Tag: News/Misc Page 15 of 29

The Friday 56 for 2/4/22: MASH by Richard Hooker

On February 4, 2022

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.

When I started doing these, I imposed a rule on myself that I would only use a book that I was reading that week, but between ARCs and page 56s that didn’t work without context, I didn’t have anything this week (or, likely, next), and I like doing these. Rules are meant to be broken, right? So I started grabbing random books off my shelf—it took me three tries, apparently, page 56 is a popular one to leave blank.

A blast from the past this week.
from Page 56 of:
MASH

MASH by Richard Hooker

Dear Hawkeye:

As Dean of the College, I naturally remember you very well. In my job one has to take the bitter as well as the sweet, and I’ve had my share of both.

My natural expectation is that, if I accede to your request, I will soon have on my hands some illiterate seventy-year-old refugee from a leper colony. Despite the possibility of your having matured slightly in the last nine years, that is really what I expect.

However, this sort of thing is popular these days. If you feel your boy can do college work and if you can get him over here and supply him with a thousand dollars a year, we will give him a chance. Enclosed is an application for Ho-Jon to complete.

Sincerely,
James Lodge
Dean, Androscoggin College

The Friday 56 for 1/28/22: The Jackals by Adam Shaw

By HCNewton

On January 28, 2022

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

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

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

from 56% of:
The Jackals

The Jackals by Adam Shaw

As soon as I step out the front door, I exhale. The chilly downtown air hits me all at once, and I’m forced to recognize the beads of sweat resting in my hairline, the moistness of Rob’s post-workout filth on my shirt, the goosebumps traveling up and down my arms. I quit my job. Apparently, I’m moving.

“Jack!”

Beth is smiling. Her pale skin shines against the red brick of the wall behind her. Her hair is down, and she’s wearing the same red flannel she wore the day I got back to Lafayette. A couple golden strands cling to it near her right shoulder, but she either doesn’t notice them or doesn’t care. It only takes her eyes a couple seconds to notice the box of belongings under my arm, though, the bat signal of a corporate walk of shame, and her smile disappears.

The Friday 56 for 1/21/22: Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron

By HCNewton

On January 21, 2022

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:
Nice Dragons Finish Last

Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron

“…believe it or not, I don’t normally get into back-alley brawls with strange men.”

“Well, if anyone deserved breaking your ‘no slamming people into walls’ streak over, it would be Bixby’s idiots.”

“I only got half of them,” he reminded her. “You did the other. Credit where credit is due.”

Marci laughed. “If by ‘credit’ you mean ‘assault and battery charges,’ then I guess you’re right.” She shook her head and turned to flash him a warm smile. “You know, we make a pretty good team.”

Julius felt that smile all the way to his toes.

Top 5 Tuesday – Top 5 books I will definitely* read in 2022

By HCNewton

On January 18, 2022

In Books, News/Misc.

This week’s topic is, “Top 5 books I will definitely* read in 2022. Same disclosure from 2021. You won’t be subjected to punishment (from me) if you don’t read these. But what are 5 books you really want to tick off your TBR this year?” Sure, I could’ve just picked five books that are the next in a series (and, yeah, that’s what I mostly did)–but these are ones that either I am champing at the bit to read or that I know I have every intention on reading, but can see myself getting distracted from and still wanting to read in 2023 (see the entry for Return of the Paladin on Top 5 books I haven’t read yet in 2021). So, calling my shot at the others should help me remember to do it.

	Robert B. Parker’s Bye Bye Baby by Ace Atkins The fiftieth Spenser novel is also the last one that Atkins will write. I can only imagine that Atkins is going to go out with a bang. This is the epitome of me champing at the bit to read a book. I will be abandoning whatever I’m reading to dive into this as soon as I get my hands on it.
	The Botanist by M. W. Craven The Poe/Tilly novels have become a (the?) highlight of my summers. I cannot wait to see what happens here.
	Lives Laid Away by Stephen Mack Jones August Snow was one of my favorite “discoveries” of 2021–I was practically giddy reading it. I’d expected I’d read this one last year, and don’t know how I didn’t get to it. This will happen soon.
	Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman This made my list without me knowing anything about it–I’ve just enjoyed Waxman’s voice so much the last few years. Also, I wanted something on this list that wasn’t a Mystery/Detective/Crime novel or part of a series. Oops. It turns out that this is a sequel to The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. 1 out of 2 ain’t bad, right?
	City on Fire by Don Winslow I’ve loved almost every Winslow book I’ve read–and was impressed with those I didn’t. So it would seem I’d be super-excited about this–and I am. But after The Cartel–both in scope and impact–I’ve been intimidated by him. This is going to be one of those I have to push myself to read, oddly enough.

