Category: Currently Reading Page 48 of 71

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

On June 1, 2021

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

May 2021 saw me complete 22 books for 6,238+ pages or the equivalent (I don’t have a page count on one of the unpublished books yet, and there as a DNF in there, too, so that’s where the + comes in). Not my strongest month, but given things going on in Real Life, I’m pleased with that. 3.5 Average Stars—read a couple of let-downs, and a decent number of books that were good, but not great. Which is fine with me, viva le 3 Stars! (and a couple of things blew me away, too—not going to complain about that!)

I posted something every single day in May—a feat I haven’t accomplished in years. Sure, some of the posts were a little on the lame side, but I still feel like I accomplished something there. Not a solid month, but it could’ve been worse, I’m satisfied.

So, here’s what happened here in May.






		DNF

		Average =	3.5
	3		2
	1		1
	3		0
	5		0
	7

Incremental decrease! I’ll take it 🙂

“Traditionally” Published: 13
Self-/Independent Published: 9

Genre	This Month	Year to Date
Children’s	1 (5%)	2 (2%)
Fantasy	1 (5%)	10 (9%)
General Fiction/ Literature	1 (5%)	3 (3%)
Horror	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
Humor	1 (5%)	3 (3%)
Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller	8 (36%)	41 (37%)
Non-Fiction	4 (18%)	9 (8%)
Science Fiction	1 (5%)	13 (10%)
Steampunk	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
Theology/ Christian Living	1 (5%)	11 (10%)
Urban Fantasy	4 (21%)	19 (17%)
Western	0 (0%)	0 (0%)

The Word Became Fresh by Dale Ralph Davis: Principles for Old Testament Reading “For Fun and Profit”
Dead Secret by Noelle Holten: Maggie Has to Juggle Several Balls at Once—Can She Keep it Up AND Catch a Killer?
Below Zero (Audiobook) by C. J. Box, David Chandler: Joe Pickett’s 9th Adventure is Almost Impossible to Believe
Red Widow by Alma Katsu: This Realistic Spy Thriller Just Missed the Mark
Surviving Religion 101 by Michael J. Kruger: Letters to a Christian College Sudent
A Wanted Man by Rob Parker: Meet Ben Bracken
The Writer’s Library by Nancy Pearl & Jeff Schwager (Audiobook) Was Just Painful to Listen To: DNFed
A Tale of Wonderful Whiffs by Sophie Loosveldt, Isabella Croker (Illustrator): Secret Agent Pug? A Spy *for* the House of Love?
In Medias Res: A Man With One of Those Faces by Caimh McDonnell, Morgan C. Jones (Narrator)
Goodbye to the Sun by Jonathan Nevair: Broken People and Broken Worlds Hope for a Better Future
I have a hard time shutting up about Moonlighting: An Oral History by Scott Ryan
The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson: A Jaw-Dropping Debut
A Quick Look at the Wonderful The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Illustrated Edition by Douglas Adams, Chris Riddell (Illustrator)
R. C. Sproul: A Life by Stephen J. Nichols: The Life and Work of Robert Charles Sproul

Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th), I also wrote:

How was your month?

20 Books of Summer 2021

By HCNewton

On May 31, 2021

In Books, Currently Reading, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Ian Rankin, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, News/Misc., Urban Fantasy

One summer.

Three months.

93 Days.

20 books.

Are you in?

Here’s the kickoff post on 746 Books in case you want more details. I had a lot of fun with this last year (the time pressure helped a lot), so let’s give it another shot. Last year, my list was a mix of summer releases, NetGalley things I’d been procrastinating on, and some things I’d meant to read for a while. But here’s the thing–I don’t need something prompting me to read the next Ace Atkins or Kevin Hearne, ditto for my NetGalley stack–that’s going to get read. So in keeping with my push to trim my TBR List (both aspirational and stuff I already own) this year, 19 of these 20 books are those (I did put one upcoming release on the list, it was a moment of weakness). It’s going to be an actual challenge to get all of these read, but I think I’m up for it.

Anyway, here’s my list (subject to change, but I’m going to resist the impulse to tweak as much as I can).

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

The Friday 56 for 5/28/21: The Bounty by Janet Evanovich with Steve Hamilton

By HCNewton

On May 28, 2021

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 Bounty

The Bounty by Janet Evanovich with Steve Hamilton

“Took you long enough,” Nick said.

