Music Monday's originated at The Tattooed Book Geek's fantastic blog and has shown up hither, thither, and yon since then.
Tag: Miscellany Page 2 of 175
Fantasy with Friends is a weekly meme hosted by the good people over at Pages Unbound. Fantasy with Friends poses questions each Monday about fantasy, either as a genre as a whole or individual works.
This week’s prompt is:
What fantasy books do you think will be classics in the future?
This question is making me stumble. That’s not Pages Unbound’s fault. It’s just the way my brain works.
First, I’m stumbling over the idea of “contemporary.” Are we talking about the last couple of years, the 21st century, or something else? And, yes, I’m certain that the way this question is phrased is that it’s up to me to decide for the purpose of this post. I’m sticking with this century, although I’m squeamish about calling it contemporary.
For the purposes of this post, I’m not going to define classic as anything more than “you know it when you see it.”
The other problem I’m having with this question is that I don’t know how many people can predict what’ll become a classic. How many people e reading about that band in the Mines of Moria back in 1954 were thinking, “There will be an entire genre that’s largely defined by people reacting to/reacting against/building from this book?” Did Peter S. Beagle’s editor know the impact that little book about a unicorn would have on countless readers for decades?
Who knows what effect the events in the world and what’s being published are going to have on the aesthetics of generations to come? It’s so hard to guess what books will be read in 2060, what books that writers of 2090 will resonate with. How many of those things we’re throwing awards at will be punchlines to our great-grandkids?
Isn’t that part of the fun? Reading something and having no idea what people who aren’t on social media are thinking about it? What’s going to get passed on to a child/grandchild—and what percentage of that will actually get read? (I know full well what my kids do with the books I give them, but that doesn’t stop me from trying). I love it when I stumble onto someone younger than me stumbling onto The Prydain Chronicles and feeling what I felt in elementary school. I imagine a lot of Tolkien’s early fans felt a sense of satisfaction and surprise seeing his work captivate their children and grandchildren. I’m eager to look around in my dotage and see what I recognize on bookstore shelves—or the shelves in people’s homes (I’m one of those people who spend half their attention as a guest scoping out the titles on my host’s shelves to really understand them)
And lastly, I know that no one is going to bring up my guesses in 25 years to point and laugh at me. No one is going to Nelson Muntz me. (Will anyone in 25 years know Nelson Muntz?) This is, of course, assuming I live to my mid-70s. (get your mockery in early, folks—you don’t know what this sedentary lifestyle is going to do to my longevity).* Still, I hate giving an answer I can’t feel reasonably sure is correct.
My big prediction is that there are going to be fewer White European Dudes (percentage-wise) in the Fantasy Canon. We’re going to see a lot of non-Europeans, a lot of Women, and read a lot of voices that will make Tom Bombadil say, “That’s a little strange.” There are plenty of future classics that aren’t making a lot of Best Seller lists here in the States/UK, and my grandkids are going to go wild over them and shake their heads at me for missing.
But that meandering is not what the question asked for. So here’s my stab at it…just a stream of consciousness here, totally not binding. I hope that The Name of the Wind will be seen with affection by a bunch of people who can’t be bothered to care about the fate of The Doors of Stone. I don’t know if I’d put money on The Lies of Locke Lamora standing the test of time, but I’d love it if it would. It’s possible that all/part of A Song of Ice and Fire will be considered a classic—see TNotW, but all of them feel less stand-alone-ish than Rothfuss’ book is, so we might actually need a conclusion. I’m sure something by Jemisin—if not her entire oeuvre—will be a classic, I don’t know that I can choose one. Brandon Sanderson almost has to have a future in the canon—if only because of volume. Terry Pratchett, too (but will people find him funny?) R.L. Kuang? John Gwynn? Nnedi Okorafor? S.A. Chakraborty?
As much as I adore some of Gaiman’s works** I’m guessing his stuff is doomed to obscurity***. I don’t know if Joe Abercrombie is going to last longer than this generation (I hate to say that, I hope he does), ditto for Seanan McGuire or Jim Butcher. I’m not trying to throw shade on the subgenres, but I don’t know that the best Romantasy or Cozy Fantasy authors are going to be remembered, much less celebrated.
