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WWW Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Don’t have the time/energy for much today, but I think I can fit in 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 an ARC of the twentieth Jesse Stone novel, Robert B. Parker’s Stone’s Throw by Mike Lupica and am listening to Burned by Benedict Jacka, Gildart Jackson (Narrator) on audiobook.

Stone's ThrowBlank SpaceBurned

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished one of the noirest noirs I can remember, J. Todd Scott’s The Far Empty and Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo, Kathleen McInerney (Narrator) on audio—which is pretty disturbing, too.

The Far EmptyBlank SpacePray for Silence

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be Love by Roddy Doyle—outside of periodic re-reads, I haven’t read Doyle this century. It’s about time I fix that. My next audiobook should be Kill All the Lawyers by Paul Levine, William Dufris (Narrator).

LoveBlank SpaceKill All the Lawyers

Are you reading anything good?

The Friday 56 for 8/13/21: The Dead House by Harry Bingham

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:
The Dead House

The Dead House by Harry Bingham

The chamber we’re in isn’t vast by the standards of vast. It’s perhaps twice the length, height and width of that common room at Penwyllt, but it feels cathedral-like to me. Lofty and aerial.

I sit on a hunk of rock and wait for Lloyd (grinning) and Burnett (muttering) to appear. We congratulate each other. Learn to keep our torch beams angled slightly away from each other’s eyes, so we can see each other without dazzling ourselves.

Water pools in places on the floor, but is nowhere more than a few inches deep. Somewhere there’s a drip of water against rock. A faint draught.

Burnett sits next to me, mixing blasphemy and old-fashioned cursing in a way that is both dully conventional but also pleasingly heartfelt and direct.

Lloyd bounces round like a puppy. Splashes to the end of the chamber. Points out that the passage continues on from there. Pokes around a rubble of loose rock along the chamber’s right hand edge, muttering to himself.

When he’s done, he trots back.

‘OK? OK? You both all right? You’ve done well. That was a good crawl. Not as good as Ogof Daren Cilau, but still a good ’un. A really good ’un. Now, OK, take a break. Have a rest. I’ll get the sacks and we’ll set up base camp.’

WWW Wednesday, August 11, 2021

So, it’s a little too early to really know how things are going to change with the new job as far as time for books and audiobooks—but I can tell you how it’s going this week. I’ve found about the same time to read—it’s shifted and in different sized chunks. So that’s a relief. But audiobook-time has taken a dive, maybe this week I’ll be able to finish the not-very-long book that I started Friday. In the midst of all the personal upheaval, one thing has remained constant—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 The Dead House by Harry Bingham, the next novel in one of those series that I keep getting distracted from, and I’m listening to The Deep Blue Alibi by Paul Levine, William Dufris (Narrator) on audiobook—switching narrators from the first book threw me a little, but am enjoying it (when I can listen).

The Dead HouseBlank SpaceThe Deep Blue Alibi

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Andy Abramowitz’s A Beginner’s Guide to Free Fall and Black Arts by Faith Hunter, Khristine Hvam (Narrator) on audio.

A Beginner’s Guide to Free FallBlank SpaceBlack Arts

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be The Far Empty by J. Todd Scott and my next audiobook (assuming I ever finish The Deep Blue Alibi) should be Burned by Benedict Jacka, Gildart Jackson (Narrator).

The Far EmptyBlank SpaceBurned

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

The Friday 56 for 8/6/21: All Together Now by Matthew Norman

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:
All Together Now

All Together Now by Matthew Norman

Michelle is in her swimsuit; a pair of goggles hang around he, neck, “Can we go in the pool?” she asks. Before Blair can answer Kenny enters. He’s wearing his swimsuit, too, but it’s on backward and his goggles are wrapped upside down around his forehead “We gotta go in the pool!”

“At least somebody came to party,” says Cat.

Martin takes a theatrical sip of his awful drink. “I’m on it,” he says. “Hon, hang with your friends. Michelle, Kenny, it’s cannonball time.” Michelle and Kenny cheer… Martin leaves to change into his suit while Cat throws grapes in the air from a giant fruit bowl for the twins to try to catch in their mouths.

