Category: Books Page 104 of 161

In Andy Carpenter, Books, Chet and Bernie, Currently Reading, David Rosenfelt, Don Winslow, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Ian Rankin, InCryptid, John Rebus, Kevin Hearne, Luca Veste, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, News/Misc., Non-Fiction, Spencer Quinn, Urban Fantasy

So, I did a lousy job of taking into account new releases, review copies, and life when I made the original list. I only read 4 of the remaining 13 books in July, which doesn’t bode well for August. I think I can still pull this off, but I’m going to have to make a couple of more substitutions, based on how long it took me to read Winslow’s The Cartel and Hearne’s A Plague of Giants, I’m not going to be able to tackle their follow-ups in August (which annoys me greatly, I was counting on this challenge to help force my hand with these). So I’m substituting Hearne’s next book, the launch of a new series, Ink & Sigil (there’s a balance to that) and The Revelators by Ace Atkins (not as epic in scope as Winslow, but … it’s the best I can realistically do).

✔ 1. Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why by Alexandra Petri
2. The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold
3. Screamcatcher: Dream Chasers by Christy J. Breedlove
✔ 4. The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton
✔ 5. Fair Warning by Michael Connelly
✔ 6. One Man by Harry Connolly
✔ 7. The Curator by M. W. Craven
8. The Ninja Daughter by Tori Eldridge
9. The Rome of Fall by Chad Alan Gibbs
✔ 10. American Demon by Kim Harrison

11. Ink & Sigil by Kevin Hearne
12. Betty by Tiffany McDaniel
✔ 13. Imaginary Numbers by Seanan McGuire
14. Curse the Day by Judith O’Reilly
✔ 15. Of Mutts and Men by Spencer Quinn
16. Rather Be the Devil by Ian Rankin
✔ 17. Muzzled by David Rosenfelt
18. Bad Turn by Zoë Sharp
✔ 19. The Silence by Luca Veste
20. The Revelators by Ace Atkins

20 Books of Summer Chart July

Ultimate Book Tag

By HCNewton

On July 29, 2020

In Book Tag, Books, News/Misc.

Ultimate Book Tag
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

Better written, better plotted, better executed.
I liked each successive Twilight book less. Exponentially so.
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 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.

Saturday Miscellany—7/25/20

By HCNewton

On July 25, 2020

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

How’re we already on the brink of the last week of July? Who’s ready for that?

I really don’t have anything to say here, I guess, on with the links.

Odds n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet The New Era of Book Launches—Social Distancing Edition
bullet Growing Up Surrounded by Books Could Have Powerful, Lasting Effect on the Mind: A new study suggests that exposure to large home libraries may have a long-term impact on proficiency in three key areas
bullet What 100 Writers Have Been Reading During Quarantine—interesting mix of writers and books
bullet There Have Always been Fantasy Novels For Adults – Article by Author Ryan Howse—I saw so many tweet reactions to this stupid article, “Finally: A Grown-up Fantasy”, and figured there’d be at least one good longer response. Howse knocks it out of the park (others may have, too, but I only saw this one—and it’s enough)
bullet 5 Things I’ve Learned in 5 Years of Blogging—Bookidote’s Lashaan has been blogging for 5 years now, and drops some wisdom (and Looney Tunes .gifs) to celebrate.
bullet Glossary for the Bibliophile—”a nifty list of words for all you book lovers out there”

This Week's New Releases That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Annihilation Aria by Michael R. Underwood—It’s been two years since I’ve had anything from Underwood to talk about. He’s back with the first book in a Space Opera series, “an adventure of galactic subterfuge, ancient alien lore, a secret resistance force, lost civilizations, and giant space turtles.” Here’s his Big Idea about it.
bullet The Sin in the Steel by Ryan Van Loan—This looks like a lot of fun, a fantasy about “dead gods, a pirate queen, shapeshifting mages, and a Sherlockian teenager determined to upend her society.”

