Tag: News/Misc Page 16 of 29

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.

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)

	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.

Who were some of your new favorites of 2021?

The Friday 56 for 12/17/21: Risen by Benedict Jacka

By HCNewton

On December 17, 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:
Risen

Risen by Benedict Jacka

“Verus,” he said, crossing the path to meet me.

I nodded.

Talisid glanced at the long sightlines around us, the Greenway stretching in both directions with the Olympic Stadium – to one side and the view over London to the other, “A little exposed.”

“Hiding isn’t really an option for me these days,” I said. “How can help you?”

Our relationship had changed, and I could feel it in the way Talisid addressed me. For all the years I’d been meeting like this with Talisid, he’d always been the more powerful. He’d never used if to threaten me; he was too courteous for that, in his well-bred way. But always, in our dealings, Talisid had been the one to set the terms. Not anymore.

Down the TBR Hole Revisited (1 of 3)

By HCNewton

On December 15, 2021

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

Down the TBR Hole Revisited

When I wrapped things up back in May, I’d trimmed the Want-to-Read list down to 132, and it’s at 154 right now. That’s not bad—I read a couple from the list, added a few more. But, in keeping with the aim of this project, let’s see if I can trim a little fat to go into the New Year not needing a diet. I didn’t quite get to too many from this list in the ensuing months…which does make me wonder (again) about the efficacy of this list. But that’s for another time—or maybe a therapist.

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)

	Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives by Tim Harford Blurb: “celebrates the benefits that messiness has in our lives: why it’s important, why we resist it, and why we should embrace it instead. Using research from neuroscience, psychology, social science, as well as tales of inspiring people doing extraordinary things, I explain that the human qualities we value – creativity, responsiveness, resilience – are integral to the disorder, confusion, and disarray that produce them.” My Thoughts: Oh sweet—a justification for my lifestyle! Gotta get this as ammunition to use against my wife. Verdict:
	My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows Blurb: Mary, Queen of Scots, in the court of France, trying to hide that she shapeshifts into mice. My Thoughts: So they’ve run out of Janes and have turned to Marys? Huh. Sure, why not? Verdict:
	Darling at the Campsite by Andy Abramowitz Blurb: “Rowan Darling, an adrift thirty-three-year-old, owns a record store on a run-down block in Philadelphia. Then news of his estranged brother’s death forces a return to Maybee, Illinois, the hometown Rowan left in the dust years ago. Rowan’s plan? Dart in for the funeral, support his mother, then disappear just as quickly. Things to avoid? Margot Beckett, his childhood sweetheart, and Skid Hall, his former best friend who stole Margot and married her. Together, they’ve become the town’s ‘it’ couple.” My Thoughts: It’s Andy Abramowitz, I’ll likely enjoy it. But first I’ll leave it on the Want-to-Read list until his next book comes out… Verdict:
	Questland by Carrie Vaughn Blurb: Jurassic Park but instead of cloned Dinosaurs, it’s “a convincing, high-tech-powered fantasy-world experience, complete with dragons, unicorns, and, yes, magic.” My Thoughts: I have the paperback sitting on my TBR shelf about 2 feet from me. Just need to get around to it. Verdict:
	Swashbucklers by Dan Hanks Blurb: “When Cisco Collins returns to his home town thirty years after saving it from being swallowed by a hell mouth opened by an ancient pirate ghost, he realises that being a childhood hero isn’t like it was in the movies. Especially when nobody remembers the heroic bits – even the friends who once fought alongside him.” Verdict: I really like the sound of this. I actually thought I bought it already.
	The 13th Witch by Mark Hayden Blurb: “Odin has a challenge for Conrad: sign up to protect England from wild magick and get a commission in the King’s Watch…Conrad never could resist a challenge. Before you can say “Ragnarok”, he’s plunged into a world of gods, mages, witches, dwarves and one very aggressive giant mole….Armed with nothing but a sense of humour and a willingness to cheat, Conrad has to find the Witch and save his life.” Verdict:
	Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest Blurb: A travel agent who’s an inconsistent psychic saves the life of a Seattle PD Detective. Desperate for a break in a cold case, he hires her to consult on it. Verdict: By the time this posts, I’ll be done with the book, so, yeah, cut this from the list.
	Faycalibur by Liam Perrin Blurb: “When five armies attack England, everyone on the Round Table is too busy to track down the missing court wizard. Seizing the opportunity to shine a light on the Less Valued, Thomas vows to rescue Merlin and sets himself on a collision course with a talented but overconfident rookie sorceress, a lizard with delusions of grandeur, and one rather unfortunate pigeon.” My Thoughts: The first book in the series was nice, I want to see him go on. There was an optimistic sweetness to it, and want to see Perrin try it again. Verdict:
	Ghost of a Chance by Dan Willis My Thoughts: I’d expected to get through book 3 by this point in the year, which obviously didn’t happen. Still, that means book 2 needs to stay on the list. Verdict:
	Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson Blurb: “Miss Mildred Percy is a spinster. She does not dance, she has long stopped dreaming, and she certainly does not have adventures. That is, until her great uncle has the audacity to leave her an inheritance, one that includes a dragon’s egg. The egg – as eggs are wont to do—decides to hatch, and Miss Mildred Percy is suddenly thrust out of the role of ‘spinster and general wallflower’ and into the unprecedented position of ‘spinster and keeper of dragons.’” My Thoughts: I can tell from the description that this is going to be something I love or I’ll be turned off within 50 pages…I’m on the border with it. I don’t know that I’m going to end up reading this, but I want to keep it on my radar for a little bit longer. Verdict:

Books Removed in this Post: 1 / 10
Total Books Removed: 1 / 33
Current Want-to-Read Shelf Total: 153

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 covers of 2021

By HCNewton

On December 14, 2021

In Books, News/Misc.

What are some of your favorite covers that you have seen this year? Maybe these were reprints, redesigns, or alternate covers that came out this year, or maybe they are brand new books. Whatever they are, tell us all the pretties you have been coveting.

A good number of the covers that I’d put down as candidates ended up being from 2020 once I started putting this list together, which doesn’t say wonderful things about my memory. I really, really wish that there were listings available for the brains and hands behind these designs so I could credit them, because they really deserve a round of applause.

	The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter by Aaron Reynolds There are any number of things I liked about this cover–it’s a little creepy, it’s screams goofy and playful, and it grabs your eye. It’s a perfect fit for the book. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book behind the cover, click here.
	Pug Actually by Matt Dunn I came close to doing an increasingly brand-specific Best Covers featuring Dogs of 2020, but I’d have had to cut some dog photos, and I’m not strong enough for that. So, we’ll just go with this attention-grabbing cover. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book behind the cover, click here.
	Holier Than Thou by Jackie Hill Perry I think I actually mentioned in my review-ish post about the book that I love this cover–it looks worn, beaten up, well-used and yet attractive. Which ties in to how Perry describes the believer’s holiness. Clever people involved in that. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book behind the cover, click here.
	The Case of the Missing Firefly by Chris McDonald I’ve done cover reveals for most of this series over the last year, and they’re all just great. I hemmed and hawed over which one to use, but I think the colors on this one put it over the top. Eye of the beholder and all that, but those colors just grab me. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book behind the cover, click here.
	Fan Fiction: A Mem-Noir: Inspired by True Events by Brent Spiner So you’ve got the Data thing, you’ve got a real “clipping words/images out of magazines” stalker-vibe, colors that pop, a slightly chaotic feel…it all works really well to communicate the feel of the book and draw you in. The worse “Brent Spiner” don’t hurt, either. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book behind the cover, click here.

What were some of your favorites of 2021?

The Friday 56 for 12/10/21: Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest

By HCNewton

On December 10, 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:
Grave Reservations

Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest

“You’re really going out on a limb here, aren’t you?” she asked.

He shook his head and gazed balefully at the clippings. “This case has never made any sense, and we’ve never had any real leads, Something about it just … stuck in my craw, as they say.”

“Who says that?”

