Music Monday's originated at The Tattooed Book Geek's fantastic blog and has shown up hither, thither, and yon since then.
An Instruction in Shadow
DETAILS: Series: Stephen Oakwood, #2 Publisher: Ace Books Publication Date: October 15, 2024 Format: Paperback Length: 310 pg. Read Date: December 9-11, 2024
What’s An Instruction in Shadow About?
This picks up mere hours after An Inheritance of Magic, and Stephen is feeling pretty good about himself. His job is going okay, he’s continuing to improve in his magic, he’s got a good lead when it comes to his father’s location—sure, things with his mother weren’t quite what he’d hoped for. But she left the door open to further communication.
And it doesn’t take long for things to start going wrong—but nothing disastrous.
The best way to summarize this book is to say that: everything from the last book continues along the same trajectory, but gets harder. This means nothing if you haven’t read that book, but you really should (at the very least, go check out my post about it). Among the ways that happens—a cult (or cult-like group) tries to recruit him, an assassin makes an (almost successful) attempt on his life, he gets suspended from work, and he runs afoul of a group of Russian criminals.
Worst of all, Stephen gets in deeper with his mother’s family.
The World and Its Magic System
We don’t learn much more about sigl work or Wells—we see more examples of what we’ve already seen at work, but that’s about it. Alright, we get to see what medical sigls can do, so that’s new.
What we get more of-—and it’s just the tip of the iceberg, I’m sure–is insight into the families and companies that run the sigl economy and Well markets. If there are ethics governing them in any way, shape, or form, Stephen hasn’t shown them to us. It’s all about power, manipulation, and things that happen under the table and behind the scenes. It’s both unthinkable that things operate in this fashion in the 21st century—and somehow the part of the book that seems the least fictional or fantastic.
Much of this comes from an info drop or two—but they’re worked into the narrative perfectly. They’re neither disruptive to the overall story nor are they clunky exposition.
So, what did I think about An Instruction in Shadow?
Let me start with this: I would happily read books 3 and 4 in this series in the next couple of months, and still be eager for more. The more we see about this world—and the more questions we have raise, the more I want to learn and see.
Am I a little worried about the arc that Jacka is suggesting for Stephen? Yes. Am I also almost certain that the arc won’t go the way it looks, and that there’s nothing to worry about? Yes.
I really just want more of it—-I am not certain that I care too much about the whole “where’s Stephen’s dad” part of the overall story, but I’m pretty sure that I don’t need to, because the series has been inevitably moving in that direction since the beginning, and when the time comes, I’ll get invested.
But Jacka has got me sitting on the edge of my seat when it comes to everything else. I want to see more of how this economy works—on the legitimate side, the illegitimate side, and then the murky overlap. I want to understand how Stephen is going to operate and keep his head above water in it. He’s not just a MacGuffin, but he kind of feels that way right now.
I’m feeling really inarticulate when it comes to this series—and this installment in particular. Everything I said about the first one is still true. We really just got more of what he’d already given, so my position and thoughts are pretty much the same, too.
I did think that despite his struggles and the aforementioned almost successful assassination, things went a little too easy for Stephen this time. I’d have liked a failure or two. Or at least another draw or two. Even when things were at their hardest for him in this book, he found a way to turn the oncoming defeat into a victory. I typically really appreciate that kind of thing (obviously), but I had very little doubt each time that Stephen was going to come out on top. I just want a little more suspense and doubt on that front. But this wasn’t a major distraction or detraction—it’d just be good for Stephen’s life to be seen as difficult as he sees it.
Also, one of the better parts of An Inheritance of Magic was watching the trial and error Stephen went through—it was very effective in terms of character development and showing us the way sigls work. Give me more of that and I’m happy.
Again—I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am eager to read more. I just wanted it to be a teeny bit better.
If you’re into inventive UF, there’s no better time than now to jump on this series—I think you’ll be as invested in getting more as I am.
This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
The Holy Spirit:
An Introduction
by Fred Sanders
DETAILS: Series: Short Studies in Systematic Theology Publisher: Crossway Publication Date: October 3, 2023 Format: Paperback Length: 157 pg. Read Date: October 15-November 12, 2023
This book introduces Christians to the Holy Spirit, which is a cheeky thing to do.