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

WWW Wednesday, July 22, 2020

By HCNewton

On July 22, 2020

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc., WWW Wednesday

What, already? Another Wednesday? July is speeding by. Guess it’s time for WWW Wednesday.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Easy enough, right?
What are you currently reading?
I’m reading Venators: Legends Rise by Devri Walls and am listening to The Monster in the Hollows by Andrew Peterson (narrated by the author).

Blank Space

What did you recently finish reading?
I just finished Wesley Parker’s Coffee and Condolences and Land of Wolves by Craig Johnson, George Guidall (Narrator) on audio.

Blank Space

What do you think you’ll read next?
My next book should be The Revelators by Ace Atkins (assuming it’s available at my Library in time), or it’ll be Betty by Tiffany McDaniel and Dark Jones by Alex Bledsoe, Stefan Rudnicki (Narrator) on audiobook.

Blank Space

Hit me with your Three W’s in the comments! (no, really, do it!)

Down the TBR Hole (9 of 24+)

By HCNewton

On July 22, 2020

In Books, Down the TBR Hole, News/Misc.

Down the TBR Hole

My most severe cuts yet, which I enjoyed. I’m up to 10% cut off the total list (and I’m roughly 40% through the list I started with), which isn’t quite as dramatic as I’d hoped, but it’s some progress. I’ve also reminded myself of some promising reads that I haven’t made time for yet.

This meme was created by Lia @ Lost in a Story—but Jenna at Bookmark Your Thoughts is the one that exposed me to this, and as my Goodreads “Want To Read” shelf is scarily long, I had to do this.

The Rules are simple:

Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
Order on ascending date added.
Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
Read the synopses of the books.
Decide: keep it or should it go?
Keep track of where you left off so you can pick up there next week! (or whenever)

What distinguishes this series from the Mt. TBR section of my Month-end Retrospectives? Those are books I actually own while Goodreads contains my aspirational TBR (many of which will be Library reads). The Naming of the two is a bit confusing, but…what’re you going to do?

(Click on the cover for an official site or something with more info about the book)

	Don’t Get Caught by Kurt Dinan Blurb: “Max Cobb—Mr. 2.5 GPA, Mr. No Social Life, known throughout the school as Just Max—has just been set-up by the prank-pulling Chaos Club. But this time they’ve messed with the wrong guy. Because if his favorite heist movies have taught him anything, it’s time for Heist Rule #7: Always get payback. It’s time to recruit a crew, and he knows just who to ask. Let the prank war begin.” My Thoughts: This looks like a fun way to spend a day’s reading. I’d probably enjoy it, and understand why I put it on the list. But…it’s just not going to happen. Verdict:
	Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? by Paul Cornell My Thoughts: The third (and final?) installment in Cornell’s Shadow Police series looks good. I think the only reason I haven’t read it yet is that when it was released, my Library didn’t get a copy (I’d read the first two in the series from them), and I didn’t have the cash to get it. Now, I’m just being lazy. Verdict:
	Everybody’s Fool by Richard Russo My Thoughts: A few years ago, I read all of Russo’s novels (and 50% of them since then). The completist in me feels like I need to read this one, but I really never cared for Sully and just am not that interested in spending more time with him. This is going to bug me, but I’ll get over it. Verdict:
	The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction by Neil Gaiman Blurb: A collection of non-fiction pieces by Neil bleeping Gaiman, “Analytical yet playful, erudite yet accessible, this cornucopia explores a broad range of interests and topics, including (but not limited to): authors past and present; music; storytelling; comics; bookshops; travel; fairy tales; America; inspiration; libraries; ghosts; and the title piece, at turns touching and self-deprecating, which recounts the author’s experiences at the 2010 Academy Awards in Hollywood.” My Thoughts: It’s Gaiman. No contest. Verdict:
	Blood Defense by Marcia Clark My Thoughts: I enjoyed Clark’s series about a prosecutor, would probably enjoy her take on a defense lawyer (if only because I have a soft spot for them), but these books have never drawn me. Guess I’ll pass for now. Verdict:
	True Grift by Jack Bunker Blurb: “A bankrupt lawyer and a greedy insurance adjuster concoct a personal injury scam involving a runaway grocery cart and recruit a half-wit golf course greenskeeper as their fall guy. But the plan goes horribly wrong, and as it spirals into a murderous fiasco, the grifters must deal with betrayals, shakedowns, bombs and mobsters to avoid prison… or worse, an early grave in a Southern California landfill.” Verdict:
	Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman Blurb: “[A] heartwarming story about a woman rediscovering herself after a personal crisis.” My Thoughts: Fredrik Backman. No doubt about it. Verdict:
	Congratulations on Everything by Nathan Whitlock Blurb: “A dark and comic novel, Congratulations On Everything tracks the struggles, frailties, and cruelly pyrrhic victories of the middle-aged owner of a bar-restaurant and a 30ish lunch-shift waitress…In an era when the gourmand rules and chefs become superstars, Congratulations On Everything is a hilarious and occasionally uncomfortable dose of anti-foodie reality that reveals what goes on when the customers and Instagrammers aren’t around — and even sometimes when they are.” My Thoughts: eh…. Verdict:
	Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me: What Pop Music Rivalries Reveal About the Meaning of Life by Steven Hyden Blurb: “Beatles vs. Stones. Biggie vs. Tupac. Kanye vs. Taylor. Who do you choose? And what does that say about you? Actually — what do these endlessly argued-about pop music rivalries say about us?” Verdict: Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum
	Life Moves Pretty Fast: The Lessons We Learned From Eighties Movies (And Why We Don’t Learn Them From Movies Any More) by Hadley Freeman Blurb: “In this personalised guide, ]Freeman] puts her obsessive movie geekery to good use, detailing the decades [sic] key players, genres and tropes, and how exactly the friendship between Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi influenced the evolution of comedy. She looks back to a cinematic world in which bankers are invariably evil, despite this being the decade of Wall Street, where children are always wiser than adults, and science is embraced with an intense enthusiasm, and the future viewed with excitement. She considers how the changes between movies then and movies today say so much about pop culture’s and society’s changing expectations of women, young people and art, and explains why Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles should be put on school syllabuses immediately.” My Thoughts: As I said about the first book in this installment, this looks like a fun way to spend a day’s reading. I’d probably enjoy it, and understand why I put it on the list. But…it’s just not going to happen. Verdict:

