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The Friday 56 for 9/8/23: Eclipse by Herman Steuernagel

Eclipse_ban.png

The Friday 56This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice.

RULES:
The Friday 56 Grab a book, any book.
The Friday 56 Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
The Friday 56 Find a snippet, short and sweet.
The Friday 56 Post it.

from 56% of:
Eclipse

Eclipse by Herman Steuernagel

Mikka traced the outlines of the cell’s flooring tiles with her index finger. The guards had placed her in a chamber set apart from the other cells, down a long hallway and a further flight of stairs. Mikka suspected this cell was reserved for the most heinous of offenders, or those who had pissed the Front off the most.

Though it was dark and isolated, she knew it couldn’t possibly be their worst cell—she still had all her fingers. She could still breathe, and she had been there for hours, so oxygen levels must have been at least somewhat close to normal.

At least they had the decency to take the handcuffs off.

There was no chair or bench to sit on, so Mikka had resigned herself to the floor. Even the Front’s prison cells were more polished and in better condition than anything in the Tubes.

My thanks to Escapist Book Tours for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the novel) they provided. The opinions expressed by me are honest and my own.

Escapist Book Tours

WWW Wednesday, September 6, 2023

It took precisely 1 day for my month’s iron-clad TBR (so I can accomplish all the things I have in mind for the next 6 weeks) to go off the rails. Granted, it’s because I read a book faster than I expected to and could do a little mood-reading, but dagnabit—I had a plan!

Still, I’m actually ahead of schedule today, so…yay!!!

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 the creepy(?) MG novel, Scareground by Angela Kecojevic, and I’m listening to the thoughtful Wannabe: Reckonings with the Pop Culture That Shapes Me by Aisha Harris on audiobook.

ScaregroundBlank SpaceWannabe

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Spencer Quinn’s Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge—which was much better than I expected (and I expected to enjoy it!) and The Last Ranger by Peter Heller, Mark Deakins (Narrator) on audio, a book I appreciated, but I’m not sure I liked.

Mrs. Plansky's RevengeBlank SpaceThe Last Ranger

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be Farsickness by Joshua Mohr and my next audiobook should be Dead Man’s Hand by James J. Butcher, James Patrick Cronin (Narrator).

FarsicknessBlank SpaceDead Man's Hand

How are you kicking off September?

20 Books of Summer 2023: Wrap Up and Other Summer Reading

20 Books of Summer
Summer’s Over, so how did I do at this year’s challenge run by Cathy at 746 Books.

By the skin of my teeth—and using my own (not Cathy’s) dates—Memorial Day through Labor Day, the unofficial US Summer—I made it. I knew back in July when I said I should have a week to spare that I was going to be getting myself into trouble. What I didn’t know was that my library was going to deliver a book to me that was going to take 4 days longer to read than I’d expected (and I’d assumed it’d take me 5 in the first place). Throw in a Book Tour last week, and well, I had to scramble. Thankfully, the last book I had to read was a blast and I tore through it without regard to the deadline (honestly, I’d given up on finishing the challenge and only did it inadvertently), finishing it mid-morning today.

As of this morning, I’ve only posted about 13 of the books—that’s going to take me a bit to finish, especially at the rate I’ve been going lately.

On the whole, I’m glad I picked the books that I did. I might not have fallen head-over-heels for them all, but I’m glad for the experience, glad I scratched a curious itch, and/or glad I cut down the size of my TBR (we’ll ignore how I worked against that this summer for the moment). This might have been my most satisfying 20 Books yet. I had a lot of fun—which is the point, right?

Oh, I almost forgot. I did substitute one read, a totally acceptable thing for the Challenge, but something I typically resist. I’d been saying that I was going to read, Spirelli Paranormal Investigations: Episodes 1-3 by Kate Baray for months (even before I posted my 20 Books). But it turns out that I’d bought and read Spirelli Paranormal Investigations: Season One: Episodes 1-6, which is roughly 300 pages longer. So, yeah, it was a substitution, but a substitution that took 300 more pages to read. So, it really didn’t do me any favors when it came to completing this challenge (although having all six episodes was far more satisfying).

