Currently Reading - The Irresponsible Reader

The Friday 56 for 7/7/23: Stray Ally by Troy Lambert

On July 7, 2023

In Currently Reading, News/Misc., Quotations, The Friday 56

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

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

from Page 56 of:
Stray Ally

Stray Ally by Troy Lambert

The shovel in his hands, the white sheet folded up onto the top of his head. The gallows.

The grave behind him. The Lieutenant’s arm around his shoulder.

The camp sign in the next picture. Todd Clarke in the background, watching. He picked up the phone, then thought better of it. Pay phones had become nearly impossible to find. Time to go buy a prepaid cell and make some calls.

This would be the last time, no matter what. Of course, that’s what he’d said the last time.

WWW Wednesday, July 5, 2023

By HCNewton

On July 5, 2023

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

Thanks to the holiday yesterday, it’s a Wednesday that feels a lot like a Monday—only better because it’s closer to the end of the work week. Still, it’s a Wednesday, so that means it’s time for this quick check-in.

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 Curse of Silver of Pharaoh by Pip Ballantine, Tee Morris. I’m still listening to Dark Age by Pierce Brown narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds, John Curless, Moira Quirk, James Langton & Rendah Heywood on audiobook.

Blank Space

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Danielle Parker’s Pure of Heart, which proved to be a fun take on werewolves.

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos and my next audiobook should still be Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire, Emily Bauer (Narrator).

Blank Space

What’re you up to book-wise?

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

By HCNewton

On July 3, 2023

In Books, Calendar Items, Currently Reading, News/Misc.

I finished 31 titles (13 up/down from last month, 5 up/down from last June), with an equivalent of 7,780 pages or the equivalent (2,146 up from last month), and gave them an average of 3.66 stars (.01 down from last month). Obviously, it’s important to note that 8 of these were children’s/picture books—once again, I realize that I need to find a new way to track those things.

I did manage to post a decent variety of things (not as much as I intended to, but, since when do I?). Overall, it was a busy and good month around here.

So, here’s what happened here in June.
Books/Novels/Novellas Read/Listened to















.

Still Reading

Ratings

		Average =	3.66
	2		1
	2		1
	12		0
	6		0
	7

TBR Stacks/Piles/Heaps

	Audio	E-book	Physical	Goodreads Want-to-Read
End of 2022	5	45	42	143
1st of the Month	5	49	52	145
Added	1	8	11	1
Read/ Listened	1	7	7	1
Current Total	5	50	56	145

Breakdowns:
“Traditionally” Published: 20
Self-/Independent Published: 12

Genre	This Month	Year to Date
Children’s	8 (26%)	19 (13%)
Fantasy	2 (6%)	14 (9%)
General Fiction/ Literature	2 (6%)	12 (8%)
Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller	8 (26%)	44 (29%)
Non-Fiction	4 (13%)	13 (9%)
Science Fiction	3 (10%)	15 (10%)
Theology/ Christian Living	2 (6%)	15 (10%)
Urban Fantasy	2 (6%)	15 (10%)
“Other” (Horror/ Humor/ Steampunk/ Western)	0 (0%)	4 (3%)