“My late wife’s family, in North Carolina. They have a wide selection of colorful expressions in circulation out there.” He used his index finger to move a few of the paper scraps around. “Consensus is that the murders were part of an interrupted robbery … but that explanation never felt right. This isn’t that kind of hotel, you know what I mean? We’re in the wrong part of town for a cheap shakedown, and this isn’t the kind of place that a tech CEO would choose for legitimate business activities.”

The restaurant manager sauntered by with a plate of pungent chicken wings and a lifted eyebrow.

“No offense,” Grady called over his shoulder.

The Friday 56 for 12/3/21: Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition by Nick Kolakowski

By HCNewton

On December 3, 2021

In Currently Reading, Love & Bullets Hookups, 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:
Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition

Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition by Nick Kolakowski

His eyes rolled from side to side, trying to lock on me, but I made a point of standing directly behind him.

“What now?” he asked.

I scanned the empty corridor. “Where’s your partner?”

“What?”

“The guy you’re on shift with.” He shook his head. “Had to leave.”

I would choose to believe that for the moment. “Where’s that FBI guy?”

“He had to leave, too.” Another swallow. “Somebody called something in. Something big.”

What was bigger than me wiping out most of this county’s police force, along with its corrupt sheriff and probably a few townies? Suddenly I understood how Elvis must have felt when he heard about the Beatles for the first time, overshadowed by something far bigger. I was tempted to ask about the nature of the emergency, but my soul would have been crushed if he’d said my infamy was eclipsed by a shootout at the local meth lab.

The Count to 10 with Me Tag

By HCNewton

On December 1, 2021

In Book Tag, Books, News/Misc.

The
I saw this over at Bookforager’s blog and it was created by The Bumbling Blogger’s partner on YouTube.

First book in a series

Fellowship of Fear

Fellowship of Fear by Aaron Elkins

There are numerous first novels in a series on my shelves—many of which I’ve talked about at length, or at least about the series. I haven’t said too much about the Gideon Oliver books, so let’s use this as an opportunity to talk about them a bit. I started these novels thanks to the ABC Mystery Movie series. As charming as Louis Gosset, Jr.’s Oliver was, he wasn’t the forensic anthropologist I got to know in these pages. Lousy adaptations that lead me to good books are still a win in my book. Oliver is no stuffy scholar (although he can be when he gets carried away), he’s a fun character who is seriously into his field of study.

Two or more copies of the same book

I have too many books that could fit here, but let’s go with:

The Lobster Boy And The Fat Lady's Daughter Editions

The Lobster Boy And The Fat Lady’s Daughter by Charles Kriel

So there’s the original e-book version and cover; the “plain brown wrapper” paperback Fahrenheit put out anniversary edition commemorating them selling the book initially w/o cover image, title, or author; and a nice, new cover that came out a couple of years ago. (I actually ordered a hardcover edition, too, at one point, but that seems to have never materialized—so I appear to be more restrained than I am)

Funnily enough, a couple of hours after I drafted this, I picked up my third copy of Raskin’s The Westing Game. It’s a nice paperback with a crisp cover image that appealed to me. There’s no real reason for me to have grabbed it, the last thing I need is another copy, I just couldn’t help it. Just one more option that could’ve been put here

Three colors on the cover

The Cartel

The Cartel by Don Winslow

This ended up being harder than I thought—I can find any number of two-colored covers, and even more with a dozen colors. But three? That proved pretty difficult. So, I ended up going back to my old-reliable Don Winslow. I seem to use one of his books on just about every tag (at least it feels that way).

Four or more perspectives

A Plague of Giants

A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne

I thought about trying to go outside Fantasy for this one—it seems too easy to name a Fantasy novel for a multi-perspective approach. But the way that Hearne delivers these multiple perspectives is probably my favorite. So, it’s the one I’m going with.

A five-star read

All Our Wrong Todays

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve mentioned this one, so let me take this opportunity to since its praises again. Humor, heart, action, mind-bendy time travel science…one of the best SF novels I’ve ever read.

