Category: Books Page 100 of 164

Not that you can tell from my output here, but I have spent far more time reading and writing this week than I usually get to lately—which translates into a lot less of social media/blog-hopping (and even when I did, most people weren’t talking about books this week, apparently something major happened in the national news). So I don’t have a lot to share today.

And yeah, the post I intended to go up on Tuesday is only 40% finished (which isn’t to say it’s going to be long, if anything it’ll be on the shorter side). But it’s a good 40%, I’ve rewritten it about 6 times. (…and I thought it’d be a quick one to write—ha!). I’m putting it aside for a few days just so I don’t drive myself crazy, and so I can actually produce something this week.

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
This new indie bookstore categorizes books by emotion.—ohhh, this just sounds exhausting, both for the staff having to organize and a shopper. (sure, I’d like to browse it once or twice, just to see…)
The Mystery Is Holmes: Why We Return to Conan Doyle’s Stories Over and Over Again—I think he’s on to something here, I’m not the biggest fan in the world, but I have a hard time not dipping my toe into Holmes every now and then. A bit of this can be applied to other things we re-read, not just Holmes (or mysteries in general), too, if Holmes isn’t your thing.
‘Funny, How?’ Why Comedy is Crucial in Crime Writing
What Are Your Reading Modi Operandi?—a fun post from Bookidote’s Lashaan, and some great comments. I haven’t chimed in because my M.O. seems to change by the month/week lately.
All the Positives with Negative Reviews—yup. The Orangutan Librarian’s latest take on the perennial post hits several nails on the head.

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston—I’ve enthused over this (suitable for adults) MG Fantasy about a girl from Atlanta entering a Hogwarts-ish institution for a secret magical organization a couple of times already (my original post and in one of my Best-Of 2020s), and now it’s available for everyone to fall under its spell.
The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick—I’ve devoted hours to this book this week (with about one to go, before I have to spend a couple writing about it tonight) and I don’t know how to sum this up. It’s a fantasy about a con artist, and many, many, many other things. And unless the authors stumble in the last 11 percent, it’s a great read. Check out the authors talking about it on The Big Idea.

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

Huh. I thought I had stuff to talk about today, but now that I’ve got to this part of the post, I’m coming up empty. So, I’ll simply say thank you for stopping by, hope you’re doing well and are reading a good book or five. Enjoy these links!

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
Lapsed bookworm? How you can get back into the habit of reading
The Perils of Downsizing: Be careful you don’t discard something you can’t live without — like books—I really liked this.
Please Stop Comparing Things to “1984”—Yes, please. Although the “Left” needs to stop just as much as the “Right.”
The ‘Great Gatsby’ Glut—NYTimes, so you may have to get creative to work around the registration. Now that Gatsby is in the public domain, we’re going to see a lot of writers and publishers taking advantage of it. Seeing it already, but after reading this, I know it’s going to get worse.
Every Mystery Writer Knows, You Can Kill Anyone
But The Dog: Sulari Gentill on crime fiction’s most unbreakable rule—I’ve heard writer after writer talk about this–from all parts of the world, from all types of Crime Fiction. They all recoil from the idea (not necessarily because they think it’d be out of place, but because the way readers react). Gentill gives a pretty good explanation for the roots of the “rule.”
And as soon as that started making the rounds on social media this week, Jo Perry reminded readers of her post from last year: Kill the Dog—her series would be nothing without having killed the dog.
The Thrill of Researching Your Crime Novel
D&D: New Dragonlance Novel Coming In July!—I haven’t read/reread a Dragonlance novel this century, but the first two trilogies (and a handful of the early standalones) were so monumental for Middle School/High School me that this news excites me.
Not Famous… Two Years Later—Two years ago yesterday, Matthew Hanover’s first novel was released. He reflects on those years a little here.
The End—Benedict Jacka has turned in the final revisions to his last Alex Verus book. That’s got to be a strange feeling for an author.
Speaking of endings, Michael Connelly says goodbye to Amazon’s ‘Bosch,’ hello to Netflix’s ‘Lincoln Lawyer’”—Netflix is a better fit than CBS, the original destination for The Lincoln Lawyer. HitFix’s Brian Grubb points out a fascinating possibility because of this. (you’ll have to scroll a bit to get to it).
What is Magical Realism?—a quick primer from Ramona Mead.
Desert Island Children’s Books—a great idea for a personal challenge–and how have I not thought about The Borrowers in decades? Why didn’t I introduce my kids to them?
Why exactly do we read book reviews?—pretty much sums it up
Want a Review? Here’s Five Things to Avoid—I should probably put this link on the top of my request page.
5 Tips On How To Write A Good Book Blogger Review Request For Your Book—I also saw this one this week. There’s a lot of wisdom here. I know that I’ve read books that I might not have primarily because of the way the author wrote the request.
On the theme of reviews, the Tweet of the Week goes to: Well Read Beard—I’d buy the single now.

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Robert B. Parker’s Someone to Watch Over Me by Ace Atkins—I have less than 100 pages to go in this one and am loving it! Mattie Sullivan returns to the series, bringing a deadly case of child exploitation with her.
Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire—The next Wayward Children novella has to do with a world filled of centaurs and unicorns, and who really cares what else is involved in the premise. It’s going to be good. Poor time management is going to keep me from this for at least a week, and I’m pretty annoyed with myself over it.
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas—I didn’t walk away from The Hate U Give saying, “I have a burning desire to learn more about Maverick Carter’s backstory.” But now that it’s here…I have to admit, my curiosity is piqued.

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

I started the week pretty strong on the reading and production front…and then Wednesday happened. I was glued to the news–I tried (inspired by a fellow book blogger) to pull myself away for a bit, and only managed for about 25 minutes. And even when I tried to force myself to write something, I kept asking “who’s going to want to read something as inconsequential as my stuff this week?” I tried to get something posted by Friday, but I was so physically (and mentally) exhausted after all the news-binging that I couldn’t finish a thought, much less read for more than a page or two at a time. I expect I’m not alone. This probably explains the scanty nature of this week’s post.

Let’s see if I do better next week, eh?

Meanwhile, I hope you and yours are safe and well.

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
Want to read more books in 2021? Here’s how to stick to your goal—I think I’ve only seen one piece like this in 2021, which is a little odd. I like the advice in this one.
Comics are a ‘gateway drug to novels and storytelling’—Rankin on early reading and writing.
Perry Mason and the Case of the Wildly Successful, Perpetually Restless Author—When I was in High School (and before, I think), I was a Perry Mason junkie. Haven’t really read him since then, for some reason. I’ve seen a couple of bloggers talk about him lately, and when you add this in, I’m jonesing for some more.
Literature-Map: The Tourist Map of Literature—a neat idea. I’m not sure how best to describe it. Just click on it and try.
Picking the 2021 Goodreads Challenge Colour—A fun little video
New year, new review system.—Very impressive, just makes me feel like I should rebrand as the Indolent Reader.
This quip from Nicholas Kaufmann—the best (non-political) tweet I’ve read all year.

Episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Speaking of Mysteries Episode 208: Lee Goldberg—While any interview with Goldberg is worth a listen, I thought his discussion of writing about COVID (or not writing about it) was particularly interesting.

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Bone Canyon by Lee Goldberg—Eve Ronin’s second adventure is as good as the first—the recent wildfire leads to the discovery of some human remains, which leads Eve to open a cold case and get her in all sorts of career trouble. I had some nice things to say about it recently.

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