Category: News/Misc. Page 87 of 229

Saturday Miscellany—1/14/23

On January 14, 2023

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

I don’t know about the rest of you, but my 2023 reading has started off strong. If things keep up at this rate 2023 is going to be fantastic (I don’t expect it, but it’d be nice).

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 5 Ways To Be a Healthier Reader in 2023
bullet It turns out that people don’t want a coloring book based on a novel about domestic abuse.—I’ve never read Hoover, but I’ve watched a little of back and forth about her work lately. My jaw dropped, though, when I saw that there was going to be a coloring book based on the book. I’m so glad things worked out this way.
bullet So I was wrong last week when I predicted I was at the end of the 2022 wrap-ups that I wanted to share. Here are two more:
bullet 2022 : The ones that got away—I liked this idea enough that I almost came up with my version, but decided it’d be too depressingly long.
bullet My end of year stats for 2022: late, of course.—love the graphs…
bullet In Search of New Reading Rituals
bullet What to expect in 2023, according to science fiction—what a fantastic idea…
bullet Between Utopia and Dystopia: the Mixtopian Borderlands—Mixtopian is a word I’m going to be adding to my vocabulary (maybe? I mean, I hope to…it’s a nifty category)

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper—the author’s name should be enough, but if you need more…”a “black-bag” publicist tasked not with letting the good news out but keeping the bad news in” tries to discover who gunned down her boss.
bullet Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett—A charming and cozy(ish) Victorian Fantasy, that I really can’t sum up in a sentence or two. Maybe you’d be better off reading my post about it from last month.
bullet Early Grave by Paul Levine—Jake Lassiter’s last case has him facing off against High School Football. It’s a heckuva ride, as I talked about earlier this week.
bullet Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire—I’d say this wasn’t your typical Wayward Children book, but is there a typical one? I just finished this last night and it’s likely one of my favorites in this series. Heart-wrenching, tense, and full of beautiful sentences—with a couple of nice cameos from books in the series.

Lastly, I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to Blue Bell and jason Lee who followed the blog this week. I hope you enjoy the content and keep coming back.

The Friday 56 for 1/13/23: Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire

By HCNewton

On January 13, 2023

In Currently Reading, Fantasy, Fiction, News/Misc., Quotations, Seanan McGuire, The Friday 56, Wayward Children

This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice.

RULES:
The Friday 56 Grab a book, any book.
Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
Find a snippet, short and sweet.
Post it.

from Page 56 of:
Lost in the Moment and Found

Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire

On the other side of the door, where the shop should have been, a jungle stretched all the way to the horizon, fat, round-trunked trees dripping with vines and flowers, their twisting branches reaching for the sky like the spread fingers of enormous hands. Something moved in the deep foliage, and brightly colored birds perched on the vines, clacking their beaks and calling to each other at the sight of her.

It wasn’t possible. It wasn’t logical. It wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real.

Antsy stepped through the door. Only one foot; she was at least clever enough to leave her other foot solidly on the wooden floor of the thrift store. One of the vast, bright-petaled flowers was close enough for her to lean over and pluck it before retreating back through the door and closing it behind her. The flower didn’t disintegrate when pulled into the thrift store. It remained in her hand, bright and blooming, petals almost the same color as a good, ripe watermelon.

She stared at it, trying to understand how this could be happening.

WWW Wednesday, January 11, 2023

By HCNewton

On January 11, 2023

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

You ever spend days planning your reading around the release day of a certain book and then when the book doesn’t arrive have to rejigger a bunch of your plans (including how to spend the majority of your time off of work for the night)? Please say I’m not alone in doing this. It’s been one of those weeks for me, the result of my rejiggering is in the first and third answers below.

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 riveting and complex Blackwater Falls by Ausma Zehanat Khan and I’m revisiting the Alex Verus finale with Risen by Benedict Jacka, Gildart Jackson (Narrator) on audiobook.

Blank Space

What did you recently finish reading?

Yesterday, I finished The Night Watch by Neil Lancaster (and I am so upset with myself for sleeping on that one) and the goofy Destructive Reasoning by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator).

Blank Space

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should bring me back to Eleanor West’s School for Wayward Children with Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire . It’s been too long since I spent time with Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro, so my next audiobook should be A Drink Before the War by Dennis Lehane, Jonathan Davis (Narrator).

Blank Space

What are you up to?

2023 Plans and Challenges

By HCNewton

On January 10, 2023

In Books, Calendar Items, Miscellany, News/Misc.

Finally it’s time to stop looking at 2022 (as fun as that’s been) and to start focusing on 2023.

Typically, I’m reticent to get into calling my shots, as it were, too much anymore—there’s a project from 2020 still hanging over my head to point out the problems with me doing that. I’m sure there are older abandoned (or “paused”) projects, too —I just don’t want to go spelunking through the archives to find more personal failures (minor, to be sure, but technically failures).