Six (or more) short stories

Planet Grim

Planet Grim by Alex Behr

I’ve talked about a decent number of short story collections here, but if you ask me to name one, this is always the first one that comes to mind. Every time. I can’t explain it, but I’m sure not going to argue with my subconscious. Can I tell you anything about any of the stories without grabbing it off of my shelf? Nope. But I can tell you that the collection really impressed me, and that I’d do well to pick it up again.

A seven on the cover or spine

Seven Up

Seven Up by Janet Evanovich

Going back to when I hadn’t grown frustrated with the Stephanie Plum books and could just enjoy them without reservation or qualification. Joe proposes marriage, Ranger proposes something far more temporary, Grandma Mazur is dating a mobster, and…well, there are plenty of antics.

Eight letters in the title

Mad Mouse

Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein

I’m sure I looked funny standing in front of my shelves counting to eight over and over again for this one. This is the second of the John Ceepak/Danny Boyle books, and it proved that the concept was going to work for more than a stand-alone. Someone’s coming for revenge against Danny and his friends for something they did years ago. Thankfully, super-cop Ceepak is there to help.

A book that ends on a page ending in a nine

The Player

The Player by Brad Parks

Had to go diving through the logs for this one, to make sure I found a book I don’t talk about a lot, I wanted to go for something older, so I wouldn’t have brought it up a lot recently. This is the penultimate Carter Ross mystery—there’s something causing people in one area of Newark to get sick, and Ross smells a cover-up involving pollutants. When he gets sick himself, it becomes more than just a story.

Ten books in the series

Anna Strong Series

Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles by Jeanne C. Stein

I had the hardest time with this one—I found a couple of 9 book series, an 11/12 or two…and several that were far past 10. At a certain point, I was just going down my shelves counting…The only reason this one qualifies is that 6 years after concluding the series, Stein wrote one more (which I should probably get around to reading). But hey…I’ll take it.

So the Anna Strong books are about a Bounty Hunter who gets assaulted and turned by a vampire, thrusting her into a supernatural world she’s been previously unaware of. She finds herself dealing with supernatural baddies as well as the human criminals that she and her partner (who isn’t aware of the changes in her life) deal with. There’s a strange balancing act that she has to pull off in addition to a newly complicated love life and family.

Count Von Count Laughing

As is my custom, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with.

The Friday 56 for 11/26/21: All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle

By HCNewton

On November 26, 2021

In Currently Reading, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, 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:
All the Lonely People

All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle

The sense of relief Hubert felt when he saw Joyce walking toward him as he waited outside the entrance to the Regal was enormous. Her desire to go to the pictures with him hadn’t been an elaborate dream, a figment of his imagination, or a practical joke. She was here, she was really here, and the sight of her made him grin from ear to ear. She was, he thought, even more beautiful freed from the confines of her Hamilton’s uniform of demure black dress with dainty white bow and lacy collar. Sporting a navy-blue duster coat over a flowery lemon dress with green heels, she was a vision of spring and Hubert told her so.

“Thank you,” she replied. “The dress is new. I made it myself from a pattern in Vogue. Mum wasn’t sure about the color but I think it’s cheerful, don’t you?”

Hubert smiled.

“It’s like a piece of sunshine on a dull gray day.”

Joyce gave him an admiring glance.

Tag: News/Misc Page 16 of 29

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

Books Removed in this Post: 1 / 10 Total Books Removed: 1 / 33 Current Want-to-Read Shelf Total: 153

First book in a series

Fellowship of Fear by Aaron Elkins

Two or more copies of the same book

The Lobster Boy And The Fat Lady’s Daughter by Charles Kriel

Three colors on the cover

The Cartel by Don Winslow

Four or more perspectives

A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne

A five-star read

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai

Six (or more) short stories

Planet Grim by Alex Behr

A seven on the cover or spine

Seven Up by Janet Evanovich

Eight letters in the title

Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein

A book that ends on a page ending in a nine

The Player by Brad Parks

Ten books in the series

Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles by Jeanne C. Stein

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

Books Removed in this Post: 1 / 10
Total Books Removed: 1 / 33
Current Want-to-Read Shelf Total: 153