Category: Quotations Page 17 of 28

The Friday 56 for 9/10/21: Suburban Dicks by Fabian Nicieza

On September 10, 2021

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:
Suburban Dicks

Suburban Dicks by Fabian Nicieza

Since he could barely afford water now, much less weed, Kenny hadn’t spoken with Terry in two years. He parked on West State Street in front of a few houses that almost looked habitable. He walked through the park toward the statue of John Roebling, where they’d agreed to meet.

Terry strolled toward him. He walked with a limp now and had gained at least fifty pounds. The gold front teeth were also new and they kicked up a spark of sun. “The famous Kenneth Lee, in the hood,” he said with a smile. They shook hands. “How’s your brother?”

“Married with a kid. Selling life insurance. We don’t talk much. How the hell have you stayed out of jail?” Kenny asked.

“Always run faster, man.”

“With the limp?”

“Ah, got shot in the ankle,” said Terry. “Never fixed up right. Still run faster than any piece of bacon in this slaughterhouse.”

Kenny wasn’t sure if it was the greatest use of slang he’d ever heard or the worst.

EXCERPT from True Dead by Faith Hunter: Vengeful Cat

By HCNewton

On September 6, 2021

In Book Tour, Faith Hunter, Fiction, Jane Yellowrock/Soulwood, Quotations, Urban Fantasy

from Chapter One of True Dead by Faith Hunter

(Beast)

Beast growled low, showed killing teeth again, eyes still on Koun. Sat with cow meat between claws. Ripped cover off meat and spat to floor. Tore meat off. Ate. Swallowed. Ate chunks. Water-blood ran across floor.

“You are angry. So, the messy kitchen is a lesson for Eli. What are you going to do to George? Hack up a hairball onto his pillow?”

Beast chuffed. Ate more meat. Belly was full. Dead cow meat was gone.

“Tell me, Vengeful Cat. Would you like to join the vampire hunters? The Chief strategist of Clan Yellowrock would be happy to follow you into battle.”

Beast ear tabs perked high. Venge-ful Cat. Was good name. Beast nodded as human does.

“Do you go in cat form, or do you shift into Jane?”

Most vampires and humans in Winter Court of Dark Queen did not know the I/we of Beast was not always Jane. Most did not know how to talk to not-human-forms. Koun knew how to talk but did not always act with knowledge. Koun asked two questions at one time. Could only ask one. Beast waited. Stared at Koun.

Koun pursed lips, thinking. “Do you hunt vampires in cat form?”

Beast licked paws and muzzle free of blood, rough tongue getting all blood and meat-bits from paws and toes and off pelt. Shook head no.

“Shift then. I’ll weapon up.” Koun turned and left kitchen, closing door softly.

Beast looked at office area. Met Brute eyes, blue as sun on ice. Brute shook head and went back to big mattress in office corner. Turned three times and curled into ball with lizard. Beast raced up stairs and into sleeping room. Went to place where Bruiser kept clothes. Nosed open door. Found Bruiser best shoes for dancing. Carried one to empty room and hid in empty closet. Could bite holes in dead-cow-skin-shoes with killing teeth, but did not want to make Bruiser sigh. Hiding shoe was enough. Chuffed. Padded back to bedroom, to bathroom, and leaped into place where humans lay in hot water. Was cold on Beast belly. Took claws off of Jane.

What the heck are you doing? Jane shouted at Beast.

Beast reached into Jane skinwalker magics and thought about Jane half form. Did not know what would happen when shifted. Did not know what form I/we would be. Most of Jane people did not know of Jane shifting problems. Some knew secret. Beast liked secrets. All cats liked secrets.

Read the rest in True Dead by Faith Hunter to see what happens from here—and just why Eli needed to learn a lesson.

My thanks to Let’s Talk! Promotions for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the book via NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group) they provided.

The Friday 56 for 9/3/21: The Run-Out Groove by Andrew Cartmel

By HCNewton

On September 3, 2021

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

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

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

from Page 56 of:
The Run-Out Groove

The Run-Out Groove by Andrew Cartmel

“…for all these reasons, singles are ten times as hard to find as LPs. And when the record is rare to start with, as in the case of Valerian…”

“It’s almost impossible to find.”

