Category: News/Misc. Page 155 of 229

Down the TBR Hole (4 of 24+)

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On April 22, 2020

In Books, Down the TBR Hole, News/Misc.

Down the TBR Hole

What’s the fourth round of this going to look like?

This meme was created by Lia @ Lost in a Story—but Jenna at Bookmark Your Thoughts is the one that exposed me to this, and as my Goodreads “Want To Read” shelf is scarily long, I had to do this.

The Rules are simple:

  1. Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
  2. Order on ascending date added.
  3. Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
  4. Read the synopses of the books.
  5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
  6. Keep track of where you left off so you can pick up there next week! (or whenever)

What distinguishes this series from the Mt. TBR section of my Month-end Retrospectives? Those are books I actually own while Goodreads contains my aspirational TBR (many of which will be Library reads). The Naming of the two is a bit confusing, but…what’re you going to do?

I didn’t expect that I’d be as wordy as I have been in the first three posts, but this installment being as succinct as it ended up being really was unexpected. I can’t imagine that will continue in the future, concise ain’t how I roll…

(Click on the cover for an official site or something with more info about the book)

Turn Around Bright Eyes Turn Around Bright Eyes: The Rituals of Love & Karaoke by Rob Sheffield
Blurb: A follow-up to Love Is a Mix Tape, which crushed me, Sheffield’s account of falling in love and his wife’s death through mix tapes. This is about him moving on via karaoke.
My Thoughts: There’s no reason for me to have jumped on this 7 years ago. Shame on me.
Verdict: Gotta get on it.
Thumbs Up
The Iggy Chronicles, Volume One The Iggy Chronicles, Volume One by Spencer Quinn
Blurb: It’s a short story where Chet’s neighbor and pal, Iggy, is the hero.
My Thoughts: I wasn’t crazy about the two Chet & Bernie shorts that I’ve read, but they weren’t bad. I should probably just do it. Besides, Iggy’s fun.
Verdict:
Thumbs Up
Wounded Prey Wounded Prey by Sean Lynch
Blurb: A retired cop gets one more chance at the serial killer he couldn’t put away years before.
My Thoughts: I don’t remember how this popped up on my radar back in ’13, looks okay, but I read enough like this already, without remembering what originally drew this to me, I’ll probably just let it go.
Verdict:
Thumbs Down
Doctor Who: Eleven Doctors, Eleven Stories Doctor Who: Eleven Doctors, Eleven Stories by Various Authors
Blurb: This was released back for the 50th anniversary with one story per doctor, each by a different author.
My Thoughts: I really dig some of these authors and seeing them take on The Doctor still sounds like fun.
Verdict: Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum
Thumbs Up
The Dark of Deep Below The Dark of Deep Below by Patrick Rothfuss
My Thoughts: I’ve been trying to get my hands on this since I read the first Princess and Mr. Whiffle, it’s just hard to find (and pricey). But still, it’d be a blast to read.
Verdict:
Thumbs Up
The Neighbor The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner
My Thoughts: In the short story I read about D. D. Warren, I really liked her. I like her character in the first two novels, but we spent far too much time with Bobby Dodge in both of those. If I knew he wasn’t around, I’d probably have read this by now.
Verdict: I’ll delete it, but may end up revising that decision later.
Thumbs Down
Love is a Canoe Love is a Canoe by Ben Schrank
Blurb:

The author of a classic self-help guide to love and relationships, Peter Herman has won the hearts of romantics and cynics alike. But decades have passed since Marriage Is a Canoe was published and a recently widowed Peter begins to question his own advice.

Much to his chagrin, he receives a call from Stella Petrovic, an ambitious young editor in New York City who forces him to reconsider his life’s work, not to mention the full force of his delusions. The book’s fiftieth anniversary is approaching, and Petrovic has devised a contest to promote the new edition. The prize? The chance for the winning couple—a pair of outwardly happy Brooklynites named Emily and Eli—to save their relationship by spending a weekend with the reclusive author.