By definition, every Christian must already know the Holy Spirit in the most important way, since “anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (Rom. 8:9). So to publish a book for Christian readers under the title The Holy Spirit: An Introduction is to take on a peculiar project: introducing readers to somebody they already know. That is exactly what this book does. It presupposes that its readers are already engaged with the reality of the Holy Spirit and invites them to a theological encounter with that person.
What’s The Holy Spirit: An Introduction About?
It’s kind of summarized there in that last sentence: it’s an introductory work on the theology of the Holy Spirit assuming that the reader knows Him already, but needs to understand Him, His identity, and His work more fully.
As it’s an Introduction (like all the books in this series), and therefore accessible which is nice—but it does a thorough job of talking about things like the Doctrine of the Trinity and how it is informed by and informs our Theology of the Spirit.
Sanders’ Approach
Rather than try to paraphrase or summarize Sanders, let me just let him describe the design of the book:
But my approach in this book is, as I said above, indirect, which is why I began by highlighting the paradoxical character of studying the Holy Spirit. I hope to treat the paradoxical character of pneumatology not as a hindrance to be lamented but as a help to be cherished. If knowledge of the Holy Spirit is, in the ways described above, deflective, reflexive, and connective, then an introduction to the Holy Spirit might deliver a great deal of insight by arranging itself in a corresponding way. Think of the implications that follow from the work of the Spirit being deflective, reflexive, and connective. Deflective means that when you try to think about the Spirit, you find the Spirit himself changing the subject to the Father and the Son. Reflexive means that when you try to think about the Spirit, you find the Spirit himself requiring you to think about yourself and about thinking. Connective means that when you try to think about the Spirit, the Spirit himself draws you out into the full scope of all theology. But these things are all beneficial! To study the Holy Spirit according to his own characteristic way of working means to be personally engaged in a total Trinitarian encounter with the truth of God, We will engage the deflective character of pneumatology.
Many books about Him focus on things like how the Spirit acts in the world today, the gifts of the Spirit—what that phrase means and how one obtains them—the role of Pentecost and how it can/if it can be duplicated today, and so on. Sanders eschews that—focusing on more primary issues (which isn’t to say he doesn’t get into some of that). He starts looking at the Trinity, then he considers the Spirit in relation to the Father—and how by doing so we can gain a better understanding of them both. Then he moves on to the Spirit in relation to the Son—how that’s similar and how that relationship is different than the previous. The final chapter considers the Spirit Himself—yes, addressing some of the same information, but from a different angle.
Bonus Material
As with many (sadly, not all) of this series, this comes with a nifty-looking Further Reading list—one I fully intend to use.
But the additional material I want to talk about is the Appendix, “Rules for Thinking Well about the Holy Spirit.” These are 27 brief rules that so usefully summarize the material in the book—and related ideas—for believers to bear in mind as we read Scripture or theology while working through doctrines/ideas about the Spirit. These rules are the kind of thing that students would do well to pin a copy of onto their wall/somewhere in easy reach.
So, what did I think about The Holy Spirit: An Introduction?
The Holy Spirit makes himself known to us in a way that is better than we could have expected or imagined for ourselves. He is the prevenient person, always already at work, never Father-free or Sonless in his being or in his work, closer to us than our own breath, and making known to us in the depths of our selves the deep things of God.
This is definitely one of my top 3 books in this series—possibly the best thing in it so far.
Sanders’s tone is certainly engaging—he never loses sight of the importance of what he’s talking about, and the necessary reverence. But he’s okay with being chatty and a little witty with the reader. He’s able to break down some complicated and technical points in a way that the reader can find them understandable and compelling.
I really appreciated his approach—both in the way he focused on what he chose to and those things he didn’t seem that interested in writing about. I’m sure others would disagree with me, but it looks like he majored on the major issues and didn’t bother with the minor ones.
I’m not sure that this will supplant Ferguson’s The Holy Spirit in my own use and reference when it comes to pneumatology—but I can’t see me looking into Ferguson’s without looking into this next.
Get your hands on it, and be introduced to Someone you’re already close to.