I cannot wait to see what titles and authors are mentioned by the less cautious bloggers–a.k.a. those who don’t have to issue paragraphs of disclaimers before their anxiety will let them publish–have to say. Check out this post for links to the braver-than-me-souls.
* Wow, this is taking a dark turn.
** Stay with me here.
*** Deservedly.
Do you have responses to this? (either for the comment section below or from your own post)
Happy Indie Bookstore Day 2026! I hope you can get out and show your local some support.
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:
No, Books Are Not Remotely Too Expensive: Let’s Explore a Little Math—Joel J. Miller pokes at the “book affordability crisis” idea going around social media. Turns out we’re getting bargains (even if it doesn’t feel like it). I, for one, am embracing this idea today when I go celebrate Indie Bookstore Day–look how much money I’m actually saving, dear!!
Bookshop.org’s Sales Grew 55% in 2025, Sparked by Romance and E-books—Publishers Weekly reports: “Six years on, the online bookseller continues to grow at a remarkable pace”
Dragonlance: Selling the Dream—Tracy Hickman talks a little about the origins of the series. (Hat Tip: Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
Star Wars Day 2026 Gift Giving Guide—This Dad Reads’ annual guide (I’ve yet to part with actual money after reading these posts, but I’ve mentally spent hundreds each time)
Imagining Future Book Titles by AI… The Future is Bright!!—The Organgutan Librarian gets speculative…
Monthly Manga Mania Featuring Firsty Duelist: Seven Deadly Sins by Nakaba Suzuki —The Firsty Duelist gets mildly critical…
Ten Recommended Indie Fantasy/Scifi Novels—C.T. Phipps gives a list of knock-out titles (I’ve read 2 of these, and can see why they make the list for sure)
My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
“There is always more after the ending. Always the next morning, and the next. Always changes, losses and gains. Always one step after the other. Until the one true ending that none of us can escape. But even that ending is only a small one, larges as it looms for us. There is still the next morning for everyone else. For the vast majority of the rest of the universe that ending might as well not ever have happened. Every ending is an arbitrary one. Everything ending is from another angle, not really an ending.”—Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie
To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire—I’m still talking about this book…
Life, The Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams
Fate Ball by Adam W. Jones—the title brings back near-visceral memories. This one did a number on me.
And I mentioned the releases of: The Drafter by Kim Harrison (in paperback); Dead is Best by Jo Perry; Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Brewslaw; and Almost Infamous by Matt Carter
This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
The Photonic Effect by Mike Chen—”A starship captain and her crew face conspiracies and betrayals as they clash with various factions of a galactic civil war in a thrilling space adventure.” It’s been too long since I’ve read Mike Chen, this looks like a great way to end the drought.
Don’t Die Dave by A.R. Witham—JCM Berne vouches for this, that’s good enough for me. “A death game where the prize isn’t power or money — it’s health insurance.”
Gods & Comics by Kat Cho—about “a teen whose life is upended when the gods in her anonymous viral web comic inspired by a forgotten Korean myth come to life and the hero falls in love with her.”
It’s the last Friday of the month, so it’s time for my Most Captivating Character of the Month post. This month, I don’t think I have any choice but to select Baru Cormorant, who is likely the most captivating character I’ve read this year. She’s the protagonist from The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson, I posted about it earlier today.
Please note that I said, “captivating.” Not: heroic, likeable, sympathetic, honorable, valorous, fun, or anything else. She is those at some times, but generally, “captivating” is the appropriate word. She’s also, according to the title of the book we meet her in, a traitor. Later titles suggest that she becomes a monster, a tyrant, and something to be disclosed in the title of book four. I bet none of those take away from the captivating.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
When Baru was a child, an Empire came and took over the island she and her family lived on–and had for generations. Without a lot of fanfare or violence, the Empire established its power by bringing medicine, fiat currency, vaccines, dental care, clean water, education, and a particularly strict form of morality–and all the people of Taranoke had to do was to embrace the benefits and let their culture be methodically wiped out.