Books Removed in this Post: 7 / 10
Total Books Removed: 53 / 240

Anyone out there read any of these books? Did I make the right call with any of them?

(Image by moritz320 from Pixabay)

Saturday Miscellany—7/18/20

By HCNewton

On July 18, 2020

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

Small collection this week—just didn’t have a lot of online time (literally, ISP went down twice and I lost a couple of days of surfing). C’est la vie, eh? On the plus side, I appreciate saving the time, it’s a family holiday here—the second anniversary of my son’s kidney transplant, and we have a little celebration planned.

A lot of my time has been on the tech side of this blog the last couple of weeks (I didn’t realize that would entail so much “how do I get access to the Internet?” time), but most of the effort was made by a friend, who took over for my stumbling efforts in moving to a self-hosted blog—and did a lot more than I realized needed/should be done. Still, if you see something out of whack, it probably is (especially the categories/menus—am working on that, but it’s going to take a while), and I likely haven’t noticed. Please mention it.

Now, on with the links.
Odds n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet How Do You Translate a Comic Book Into Audio? Ask Neil Gaiman—that’s a question I’ve asked frequently. This (at least, I’m not sure about some of the other comic-to-audio treatments) is a pretty cool answer.
bullet HBO to Develop Drama Series Based on Quinn Colson Novels by Ace Atkins—As long as the Colson material is treated with more respect that Atkins’ Spenser material was, I’m very excited about this.
bullet Speaking of Colson and Atkins, Ace Atkins on 10 Years of the Quinn Colson Ranger Series—a nice little interview from Mystery Scene
bullet The Great Fantasy Debate series concludes with: Is a Degree from Hogwarts Worth It? with authors Pierce Brown and Naomi Novik
bullet A Beginner’s Guide to Audiobooks—there’s some really good advice for people looking to get into (or more into) this format.
bullet 10 steps to posting a book review—A Rambling Reviewer breaks it down…yeah, 10 steps for each. No wonder they take more time than I realize
bullet Fantasy Worlds I Would Love to Live In…—Pretty sure my list wouldn’t look like this (Hyboria never seems like a fun place to be), but this is a fun list

