Category: News/Misc. Page 65 of 228

Saturday Miscellany—10/28/23

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On October 28, 2023

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 many books Americans own — and how they organize them—fun with statistics (which is good, because what those stats represent isn’t so fun)
bullet A New Fantasy and a 20th Anniversary for Christopher Paolini—I didn’t read past Eragon (but had one kid who got obsessed). But it’s hard to deny the impact he had.
bullet Addicted to Scarcity—Book Publishing’s Retail Price Problem
bullet A Big Year for Little Golden Book Bios—(not the point, but some of these look really cute)
bullet Q&A: Bruce Borgos, Author of ‘The Bitter Past’
bullet Magic to Serve, Not Solve, a Story: KJ Dell’Antonia on Magical Rules in Literature
bullet How Do You Manage Reading Expectations?

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet The Innocent Sleep by Seanan McGuire—the 18th Toby Daye novel gives Tybalt’s perspective on recent events. Given that we know how things go after reading the 17th novel, I’m curious about how this will keep my attention (but assume it will)

I am haunted by all the editions of books that are prettier than the ones I already own. @vanillamoonx

Opening Lines: Sir Apropos of Nothing by Peter David

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On October 26, 2023

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

Head & Shoulders used to tell us that, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” That’s true for wearing dark shirts, and it’s especially true for books. Sometimes the characters will hook the reader, sometimes the premise, sometimes it’s just knowing the author—but nothing beats a great opening for getting a reader to commit.

Going back a couple of decades for this one, but I came across it recently and it just about pulled me in for a day or three.

As I stood there with the sword in my hand, the blade dripping blood on the floor, I couldn’t help but wonder if the blood belonged to my father.

The entire thing had happened so quickly that I wasn’t quite sure how to react. Part of me wanted to laugh, but most of me fairly cringed at what had just occurred. I didn’t do particularly well with blood. This tended to be something of a hardship for one endeavoring to become a knight, dedicated to serving good King Runcible of Isteria, a ruler who more often than not had his heart in the right place.

The recently slain knight also had his heart in the right place. This had turned out to be something of an inconvenience for him. After all, if his heart had been in the wrong place, then the sword wouldn’t have pierced it through, he wouldn’t be dead, and I wouldn’t have been in such a fix.

from Sir Apropos of Nothing by Peter David
Sir Apropos of Nothing Cover

Opening Lines Logo

WWW Wednesday, October 25, 2023

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On October 25, 2023

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

I’m suffering from the worst sickness known to humanity, while not fatal, it might as well be thanks to the degree of suffering we who have succumbed to it have to endure–yes, my friends, I have a Man Cold. Pity my poor wife.

I have still managed to read a bit, however. Let’s take a look at how things are going this week.

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 goofy Cunk on Everything: The Encyclopedia Philomena by Philomena Cunk, the grim and compelling A Good Rush of Blood by Matt Phillips, and am listening to That Ain’t Witchcraft by Seanan McGuire, Emily Bauer (Narrator) on audiobook.

Cunk on EverythingBlank SpaceA Good Rush of BloodBlank SpaceThat Ain't Witchcraft

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Carrie Alani’s Healed and How I Won a Nobel Prize by Julius Taranto, Lauren Fortgang (Narrator) on audio.

HealedBlank SpaceHow I Won a Nobel Prize

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be Sleep No More by Seanan McGuire. I’m not sure what my next audiobook will be, it’ll depend on what (if any) holds at the library become available.

Sleep No MoreBlank Space???

What’s got your attention lately?

Happy Birthday, Archie!

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On October 23, 2023

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

My nearly annual tribute to one of my favorite fictional characters (if not my all-time favorite). I’ve got to do an overhaul to this soon, but it is slightly updated and tweaked from two years ago.

Archie GoodwinOn 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. He’s the narrator (and, I’d argue protagonist) of the questionably named Nero Wolfe mysteries. While the eccentric and overweight genius might be what brings people to the series, it’s Archie’s wit, attitude, and snappy narrative voice that brings people back.

