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 7 of 176
I’ve been sick most of this week, and spent so little time with my eyes open it’s a wonder they still function (reading online posts really didn’t happen–nor did reading anything longer). Somehow I’m getting this post up, and I might be able to get some things up next week, too.
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:
Ageless Literature (@agelessliterature) posted some provocative slides “What happens when a society stops reading”
I get that almost none of you can take advantage of this program at a local bookstore, but it’s such a good idea, you should give it a look. Shared Stories is starting a Junior Booksellers series in March—where you casn “Meet neighborhood kiddos who are passionate about reading & hear all about their favorite books so you can love them too!” Like Hans today.
Can the Dictionary Keep Up?—an in-depth look at Stefan Fatsis’ Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat To) the Modern Dictionary
What We Lose When We Gamify Reading: Marissa Levien Makes the Case for Slowing Down—It may seem like hypocrisy for someone like me to like this kind of thing. But honestly, this is how I think–I just think like this while reading a lot. Both can be true (because the number is really never my goal, it’s just a game).
To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
No Problem, Mr. Walt by Walt Hackman—still up there as one of my favorites.
Morning Star by Pierce Brown—remember back in our innocence when we thought that Brown was going to have mercy on us and end it as a trilogy? Good times–harrowing times, but good times. (we all know I’m not complaining here, I’m just saying)
I noted the releases of: The Passenger by Lisa Lutz; Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire; Borderline by Mishell Baker; East Of The City by Grant Sutherland; Who Wants To Be The Prince Of Darkness? by Michael Boatman; The Courier by Gerald Brandt; and Arkwright by Allen Steele
This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
The Politician by Tim Sullivan—The fourth DC George Cross mystery had it’s American re-release this week. I’m assuming the victim was a politician of some sort. I’m resisting the urge to read the description until I catch up.
We Interrupt This Program by Randee Dawn—”Welcome to Seaview Haven. A delightful village of charming humans, quaint homes – and cozy mysteries! Fortunately, there’s silver-haired author-turned-sleuth Winnie Arrowmaker on hand to solve them all.
But things aren’t exactly as they seem. Seaview Haven is one of the Seelie Court Network’s many invented TROPE towns, and the “mysteries” are scripted and streamed for the entertainment of enchanted creatures across the Veil. Or, rather, they were…”
Flour & Forge by Herman Steuernagel—”A weary warrior. A restless baker. A magical side quest neither of them asked for, but both might need…perfect for anyone who believes that while pastry might not save the world, it can help make it a world worth saving.”
Hemingway talked about writing drunk and editing sober. I wrote and edited this sober, and then revised and added to it feverish and sleep-deprived. I think Hemingway’s strategy was better. I hope this is coherent.
Book Blogger Hop
This prompt was submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer:
If you had to, would you pass your book collection on to someone special? If not, what would you prefer your family or friends do with your books after you’re gone?
So I had this drafted last week, and then the minister at church reminded us all during the sermon that we are going to die. And it felt a little strange to have this scheduled to go given the tone of this post and that reminder. Humans have a tendency to form outsized attachments to possessions. I am fully aware that my books are just ink, paper, and glue (with a little stitching and leather thrown in for good measure). Yes, I can admit that my attachments to them are frequently outsized–and I (almost) as frequently realize that.
Still, I can have some fun with it.
I’ve ended up getting many books from family members after they’re gone (mostly before that happened). For example, I received many Nero Wolfe books from the aunt who’d introduced them to me in Middle School. Sure, most were duplicates of books I got for myself–but a lot of these were the first copies I read, and that’s kind of special. So I get the impulse behind that passing them on–and appreciate it.
There are individual books that I’d like to pass on to friends/family. I can’t imagine anyone would like them all. I wish they would. I mean, I like to think my children picked up on my impeccable taste, but sadly, they insist on possessing their own (potentially peccable) taste. Still, Son #2 will likely get my Adams collection. My daughter and Son #1 will get parts of my graphic novels/manga collections, and so on. Most likely only ones that I think they’d appreciate having (but I might sneak some posthumous recommendations/nagging in, too–I’m not giving away my last shot).
Assuming she survives me, I’ll leave the bulk of my library to my beloved spouse—with the strict instruction that she is not to dispose of them in a manner I’d find untoward. Primarily by finding them a loving home. I’m not entirely sure she’ll follow that instruction—I know she’s not into library maintenance. But I (have to) assume what she’ll do with them is right.
Maybe she can send them to a farm upstate, where they’ll have room to run around and have fun with other beloved books…
At the same time…I can’t help but think of this meme I saw at the Goodwill Librarian’s page:
or this bit of gold from Jonathan Edward Durham (although I’m not sure what you’re supposed to do with that reading/lending paperback in his scenario…maybe that’s the one that my wife had to deal with)
Have you started making plans?
Music Monday's originated at The Tattooed Book Geek's fantastic blog and has shown up hither, thither, and yon since then.
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 enjoy books about schools of magic, or do you think they are overdone? Do you have any favorite magical schools or magical school books?