So I can be afk for a couple of days, I’m putting this together a couple of days early, so if you’re wondering why I skipped over the tremendous/scandalous/tremdendously scandalous/scandaldoulys tremendos bookish news that came out over the previous 48 hours…well, I’ll cover it next week (assuming we all remember).
But for now, let’s move on to:
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:
Call to acknowledge all writers behind celebrity books—The UK’s trade union for writers, illustrators and translators calls “for celebrities, publishers and agents to acknowledge the writers behind celebrity books, particularly for children.”
Brandon Sanderson’s Materialist Fantasies—I don’t know enough about Sanderson to really appreciate this, but contrasting his approach to the genre/magic to Lewis and Tolkein was pretty interesting (I’d like to hear what others say about this)
Small Press SFF Might Sometimes Be Harder to Find — But It’s More Than Worth the Effort—Molly Templeton makes the case for putting in the effort to get Small Press SFF
Do You Enjoy When Your Library Receipt Says How Much Money You Saved?—I did enjoy when my library gave me this number, sadly they haven’t for a year or so (but I’d love to see it again)
It’s the Time of Year for Gift Guides/Best of Lists like these:
These gifts are the way to a book lover’s heart – part 2—Never Judge a Book by its Cover has a great list
The CrimeReads 2024 Holiday Gift Guide
The 167 Best Book Covers of 2024—This list from LitHub is always one of my favorites
Reviewers’ Choice: The Best Books of 2024—from Reactor Magazine
The best books of 2024 – recommended by Ian Rankin, Mick Herron, Mary Beard and others—The UK’s best writers name their best of the year. There some great choices here, and some that look great, too.
Top Five Books of 2024—from the Staff at LibraryThing
The Best Crime Novels of 2024—according to CrimeReads
Chasing Destino’s Favorite Books in 2024
P.L.’s Top Indie & Trad Pub Books for 2024—over at Before We Go Blog
To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
(It was a really quiet week a decade ago, so I only have one thing share)
Hostile Witness by William Lashner
This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Ghosts Stations by M.D. Presley—This is a strong second novel in the Inner Circle series (at least the beginning of it is). Corbin finds himself in New York on the hunt for a drug designed for magicians.
The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 63: The Wall
DETAILS: Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #63 Format: Kindle Vella Story Read Date: Decemeber 12, 2024
The Story So Far…
A drunken Michael Bonaduke decides to use a grift (with maybe some sort of magic/magic-like “help”) to win on a scratch-off lottery ticket so he has money to buy more to drink. He pulls off whatever he did, gets his money and some booze and stumbles off into the darkness to drink himself into oblivion so he can start again the next day. He’s hit by dark memories (probably what’s driving him to the drinking) of fire, pleading, and screaming. There’s going to be a price to pay for his grift, and he’s trying to be ready.
He’s abducted by some representatives of a mysterious group who subject him to a test—if he passes, everything will be explained to him (and hopefully the reader, too). He passes—and is brought somewhere for answers, or maybe training, or maybe another test. Time will tell (or things are going to get really annoying). Answers aren’t quick to come—but the mysteries and questions keep piling up.
Things get hairy and Bonaduke leaves and finds himself back in the neighborhood he started from. He takes refuge in a homeless encampment shortly before a police raid. He’s apprehended and finds himself an interrogation room and shortly escapes after using his grift (but with results he didn’t quite intend). He finds himself by a group of squatters who seem to have strapped a woman to a chair for reasons that can’t be good. He attempts to rescue her before he even realizes what he’s doing, and seems to have succeeded—well, the two of them got away from the group anyway—breathing but bruised. They make their way to a fast-food taco joint and Bonaduke really needs to refuel to keep going. He tries, but fails to get food because he keeps passing out. Thankfully, the clerk is the same guy from the liquor store and he both recognizes him and gives him first aid. The woman (Zero) wakes up and shows some abilities of her on as she helps them escape from her captors who’ve tracked her down. One thing leads to another—Zero and Bonaduke’s magics don’t mix well (at least until they understand what each other can do?), and they end up in a video-game race against the squatters in a tricked-out version of Eric (the clerk’s) car. Note, I said video-game race, not a video-game-style race. They’re actually in one. When dumped back into reality, he’s surrounded by bruised and broken bodies (of people and cars). And then he gets into a supernatural fight and survives…just.