“Yes.” Nevada rolled over, leaning on her elbow and looking at me. “And yet,” she said. “And yet I don’t sense any hopelessness in your voice.”

“Don’t you?”

“Not even any fashionable cynicism.”

“Oh dear.”

“In fact what I sense, when you expound at such great length on just how fucking impossible it is to find this record of Valerian’s, is quiet confidence.”

I smiled in the darkness. She could see right through me. “That’s because | think I know someone who’s got a copy,” I said.

The Friday 56 for 8/27/21: Fools Gold by Ian Patrick

By HCNewton

On August 27, 2021

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 56% of:
Fools Gold

Fools Gold by Ian Patrick

Then it comes, a torchlight being shone into the front of our car. I start sitting up showing my hands as the door gets opened.

“What the fuck are you doing on my drive?” The voice asks from behind the phone torch that’s shone in my face. I keep my hands where he can see them.

From his shadow he’s a big lump and he must have company.

“We were just leaving.” I say as he lowers the torch. My eyes adjust, I smile at him.

“Give me the car keys or I’ll introduce you to my favourite hammer.” As if to emphasise the point he shows the claw hammer he’s brandishing in his shovel sized hand.

“You’re the boss, mate, now here’s the keys and lets not get stupid.”I move to get the keys and then I hear Nines.

“Why don’t you shift your fucking heap of shit motor mate and let us leave?” Nines’ pistol is aimed at the guy who hadn’t noticed him move due to his concentration on me.

Quote of the Moment: from Burned by Benedict Jacka

By HCNewton

On August 23, 2021

In Alex Verus, Benedict Jacka, Books, Fiction, News/Misc., Quotations, Urban Fantasy

I’m not sure why, but since I listened to these paragraphs last week, I’ve come back to them a few times. Sure, Gildart Jackson’s narration was part of it, but I just really liked this. We tend to focus on plot, magic systems, characters, and whatnot–but it’s the little moments like this that really make a book stand out. They don’t advance the plot, they don’t really reveal a lot about the narrator, but they shed a little light–adding flavor to someone we know.

from:

Burned

by Benedict Jacka
Most people in the world don’t travel much. In a lot of cases, it’s because they just don’t want to. Either they don’t have any real interest in seeing other places, or they’re too occupied with the life they’re living already. But for a lot of people, it’s not a case of not wanting to, it’s that they can’t—either they don’t have the time or the money, or there’s something actively preventing them from leaving. When you’re in that second group, you usually have fantasies about getting to travel and see the world, visiting different cultures and having new experiences. There are people who spend their whole lives dreaming about journeys overseas.

So it’s really kind of sad that once you finally do get to spend a lot of time travelling, you tend not to appreciate it very much. Take me, for instance. I’ve visited more countries of the world than I can easily remember. I’ve even visited places not in this world, from bubble realms to shadow realms to the dreamscapes of Elsewhere. I’ve stood upon the tops of towers and looked out over castles the size of cities, walked through ancient forests where the trees have passed hundreds of years without hearing a human footstep, seen impossible alien landscapes that could never exist on Earth. Unfortunately, in pretty much every one of those cases, I’ve generally had more pressing concerns to worry about either there are people trying to kill me, or people who might want to kill me, or things that aren’t people that might want to kill me, or people or things that don’t necessarily want to kill me but nevertheless are important enough that it’s highly advisable for me to pay attention to them instead of spending my time sightseeing. Usually the place I’m visiting becomes a blur, a few brief images standing out in my memory while I spend my time dealing with various threats and problems. And by the time they’re all sorted out, it’s time to move on.

The Friday 56 for 8/20/21: In Ten Years by Ian Shane

By HCNewton

On August 20, 2021

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:
In Ten Years

In Ten Years by Ian Shane

“You turn thirty-nine today.”

“Yeah, I know. It says so on the cake.”

“You turn forty next year.”

“I can also do first-grade math, Max. Is there a point anywhere in our future?”

“Don’t you think it’s time to find a nice girl?”

“I already have one mother, Max. I have no need for a second.”