If Peter is going to help the contest’s winners, he must discover what he meant when he wrote Marriage Is a Canoe—and also find a way for himself to love again…

Verdict: I’d probably like it, but at this point…eh, I’ve got enough on my plate.
Thumbs Down
Judgment Calls Judgment Calls by Alafair Burke
Blurb: Burke’s debut about a prosecutor on a mission who uncovers a lot more than she bargained for.
Verdict: Same as the above–Burke’s a sold writer, this is probably good. But I just don’t have the time, nixing this bugs me more than the rest.
Thumbs Down
The Case of the Missing Books The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom
Blurb:

Israel Armstrong is a passionate soul, lured to Ireland by the promise of an exciting new career. Alas, the job that awaits him is not quite what he had in mind. Still, Israel is not one to dwell on disappointment, as he prepares to drive a mobile library around a small, damp Irish town. After all, the scenery is lovely, the people are charming—but where are the books? The rolling library’s 15,000 volumes have mysteriously gone missing, and it’s up to Israel to discover who would steal them . . . and why. And perhaps, after that, he will tackle other bizarre and perplexing local mysteries—like, where does one go to find a proper cappuccino and a decent newspaper?

Verdict: Seems charming, I guess? I’m sure this is a fun read, I wish I had a clue what put it on my radar.
Thumbs Down
Phoenix Island Phoenix Island by John Dixon
Blurb:

No phones. No television. No internet. No escape.

When his defense of a helpless classmate lands sixteen-year-old boxing champion Carl Freeman in real trouble – a two-year sentence at an isolated boot camp for orphans – he’s determined to tough it out, earn a clean record, and get on with his life.

Then kids start to die.

Realizing Phoenix Island is actually a mercenary training facility turning “throwaway children” into super soldiers, Carl risks everything to save his friends and stop a madman bent on global destruction.

Verdict: Say what?
Thumbs Down

Books Removed in this Post: 6 / 10
Total Books Removed: 18 / 240

Anyone out there read any of these books? Did I make the right call with any of them?

(Image by moritz320 from Pixabay)

Top 5 Saturday: Sibling Relationships

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On April 18, 2020

In Books, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Harry Dresden, Jim Butcher, News/Misc.

Top 5 Saturday Sibling Relationships

The Top 5 Saturday weekly meme was created by Amanda at Devouring Books.

Rules!

  • Share your top 5 books of the current topic—these can be books that you want to read, have read and loved, have read and hated, you can do it any way you want.
  • Tag the original post (This one!)
  • Tag 5 people (I probably won’t do this bit, play along if you want)

This week’s topic is: Sibling Relationships. If the Weasley family doesn’t immediately spring to mind once you think about siblings, there might be something broken in your mind—ditto for the Pevensies. But I wouldn’t let myself use them. The more I wrote in this list, the more relationships came to mind that I don’t have space for–that’s very annoying (a lot of fun, too), I hate to leave some of these off. I don’t know why I didn’t grab sibling relationships that are more than a pair (the aforementioned groups, the Spellmans or Tropper’s Altmans would’ve worked)—I’m assuming it’s because I had one sibling myself, so I tend to think of pairs rather than 3+?

Sibling relationships are tricky to depict—they’re all a little different, but there are some typical aspects. There’s a shared history (even if individuals react pretty differently to them, and remember them differently); jealousy/rivalry—usually tempered by some sort of affection and loyalty; usually a bit of reflexive self-sacrifice (frequently malgré lui); and a kind of honesty you don’t get from anyone else.

Raistlin and Caramon Majere

from: Dragonlance Chronicles, Dragonlance Legends
by
Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman

This is the first sibling relationship that really sticks out at me (post-juvenile fiction, anyway). They need each other (in healthy and unhealthy ways), but really don’t like each other. There’s a love and a bond that’s nigh-unbreakable, don’t get me wrong, but man…Raistlin treats his brother like trash. I remember regularly being so upset with him for that (and a little bit now just thinking about it), but Caramon keeps coming back for it. He never gives up on his twin. Even when—especially when—he absolutely should. It’s a nuanced and complex relationship and is likely one that I judge many other fictional representations by.

