Category: News/Misc. Page 207 of 229

Saturday Miscellany – 10/24/15

On October 24, 2015

Didn’t get as much done around here this week as I wanted to — alas, sometimes the parts of my life that make this possible (e.g., job, sleep) have to take priority. Just based on the partial posts that got written this week, next week might make up for this one. In the meantime, to tide you over:

Odds ‘n ends from over the week about books and reading that caught my eye. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:

Books At Home Tied to Future Reading Skills — Good news for my kids 🙂
Fewer Americans are reading books, but don’t blame the millennials — clearly, everyone’s parents didn’t have enough books in the house.
Why the Printed Book Will Last Another 500 Years: The Future of Reading Came and Went — I’m aware that Adam Sternbergh writes things other than the Spademan novels, but I’ve never bothered to read them until this one. Obviously, no near-future hitmen involved, but still good.
What do writers owe readers in the digital age? — So Joanne Harris churned up a little storm cloud this week talking about the relationship between readers and authors in the Social Media Age. On the whole, I appreciate what she has to say, but I see the point of her detractors as well. Good coverage — which includes her manifesto.
Reading for Pleasure: A book blogger’s creed — Here’s something I can get behind; one book blogger’s response to Harris’ manifesto. Speaks for a lot of us.
One of my favorite series, the Eddie LaCrosse novels, has its first novel republished this week . Here’s a nice post about Alex Bledsoe writing it.
Lending books: share your horror stories — Just in time for Halloween, stories about book lending gone bad from The Guardian. The Horror.

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith — If I’m understanding things correctly, this’ll be the last Cormoran Strike for awhile, so she can get some projects related to a kid wizard wrapped up (anyone ever heard of that series?). It’ll be a shame to bid au revoir to the lunk, but I’m looking forward to this.
The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone — a little Veronica Mars, a little Izzy Spellman, a little Ree Ree Reyes — at least, so it seems. I’ll let you know in a week or two. Looks fun regardless.
The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe — sorta counts, was republished this week with a snazzy cover to match the more recent releases. A really good book, solid PI novel in a fantasy setting. Get to know this guy!

For those who like to read these kind of things, I did update ye olde Blogroll this week, there are good things to be found at those links. Lastly, I’d like to say hi and welcome to Laura@125Pages
and Nightlizard (who has impeccable taste in fictional characters) for following the blog this week — you’ll be seeing a lot about ol’ Laura@125 Pages next year (linked to her in this space a couple of weeks back, too). Many thanks to Fran Wilde for the kind words and signal boost this week, too.

Happy Birthday, Archie!

By HCNewton

On October 23, 2015

In Authors, Calendar Items, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin, News/Misc., Rex Stout

My annual tribute to one of my favorite fictional characters (if not my all-time favorite). Revised and expanded this year! Revising it mostly just reminded me that it’s been too long since I read any of these. Must fix that.

On Oct 23 in Chillicothe, Ohio, Archie Goodwin entered this world–no doubt with a smile for the pretty nurses–and American detective literature was never the same.

I’m toasting him in one of the ways I think he’d appreciate most–by raising a glass of milk in his honor.

Who was Archie? Archie summed up his life thusly:

Born in Ohio. Public high school, pretty good at geometry and football, graduated with honor but no honors. Went to college two weeks, decided it was childish, came to New York and got a job guarding a pier, shot and killed two men and was fired, was recommended to Nero Wolfe for a chore he wanted done, did it, was offered a full-time job by Mr. Wolfe, took it, still have it.” (Fourth of July Picnic)

Long may he keep it. Just what was he employed by Wolfe to do? In The Black Mountain he answers the statement, “I thought you was a private eye” with:

I don’t like the way you say it, but I am. Also I am an accountant, an amanuensis, and a cocklebur. Eight to five you never heard the word amanuensis and you never saw a cocklebur.

In The Red Box, he says

I know pretty well what my field is. Aside from my primary function as the thorn in the seat of Wolfe’s chair to keep him from going to sleep and waking up only for meals, I’m chiefly cut out for two things: to jump and grab something before the other guy can get his paws on it, and to collect pieces of the puzzle for Wolfe to work on.

In Black Orchids, he reacts to an insult:

…her cheap crack about me being a ten-cent Clark Gable, which was ridiculous. He simpers, to begin with, and to end with no one can say I resemble a movie actor, and if they did it would be more apt to be Gary Cooper than Clark Gable.

I’m not the only Archie fan out there:

A few months back, someone pointed me at this post, The Wit and Wisdom of Archie Goodwin. There’s some really good stuff here that I was tempted to steal, instead, I’ll just point you at it.
Robert Crais himself when writing an introduction to a Before Midnight reprint, devoted it to paying tribute to Archie. — one of the few pieces of anything written that I can say I agree with jot and tittle.

