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WWW Wednesday, November 24, 2021

On November 24, 2021

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

It’s Thanksgiving Eve, time to take a break from thinking about too much food and glance at what I’ve been up to the last week with a 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 reading the ARC for The Twelve Monotasks: Do One Thing at a Time to Do Everything Better by Thatcher Wine and am listening to Super Powereds: Year 1 by Drew Hayes, Kyle McCarley (Narrator) on audiobook.

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What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Rick Riordan’s Daughter of the Deep (which was exactly what I needed to keep me reading his stuff) and The Astonishing Mistakes of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone, Lauren Fortgang (Narrator) on audio (a different narrator for this book, and maybe a better one).

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What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle—it’s been over a decade since I’ve read Gayle, and am eager to see how he’s developed. Wrapping up my Alex Verus revisit just in time for the finale coming out in December, my next audiobook should be Forged by Benedict Jacka, Gildart Jackson (Narrator).

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How are you spending this holiday week (if you’re in the U.S.)? I’m curious about the rest of the world, too, but it feels awkward to ask how you’re spending a perfectly generic week…

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I’d Love An Update On

By HCNewton

On November 23, 2021

In News/Misc.

Yes, I’m posting two separate Top X Lists today—just the way it worked out. I haven’t done either a Top 5 Tuesday or a Top Ten Tuesday in a long time, but today’s prompt from both sounded fun…so, why not?)

The topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesdays is the Characters I’d Love An Update On (Where are they now that the book is over?).

This was a fun exercise, and one I could repeat—I could easily do two or three more of these.

Top Ten Characters I’d Love An Update On

In no particular order, just as they occurred to me:

	Leroy Brown (from the Encyclopedia Brown books by Donald J. Sobol) I’m curious what he’s like as a grown-up. What did he do with his life? Join the police, the FBI? Become a professor? Go on Jeopardy! and clean up? Go live a quiet life as an accounant somewhere and just read a lot of true-crime? Now that I’ve started thinking about it, I haven’t been able to stop. I seriously need to know this.
	Tabitha-Ruth “Turtle” Wexler (from The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin) We got a good look at grown-up T.R. in the closing pages of the novel, but I’d like to see more of her in action as an adult. Turtle was one of my favorite characters as a kid (and I still have a soft-spot for her), I’d love to see more of her.
	Patrick Kenzie/Angie Gennaro (from Dennis Lehane’s series) Yeah, it’s technically two characters. But since they were both titular protagonists, I figure they qualify as one entry (also, getting an update on one would involve an update on the other anyway). I realize that Moonlight Mile served as one given the 11 year gap between it and Prayers for Rain. But it’s been 10 years, and I’d like another update.
	Albert (from A Key, an Egg, an Unfortunate Remark by Harry Connolly) I don’t remember his last name and haven’t had time to look it up, his aunt’s last name was Jacobs, maybe that’s it. The novel didn’t demand a sequel—and Connolly’s flat-out said he doesn’t have one in mind—but I would enjoy one—at least a novella-length thing. I liked the guy (eventually) and am curious how things worked out for him after these events.
	Clay Jannon (from Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan) Really, anyone from that book, but I figure there are more stories to tell with Clay (and we spend more time with him than anyone else, so, gimme more)
	Rae Spellman (from The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz From the instant we meet her in the first book, Rae felt like someone who could carry her own series—and she just got more interesting from there. I’d love to know what happened to her from her mid-20s on.
	Doug Parker (from How to Talk to a Widower by Jonathan Tropper) I could probably go for an update from just about any Tropper characters (anything to get him back to novels!), but Doug’s always been my favorite and I’d like to see that life worked out for him.
	Carol Starkey (from Demolition Angel, and then a couple of the Elvis Cole novels by Robert Crais) It really looked like Crais was going to do something with Starkey in the Cole novels, and he either abandonded that idea or just hasn’t gotten around to following through yet. Even when she showed up in the Cole books, I thought that Crais under-used her. She deserves better.
	Tres Navarre (from Rick Riordan’s adult series) I don’t know that there were many more stories to tell with Tres, but I thought there was a little more gas in the tank before Riordan realized he could make a lot more money by being the USA’s answer to J. K. Rowling.
	Jane Eyre (from, well, duh) I’d love to see what Jane’s like given a loving and supportive environment, a mission in life, and a stable place to live—just any kind of stability in her life, really.

Top 5 Tuesday – Top 5 books I haven’t read yet in 2021

By HCNewton

On November 23, 2021

In Books, News/Misc.

This week’s topic is, “What are some of the books you wanted to read this year, but just haven’t quite gotten to yet? And tell us if you think you’ll be able to cram them into your December TBR!!” There are many more than five that qualify for this list, but I think these are the five that are bugging me the most that I haven’t read yet. When 2022 starts, at least four will likely still be on this list (don’t ask me which four, though).

	Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames There is no good reason at all that I haven’t read this yet. None. Even if it’s not as good as Kings of the Wyld, it’s still probably better than a lot of what I have read this year—and sure to be a lot of fun regardless.
	Return of the Paladin by Layton Green I really liked the first three books in The Blackwood Saga (and am pretty sure I pre-ordered this fourth book), but a full 2+ years later, haven’t managed to get around to this (nor, the fifth and final book). Shame on me.
	AMORALMAN: A True Story and Other Lies by Derek DelGaudio Sure, it’s not going to live up to the film version, but there’s enough different material (just based on the length of the book), that it’s going to give me something to chew on. No reason for me to have not at least started it.
	The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, translated by Flora Thomson-DeVeaux The age of this book is probably what’s keeping me from it, it’s been a long time since I read something new to me that’s from pre-20th Century. I’m feeling intimidated, as good as it looks. I just need to get over it.
	The Border by Don Winslow The Power of the Dog and The Cartel both blew me away, and I anticipated diving into The Border as soon as I could. But the size and likely emotional weight of it has kept me from even opening it. I need to get over that.

Saturday Miscellany—11/20/21

By HCNewton

On November 20, 2021

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

We start off with some grim stuff this week, and then transition into what feels more hodgepodge-y and eclectic than usual. Which is pretty cool. I like it when this list feels as scattered as my mind at rest. If only because it feels like it raises the chances of you (yes, you) finding something you’d like to read…

Hope you all had a good week!

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 Librarians, Educators Warn of ‘Organized’ Book Banning Efforts—(is it really an organized effort, or are people just lazily copying what they see on social media? Both?)
bullet ‘We’re Preparing For a Long Battle.’ Librarians Grapple With Conservatives’ Latest Efforts to Ban Books—you know, in case the PW piece wasn’t depressing enough.
bullet Lawmakers Expand Inquiry into Library E-book Market
bullet Spotify’s latest purchase is about becoming the place you listen to everything: Why it bought an audiobook company
bullet How the MFA swallowed literature: On the total world-domination of workshopped fiction
bullet The Strange History of the Worst Sentence in English Literature—About Bulwer-Lytton’s famous opening
bullet Speaking of sentences…Simplicity or style: what makes a sentence a masterpiece?
bullet I used to spend hours arranging my books until I realised it was a colossal waste of time and changed my ways—sure, she sounds reasonable, but…what?
bullet The 12 Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books That You, an Adult, Should Absolutely Read—there’s some good stuff on this list, but that headline makes my blood boil. Haven’t we grown past the idea that SF/F isn’t for adults yet?
bullet Getting It Wrong: How Thomas Perry Learned to Live With His Books’ Errors—this was a lot of fun
bullet The Fantastical Food of Fantasy Fiction—I’m pretty sure this is a re-run, but I don’t care. It’s worth a re-read.
bullet The tortuous literary puzzle Cain’s Jawbone has been solved for the first time since 1934—this book was recommended to me a few months back, frankly I think it’d drive me insane. Hats off to the latest victor.
bullet The #R3COMM3ND3D2021 series over at Damp Pebbles offered up another good looking batch of recommendations this week (including one that may have made my list if I’d read it by the time I wrote mine). Check out the contributions from:
bullet BookBlogger Els Ebraert
bullet BookBlogger Joanne
bullet BookBlogger Jo B
bullet BookBlogger Emily Quinn
bullet BookBlogger Yvonne – Me and My Books
bullet Emma Kuyateh – Primary Teacher Bookshelf
bullet Blogger, Reviewer, and Crime Fiction Commentator Ayo Onatade
bullet Balancing Reading For Your Blog and Other Hobbies—Am tempted to ask, “What is this Earth thing you call, ‘Balance’?”
bullet Why my reads are no longer 5 stars?—I get this…I’m not there, but I get this.

This Week's New Releases That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Dead Mercy by Noelle Holten—the latest gripping read in the the DC Maggie Jamieson series is out now. It can be read alone, too. I enthused about it recently
bullet The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffman—Fahrenheit Press steps away from their particular brand of noir to put out a new edition of the holiday classic. I love that cover.

The Friday 56 for 11/19/21: Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan

By HCNewton

On November 19, 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:
Daughter of the Deep

Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan

The world is quiet except for the slosh of waves against the hull and my captor’s ragged breathing in my ear. It must be hard work pulling me along, using me as a human shield while swimming backward toward his pontoon. I hope he drowns.

Above us, Gem says grimly, “I’ve got the shot, sir.”

I don’t think he meant for us to hear this comment, but voices carry at sea. The idea of him firing makes my stomach twist. With the ocean swells, and the movements of the ship and my captor, it would be a tough shot even for Gem. Besides, I assume my captor still has his little hypodermic needle somewhere at hand. I hope he sticks himself with it.

“Stand down, Mr. Twain,” Hewett orders.

Really? I think. That’s all you’ve got, Hewett?

“That’s right,” my captor mocks, “stand down, Mr. Twain.”

Book Blogger Hop: Website for Tracking Books?

By HCNewton

On November 19, 2021

In Book Blogger Hop, Books, News/Misc.