“That’s kind of a choking hazard, Cat,” says Blair. “Oh, honey, don’t eat floor grapes.”

“Is your mommy always like this?” Cat asks the twins. She throws a grape up for herself, and it bounces off her nose.

“Like what?” asks Kenny.

“Such a mom?”

WWW Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Time for the first WWW Wednesday of August, where the books are as hot as the weather!

(wow, that was cheezy, I’m not sure where that came from. I’m hearing the voice of Sean Evans in my head as I read the sentence…)

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 Ninja’s Blade by Tori Eldridge—which starts off in a really compelling way—and am listening to Black Arts by Faith Hunter, Khristine Hvam (Narrator) on audiobook.

The Ninja’s BladeBlank SpaceBlack Arts

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished the ARC Paper & Blood—it’s a doozy—and Solomon vs. Lord by Paul Levine, Christopher Lane (Narrator) on audio—which is as fun as I remember, I think I last read it 13 years ago.

Paper & BloodBlank SpaceSolomon vs. Lord

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be Twice Cursed by J. C. Jackson and my next audiobook should be The Deep Blue Alibi by Paul Levine, William Dufris (Narrator).

Twice CursedBlank SpaceThe Deep Blue Alibi

How are you starting this month?

20 Books of Summer 2021: July Check-in

20 Books of Summer
One summer.

Three months.

93 Days.

20 books.


It’s time for my July Check-In for 20 Books for Summer. After a June that was less-than-productive (well, okay, I read nothing), it didn’t look so good.

I’m still not sure it does—July was better, I read eight books off the list. I thought I’d read more until I started prepping this post, though—math’s never been my strong suit. Twelve books in August still seems doable, but I’m thinking this goal is out of range. Still, I’m going to try, I’m having fun working through the list, anyway.

Speaking of which, here it is:

1. A Beginner’s Guide to Free Fall by Andy Abramowitz
2. The Dead House by Harry Bingham
3. The Run-Out Groove by Andrew Cartmel
4. Love by Roddy Doyle
5. The Ninja’s Blade by Tori Eldridge
✔ 6. Small Bytes by Robert Germaux
7. A Reason to Live by Matthew Iden
8. Twiced Cursed by J. C. Jackson
9. The Dime by Kathleen Kent
✔ 10. Dead Man’s Grave by Neil Lancaster
✔ 11. The Magnificent Nine by James Lovegrove
12. The Mermaid’s Pool by David Nolan
✔ 13. All Together Now by Matthew Norman
14. The Good Byline by Jill Orr
✔ 15. Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights by Liam Perrin
16. Fools Gold by Ian Patrick
✔ 17. Know Your Rites by Andy Redsmith
18. The Far Empty by J. Todd Scott
✔ 19. August Snow by Stephen Mack Jones
✔ 20. In Plain Sight by Dan Willis

20 Books of Summer '21 Chart July

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

“Only” 24 books this month—I got off to a strong start, and then I started a period of readjustment thanks to returning to the office. I’m not sure I’ve got my feet under me when it comes to reading/listening to audiobooks yet. That’s 6,412 pages (or audio-equivalent), plus I’m guessing another 350 or so—there was one audio short story and one to-be-published novel that I can’t find page counts for. Which is not terribly shabby when I think of it in those terms. My average rating was 3.9, a tenth of a point higher than most months this year (4 tenths higher than my worst), so that fits.

Part of what use these posts to do is spur myself to action on various fronts—or that’s the intent, anyway. Am rethinking the Mt. TBR portion of these posts, because it’s sure not working too well.

Enough monologuing, I’m not a supervillain about to leave the hero to die in an (doomed) elaborate contraption—here’s what happened here in July.