* About 34 years ago, no matter what year it is that you read this.
** Although, in Too Many Women, we read: “Your father’s name is James Arner Goodwin, and you were born in Canton, Ohio, in nineteen-fourteen. Your mother’s maiden name was Leslie. You have two brothers and two sisters.” Stout claims that the PI who looked into Archie got it wrong.

When my aunt first gave me a Nero Wolfe book to read, she sold me on the Wolfe character, but when I read it, I wasn’t so sure that I liked the guy. But his assistant? He was cool. Sure, it didn’t take me long to get into Wolfe, but Archie’s always been my favorite. Since I was in Middle School, if I was suffering a slump of any kind (reading, emotional, physical), time with Archie Goodwin could get me out of it. There were a few years that when I got sick, I’d grab a Nero Wolfe novel to help me get through it (along with the Vitamin C and Chicken Noodle soup), and you can’t tell me it didn’t work. Noted critic Jacques Barzun says it well:

If he had done nothing more than to create Archie Goodwin, Rex Stout would deserve the gratitude of whatever assessors watch over the prosperity of American literature. For surely Archie is one of the folk heroes in which the modern American temper can see itself transfigured. Archie is the lineal descendant of Huck Finn.

While Archie’s about as far from a teetotaler as you can get, to commemorate his birthday, 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 like this:

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 Too Many Women, he’s a bit more concise and describes himself as the:

heart, liver, lungs and gizzard of the private detective business of Nero Wolfe, Wolfe being merely the brains

In Poison a la Carte (and echoed in Bullet for One and If Death Ever Slept), he describes his job as:

[Wolfe’s] assistant detective and man Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday

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.

Over at The Thrilling Detective, he’s described this way:

If Goodwin hadn’t gone to work for Wolfe, he’d certainly have his own agency by now (and temporarily does, in one novel). Far more of a traditional eye, Goodwin is a tough, handsome guy with a photographic memory, a .32 under his well-tailored suit (and sometimes an extra .38 in his overcoat pocket), and a well-developed appreciation for the ladies. And, in the opinion of more than a few cops, officials and stuffed-shirt executives, a mouth that ought to be nailed shut permanently. (Wolfe isn’t immune either–part of Goodwin’s job, as he sees it, is needling the fat man into taking cases, if only to make sure the bills get covered.) He’s not the deductive genius that Wolfe is, but a smart and tenacious op with a good right hook, and a decent and personable man. Most of all, in his narration of the books, he’s a helluva storyteller; it’s his view of the world, and his interaction with Wolfe, that keeps us coming back for each new mystery.

Archie’s Corner at The Wolfe Pack has more details..

I’m not the only Archie fan out there:

  • 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.

I shook my head. “You’re flattering me, Inspector. I don’t arouse passions like that. It’s my intellect women like. I inspire them to read good books, but I doubt if I could inspire even Lizzie Borden to murder.”

She turned back to me, graceful as a big cat, and stood there straight and proud, not quite smiling, her warm dark eyes as curious as if she had never seen a man before. I knew damn well I ought to say something, but what? The only thing to say was ‘Will you marry me?’ but that wouldn’t do because the idea of her washing dishes or darning socks was preposterous.

“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.

Among the kinds of men I have a prejudice against are the ones named Eugene. There’s no use asking me why, because I admit it’s a prejudice. It may be that when I was a in kindergarten out in Ohio a man named Eugene stole candy from me, but if so I have forgotten all about it. For all practical purposes, it is merely one face of my complex character that I do not like men named Eugene.

It was nothing new for Wolfe to take steps, either on his own, or with one or more of the operatives we used, without burdening my mind with it. His stated reason was that I worked better if I thought it all depended on me. His actual reason was that he loved to have a curtain go up revealing him balancing a live seal on his nose.

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.

