Category: Books Page 94 of 160

Down the TBR Hole (22 of 24+)

Down the TBR Hole

Cut a lot of items off the list in this entry—which is sort of the point of this. And I’m really looking forward to the ones I didn’t add to the list and need to get moving on them.

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:

  1. Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
  2. Order on ascending date added.
  3. Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
  4. Read the synopses of the books.
  5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
  6. 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)

Ethan Frome Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Blurb: “Ethan Frome is a poor farmer, trapped in a marriage to a demanding and controlling wife, Zeena. When Zeena’s young cousin Mattie enters their household she opens a window of hope in Ethan’s bleak life, but his wife’s reaction prompts a desperate attempt to escape fate that goes horribly wrong.”
My Thoughts: Like I said in the last entry, I think I read some article a couple of years ago about “why you need to read Edith Wharton.” I don’t remember where I read it or any of the content. So I really don’t remember why I put this 20th Century Classic on my list. From the description, it’s not my cup of tea.
Verdict:
Thumbs Down
Devil's Peak Devil’s Peak by Deon Meyer
Blurb: Alcoholic detective with a marriage and career on the ropes on the hunt for a vigilante killer in Cape Town.
My Thoughts: I wish I knew how this got added to the list. Looks promising, but the series looks like too muh to take on.
Verdict:
Thumbs Down
One Man One Man: A City of Fallen Gods Novel by Harry Connolly
Blurb: “Presumed dead after a disastrous overseas quest, [a young nobleman] now lives in a downcity slum under a false name, hiding behind the bars of a pawnshop window. Riliska, a nine-year-old pickpocket who sells stolen trinkets to his shop, is the closest thing he has to a friend. When a criminal gang kills Riliska’s mother and kidnaps the little girl, Kyrioc goes hunting for her.”
My Thoughts: I read this and blogged about back in July.
Verdict:
Thumbs Down
Kalanon's Rising Kalanon’s Rising by Darian Smith
Blurb: “Solve a Murder. Stop a War. Save the World. Magic, murder, and a strangely alluring enemy ambassador. Brannon’s life just got complicated.”
My Thoughts: A murder mystery in a fantasy world—you know it’s calling my name. I read and heard a couple of rave reviews for this, too. True, I’d forgotten about it since putting it on the list, but I remember it now.
Verdict:
Thumbs Up
Bluebird, Bluebird Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
Blurb: “When it comes to law and order, East Texas plays by its own rules – a fact that Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger, knows all too well. Deeply ambivalent about growing up black in the lone star state, he was the first in his family to get as far away from Texas as he could. Until duty called him home. But when his allegiance to his roots puts his job in jeopardy, he travels up Highway 59 to the small town of Lark, where two murders—a black lawyer from Chicago and a local white woman—have stirred up a hornet’s nest of resentment. Darren must solve the crimes – and save himself in the process – before Lark’s long-simmering racial fault lines erupt. A rural noir suffused with the unique music, color, and nuance of East Texas…”
Verdict:
Thumbs Up
A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself by William Boyle
My Thoughts: I had this on the list twice, covered it back in #18. Whoops.
Verdict:
Thumbs Down
The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry
My Thoughts: I had this on the list twice, covered it back in #19. Whoops again.
Verdict:
Thumbs Down
Ninth House Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Blurb: This is not something I can sum up in a paragraph or two, click the link.
My Thoughts: Not really my thing, though, not sure why I added this to the list in the first place.
Verdict:
Thumbs Down
Reverting to Type Reverting to Type: a Reader’s Story by Alan Jacobs
Blurb: A “reader’s memoir,” describing his development as a reader over the course of his life.
Verdict:
Thumbs Up
Hero Forged Hero Forged by Josh Erikson
Blurb: “Gabriel Delling might call himself a professional con artist, but when walking superstitions start trying to bite his face off, his charm is shockingly unhelpful. It turns out living nightmares almost never appreciate a good joke. Together with a succubus who insists on constantly saving his life, he desperately tries to survive a new reality that suddenly features demons, legends, and a giant locust named Dale—all of whom pretty much hate his guts. And when an ancient horror comes hunting for the spirit locked in his head, Gabe finds himself faced with the excruciating choice between death…or becoming some kind of freaking hero.”
Verdict:
Thumbs Down

Books Removed in this Post: 7 / 10
Total Books Removed: 124 / 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—3/6/21