I do have things I want to accomplish here over the next 12 months for a variety of reasons—and listing them like this helped last year (although, you’ll see a lot of echoes here from that post. But most of those echoes are of a “continue doing this” nature). So, here’s what I’m going to shoot for around here in the next 12 months.
Continue that Literary Locals Project!
Cut down on my Goodreads Want-to-Read list and the unread books that I own (a perennial project, but I made some strides last year)—at least two of the Book Challenges this year should be a fun way to help.
I’m going to finish my Classic Spenser series and maybe find another Classic to do a project read-through. We’ll see about that. (This is a repeat from last year, but it’s nagging at me)
I’m going to continue to be picky in the Book Tours I participate in. I still like Tours, they expose me to things I wouldn’t normally read—and I’m going to keep doing them. But if I’m picky, it helps me focus on other things.
Similarly, I’m doing fewer Book Challenges. I like the ones I’ve picked out—but they’re concrete things, no more of these “Read as Many of X as You Can” challenges. They don’t move the needle one bit for me as far as picking books—I read as many as I’m going to anyway, just with a count. But Challenges with specific targets can be fun. I’ll talk about those in a minute.
Try to interview more authors (maybe others, too?), and get better at that, too. The Literary Locals series is helping with that.
I have one other new feature that I’ll be debuting soon(ish). I’m excited about it, but need a couple of more things to happen before I tell you anything.

2022 Book Challenges

Goodreads Challenge
My oldest son taunted me into upping my annual goal to 250 this year. I’ve topped that the last 7 years, so I feel pretty good about meeting that. I’d kept my goal lower because 200 seemed realistic—and anything above it was just gravy. Ultimately, I really don’t care if I hit it—or beat it.

Well, okay, I don’t care that much.

12 Books
I did this one last year, and it really expanded my reading. This year looks like it’ll do the same. There are 2 books I’d had on my list of “should probably read” and 1 book that I’d never heard of before, but instantly wanted to read as soon as it was recommended. The rest? I’m looking forward to reading them, but I’m relatively certain I wouldn’t have picked on my own. BTW, I could use one more recommendation to finalize this list.

2022 While I was Reading

I’ve done this one for the last few years—and Ramona’s done a great job of stretching me. And will continue to do so—this year’s categories look like a lot of fun, too.

Your TBR Reduction Book Challenge

I really appreciate the way this one is put together, and it’s pretty easy—just 1 book a month and my TBR should go down by at least 12. This was pretty helpful last year, and I expect the same this year. I’ve actually already knocked off the January stretch goal, and should have the actual goal done next week.

Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge;

I’ll be pairing this one with my Goodreads Want-To-Read goal and the TBR Reduction challenge as much as I can. It’s really just a way to trick myself into doing better at both of those. I’ve seen a few people do this lately, and it seemed like a good idea. Still, I’m not a glutton for punishment—I’m only going for the 24-prompt version.

I’ll also undoubtedly do the 20 Books of Summer Challenge…that’s been pretty fun. And I can easily combine it with 2 or 3 of the above challenges, to be super-productive.

That’s everything I have planned, I can’t wait to see what unplanned things happen around here. Hope you’re around to join in the fun!

(Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay)

Highlights from December: Lines Worth Repeating

By HCNewton

On January 9, 2023

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc., Quotations

Highlights from the Month
Since high school, I’ve collected quotations like philatelists collect tiny bits of paper. In every book I read I scratch out copies of far too many quotations for me to use in my posts. Last year, I was inspired by Witty and Sarcastic Book Club’s annual Quotables: Words that Stuck with Me post, but there’s no way that I could just do an annual version, it’d be far too long.

So, I started a monthly (usually) version. They’re likely my favorite posts each month (at least in the top 3 in any given month). I don’t know how many of my readers dig these, but I do, so they’re sticking around.

Here are the lines from December that really stuck with me.

Radio Radio by Ian Shane

Yeah, there’s no question. This woman thinks that I am a moron. The sad thing about that is that I’ve been presenting her with plenty of evidence that I am. I’ve gone from being “interesting charming guy” to Boo Radley in less than six seconds. I’ve lost my focus and my home court advantage. I need to get my cool back in short order.

The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz

“Moxham was strikingly beautiful, the sort of place that turns up in jigsaw puzzles or Harry Potter films.”

Sacrifices by Jamie Schultz

He chambered a round.

“For ghosts?” Karyn asked.

“I ain’t willing to rule out bullets just on principle alone. They might work, and I got nothing else.”

“Plus, it makes you feel better.”

“That, too.”

“If I live through this, you’re a lifesaver,” she said to Bobby.

“You sure this is a good idea?” Nail asked.