Or maybe not. But he gets better. And then his new…friends? Acquaintances? People who keep popping up in his life?…start explaining exactly what’s going on to him while they set up a new HQ and try to teach him about his abilities (and everyone tries to understand them) while they try to fund their further work. This plan doesn’t go so well, they end up stealing a book that contains (for lack of a better word) a malignant presence (something like a demon or nasty djinn), and things have gone really poorly since then. It’s almost like they’ve been cursed.
Bonaduke gets fed up with his little groups plans and aims–deciding his own goals deserve attention and effort–he’s also not so sure about theirs. So, he heads back to the city. Does some fruitless stuff and goes back.
What’s The Wall About?
Basically, Bonaduke goes back home after his escape in the city fizzles.
So, what did I think about The Wall?
After being so ticked by the previous episode, it was probably a bad idea to read this immediately. But I did.
And, well, it was just wheel spinning, getting is back to where we were at the beginning of Episode 58. We’ve accomplished nothing.
The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 62: Contract
DETAILS: Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #62 Format: Kindle Vella Story Read Date: Decemeber 12, 2024
The Story So Far…
A drunken Michael Bonaduke decides to use a grift (with maybe some sort of magic/magic-like “help”) to win on a scratch-off lottery ticket so he has money to buy more to drink. He pulls off whatever he did, gets his money and some booze and stumbles off into the darkness to drink himself into oblivion so he can start again the next day. He’s hit by dark memories (probably what’s driving him to the drinking) of fire, pleading, and screaming. There’s going to be a price to pay for his grift, and he’s trying to be ready.
He’s abducted by some representatives of a mysterious group who subject him to a test—if he passes, everything will be explained to him (and hopefully the reader, too). He passes—and is brought somewhere for answers, or maybe training, or maybe another test. Time will tell (or things are going to get really annoying). Answers aren’t quick to come—but the mysteries and questions keep piling up.
Things get hairy and Bonaduke leaves and finds himself back in the neighborhood he started from. He takes refuge in a homeless encampment shortly before a police raid. He’s apprehended and finds himself an interrogation room and shortly escapes after using his grift (but with results he didn’t quite intend). He finds himself by a group of squatters who seem to have strapped a woman to a chair for reasons that can’t be good. He attempts to rescue her before he even realizes what he’s doing, and seems to have succeeded—well, the two of them got away from the group anyway—breathing but bruised. They make their way to a fast-food taco joint and Bonaduke really needs to refuel to keep going. He tries, but fails to get food because he keeps passing out. Thankfully, the clerk is the same guy from the liquor store and he both recognizes him and gives him first aid. The woman (Zero) wakes up and shows some abilities of her on as she helps them escape from her captors who’ve tracked her down. One thing leads to another—Zero and Bonaduke’s magics don’t mix well (at least until they understand what each other can do?), and they end up in a video-game race against the squatters in a tricked-out version of Eric (the clerk’s) car. Note, I said video-game race, not a video-game-style race. They’re actually in one. When dumped back into reality, he’s surrounded by bruised and broken bodies (of people and cars). And then he gets into a supernatural fight and survives…just.
Or maybe not. But he gets better. And then his new…friends? Acquaintances? People who keep popping up in his life?…start explaining exactly what’s going on to him while they set up a new HQ and try to teach him about his abilities (and everyone tries to understand them) while they try to fund their further work. This plan doesn’t go so well, they end up stealing a book that contains (for lack of a better word) a malignant presence (something like a demon or nasty djinn), and things have gone really poorly since then. It’s almost like they’ve been cursed.
Bonaduke gets fed up with his little groups plans and aims–deciding his own goals deserve attention and effort–he’s also not so sure about theirs. So, he heads back to the city. He comes across his sister-in-law and is prepared to get those answers he’s so determined to get and…is interrupted.
What’s contract About?
So, we get so many answers about the beginning of this story as Bonaduke gets in position to get his answers. Honestly I don’t know if I understand the answers, but we get them. And then Bonaduke gets his chance to ask his sister-in-law anything he wants, with a guarantee of honesty.
Annnnd…you’ve got to read it.
So, what did I think about Contract?