Quentin gave him back the tools Nick had slipped into Quentin’s hand when he had reached through the bars to say goodbye. “Do you always carry lock picks with you?”

“Like I said, it’s a long story. ”

“Well, next time bring me a good old-fashioned hook pick instead. And a tension bar with actual tension on it.”

“Noted,” Nick said. “Now let’s get off the street.”

One of These Things is Not Like the Other…

By HCNewton

On May 27, 2021

In Books, Currently Reading, Fiction, Fox and O'Hare, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, News/Misc.

I frequently find myself surprised at the strength of some of my opinions when it comes to the Fox and O’Hare series, starting with one of the prequel short stories—Pros and Cons and going up through 2019’s The Big Kahuna (Book 7). At its best, the series is a great combination of action, comedy, with a dash of will-they-won’t-they flirtatious fun.

As I’ve been reading the latest installment, The Bounty, one thought in the back of my mind is: this doesn’t look like a Fox and O’Hare book. And, like with some of the books, I find myself thinking about this more than than I’d expect to.

Books 1-6

Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Book 6

Book 7

It just doesn’t look right, does it? The other covers (to me) capture the flavor of the books, the bright colors and the silhouettes speak to me of action-comedy. The Bounty looks like a cable/streaming drama. Like, a merger of CB Strike or Jack Ryan thumbnails.

Does it matter that much? That’s a good question—but I’m not sure if I was trying the series with The Bounty that I’d be getting what I expected.

Sure, it might just be a change, and like Garth Algar, I’m not a fan of change. But it’s a branding thing, and why mess with one that’s working?

WWW Wednesday, May 26, 2021

By HCNewton

On May 26, 2021

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

I’ve had to stop trying on a couple of posts for today, they’re just going to take more work than I’m ready for. But I can check in with a WWW Wednesday, which I find interesting (both to put together and to read other people’s), I hope you do, too—’cuz that’s all I’ve got in me today.

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 Bounty by Janet Evanovich with Steve Hamilton (unless it’s dramatically better than the previous novel—a very low bar—this will be my last Fox & O’Hare book) and am continuing my resisting of the Alex Verus series with Chosen by Benedit Jacka, Gildart Jackson (Narrator) on audiobook.

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What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished the second Ben Bracken thriller, Rob Parker’s Morte Point and Three Mages and a Margarita by Annette Marie, Cris Dukehart (Narrator) on audio, the first in a promising UF series.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be the 90s throwback Runaway Train by Lee Matthew Goldberg and my next audiobook should be The Authorities by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator)—I’m a little nervous about Meyer outside of Magic 2.0, but I know with Daniels at least it’ll be a good listen.

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What about you, what are your current/recent/ reads?

The Friday 56 for 5/21/21: Morte Point by Rob Parker

By HCNewton

On May 21, 2021

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:
Morte Point

Morte Point by Rob Parker

I take my shoes from the pack, and put them on, ready for a light jog. I want to hit civilisation before the world wakes up, and get a march on a quicker route out.

A farmer’s wooden access gate appears on my right, which seems the perfect way for a more direct route to Mortehoe, so I hop the wooden fence into a field of cows. The song birds are in voice, welcoming me with a staccato trill. In the distance, perhaps half a kilometre away, I can see the rooftops. I run as the crow flies precisely in that direction, keeping an eye on the floor for cow muck, nimbly hopping it as I see it. It reminds me of precise foot placement in areas strewn with land-mines, this time only with smelly shoes at stake.

I rely on the timing of my activity to be the best camouflage, but fat lot of use that was back at the beach mansion. Maybe the village is a hub of activity in the early hours, especially when wound up by the search for an intruder out on the Point.

My answer is immediate and as obvious as I could ask for.

A helicopter throbs over a distant hill, the surge of its rotors suddenly louder as it enters the valley, and I see it appear over the village. I sprint for the hedgerow which frames the field, before any airborne eyes can see me.

WWW Wednesday, May 19, 2021

By HCNewton

On May 19, 2021

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

It may seem like I’m not making a lot of progress lately on various books–and that’s only because I’m not. Work’s been crazy and I’m having a hard time finding the time to read–and when I do, there’s not a lot of energy to do it, I’m having a hard time focusing enough to keep going with audiobooks, too. Also, I’ve been beta reading an upcoming novel–I’ll talk more about that soon, but that’s been taking time away from the regular reading (which is not a complaint–great read, I can’t wait to tell you to go buy the book in a couple of months).