Side note: I really need to re-read the first couple of Dragonlance trilogies.

Jack and Jill Wolcott

from: Wayward Children
by
Seanan McGuire

(art by Rovina Cai)
While I do wonder if McGuire had come back to this well one time too many in this series, there’s clearly something about this fractured relationship (huh, another set of twins, with one more to come…didn’t mean to do that) that clearly resonates with readers and the author. If there’s anything healthy in their relationship when we first meet them, it’s gone by the most recent volume—but they’re the textbook definition of inextricably linked. To their detriment, yes, but that’s beside the point. Fascinating pair.

Scout and Jem Finch

from: To Kill a Mockingbird
by
Harper Lee

Scout worships her brother (doesn’t stop her from being frustrated with him frequently) and Jem’s clearly devoted and protective of her. I’ve loved reading about these two since I first met them in Mme. Dobbs’ English class* in high school and I’ll probably love it for the rest of my life. They’re not ideal, but they’re pretty close.

* she also taught my French class, so I reflexively think of her with that title)

Doug and Clair Parker

from: How to Talk to a Widower
by
Jonathan Tropper

Alas, I don’t have a picture of them—Tropper doesn’t inspire a lot of fan art. Yeah, Doug and Clair’s relationship echoes any number of the sibling relationships in Topper’s work. This is honestly the first pair that jumped to mind when I compiled this list. The honesty, the humor, the prodding/pushing, and care between the two is one of the best parts of this novel (probably my favorite of his). Great interplay between the two. Neither Doug or Clair remind me of my sister or myself individually, but for some reason, their relationship made me think about our relationship.

Harry Dresden and Thomas Wraith

from: Dresden Files
by
Jim Butcher

(art by Mika-Blackfield)
Sure, these two weren’t aware of each other for most of their lives, so their shared history has only to do with their mother. Still, the bond, the love, the loyalty that everyone thinks of when it comes to brothers is perfectly depicted with these two. They’re probably my favorite sibling pair that’re still being written about—I just hope they both survive ’til the end.

Saturday Miscellany—4/18/20

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On April 18, 2020

In Books, News/Misc.

Really don’t have any prologue material today…just hope you’re all staying healthy. Let’s just dive in:

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 Idaho’s Independent Bookstores and the COVID-19 Crisis—Idaho Public TV talks with the owners of three Indie Bookstores (two of which make my personal Top 3 Bookstore list–the third would, too, because of the name alone, if I’d ever been there) about the current mess
          bullet Read 300 books in a year: The surprising benefits of reading more: According to studies, reading is a healthy way to help combat feelings of isolation and depression.
          bullet Escape Into These Fantastical, Imaginary Maps: When the real world feels unbearable, why not chart a course through lands that are literally unreal?
          bullet 5 Mistakes That Will Doom Any Self-Published Book—Paul “Goat” Allen speaks for many readers here. I’ve had a post percolating about mistake one for a couple of months (but I keep coming across as too harsh, so I haven’t posted yet), the rest are spot-on, too.
          bullet How to Break Out of a Reading Slump—some handy tips—a good time for this kind of post, it seems many are in a pandemic-induced slump. Don’t know if this’ll fix it, but it can’t hurt.
          bullet What is With All of the Self-Help Books With Swear Words in the Title?—right?
          bullet FAKE TRUTH: Five Questions with Lee Goldberg
          bullet Is Harry Bosch the Last Great American TV Detective?—a good look at both the print and screen versions of Bosch (and I hope the answer to the question is no)
          bullet Rex Stout: Meet the Legendary Mystery Author Who Created Nero Wolfe: His larger-than-life sleuth left an indelible legacy on crime fiction.—I’m always game to post a link to a profile about Stout or Wolfe (always), the publication of The Misadventures of Nero Wolfe this week gives me another opportunity to do so.
          bullet Speaking of which, COVID-19 forced The Misadventures of Nero Wolfe Launch Party to go online. Which means I could “attend”
          bullet Those Classic Detective Series You’ve Always Been Meaning To Read, Anyway—I would’ve linked to this without the Wolfe mention, but…
          bullet 20 Must-Read Feel-Good Science Fiction Books
          bullet The importance of pace in thrillers—This is something we all instinctively know (I believe), but it’s nice to see someone take the time to think it through
          bullet What is Your Bookworm Dystopia Like?—Loved this post
          bullet How I Turned Into An Audiobook Listener—point 2 is vital for someone trying to get into Audiobooks.
          bullet How was the book? – Describing the Reading Experience: 8 criteria of the Reading Experience—fantastic post
          bullet The Orangutan Librarian hits us with two good posts about DNFing this week: Why do I struggle to DNF? (I’d co-sign this post) and Books I Successfully DNF’d!
          bullet Reader Confessions: 10 Ways I’m A Bad Reader—was a lot of fun

