Tag: News/Misc Page 22 of 29

I did not cut a lot off of this list—2 of the cuts were only by technicalities, too. On the other hand, some of these look really good, and I was reminded why I wanted to read these in the first place and should result in me reading a couple pretty soon. Which is almost as good, right?

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:

1. Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
2. Order on ascending date added.
3. Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
4. Read the synopses of the books.
5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
6. 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)

	Better Grammar in 30 Minutes a Day by Constance Immel My Thoughts: I’m not sure what drove me to add this to the list, I dig books about language and grammar and so on. But a workbook? Yeah, that’s really not what I need. (it looks like a decent one, don’t get me wrong, if you’re looking to brush up on it) Verdict:
	Know Your Rites by Andy Redsmith Blurb: The second in the series, this time Inspector Nick Paris is on the hunt for a killer—with a rapping dwarf as the lead suspect. My Thoughts: I really dug the first in this series—I ordered this months ahead of publication. And got too busy to read it then. I’m absolutely reading this. Even if I hadn’t spent the money…a dwarf who raps. You don’t say no to that. Verdict:
	Hey Grandude! by Paul McCartney My Thoughts: It’s a picture book by McCartney. That’s a no brainer. Verdict:
	Divorce Is Murder by Elka Ray Blurb: “Shortly after returning to her sleepy hometown on Vancouver Island, Chinese-Canadian divorce lawyer Toby Wong runs into Josh Barton, who broke her heart as a teen at summer camp. Now a wealthy entrepreneur, Josh wants to divorce Tonya, the mean girl who made Toby’s life hell all those years ago. Not long after Toby takes Josh’s case, Tonya is found murdered. Josh is the prime suspect. Together with her fortune-teller mom and her pregnant best friend, Toby sets out to clear Josh, whom she still has a guilty crush on.” My Thoughts: I’ve read some pieces by Ray that were pretty good. But I’m just not feeling this. Verdict:
	A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie Blurb: The First Law: The Next Generation. Glokta’s daughter and Luthar’s son star in the first volume of the The Age of Madness Trilogy, “where the age of the machine dawns, but the age of magic refuses to die.” My Thoughts: I really need to get to this. Verdict:
	Kopp Sisters on the March by Amy Stewart Blurb: “It’s the spring of 1917 and change is in the air. American women have done something remarkable: they’ve banded together to create military-style training camps for women who want to serve. These so-called National Service Schools prove irresistible to the Kopp sisters, who leave their farm in New Jersey to join up.” After an accident sidelines the Camp Matron Contance takes over and ends up actually training the women to do something. My Thoughts: I listened to the audiobook last fall, and just now noticed that I haven’t written about it. Technically, that means I can remove it from the list. Verdict:
	A Dastardly Plot by Chrisopher Healy My Thoughts: I had a lot of fun with Healy’s The League of Princes series, and can’t imagine that this steampunk-ish tale wouldn’t be just as fun. It’s sticking around. I have no idea when I’ll get to it, but the idea of a reading a book that’s nothing but fun is something I can’t cut. Verdict:
	No Man’s Land by Neil Broadfoot Blurb: “A mutilated body is found dumped at Cowane’s Hospital in the heart of historic Stirling. For DCI Malcolm Ford it’s like nothing he’s ever seen before, the savagery of the crime makes him want to catch the murderer before he strikes again. For reporter Donna Blake it’s a shot at the big time, a chance to get her career back on track and prove all the doubters wrong. But for close protection specialist Connor Fraser it’s merely a grisly distraction from the day job.” My Thoughts: I think I heard an interview with Broadfoot about this book, I know Raven Crime Reads talked about it. Both of them made an impression on me. Looks good. Verdict:
	Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson Blurb: “Madison’s twin stepkids are moving in with her family and she wants Lillian [an old boarding school friend] to be their caretaker. However, there’s a catch: the twins spontaneously combust when they get agitated, flames igniting from their skin in a startling but beautiful way. Lillian is convinced Madison is pulling her leg, but it’s the truth…Over the course of one humid, demanding summer, Lillian and the twins learn to trust each other—and stay cool—while also staying out of the way of Madison’s buttoned-up politician husband.” My Thoughts: I don’t remember much about Wilson’s The Family Fang (it was nine years ago, and before the blog). I remember it was strange. It was heartfelt. And it was good. I imagine this will be the same. It’s gotta stick. Verdict:
	Last Couple Standing by Matthew Norman Blurb: “The Core Four have been friends since college: four men, four women, four couples. They got married around the same time, had kids around the same time, and now, fifteen years later, they’ve started getting divorced around the same time, too. With three of the Core Four unions crumbling to dust around them, Jessica and Mitch Butler take a long, hard look at their own marriage. Can it be saved? Or is divorce, like some fortysomething zombie virus, simply inescapable?” So the Butler’s cook up the dumbest plan ever to save their marriage—and then stuff happens. My Thoughts: I read this back in May of last year. It’s one of those that I have so many things I want to say about that I still haven’t figured out how to write about it. It was so good. And so, so problematic. Either way, can X it off of this list. Verdict:

Books Removed in this Post: 4 / 10
Total Books Removed: 111 / 240

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

(Image by moritz320 from Pixabay)

Another deep theological book on this list. Huh. I’m learning a little about my own habits over the last couple of posts. Mostly, that I’m inconsistent in how I track things. No draconian cuts here, but some needed trimming. I’ll take it.