Saturday Miscellany—10/21/23

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On October 21, 2023

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

A little bit of catch-up from last week, a little bit of stuff I found this week, and just a touch of things I will have found next week.

(two out of three ain’t bad).

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 Dispatch From the Ghosts of Bookstores Past
bullet We Don’t Talk About Harry Potter: The perils of publishing a diverse magic school series in the shadow of a juggernaut
bullet Bros Are Coming for BookTok. These TikTokers Aren’t Having It
bullet The Man Who Invented Fantasy: All those wizards, ogres, and barely-clad elf queens in the bookstore? You have Lester del Rey to thank.
bullet How to Exclaim!—varied thoughts on !
bullet Agony Editor: Judging your own book’s cover design – and what to do about it
bullet What Makes Some Long Books Feel Too Long?—Templeton again asks the important questions
bullet How Far Afield Can Sci-Fi and Fantasy “Fake Swearing” Get Before You Feel Uncomfortable?—honestly, I enjoy the fake swears. But, whatever…fun post anyway.
bullet Bookish Jobs I Would Do For Free—yup
bullet Worlds Unlike Our Own and The Strawberry Post both recently celebrated their 5th Anniversaries. Each in an interesting fashion.
bullet Why Shakespeare still matters—odd that this needs to be said, but…
bullet 10 Books That You Must Read Once in Your Life—yeah, maybe. I wonder if I put off reading a couple of these for a few more decades, do I get to live longer? How authoritative is that “must”?
bullet The Five 2013 Reads I Remember Best—I enjoy Finn’s premises almost as much as his posts
bullet The SciFiMonth Challenge—it’s right around the corner, are you participating?
bullet On Writers, Reviewers, and a Pointless Tangle—tempted to just post this link on social media every so often for the next decade

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
bullet Lone Wolfe – Steve Hockensmith – Episode 32—a fun chat with the author of the Holmes on the Range series about fiction, Nero Wolfe, his own material and more. Couldn’t agree more with everything he said about The Big Sleep, incidentally.

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Up on the Woof Top by Spencer Quinn—a new Chet and Bernie book? Sign me up. Based on the last “Christmas” novel for these two, the holiday will be part of the setting, but it could be read without regard to the season.

September 2023 in Retrospect: What I Read/Listened to/Wrote About

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On October 20, 2023

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

Yes, this is very late. I finished 28 titles (3 up from last month, 1 down from last September), with an equivalent of 7,740 pages or the equivalent (356ish up from last month), and gave them an average of 3.8 stars (.1 up from last month). I’m happy with what I read (but wouldn’t have minded finishing another title or two), I’m happy with what I got posted (but wouldn’t have minded another five or six things posted)–and loved the idea of a Guest Review. So basically, I’m happy with the month.

So, here’s what happened here in September.
Books/Novels/Novellas Read/Listened to

Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo American Idolatry The Flood Circle
Still Deciding 3.5 Stars 4 1/2 Stars
Eclipse The Last Ranger Mrs. Plansky's Revenge
3.5 Stars 3 Stars ?? 4 1/2 Stars
Wannabe Scareground Farsickness
3 Stars 3 Stars 4 Stars
Dead Man's Hand The Longmire Defense Malibu Burning
4 Stars 4 Stars 4 Stars
The Puppet Show Cash Rules Everything Around Me Kay-9 The Robot Dog
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars
Tricks for Free Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective
4 Stars 4 Stars 3.5 Stars
'Twas the Bite Before Christmas How to Stay Productive When the World Is Ending Who Chose the Gospels?
4 Stars 3 Stars 5 Stars
Nasty, Brutish, and Short An Inheritance of Magic Thornhedge
3.5 Stars 4 1/2 Stars 3 Stars
Once Upon a Tome Bone Carnival Every Dreaming Creature
3 Stars 4 Stars 4 Stars
The Last Devil to Die
5 Stars

Still Reading

The Existence and Attributes of God A Mystery Revealed: 31 Meditations on the Trinity Summer Hours at the Robbers Library
The Atonement: An Introduction