I’ve had slow weeks for this post before, but this seems like one of the slowest. Looking over the links I gathered for the week, I can’t help but wonder what I read online this week—was I even online? I almost skipped this week, but I do have a couple of things to share, and it’s been years since I missed a week, and I’d hate to break the only consistent streak in my life…

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 15 Best Book Covers of February: So Many Covers, So Little Time—There’s only one on this list I’m halfway interested in reading, but I doubt I’d want to buy it. But had I the money, I’d buy at least 14 of these for the cover.
bullet Matthew Yglesias (a name I see here and there on twitter, but know almost nothing about) set a small fire this week about books entering public domain—with a pretty dumb take, in my opinion, but I don’t know that much about it. Several people took issue with him (most of whom know a lot more about this than I do), including:
bullet Christopher Moore
bullet Silvia Moreno-Garcia
bullet Scott Lynch
bullet ‘Bosch’ Spinoff a Go at Amazon’s IMDb TV—this is good news in general. But also it plays into the above—The Black Echo is just shy of 30. Thinking that Connelly should lose control of that work next year is mind-boggling.
bullet I want to talk to you about Seraphina’s Lament—Sarah Chorn talks about what derailed her first series. Authors have to deal with this kind of thing regularly—I imagine female authors in Speculative Fiction get it worse—how anyone can write with this kind of thing in their head boggles my mind. Some of what this person objected to is what made Seraphina’s Lament one of my favorite novels of the year, by the way. (her follow up post on Gaslighting is also worth a read)

This Week's New Releases That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet A War of Wizards by Layton Green—The Blackwood Saga concludes here in Book 5. I’d say I’d dive in next week, but, I still haven’t read book four. Maybe I can squeeze that in next week..hmm….

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

WWW Wednesday, March 4, 2021

Well, Murphy and his Law scuttled my plans for the day, at least I have time to get a WWW 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 Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire and am listening to the new Audible novella Junkyard Bargain by Faith Hunter, Khristine Hvam (Narrator) on audiobook.

Calculated RisksBlank SpaceJunkyard Bargain

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Ben Aaronovitch’s What Abigail Did That Summer and The Unkindest Tide by Seanan McGuire, Mary Robinette Kowal (Narrator) on audio (and there were a couple of the moments I most looked forward to hearing Kowal’s take on, they did not disappoint).

What Abigail Did That SummerBlank SpaceThe Unkindest Tide

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be Drop the Mikes by Duncan MacMaster–I fully expect to rave about it next week–and Paper: Paging Through History by Mark Kurlansky, Andrew Garman (Narrator) on audiobook (not just because I love the irony, but that helps).

Drop the MikesBlank SpacePaging Through History

What about you? What’re your double-you-double-you-double-yous?

February 2021 in Retrospect: What I Read/Listened to/Wrote About

So February’s numbers were a 3.85 Star Average over 21 books with 5161 pages (or the equivalent) finished. Which is 4 more books (even if one of them was just a Picture Book, so I should probably say 3 more) and 120 fewer pages than January. Ten more review-ish posts, too. Not bad for a shorter month.

What progress I made on Mt. TBR was wrecked in the last week—but hopefully, March will help me recover. I’m really working on that this year, I’m hoping to get that pile whittled down by December.

So, here’s what happened here in February:
Books Read

Blacktop Wasteland Fake Game of Cages
5 Stars 5 Stars 4 Stars
Chasing the Pain Parting Shadows Fated (Audiobook)
4 Stars 3 Stars 4 Stars
Smoke Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead Phantom Song
4 Stars 4 Stars 3.5 Stars
Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead Latent Damage Oh, That Shotgun Sky
3.5 Stars 3 Stars 3 Stars
He Drank, and Saw the Spider The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter Hey Grandude!
3.5 Stars 3.5 Stars 3 Stars
Rebels and Exiles The Thursday Murder Club Smoke Bitten
3.5 Stars 5 Stars 4 Stars
Cover Blown Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore What Happens When We Worship
4 Stars 3 Stars 4 Stars

Still Reading

Tom Jones Original Cover The Wonderful Works of God Things Unseen
Grace and Glory (BoT Edition) Calculated Risks The Unkindest Tide

Ratings

5 Stars 2 2 1/2 Stars 0
4 1/2 Stars 0 2 Stars 1
4 Stars 8 1 1/2 Stars 0
3.5 Stars 5 1 Star 0
3 Stars 5
Average = 3.85

TBR Pile
Mt TBR January 20

Breakdowns
“Traditionally” Published: 12
Self-/Independent Published: 9

Genre This Month Year to Date
Children’s 1 (5%) 1 (3%)
Fantasy 3 (14%) 7 (18%)
General Fiction/ Literature 1 (5%) 1 (3%)
Horror 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Humor 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller 9 (43%) 14 (37%)
Non-Fiction 0 (0%) 1 (3%)
Science Fiction 2 (10%) 5 (13%)
Steampunk 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Theology/ Christian Living 2 (10%) 4 (11%)
Urban Fantasy 3 (14%) 5 (13%)
Western 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

Review-ish Things Posted

Other Things I Wroteotherwriting
Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th), I also wrote:

How was your month?