Anna gave him a bland look. “It’s been months since we were in the same area code as a good idea. This is just what we’re stuck with.”

Secrets Typed in Blood by Stephen Spotswood

Want to see a prosecutor salivate? Had them a slam-dunk case that’ll generate good press for everyone who touches it.

To ensure that, I’d slipped out to use the facilities and, instead of powdering my nose, placed calls to The Times, The Associated Press, and the New York City Office of Reuters. I decided to save Time Magazine for the morning, they were a weekly after all, and could wait.

My boss rolled her eyes. Well, really just one eye, the false one remained more or less glaring at me.

In the kind of stories that Holly wrote, someone was always having a shock and the blood drains from their face. I’d never seen it happen in real life, not until that moment. In a blink, our client’s face went the sickly pale of cabbage and corpses.

“It’s possible,” she said. “Though it would be rather imprudent.”

“Three murders under his belt? I don’t think our guy is the prudent type.”

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

“Well, I suppose one could see how you could see that. Only if you don’t know what a monster looks like, of course.”

What does a monster look like? Jam asked.

Her mother focused on her, cupping her cheek in a chalky hand. “Monsters don’t look like anything, doux-doux. That’s the whole point. That’s the whole problem.”

“Angels aren’t pretty pictures in old holy books, just like monsters aren’t ugly pictures. It’s all just people, doing hard things or doing bad things. But is all just people, our people.”

Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire

There’s something to be said for keeping your friends around you when things get bad. It may not be good for their life expectancies, but it’s sure as hell easier on the heart.

When you decide to be the immovable object standing in front of the unstoppable force, you’d better pray that you’re right about being immovable, and they’re wrong about being unstoppable.

Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell

Kindred Spirits

Elena couldn’t remember the first time she saw a Star Wars movie . . . in the same way she couldn’t remember the first time she saw her parents. Star Wars had just always been there. There was a stuffed Chewbacca in her crib.

The original trilogy were her dad’s favorite movies—he practically knew them by heart—so when Elena was little, like four or five, she’d say they were her favorite movies, too. Because she wanted to be just like him.

And then, as she got older, the movies started to actually sink in. Like, they went from something Elena could recite to something she could feel. She made them her own. And then she’d kept making them her own. However Elena changed or grew, Star Wars seemed to be there for her in a new way.

Winter Songs for Summer

Summer was curled into a ball on her dorm room floor.

Or as close as she could get to a ball.

She wasn’t one of those girls who could collapse into nothing. She was curled into more of a boomerang shape. A miserable boomerang.

She should probably move onto the bed, but it felt more pathetic to lie on the floor, and the floor was closer to her speakers.

She had a small, all-in-one stereo with a dual cassette player and a radio and a three-CD carousel. It was her prize possession; she’d saved up for six months to buy it.

In the old days, when Summer wanted to listen to one song over and over, she’d have to hit rewind on the tape deck and then guess when to stop. Or sometimes she’d make a tape with the same song dubbed over and over—that was time-consuming.

Now she could put in a CD and press repeat track, and listen to the same song infinitely without ever getting up—without ever having to shift out of her misery.

It had really revolutionized this breakup.

“Happy songs are the saddest thing to listen to when you’re unhappy,” the guy said matter-of-factly. “That’s just physics.”

“That’s not physics.”

“They break your heart because they make you think about the last time you were happy.” He took another bite. “Also, don’t argue with me about physics. I’m a physics major. What’s your major?”

“Secondary education.”

“Okay, I won’t argue with you about that.”

E.B. White on Dogs edited by Martha White

I like to read books on dog training. Being the owner of dachshunds, to me a book on dog discipline becomes a volume of inspired humor. Every sentence is a riot.

I can’t quite figure out why I am so busy all the time; it seems silly and is against my principles.

(Image by DaModernDaVinci from Pixabay)

My Favorite Theology/Christian Living Books of 2022

By HCNewton

On January 8, 2023

In News/Misc., Theology/Christian Living

My Favorite Theology/Christian Living Books of 2022
Finally, we’re at the end of my 2022 wrap-up. Thanks for sticking with me for so long! (assuming you have). At a certain point this year, it felt like I was reading a set all around similar/related ideas. The Kapic-Noble-Horton-Zahl books weren’t written in that way, but they hit me that way. I can’t think of one anymore without the others—that’s not the entire reason they all made my favorites list, but I can’t deny there’s a link. The rest are varied enough to show that I didn’t have tunnel vision all year.

As always, re-reads don’t count for these lists.