This Week's New Releases That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Peace Talks by Jim Butcher—I’m currently trying to figure how to post something about Dresden’s long-awaited return. Fans are rejoicing all over about this (for good reason)
bullet The Revelators by Ace Atkins—the tenth Quinn Colson novel promises to be explosive.
bullet Venators: Legends Rise by Devri Walls—came out in ebook and audio (narrated by Daniel Thomas May) this week, paperback to follow.

Lastly I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to Morgan, who followed the blog this week (also, the first to use my new widget, which I was afraid wasn’t working). Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?

WWW Wednesday, July 15, 2020

By HCNewton

On July 15, 2020

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc., WWW Wednesday

So Monday night, my Internet service goes down—and stays down for 16 hours. It’s times like this that remind me how dependent I am on the silly thing. Can’t post anything, can’t keep on on my bloghopping/social media, or any of the handful of other things I needed to do. And then, of course, I’m still telecommuting—so missing out on over half my workday on Tuesday was icing on a really nasty cake*. Before I realize what’s happening, it’s time for WWW Wednesday! I need these questions just to help me get my head on straight.

* The cream filling was that I caught up on my reading after a slow week last week, 1.7 books in that 16 hours.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Easy enough, right?
What are you currently reading?
(assuming the shipment arrives when UPS says it will) I’m reading Peace Talks by Jim Butcher and am listening to Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O’Keefe, Joe Jameson (Narrator)..

Blank Space

What did you recently finish reading?
I just finished Abbi Waxman’s I Was Told It Would Get Easier and haven’t finished the audiobook I started last Wednesday (probably will today).

What do you think you’ll read next?
My next book should be The Silence by Luca Veste and is still going to be Land of Wolves by Craig Johnson, George Guidall (Narrator) on audiobook.

Blank Space

Hit me with your Three W’s in the comments!

Saturday Miscellany—7/11/20

By HCNewton

On July 11, 2020

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

Thanks to my last #ARMEDWITHABINGO check-in, I won a copy of Parting Shadows by Kate Sheeran Swed. It arrived this week, with some friends—she included the rest of the trilogy! A very cool and generous move by her, I just wanted to say a public thanks to her for that! These look very cool and I’m looking forward to dipping in.

This has been a crazy week behind the scenes—I may talk about that some later—posts appearing/disappearing, ditto for comments. And don’t get me started with various tech support representatives wanting to talk about anything other than the simple question I asked (one time that led to something helpful, though…) Then to top it off, yesterday, Spencer Quinn tweets this:

Yup…while intending to tweet my post about Of Mutts and Men (a post that I really liked), I actually linked to my post about last year’s book. I’m such the professional. I know it’s not a big deal (and actually kind of funny), but at the end of this week, I just felt like such a doofus.

Anyway, that’s far too much prattling on—time for some links!

Odds n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet Crime fiction boom as book sales rocket past 2019 levels—for anything not PPE or disinfection-related to boom this year is a marvel. I wonder how things are faring over here?
bullet How Hollywood is using a book club approach to adapt hit novels—I grant you, I’m not interested in any of these adaptations/novels, but this is interesting.
bullet Fantasy Humor Flowchart—by David Milton Samuels is a Pratchett-heavy good place to start if you’re looking to chuckle with your fantasy.
bullet How the Flavia de Luce Series Investigates the Traditional English Village Murder Mystery—I keep inadvertently slipping away from this series, Rutigliano reminds me to get back on it. And maybe encourages you to give it a try.
bullet The Strange Deaths of Authors—Spells and Spaceships asks a good question
bullet Can we improve our enjoyment of a book by altering our approach?—Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum
bullet Six Months In – Book-Blogging, The Good and the Bad—Bookends and Bagends looks back at his first six months (which has produced stuff that some of us with years under our belts envy)