Ratings

5 Stars 3 2 1/2 Stars 0
4 1/2 Stars 3 2 Stars 0
4 Stars 10 1 1/2 Stars 0
3.5 Stars 4 1 Star 0
3 Stars 8
Average = 3.8

TBR Stacks/Piles/Heaps

Audio E-book Physical Goodreads
Want-to-Read
End of
2022		 5 45 42 143
1st of the
Month		 5 50 54 151
Added 2 3 9 1
Read/
Listened		 2 2 5 1
Current Total 5 51 58 151

Breakdowns:
“Traditionally” Published: 19
Self-/Independent Published: 9

Genre This Month Year to Date
Children’s 1 (4%) 23 (10%)
Fantasy 4 (14%) 22 (10%)
General Fiction/ Literature 1 (4%) 7 (17%)
Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller 9 (32%) 69 (30%)
Non-Fiction 3 (11%) 16 (7%)
Science Fiction 3 (11%) 26 (11%)
Theology/ Christian Living 2 (7%) 22 (10%)
Urban Fantasy 4 (14%) 25 (11%)
“Other” (Horror/ Humor/ Steampunk/ Western) 1 (4%) 7 (3%)

Review-ish Things Posted

Other Things I Wrote
Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th), I also wrote (and/or posted):

Enough about me—how Was Your Month?

September Calendar

WWW Wednesday, October 18, 2023

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On October 18, 2023

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

Oh, wow. Coming back from vacation has convinced me that I need another one. I’m behind on everything–personal stuff, work, the blog, exercise, and more…for this to be the first thing I composed/assembled since before I left? That’s just not good.

Still, good to be back, putting out mostly new things–nothing scheduled in advance, we’re live again.

Hope you all enjoyed the series from the last week and a half! Let’s dive into this week’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 still re-reading The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher, and am listening to But Have You Read the Book?: 52 Literary Gems That Inspired Our Favorite Films by Kristen Lopez, Tanis Parenteau (Narrator) on audiobook. Which may have been better to read on paper.

The Aeronaut's WindlassBlank SpaceBut Have You Read the Book?

What did you recently finish reading?

I got a little bit of reading in last week, so this answer will be a bit fuller than normal. I recently finished Evidence Pool by Ian Robinson, Evil Embers by Cristelle Comby, The Ostler by Susan Grossey, Partial Function by JCM Berne, Love Stories by Robert Germaux, That Old Cloak and Dagger Routine by Anne Louise Bannon, Death on the Beach by Steph Broadribb, Winter’s Gift by Ben Aaronovitch, and Blood Runs Cold by Neil Lancaster. I enjoyed them all, and wish I’d read all of them earlier (including the one that has yet to be published). In some cases years earlier.

The last audiobook I finished was the utterly delightful and silly The Third Eye by Felicia Day, Narrated by a full cast including: Sean Astin, Felicia Day, Neil Gaiman, LilyPichu, London Hughes, and Wil Wheaton.

Evidence PoolBlank SpaceEvil Embers

The OstlerBlank SpacePartial Function

Love StoriesBlank SpaceThat Old Cloak and Dagger Routine

Death on the BeachBlank SpaceWinter's Gift

Blood Runs ColdBlank SpaceThe Third Eye>

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be a little change of pace for me, Healed by Carrie Alani and my next audiobook should be How I Won a Nobel Prize by Julius Taranto, Lauren Fortgang (Narrator). I’m also not sure that this is something that’ll work on audio for me, but I’ll give it a whirl.

HealedBlank SpaceHow I Won a Nobel Prize

What’ve you been reading lately?

Top 5 All-Time Desert Island Books with Me, The Irresponsible Reader

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On October 18, 2023

In Books, News/Misc., Top 5 All-Time Desert Island Books

Top 5 All-Time Desert Island Books
It’s time to wrap this series up—at least for now, I’ve had people reach out to me to express interest in doing this in the future. If you’d like to take a shot at this, just let me know! I’d be more than happy to try this all again. But for now, I get to give my 2¢.