(in alphabetical order by author)

What is Christianity?

by Herman Bavinck, Gregory Parker, Jr. (Translator)

My original post
These are two short works by the noted Dutch Theologian newly translated into English. Bavink is clear and convincing without being combative in this pair of brief apologetic pieces. Typically for him, he displays a catholicity in his approach—he’s clearly Reformed Protestant, but he doesn’t disparage other views. I don’t know he accomplishes all he does in so few pages—there’s a lot of subtle theological and apologetic work, here. But there’s also a lot that’s just easy to digest, clear and helpful. Bavinck gives his readers a Christ-centered, Christ-focused definition and description of Christianity (you’d think that’d be a given, but…). As Warfield put it, “We cannot imagine how the work could be done better.”

4 1/2 Stars

In the Fullness of Time: An Introduction to the Biblical Theology of Acts and Paul

by Richard B. Gaffin, Jr.

I haven’t written about this yet, and I’m pretty intimidated to try. I loved every second of it—I felt like I was a beginning student and at the same time, like I was understanding texts with a depth I’m not accustomed to. There’s a lot of depth to Gaffin’s thinking—as one expects every time you read the man—but I thought this work was a bit easier to work through than some of his shorter works. There’s a strong focus on Pentecost and what it means for the rest of New Testament theology (as there should be). Gaffin also sketches out a way to approach Paul’s theology that’s so helpful you wish that it was at least twice as long so he could develop it more and give more examples (although everything in the book is sufficient, I’m just greedy). I’m likely returning to this book this year.

5 Stars

In Divine Company: Growing Closer to the God Who Speaks

by Pierce Taylor Hibbs

My original post
A great work on prayer. Grounding our need for it not in our limitations or sense of need. Nor in the command to do so. Instead, Hibbs focuses on the nature of God as a communicative God and us as His image bearers. Hibbs being Hibbs, this is one of the better-written books on this list.

4 Stars

Recovering Our Sanity: How the Fear of God Conquers the Fears that Divide Us

by Michael Horton

My original post
Horton seeks to address several issues facing contemporary American Christians through the filter of the fear of God—the basic thesis is that if we are maintaining that fear as we ought, it’s easier to maintain a proper perspective on our problems and concerns (as real and as valid as they are). There’s a lot of wisdom in these pages, a lot to chew on (and a handful of things to disagree with).

4 Stars

You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News

by Kelly M. Kapic

My original post
Kapic seeks to apply the doctrine of Creation to remembering that we are created with limits—and, as such, we need to be dependent on one greater than us to help us when we are pushed beyond those limits. There’s a freedom in this realization—we can’t do it all and need to cut ourselves (and others) some slack. Although Kapic states it better than that. The book is a great combination of careful theology and careful application. It’s challenging and reassuring.

4 Stars

What Are Christians For?: Life Together at the End of the World

by Jake Meador

My original post
Meador wants to address American (specifically) and Western (generally) politics from a confessional and Natural Law perspective. He challenges positions and foundations of the Right and the Left calling us all to something deeper and better. And more Biblical. This is a careful book, one that I’m not convinced I completely understood on a first read, but I really appreciated what I did glean from it.

4 1/2 Stars

The Imputation of Adam’s Sin

by John Murray

My original post
This is a very brief work—but as is typical for John Murray, he doesn’t need a lot of words to make his point. He focuses his arguments for the Imputation of Sin on a careful look at Romans 5:12-19. This book is typical Murray—crisp, clear, concise, and convincing. Sure, there’s the drawback that his prose is dry and empty of all personality. The book doesn’t need them (and I’d think it strange to read Murray with it). It’s easy to see why it’s still so heavily used this many years after publication.

4 Stars

You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World

by Alan Noble

My original post
American Christians are too prone to think of themselves as their own, Noble seeks to remind us that (in the words of the Heidelberg Catechism), “I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.” Noble points the believer to recalibrate their understanding of human nature—particularly redeemed human nature—to begin to understand what being the possession of Christ means to our life, our future, our identity. Noble’s writing flows—he’s engaging, compassionate, and relatable. It’s easy to understand even the more complex points he’s making, and his illustrations give the reader plenty to hang on to. Noble’s diagnosis and advice were sound—they seemed to match up with the world around us and the problems we see. More importantly, he points to the One whose grace, mercy, and care offer any true hope and help in this broken and dying world.

4 1/2 Stars

Christ of the Consummation: A New Testament Biblical Theology Volume 1: The Testimony of the Four Gospels

by O. Palmer Robertson

My original post
This is the first of a three-part exercise in applying the method of Biblical Theolgy for the New Testament as outlined by Vos. This volume focuses on the Gospels (obviously) and is a treasure from beginning to end. It’s not “here’s a whole new way to read/think about the Gospels”—and Robertson would be the last to want something like that. Instead, this is a “here’s a way to profitably consider the way these things were revealed” and “here’s how the Gospels build upon one another and build up each other.” It’s one of those books that mid-way through, you’re already trying to figure out when you can schedule a re-read.