The Friday 56 for 1/14/21: Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire

By HCNewton

On January 14, 2022

In Currently Reading, Fantasy, News/Misc., Quotations, Seanan McGuire, The Friday 56, Wayward Children

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 (and a little bit of 57) of:
Where the Drowned Girls Go

Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire

The matron narrowed her eyes. “Can scarecrows talk?” she repeated, tone clearly implying that there was only one right answer, and it wasn’t the one she expected from Emily.

…Silence and blending into the background were Cora’s forte. She was good at it. But she was also a hero, and heroes didn’t stand idly by while someone smaller was victimized.

“Scarecrows don’t talk,” she scoffed, loudly enough and clearly enough to guarantee she would be overheard. The matron stiffened. Cora acted like she hadn’t noticed, continuing blithely, “They’re just straw stuffed into old potato sacks. If scarecrows could talk, that would mean straw could talk, and if straw could talk, grass would be able to talk, and no one could mow their lawns.”

The Friday 56 for 1/7/21: Bloodlines by Peter Hartog

By HCNewton

On January 7, 2022

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:
Bloodlines

Bloodlines by Peter Hartog

“What the f*** are you doing, Holliday?” Deacon hollered from the kitchen.

He leaned against one of the tables with arms folded across his chest.

“It’s what we police-types like to call ‘looking for clues,’” I retorted, irritated by the question. “Shake down the premises, go through his sock drawer, locate the virtual workstation, and mine it for information. You should try it sometime.”

“I get that,” he replied amiably. “But I doubt a vampire’s gonna hide its secrets inside an office, do you?”

Down the TBR Hole Revisited (3 of 3)

By HCNewton

On December 29, 2021

In Books, Down the TBR Hole, News/Misc.

Down the TBR Hole Revisited

Huh. When I looked at this list, I really thought I’d cut some fat (although this part would be harder than the rest since some of these aren’t published yet, so I haven’t heard anything about them from other readers). I still managed to cut a little bit, which puts my Want-to-Read list under 150–which means overall, I’ve cut 90+ from the list since I started this (either through deleting or reading). I call that a win.

The big question is, what will this list look like in 2024-5 when I try this again?

This meme was created by Lia @ Lost in a Story—but Jenna at Bookmark Your Thoughts is the one that exposed me to this, and as my Goodreads “Want To Read” shelf is scarily long, I had to do this.

The Rules are simple:

Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
Order on ascending date added.
Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
Read the synopses of the books.
Decide: keep it or should it go?
Keep track of where you left off so you can pick up there next week! (or whenever)

What distinguishes this series from the Mt. TBR section of my Month-end Retrospectives? Those are books I actually own while Goodreads contains my aspirational TBR (many of which will be Library reads). The Naming of the two is a bit confusing, but…what’re you going to do?

(Click on the cover for an official site or something with more info about the book)

