Category: News/Misc. Page 117 of 238

WWW Wednesday, April 20, 2022

On April 20, 2022

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

The theme for the week around my home has been tired–my youngest spent a couple of days in the hospital this weekend thanks to a common cold knocking his immuno-suppressed body for a loop. Something nobody tells you about getting a kidney transplant–sure you get a new lease on life, but every now and then some random and relatively wimpy virus can put you down for days. While he’s recovering, we are, too–to a much lesser extent. Still, it’s surprising how much of a toll just sitting in a hospital room for a day can take. Nevertheless, I’ve managed to do a little reading (and less writing, but I’ll catch up sometime…maybe).

Which brings us to today’s 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 atmospheric Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger and am wrapping up the trilogy with The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien, Andy Serkis (Narrator) on audiobook.

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What did you recently finish reading?

I finally finished Chas Smith’s Blessed Are the Bank Robbers: The True Adventures of an Evangelical Outlaw (although I did read two other books while working on it). I also just finished Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism by Fumio Sasaki, Eriko Sugita (Translator), Keith Szarabajka (Narrator) on audio.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be “Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K.J. Parker and I’m not sure what audiobook is next, it’s going to be a while before I get through the one I’m working on.

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

Book Blogger Hop: Book Jackets On or Off?

By HCNewton

On April 19, 2022

In Book Blogger Hop, Books, News/Misc.

Book Blogger Hop

This prompt was submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer:

Do you prefer to leave book jackets on or off while reading?

Obviously, we’re talking books that I own or borrow from a friend, right? Because I absolutely leave the dust jackets in that film (plastic? polyester? mylar? whatever) wrap the library uses on all the time. I’m no vandal.

But if we’re talking about my own books, those jackets are off when I read (or, before I loan it out). And I treat a borrowed book the same. I’m the biblio-equivalent of the person that makes you take off your shoes before you enter their house. I try, for reasons I don’t care to examine, to keep those as pristine as possible–if I’m manhandling them the whole time I’m reading, they’re going to get torn, creased, frayed, etc.–and that would drive me batty.

Now, I used to know a guy who hated dust jackets. The first thing he did when he bought a book was to throw it away. His shelves were full of hardcovers, too. I never understood that. The cover design is all in the dust jacket (well, almost all of it).

What about you?

Nero Wolfe on Taxes

By HCNewton

On April 18, 2022

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin, News/Misc., Quotations

I can’t tell you when this became a (largely) annual thing for me to post, but it was on a blog that pre-existed this one. As always, seems like a good day to post it.

A man condemning the income tax because of the annoyance it gives him or the expense it puts him to is merely a dog baring its teeth, and he forfeits the privileges of civilized discourse. But it is permissible to criticize it on other and impersonal grounds. A government, like an individual, spends money for any or all of three reasons: because it needs to, because it wants to, or simply because it has it to spend. The last is much the shabbiest. It is arguable, if not manifest, that a substantial proportion of this great spring flood of billions pouring into the Treasury will in effect get spent for that last shabby reason.

–Nero Wolfe
from And Be a Villain

Saturday Miscellany—4/16/22

By HCNewton

On April 16, 2022

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

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 How to make reading a regular habit—I’d say this is a shorter version of the usual thing written on this topic, but it is from Reader’s Digest, so I guess it’s about standard. Also, Reader’s Digest is still a thing?
bullet The Summer of Ree!—Michael R. Underwood is re-releasing the series that started it all for him this summer—including in paperback this time! A great time to pick up this fun UF series.
bullet The Art of the Book Recommendation
bullet 8 Types of Audiobook Listeners—I’m the last 3–okay, I’ve become too lazy to be all 3, I’m the last 2 types. But I should be the last 3.
bullet Starting a Home Lending Library Has Made Me a Better Friend
bullet Interview with Literature & Lofi and Announcement—Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week will be back this year, read here to see what Literature and LoFi and Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub have to say about it.
bullet Against Sub-Genres—this comes so close to what I’ve been thinking lately, it’s kind of creepy.

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch—I finished this new Rivers of London book yesterday, and it’s so good!
bullet The Cutting Season by M.W. Craven—This quick Poe & Tilly novella pulls no punches.
bullet Still Just a Geek: An Annotated Memoir by Wil Wheaton—Wheaton’s put out a new edition of his memoir, with added material–including annotations on his original material, casting whole new lights on it. Sounds like a great idea.

Lastly, I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to Brothers Campfire , who followed the blog this week. Check out their blog, folks.

The Friday 56 for 4/15/22: The Cutting Season by M.W. Craven

By HCNewton

On April 15, 2022

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 Cutting Season

The Cutting Season by M.W. Craven

Poe was dragged feet first out of the van. His skull cracked against the wet concrete. He ran his tongue across his teeth. One of his fillings had come loose.

Great, he thought.

He was pulled to his feet and pushed into a building. It immediately got colder. He was still wearing a hood and his nose felt like it was full of broken glass, but Poe knew where he was. The smell of raw meat and the sudden drop in temperature meant he was in the meat warehouse the Hole in the Wall Gang had bought twenty years earlier. It was where they cured and air-dried the pork and beef and game meats they served in Battista’s Bar and Grill and the other restaurants they owned. It was where the sausages were made.

Poe knew it was also where the gang disposed of anyone who bothered them. The turf wars of the eighties were long over, but all gangs squabbled from time to time. A building whose only purpose was the processing of meat was also perfect for making humans disappear without a trace.