Also, earlier this summer I posted Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Summer 2023 to-Read List (That Aren’t on My 20 Books Challenge). How’d I do with those? I’ve read seven of those and should be tackling the other three soon. Possibly this month. Hopefully this month.

But for the immediate future, I have two Book Tours in the next week or so, two other review copies that I want to post about really soon—and a couple of NetGalley reads I need to take care of, too. That almost sounds like work, but thankfully, it’s work I want to do (even if I don’t get paid for it. All in all…it’s been a good summer.

✔ 1. The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris (my post about it)
✔ 2. Spirelli Paranormal Investigations: Season One: Episodes 1-6 by Kate Baray (substitution)
✔ 3. The Lemon Man by Ken Bruton (my post about it)
✔ 4. The Flood Circle by Harry Connolly
✔ 5. Barking for Business by E.N. Crane (my post about it)
✔ 6. Random Sh*t Flying Through the Air by Jackson Ford (my post about it)
✔ 7. Eye of the Sh*t Storm by Jackson Ford (my post about it)
✔ 8. A Sh*tload of Crazy Powers by Jackson Ford
✔ 9. The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith
✔ 10. Stone of Asylum by Hilarey Johnson (my post about it)
✔ 11. Proxies by James T. Lambert (my post about it)
✔ 12. Teaching Moments by Troy Lambert
✔ 13. Stray Ally by Troy Lambert (my post about it)
✔ 14. Cutthroat Cupcakes by Cate Lawley (my post about it)
✔ 15. Shadow Ranch by Rebecca Carey Lyles
✔ 16. Pure of Heart by Danielle Parker (my post about it)
✔ 17. The Worst Man by Jon Rance (my post about it)
✔ 18. However Long the Day by Justin Reed (my post about it)
✔ 19. Klone’s Stronghold by Joyce Reynolds-Ward (my post about it)
✔ 20. Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo by Amy Maren Rice

20 Books of Summer '23 August Check In Chart

August 2023 in Retrospect: What I Read/Listened to/Wrote About

So, a quick rundown of August: I read 25 titles (1 up from last month, 5 down from last August), with an equivalent of 7,384+ pages or the equivalent (362ish up from last month), and gave them an average of 3.7stars (a whopping 0.16 up from last month). Brown’s Light Bringer took more time, effort, and energy to finish than I anticipated–and was absolutely worth it–so things didn’t go quite the way I wanted it to on the reading front.

I felt like I was running on fumes all month and my output seems to indicate it…but, eh, I’ll get back on track soon. Hopefully. Or not. I’m having fun and liking at least half of what I’m posting lately, so I’ll take it.

If that’s the in brief version, here’s the extended dance mix of what happened here in August.
Books/Novels/Novellas Read/Listened to

All the Sinners Bleed Don't Hang Up SPI Collection: Season One
5 Stars 3.5 Stars 3 Stars
Stone of Asylum The Lemon Man Rumple Buttercup
3.5 Stars 3 Stars 3 Stars
Facing the Last Enemy Shadow Rancy Killers of a Certain Age
3 Stars 3 Stars 3.5 Stars
However Long the Day  A Quick End To A Long Beginning Hansel and Gretel
4 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars
The Character of Christ Magic for Nothing Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide (to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons)
4 Stars 4 1/2 Stars 4 Stars
God to Us The Blonde Identity Light Bringer
5 Stars 3 Stars 5 Stars
The Camera Man Teaching Moments What Did the Cross Achieve?
4 Stars 3.5 Stars 4 Stars
Norah's Ark Be The Serpent A Sh*tload of Crazy Powers
3.5 Stars 3 Stars 4 1/2 Stars
Hell and Back
3 Stars