	Vanishing Edge by Claire Kells Blurb: FBI Agent-turned-Forest Service investigator is on the hunt for a killer in the Sequoia National Park. My Thoughts: I vaguely remember reading about this on a Crime Reads post–sounded good (still does), and I’d probably enjoy it. But…I know I’m not going to get around to it. Verdict:
	The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado Blurb: A pair of FBI Agents (both with troubled pasts) are on the hunt for a serial killer. My Thoughts: This one (and the next by Maldonado) were also featured in a Crime Reads post. The mini-blurb above sounds pretty generic, I know, but I remember something about the write-up that convinced me that Maldonado is somsone I want to try. So I put the first entries in her two series on the list, and am going to keep them there for at least a little longer. Verdict:
	Blood’s Echo by Isabella Maldonado Blurb: A Phoenix PD Detective is on a crusade to take down a local crime family My Thoughts: See above. I typically enjoy police detectives more than FBI Agents, so I’m leaning to trying this one first. Verdict:
	The Accomplice by Lisa Lutz Blurb: Owen and Luna have been best friends since college, the kind you always wonder why they didn’t end up together. When Owen’s wife is murdered, Luna starts putting pieces together with that murder and things that happened years ago. The book “examines the bonds of shared history, what it costs to break them, and what happens when you start wondering how well you know the one person who truly knows you.” My Thoughts: It’s Lutz, so of course I’m going to read it, she’s still on my “auto” list–writing the above blurb is the first time I even looked at a synopsis I have the eARC on my Kindle now, actually, it’s probably going to be the first novel I start in 2022. Verdict:
	How to Save a Superhero by Ruth Freeman Blurb: A ten-year old becomes convinced that a former superhero is a resident of the retirement community her mom works at. What’s more, she stumbles onto a conspiracy that puts him–and the whole human race–in danger. My Thoughts: I thought I remembered where I saw this book recommended, but it’s not on the blogs I thought it was. Whoops. Regardless, it sounds like a cute story. It’s staying, I need some MG fluff. Verdict:
	Fatal Storm by Carrie Vaughn Blurb: “Cormac and Amelia take a job at a quaint Victorian mountain lodge: keep an eye on the famous psychic there to judge whether the place is haunted. Simple, right? Three problems: the blizzard that snows everyone in for the weekend, the murdered body that shows up in the morning, and the fact that everyone is sure Cormac did it.” My Thoughts: I just need to take some time and read all the Cormac and Amelia stories, and keep forgetting. This story’s presence on the list is a mnemonic device to help. The pair was a big part of what made the Kitty Norville series work–am glad to see them keep the world alive. Verdict:
	Family Business by S.J. Rozan Blurb: “The death of a powerful Chinatown crime boss thrusts private eye Lydia Chin and her partner Bill Smith into a world of double-dealing, subterfuge, murder, and—because this is New York City—real estate.” My Thoughts: Like the Lutz book earlier, Lydia Chin/Bill Smith books are auto-reads for me. This one is waiting at the Library for me to pick up. I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while. Verdict:
	Dance Among the Flames by Tori Eldridge Blurb: I’m not even going to try to do this one. Click the links. My Thoughts: This looks like a heckuva departure from her Lily Wong series. I’m super-curious about it and am looking forward to its release. Verdict:
	The Awkward Black Man by Walter Mosley Blurb: A collection of short stories. My Thoughts: For years, I’ve felt like I’m missing out on not getting into Mosley–not a FOMO kind of thing, more of a “what is wrong with me that I don’t appreciate him.” After Allyson J Johnson mentioned it in a WWW Wednesday comment, I thought this might be a good way to jump start that effort (although a subsequent comment chilled me a bit). Verdict:
	How to Save a Superhero by Ruth Freeman My Thoughts: Okay, yeah, something about this clearly appealed to me because I put on the list twice. Whoops. Verdict: At least this helps me trim the number, right?
	Maxine Justice: Galactic Attorney by Daniel Schwabauer Blurb: “Maxine Justice is an ambulance-chasing lawyer desperate for relevance and cash when aliens hire her to represent them before the United Nations.” My Thoughts: I saw an advertisement for this on Publishers Weekly, and the premise seemed so ridiculous and tongue-in-cheek I had to give it a shot. Verdict:
	One for All by Lillie Lainoff Blurb: A YA gender-bent Three Musketeers featuring someone who (today) would be diagnosed with POTS. My Thoughts: My daughter’s recently been diagnosed with POTS, so it’s been on my mind. When I saw this mentioned on my Twitter feed, I had to give it a shot. If for no other reason than to make sure my daughter gives it a read. Verdict:
	The Liar’s Knot by M.A. Carrick My Thoughts: I was really impressed with the first in this trilogy last year. I’ll likely be as impressed with this one–I will admit that I’m intimidated by the prospect of picking it up. Can I remember enough of what came before? Verdict:

Books Removed in this Post: 2 / 13
Total Books Removed: 7 / 33

Anyone out there read any of these books? Did I make the right call with any of them?