In case you’re wondering if this post was simply an excuse to go through some collections of Archie Goodwin quotations, you wouldn’t be totally wrong…he’s one of the fictional characters I like spending time with most in this world–he’s the literary equivalent of comfort food. So just a couple more great lines I’ve quoted here before:

I would appreciate it if they would call a halt on all their devoted efforts to find a way to abolish war or eliminate disease or run trains with atoms or extend the span of human life to a couple of centuries, and everybody concentrate for a while on how to wake me up in the morning without my resenting it. It may be that a bevy of beautiful maidens in pure silk yellow very sheer gowns, barefooted, singing “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” and scattering rose petals over me would do the trick, but I’d have to try it.

I looked at the wall clock. It said two minutes to four. I looked at my wrist watch. It said one minute to four. In spite of the discrepancy it seemed safe to conclude that it would soon be four o’clock.

“Indeed,” I said. That was Nero Wolfe’s word, and I never used it except in moments of stress, and it severely annoyed me when I caught myself using it, because when I look in a mirror I prefer to see me as is, with no skin grafted from anybody else’s hide, even Nero Wolfe’s.

If you like Anglo-Saxon, I belched. If you fancy Latin, I eructed. No matter which, I had known that Wolfe and Inspector Cramer would have to put up with it that evening, because that is always a part of my reaction to sauerkraut. I don’t glory in it or go for a record, but neither do I fight it back. I want to be liked just for myself.

When a hippopotamus is peevish it’s a lot of peeve.

It helps a lot, with two people as much together as he and I were, if they understand each other. He understood that I was too strong-minded to add another word unless he told me to, and I understood that he was too pigheaded to tell me to.

I always belong wherever I am.

Opening Lines – If I Fall, If I Die

By HCNewton

On October 20, 2015

In Blog Series, Currently Reading, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, News/Misc., Opening Lines, Quotations

We all know we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover (yet, publishing companies spend big bucks on cover design/art). But, the opening sentence(s)/paragraph(s) are fair game. So, when I stumble on a good opening (or remember one and pull it off the shelves), I’ll throw it up here. Dare you not to read the rest of the book

The boy stepped Outside, and he did not die.

He was not riddled with arrows, his hair did not spring into flame, and his breath did not crush his lungs like spent grocery bags. His eyeballs did not sizzle in their sockets, and his heart’s pistons did not seize. No barbarian lopped his head into a blood-soggy wicker basket, and no glinting ninja stars were zinged into his throat.

Actually, incredibly: nothing happened–no immolation, no blood-bath, no spontaneous asphyxiation, no tide of shivery terror crashing upon the shore of his heart–not even a trace of his mother’s Black Lagoon in his breath.

Somehow Will was calm.

from If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie

Saturday Miscellany – 10/17/15

By HCNewton

On October 17, 2015

In Books, News/Misc.

Odds ‘n ends over the week about books and reading that caught my eye. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:

Flannery O’Connor: A Reading Primer — Even if you don’t need the list, if you’ve read her, you’ll appreciate what Van Young says. If you don’t know O’Connor — change that — you’ll love her.
How JK Rowling was revealed as the true author behind the Robert Galbraith novels — It’s a little light on the details, on the how, but I liked reading about why she adopted the name. I love this line: “the Robert Galbraith novels have distinguished Rowling as a master of plot, pacing and characterisation. She will not be remembered among the literary greats, but as the most addictively compelling writer of a generation.”
You only hurt the one you love — I almost did a full post reacting to this post from Kim Harrison, but couldn’t find the time. This is depressing and shocking in what it says about the publishing world today (yet, not at all counterintuitive) — for someone with Harrison’s pedigree to be this close to being finished after one book? I’m having a hard time wrapping my brain around that. Also, because of The Drafter? Which I still say is her best work. I don’t get it.
What do Goodreads ratings say about sales? — fantasy author Mark Lawrence crunches some numbers. (hat tip:Harry Connolly)
Can you pronounce the names of these literary characters? — I missed two, one of which I blame on an English professor (graduate level class, no less), the other was dumb on my part. Not going to tell you which two. How did you do?

Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl — a YA adventure for Natasha Romanoff.

Fahrenheit Press is Not Your Father’s Publisher

By HCNewton

On October 13, 2015

In News/Misc.

(that is, if your father had a publisher)

Fahrenheit Press is a new publishing house with a “punk ethos” that describes themselves as:

…intent on doing things differently and we’re building a publishing company that’s heavy on curation and deadly serious about marketing.

And yeah, they’re doing something different with their second book, to be published at the end of this month. Take a look at the Amazon listing:

One day, I hope they’ll explain how they got Amazon to play along. Be sure to click the link to get more details on this book.