Still Reading

The Existence and Attributes of God A Mystery Revealed: 31 Meditations on the Trinity American Idolatry
Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo

Ratings

5 Stars 3 2 1/2 Stars 0
4 1/2 Stars 2 2 Stars 0
4 Stars 6 1 1/2 Stars 0
3.5 Stars 5 1 Star 0
3 Stars 9
Average = 3.7

TBR Stacks/Piles/Heaps

Audio E-book Physical Goodreads
Want-to-Read
End of
2022
5 45 42 143
1st of the
Month
4 50 53 148
Added 5 5 7 3
Read/
Listened
4 5 6 0
Current Total 5 50 54 151

Breakdowns:
“Traditionally” Published: 16
Self-/Independent Published: 9

Genre This Month Year to Date
Children’s 1 (4%) 22 (11%)
Fantasy 2 (8%) 18 (9%)
General Fiction/ Literature 3 (12%) 16 (8%)
Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller 9 (36%) 60 (30%)
Non-Fiction 0 (0%) 13 (7%)
Science Fiction 3 (12%) 23 (12%)
Theology/ Christian Living 3 (12%) 20 (10%)
Urban Fantasy 3 (12%) 21 (11%)
“Other” (Horror/ Humor/ Steampunk/ Western) 0 (0%) 6 (3%)

Review-ish Things Posted

Other Things I Wrote
Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (5th, 12th Sat, 19th, and 26th), I also wrote:

Enough about me—how Was Your Month?


August Calendar

The Friday 56 for 9/1/23: A Sh*tload of Crazy Powers by Jackson Ford

The Friday 56This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice.

RULES:
The Friday 56 Grab a book, any book.
The Friday 56 Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
The Friday 56 Find a snippet, short and sweet.
The Friday 56 Post it.

from Page 56% of:
A Sh*tload of Crazy Powers

A Sh*tload of Crazy Powers by Jackson Ford

I’ve never been shot before.

I’ve been shot at, more than once. There are quite a few people who want me dead for one reason or another. And yet I have never taken a bullet. Until today.

Can confirm: getting shot sucks.

There’s no pain until I actually see the wound– the horrible, gaping hole in my flesh. Then there’s a whole lot of it. As if my brain goes oh, hey, that looks nasty. Here, have some agony to enhance the experience.

It’s like someone poured kerosene on my bicep and set it on fire. It’s the kind of pain that doesn’t actually let you scream, because it locks your throat up tight. All I can do is make this weird little hissing sound, forcing its way between my clenched teeth. And holy crap, that’s a lot of blood. Are there arteries in the bicep? How long do I have before… before I…

WWW Wednesday, August 30, 2023

I’ve got no rambling intro today, just a greeting (Hi everybody!) and the main event, WWW:

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 having a blast with A Sh*tload of Crazy Powers by Jackson Ford and am listening to Hell and Back by Craig Johnson, George Guidall (Narrator) on audiobook—Guidall’s reminding me how good he is.

A Sh*tload of Crazy PowersBlank SpaceHell and Back

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Victoria Williamson’s Norah’s Ark, and Be The Serpent by Seanan McGuire, Mary Robinette Kowal (Narrator) on audio (and I was as dissatisfied with the ending this time as I was last year).

Norah's ArkBlank SpaceBe The Serpent

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo by Amy Maren Rice , a book I’ve been waiting to get to for months, and my next audiobook should be The Last Ranger by Peter Heller, Mark Deakins (Narrator).

Fuzzwiggs: The SwitcherooBlank SpaceThe Last Ranger<

How are you closing out the summer?

WWW Wednesday, August 22, 2023

The last eight days have not gone at all as I expected on the reading front–or the writing front. Or any front really–but I’ve enjoyed most of the unexpected happenings. I’m definitely not crazy about the reading and writing plans that have gone awry. I really don’t want to turn this into a kvetch-fest, I’m really just trying to explain why this week’s WWW looks so much like last week’s. Since I really don’t believe in jinxes, I can say that next week’s WWW should look pretty different. But if I did…

blah blah blah, I’m going on too long. Let’s get on with the WWW!