On the one hand, I feel like I’ve read a million of these, but I’m having trouble coming up with actual names:
- There’s Hogwarts, of course, that’s going to be pretty much everyone’s first thought, right? (as much as many of us don’t want it to be, for variety of reasons)
- Of course, you’ve got Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy, which is both cooler, and freakier than that.
- I remember liking The Osthorne Academy of Young Mages from Sarah Gailey’s Magic for Liars, but don’t ask me anything about it.
- I’ve never gotten around to reading about Novik’s Scholomance (I don’t even know the full name), but I’ve heard a lot of good, bad, and meh about it. So I don’t know if I actually will get around to it.
- I’ve also never gotten around to reading Rowell’s books about the Watford School of Magicks (and I really only skimmed the bits from Fanboy about it, too).
- Annnd…that’s it. That’s all I can remember.
This suggests that I haven’t read as many as I think I have, or that my memory is garbage. I’m ready to believe either.
The Summer Program at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs kind of counts, but not really. Ditto for Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter. Drew Hayes’ Trestlevend University comes close, too. But all of these are really for parahuman/supernatural beings, not quite magic schools.
So, do I think they’re overdone? Maybe, but I clearly haven’t over-read from them. But also, anything can be “overdone” until it’s not. It’s all about the execution, not the elements that make it up. Sure, many things could scream “Hogwarts Knockoff,” but it could be written in such a distinct, clever, and engrossing way that we’ll all start saying that “Hogwarts walked so [insert name] could run.” Any trope, theme, setting, or character type can be overdone, tired, or used enough to be a cliche. But if the right author comes along and deals with them in their own particular way, we just won’t care.
Do I enjoy these? Sure–if everything else is compelling. That’s kind of the core, really–I liked the silly escapism of Hogwarts, and the almost complete lack of silliness to Brakebills. I can’t tell you why I enjoyed Osthorne, but I think it was just a step or two away from a typical American High School depiction, just with that magic flair. It’s really not the school–it’s the depiction of it and the world it’s in.
Basically, if you throw a bunch of mages (or whatever you want to call them) of various skill levels in a building together, and insert some sort of outside complication or inside conflict, something entertaining is bound to happen. Kids with adults, rookie adults with experienced adults? Doctorates and grad students mixing together? Whatever. All of those can be a source of whimsy, comedy, horror, drama, trauma, adventure, and so many other things. So yeah, bring ’em on.
I’m sure some of the other posts in response to this prompt will be more thoughtful. I’m looking forward to reading them. Do you have responses to this? (either for the comment section below or from your own post)
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:
Libro.fm has a neat deal–donate $15 to a library, and get a free audiobook—this campaign ends today, but there’s still time! Also, apparently today is the end of National Library Week, which is totally a thing I knew about before now.
New book collects the weirdest forgotten stories of printing history—Okay, this article is just a thinly-disguised advertisement for a Kickstarter, but it’s still a fun read
My New Take on Whether We Should Remove “Old” Books from School Classrooms
Monthly Manga Mania Featuring Firsty Duelist Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato—It’s the time of the month for Firsty Duelist to educate people like me about Manga
It’s also time for the Captivating Characters of the Month Linkup
A couple of month-end link wrap-ups to check out are: 10 Interesting Posts from the Book Blogosphere You May Have Missed in Feb. 2026 from Pages Unbound and February 2026 Book Blog Wrap-Up from A Literary Escape
A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Crime Time FM‘s NADINE MATHESON In Person With Paul—was a lot of fun to listen to
My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
“The questions we have for the dead haunt us like unfinished dreams.”
—Head Fake by Scott Gordon
To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
The Story of Lucius Cane: Book One by Vanya Ferreira—(I’d completely forgotten about the existence of this book)
Steal the Sky by Megan E. O’Keefe
Freedom’s Child by Jax Miller—that was 10 years ago??
I mentioned the releases of: The Absconded Ambassador by Michael R. Underwood; Out of the Blues by Trudy Nan Boyce; The Drowned Detective by Neil Jordan; The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury; Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky
This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon (and one I forgot last week):
Prey of Angels by JCM Berne—the latest in The Hybrid Helix looks great!
The Book of Spores—the ebook for this anthology is available now, “Collecting fungal tales from across countless universes, this FanFiAddict anthology spotlights the best of fantasy, science fiction, and horror.”
After the Fall by Edward Ashton—”Part alien invasion story, part buddy comedy, and part workplace satire, After The Fall… asks an important question: would humans really make great pets?”
Amari and the Metalwork Menace by B. B. Alston—huh. I thought this was a trilogy, but the publication of the fourth book reminds me to not assume so often.
(full credit to @jasonroygaston)
It’s the last Friday of the month, so it’s time for my Most Captivating Character of the Month post. This is actually my third choice of a character for this month–the first two are from a book that I really want to dig into, but I honestly didn’t have as much to talk about when it came to them as I thought. But DS George Cross? I think I could go on and on about him–and that’s just from the first book in his series. But before I get into this, let me point you to my post about The Dentist, where Tim Sullivan introduces the world to him.