Their founder, Chris McVeigh, explains the deal, the thinking behind it and a few more things in this post at fromfirstpagetolast. I hope this experiment works for them (and that the book is worth the effort), if only so I can see what they try next.

Saturday Miscellany – 10/10/15

By HCNewton

On October 10, 2015

In Books, News/Misc.

Odds ‘n ends over the week about books and reading that caught my eye. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:

The “Drinkable Book” Cleans Contaminated Water — Somehow, I missed this 2 months ago (despite Electric Lit being a regular read for me). I find this mind-boggling. The things we can do. . .
The Hidden Depths of Sandra Boynton’s Board Books — I’m pretty sure I’ve talked about my love of Boynton before (and my kids’ obsession with her, particularly the older kids — we had to buy 2 copies of But Not the Hippopotamus, and probably should’ve bought a 3^rd, would’ve without duct tape). But I’ve never seen anyone dive as deeply into her as this
Novelists Reimagine and Update Shakespeare’s Plays — Sounds like a fascinating project.
Ready Player One: Bringing Geeks and Non-Geeks Together — Geek & Sundry pay tribute to one of my favorite books of recent years.
Celebrating 10 Years of Twilight — Not touching the new material Meyer released this week (I did enjoy Fahrenheit Press’ quip about it). I thought Book Riot’s look back was pretty well done. When I first read Twilight I really enjoyed it — first YA I’d read since, well, being a YA. Re-reads weren’t so kind to it, nor were my experiences with the sequels. Still, as big and game-changing as it was, it deserves some thought on its 10 year Anniversary.
Why I Write Crime Fiction — I’ve never read Sherez’s books, but I really liked this piece.
Rick Riordan: ‘I’ve loved mythology since I was a child’ — Nice interview with Rick Riordan.
Paul Goat Allen posted a good Interview with Jim Butcher for Goodreads — mostly on The Aeronaut’s Windlass, but touched on a few other things.
Amazon also posted a good one: “Everybody Has More Power Than They Think They Do”: An Interview with Jim Butcher
20 Timeless Quotes From Our Favorite Childhood Authors
10 Unfounded Fears That Keep Book Nerds Up at Night — this should elicit a chuckle or two

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan — The start of a new series, with a new mythological pantheon. I think I’ve lost my Riordan beard to fiction for adults — I may have to admit that I buy these for me.
The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson — mentioned in the piece above this is (to quote her website), “Jeanette Winterson’s cover version of The Winter’s Tale“.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R. R. Martin — The Tales of Dunk and Egg should get me excited, but . . . I dunno. Having a hard time caring. Still figure I’m going to read this soon.
Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong — this looks odd, potentially amusing, pretty exciting and good.

Lastly, I’d like to say hi and welcome to Emmanuel Muema for following the blog this week.

Image credit: Grammarly

Saturday Miscellany – 10/3/15

By HCNewton

On October 3, 2015

In Books, News/Misc.

It was the last week of the month, so things are skimpy (thanks, publishers!). Still, there were a few odds ‘n ends over the week about books and reading that caught my eye. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:

13 Things Librarians Won’t Tell You (But Every Reader Needs to Know) — from Reader’s Digest, some fun items here.
The Secret of Nigerian Book Sales — Oddly enough, I’ve never given any thought to Nigerian Book Sales. Probably won’t again. But this is worth a read.
11 Simple Reasons The Print Book Doomsayers Are Wrong — at some point, we’re going to stop reading these Print vs. Ebook things, right?
The Shadow Knows — Vigilantes — from the Superhero to the amateur sleuth and all points in between. Why do we read them? Just part of the focus on shadows over at Mysteristas this month.
Storyteller of the Gods — Publisher’s Weekly posted this nice profile of Rick Riordan on the eve of his new series.

The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher — really, with this published on Tuesday, does anything else I have to say this week matter? Really enjoying this one so far…

Lastly, I’d like to thank Tim Brooks for the comment — obviously, can’t say I agree, but I do appreciate the input.

Image credit: Grammarly

September 2015 Report

By HCNewton

On October 1, 2015

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

So, here’s what happened here in September.

Books Read:













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Still Reading:

Reviews Posted:

The Van by Roddy Doyle
Indexing: Reflections, Episode 2 by Seanan McGuire
Underground by Kat Richardson
Provoke Not The Children by Michael W. Anderson
Who Let The Dog Out? by David Rosenfelt
A Red-Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire
Indexing: Reflections, Episode 3 by Seanan McGuire
Witches of Lychford by Paul Cornell
The Fraud by Brad Parks
Covenant’s End by Ari Marmell
Last Words by Michael Koryta
Time Salvager by Wesley Chu
The Drafter by Kim Harrison
Changeless by Gail Carriger
Yes, My Accent Is Real by Kunal Nayyar
Indexing: Reflections, Episode 4 by Seanan McGuire
The Scam by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson
Hexomancy by Michael R. Underwood

How was your month?