“Sarah wants a girl to talk to when we get together.”

“I’ve brought girls.”

“None of them stick around long enough for Sarah to get attached to. Besides, you haven’t even had one of those disposable dates in a while.”

The Friday 56 for 8/13/21: The Dead House by Harry Bingham

By HCNewton

On August 13, 2021

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 56% of:
The Dead House

The Dead House by Harry Bingham

The chamber we’re in isn’t vast by the standards of vast. It’s perhaps twice the length, height and width of that common room at Penwyllt, but it feels cathedral-like to me. Lofty and aerial.

I sit on a hunk of rock and wait for Lloyd (grinning) and Burnett (muttering) to appear. We congratulate each other. Learn to keep our torch beams angled slightly away from each other’s eyes, so we can see each other without dazzling ourselves.

Water pools in places on the floor, but is nowhere more than a few inches deep. Somewhere there’s a drip of water against rock. A faint draught.

Burnett sits next to me, mixing blasphemy and old-fashioned cursing in a way that is both dully conventional but also pleasingly heartfelt and direct.

Lloyd bounces round like a puppy. Splashes to the end of the chamber. Points out that the passage continues on from there. Pokes around a rubble of loose rock along the chamber’s right hand edge, muttering to himself.

When he’s done, he trots back.

‘OK? OK? You both all right? You’ve done well. That was a good crawl. Not as good as Ogof Daren Cilau, but still a good ’un. A really good ’un. Now, OK, take a break. Have a rest. I’ll get the sacks and we’ll set up base camp.’

The Friday 56 for 8/6/21: All Together Now by Matthew Norman

By HCNewton

On August 6, 2021

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:
All Together Now

All Together Now by Matthew Norman

Michelle is in her swimsuit; a pair of goggles hang around he, neck, “Can we go in the pool?” she asks. Before Blair can answer Kenny enters. He’s wearing his swimsuit, too, but it’s on backward and his goggles are wrapped upside down around his forehead “We gotta go in the pool!”

“At least somebody came to party,” says Cat.

Martin takes a theatrical sip of his awful drink. “I’m on it,” he says. “Hon, hang with your friends. Michelle, Kenny, it’s cannonball time.” Michelle and Kenny cheer… Martin leaves to change into his suit while Cat throws grapes in the air from a giant fruit bowl for the twins to try to catch in their mouths.

“That’s kind of a choking hazard, Cat,” says Blair. “Oh, honey, don’t eat floor grapes.”

“Is your mommy always like this?” Cat asks the twins. She throws a grape up for herself, and it bounces off her nose.

“Like what?” asks Kenny.

“Such a mom?”

The Friday 56 for 7/23/21: Dead Man’s Grave by Neil Lancaster

By HCNewton

On July 30, 2021

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:
Dead Man’s Grave

Dead Man’s Grave by Neil Lancaster

‘We seem to be the funeral squad at the moment, and bearing in mind I’d never been to one before working with you, I’m starting to worry, especially as we’ve now done two recently,’ said Janie, taking in the scene.

‘Valuable intelligence sources, Constable. Next stop weddings, christenings and bar mitzvahs.’

‘I may ask for a transfer; it’s getting bloody depressing.’

The Friday 56 for 7/30/21: The Heathens by Ace Atkins

By HCNewton

On July 30, 2021

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

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

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

from Page 56 of:
The Heathens

The Heathens by Ace Atkins

“You had a chance, Chester,” TJ said. “You stole my momma’s money. Money she only had ‘cause she’d stolen it off me. You tried to threaten me, sending the police out knocking on my door like I did something wrong.”

“Get out of here,” he said. “I’ll call the sheriff.”

“Do it,” TJ said. She reached down on the glass table littered with an empty bag of chips, an overflowing ashtray, and the silver insulated cup of booze. She snatched up his cell phone and tossed it right in his lap. “Call 911. I damn well dare you. Call Sheriff Colson and let him know some seventeen-year-old girl is gonna shoot you. Because you’d be right. But then at least we might can get straight on all the trouble you caused me and my family. You’re sitting here drinking whiskey and eating Golden Flake chips while my little brother can’t even get breakfast.”