Saturday Miscellany—2/27/21

Been a good week here—read a lot, wrote almost enough to satisfy me, and got enough new books that I’ve ruined whatever TBR progress I’d made this month (1 ebook, 2 audiobooks, 2 hardcovers, and 2 paperbacks…I have a problem).

I’d intended on 2 more posts this week than I got—which is pretty good. I don’t know if it’s the weather, work, or just one of those things, but each night this week I felt like I was fighting sleep for the last couple of hours (and never had the good sense to do the responsible thing and go to bed). I fell asleep within minutes of posting my Fridays with the Foundling last night—so quickly that my first thought this morning was “were those last paragraphs even in English?” (thankfully, yes)

I think I had a point when I started that, but I don’t remember what it is. It’s one of those days, I guess. Let’s get on with things…

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 Get a free audiobook!—When you spend at least $15 at your local bookstore on April 24th, you can get a free select audiobook from Libro.fm. Independent Bookstore Day is a couple of months off, but might as well start planning for it, right?
bullet Is It Time to Kill the Book Blurb?—”The pre-publication endorsements—’dazzling!’ ‘a masterwork!’—that litter book covers have long been a staple of publishing. Are they of any value or mere relics that deserve to go?” I somehow didn’t even have to work around a paywall for this WSJ piece.
bullet ‘Books saved my mental health,’ says online reviewer—BBC.com profiles a book blogger
bullet Announcing the Newest Release From Rick Riordan — Daughter of the Deep—After I tapped out during The Trials of Apollo I figured I was done with Riordan, unless he got back to his Texas noir stuff. But…this looks promising (and a good excuse to revisit Hugo)
bullet Rooms of Their Own: Where Some of the Best Women Writers Created Art—worth the click if only to see the desk (a generous word) that Austen used.
bullet Favorite Things About Book Formats
bullet Friday at the Folly – Rivers of London—Fi’s Bibliofiles starts a re-read through the Rivers of London UF series. This is one of my favorite series and I’m looking forward to revisiting it through these blog posts.
bullet And Men There Were None: Where Are The Male Readers?—On the one hand, I feel like I should drop some links in the comments to show him where we are. Snark aside—overall, he’s right.
bullet What is a Good Ending?—a fitting way to wrap up this week’s list (actually, it was totally inadevertent…but I’m running with it).

This Week's New Releases That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Cover Blown by Ian Robinson—The second book in this new procedural series is a heckuva read. This time, the homicide investigation overlaps with a small undercover job that DI Nash has on the side. I hope to get posts up about both books early next week—in the meantime, just go buy them!
bullet Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire—the latest InCryptid book kicks off shortly after that cliffhanger from last year. I started this yesterday, and it’s strange, even by InCryptid standards.
bullet Smoke by Joe Ide—The new IQ novel is a good one—even if I think it could’ve used more IQ, as I said recently.
bullet Junkyard Bargain by Faith Hunter, Khristine Hvam (Narrator)—the second novella-length SF from Faith Hunter. I’m excited to dip back into this strange world of aliens, cyborgs and psychic (?) cats.

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

WWW Wednesday, February 24, 2021

It’s the middle of the week and time for me to check in on my reading.

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 Cover Blown by Ian Robinson—hot off the press—and am listening to Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan, Madeleine Maby (Narrator) on audiobook—something I’ve been meaning to read for 2-3 years.

Cover BlownBlank SpaceMidnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club—a charming and clever novel—and Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs, Lorelei King (Narrator) on audio.

The Thursday Murder ClubBlank SpaceSmoke Bitten

What do you think you’ll read next?

In a very strange confluence of schedules, Seanan McGuire’s two bigger series are next on my lists—next up are her Calculated Risks and The Unkindest Tide (Narrated by Robinette Kowal) as I almost complete my trip through the Toby Daye audiobooks. Thankfully those series don’t feel like they’re written by the same person, so I’m not going to have a problem (I think).