Baru is an exceptionally bright child and is enrolled at a local school–despite what that does to her family–and through that education, she understands what’s happening. She decides to destroy the Empire, who “could not be stopped by spear or treaty, she would change it from within.” She’s bright and she also has a pretty good ego. And a vengeful streak wider than her body.
I’m not going to walk you through what happens after school in detail–she’s sent to another conquered land to act as the Imperial Accountant. And she does a great job of manipulating the economy to the benefit of the Empire, and does many, many other things to prove that she deserves to get close enough to the center of Imperial power that she can change it from within. She cuts herself off (almost as much as she thinks she does) from emotions, concern for others, and basic decency to accomplish her goals.
But Baru doesn’t do this through the traditional means of a Fantasy novel–she takes a quiet (at least for her), cerebral approach. The book is full of places where she’s quietly thinking by herself. The reader gets to know some of her thoughts and feelings–but not all of them (especially her thoughts). She seems always to be a few steps–if not miles ahead–of her opponents. She has the driven focus of Darrow of Lycos and the cunning of Darrow of Lykos, Sand dan Glokta, Zhu Chongba, and Baldrick combined. That’s probably underselling it–but it’s the best I can come up with. Basically, do not cross her. Your doom won’t come from her hand–but she’ll be behind it, I can promise you.
She’s not perfect. Baru frequently stumbles–part of that is due to her (young) age and lack of experience, part of that is due to her ego, and part of it is that she frequently forgets that other people will not necessarily act the way she thinks they will or that she wants–more than once, she forgets to account for the agency of others. Watching her recover (mostly) from those moments and pivot to a new plan is really quite something.
One quick quotation from one of her biggest times of self-doubt shines a lot of light on her as a character:
The terror that took Baru came from the deepest part of her soul. It was a terror particular to her, a fundamental concern—the apocalyptic possibility that the world simply did not permit plans, that it worked in chaotic and unmasterable ways, that one single stroke of fortune, one well-aimed bowshot by a man she had never met, could bring total disaster. The fear that the basic logic she used to negotiate the world was a lie.
Or, worse, that she herself could not plan: that she was as blind as a child, too limited and self-deceptive to integrate the necessary information, and that when the reckoning between her model and the pure asymbolic fact of the world came, the world would devour her like a cuttlefish snapping up bait.
(a few pages later, and you’ll have trouble believing she ever thought this)
Now, I’ve only read one book of the three published (with at least one to come) about Baru–so I don’t know where all she’s going. But the deepness, the richness, the unique way she’s depicted all makes her my captivating character of the month.
What character would you name for last month?
Saturday is the annual celebration of Indie Bookstore Day, a day where small bookstores across the country conspire to get people like me to open up their wallets without complaining. A few weeks back, I thought it’d be fun to get some Q&As done with local shops about the store and what they were doing for Indie Bookstore Day.
Good idea, right? Well, it’d have been better if I’d sent the invitation to participate and the questions. I had them ready, just needed to copy and paste into an email and send. About a week ago, I realized I’d dropped the ball and opted for this instead–a quick look at the stores in the area that I’m most familiar with, and a list of what they’ll be up to Saturday. Locals should check all of these places out (not necessarily on Saturday, but why not?)
If you’re not a local, you should still come and check them out–let me know when you’re in town, we’ll do something. 🙂
Or, if you don’t want to travel hundreds of miles just for these bookstores, check out IndieBound.org’s Participating Stores Map and find somewhere local to support.
Rediscovered Books
Location: 1576 W Grove St, Boise, ID 83702 Website: https://rdbooks.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rediscoveredbooks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rdbooks YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RediscoveredBooks Twitter: https://x.com/rdbooks Shop Online: https://rdbooks.org/books Librofm: https://libro.fm/rdbooks
This is the Indie Bookshop juggernaut in the area. Well, as much of a juggernaut as an Indie Bookshop can be. They’ve been around for 20 years, are on their 3rd main location (they had one for a brief period of time closer to me, but that didn’t last). They’ve got a good stock and a knowledgeable staff—yes, I have temporarily stumped them with a question or two, but that was always a temporary thing (and along the way I typically got a recommendation that I wasn’t looking for, but ended up enjoying).