In a perfect world, the first paragraph or so of this was going to be the prompt I gave everyone. But, I didn’t finish writing them* until after everyone submitted their lists. Which actually worked out pretty well, because I prefer what I got to what this would’ve produced.

* Or start, actually.

If you’re reading this site, I probably don’t need to give an introduction like I did with the rest, but the reflex is there. As the Irresponsible Reader, I’m a fanboy sounding my bookish yawp over the roofs of the Internet. Essentially, I’m just some guy with a habit that’s gotten out of control, and will very likely die crushed by an out-of-control TBR Pile in my dotage (or tomorrow). Appreciator of the Strange, the Neat, and/or the Yummy.

As I often do on weekends, I recently found myself at Championship Paperbacks, this charming little New and Used bookstore downtown. It’s a little rundown on the outside, but inside? It’s a monument to books—there are some new releases, of course—in paperback and trade paperbacks. But primarily it’s a treasure-trove of Mass Market Paperbacks—classics, little-heard-of backlist titles, obscure and hard-to-find SF&F treasures, and mystery novels galore.

The place is owned and run by a moody guy named Ron—I’m not sure why he keeps the place, he doesn’t really seem to like it much. But he does seem to have some pretty serious opinions about the books. He has two booksellers on staff that really add some…color, shall we say to the place. First of all, there’s Larry. Larry is a boisterous guy who seems to like junk food almost as much as he does the sound of his own voice. Larry will go on extended rants about Grimdark Fantasy, Hard Science Fiction, and Horror (although rumor has it, he writes cozy mysteries about a Hamster Breeder who solves murders when he’s not at work). The other bookseller is a quiet, knowledgeable man, Nick—who has plenty of firm opinions (and the familiarity with fiction to back them up) himself but has to be pushed into expressing them.

When I walk in, there are a few people browsing around the store’s perimeter, and the three booksellers are lounging around the cash register chatting with a few customers, everyone seems engaged in the conversation, people are chuckling, and a few are taking notes on scratch paper or their phones. Larry cuts off whatever scathing remark he was in the middle of to point at me just inside the door, cocks an eyebrow and, bellows—”You, there, Irresponsible Reader*—name your Top 5 All-Time Desert Island Books. Now!”

* If I’d actually finished this in time, Larry would be calling out the participants here.

I freeze…it’s just a conversation with a few complete strangers, and the guys who run the bookshop I like to shop in. It’s not like I’m on trial at the Hauge, behind the center podium on the Alex Trebek stage trying to come up with a decent wager in limited seconds, or trying to decide what I want for dinner on a Cheat Day—but there’s something about the way these guys are looking at me that ratchets up the pressure.

Mentally (I think, maybe it was literally), I mop my brow and try to come up with something to say. “Well, I could go for something major that I’ve always wanted to—or thought I should read—Crime and Punishment or something really weighty and important, like Eat, Pray, Love.” The shared silence is deafening, tough crowd. “But really, if I’m stuck on a deserted island for who knows how long, I want comfort. I want familiarity, I want something that I know will make me feel good.”

I nod to myself, that sounds about right. Larry taps his fingers impatiently on the counter. “No more stalling—come on!”

“Okay, okay, okay. We’ll start with Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre—I’ve been a fan since High School. I get caught up in the story, I love the looks at and criticisms of British culture of the time and the ways Christianity was expressed at the time, and Jane’s just a great character. I get something new out of it each time I read it.” Ron looks unimpressed, Larry rolls his eyes, but Nick gives a quiet nod. That nod gave me the assurance to move on.

“I’m going to need something else that takes a while. So I guess Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind—the 10th Anniversary Edition, of course (I’m going to need those extra fifty pages and whatnot).” I see Larry start to say something in response, “Yeah, yeah, I know—it’s crazy to just pick the first volume of a trilogy—especially one that might never get finished*—but I just love that book. I really don’t care if we get the rest of the trilogy as long as I can re-read this every so often.”