Calculated RisksBlank SpaceThe Unkindest Tide

What are you reading?

Down the TBR Hole (21 of 24+)

Down the TBR Hole

I’ve only got 2 posts to go from the original list–but I’ve added a few since then, I’m going to have to come up with a new Master List soon. I’ve trimmed the list considerably, but not as much as I’d hoped. This series has spurred me to read some things that had been languishing on the list for years, so that’s cool. But I don’t want to spend too much time on that now, I’ll wait until I’m done to do that.

Interestingly (for me, at least), somehow, three cookbooks landed on this part of The List. Which is just strange, I don’t know why I’d put them as “To Read.” I don’t read cookbooks, I can see them on a separate “To Buy” list (I have a few others on it), but…¯_(ツ)_/¯

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:

  1. Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
  2. Order on ascending date added.
  3. Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
  4. Read the synopses of the books.
  5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
  6. 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)

Literary Landscapes Literary Landscapes: Charting the Worlds of Classic Literature by John Sutherland
Blurb: “Literary Landscapes delves deep into the geography, location, and terrain of our best-loved literary works and looks at how setting and environmental influences storytelling, character, and our emotional response as readers. Fully illustrated with hundreds of full-color images throughout…Literary Landscapes brings together more than 50 literary worlds and examines how their description is intrinsic to the stories that unfold within their borders…The landscapes of enduring fictional characters and literary legends are vividly brought to life, evoking all the sights and sounds of the original works. Literary Landscapes will transport you to the fictions greatest lands and allow you to connect to the story and the author’s intent in a whole new way.”
My Thoughts: This looks like a fun thing to flip through, the kind of thing to have on your bookshelf for the occaisional glance and/or research. But to read? I just don’t see me sitting down to do it.
Verdict:
Thumbs Down
Imaginary Numbers Imaginary Numbers by Seanan McGuire
Blurb: “Sarah Zellaby has always been in an interesting position. Adopted into the Price family at a young age, she’s never been able to escape the biological reality of her origins: she’s a cuckoo, a telepathic ambush predator closer akin to a parasitic wasp than a human being. Friend, cousin, mathematician; it’s never been enough to dispel the fear that one day, nature will win out over nurture, and everything will change. Maybe that time has finally come.”
My Thoughts: I read this one in June of last year.. It’s not my favorite of the series, but I enjoyed it (and will hopefully start the follow-up this week).
Verdict: Like last week, I almost feel like I’m cheating to kill this from The List since I read it months ago, but…
Thumbs Down
The Death of Mungo Blackwell The Death of Mungo Blackwell by Lauren H. Brandenburg
Blurb: “After an incident involving a food truck leaves Charlie Price jobless, he moves to small Coraloo with his wife and son. They find themselves thrown in the middle of a feud between two old families: the Tofts and the Blackwells.” The book “found a sweet, quiet way of talking about stress, adjusting to new and scary circumstances, and ‘blooming where you’re planted.'”
My Thoughts: This was recommended by Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub who described it as “Equally funny and touching, this book managed to warm my cold little heart” (I blatently stole the description from that post). Still sounds good to me.
Thumbs Up
Forking Good Forking Good: A Cookbook Inspired by The Good Place by Valya Dudycz Lupescu
Blurb: “a pun-filled and fully illustrated cookbook of 30 original recipes inspired by the philosophy and food humor of the hit show.”
My Thoughts: Yes, that sounds like a lot of fun. But I’m never going read it, much less use it. Although, I am curious if any of the recipes used Almond Milk in honor of Chidi…
Verdict:
Thumbs Down
Indian-ish Indian-ish: Recipes and Antics from a Modern American Family by Priya Krishna