(Image by moritz320 from Pixabay)

The Friday 56 for 12/24/21: A Dream About Lightning Bugs by Ben Folds

By HCNewton

On December 24, 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:
A Dream About Lightning Bugs

A Dream About Lightning Bugs: A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons by Ben Folds

A few years ago, I volunteered to be a substitute teacher for my kids’ seventh-grade music class. Just for a day. That’s all I had to do. I knew most of the kids in the class anyway. It should have been a breeze.

It wasn’t.

If I didn’t fully appreciate the public school music teachers of my youth before 11 a.m. that day, by noon I damn well did. As I stood before the class, a lifetime of experience performing in front of people went straight out the window. The forty-five-minute affair was absolutely exhausting. Kids, 1—Folds, 0. Animals, every one of them! I am no music teacher and I bow to each and every man and woman who is. I especially bow to the ones who can see that these children are not animals and recognize which ones could use a push, or a hand, like I did when I was younger.

Down the TBR Hole Revisited (2 of 3)

By HCNewton

On December 22, 2021

In Books, Down the TBR Hole, News/Misc.

Down the TBR Hole Revisited

By only cutting one out of ten last week—by dint of reading it—I wondered if this revisiting was really worth the trouble. This week’s results were more encouraging.

The Rules are simple:

Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
Order on ascending date added.
Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
Read the synopses of the books.
Decide: keep it or should it go?
Keep track of where you left off so you can pick up there next week! (or whenever)

(Click on the cover for an official site or something with more info about the book)

	Miss Kopp Investigates by Amy Stewart My Thoughts: My enthusiasm for this series has waned, as evidenced by the fact that I’m not two behind. I’m not sure why I put this on the list—maybe just to nudge my memory that these books exist? I will admit, though, that this sounds more interesting than the sixth book. I guess that’s enough to justify keeping it on the list. Verdict: A tepid
	The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde My Thoughts: I really do want to like Fforde, so a YA Fforde book about an employment agency for wizards? Sounds interesting. The agency being run by a 15-year-old who starts receiving visions about protecting the last dragon? Now you’ve really got me intrigued. Throw in a cover featuring a dragon and a VW bug and you make it hard not to judge a book by its cover. Verdict:
	The Forgotten Girl by Rio Youers Blurb: A 26-year-old street performer is beaten up by thugs looking for his girlfriend. A girlfriend he doesn’t remember. Apparently, she has the “ability to selectively erase a person’s memories—an ability she has used to delete herself from Harvey’s mind. But emotion runs deeper than memory, and Harvey realizes he still feels something for Sally. And so—with the spider threatening—he goes looking for a girl he loves but can’t remember,” and danger ensues. My Thoughts: I wish I remembered why I put this on the list in the first place, maybe it’d convince me to keep it there. Verdict:
	E.B. White on Dogs by E.B. White Blurb: A compilation of “the best and funniest of his essays, poems, letters, and sketches depicting over a dozen of White’s various canine companions” put together by White’s granddaughter. My Thoughts: Do you have to ask? Verdict:
	Monkey Around by Jadie Jang Blurb: “Barista, activist, and were-monkey Maya McQueen was well on her way to figuring herself out. Well, part of the way. 25% of the way. If you squint…” My Thoughts: When the blurb for an Urban Fantasy starts like this, I stop paying attention, and click the “Want to Read” button. Also, Paul’s Picks had good things to say. Verdict:
	The Burn by Kathleen Kent My Thoughts: The Dime was so good, I added the rest of the trilogy without looking at what they were about. I really don’t care, just need to fit them into the queue. Verdict:
	The Pledge by Kathleen Kent My Thoughts: See above. Verdict:
	Surviving the Extremes: What Happens to the Body and Mind at the Limits of Human Endurance by Kenneth Kamler Blurb: “A true-life scientific thriller no reader will forget, Surviving the Extremes takes us to the farthest reaches of the earth as well as into the uncharted territory within the human body, spirit, and brain…Divided into six sections—jungle, high seas, desert, underwater, high altitude, and outer space—this book uses firsthand testimony and documented accounts to investigate the science of what a body goes through and explains why people survive—and why they sometimes don’t.” My Thoughts: My daughter (or was it her boyfriend) talked about needing to read this for a class—or maybe it was recommended by a professor—and thought it might be fun to read to talk about with them. But then the class didn’t happen or something…I really don’t remember. But they didn’t end up reading it, and I’m not super interested in it. Verdict:
	The Exodus Betrayal by N.C. Scrimgeour My Thoughts: It’s a cyberpunk-y SF thriller that I’m just not in the mood for. This time, it’s despite the nice things Paul’s Picks had to say. It’s probably pretty good, but I just know I’m not going to get around to it. Verdict:
	The Library: A Fragile History by Andrew Pettegree Blurb: “Perfect for book lovers, this is a fascinating exploration of the history of libraries and the people who built them, from the ancient world to the digital age.” My Thoughts: A history of libraries? That sounds pretty good. But it also sounds like a lot of work. When I read about this at Witty and Sarcastic Book Club, the idea intrigued me. But lately, the part where Jodi wrote, “There was just no excitement shown in the pages. I felt like the authors weren’t really all that invested in what they were writing. And that sort of rubbed off on me a little bit,” speaks loudly to me. Verdict:

Books Removed in this Post: 4 / 10
Total Books Removed: 5 / 33

Anyone out there read any of these books? Did I make the right call with any of them?

(Image by moritz320 from Pixabay)

Top 5 Tuesday – Top 5 New Authors of 2021

By HCNewton

On December 21, 2021

In Books, News/Misc.

Tell us all about your favourite new authors. Either debut authors from 2021, or new-to-you this year.

2021 was a good year for new-to-me authors (a pretty good year for old-to-me authors, too), I made the acquaintance of several authors I expect to read for a long time to come. But a Top 5 was a little tricky–four of these names jumped right to me, and then six names competed for that last slot–which means a Top 10 list would’ve been a great thing for me to do today, I guess. When it comes to these five authors, they really stood out to me this year, and I bet I’ll be reading them for years (assuming they keep producing…). Two of them have backlists for me to work off of, too.

In alphabetical order, because I’m not doing that to myself.

	Stephen Mack Jones I read the first book in his series, August Snow, this summer–and I just clicked with it within a couple of pages. The voice was just perfect, his characters felt like good friends already–just ones I needed to get to know better. He also had a real gift for setting–I could see some of the locations clearly, and the food? I’m getting hungry right now. I’ll be returning to Jones and Snow early next year, and I can’t wait. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book that put him on the list, click here.
	Nadine Matheson Matheson infuses her fiction with her experience and knowledge–one of the murders takes place near her home, which helps her bring that part of London to life in a way I don’t think I’ve seen before. Also, she’s a Criminal Soliciter, bringing an authenticity to the book that you don’t always get. I’m starting to get carried away and I have 3 other people to talk about so I’m going to shut up. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book that put her on the list, click here.
	Chris McDonald I’ve only read one of McDonald’s two series to date (I plan on changing that soon), and it certainly appears that the two are pretty different in style and tone. But you can’t read five books in a year by one author without it leaving a pretty strong impression on you. The Stonebridge Mysteries had strong charactes, clever mysteries, and a humourous touch (without being comedies), a consisten source of entertainment throughout 2021. In case you’re curious about what I said about the series that put him on the list, click here.
	Fabian Nicieza In researching this post, I realized I’d actually met Nicieza in 1987 in Psi Force #9 from Marvel Comics. But I’m still counting this because: 1. I’d forgotten about him completely, and 2. I’m going with new-to-me-novelists. He’s written a lot of other comics in the meantime–including creating Deadpool. But now he’s turned to novel writing–his first novel was laugh-out-loud funny, with the kind of tension that seasoned pros struggle with, great characters, and some social commentary, too. Oh, yeah, and a great mystery! In case you’re curious about what I said about the book that put him/her, click here.
	Richard Osman Osman has a long résumé in all sorts of fields–none of which I was exposed to here in the U.S. But his first novel was a great way to be introduced–a great mix of meditation on grief and aging, comedy, and mystery. He writes like a seasoned pro, and I can’t wait to see what he does next. In case you’re curious about what I said about the books that put him on this list, click here.