Most of the region’s author events/other literary happenings have them to thank in some way (the percentage is decreasing because other groups are stepping up, not because they’re backing down). They have a good number of book clubs and other regular happenings, too. Their new location even has an event space you can rent out.
If you’re in the area and haven’t been there, I’d question your bookish credentials, if that didn’t make me a jerk.
Announced activities for Indie Bookstore Day
Their website states:
- Golden Ticket Hunt – find the Golden Ticket in-store and get a year’s worth of audiobook credits from Libro.fm!
- Bookish Flash Tattoos from local artist Deb Bryant – check out her work here – from 10 AM to 4 PM – flash sheets coming soon
- Food Truck – Tango’s Empanadas from 11 AM to 2 PM
- Indie Bookstore Day Exclusive Items – Special Edition books, totes, activity sheets, and more–only available in-store on April 25th
Canary Books
Location: 1403 3rd St S, Nampa, ID 83651 Website: https://canarybooksnampa.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Canary-Books/61550654169548/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canarybooksnampa/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@canarybooks Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/canarybooksnampa
This is a tiny used bookstore that just celebrated its 2nd anniversary (or “bird-day”). Which is probably why it doesn’t have that used bookstore smell (I’m not the only one that thinks they all smell the same, am I?—it’s a nice smell, but distinct to the species). I’ve gotten away from used book stores in the past few years—but Canary Books has made me rethink that (I first went in for a special new book for a charity drive thing they did).
It’s a cozy and friendly atmosphere–stocked with “a curated selection of second-hand literary fiction, mystery/thriller, sci-fi & fantasy, narrative non-fiction, young adult, and children’s books.” Curated well, and in really good condition, too. I’ve spent double my budget for the day each time I went in there.
Announced activities for Indie Bookstore Day
A Facebook post states: Double punches on loyalty cards, a new Treasure Valley Bookstore Crawl challenge kicking off, and search the store for the “golden ticket” for a year of free audiobooks from @librofm.
Kuna’s Book Habit
Location: 102 E 2nd St, Kuna, ID 83634 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kunasbookhabit/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kunasbookhabit/
As far as I know, this is Kuna’s first bookstore—and it needed one, especially as the community keeps growing the way it is.
It is a tiny place, practically bursting at the seams with new and used stock of a wide variety of genres/tastes. (okay, I haven’t been in their “new” location, but it’s in the same building as the old, so I have a pretty good idea what it’s like). When you walk in, you feel surrounded by friends/prospective friends (for those of us who consider books as friend material).
The proprietor is Bryan McBee, a local indie author who is very supportive of other local authors. There are signing events so often that I can’t keep track of them (and I have an unerring ability to find out about the ones that I want to attend too late, I really need to do better about checking those earlier). Kuna’s Book Habit is the local place for Indie Authors.
It’s a real, too-often-overlooked, gem of a shop.
Announced activities for Indie Bookstore Day
They haven’t announced any particular activities for the day, however they will be having a signing by a local author and their semi-annual Fill-a-Bag Sale, which would mandate me buying a new bookshelf unit.
Oldspeak Book Bear Bar
Location: 3640 West Chinden Boulevard Garden City, ID 83714 Website: https://www.oldspeakbar.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisroomislit Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldspeakbar/ Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/shop/thelitroom
This is a combo bookstore/bar/coffee shop. Technically, they “have a wide variety of non-alcoholic beverages including a tea and light coffee program, NA beer options, ERTH BEV switchels, sparkling water, kombucha, etc.” I haven’t sampled deeply from their drinks menu (I tend to get stuck on something I like right away and have trouble moving on), but I’m told by the more adventuresome folks I’ve gone there with that what I haven’t tried is good.