George–as the novel tells us, has Asperger’s Syndrome (we’d say he’s on the Spectrum now). Obviously, this presents differently in each individual, and it’s reassuring that Sullivan didn’t play into stereotypes. Yes, George has almost no social skills, and that causes problems in the office. Or with people he’s interacting with in the course of an investigation. But when it comes to the Interrogation Room? He shines. He can focus on parts of a suspect’s statement in a way to get them to reveal details. He’s also good at exploiting his own social ineptitude to exasperate a suspect enough to slip up.
Beyond that, he’s methodical, he’s careful, he’s thorough. A case that’s not put together correctly will bother him on a level that goes beyond conscientious employee. But he’s not the obsessively-driven kind of detective like say, Harry Bosch. It’s just who he is.
His relationship with his father is odd (for an observer, anyway) and sweet. His hobby–playing and maintaining pipe organs–seems a little strange in the abstract, but when as you get to know George, it really fits.
The more you get to know George, the more fascinating–make that captivating–he becomes. At least through the first book–I’m willing to bet that continues in the next book, too.
What character would you name for last month?
Today has gotten away from me, so this is 1. the only post I’m getting up today (obviously), and 2. it’s really late. But, it’s the thought that counts, right?
(yeah, not really)
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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| Fairest Hunter by M. K. Felix |
All Accounts Settled by Drew Hayes, read by Kirby Heyborne |
I haven’t made it very far in Felix’s gender-swapped Robin Hood/Snow White mashup. But it’s entertaining so far.
While Fred the Vampire Accountant hasn’t been my favorite series, it’s been a reliable pleasure. I’m going to miss it, I just hope (and trust) that Hayes lands the finale in a satisfying way.
What did you recently finish reading?
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| Butterfly Effects by AUTHOR |
How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina McConigley, read by Reena Dutt |
I’m lamenting that no one in any of my circles–online or offline–reads McGuire’s InCryptid series, because I really want to talk to someone about the new book (which will be getting a very positive write-up here as soon as I can find the time).
I’m pretty ambivalent about Nina McConigley’s 1980s-set murder story, to be honest. I’d like to hear what others have to say.
What do you think you’ll read next?
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| The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers |
Head Fake by Scott Gordon, read by Nick Mondelli |
As I said at the beginning of the month, I read this back in 2018 (and liked it better than I recalled), and it’s the next title for the Science Fiction Book Club. Time to freshen my memory. I trust 2018-me, and should have some fun.
I can’t remember what it was that made me put Head Fake on a list to get, but looking at the blurb, I think I’ll enjoy it.
What are you reading as the month closes?
The topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesdays is “Quotes From/About Books (Share book quotes you love, quotes about being a reader, etc.)”
Once upon a time, I had a really good list of these going–and I have no idea what happened to that (it was before this blog). But I do have a decent collection of quotations that I’ve used once or twice over the years in my Saturday Miscellany posts, so I picked the ten best of those.
(alphabetically by author)
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“The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – which you had thought special and particular to you. Now here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out and taken yours.” Alan Bennett |
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I love people who read. I think it screams humility. When someone reads, they are essentially admitting they want more, that the world is not enough for them. They want more knowledge, more experience. Whatever this life is, they want more of it. – Nicholas Browne |
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I couldn’t decide which one of these to keep; they’re variations of the same idea, so I’m sticking with them both.
The person who doesn’t read lives only one life. The reader lives 5,000. Reading is immortality backwards. – Umberto Eco
I do not read for I have renounced life, I read because one life is just not enough for me. – Abbas Al-Akkad |
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Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live. — Gustave Flaubert (I don’t remember where I got this image) |
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“Books are delightful society. If you go into a room and find it full of books—even without taking them from the shelves they seem to speak to you, to bid you welcome” The Right Hon. William E. Gladstone Prime Minister. UK, 1809-1898 |
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At one magical instant in your early childhood, the page of a book—that string of confused, alien ciphers—shivered into meaning. Words spoke to you, gave up their secrets; at that moment, whole universes opened. You became, irrevocably, a reader.” ― Alberto Manguel |
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When I think of all the books still left for me to read, I am certain of further happiness. Jules Renard |
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Reading books is the most glorious pastime that humankind has yet devised. Wislawa Szymorska |
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“I cannot remember a time when I was not in love with them–with the books themselves, cover and binding and the paper they were printed on, with their smell and their weight and with their possession in my arms, captured and carried off to myself.” ― Eudora Welty |
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Books are everywhere; and always the same sense of adventure fills us. Second-hand books are wild books, homeless books; they have come together in vast flocks of variegated feather, and have a charm which the domesticated volumes of the library lack. Besides, in this random miscellaneous company we may rub against some complete stranger who will, with luck, turn into the best friend we have in the world.― Virginia Woolf |
Music Monday's originated at The Tattooed Book Geek's fantastic blog and has shown up hither, thither, and yon since then.