Anyway, that’s just to explain why there hasn’t been a lot of turnover in the last few of these posts, but maybe this WWW Wednesday will be the beginning of a return to normal.

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 Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson and am revisiting (for the first time since the late 80s) All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot, Christopher Timothy (Narrator) on audiobook.

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What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Scott Ryan’s fantastic Moonlighting: An Oral History and the twisted fun that is A Man With One of Those Faces by Caimh McDonnell, Morgan C. Jones (Narrator) on audio.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be the second Ben Bracken novel, Morte Point by Rob Parker and my next audiobook should be The Data Detective: Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics by Tim Harford (who also narrates it). I’m sure that past-me had a good reason for it when he placed the reserve, I just wish I remembered it*.

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* I’m sure it’s a fine book, but really past me–statistics???

Hit me with your Three W’s in the comments! I’m curious!

The Friday 56 for 5/14/21: The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson

By HCNewton

On May 14, 2021

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 Jigsaw Man

The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson

The caramel-colored leg was slim and streaked with dried blood. Three toenails, polished bright blue, had pushed through the black netting of a pair of tights, which had gathered at the foot.

“Shit,” said Ramouter.

“She thought it was the leg of a mannequin at first until she noticed the dried blood and Vacarescu started screaming like a man possessed.”

Three feet from the leg, an arm and a head had been dumped against a tree stump. The head was covered with long black and purple braids. There was a bald spot, the size of a two-pound coin, on the right side. Her forehead was crisscrossed with grazes and bruising pocked her right cheekbone. Traces of red lipstick cracked across her lips. Two blackened holes where her eyes used to be. Ramouter put a hand to his mouth and looked away as a woodlouse crawled into the left eye socket.

“Where’s Linh?” Henley asked Stanford. “And why aren’t you at court?”

“Sick juror, and Linh is on her way.” Stanford turned his back on the body. Henley knew how he was feeling. They thought they had seen it all, until life presented them with a fresh kind of hell.

In Medias Res: A Man With One of Those Faces by Caimh McDonnell, Morgan C. Jones (Narrator)

By HCNewton

On May 14, 2021

In Currently Reading, Fiction, In Medias Res, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

As the title implies, I’m in the middle of this book, so this is not a review, just some thoughts mid-way through.

A Man With One of Those Faces

by Caimh McDonnell, Morgan C. Jones (Narrator)

Book Blurb:

The first time somebody tried to kill him was an accident.

The second time was deliberate.

Now Paul Mulchrone finds himself on the run with nobody to turn to except a nurse who has read one-too-many crime novels and a renegade copper with a penchant for violence. Together they must solve one of the most notorious crimes in Irish history…

…or else they’ll be history.

I’m at the 48% mark—and this is just ridiculously fun. A great mix of dark humor, some silly humor, gritty crime drama, some fascinating characters, and three very different kinds of police detectives.

For me, this experience has been like the first time I read one of Jay Stringer’s Sam Ireland books—Ways to Die in Glasgow

I get the impression that Detective Bunny McGarry is who I’m supposed to be the most focused on, but he rankles me. Poor, incredibly ordinary-looking, Paul Mulchrone and the nurse, Brigit Conroy, who got him into this mess are who I’m the most invested in. But the DI Jimmy Stewart is the star of this book—I could listen/read to a five-book series about him starting tomorrow.

I can’t think of a way to sum up the plot or even speculate about what’s going to happen next—like I normally do in these posts. I just can tell that whatever happens next that I’m going to have a blast listening to it, and I’m prepared for just about anything to happen.

WWW Wednesday, May 12, 2021

By HCNewton

On May 12, 2021

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

I feel like I’ve been stumbling, barely conscious through this week so far—is it just me? Let’s hope this WWW Wednesday perks me 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 the ARC for Moonlighting: An Oral History by Scott Ryan (and all I want to do is take a vacation from life and watch my DVDs now) and am listening to A Man With One of Those Faces by Caimh McDonnell, Morgan C. Jones (Narrator) on audiobook, one of those books I inexplicably kept putting off starting.

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What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Rob Parker’s A Wanted Man and Time and Tide by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson (Narrator) on audio—the theme of which left me in a funk (great book, though).

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What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson (which does not promise to be a feel-good read) and I have no idea what my next audiobook will be, DNF’ing something yesterday has thrown off my schedule.

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