To me, this feels like an art-house movie theater from the 90’s morphed into a bookstore. The selection isn’t large—but it’s deep and varied. I remember one time seeing these deep, award-winning literary works cramming one shelf, and just one over, they had a front-facing copy of Dungeon Crawler Carl. They feature local writers, and indie publishers. Their non-fiction section is pound-for-pound the best in the area. There’s a decent selection of translated works—just a few selections per language, but in translation from more languages than I’m used to seeing (then again, I’m not used to seeing books in translation separate from everything else).
The atmosphere is just great—you can sit and chat, play a tabletop game, talk books, or just sip a drink and read. I’ve been there with non-readers who were as eager to go back as the readers.
In my (limited) experience, you need to be in the store at the right time to talk to staff about books, so far, I haven’t been. The staff behind the counter could ring up the purchases and fetch/pour/make your drink just fine—but talking about the books, answering questions? I haven’t had that much luck (although I’ve overheard others with better timing doing well on that front)
Announced activities for Indie Bookstore Day
Facebook and Instagram state:
• Free cake by @wickedcakes.co
• Book sales! Buy two get the third half off.
• Cool vendors! @samarchide @rollinrecsboise @thesnarkyswede
Plus, our new food vendor @lastbiteinc will be serving their tasty light bites from 11am-6pm.
Shared Stories
Location: 106 South Kimball Avenue Caldwell, ID 83605 Website: https://sharedstoriesbooks.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Shared-Stories-61558055019022 BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/profile/sharedstoriesbooks.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@sharedstoriesbooks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharedstoriesbooks TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sharedstoriesbooks Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/shop/sharedstories Libro.fm: https://sharedstoriesbooks.com/audiobooks
I can’t promise that I’ll make it to any of the above stores on Saturday, but I will be here. Shared Stories came to town around this time in 2024 (there’s a Q&A with the owner here) and quickly became my go-to brick-and-mortar stop for books. It’s also the host of the two book clubs I attend (and several more I don’t have time for).
Beyond selling books, gifts, and so on, their goal is to be a Third Space for the area “where we could meet, spend time and talk about our different stories.” And it’s as warm and welcoming as you’d want for that space.
The staff is friendly and knowledgeable–and ready to chat about books (and more) at the drop of a hat. They get to know regular customers and their tastes to a degree that makes you wonder if they’re using cookies on you.
They have plenty of events, too–cooking classes, craft days, local author signings, and more–including an upcoming Speed Friending event.
Announced activities for Indie Bookstore Day
I combined an Instagram post and their event page to come up with:
✰In-Store Raffle
✰Find the Libro.fm Golden Ticket
✰Exclusive Sticker
✰Blind Date with a Book Drop
✰Snacks & Music
✰Walk Up & Craft Book Bedazzle Station
✰Flash Tattos by @magpie.mady and apprentice @posietattoos
…..& More TBA!
I’m dealing with a stupid cold this week–nothing like a cold to make me feel like I’m 12 again. Snot-nosed punk. It’s messing with me–I have a different kind of post that was supposed to go up yesterday or today–and now I’m hoping I can get it together by tomorrow. We’ll see if I can stay awake long enough.
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?
 |
 |
 |
| A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine |
The Book of Spores edited by Frasier Armitage, Eleni Argyró, Adrian M. Gibson & Ed Crocker |
Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie, read by Adjoa Andoh |
I’m having some trouble getting into Martine’s book (yesterday, I couldn’t get my eyes to focus…stupid cold). But what I’ve read, I’ve really dug. This world is fascinating.
The Book of Spores features a lot of stories that are not in a genre I read much of, but on the whole, they’re working for me. I think I’m going to end up being really impressed.
I haven’t found a lot o time for an audiobook this week, but the third book in Leckie’s trilogy is really strong. I’m having more fun with it than I did with the other two–which makes me pretty sure that things are going to get dark before it’s over.
What did you recently finish reading?
 |
 |
| Worse than a Lie by Ben Crump |
This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page |
Crump might be a great attorney, but he’s no novelist. Do yourself a favor and bypass this one.