A Book-ish Related Podcast Episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
          bullet Episode Ninety Eight – Can You Fit a Pinball Machine in the Oxford Bar? – with Ian Rankin—a fun chat with the legend, that includes a tidbit about the upcoming Rebus novel.
          bullet Sbooks podcast It’s A Fair Cop, Guv.—talks to Neil Lancaster about his time with the Metropolitan police and turning to Crime Fiction

This Week's New Releases That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
          bullet The Misadventures of Nero Wolfe: Parodies and Pastiches Featuring the Great Detective of West 35th Street edited by Josh Pachter—a great looking collection celebrating Wolfe—I’ve dipped my toe in and am enjoying it a lot

Lastly I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to Quinn Patrick Fernandez, Neriman K., Not Quite Home, Caroline Paquin and SarahSansom for following the blog (in one form or another) this week. Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?

WWW Wednesday, April 15, 2020

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On April 15, 2020

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

Thankfully—oh, so thankfully—it’s not Tax Day (at least on the Federal US level, no idea about your state/nation) but it is 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 Fake Truth by Lee Goldberg, The Misadventures of Nero Wolfe edited by Josh Pachter, and am listening to An Unwelcome Quest by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator).

What did you recently finish reading?
I just finished Alex Bryant’s The Identity Thief and Caliban’s War by James S. A. Corey, Jefferson Mays (Narrator) on audio.

What do you think you’ll read next?
My next book should be Apex Predator by M. T. Miller and I don’t have a clue what audiobook will be next.

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

Top 5 Tuesday – Top 5 Books That Made Me Laugh

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On April 14, 2020

In Books, News/Misc.


When I saw this list topic I figured, “oh, this’ll be the easiest post to put together.” HA! What a joke…I could’ve done 25 without breaking a sweat (actually, at one point, I thought about doing 5 themed Top 5’s, but that seemed a bit silly). So I restricted myself to the first 5 that I could think of, these may not be the Top 5, but they’re a funny 5 anyway
.

5 Dear Mr Pop Star
Dear Mr Pop Star by Derek & Dave Philpott

This book is almost indescribable—the blurb for the book says, “deliberately deranged letters to pop stars from the 1960s to the 90s to take issue with the lyrics of some of their best-known songs.” Which are followed by correspondence from a member of the band/songwriter in response—sometimes rebutting the Philpott’s, sometimes playing along. I spent most of the latter half of 2018 talking about this book.
Here’s my post about the book.
4
Anatomy of Authors by Dave Kellett

This is a collection of cartoons celebrating (and poking gentle fun at) some of the greatest writers in history. It’s great bookish fun. I need to do a full post on it soon.
3
Sir Apropos of Nothing by Peter David

The most unlikely hero in Fantasy fiction, Apropos is a thief, a scoundrel, and the kind of guy that usually doesn’t survive a whole novel. Somehow, David makes this both a laugh-out-loud parody and a stirring fantasy action and (as I recall, it’s been a long time), an almost redemption story.
2
Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi

An alien race wants to make First Contact with humanity, so what does their emissary do? Recruits a Hollywood agent to win humanity over, naturally.
Here’s my post about the book.
1
Dave Barry Slept Here: A Sort of History of the United States by Dave Barry

Dave Barry traces the history of the U.S. in possibly the funniest book I’ve ever read—I can’t begin to think how many times I’ve read this, and have audibly laughed every time.