If you can’t say anything nice…
It’s Wednesday. Might as well do this, eh?
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?
Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:
What are you currently reading?
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| Ghost Stations by M.D. Presley |
Grave Peril by Jim Butcher, read by James Marsters |
I really dug Rites of Passage, so it took me maybe 30 seconds to decide I wanted to jump when Presley offered me this follow up, his website says, “Think if Buffy and her Scooby gang went up against the Barksdale Corp from The Wire.” And even if I hadn’t been waiting for the second book in the series, that comparison alone would’ve got me.
Grave Peril is one of those Butcher books I feel bad about forgetting the details of–I keep coming across scenes, characters, events and think they belong to another book. And one of my all-time favorite Butcher lines is in this (and I’d have guessed it was from a later book). But none of that matters, because right now, I’m having a blast–even though I know what the last chapters contain and all the fallout that will ensue from them. (seriously, I’m already flashing forward to Changes)
What did you recently finish reading?
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| The Killer’s Christmas List by Chris Frost |
What You Are Looking for Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, read by Hanako Footman, Susan Momoko Hingley, Kenichiro Thomson, Winson Ting, and Shiro Kawai |
Chris Frost’s debut under that penname was a rollicking read. I hope a sequel is forthcoming. if not, I’ll be ready for whatever Frost/McDonald has in store. More to come on this.
What You Are Looking for Is in the Library was utterly okay. There were some pleasant characters, some sweet moments, and the book as a whole is a nice tribute to the power of books and how the right one can trigger a needed change in someone’s life.
What do you think you’ll read next?
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| Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire |
Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch, read by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith |
Seanan McGuire. Wayward Children.Not sure there’s much else to say.
I have a similar problem with the third Rivers of London novel as I do with the third Dresden Files novel. I can remember a couple of scenes, a couple of characters that are introduced…and not much else. Am looking forward to the reminders.
Do you have something special grabbing your attention?
Enough Rope
DETAILS:
Publisher: Boni & Liveright
Publication Date: December 1926
Format: eBook
Length: 86
Read Date: December 2-3, 2024
What’s Enough Rope?
It’s Dorothy Parker’s debut collection of poems, I think ninety of them–but I ran out of fingers and toes and had to make a guess.
Some are flat out funny, some are sweet (okay, not really that many), some are acidic, some are witty, some are ascerbic, some are lightly self-mocking–some are self-hating. It’s quite the range. Some are just somber and sober, without any species of humor (I think)–but those are few and far between. All show a degree of wit that too many poems I read don’t show (which is why I don’t read many.)
I should just go onto the next section because I guess I’ve slipped into answering:
So, what did I think about Enough Rope?
I enjoyed it. Some of these were just delightful. Some made me think a little. I know that Parker can tend toward dark thinking, but there were one or two that could give Plath a run for her money.
Some of the poems by her that I knew already, like “Résumé” or “One Perfect Rose” were part of this collection and were just as good as it was when I discovered it in High School. “Verse for a Certain Dog” is going to be a favorite of mine for quite a while.
One that I don’t think I’ve read before is called “Finis.” It struck me as something akin to Auden’s “Funeral Blues,” in lamenting a lost love–until the final couplet which turns the whole thing into a jab at the man.
Overall, you get the sense of someone who is a jaded romantic. She understands love–she’s wary of it, knowing the pain it can bring–but she also knows the highs that come with it, and longs for it. And through the highs, lows, bliss, and agony–has kept her sense of humor and a perspective that all things will pass. After all, you might as well live.
It occurs to me (seconds before I hit “publish”), that this is possibly best exemplified in the last poem in the collection:
The Burned Child
Love has had his way with me.
This my heart is torn and maimed
Since he took his play with me.
Cruel well the bow-boy aimed,Shot, and saw the feathered shaft
Dripping bright and bitter red.
He that shrugged his wings and laughed—
Better had he left me dead.Sweet, why do you plead me, then,
Who have bled so sore of that?
Could I bear it once again? …
Drop a hat, dear, drop a hat!
This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
I don’t know if any of ya’ll have heard of this COVID-19 thing, but I’m on day 2 or 3 of it, and I have to say that I’m not a fan. 0/5 Stars, for sure. Anyway, coming up with a post that requires thought seemed like a lot to ask of myself. But hey, I haven’t found time to do my November write-up yet. Might as well tackle it now, right?