Books Read

Blood Trade Foundations of Covenant Theology In Plain Sight
4 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars
Small Bytes Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights A Bad Day for Sunshine
3 Stars 3 Stars 4 1/2 Stars
An Accidental Death Know Your Rites Off the Grid
4 Stars 3.5 Stars 3 Stars
The Attributes of God Tales from the Folly A Good Day for Chardonnay
4 Stars 4 Stars 4 1/2 Stars
August Snow Finding Hope in Hard Things Veiled
5 Stars 3.5 Stars 4 Stars
Dead Man’s Grave The Drifter The Heathens
4 Stars 4 1/2 Stars 4 Stars
Church History 101: The Highlights of Twenty Centuries Lessons from the Upper Room In 10 Years
3 Stars 3.5 Stars 5 Stars
Wisp of a Thing The Magnificent Nine All
5 Stars 3.5 Stars 4 Stars

Still Reading

The Wonderful Works of God Things Unseen Solomon vs. Lord
Paper & Blood

Ratings

5 Stars 3 2 1/2 Stars 0
4 1/2 Stars 3 2 Stars 0
4 Stars 9 1 1/2 Stars 0
3.5 Stars 4 1 Star 0
3 Stars 5
Average = 3.9

TBR Pile
I’m strongly considering renaming this to Tsundoku (積ん読), so I can celebrate the size of some of these bars rather than shaking my head at myself…What do you think?
Mt TBR January 20

Breakdowns
“Traditionally” Published: 16
Self-/Independent Published: 8

Genre This Month Year to Date
Children’s 1 (5%) 2 (1%)
Fantasy 3 (16%) 14 (9%)
General Fiction/ Literature 3 (16%) 8 (5%)
Horror 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Humor 0 (0%) 2 (4%)
Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller 6 (32%) 59 (36%)
Non-Fiction 1 (5%) 10 (6%)
Science Fiction 0 (0%) 15 (9%)
Steampunk 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Theology/ Christian Living 0 (0%) 18 (11%)
Urban Fantasy 4 (21%) 31 (19%)
Western 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

Review-ish Things Posted

Other Things I Wroteotherwriting
Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31st), I also wrote (okay, mostly compiled):

That was my month…how was yours?

The Friday 56 for 7/23/21: Dead Man’s Grave by Neil Lancaster

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:
Dead Man’s Grave

Dead Man’s Grave by Neil Lancaster

‘We seem to be the funeral squad at the moment, and bearing in mind I’d never been to one before working with you, I’m starting to worry, especially as we’ve now done two recently,’ said Janie, taking in the scene.

‘Valuable intelligence sources, Constable. Next stop weddings, christenings and bar mitzvahs.’

‘I may ask for a transfer; it’s getting bloody depressing.’

The Friday 56 for 7/30/21: The Heathens by Ace Atkins

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

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

from Page 56 of:
The Heathens

The Heathens by Ace Atkins

“You had a chance, Chester,” TJ said. “You stole my momma’s money. Money she only had ‘cause she’d stolen it off me. You tried to threaten me, sending the police out knocking on my door like I did something wrong.”

“Get out of here,” he said. “I’ll call the sheriff.”

“Do it,” TJ said. She reached down on the glass table littered with an empty bag of chips, an overflowing ashtray, and the silver insulated cup of booze. She snatched up his cell phone and tossed it right in his lap. “Call 911. I damn well dare you. Call Sheriff Colson and let him know some seventeen-year-old girl is gonna shoot you. Because you’d be right. But then at least we might can get straight on all the trouble you caused me and my family. You’re sitting here drinking whiskey and eating Golden Flake chips while my little brother can’t even get breakfast.”

WWW Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Wait, it’s July 28th already? I’m not ready for that in several ways–can we get a recount? A mulligan? A giant “Pause” button? Time for the last WWW Wednesday of July!

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 Magnificent Nine by James Lovegrave—nothing like a little time with the crew of Serenity—and am wrapping up Wisp of a Thing by Alex Bledsoe, Stefan Rudnicki (Narrator) up on audiobook.

The Magnificent NineBlank SpaceWisp of a Thing<

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Ian Shane’s In 10 Years—a wonderful read—and The Drifter by Nick Petrie, Stephen Mendel (Narrator) on audio.

In 10 YearsBlank SpaceThe Drifter

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be All Together Now by Matthew Norman—which is what I said last week, but I got distracted—and my next audiobook is TBD.

All Together NowBlank SpaceQuestion Mark

What are you doing to wrap up the month?

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