5 Stars

Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself)

by David Zahl

My original post
Zahl’s concern is the way we think about human nature—our anthropology—not in some academic sense (or just that), but how, individually, what we believe about human nature impacts the way we live and think. A Low Anthropology remembers that we are dust, we are broken, we suffer, in short—we aren’t perfect. This is an engaging, frequently humorous, and grace-filled look at human frailty and how remembering we are that way (and that others are, too).

4 Stars

Saturday Miscellany—1/7/23

By HCNewton

On January 7, 2023

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

Running a little late today, it’s been a weird day. (also, I have a bumper crop of links today)

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 Last week, I linked to a short list of the new works that have entered the Public Domain this week. Here’s a couple of better lists from Duke’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain and LitHub
bullet Please, let this be the strangest story in publishing for the year. I’m not sure I can take anything worse. A romance author returned to social media after faking her own death in an apparent book-promotion ploy: ‘I simply want my life back’. Michael Gallagher’s substack has a good overview and some responses from the author
bullet AI-Narrated Audiobooks at Apple Books, reports The Guardian and The Verge
bullet Yesterday was Sherlock’s Birthday: Happy 169th Birthday, Sherlock Holmes—I particularly enjoyed reading how they came up with the date.
bullet What Can We Learn from Barnes & Noble’s Surprising Turnaround?: Digital platforms are struggling, meanwhile a 136-year-old book retailer is growing again. But why?
bullet 37 Years Later, We’re Still Living the Nightmare of White Noise
bullet Good Company: Mickey Haller and the Enduring Appeal of ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’
bullet What I’ll Be Doing In 2023—Benedict Jacka outlines the way the rest of the year will (hopefully) go, featuring the release of his new series!
bullet Are we really going to start disinfecting our used books?—really??
bullet And a few more (probably the last?) Best of/Year in Reviews for 2022:
bullet The damppebbles Top Ten(ish!) of 2022
bullet 2022 in Review: Reading Stats & Year in Review—Reader Voracious goes crazy with the stats
bullet Goodbye 2022! The best reads of my year plus stats!—from Runalong the Shelves
bullet The Orangutan Librarian shares My Reading Stats for 2022 – A Bookish Overview!
bullet Bookforager’s 2022 Progress Report
bullet Top 10 Books Read In 2022 from Peat Long’s blog. You should also check out the 2022 Peaties
bullet Reader@Work’s Year in Review: A Look Back at 2022
bullet Mike Finn’s My Twelve Best Reads in 2022
bullet Kerri McBooknerd’s 2022 Reading Wrap Up
bullet Best Reads of 2022 —from Jo Linsdell
bullet In case you’re looking for inspiration for 2023, here’s a few ideas:
bullet My 2023 Bookish Intentions—from Never Judge a Book by its Cover
bullet Fi’s Bibliofiles sets out to Slay the Series
bullet A Look Ahead at 2023—for Reader@Work
bullet The Case for Touching All Your Books
bullet Quenby Olson has given us all a justification for collecting unread books
bullet 5 Middle Grade Books For Adults
bullet Top 10 Humorous Science Fictions for 2023
bullet My Love Affair with Words

A Little Help for Our Friends:
bullet Caffinated Beverages—the new online home for Jeremy Billups art and books. Check it out!

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet The Thing in the Snow by Sean Adams—”a thought-provoking and wryly funny novel—equal parts satire and psychological thriller—that holds a funhouse mirror to the isolated workplace and an age of endless distraction.”
bullet Courage under Fire : Under Siege and Outnumbered 58 to 1 on January 6 by Steven A. Sund—the former Chief of the Capitol Police talks about the fateful day

Lastly, I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to Aditi Kundu, who followed the blog this week. I hope you enjoy the content and keep coming back.

The Friday 56 for 1/6/23: Pieces of Eight by Peter Hartog

By HCNewton

On January 6, 2023

In Currently Reading, News/Misc., Quotations, The Friday 56

This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice.

RULES:
The Friday 56 Grab a book, any book.
Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
Find a snippet, short and sweet.
Post it.

from Page 56% of:
Pieces of Eight

Pieces of Eight by Peter Hartog

I positioned myself behind the chair next to Deacon, my hands resting on its curved back. Beyond the windshield, Empire City blurred, blended streaks of shifting colors without beginning or end. Night had long fallen, soaking the world beneath a snowy abstract blanket where truth slept with lies and deceit. So many thoughts crowded my mind vying for my attention: the Flynns, the One, Pop, Ivan and the bratva, Jack, Mahoney, my feelings for Charlie.

And Leyla.

“It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones,” I quoted quietly.

I shook my head in bemusement. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had been right. My brain-attic was near capacity. Questions bounced around in my mind, banging off of dusty facts, clues, details and other minutiae, a vast amorphous jumble that up until now, had formulated little to no answers.