Blurb: “This colorful, lively book is food writer Priya Krishna’s loving tribute to her mom’s “Indian-ish” cooking—a trove of one-of-a-kind Indian-American hybrids that are easy to make, clever, practical, and packed with flavor. Think Roti Pizza, Tomato Rice with Crispy Cheddar, Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Green Pea Chutney, and Malaysian Ramen.”
My Thoughts: I have flipped through this book, it looks great. There’s a decent amount of non-recipe text, too. So it would take some reading to get through, unlike your typical cookbook. I just need to get around to getting it.
Verdict:
Thumbs Up
Plant-Based on a Budget Plant-Based on a Budget: Delicious Vegan Recipes for Under $30 a Week, for Less Than 30 Minutes a Meal by Toni Okamoto
Blurb: 100 Plant-Based meals that can be made in under 30 minutes (and cheaply!)
My Thoughts: As I try (try) to go Whole-Food Plant-Based, this is something I really need. A foreward from Dr. Greger, increases the appeal. I actually thought I’d bought this already, but I confused it with another one (that I ended up using exactly zero times, which is exactly what it was worth).
Verdict: Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum
Thumbs Up
The Ninja Daughter The Ninja Daughter by Tori Eldridge
Blurb: “[An] action-packed thriller about a Chinese-Norwegian modern-day ninja with “Joy Luck Club” family issues who battles the Los Angeles Ukrainian mob, sex traffickers, and her own family to save two desperate women and an innocent child.”
My Thoughts: I read it back in August. This was really good, I’ve got the sequel waiting to be read next month.
Verdict: This is another one where I technically get to cut it since I pulled this list months before I read the book.
Thumbs Down
Pricked Pricked by Scott Mooney
Blurb: “Briar Pryce has the power to change the emotions of others by handing them a rose. It is a talent that has done surprisingly little for her, besides landing her a dead-end enchantment delivery job and killing any chance she had with her childhood-crush-turned-roommate. Worst of all, her ability might be responsible for getting her best friend transformed into a cat via a cursed muffin basket. Needless to say, Briar is nowhere near happily-ever-after. But that’s just life as a twentysomething in the Poisoned Apple, New York City’s lost borough of fairy-tale wonder and rent-controlled magic.”
My Thoughts: I was set to cross this off as “cute idea, but I just don’t have the time.” But the last clause I quoted there just sounds too promising.
Verdict: (with reservations)
Thumbs Up
The Land of Roar The Land of Roar by Jenny McLachlan
Blurb: “When Arthur and Rose were little, they were heroes in the Land of Roar, an imaginary world that they found by climbing through the folding bed in their grandad’s attic…Now the twins are eleven, Roar is just a memory. But when they help Grandad clean out the attic, Arthur is horrified as Grandad is pulled into the folding bed and vanishes. Is he playing a joke? Or is Roar . . . real?”
My Thoughts: Looks like it’d be a ton of fun, but I know I’m not getting to it anytime soon.
Verdict:
Thumbs Down
The Age of Innocence The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Blurb: “Dutiful Newland Archer, an eligible young man from New York high society, is about to announce his engagement to May Welland, a suitable match from a good family, when May’s cousin, the beautiful and exotic Countess Ellen Olenska, is introduced into their circle. The Countess brings with her an aura of European sophistication and a hint of perceived scandal, having left her husband and claimed her independence. Her worldliness, disregard for society’s rules, and air of unapproachability attract the sensitive Newland, despite his enthusiasm about a marriage to May and the societal advantages it would bring. Almost against their will, Newland and Ellen develop a passionate bond, and a classic love triangle takes shape as the three young people find themselves drawn into a poignant and bitter conflict between love and duty.”
My Thoughts: I think I read some article a couple of years ago about “why you need to read Edith Wharton.” I don’t remember where I read it or any of the content. So I really don’t remember why I put this 20th Century Classic on my list. From the description, it’s not my cup of tea.
Verdict:
Thumbs Down