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 still reading Light Bringer by Pierce Brown—I’ve blown past the library due date and have endangered several other deadlines, but it’s been one of those weeks. I may finish it tonight, however. I am currently listening to The Camera Man by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson (Narrator) on audiobook. I’m loving it and am going to finish it before I’m ready to take another break from this world.

Light BringerBlank SpaceBlank SpaceThe Camera Man

What did you recently finish reading?

The last book I finished is still (I’m using that word a lot today) Justin Reeds’s However Long the Day and the very silly and fun, The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter, narrated by Emily Ellet, Andrew Eiden, on audio.

However Long the DayBlank SpaceBlank SpaceThe Blonde Identity

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should still (there it is again) be the second Max Boucher novel, Teaching Moments by Troy Lambert, but I might squeeze in Norah’s Ark by Victoria Williamson, so I can be ready for the Book Tour Spot next week and my next audiobook should be Hell and Back by Craig Johnson, George Guidall (Narrator). Maybe I’ll like it better in audio.

Teaching MomentsBlank SpaceNorah's ArkBlank SpaceHell and Back

What about you?

The Friday 56 for 8/18/23: Light Bringer by Pierce Brown

The Friday 56This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice.

RULES:
The Friday 56 Grab a book, any book.
The Friday 56 Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
The Friday 56 Find a snippet, short and sweet.
The Friday 56 Post it.

from Page 56 of:
Light Bringer

Light Bringer by Pierce Brown

The courtyard smells of hay, manure, leather, and horses. The smells wake memories of Virginia au Augustus. Of all the Golds who came and went through my grandmother’s palace, Virginia was my favorite.

I feel a faint longing for her easy smile and unpredictable conversations. Certainly that smile hid a mouth full of daggers, but Virginia had a way of making you feel privileged to have lost to her in a game of chess or an idle bet on which songbird egg would hatch first in the garden’s aviaries. I wonder if she still has time to visit her stables on Mars, or if like me, this war has swallowed her up. She was always happier after a ride in the Palatine’s park. Come to think of it, so was I.

Highlights from July: Lines Worth Repeating

Highlights from the Month
I’m a little late with this, but I’m away from my keyboard for a few days this week, and needed something to fill the space, you know?
Dark Age

Dark Age by Pierce Brown

But the measure of a man is not the fear he sows in his enemies. It is the hope he gives his friends.

I knew war was dreadful, but I did not expect to fear it. How can anyone not, when death is just a blind giant with scissors?


Pure of Heart

Pure of Heart by Danielle Parker

“What would Sherlock do?” She rolled her eyes at her thought, and opened the door wide enough to slip inside. “Probably not go into a dark house looking for a werewolf.”


Chaos Choreography

Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire

Our family tree was more of a bush. But it was a really stubborn bush, like a blackberry bramble. We stuck together, even when we didn’t like each other very much, and we refused to be uprooted.

Every time I started to feel like I had a handle on something, however insignificant, it got pulled right out from underneath me. There was probably a moral in that somewhere. If I ever found out what it was, I was going to knock its teeth right down its metaphorical throat.


Not Prepared

Not Prepared by Author

You’ve gone from this awkward guy who had no idea what he was doing to… a slightly less awkward guy who still doesn’t know what he’s doing, but he’s doing a good job anyway.


The Eternity Fund

Eternity Fund by Liz Monument

‘How come you know everything about everybody?’ I hissed.

Rosie shrugged. ‘My memory is enhanced so I never forget a face or a voice. Plus, I’m programmed not to reveal anything inappropriate. I guess that makes me a safe confidante.’

‘Programmed? You mean… you’re not real?’

‘Oh, Miss Green,’ Rosie smiled indulgently, ‘you are funny. Half the people here think you aren’t real.’