Saturday Miscellany – 9/26/15

By HCNewton

On September 26, 2015

In Books, News/Misc.

Odds ‘n ends over the week about books and reading that caught my eye. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:

The Plot Twist: E-Book Sales Slip, and Print Is Far From Dead — interesting story from the NY Times. Over the last few years, I’ve come around on ebooks, and they account for a decent amount of what I read/buy (just finished one last night), but I prefer hard copies. I find this story encouraging.
10 Haunting Lines From William Faulkner’s Works That I’m Reminded Of On His Birthday — Uzma Shamim pays tribute to Faulkner on his 118^th birthday.
Talking to NBA Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar About His Sherlock Holmes Novel — last guy I’d figure to write about Sherlock’s brother, but, honestly? The idea appeals to me.
Urban fantasy fiction: there’s more to it than sex with were-leopards — hate the subtitle, but it’s a decent article from The Guardian.
My favorite Urban Fantasist, Jim Butcher, did a redditAMA this week, haven’t read it all, but what I have is worth the time.
Paul Cornell Will Revisit Lychford! — Tor.com announced a follow-up to The Witches of Lychford, which is great to hear.
What Would I Give Up Writing For — Updraft‘s Fran Wilde guest-blogged at Bibliotropic the other day.
O&F Podcast, Ep. 96: Kevin J. Anderson — Anton Strout talks to Anderson who is just a machine. I won’t pretend to have read a lot of his works (few can), but what I have read has been good. Interviews like this make you want to take a year off of everyone else just to read him.

Mycroft Holmes by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Anna Waterhouse — most of what I know about Mycroft comes from Baring-Gould’s speculation about a familial tie to Nero Wolfe, looking forward to learning a bit more.

Saturday Miscellany – 9/19/2015

By HCNewton

On September 19, 2015

In Books, News/Misc.

Odds ‘n ends over the week about books and reading that caught my eye. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:

You Don’t Have To Destroy A Book To Love It: A Plea To Readers — I don’t know anything about Claire Fallon, but she’s one of my favorite people on earth at this moment for writing this piece. “A book is happier handled gently and slotted neatly next to its friends than bent, falling apart, and shoved onto an over-jammed shelf.” Yes.
In Defense of Reading – Why All Books Matter — 1. This is almost as good as the previous post (actually probably better, but fewer people make the above argument than these); 2. this is the kind of thing I wish I had time to write; and whatever 3^rd point I had was, it’s gone.
Learn About the National Book Award Nominees From the Best Adjectives Used to Blurb Them — I hadn’t heard of most of the National Book Award Nominees (maybe 1?) until this week, so I could use all the help I could get. There’s some very strange adjectives on this list — at least when applied to books — if you ask me.
Where to Start Guide: Don DeLillo — this is a handy list, and a good reminder I need to dive a little deeper with DeLillo so I can talk about the books not on this list. Frankly, I don’t see the appeal of the last one, but otherwise, this is a good list.
11 Ways to Love Goodreads Even More — some good tips
Author Query – Michael R. Underwood — A nice little interview with one of our favorites.
Michael R. Underwood, author of HEXOMANCY, on His Favorite Geeks in Pop Culture — Another Underwood post? He must have something new out…A near-perfect list.
Reed Coleman talks about THE DEVIL WINS — glad he’s talking about it, since I couldn’t find the time this week 🙂 Good interview with Coleman. I’m for either/both of the cross-overs he mentioned.
Almost (Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone 101) — Reed Farrel Coleman introduces Jesse and talks about his approach to the series. Good stuff.
21 Signs That Prove Booksellers Are The Absolute Best — if these don’t bring at least a grin to your face, there’s something wrong with you.
Found the coolest site last weekend, Today in MYSTERY HISTORY — “A daily note on some event in the history of mystery fiction.” Finding all sorts of fun tidbits there.
Should you lend someone a book? — there’s a pretty decent tie-in with this and the first link. (Hat-tip: Paul Nelson)

Hexomancy by Michael R. Underwood — the fourth Ree Ree adventure, and the end of her first story arc. Should be good geeky fun!
The Scam by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg — Fox and O’Hare are back. ’nuff said.
Yes, My Accent Is Real And Some Other Things I Haven’t Told You by Kunal Nayyar — a collection of autobiographical essays by the actor.

Thanks to Benedict Jacka for the shout-out.

Image credit: Grammarly