* As much as I want K.R.R. to get his trip.

I start to pick up speed. “I have to have some Douglas Adams. I’m going to pick So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish.” I note the crowd’s skeptical reaction. “Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s not the funniest of the series, but there are several great moments and it’s a better novel than the rest.” Larry sneers at that choice, Ron actually seems to be paying attention, and Nick seems intrigued (but still mildly skeptical). I’m having a hard time watching the rest out of the corner of my eye, I can’t seem to stop seeing Larry’s glare.

“Fourth is a tricky one, I don’t want to be apart from Nero Wolfe or Archie Goodwin for an indefinite period. Also, just spending time in the Brownstone on West 35th will make me think of a nice, cozy home—something unlike whatever hut I found myself in. The Silent Speaker maybe? Gambit? Eh, I guess The Golden Spiders sounds best. Or at least good enough.” I thought about picking, Triple Zeck—the bound edition of the Zeck Trilogy—And Be a Villain, The Second Confession, and In the Best Families—but I’m almost certain that Larry and Ron would call that cheating.

“Those last couple of reads aren’t going to take me too long, I realize—but the comfort makes them worthwhile. Which is why I have to go with Early Autumn by Robert B. Parker for my last choice. There’s a little bit of the action and P.I. story, along with a healthy dose of Thoreau-esque self-reliance. If nothing else, reading about Spenser building that cabin might inspire me to construct something liveable on the island.” I get a couple of chuckles for that last line. Not too many, but I’ll take them.

Ron shrugs and gets back to whatever it is he does. Nick takes a couple of notes and smiles at me. Then Larry starts to critique my picks, telling me all the problems with them, drawing on his wealth of opinions. I tune him out and start browsing, some series of blog posts had given me quite the shopping list.

Be sure to check out the great lists provided by the authors/creators/bloggers/reviewers this last week and a half!

Top 5 All-Time Desert Island Books Footer

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

Top 5 All-Time Desert Island Books with K.R.R. Lockhaven

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On October 17, 2023

In Books, News/Misc., Top 5 All-Time Desert Island Books

Top 5 All-Time Desert Island Books
“K.R.R. (Kyle Robert Redundant) Lockhaven used to love writing as a kid. Starting at about ten years old, he wrote about anything from dragons to sentient jellybeans. Somewhere along the line, he lost that love. But now as a firefighter, husband, and father of two sons, he found it again. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find the really good stuff from back then…

“Kyle is a huge proponent of summer camps for burn survivor kids. [A portion] from every book he ever sells will go to the Washington State Council of Firefighters Burn Foundation, sponsors of Camp Eyabsut. For more info, or to donate money or time, go to www.campeyabsut.org.”

I’m truly delighted to close out the portion of this series submitted by authors with the return of K.R.R. Lockhaven to this site. I trust that you, like myself, will be most impressed by the thoughtful approach that Lockhaven brought to his selections. No, wait, that was someone else. Lockhaven’s approach is…well, it’s what one should expect from him. 🙂

Top 5 “Dessert Island” Books

When H.C. asked me to name my top 5 dessert island books, my mind went straight to the tried and true 100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen, with Classic Cookies, Novel treats, Brownies, Bars, and More. Then my mind wandered into a dreamlike image of what this supposed dessert island might look like. At first, it seemed wonderful—Candyland-esque in its sugary splendor. But then I thought about the longevity of such an island. Before long, things would start to get pretty bad. Baked goods don’t have the longest shelf life. Ice cream has even shorter still. I…

Sorry. I just realized my obvious blunder. It’s DESERT, not DESSERT. Unfortunately, my delete key is broken, so this has to stay in. I apologize again for being a dork.