Book Blogger Hop

This prompt was submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver’s Reviews:

Do you use Goodreads as the main website to keep track of what you have read? If not, please share what you use?

A main website? Sure, it’s the first website I used for tracking–and has stayed as my primary since then. I also use LibraryThing and StoryGraph, but I haven’t invested the time to really get into those. I should probably put a little more effort into them. Maybe if I got a follower or two there…

Wink Trust Me GIFfrom Wink GIFs

But my actual primary tracking is a Google Docs spreadsheet (because I’m too cheap to pay for Excel, and I like being able to access it anywhere, so I don’t use LibreOffice’s version). I used to use one of my own devising, but for the last two years, I’ve used the Ultimate Book Blogger / Reader Spreadsheet Template from Reader Voracious, which is much nicer than anything I’ve cooked up (and I don’t even use all the features).

What about you?

WWW Wednesday, November 17, 2021

By HCNewton

On November 17, 2021

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

There’s not as much turnover from last week’s WWW Wednesday to today’s for my taste. Every book this month (text or audio) has taken/is taking me longer to get through than I expected. Not a big deal, just one of those things…anyhow, here’s this week’s WWW:

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 Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart and am listening to The Astonishing Mistakes of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone, Lauren Fortgang (Narrator) on audiobook.

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What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Michael Connelly’s The Dark Hours—a very timely book—and Master of Formalities by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator) on audio. Oddly for a Meyer book, I’m not sure what to think yet.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan—I don’t know if I can do another mythology book from him anytime soon, but I’m curious about this. I’m also curious about my next audiobook Super Powereds: Year 1 by Drew Hayes, Kyle McCarley (Narrator).

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Speaking of curious—what’re you reading?

Saturday Miscellany—11/13/21

By HCNewton

On November 13, 2021

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 Sleep Comfort Month: Rethinking Night Reading—Passing this along as a PSA. Something I should pay more attention to, I know.
bullet Is Superman Circumcised? favourite to win Oddest book title of the year—I’ve somehow not heard of this prize before, but you know I’m going to be looking forward to the nominees every year.
bullet Fahrenheit 451 Is Controversial Because It’s Honest—it’s (sadly) an evergreen topic, but this week made this piece seem especially relevant.
bullet Loose Ends: A Literary Supercut of Sci-Fi Last Sentences—These 137 last lines have been arranged “into a sequence of interconnected vignettes. In these ways “Loose Ends” doubles as narrative and archive, short story and data analysis.”
bullet Books and Bookish Gifts for Every Reader on Your Holiday List
bullet What Makes a Long Book Feel Too Long?—Molly Templeton muses on book length
bullet The #R3COMM3ND3D2021 series over at Damp Pebbles offered up another good-looking batch of recommendations this week. Check out the contributions from:
bullet Davida @ The Chocolate Lady’s Book Review Blog
bullet EmmabBooks
bullet Modern Gypsy
bullet Kate from The Quick and the Read
bullet Anitha @ Series Book Lover
bullet Author Rachel Sargeant
bullet On Writing Negative Book Reviews
bullet What I’ve learnt from reading fiction – part 5—Love this idea (I tried it here once, and then had a few weeks where I didn’t learn anything worth passing along).

A Book-ish Related Podcast Episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
bullet Blood Brothers Podcast Episode 73 with Michael Connelly—a fun chat with Connelly

This Week's New Releases That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly—Ballard’s on the hunt for a murderer and a pair of rapists. You know, the typical light fare that’s Connelly’s trademark. I’m a little over a quarter of the way through and it’s great.
bullet Swashbucklers by Dan Hanks—is one of those books I can’t imagine summarizing in a few paragraphs, much less a sentence. Click that link there to learn about it. Looks fun.

The Friday 56 for 11/12/21: The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly

By HCNewton

On November 12, 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 Dark Hours

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly

“So,” she finally said. “On the Albert Lee case, who was the factor?”

“It was a doctor,” Bosch said. “A dentist, actually. His name was John William James. His offices were down in the Marina and I guess he made so much money capping teeth that he started factoring.”

“You said ‘was.’ His name ‘was’ John William James.”

“Yeah, that’s going to be a problem with your case. John William James is dead. A couple years after Albert Lee got murdered, James got himself whacked as well. He was sitting in his Mercedes in the parking lot outside his office when somebody put a twenty-two in his head too.”

“Shit.”

“There goes your lead, huh?”

“Maybe.”

WWW Wednesday, November 10, 2021

By HCNewton

On November 10, 2021

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

Maybe it’s the whole end of DST thing, but my sleep has been out of whack for a couple of days, which is making it difficult to post anything. I’d intended to spend my lunch hour cleaning up a post for today, but I got my eyes dilated this morning, and they’re not focusing very well yet. So much for that idea. At least I’d already assembled this for WWW Wednesday, right?

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 incredibly fun Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition by Nick Kolakowski and am listening to Master of Formalities by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator) on audiobook (which is likely to be as fun, I’m not that far into it yet, so I don’t know).

Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition Blank Space