guess.

Full-on Romance Books Or Action-Packed With A Few Love Scenes?

Action (or something else) packed with romance on the side.

As usual, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with.

I’ve seen this on various blogs, but can’t seem to find the creator, so I can’t credit them. I’d like to, if anyone knows who did it.

Rules:

• Be Honest! (ummm, really? Why bother lying here?)
• Answer all the questions (what’s the point otherwise?)
• Tag at least 4 people (so I’ve failed, I’m going to break this rule)

1. What book has been on your shelf the longest?

That’s a very good question, I’m not 100% sure, but I think it’s an a copy of

The Godfather by Mario Puzo

I think I got it at a neighbor’s garage sale just before I entered 7th grade, and while my mother was hesitant to let me read such salacious material (and she should have been), she allowed it. Not only did it blow my mind, but I distinctly remember some high schoolers seeing me reading it on the school bus and being impressed. It probably saved me from some hazing.

2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?

Last read: Looking for Rachel Wallace by Robert P. Parker
Current read: Of Mutts and Men by Spencer Quinn
Next read: The Curator by M. W. Craven

3. What book did everyone like, but you hated?

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

As I said when I read it. I really, really liked it until the end. And then…nope. Just nope.

4. What book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read… but you probably won’t?

Maybe The Wheel of Time series, but I think I got honest about that a long time ago. Early Delillo? Oh, oh, Dennis Lehane’s Live by Night. I bought the hardcover the week it was released eight years ago, and I just don’t see it happening.

5. What book are you saving for your retirement?

The Wheel of Time series? I don’t know, I have a hard enough time planning the rest of this summer, I’ve got 20+ years until retirement, there’s no way I can think that far ahead.

6. Last page: Read it first or save it to the end?

Do I look like Harry Burns to you? The last page should be read last. That’s why it’s called that.

7. Acknowledgement: waste of paper and ink, or interesting aside?

I find them frequently interesting, if at a glance, they’re more than just a list of names, I’ll give them a read.

8. Which book character would you switch places with?

If the switch involved gaining his intelligence, then the choice is easy.

Nero Wolfe created by Rex Stout

He spends most of his days reading, drinking beer and eating gourmet food. What’s not to like?

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (place, time, person)?

Pretty much every book on my shelves does.

10. Name a book that you acquired in an interesting way?

Er…I really can’t think of anything that fits. Like most people, I’ve had the suprise find at a Library Sale, or Used Book store, but there’s really nothing terribly interesting there. The closest I came was when I was checking out a new indie store last year, and I tried to special order a paperback of Tom Jones, but one of the clerks insisted they had a copy. Their inventory didn’t show one, but he went off and looked through books that hadn’t been entered yet and came back with this spiffy hardcover in a slipcase. No online store is going to do that.

11. Have you ever given a book away for a special reason to a special person?

One of my own books? Um…no. I’ve “given” a few away via loaning them and not getting them back, but that’s not what the question was going for.

12. Which book has been with you most places?

It’d be a tie between: God Save the Child, Mortal Stakes , Promised Land, The Judas Goat,Looking for Rachel Wallace, Early Autumn, A Savage Place, Ceremony, The Widening Gyre , Valediction, A Catskill Eagle, Taming a Sea-Horse, and Pale Kings and Princes by Robert. B. Paker (13 of the first 14 Spenser novels. The first (as I mentioned) didn’t make the move with my family in 1988. But those have been everywhere I’ve lived since, including the various dorm rooms in college (most other novels stayed at my parents).

13. Any “required reading” that you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad two years later?

I can’t remember hating anything that I didn’t keep on hating (e.g., Heart of Darkness, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, The Grapes of Wrath). I think I apprecaited The Great Gatsby and A Farewell to Arms more when I read them a couple of years later, but that’s as close as I get.

14. Used or brand new?

Either, but I skew new.

15. Have you ever read a Dan Brown book?

I read one of them twice–sure, it had different titles (Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code) and covers both times. More than enough for a lifetime.

16. Have you ever seen a movie you liked more than the book?

Sure, Matthew Vaughn’s Stardust is better than Gaiman’s (but if I read the latter a couple of more times, I may be swayed). I really dug Crighton’s Jurassic Park, but I might have enjoyed the movie a bit more. But the ultimate example of this is Let the Right One In (either version, though the Swedish is probably superior)–couldn’t finish the book (and I got pretty far, I think).

17. Have you ever made a book that made you hungry, cookbooks included?

A lot of what Elvis Cole and Spenser eat and/or cook does. I’d love to eat Nero Wolfe’s scrambled eggs (from The Mother Hunt. Faith Hunter’s Nell Ingram gives me cravings for stuff I shouldn’t eat as she discovers what food is like outside the cult she was raised in. Almost every cookbook I’ve eaten has made me want to eat. No fantasy novel has ever got me hungry (I like stew as much as the next guy, but not that much)–especially Martin’s “six page descriptions of every last meal”. But the best book along those lines is:

Sourdough by Robin Sloan

Even thinking about this book years later makes me hanker for the spicy soup and spicy sandwich. Still, that’s not what the prompt was about, technically, but as I noted when I wrote about it, I had to fight to not interrupt my reading and demand that my son bring some sourdough home from the bakery he worked at.

18. Who is the person who’s book advice you’ll always take?

Most people I know IRL are intimidated by giving me book advice (which is odd, I’m always open to suggestion) Still, Micah’s got a pretty good track record, Paul’s pretty spot on.

19. Is there a book outside of your comfort zone that you ended up loving?

Probably, but once I ended up loving (or at least enjoying it), I’d stop considering it outside of my comfort zone. The only thing that I can think of at the moment is the Romance Novel:

Finding Felix by Jo Platt

Which was a heckuva fun read (and only outside of my comfort zone as it’s marketed as Romance). If a thing tells a story, it’s my comfort zone–or close enough, anyway.

As usual, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with.