Well, these numbers aren’t promising: I finished 19 titles (5 down from last month, 5 down from last ZZZ), with an equivalent of 6,012 pages or the equivalent (593 down from last month), and gave them an average of 3.53 stars (.17 down from last month). And while I’m not crazy about my number of posts–it’s actually an improvement over last November.
So, here’s what happened here in November.
Books/Novels/Novellas Read/Listened to
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Still Reading
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Ratings
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0 |  |
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3 |  |
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6 |  |
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1 |
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6 | ||
| Average = | 3.53 |
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TBR Stacks/Piles/Heaps
| Audio | E-book | Physical | Goodreads Want-to-Read |
NetGalley Shelf/ARCs/Review Copies |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| End of 2023 |
6 | 47 | 68 | 153 | 5 |
| 1st of the Month |
5 | 62 | 78 | 167 | 9 |
| Added | 3 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| Read/ Listened |
3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Current Total | 5 | 66 | 81 | 167 | 11 |
Breakdowns:
“Traditionally” Published: 14
Self-/Independent Published: 5
| Genre | This Month | Year to Date |
|---|---|---|
| Children’s | 1 (5%) | 8 (3%) |
| Fantasy | 3 (16%) | 35 (15%) |
| General Fiction/ Literature | 3 (16%) | 24 (10%) |
| Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller | 5 (26%) | 72 (30%) |
| Non-Fiction | 2 (11%) | 22 (9%) |
| Science Fiction | 2 (11%) | 20 (8%) |
| Theology/ Christian Living | 1 (5%) | 25 (10%) |
| Urban Fantasy | 1 (5%) | 26 (11%) |
| “Other” (Horror/ Humor/ Steampunk/ Western) | 1 (5%) | 6 (3%) |
Review-ish Things Posted
- On the Christian Life: A New Translation by John Calvin, Raymond A. Blacketer (Translator): A Shiny New Translation of Gold Standard
- The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 58: Into the Night by R. T. Slaywood: Two Steps Back? Or is it a Step Forward?
- Saint Cyril of Alexandria and the Christological Controversy by John McGuckin: More Than You Thought You Wanted to Know about the Nestorian Controversy
- The World According to Cunk by Philomena Cunk: The Story of the World (abbreviated and only accidentally accurate)
- The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 59: Guilt by R. T. Slaywood: Meal, Interrupted
- Grandpappy’s Corner: The Box by Jo Linsdell: Imagination + Cardboard
- PUB DAY POST: King Arthur & The Ladies of The Lake by Vincent Pompetti: The Once and Future Graphic Novel For Our Time
- The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 60: Keys by R. T. Slaywood: An Awfully Convenient Meeting
- Nobody’s Hero by MW Craven: More Shockingly Violent Events in Koenig’s Increasingly Violent Life
- Bullet Points about Spook Street by Mick Herron: All the Exciting Stuff Happens Around River
- Tooth and Claw by Craig Johnson: Even in The Arctic, Nature’s Red
Other Things I Wrote
Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd), and 30th), I also wrote:
- MUSIC MONDAY: “Gitchee Gitchee Goo” by Phineas and Ferb
- Archie Goodwin on Voting
- Top 5 Tuesday – Top 5 books on my TBR that intimidate me
- Douglas Adams on Presidents
- Game Night Book Tag
- Cover Reveal: An Icelandic Adventure by S. Bavey
- Game Night Book Tag 2
- Opening Lines: Empowered Witness by Alan D. Strange
- Book Blogger Hop: Annotate or Untouched?
- Craig Johnson, The Osher Institute, and Tooth and Claw
- Top 5 Tuesday – Top 5 books I meant to read in 2024 (and actually checked out of the library…multiple times…but didn’t)
- Reposting in Lieu of Revising: Thanksgiving Book Tag
- Thanksgiving 2024
- WWW Wednesday for November 6, November 13, November 20, and November 27th, 2023.
Enough about me—how Was Your November?
Music Monday's originated at The Tattooed Book Geek's fantastic blog and has shown up hither, thither, and yon since then.