My Favorite Crime/Mystery/Detective/Thriller Fiction of 2022

By HCNewton

On January 6, 2023

In News/Misc.

I read 114 books I put in the category of “Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller” last year (and there are a couple of multi-genre novels that could beef that number up a bit), so I have to consider it apart from everything else when I put together my Favorites Lists, or just about everything else would get ignored. Even if I went with a Top 15-20 instead of a Favorite 10, maybe 2-3 books from the previous lists would’ve made it along with all of these.

I had a hard time writing up this post—not because I had a hard time picking the list this year (thankfully). Partially because I’m tired of doing these little snippets at this point in the week, but mostly because I want to write a thousand words or so on each one (and probably spend time re-reading huge chunks of each of these books in order to do that properly), so keeping myself to a paragraph or so is really difficult. I ended up borrowing liberally from things I’ve written here and elsewhere just to make sure this list was able to be posted before Feb. 26th.

Once again, I’ll note that I limit my lists to things I read for the first time. I’d be willing to guarantee anyone reading this page will enjoy at least 6 of these (which six will vary from reader to reader, however). I’m tempted to say that all the listed books are guaranteed for everyone, but people’s tastes are too varied, so I’ll hedge my bet. Try these, and you’ll be glad you did.

(in alphabetical order by author)

Robert B. Parker’s Bye Bye Baby

by Ace Atkins

My original post
It’s really no surprise that Atkins’ final Spenser novel makes this list—Spenser is one of my all-time favorites, and the decade that Atkins spent at the helm included several of the best novels in this long-running series (this is the 50th novel!!). He also helped legions of fans deal with Parker’s death by doing such a capable job. This book evokes some of Parker’s best early novels while remaining wholly original and compelling—true to both authors. It’s a great way for Atkins to go out.

Double Take

by Elizabeth Breck

My original post
In my original post, I said that it felt like Breck wrote this novel for me—I’m not that delusional, but it resonated with me in so many ways that she might as well have. Madison Kelly was one of my favorite discoveries of 2021 and her sophomore adventure solidified my impression of her. Madison’s tough, smart, lucky (and knows how important that is), and committed. Brisk and assured writing. A nice bit of sleuthing to find a pretty clever crime (committed by some people who really shouldn’t ever get into criminal activity—and some who seem born to it). Featuring the kind of ending where you find yourself leaning forward as you read, because somehow that helps you get to what happens next faster; you don’t hear the music/people/animals around you; and your eyes move just too slowly.

Racing the Light

by Robert Crais

My original post
We leave one of my newest PI obsessions to go back to one of my oldest—Elvis Cole. This is the best use of this character in years, and I loved every second of it. Like the best Cole novels, it starts as a missing persons case before turning into something far more complicated and deadly. But Cole is able to keep his focus on the victim (while finding justice for the wrongs he encounters). Joe Pike doesn’t get as much “screen time” as he has been lately, which makes every second that he’s around so much more effective—he owns one of the best moments of the book (and barely does anything in it). Racing the Light will no doubt be considered one of the pivotal moments in the series and I can’t wait to see what comes after this point.

The Botanist

by M.W. Craven

My original post
The last note I made on this novel was, “the last 30 pages made me happier than almost anything else this year.” And thinking back on those pages right now still makes me almost giddy. While Poe and Tilly are vital to the novel—ultimately, this novel is about the secondary characters—victims, suspects, and the killers. The primary case is brilliant on every front—the method of murder, the way that the method is finally discerned by the good guys, and then the way the case is closed? It’s all a thing of beauty (in the dark, warped way that Crime Fiction is to fans of the genre). I’m on the verge of babbling now, so I’m going to leave this and move on to the next novel on the list.

Don’t Know Tough

by Eli Cranor

My original post
I was blown away by this novel. I read it in May and I’m not convinced I’ve wholly recovered. It’s a story about faith, family, and (American) football. I can’t tell you which is more important to any character in this novel at any point (but I’d lean toward the latter for just about all of them). The prose is gorgeous and visceral, the story is intense and heart-breaking–it’s about a high school coach and a star player trying to keep their heads above water in the middle of a murder they’re both connected to. I can easily sound like I’m over-hyping this, so I’m not going to go on the way I want to. I’ll simply say that Cranor’s work is just gut-wrenching, beautiful, and powerful. And not to be missed.

Movieland

by Lee Goldberg

My original post
This series started off strong and keeps getting stronger. The overall arc of the series is a rookie detective (who got promoted earlier than she should have) learning how to be a good, maybe great, detective. Eve Ronin makes mistakes, she learns from many of them, but her instincts are on point and she eventually gets her criminals. If she can learn to do it without burning every bridge in sight and unintentionally antagonizing everyone she works with, she’ll get there faster. This is likely the last case her partner will work and he gives it everything he’s got—while imparting every bit of hard-earned wisdom to her as he can—and boy howdy, does he shine here. This is likely the best thing by Goldberg that I’ve read—and I’ve been a fan for a long time.