Books Removed in this Post: 6 / 10
Total Books Removed: 117 / 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—2/20/21

So I didn’t post every day this week (and really didn’t like everything I posted), but, in terms of reading and writing, this is the first week in 2021 that I’ve felt “normal” when it comes to blogging. Coincidentally, this is the first week in a while that it’s taken me as long to put this post together as it did today. I guess here at Week 7, I’m ready for the New Year.

I had an interesting thing happen this week a book I’d somehow reserved from my library in both audio and hardcover became available in both formats within a day or two of each other. So, now…do I read? do I listen? do I try to do both (either simultaneously or by switching between? I think either of the latter would drive me crazy. It’s a low-stakes dilemma, for sure, but one I’ve spent too much time thinking about. Thoughts?

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 COVID marks new chapter for independent bookstores—one more take on COVID’s impact on Indie Bookstores
bullet The world’s most misunderstood novel—On Gatsby, the changing perspectives on it, and some new takes on the classic.
bullet The 10 Most Confusing Books of All Time—I hate to be that guy, but most of this list makes me think that people aren’t actually reading the book. But, yeah, I can get behind four of them (which means someone out there is thinking I didn’t actually read the book).
bullet The Bourne Challenge: How to Create a New Hero in the Long Shadow of Jason Bourne: Writing and inventing inside the “Ludlum Universe”—I remember trying Ludlum when I was in Junior High, but couldn’t really get into Bourne, which probably means I missed something. So I’m not sure why I read this, but Hood’s process is really interesting. How would you create a “protagonist who’d give readers a Bourne-like experience, but not a Bourne rip-off” in that universe?
bullet Digital Mini Reviews | What Would Life Be Without Books?—a handy list of comic collections for readers (and, yes, I have spent money based on this post)
bullet A Class Above: D&D Classes in Books. Over at the Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub, a handful of bloggers and authors contributed to a series this week looking at examples of the various D&D Character Classes in (largely) non-D&D books. If this series doesn’t expand your TBR-Pile, something’s broken:
bullet Fighters and Barbarians
bullet Paladins, Clerics, and Druids
bullet Rogues and Rangers
bullet Bards and Magic Users
bullet And then she wraps it up with Books for Fans of D&D
bullet Speaking of W&S Bookclub, DISCIPLINE OF BLOGGING Jodie Crump “Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub” Writer Interview—Novelist Todd Sullivan recently interviewed the writer behind “Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub” about book blogging. Great stuff!
bullet Bender’s “Feel Good” SFF books—yet another TBR expanding post.
bullet If your budget is in trouble after the last few links, maybe these posts from The Book Critter will help: Tips for Buying Used Books: part one and Tips for Buying Used Books: part two
bullet 5 Really Easy Ways to Support Book Bloggers (they deserve it all)
bullet 4-Year Anniversary, Ask the Blogger—Books are 42 just passed the 4 year mark and answers some questions about those years.
bullet Reflections On 9 Years Of Book Blogging—Booker Talk has been at this for an impressive Nine Years and shares some wisdom.
bullet Deliah Dawson knows exactly what we need right now

This Week's New Releases That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Oh, That Shotgun Sky by Sarah Chorn—a novella looking at the aftermath of Of Honey and Wildfires. It’s full of heartbreak and gorgeous prose, as you’d expect from Chorn.
bullet True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee by Abraham Riesman—The title says it all, really. This pullquote from Gaiman adds a bit more: “A biography that reads like a thriller or a whodunit . . . scrupulously honest, deeply damning, and sometimes even heartbreaking.”

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

Flashback Friday—I’m Curious: What Was the First Book That . . .

While I was looking around at the February 2016 posts, this title caught my eye. I figured I’d throw this up while I was at it–hopefully this generates some comments, I’m feeling curious today (as I was then–I also see I had a similar problem with producing actual content on February 24, 2016. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose…


I hate these kind of days — I try to get something up at least 6 days a week. But some days a combination of my job, parenting, husbanding and need for sleep — IOW, the stuff that happens when I’m not reading or blogging — has to take precedence. Today’s such a day.

I did accomplish some things today for the blog, but it’s all behind the scenes stuff and/or things I can’t post quite yet.

Anyway. . .

This was asked a couple of weeks ago on some Facebook group I belong to and I thought the answers were interesting enough, I’d ask you:

If you can remember, what was the first book that destroyed you?

For me, it was either: Where the Red Fern Grows (which I read most of several times, and all of a couple of times); The High King by Lloyd Alexander between the deaths and goodbyes, I still can’t do it dry-eyed; or Bridge to Terabithia — I can’t tell you anything about the plot (there were 2 kids, 1 girl and 1 boy, right?), the characters or anything, and I read it 2-4 times — all I can remember is emotional devastation.

Looking forward to hearing from you. Share the emotional scars we all know you have. 🙂

WWW Wednesday, February 17, 2021

A three-day weekend left me scrambling to get together a WWW Wednesday before I was really mentally prepared for it. I don’t know about you, but I took advantage of that bonus day to read more than I expected to, which made the day all the nicer.

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 Latent Damage by Ian Robinson, a new police procedural, and am listening to the last Eddie LaCrosse novel—He Drank, and Saw the Spider by Alex Bledsoe, Stefan Rudnicki (Narrator) on audiobook.

Latent DamageBlank SpaceHe Drank, and Saw the Spider

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Sara Gran’s Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead, an unusual P.I. novel, and Blood Trail by C.J. Box, David Chandler (Narrator) on audio—possibly the best in the series.

Claire DeWitt and the City of the DeadBlank SpaceBlood Trail

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be Oh, That Shotgun Sky by Sarah Chorn (which will probably be beautiful and depressing, because that seems to be her wheelhouse) and an audiobook to be determined.

Oh, That Shotgun SkyBlank SpaceQuestion Mark

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

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