Review-ish Things Posted

Grandpappy’s Corner: Sophie and the Heidelberg Cat by Andrew Wilson, Helena Perez Garcia (Illustrator): Sophie Gets Clarity on an Important Truth
Kneading Journalism by Tony Ganzer: Thoughts on Bread and the Press
A Necromancer Called Gam Gam by Adam Holcombe: Knitting, Skeletal Cats, and Other Kinds of Magic
I’m Sending Some Mixed Messages about BaIT by D.I. Jolly (and picked up some from BaIT, too)
The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 24: Circles without Center by R. T. Slaywood: That’s Not What I Expected At All
The Knight Revenant by Adam Holcombe: You Do NOT Mess Around with This Old Lady
It’s Great to Suck at Something (Audiobook) by Karen Rinaldi: The Book Isn’t Quite Proof of the Title, But…
Grandpappy’s Corner: Little Aiden – A Feelings Book for Toddlers by Albert and Anna Choi, Bettina Braskó (Illustrator): Nothing Less than Feelings
Grandpappy’s Corner: Little Aiden – A Love Book for Toddlers by Albert and Anna Choi, Bettina Braskó (Illustrator): Will Make You Say, “Awwww.”
Broken by Don Winslow: It Doesn’t Get Better Than This
This Bird Has Flown (Audiobook) by Susanna Hoffs, Juliet Stevenson: The Portrait of a Music Star as a Thirtysomething
The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 25: Nothing by R. T. Slaywood: This Ain’t Nothing
Flop Dead Gorgeous by David Rosenfelt: An Old Friend Brings a Challenging Case for Andy Carpenter
In Media Res: The Existence and Attributes of God by Stephen Charnock, edited by Mark Jones
Catch-Up Quick Takes: A Handful February and March Books
Grandpappy’s Corner: Secrets of the Wild by Olivia Kent, Srimalie Bassani (Illustrator): What the Animals Are Really Up To
Toby and the Silver Blood Witches by Sally Doherty: A Fun MG Fantasy Adventure
The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 26: Something Awful by R. T. Slaywood: Whoa…
The Worst Man by Jon Rance: The Dark Side of the Springfield Song
Grandpappy’s Corner: How Big Is Zagnodd? by Sandra Boynton: A Quick Dose of Goofiness
Cutthroat Cupcakes by Cate Lawley: This Cozy and Witchy Mystery Drips with Appeal
The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 27: Zero Rescue by R. T. Slaywood: So, That Happened

Other Things I Wrote
Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th), I also wrote:

Enough about me—how Was Your Month? Hope it was as good as mine.

20 Books of Summer 2023: June Check-In

By HCNewton

On July 1, 2023

In Books, Currently Reading, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, News/Misc., Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Urban Fantasy

Here’s a quick check-in for this challenge run by Cathy at 746 Books.

So far, I’ve read 4 2/3—which puts me a little behind last year (still far ahead of 2021, though). I should read at least 1 1/3 this coming week, so I’m feeling pretty good about where I am. Since one of those four that I have finished was The Ink Black Heart and that took a week or so, I’m not that worried. None of the rest of these are nearly that much of a commitment.

1. The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris
2. Spirelli Paranormal Investigations: Episodes 1-3 by Kate Baray
3. The Lemon Man by Ken Bruton
4. The Flood Circle by Harry Connolly
5. Barking for Business by E.N. Crane
✔ 6. Random Sh*t Flying Through the Air by Jackson Ford
7. Eye of the Sh*t Storm by Jackson Ford
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

11. Proxies by James T. Lambert
12. Teaching Moments by Troy Lambert
13. Stray Ally by Troy Lambert
✔ 14. Cutthroat Cupcakes by Cate Lawley
15. Shadow Ranch by Rebecca Carey Lyles
16. Pure of Heart by Danielle Parker
✔ 17. The Worst Man by Jon Rance
18. However Long the Day by Justin Reed
19. Klone’s Stronghold by Joyce Reynolds-Ward
20. Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo by Amy Maren Rice

(subject to change, as is allowed, but I’m going to resist the impulse to tweak as much as I can).

20 Books of Summer '23 June Check In Chart

The Friday 56 for 6/30/23: The Worst We Can Find by Dale Sherman

By HCNewton

On June 30, 2023

In Currently Reading, News/Misc., Quotations, The Friday 56

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

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

from Page 56 of:
The Worst We Can Find

The Worst We Can Find: MST3K, RiffTrax, and the History of Heckling at the Movies by Dale Sherman

Who could turn away from a movie with a title like They Saved Hitler’s Brain in hopes of seeing Hitler’s brain at some point? (It paid off, as you got to see his whole head in that one.) As much as everyone ridiculed Plan Nine from Outer Space, who among us wasn’t somehow charmed by the oddball dialogue? (“The saucers are up there. And the cemetery’s out there. But I’ll be locked up in there.”) Who could forget sitting through the Japanese monster movie without monsters, Attack of the Mushroom People, and yet be stunned by the downer ending?

WWW Wednesday June 28, 2023

By HCNewton

On June 28, 2023

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

Happy τ Day, everyone! Or at least for those who write their dates like we do in the States. Happy 28/6 everyone else, I guess. I’d better shut up about number things, because while I’m not The Worst with them, I can see it from where I’m standing. Let’s just move on to books.

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?