Reconstruction

by Mick Herron

My original post
Dead Lions by Herron would’ve been on this list, but I don’t let myself use one author more than once, so the spot goes to Reconstruction. Possibly because I spent far more time with this than I do with most books on a first read. Herron got everything right with this book. None of the primary characters are who you think they are at the beginning—most are far worse people than you think (including the ones you have a bad impression of—they’re even worse than you imagine). Which doesn’t stop them all from being some of the best designed and executed characters you’ll run into. The plot is like an onion (or a parfait, to appease Donkey)—you keep peeling back layer after layer after layer until the very end—and each layer is practically perfect and delicious (making it more like a parfait, now that I use that word). The narration is sneakily hilarious and dark. One of my earliest reads of the year and it set the bar high for the next 11 months.

The Self-Made Widow

by Fabian Nicieza

My original post
The premise of this sequel is fantastic—what’s a detective to do when they know who the killer is, but they’re not sure how or why the murder was committed. In fact, in the beginning, Andi’s the only one sure the victim was murdered at all. Kenny takes some time out from the documentary he’s making about the events of the previous novel to help Andi out (and hopefully to get another book, documentary, whatever out of it all). Andi’s up against someone as smart as her this time, and it’s going to take more than just Kenny’s help to crack the case. Told in Nicieza’s fantastic style this is a sure-fire winner.

The Bullet That Missed

by Richard Osman

My original post
This third book in The Thursday Murder Club series is about two things—the new case the Club decides to look into (mostly so Joyce can meet some local TV personalities) and fallout from the last book–on multiple fronts. As much as I enjoy this series for the lightness and joy it brings—the looming danger that arises as a side effect of their recent success was great. By all means, let’s let things get serious. Elizabeth’s husband, Stephen, steals this novel, however. He shines brighter than ever—and is in worse shape than ever before. This series is ultimately about grief and living in its shadow—that shadow seems larger than ever, and it’s just going to get bigger.

Family Business

by S. J. Rozan

My original post
This was the first novel I read in 2022, and it stuck with me throughout the year. I was shocked—and very pleased—by the actions of a long-term character. The narration was as good as Rozan has ever given us. Once again, Rozan takes us into the depths of Chinatown’s Organized Crime and does so in a way that no one expects. Lydia’s at her cleverest when it comes to solving the crime here—even if she might not be that wise when she reveals it. The relationship between Lydia and Bill has taken on new depths, and remains one of the best relationships in detective fiction. Family Business just made me happy from beginning to end.

I want to mention really briefly the books that almost made the list—tied for 11th, I guess you’d say. (fatigue and trying to keep this list from getting too long prevents me from just making my Favorites list long enough to contain them—preventing Reader Fatigue is more important than my own).
Hell of a Mess by Nick Kolakowski
Roses for the Dead by Chris McDonald (the other two parts of this trilogy could easily be substituted for this one)
Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild
Jacked, edited by Vern Smith
Killer Story by Matt Witten
(links will take you to my original posts about them)

My Favorite Non-Crime Fiction of 2022

By HCNewton

On January 5, 2023

In Ben Aaronovitch, Faith Hunter, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Harry Connolly, Jane Yellowrock/Soulwood, John Scalzi, News/Misc., Science Fiction, The War Arts Saga, Twenty Palaces, Urban Fantasy, Wesley Chu

2023 Favorite Non-Crime
Back when I started this site, I knew the content would be largely “genre”-oriented. I’d have wagered the content would be roughly 1/3 Mystery/Detective fiction, 1/3 Urban Fantasy, and slightly less than 1/3 SFF, with “non-genre” fiction, humor, and non-fiction being enough to make my one-thirds just an approximation (honestly, if you asked me what I read regularly, that’s pretty much how I’d describe it today). Actual numbers show that’s wrong—it’s almost 40% Crime/Thriller Fiction, the rest of fiction is around 30% combined. Which is just a long-winded way to get to these two points: because Crime Fiction takes such a big chunk of my reading, it gets its own “Favorite” list, but none of the others really garner enough numbers for their own.

When it comes to this list of favorites, I had to choose—top five or top eleven. There are six I just couldn’t choose between—but hey, it’s my list, so here are my favorite 11 non-Crime Fiction Novels of 2022. It took me very little time to regret trying to write anything new about these books—I’m supposed to cover these in a measly paragraph? I borrow from my original posts, and really say less than I wanted to (or this post would be about 5 times as long as it is).

As always, re-reads don’t count—only the works that were new to me.