The desire for the truth runs through humanity like a thrombosed vein.


Eye of the Sh*t Storm

Eye of the Sh*t Storm by Jackson Ford

He’s not actually very good at being muscle. I’ve watched him try and fight people, and it’s like watching a drunk try to dance the macarena. But he does an excellent job of looking scary. He’s doing it now as he stands behind Annie’s chair, scowling the scowliest scowl that anyone has ever scowled.

Before long, the guards and the two meth cooks are bound and gagged, thanks to a roll of duct tape Africa pulled from his jacket. Of course he has duct tape. If I suddenly needed, I don’t know, a printout of the Declaration of Independence, I’m pretty sure I’d find one in Africa’s inside pocket, along with coins in ten currencies and a signed copy of Prince’s last album.

I would like it noted for the record that I, too, start running. The problem is, my legs are very short, and my addiction to salted caramel ice cream makes it hard for me to compete in a foot race.

This is the problem with lies. You can’t just tell them and be done. You have to keep them alive, keep feeding them, so they don’t feed on you. And the problem with that is the myriad smaller lies that spring up to keep the big one alive.

I didn’t exactly expect plush couches and complimentary fruit bowls, but I also didn’t expect Robert and his friends to hang out in a movie cliché. You know the ones I’m talking about, where the bad guys always have their lair in a warehouse filled with hanging chains and flickering lights and grimy, unwashed corridors? Well, the Legends clearly saw those movies and thought, Hey, we should get some of that action!


Barking for Business

Barking for Business by E.N. Crane

I had an aversion to iced tea as it was not coffee. It did, however, have caffeine which was sometimes worth sucking up the leaf water. It was no bean water, but it was theoretically better than nothing.


The Bullet That Missed

The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman

The second date was, if anything, even better than the first. They have been to Brighton to watch a Polish film. Donna hadn’t realized there were Polish films, though obviously there must be. In a country that size, someone is going to make a film once in a while.

Joyce finally cracks. “So where are we off to, then?”

“To meet an old friend of mine,” says Elizabeth. “Viktor.”

“We used to have a milkman called Victor,” says Joyce. “Any chance it’s the same Victor?”

“Very possible. Was your milkman also the head of the Leningrad KGB in the eighties?”

“Different Victor,” says Joyce, “Though they finish milk-round, very early, don’t they? So perhaps he was doing two jobs?”

“It’s the people, in the end, isn’t it?…It’s always the people, You can move halfway around the world to find your perfect life, move to Australia if you like, but it always comes down to the people you meet.”


(Image by DaModernDaVinci from Pixabay)

WWW Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Yeah, this is a light week around these parts. Best laid plans o’ mice and men and all that. It won’t get heavier, either—I’m headed out of town for a few days on some family business, so hopefully, everything I’ve scheduled posts.

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 Light Bringer by Pierce Brown—with a hard library deadline, and I’m 100 pages behind schedule. Thankfully, I’ve got some good downtime this week. Also, it’s just so good that I really don’t care about deadlines and fines and whatnot. I’m listening to The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter, narrated by Emily Ellet, Andrew Eiden on audiobook, which is so silly and fun that it’s a great antidote for the brooding and sense of doom from Light Bringer.

Light BringerBlank SpaceThe Blonde Identity

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Justin Reeds’s However Long the Day which was a lot more fun than I expected, and Magic for Nothing by Seanan McGuire, Emily Bauer (Narrator) on audio.

However Long the DayBlank SpaceMagic for Nothing

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be the second Max Boucher novel, Teaching Moments by Troy Lambert. I may end up sneaking in an audiobook with my mother over the next couple of days, but otherwise, my next audiobook should be the new DC Smith book The Camera Man by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson (Narrator)—I’ve never had to wait for one of these books before, so it’s a new type of anticipation before starting it.

Teaching MomentsBlank SpaceThe Camera Man

What are you chewing on this week?

Page 11 of 62

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