A Book-ish Related Podcast Episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
bullet The Blood Brothers Podcast Episode 16 with Neil Lancaster—lots of fun, and it’s got me excited for the next couple of Lancaster projects (pretty much all you have to do is say there’s a new Lancaster project to make me interested, though—so I guess that’s a low bar)

This Week's New Releases That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon (soon-ish, despite my efforts to the contrary for this summer, I’ve slipped and have committed myself to the breaking point for the next 4 weeks):
bullet Random Sh*t Flying Through The Air by Jackson Ford—It’ll be at least a month before I can get to this, which bothers me greatly. I had so much fun with the first novel about Tegan Frost, the telekinetic would-be chef but actually secret agent, that I can’t wait to see what Ford has in store for her now.
bullet Faith: Taking Flight by Julie Murphy—I enjoyed the Faith comics I read, but had questions about her backstory, which this novel looks like it could answer.
bullet Haunted Heroine by Sarah Kuhn—the fourth book in this super-hero series looks pretty fun.

Lastly I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome toEvelina @ AvalinahsBooks, Crystena’s Books, Afrin and leighhecking for following the blog this week. Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?

WWW Wednesday, July 8, 2020

By HCNewton

On July 8, 2020

In Books, Currently Reading, Miscellany, News/Misc., WWW Wednesday

It’s the 190th day of 2020, which happens to be a Wednesday, so we might as well do a WWW Wednesday, right? (every time I previewed this, at least one image didn’t show up…hey, look, the host transfer issues I worried about are showing up!)

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Easy enough, right?
What are you currently reading?
I’m reading One Man by Harry Connolly and am listening to Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O’Keefe, Joe Jameson (Narrator).

Blank Space

What did you recently finish reading?
I just finished M. W. Craven’s The Curator and Heartburn by Nora Ephron, Meryl Streep (Narrator) on audio.

Blank Space

What do you think you’ll read next?
My next book should be I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman and Land of Wolves by Craig Johnson, George Guidall (Narrator) on audiobook.

Blank Space

Hit me with your Three W’s in the comments! (no, really, do it!)

Down the TBR Hole (8 of 24+)

By HCNewton

On July 8, 2020

In Books, Down the TBR Hole, News/Misc.

Down the TBR Hole

There are more books involved with this one for reasons you’ll see, which is part of I cut more on this dive down the hole than usual (also, there’s a bit of cheating, too). Hopefully, someone out there finds these somewhat interesting, I find composing them rather cathartic.

The Rules are simple:

Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
Order on ascending date added.
Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
Read the synopses of the books.
Decide: keep it or should it go?
Keep track of where you left off so you can pick up there next week! (or whenever)

(Click on the cover for an official site or something with more info about the book)