So, now I understand what he was asking. What 5 books would I bring with me if I was to be stranded on a desert island for a prolonged period of time? Here is my list:
1. How to Build Your Own Boat From Scratch by John E. Traister
How to Build Your Own Boat From Scratch
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of sailing the seas. This would be a good opportunity to build a boat and become the ship captain I’ve dreamed and written about. Not that some time alone on an island wouldn’t be nice in many ways. But I would start to miss my loved ones after a couple hours, so I’d like to be proactive in getting back to them.

2. The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
The Sirens of TitanShipbuilding, I’m guessing, is hard work. I would need to take breaks, and reading seems like a good way to pass the time while I’m resting. The first book that comes to mind for such a rest is The Sirens of Titan. This is probably my all-time favorite book. I first read it at a pivotal time in my life (junior year of high school), and I think it really changed things for the better. One way it did this was to open my mind to new ways of thinking. For example, its explanation for the purpose of all human life is one of the darkest and funniest things I’ve ever read. The idea that there was no ultimate purpose in life, or that such things could be joked about, was very freeing. My teenage mind hadn’t really contemplated such things before, but Vonnegut’s wisdom and satire had brought so many new ideas to the forefront. One of those ideas came from the following line: “I can think of no more stirring symbol of man’s humanity to man than a fire engine.” I credit this line with sparking my interest in becoming a firefighter. It’s strange to think about how one little line could have so much sway on where my life has gone (even if, in this scenario, it has led me to become stranded on a godforsaken desert island). This book also has one of my favorite lines: “A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved” (which, in this scenario, would just be myself unless the shipbuilding thing worked out).

3. Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide (to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons) by Quenby Olson
Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide (to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons)I would like to have a cozy and often hilarious book on this island, and Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide seems just right. This book would comfort me whenever existential dread began to creep in. Plus, if I’m alone on the island for a long stretch of time, it might be helpful to learn how to smash through the fourth wall I’ll likely create in my mind. This book has the most brilliant form of fourth-wall-breaking I’ve ever read. It’s funny and fun and I want it on the island.

4. The Doors of Stone by Patrick Rothfuss
The Doors of StoneI know it’s not out yet, but I don’t currently have any travel plans that will take me over any large bodies of water, so I’m assuming I’ll be trapped on this island sometime in the future when the third book of The Kingkiller Chronicle is out. The main reason is that I don’t want to die without getting to the end of Kvothe’s story. I absolutely loved the first two books and I don’t think I’ve ever anticipated anything quite like I anticipate The Doors of Stone. Not that I want to put any pressure on Mr. Rothfuss. I’m currently writing book 3 of my own trilogy, so I understand the difficulties that come with such a task. Whenever he is ready, I’ll allow myself to go over the ocean. But not until then!

5. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyIt feels strange not to have a Terry Pratchett book on this list, but I’m going with this instead. For one thing, it’s fantastic. For another, I haven’t read it in too long so a reread is overdue. This is another book that presents the ultimate answer to the meaning of life (the universe, and everything) as something we can joke about. Humor is so damned important in the face of that pesky existential dread. In my opinion, we have to laugh at ourselves and our place in all of this to cope and find a slice of happiness in this unfathomable galaxy of ours. I imagine this kind of attitude will be beneficial as the existential dread of the desert island really starts to take hold.

 

Thank you, H.C., for letting me guest post on your wonderful blog! I hope this wasn’t too silly

If you aren’t rolling your eyes too hard at this, you might enjoy some of my writing. I have a humorous fantasy, two parts of a nautical fantasy trilogy, and a cozy fantasy you can find at krrlockhaven.com.

Lockhaven provided his own encouragement to visit his site (thoughtful of him to spare me the effort), but I want to say it myself—be sure to check out https://www.krrlockhaven.com and all the books there!