On the other hand, Page’s book is a celebration of the life-changing power of the right book at the right time, a tribute to readers, and a love story to independent bookshops. The story might be a little on the predictable side (still, she zagged a couple of times I expected a zig–including with the resolution). A sweet read.
What do you think you’ll read next?
 |
 |
| A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper |
The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, read by Amber Faith |
I have no doubt that I’m going to be in awe over A Violent Masterpiece–which is a pretty good tagline for Harper’s novels in general.
I read The Naturals a few years back, but didn’t finish the series–I think I want to tackle that this year, better start with a revisit. Okay, I just checked…”a few years” is 11 in this case. Yeah, I’d better revisit.
How are you all feeling? Is that helping or hindering your reading?
Music Monday's originated at The Tattooed Book Geek's fantastic blog and has shown up hither, thither, and yon since then.
This is how you do a cover.
I thought I’d get this up no later than the 3rd. Oh, well.
Last year was a disaster for my plans and goals…both those stated and unstated. That only bothers me a little—I had too much fun with what I did accomplish, and was so tired because of everything else in life that perspective is easy. This is a hobby—I didn’t hobby the way I wanted to. But, still, hobbying was done.
This year, I think my plans (at least the stated ones) are more achievable…I fell back on the ol’ SMART Goal model, and cut myself a lot of slack (see below)–even stating upfront that I expected to fail with at least one goal. I do really wish my Literary Locals thing had a bit more life to it–I’ve got three Q&As in the works and hope for more soon. I’ve got some pitches for HC Chats, too–I just need to actually send them out. Grandpappy’s Corner has gathered more dust than I like–but I have a stack of those I need to make time for. I’m thiiiis close to just devoting a week to them.
How’s the perennial, “Cut down on my Goodreads Want-to-Read list and the unread books that I own” goal going? It could be better, but overall…?
| Audio | E-book | Physical | Goodreads Want-to-Read |
NetGalley Shelf/ARCs/Review Copies |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| End of 2025 |
4 | 89 | 112 | 192 | 11 |
| End of the 1st Quarter | 4 | 88 | 118 | 202 | 10 |
| End of the 2nd Quarter | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| End of the 3rd Quarter | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| End of the 4th Quarter | 4 | – | – | – | – |
2026 Book Challenges
Goodreads Challenge
I honestly don’t care about them, I talk about them just as an indicator of how I spend my time (for myself), although it often comes across as something else. I’m also tackling some more thought-provoking and slower reads this year, but it’s not reflecting in that number (so far). I’m okay with that.
My TBR Range Challenge
As the table above suggests, there’s not really a lot of change on the pre-20206 heights—and that 2026 bar is higher than I want. Still…
- A book with a building or cityscape on the cover: City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- A book with a color in the title: Black Bag by Luke Kennard
I could be doing better on this one—but I’ve read two this month, and I have the titles for some of the others already picked. I’m feeling okay.
The 2026 Booktempter’s TBR Challenge
- January–It’s a classic task for a reason: Read the very last book to enter your TBR pile. TBRs come from the habit we have of not reading books because we put them off. You have my permission to indulge yourself—Lit by Tim Sandlin
- February–Partners in crime?: For the month of Valentines you can choose a book about a partnership be it friends, lovers or whatever combination comes to mind—Hidden in Smoke by Lee Goldberg
- March–First Bloom: As Spring arrives for this change I’d like to read a book that is the debut of an author. Who knows this may become someone you’ll follow forever!—Nav’Aria: The Marked Heir by K.J. Backer
Haven’t hit a stretch goal yet, but there’s still time.
25 Greatest Picture Books of the Past 25 Years
Whoops, I stumbled a bit here. But I’ve recovered this month.