	Sidekick: The Red Raptor Files – Part 1 by Christopher J. Valin Blurb: The Sidekick to his city’s greatest hero has to go solo to save the day, and his partner. My Thoughts: I’ve got too many unread Indie-pubbed Super-Hero books in my possession already, as fun as this looks, I need to cut it. Verdict:
	Mash Up by Joe Klingler Blurb: “When a suspect dies on his watch, failure pushes Alaskan detective Qigiq to San Francisco–the land of magical technology–to regroup. His new fast-driving partner, Kandy Dreeson, calls at dawn: a beautiful avant-garde violinist is at the station freaking out about an Amazon box–and her missing roommate. Thus begins the hunt for a killer who leaves behind a torrent of body parts, videos of heinous crimes, and deadly explosions. Qigiq and Kandy enter a world of cybercrime he doesn’t understand–but is determined to master. Dodging attempts on their lives with each new bit they decipher, they grow ever closer to a dangerous force that trades money for murder, and music for privacy. Closer with each Amazon delivery. Closer with each new victim.” My Thoughts: Klinger was one of the first authors to reach out to me to ask me to read their stuff–and was maybe the second to agree to a Q&A. So shortly after that, I went out and bought some of his other work. It looked fun at the time, still does. I got too busy to read those two books then, and need to make time for them now. Verdict:
	RATS by Joe Klingler Blurb: “Summer greets the land of the midnight sun as a lone rider races across the last American wilderness, delivering on a promise he made long ago. He has many names, but the world only knows a shadow called the Demon. Soon to be drawn into the Demon’s world, Claire Ferreti, an Army sniper, sips sake in Washington, DC with her lover, a young, ambitious General whose geosecurity specialty remains classified. When a boy finds a small machine, Claire embarks on a a black-ops mission that leads to a test of skill, a clash of ideologies, and her unconscious body lying in a typhoon-ravaged jungle. In that instant she becomes the hunted, the Demon’s tool for survival, and an unforeseen threat. As the General pursues them into a labyrinth of cyber-secrets, political necessity and financial reality collide like a fireball piercing steel.” My Thoughts: See above. Verdict:
	Absence of Light by Zoë Sharp My Thoughts: I missed this novella between Die Easy and Fox Hunter. A mistake I should rectify, and soon. Verdict:
	Killer Instinct; Riot Act by Zoë Sharp; Hard Knocks by Zoë Sharp; Road Kill by Zoë Sharp My Thoughts: I could be wrong here, but when First Drop came out in the states, the first three of these weren’t available–and I don’t know that Road Kill was published here before Second Shot was–I looked for everything I could get my hands on (ordering from overseas wasn’t really a thing I considered), and I honestly wasn’t aware these existed until years later. I just thought that Charlie showed up in First Drop with this complex backstory that we learned about in allusions and bits and pieces. Which was cool. Then a couple of years ago, I saw that these were a thing and slapped them onto my Goodreads list. And while I typically don’t get it when people do this, I don’t think I’m going to go back and see Charlie’s early years (as curious as a I am), because I like my Head Cannon. Verdict:
	Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell My Thoughts: I’ve been a big Rowell fan in the past, but her recent work–the Marvel comic or the Simon Snow YA books (I thought the Snow stuff was the weakest part of Fan Girl and have no interest in pursuing it)–has so not appealed to me, that I think it spilled over into this short work about a girl waiting in line for a new Star Wars movie. Probably something I’d like, I just need to remember to read it. Verdict:
	Why Bother With Church?: And other questions about why you need it and why it needs you by Sam Allberry My Thoughts: The title says everything you need to know about it. Allberry’s a clever, concise writer, so this should be good. I’ve read one or two others in this series (by other authors), and it should be a short, punchy read. Also, my wife’s read it twice and owns it. Just need to take an hour some day. Verdict:
	Open Season by C.J. Box Blurb: The first in Box’s long-running series about a Wyoming Game Warden who keeps stumbling into murder cases. My Thoughts: This is so, so, easy. I listened to the audiobook last year, so I can remove this from the “Want to Read” list. (this feels a little like a cheat, but I think I’ll get away with it). Verdict:
	The Days of Tao by Wesley Chu My Thoughts: There is no reason at all that I haven’t read this. I’m a fan of the Tao series. I liked Cameron Tan. This is a short novella that I own. I’ve just got to take a day. Verdict:
	Barsk: The Elephants’ Graveyard by Lawrence M. Schoen Blurb: Genius-level, sentient elephants in the far-flung future. My Thoughts: I think Kevin Hearne talked about this in a newsletter, and it sounded good. It probably is good, but there’s probably a reason I left it untouched for 4 years. I’d probably like it, but not love it, so in the interests of time…to the chopping block it goes. Verdict:
	Where All Light Tends to Go by David Joy Blurb: A country-noir tale about the son of a meth cooker trying to get out from his father’s shadow to be with the woman he loves–far from home. Verdict: This one hurts, I feel like I’m turning my back on something good. But I’m going to be honest, I’m just not going to get to it.
	The Two of Us by Andy Jones Blurb: “Fisher and Ivy have been an item for all of nineteen days. Both of them have been in relationships before, and this time around, they know something is different—they are meant to be together. The fact that they know little else about each other is a minor detail. But over the next year, a time in which their lives are irrevocably altered, Fisher and Ivy discover that falling in love is one thing—and staying there is an entirely different story.” Verdict: Again, a tough choice, but I don’t see myself getting around to it.