Saturday Miscellany—4/11/20

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On April 11, 2020

In Books, News/Misc.

Everyone hanging in there? Hope you’re all safe and relatively healthy. I don’t have anything really to say, so I’ll just dive into the links.

You’ll note below that somehow I listened to a lot of podcasts this week, despite not driving anywhere. The one I’ve spent the most time listening to over the last two weeks isn’t listed below, but you’ll be seeing something a little different from me about that soon. (I’m working on my teases, did that one work?)

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 You Can Support Your Local Bookstores Right Now—Simon & Schuster brings us this week’s version of the list.
          bullet The Truth About Escapism—Black Sail Books talks about the value of escapism in a world increasingly focused on productivity.
          bullet Ann Patchett on Why We Need Life-Changing Books Right Now—It might not sound like it, but it’s an excellent follow-up to the above (also, I heartily concur with Patchett’s take on the author in question)
          bullet Say ‘I Do’ to Doorstopper Novels: Trust us, they’re worth the commitment.—I’m prudish enough to prefer a different opening, but eh…I get the point.
          bullet Don Winslow: My First Experience With Hollywood Math—not really that related to books, but it’s a fun little story spun by Winslow
          bullet Red Herrings in Contemporary Crime Literature: Celebrating the 21st century masters of misdirection.
          bullet 6 Completed Sci Fi Fantasy Series You Probably Haven’t Binged Yet
          bullet Feel-Good Fiction: Books to Read in Difficult Times—A nice list for our current circumstance from the Witty and Sarcastic Book Club.
          bullet Book Blogging is Bullsh*t
          bullet Full circle—Don’t tell the other bloggers/essayists/etc., but this piece on the circle of appreciation between reader and writer is probably my favorite of the week.
          bullet Book Reviewing, Is There a Happy Medium for Readers, Writers, & Bloggers—Mz Brooklyn Jay talked to writers, readers and bloggers for material to this piece. I really liked it.
          bullet The ‘DNF’—an excellent post on this perennial topic

A Book-ish Related Podcast Episode (or more) you might want to give a listen to:
          bullet To help publicize the release of Fake Truth this week, Lee Goldberg appeared on two podcasts (yes, there’s some overlap in his answers, but not that much). Meet the Thriller Author 94 and Author Stories Podcast Episode 849 (I’ve toyed with writing a post about that travesty Netflix recently released called Spenser: Confidential, no need. Goldberg’s take on it here said everything I’d want to say).
          bullet Author’s on a Podcast Talking Books Ep. 35 – Nicholas Eames was plenty of fun.
          bullet Two Crime Writers And A Microphone have been on fire since they’ve returned this year, Episode Ninety Six – Two Rolls Gets You A Squirrel – with Adrian McKinty was just brilliant, I laughed so much at this one.
          bullet Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald—this new podcast with Braff and Faison revisiting each Scrubs episode has nothing to do with books but is so much fun that I’m sharing it anyway.

This Week's New Releases That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
          bullet King of Crows by Russell Day—isn’t actually going to be released until next month, but the date was announced this week (Fahrenheit almost never gives any book this much advance warning, which I was I’m struggling to read their stuff when it’s new). But take a look at the link and order it now, Day’s one of the best authors I’ve read in the last couple of years and this epic (“Ocean’s Eleven meets 28 Days Later”) is only going to make me keep calling him that.
          bullet Broken by Don Winslow—Six novellas from the master. The early buzz on this collection is loud.
          bullet Fake Truth by Lee Goldberg—Ian Ludlow is back in trouble, this time stumbling over a Russian fake news plot.
          bullet A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones—Funny and exciting. This novel about a single mom and small-town sheriff is so much fun. I gushed about it here.