WWW Wednesday, April 13, 2022

By HCNewton

On April 13, 2022

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

I don’t know how things are where you are, but we’ve had “third winter” hit here this week–a lot of cold and a lot of much-needed rain (not enough by any means, but that’s a whole different post). It’s good reading weather, though, so I’ll take it. But enough blather, why don’t we see what’s going on on this 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’ve got two print works running at the moment: the unexpectedly fun, Blessed Are the Bank Robbers: The True Adventures of an Evangelical Outlaw by Chas Smith, and the newest adventure of Peter Grant and The Folly, Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch. I’m also listening to How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question written and narratoed by Michael Schur (with Kristen Bell, D’Arcy Carden, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Manny Jacinto, Marc Evan Jackson, Jameela Jamil and Todd May) on audiobook.

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What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished A. Lee Martinez by Constance Verity Destroys the Universe (and will hopefully get a post about that up anytime now) and Meat is Murder by Chris McDonald, Stephen Armstrong (Narrator) on audio.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger and my next audiobook should be Force of Nature by C. J. Box, David Chandler (Narrator).

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How are you spending the days before the dreaded April 15th?

Saturday Miscellany—4/9/22

By HCNewton

On April 9, 2022

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

I don’t look at these posts on my phone–almost ever. But something led me to an old one yesterday, and ugh. These Saturday Miscellany posts just do not look right on them–I made a small tweak today that should help. If you read this on your phone/tablet, will you let me know if this looks better than usual? Also, my apologies.

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 Congress Investigates Book Banning in Schools—Oh good. Congress is getting involved. That’ll help.
bullet ALA Releases Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021—I don’t know much about the majority of this list, but I’ve read a couple of these and the noted complaints about them are pretty baseless. Can only imagine the rest of the list is similarly meritless.
bullet Will George R.R. Martin Ever Finish A Song of Ice and Fire? (And Does It Matter Anymore If He Doesn’t?)—The penultimate paragraph is pretty much were I am.
bullet Treasuring the Books No One Else Seems to Love—I think most of us can find ourselves in this
bullet How to Read More Books! 7 Tried and True Tips—Shelf Centered weighs in on this evergreen topic. Some handy tips.
bullet Buying Secondhand Books
bullet My Top 36 Fantasy Series/Books—As I demonstrated yesterday, I don’t think I could pull off a list like this. My hat’s off to Peat Long for doing so. Also, I’m coming back to this next time I’m in the mood for a fantasy read.
bullet Why I Love To Read… Middle Grade
bullet The 10 types of book reviewer!—Do you see yourself in one/more of these?
bullet PSA: Honesty and Book Reviewing—I may have linked to this last time Bookstooge posted this. I probably did. Still, it’s worth reading again.

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
bullet Blood Brothers Episode 87 with Ben Aaronovitch—a discussion with Aaronovitch on the eve of the next Rivers of London book. Aaronovitch was on his game here, very fun podcast.
bullet Fiction Fans Storm Front (Dresden Files) with Literature & Lofi—Ben from Literature & Lofi and the hosts talk about Butcher’s Storm Front, I’d quibble with some of the discussion, but on the whole, it was a decent look at the book/teaser for the series.

This week, there were no New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon. So I won’t be tempting you (or be tempted myself). Time to catch up on what you already decided to read!

The Friday 56 for 4/8/22: Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian

By HCNewton

On April 8, 2022

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:
Under Lock & Skeleton Key

Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian

This isn’t the family curse, Tempest told herself as she backed away from Cassidy’s body. It doesn’t really exist. Magic could be a dangerous profession if you weren’t careful. Before her grandfather’s eldest brother had died while performing an underwater escape, Ash hadn’t believed in the Raj family curse. But with the tragic death of his brother Arjun Raj, the whispers of a curse that had begun two generations before turned into a full-fledged legend.

The eldest child dies by magic.

Tempest couldn’t know what exactly had occurred over the past 150 years. What she did know was that a month after she nearly died on stage, her stage double was dead—and presented to Tempest like one of her own seemingly impossible illusions.

Book Blogger Hop: Favorite Books?

By HCNewton

On April 8, 2022

In Book Blogger Hop, Books, News/Misc.

Book Blogger Hop

This prompt was submitted by Julie @ Stepping Stone Book Reviews:

Are you able to choose your favorite books?

Um, er…yeah.

Sure.

Maybe?

I need some parameters, or we’re going to be here for a while. Quite a while.

How many can I pick? My desert island, all-time, top-five? Favorite Books in _____ Genre? Favorite Books from a certain year/decade/century? Favorite books by an Author?

And even then…an hour or so after I gave you my list, I’d have to revisit it.

And then a month later, and….you know what?

No. No, I am not able to choose my favorite books. I even tried to come up with a partial list, 2-3 books, with a few alternatives and I just quickly realized that I was going to spend more than an hour on the joke. A not-very-good joke.

Rats.

What about you?

WWW Wednesday, April 6, 2022

By HCNewton

On April 6, 2022

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

This WWW Wednesday doesn’t look quite like I expected, which is a good thing. I’ve had a little more time on my hands this week than I expected, so I’m about a day ahead of schedule–I’ve found myself at the top of the reserve line for more books than I expected lately, so I’m glad to get ahead.

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 Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian –it’s starting slow, but I think it’s about to take off and knock my socks off. I’m listening to Fight and Flight by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator) on audiobook–I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to get back to this series, and I’m a little annoyed with myself.

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What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished David Rosenfelt’s Citizen K-9, hopefully my post about it has gone up by now (we’ll see how productive I got last night). My last audiobook was 20/20 by Carl Goodman, Louise Brealey (Narrator), which is not your typical police procedural (and yet really is).

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