Category: Books Page 62 of 161

WWW Wednesday, November 30, 2022

On November 30, 2022

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

It’s time for WWW Wednesday. Which is a relief—none of what was on my full (but easily fulfilled) checklist last night was able to be checked off. So at least I can get something that’s not a rerun up today, right? Who knows, I might be able to get something else wrapped up, but I’m not counting on it at this point.

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 Aether Powered by James T. Lambert and am listening to Bookish People by Susan Coll, Alexa Morden (Narrator) on audiobook. I’m intrigued by and am enjoying one of them. I’m tolerating the other (sunk cost fallacy beats me again). Time will tell if that changes.

Blank Space

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Chris McDonald’s Little Ghost, his newest series debut, and The World Record Book of Racist Stories by Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar on audio, which gave me pretty much exactly what I expected.

Blank Space

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be Her Name Is Knight by Yasmin Angoe, the first in a series I’ve been curious about for a bit. My next audiobook should be Stone Cold by C. J. Box, David Chandler (Narrator), because it’s been too long since I spent time with Joe Pickett.

Blank Space

Are you reading anything promising right now?

Spelling the Month in Books: November

By HCNewton

On November 28, 2022

In Books, News/Misc., Uncategorized

Spelling the Month in Books: November
I’m getting this one in under the wire, but hey, it’s here. I did manage to get seven books in that I hadn’t blogged about here (all but one from before I started this project) and one I didn’t have much to say about due to time. I think I said this last month (or the one before), but a string of months ending in “ember” or just “ber” adds a level of challenge to this series I didn’t anticipate (but clearly, should’ve).

	No Hero Jonathan Wood’s Urban Fantasy debut was one of those books that really got me into the genre. It’s the story of a British police officer (I want to say a Detective of some sort, but I could be wrong—it’s been a decade) who sees something he shouldn’t and ends up being recruited for MI37. That particular branch deals with things like tentacled monsters from another reality. The action and humor both make you think of 80s Action flicks.
	Oath of Gold The conclusion to Elizabeth Moon’s The Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy (that I really should read again) brings Paks to the brink in so many ways. I remember really enjoying the portrayal of the mercenary company and the other non-epic adventure kind of things. Paks goes through harrowing ordeal after ordeal in the way only the best fantasy protagonists do. This was a heckuva feat.
	Voices of Dragons Carrie Vaughn stuck her toe into YA Fantasy here. Kay’s a human teen who lives on the border of a very 21st Century America and the realm of dragons. Of course, she slips over the border and gets in trouble. The dragon Artegal saves her and the two become friends as relations between their two races erode. There’s a lot of heart in this charming read.
	Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s History-Making Race Around the World Nellie Bly is one of those historical people I should know more about—this book did a good job of giving me the essentials (following up on the highlights that Abbey Bartlet gave us). It provides a good sketch of her life and career—ditto for Elizabeth Bisland’s. But the focus was on their race around the world—Bly starting in NYC and moving East, and Bisland moving West—both of these trailblazing female journalists are out to beat the (admittedly fictional) pace of Phineas Fogg, and each other. Matthew Goodman’s text—and Käthe Mazur’s narration for me—captured a little of the flavor of their exciting (mostly) adventures.
	Marathon Man William Goldman’s list of accomplishments is pretty daunting, and so is this thriller. I encountered it in High School, and while I knew it was going to be very different from the other novel of his I’d read (The Princess Bride), I really wasn’t prepared for it. It’s been (mumble, mumble) decades since I read this book, but there’s a scene or two from it (and the sequel) that I still remember. I really remember the tension I felt through most of the book. Goldman knows how to tell a story and this book demonstrates is as well as almost anything else he did.
	A Bad Day for Sorry Sophie Littlefield’s protagonist is Stella Hardesty. She runs a sewing shop in rural Missouri—but her real calling is helping women escape from abusive husbands and boyfriends. She doesn’t limit her services to helping them relocate and hide—she’s tough when she has to be. This book involves one of those men kidnapping their child. Stella’s one of the more unlikely vigilantes I’ve come across, but when push comes to shove, she’s a good one to have at your back. I really wish I’d made my way back to this series.
	Eddie and the Cruisers I’ve never gotten around to seeing this movie, but who doesn’t know “On the Dark Side” from the soundtrack? I admit I listened to a John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band songs while I read the book to help me get the feel. P.F. Kluge’s book hit all the typical Band Novel beats and did so in an effective and entertaining way. I don’t know that this was a great read, but it was a lot of fun.
	The Rosie Project Graeme Simsion’s debut really got under my skin—I’ve read it three times. And it led to me reading three other books by him (and I’m glad about two of them). This is the story of Don Tillman, a genetics professor who has set out to find the perfect wife for him—he has charts, tables, and all sorts of plans to help him find her. Along the way he finds someone who meets precisely zero of his requirements and agrees to help her with a project of her own—she figures a geneticist might be able to help her track down her biological father. And, as you’d expect, along the way Don’s project takes a turn he couldn’t have predicted. It’s funny, it’s sweet, and both Don and Rosie will make you want to read the next two books about them.

Saturday Miscellany—11/26/22

By HCNewton

On November 26, 2022

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet Borrower returns library book 47 years past due, provides explanation in ‘thoughtful letter’
bullet The Mysteries of Encyclopedia Brown: The Books, The Lawsuits, The HBO Show?!—Who doesn’t want to stop and learn more about ol’ Encyclopedia?
bullet Damppebbles’s annual recommendation-fest, #R3COMM3ND3D is in the home stretch now, this week’s offerings are diverse genre-wise, but share a similar high quality.
bullet …with #Author Terry Tyler
bullet …with #Reviewer Davida Chazan
bullet …with #Author Rachel Sargeant
bullet …with #BookBlogger Jude Wright
bullet …with #BookBlogger Rae
bullet …with #BookBlogger Jo
bullet …with #BookBlogger Wendy W.
bullet Enough of 2022 (for a minute), let’s glance at 2023 with The Real Book Spy’s Our (Way too) Early Look at Notable 2023 Thrillers, Part Two, Part 3—my dance card is already starting to look a little packed
bullet I shared some of the posts last year from the series Neurodivergence in Fiction. It’s been brought back with a broadened view and kicks off with this post from A.C. Cross, Mental Health in Fiction: Writing Through the Pain—I expect this series will as good—if not better—than its predecessor.
bullet Thoughts After Writing Lots of Negative Reviews
bullet 10 Funny Reasons Why I prefer Physical Books

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
bullet Don’t Remember Me Like This—I keep meaning to fit this “a podcast of short stories, memoir, satire, commentary, and essays with an occasional seizure of fiction, interviews and maybe even poetry” into my rotation, but I haven’t yet. I enjoyed Barber’s book a few years ago, and am looking forward to the same kind of humor in audio form.
bullet Blood Brothers Episode 111 with Robert Crais—I’ve heard Crais on a decent number of podcasts, but he seems looser and less canned than I’m used to here

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Little Ghost by Chris McDonald—McDonald launches a new series—this one promises a noir feel about a PI in Denver. Looking forward to diving in.
bullet The World Record Book of Racist Stories by Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar—the sisters pair up again for more stories of racism that you have to laugh at (so you don’t burn down the world)
bullet NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority by Marshall Karp—Karp takes over control with this series entry about a hunt for a team of assassins taking down notorious New Yorkers. Which is an inadequate description, really. You should read my post from last week instead.

WWW Wednesday, November 23, 2022

By HCNewton

On November 23, 2022

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

Here on the Eve of Gluttony Day (or whatever we’re calling it this year), I’m going to take a moment and see to this week’s 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?