Lastly I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome toMayank Sharma, youngcreativepress, Oaks CastleCollections and the reading chemist for following the blog this week. Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?

WWW Wednesday, April 8, 2020

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On April 8, 2020

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

Hey, it’s the middle of the week, so I’m told–I’m having trouble keeping track of the day anymore. Theoretically, 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 Poop Diaries by Abby Ross, Cheater’s Game by Paul Levine and am listening to Caliban’s War by James S. A. Corey, Jefferson Mays (Narrator).

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Chris Whitaker’s We Begin at the End and Heartless by Gail Carriger, Emily Gray (Narrator) on audio.

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be Fake Truth by Lee Goldberg and An Unwelcome Quest by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator) on audiobook.

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

The Wanderlust Book Tag

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On April 8, 2020

In Book Tag, Books, Craig Johnson, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, News/Misc., Walt Longmire

The Wanderlust Book Tag
My general attitude toward traveling is, “Why?” Followed closely by, “Well, okay, but can I bring books?” Which is not to say that I have anything against the idea of other places, but they’re things best experienced by other people. Or vicariously.

Which brings us to this Book Tag, seen recently on Bookstooge’s Reviews on the Road (but I’ve also appreciated Ola and Pio’s entry on Re-enchantment Of The World and The Orangutan Librarian‘s). Nothing better than exploring different environments than through novels.

The Rules

bullet Mention the creator of the tag and link back to original post [Alexandra @ Reading by Starlight]
bullet Thank the blogger who tagged you (see earlier mention of Bookstooge)
bullet Answer the 10 questions below using any genre
bullet Tag 5+ friends (the first five people who read this should consider themselves tagged. Not sure if you’re #3 or #17? Assume you’re #3)

The Settings

1. Secrets and lies: a book set in a sleepy small town

Paradox BoundParadox Bound

by Peter Clines
My post about the book.
A (seemingly?) typical small New England town is our entry point into a cross-country time travel adventure.

2. Salt and sand: a book with a beach-side community

The Dawn PatrolThe Dawn Patrol

by Don Winslow
I can’t believe that I’ve never written anything about this. Sigh. I read “beach” and it’s the first novel that pops to mind (also third, sixth, ninth-twelfth, and so on). A stylish, deceptively breezy PI novel centering on a group of surfers in San Diegeo is what made me a Don Winslow fan for life.

3. Here there be dragons: a book with a voyage on the high seas

Wake of the Bloody Angel (Eddie LaCrosse, #4)Wake of the Bloody Angel

by Alex Bledsoe
My post about the book.
This entry in the Eddie LaCrosse “PI in a fantasy world” series takes our redoubtable hero to the high seas in search of a missing person. There’s adventure, piracy, sword-play, banter, friendship, and a bit of betrayal.

4. Tread lightly: a book set down a murky river or a jungle

The InformationistThe Informationist

by Taylor Stevens, Hillary Huber (Narrator)
My post about the book.
I think there’s a nasty river, there’s jungle, and a good deal of urban settings. This first Vanessa Michael Monroe adventure introduces readers to a world not seen enough, as well as a heckuva character.

5. Frozen wastes: a book with a frost bitten atmosphere

Hell is EmptyHell is Empty

by Craig Johnson
My post about the book.
As Johnson tries to cycle through the seasons in these books, Walt’s actually had a few Wyoming-as-frozen-wasteland adventures. This one is just my favorite of them. Walt’s on the hunt for escaped federal prisoners in the middle of a blizzard. A gripping tale of man against nature, man against man, man against himself, told with Johnson’s signature style and wit, with one foot in Dante and the other in Indian folklore.
Runner up: Winterkill (Audiobook) by C. J. Box, David Chandler

6. The boonies: a book with rough or isolated terrain

A Star-Reckoner's LotA Star-Reckoner’s Lot

by Darrell Drake
My post about the book.
Set in Persia, full of rough and isolated terrain. Full of social mores that are just as foreign to Western readers as anything that the most imaginative novelist could invent, along with a magic system, a belief system, and a host of supernatural beings that are equally novel. Years later, I’m still in awe of what Drake did with this.