(in alphabetical order by author)

Amongst Our Weapons

by Ben Aaronovitch

My original post
Any installment in this series is a strong contender for a favorite of the year even before I open it, and this one is a great example of why. While telling a pretty strong story, Aaronovitch expands this world and the reader’s understanding of it, a whole new magic system, and seemingly introduces the next major story arc for the series. We get to see almost every major (and more than a few minor) characters, too. For a fan, this book was a heckuva treat.

4 1/2 Stars

Wistful Ascending

by JCM Berne

My original post
This novel—a Space Opera/Super-Hero mashup—hit just about every button I have and probably installed a couple of new ones (talking space bears, for example). If I try to expand on that I’m not going to shut up anytime soon. Read my original post—or just read the book.

4 1/2 Stars

The Veiled Edge of Contact

by James Brayken

My original post
Brayken’s debut surprised me more times than I thought was possible. Every time I thought I knew what direction Brayken was taking for the story, the protagonist (or major characters), tone, or even genre—he’d make a sharp turn and make the book better than I thought it was. I have questions and qualms about some aspects of the novel—but this is going down as a highlight of 2022 anyway.

4 Stars

The Art of Prophecy

by Wesley Chu

My original post
In my original post, I said, “I don’t know that I can really express how excited I am about this book. The last time I was this enthusiastic about a Fantasy novel was Kings of the Wyld, and I’ve read some really good Fantasy since then. But this is a whole different level.” It features my favorite new-to-me-character of the year. It’s just a glorious read. I’ve read (and enjoyed) a lot of Chu’s previous work and this is so far beyond those that it’s hard to describe.

5 Stars

The Iron Gate

by Harry Connolly

My original post
Every Twenty Palaces novel is better than the last—and The Iron Gate is no exception. This novel is a better version of everything Connolly has delivered before. We get character growth in a character I’d have considered pretty unchangeable, a dynamite plot (two, actually), and a disturbing monster to boot. There’s just so much to commend here—both for this novel and what it promises for the future.

4 1/2 Stars

The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True

by Sean Gibson

My original post
This is not a book to read if you’re in a “find out what happened and get to the end of the story” frame of mind. This is a “enjoy the trip, not the destination”/”stop and smell the roses” kind of book. The destination/what happens is fully satisfying, but the getting-there is so much better. This Fantasy/Comedy sends up and celebrates so many Fantasy mainstays that fans (and detractors) of the genre will have a blast on that front alone. The cast of characters is a blast and the protagonist, the bard Heloise, is even better.

4 Stars

Final Heir

by Faith Hunter

My original post
The fifteenth Jane Yellowrock novel was the series finale and the series went down the way it should—with a lot of heart, a lot of love, a lot of violence, and so many buckets of blood. I’ve been reading these for so long that I really didn’t want to see the series end (but it was time). From the jaw-dropping first chapter to the last lines that genuinely made me misty, Final Heir was a great ride.

5 Stars

The Kaiju Preservation Society

by John Scalzi

My original post
This book delivers all the ridiculous fun that the title (and premise) promises. Scalzi calls it a pop song, I tend to compare it to a popcorn movie. It’s not meant to provoke thought, to be pondered over, or analyzed. It’s meant to be enjoyed, it’s meant to be light and entertaining. Consider this me writing on the literary equivalent of a bathroom stall, “For a good time…”

5 Stars

Station Eternity

by Mur Lafferty

My original post
A Murder Mystery set on a living Space Station with only three human characters surrounded by some of the strangest alien species you’ve seen (those three humans are pretty odd, too). This novel is one for mystery fans open to aliens walking around, SF fans interested in a different kind of story, and readers who like good things. Social commentary, a twisty narrative, a clever mystery, and more chuckles than I expected to get from this. An inventive read that’ll leave you wanting more.

4 Stars

Theft of Swords

by Michael J. Sullivan

My original post
Multiple people over the years have told me to read this book (some multiple times). I finally did, and regret not paying attention to them earlier. It’s more “traditional” Fantasy than the others on this list, there’s almost nothing that someone who’s read/watched a handful of fantasy series hasn’t been exposed to before. It’s the way that Sullivan has assembled these tried and true elements that is going to make you happy. The sword fights are fantastic. The imagination showed in the magic system, the magical creatures, and the politics—between races, within the remnants of the human empire, and the ecclesiastical politics—are really well conceived and effectively portrayed. I can’t wait to dive into the rest of the trilogy.

4 1/2 Stars

Adult Assembly Required

by Abbi Waxman

My original post
This novel starts in the same bookstore that Nina Hill works in, and she’s around a lot—but this isn’t her book. It’s the story of a woman who moved across the country to start her life over, and the results aren’t what she expected. Adult Assembly Required is funny, it’s sweet, it’s heartwarming, and will make you feel good all over. It’s full of the Waxman magic.
5 Stars