2026 Speccy Fiction Challenge
- A speculative novella (less than 250pgs)—Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite
- The first book in a speculative fiction duology/trilogy/series—Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
- Speculative fiction that features a creature (animal/monster)—Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson
- A fantasy based on myth, legend or folklore—The Lost Daughter of Sparta by Felicia Day, Rowan MacColl
- A scifi that takes place on a spaceship or space station—Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Cutting Myself Some Slack
I added one goal after the year started. My “To Write About” pile was out of control–seriously. And it was eating away at the back of my mind. So I did two things–I started those Monthly Leftover posts–requiring myself to write a catch-up post at the end of the following month for the books I haven’t gotten to yet (e.g., At the end of February, write about January books; at the end of June, write about the May). I also removed every book from 2003-5 from that list–unless I’d promised someone (an author, publicist, NetGalley) a much-overdue post or the Lewis books from last year I hadn’t tackled yet.
That cut 252 books from my list, and so much anxiety. It’s down to 29 at the moment–which is still daunting, but it’s really doable if I focus a bit (and a couple of those are going to be three-fers, tackling an entire trilogy in one post, etc.) Who knows, I might be back saying the same thing at this point next year…but hopefully not.
20 Books of Summer
Assuming that this is done again—hopefully last year’s hosts are up for it—I’ll be there. It’s a fun tradition.
How’re your reading goals/plans going so far this year?
The image for the Picture book list is taken from the article. The Book stack image by yeliao521 from Pixabay. The “finger scissors” image is from Clker-Free-Vector-Images on Pixabay.
Fantasy with Friends is a weekly meme hosted by the good people over at Pages Unbound. Fantasy with Friends poses questions each Monday about fantasy, either as a genre as a whole or individual works.
This week’s prompt is:
Do you have any favorite subgenres of fantasy such as urban fantasy, historical fantasy, etc.?
Well, I think cozy fantasy is becoming a real favorite—cozy/cozy adjacent books. There’s the pure escapism, the warmth of friendship, family, the nigh-obligatory romance (not always that heavy, so even gruff guys like myself can handle it).
Shining Examples: Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons (etc.), Legends and Lattes (etc.), The Guard in the Garden, Cursed Cocktails (etc.); Mrs. Covington’s.
Are portal fantasies considered a sub-genre? If so, I’d say I have a real soft-spot for them, ever since I read what happened to Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace after they got sucked into that painting of a ship. I can’t say that I’ve read a lot of them—but they’re practically an automatic-like for me.
Examples that jump to mind: The Great Way series (it’s a portal fantasy involving two non-Earth realities, which adds to the cool-factor), The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, The Guardians of Aandor series, The Blackwood Saga, the Nav’Aria series, and the Wayward Children series.
But really, when it comes to sub-genres, it’s all about Urban Fantasy for me. Those who spend too much time looking at the Fiction categories at the top of my page will note that I have 2 for Fantasy—Urban and everything else. I read some things as a child that I think qualify (don’t ask me what—I wish I could remember, I want to re-read them), but moved on to “regular Fantasy” because there wasn’t a lot of options. Then TV’s Buffy Summers came along and reminded me just how great the idea was. A few years later, I met Harry Dresden, and that was so much better than anything Buffy could do (no UPN/WB budget constraints)—and I discovered the genre had a name. Harry was quickly followed by Rachel Morgan and her crew, then Kitty Norville, and a few others I’ve largely forgotten. Soon after that I met Simon Canderous, Mercy Thompson, Toby Daye, Peter Grant and the Folly; the Iron Druid Chronicles, Alex Verus, The Twenty Palaces, InCryptid, The Spellmason Chronicles, Jane Yellowrock/Soulwood; Fred, the vampire Accountant; An Inheritance of Magic series, The Unorthodox Chronicles, The Chronos Chronicles, The Inner Circle…and so many others. One of my sons got me hooked on Skulduggery Pleasant, I should hasten to add—UF is a thing even in the Middle Grade world.
Why does it have an appeal? I think a lot of it comes from the way they ultimately become some sort of detective novel—which is my first love when it comes to storytelling in any format. Throw in magic and the other goodies that come along with fantasy, and I’m as happy as a well-fed ogre.