7. Hinterlands and cowboys: a book with a western-esque setting

The Shootout SolutionThe Shootout Solution

by Michael R. Underwood
My post about the book.
The beginning of the Genrenauts series, which I can’t summarize (I’ve tried). So, here’s a bit from the blurb from Underwood’s site:…our world is just one of many, and every other world is the home of a story genre — Science Fiction or Romance, Fantasy or Western — populated by archetypal characters and constantly playing out familiar stories.

The Genrenauts’ mission: find and fix broken stories. If they fail, the ripples from the story worlds will cause havoc and devastation on their home world.

This particular mission takes place on Western world, which is pretty much the definition of Western-esque.

8. Look lively: a book set across sweeping desert sands

Hunger Makes the WolfHunger Makes the Wolf

by Alex Wells
My post about the book.
A SF with a touch of fantasy set on a planet that’s basically defined by sweeping desert sands. Tanegawa’s World is a little forgotten backwater of a planet—think Tatooine—so forgotten that none of the colonists there really have a clue that there’s an interplanetary government, or what’s going on with any other planet. The company that runs the mines (and by extension, the farming communities that support the mines) runs the whole show. There are organizations of workers in individual towns, and there’s a loose network connecting them, for mutual assistance and support. And then there are the Ghost Wolves—a band of mercenary bikers. They are a law unto themselves, but have strong ties to the miner groups. They may be supported by/sympathized with by most people in the towns, but officially they’re outlaws.

9. Wild and untamed: a book set the the heart of the woods

Back of BeyondBack of Beyond

by C. J. Box, Holter Graham (Narrator)
My post about the book.
For those of us in the US (at least the lower 48), there’s nothing like Yellowstone National Park for wild woods. This adventure into the untamed wilds on the hunt for a murderer pits a bunch of people who have no business being in the woods (helped by a couple of pros) against the elements, their own incompetency, and a little bit of urban evil.

10. Wildest dreams: a whimsical book shrouded in magic

No Country for Old GnomesNo Country for Old Gnomes

by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne
My post about the book.
Yeah, I can think of a few other contenders for this. But “whimsy” is the best word to describe this book. And there’s loads of magic afoot (or is that a-beard?). Such a freakishly fun read, I have to throw in a reference to it whenever I can.

Saturday Miscellany—4/4/20

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On April 4, 2020

In Books, News/Misc.

Update: Naturally, I opened up my Kindle and found something that downloaded yesterday (I’d ordered it so many months ago, that I’d forgotten it was coming), so updated the New Release bit.
—
Yesterday, I talked about being wiped out lately, and I set out to prove it apparently. I’m not sure what time I fell asleep last night, but it was a few hours earlier than I expected. Anyway, I woke up about 3 am and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I figured I’d read for a couple of minutes and drift off. I ended up reading for about 90 minutes, finishing a great read. I don’t remember the last time I did that–no interruptions (welcome or otherwise), no taking a quick peek at some social media, no anything. Just me and a book. It was so nice. Probably did more for my psyche than anything else in the last couple of weeks. Hope you’re able to find something like that yourself.

Also, while compiling this post, I’ve been listening to Joe Pug’s second concert from his Social Distancing Tour. I’m wagering that most of you haven’t heard of Pug before, take this opportunity to address that lacuna (loved the whole thing, but my favorite song from this group is around the hour and 10-minute mark although I almost revised that with the next song).