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Top 5 All-Time Desert Island Books with Jodie Crump

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On October 16, 2023

In Books, News/Misc., Top 5 All-Time Desert Island Books

Top 5 All-Time Desert Island Books
I haven’t done a count or anything, but in the last five years, the blogger I’ve probably mentioned most often is our guest today, Jodie Crump of Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub. I’m pleased as punch to have her here today. Like some others, she cheats a little in her first choice–and then takes a daring move for the last few.

Before we dip into her list, let’s see what her site says about her:

“First of all, I’m a nerd. A huge nerd. Like, a Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering, quote-Firefly-and-proudly-call-myself-a-Browncoat nerd. I’m also a voracious reader, a homeschool mom, and an introvert. I’m more than a little awkward, and I express myself better in writing.

“I’ll read pretty much anything, with the exception of romance novels. Sadly, I’m bereft of any sense of romanticism. I tend to gravitate towards fantasy, YA, and sci-fi, but I’ve been branching out more into nonfiction lately.”

Thank you for having me!

I’m excited to talk about five books that I’d take with me to a desert island. Although, I’m more of a mountain fan so I’m mentally switching the beach out for a lovely, isolated cabin. Ah…that’s better.

Whether island or mountain, stranded or hermiting it up (I’m just creating words here), I have to start any list with a comfort read. You know, the kind that puts you at ease and makes you feel like you’re with old friends. This is where I cheat. I know, I just can’t be trusted! But my first choice would be…

1. The Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
You can find this trilogy in a lovely, annotated edition, so I can pretend it’s one book instead of three, right? This trilogy jumpstarted my lifelong love of the fantasy genre. I reread it every year, starting in Autumn and I’m actually reading it right now. These books follow a group of friends who have met up after being separated for five years. Instead of a quiet reunion, they find themselves on a quest that soon snowballs into a fight for the entire future of their world. Despite being an epic fantasy story, the trilogy is nonetheless character-focused. In fact, the red-robed mage Raistlin is the origin of my love of morally complex characters.

So, moving on to my second choice. I’d have to add a bit of magic, which means I’d go with:

2. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I’m a sucker for beautiful, descriptive writing and The Night Circus delivers it in droves. Reading about the Circus is like entering a gorgeous dream. Everything has an ethereal quality. If it were possible, I would gladly forego sleep to go explore Le Cirque des Rêves. I’m a chronically exhausted parent, so that’s saying something.

I can’t head to a location to be determined for long enough to bring five books without having a least a few new releases.
First up is an upcoming release that I’ve been looking forward to for quite a while.

3. Legacy of a Hated God by Patrick Samphire
This is the final book in the Mennik Thorn series. These books are phenomenal and I’m both excited to see how things wrap up and sad to know that I’ll have to say goodbye to one of the best walking Murphy’s Law characters that I’ve had the pleasure to read. Of course, even the best characters can’t exist in a vacuum and Mennik is surrounded by some awesome characters. The world is fabulous, the plot development continues to surprise. This would be a perfect book to take on a long trip.

4. The Yawning Gap by C.V. Vobh
I just started this one (I mean that quite literally) and I’m excited to see where it leads. The premise, that of a band of wanderers being given the responsibility of fixing things that are so far broken it’s hard to tell if they even are fixable, is the sort that lends itself to a massive amount of imagination. Author C.V. Vobh’s writing has me immediately invested.

5. Shield Maiden by Sharon Emmerichs
Last but certainly not least, I’d bring Shield Maiden, an upcoming release from Orbit Books. This novel is inspired by Beowulf. I have a fascination with the epic poem and am always curious to see how other people see it, what additions they will make, and how that will change the story itself. I’ve read Tolkien’s version, Seamus Heaney’s translation (my very favorite), and several reimaginings. I’m fascinated by the idea of adding a female’s perspective to the story.

I think these choices will keep me occupied for a good long while. I do get to go on this hypothetical trip, right? No? Sigh.
Thank you for letting me ramble, Irresponsible Reader!

Be sure to check out Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub! If you read that blog and/or follow her on Social Media, you’ll see that Jodie’s the bee’s knees.

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