There was a time—shortly after Rachel, Ivy, and Jenks joined Harry, Murph, and Bob in my “I have to read more like this” list that UF is all I looked for—new-to-me Urban Fantasies—in bookstores and in my library. This led me to read a lot of things that I’d just as soon forget (and largely have)—but it also got me to read some things I really enjoyed, and wish I could remember. But it’s the series that really stuck with me—the way they all deal with the same ideas in very different ways. For example—the Dresden files has 3 types of werewolves, Kitty Norville has multiple lycanthrope species, Mercy Thompson/Alpha and Omega have just one—and they don’t match Dresden’s (but do come close to Kitty’s werewolves); the Iron Druid’s weres seem more like Kitty’s, but aren’t quite; The Cronos Chronicles‘ are along those lines—but significant differences remain. There’s also the way that they depict the non-supernatural world around them. Are some/all of the types of magical/fantasy types known to normies? How do they react/relate to them? Can electronics survive in the presence of a mage/wizard? And so on. Don’t even get me started on the variety of Fae represented by the above, or we could be here a long time. You can get that variety in Fantasy—you can’t come close in the muggle-world detective novels.
So there you go–my favotie subgenre is Urban Fantasy, but it has some competition. Especially if that Nobledark thing takes off.
I’m really looking forward to some of the <a href=”https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/2026/04/20/my-favorite-fantasy-subgenres-fantasy-with-friends/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener>other posts in response to this prompt–if only because I expect a good recommendation or six.
Do you have responses to this? (either for the comment section below or from your own post)
Three things make a list, right?
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:
The Rise of Nobledark Fantasy and What It Says About Us Right Now—Please, oh please, let this subgenre blossom.
The Book News Isn’t All Bad—Molly Templeton points out the good news under the bad headlines
In the same vein, Bookish Diversions: Anything Better than a Bookshop?
My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
”…the entire building burst into flames. It was not a gradual combustion. One second, the building was a normal not-on-fire warehouse. Then it was all fire, as if it were the head of a match that had been struck.”—Soul Fraud by Andrew Givler
To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
Once a Crooked Man by David McCallum
Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire
And I mentioned the release of Strike by Delilah S. Dawson.
This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Cat on a Hot Tin Woof by Spencer Quinn—”Chet the dog is less than enthusiastic about the Little Detective Agency’s next case. Chet and his human partner, PI Bernie Little, have been hired to find a missing person—only the missing person is a cat. Miss Kitty, an internet sensation, has disappeared, and Chet and Bernie have been hired to find her before her many followers realize something is wrong.” I enjoyed talking about it recently.
Electric City Switches by M.D. Presley—Corbin has his hands full trying to track down a thief, keep her safe from bounty hunters and her (estranged) family, while his mentor is confined to their hotel. I tried to talk coherently about it yesterday.
Paranormal Payback edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes—A solid collection of Urban Fantasy revenge tales. I wrote something about it earlier in the week–and forgot to mention that the last story is a must read for the names of the two protagonists alone! (the rest of the story was pretty good, but I want an explanation of the names)
First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston—An “innovative space fantasy, where wizards race to be the first on the moon – also known as the land of the gods.”
Go Gentle by Maria Semple—I don’t know what it’s about (honest!), all I need to read is “Maria Semple.”
Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell—”[A] breathtakingly honest novel about a woman who lost everything — and isn’t sure she wants it back.”
The Signal Beneath the Sand by Hank Garner—I’ve spent so much time listening to Garner talking to authors of every stripe, I’m eager to see what he can do. Also, who doesn’t like a first contact SF adventure?
Spies and Other Gods by James Wolff—A “darkly funny”, possibly Mick Herron-esque, “cat-and-mouse spy thriller, an anonymous whistleblower sends British Intelligence into a frenzy, threatening to reveal secrets that could bring the establishment to its knees.”
Murder Mindfully by Karsten Dusse, translated by Florian Duijsens—”In this zen and zany crime debut, a shady lawyer transforms his life through mindfulness—and uses his newfound techniques to kill his way to the top.” Oh, and it’s apparently on Netflix.