Enough of that, on with the post:

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 Bookstores Can Be Saved—Dave Eggers provides the rare serious McSweeney’s post
          bullet Get Shorty at 30: Dennis Lehane on Elmore Leonard’s Hollywood satire—Doesn’t get much better than Lehane, unless it’s Leonard. The former writing about Leonard, much less about Get Shorty? I could end this post right here and be satisfied.
          bullet The best $193 I ever spent: A mountain of detective fiction when my wife was pregnant—although this is almost just as good
          bullet Crime writer Don Winslow leaves Trump behind, mostly, for the California cool of novella collection Broken
          bullet New Ways to Organize Your Bookshelves
          bullet 100 Fairy Books That You Should Read Before You Die
          bullet Sci-Fi & Fantasy Authors Share Their 2020 TBRs—some good looking stuff here
          bullet Reading comprehension, reviews, and jerks—I stumbled onto this again this week, still fun (but man, so glad I don’t have to read people saying things like this about my work)
          bullet Take this (weirdly precise!) quiz to find out which fictional character’s personality matches yours.—a fun little time-killer
          bullet Bearded by J. Billups Book Report—a very cool video version of Billups’ Bearded (and, yes, I’m envious of the beard).
          bullet How I Became A Book Blogger—who doesn’t enjoy a good origin story?
          bullet What Makes a Book Blog Readable?

A Book-ish Related PodcastEpisode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
          bullet Blood BrothersEpisode 2 Featuring Noelle Holten—a few crime authors being very silly (and some good book talk, too). The first episode is worth your time, too.

This Week's New Releasesthat I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
          bullet Curse the Day by Judith O’Reilly—the first, Michael North thriller, Killing State just rocked, can’t wait to find time to read this one. A conspiracy thriller featuring an AI and a great former-assassin protagonist.

LastlyI’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome tosandomina, LDW, and just_tommye for following the blog this week. Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?

March 2020 in Retrospect: What I Read/Listened to/Wrote About

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On April 1, 2020

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

It’s hard with work right now, but given COVID-19, Sheltering at Home—and a (no kidding!) Earthquake in Idaho (of all places)—man, I need books to escape to and lose myself in. So I’m pretty glad that despite everything going on in the world and my life, I somehow managed to finish one more book than last month—18—with 4903+ pages (one was an Audible Original, so I have no idea what the page count would be) with an average rating of 3.94. I’m guessing that’s 500 pages less than Feb, even with the higher book count. Still, not too shabby.

So, anyway, here’s what happened here in March.Books Read

False Value The In Between Avenge the Dead
5 Stars 4 1/2 Stars 3 Stars
The Starr Sting Scale Everyday Prayer with John Calvin Dead Wrong
3.5 Stars 3 Stars 4 1/2 Stars
The K Team Joker The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
3.5 Stars 4 Stars 4 Stars
The Awful Truth About the Sushing Prize The Immortal Conquistador Back to Reality
3.5 Stars 3.5 Stars 4 Stars
Smoke Bitten The Identity and Attributes of God With All Your Heart
4 Stars 5 Stars 4 Stars
Paradise Valley Mortal Stakes Funny, You Don't Look Autistic
3.5 Stars 5 Stars 3.5 Stars

Still Reading

Tom Jones Original Cover Institutes of Christian Religion vol 1 A Bad Day for Sunshine

Ratings

5 Stars 3 2 1/2 Stars 0
4 1/2 Stars 2 2 Stars 0
4 Stars 5 1 1/2 Stars 0
3.5 Stars 6 1 Star 0
3 Stars 2
Average = 3.94

TBR Pile

Mt TBR Mar 20

Breakdowns

“Traditionally” Published: 12
Self-/Independent Published: 6

Genre This Month Year to Date
Children’s 0 (0%) 1 (2%)
Fantasy 0 (0%) 7 (13%)
General Fiction/ Literature 0 (0%) 3 (6%)
Horror 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Humor 0 (0%) 1 (2%)
Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller 9 (50%) 20 (37%)
Non-Fiction 1 (6%) 3 (6%)
Science Fiction 2 (11%) 5 (9%)
Steampunk 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Theology/ Christian Living 3 (17%) 4 (7%)
Urban Fantasy 3 (17%) 11 (20%)

Review-ish Things Posted

Other Things I Wroteotherwriting

Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th ), I also wrote:

How was your month? I hope you are all safe, healthy and finding solace in something right now.

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