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:

1. Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
2. Order on ascending date added.
3. Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
4. Read the synopses of the books.
5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
6. 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)

	Confessions of an Unlikely Runner: A Guide to Racing and Obstacle Courses for the Averagely Fit and Halfway Dedicated by Dana L. Ayers Blurb: “Part Bridget Jones, part Forrest Gump, Dana Ayers chronicles her awkward mishaps and adventures in transitioning from childhood bookworm to accidental accomplished athlete. Over the last ten years, Ayers has completed a vast array of races. She runs them all while admittedly not getting much faster, much thinner, or much more disciplined—though she has managed to be on national television, split open her pants, and get electrocuted. Ayers intersperses her hilarious yet relatable struggles with insights about how and why she keeps running…A self-proclaimed ambassador of slow runners…For anyone who has considered trying a marathon, an obstacle race, or simply taking up running for the first time, Ayers is your ambassador. If she can do it, you can too.” My Thoughts: I dunno about this one. It seems like it could be a good, encouraging read—I’ve often wanted to be a runner (probably a slow-runner, like Ayers). But I don’t know if I need that kind of book. Eh, I’ll axe it, but remember it in case I find a need for this brand of inspiration. Verdict:
	The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry Blurb: “For his entire life, Charley Sutherland has concealed a magical ability he can’t quite control: he can bring characters from books into the real world. His older brother, Rob — a young lawyer with a normal house, a normal fiancee, and an utterly normal life — hopes that this strange family secret will disappear with disuse, and he will be discharged from his life’s duty of protecting Charley and the real world from each other. But then, literary characters start causing trouble in their city, making threats about destroying the world… and for once, it isn’t Charley’s doing. There’s someone else who shares his powers. It’s up to Charley and a reluctant Rob to stop them, before these characters tear apart the fabric of reality.” My Thoughts: I’ve heard nothing but good things about this (for example). It looks good, even without that. Verdict:
	Liars’ Paradox by Taylor Stevens My Thoughts: This seems like the kind of thing that Stevens excels at, probably a slow-burning, multi-layered thriller. A pair of twins, raised to be spies (or something like that) trying to find out who’s out to kill them, CIA/KGB/someone else? I’m not sure I really want to start a new series from Stevens, but I’m not sure that I don’t. Verdict: (but probably just for now)
	The Covenant of Life Opened by Samuel Rutherford My Thoughts: Samuel Rutherford. ‘Nuff said. Verdict:
	The Girl with Ghost Eyes by M.H. Boroson My Thoughts: An Urban Fantasy set in 19th Century San Francisco with a very cool magic system that doesn’t seem like something I’ve seen before? It’s exactly the kind of thing that I want to read while knowing that I’ll probably never get around to it. Verdict:
	The Black Hawks by David Wragg My Thoughts: Darkish fantasy-thriller with a sense of humor. There’s a band of mercenaries who apparently aren’t that good at their job (or maybe it’s just the protagonist), on a job none of them are enjoying, featuring a brat of a Prince. Sounds fun. I need to move this up on the priority list. Verdict:
	Lost You by Haylen Beck My Thoughts: Haylen Beck is one of those guys I’ve been wanting to read for a while now. The fact that the author (Stuart Neville) seems to have retired this pen name to focus on his own stuff again, dampens that desire a bit. The premise of this book dumps cold water on the desire. It’s probably really good, but not the kind of thing I’d enjoy and it probably made its way to this list solely so I could try Beck/Neville. Gonna Pass. Verdict:
	How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems by Randall Munroe Blurb: “For any task you might want to do, there’s a right way, a wrong way, and a way so monumentally complex, excessive, and inadvisable that no one would ever try it. How To is a guide to the third kind of approach. It’s full of highly impractical advice for everything from landing a plane to digging a hole…As he did so brilliantly in What If?, Munroe invites us to explore the most absurd reaches of the possible. Full of clever infographics and fun illustrations, How To is a delightfully mind-bending way to better understand the science and technology underlying the things we do every day.” My Thoughts: I can only imagine that the reason I don’t own this already was budgetary. Need to address that. Verdict:
	Sixteenth Watch by Myke Cole Blurb: My Thoughts: A Space-version of the Coast Guard preventing a lunar war with China? Written by someone with Cole’s résumé to add some authenticity. Sounds very promising, right? The last couple of books that I’ve read by Cole fall more under the “I respect his craft and what he tried to do” than the “I’ve enjoyed this” column, and I’m simply not interested in that kind of investment right now. Verdict:
	Mythos by Stephen Fry My Thoughts: I listened to the audiobook at the beginning of the month, I just need to write about it. Also, this was the second time this book ended up on this list (see #13 in the series), just another edition. So, that’s easy enough, eh? Verdict:

Books Removed in this Post: 6 / 10
Total Books Removed: 107 / 240

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

(Image by moritz320 from Pixabay)

I’m not going to bother with a word count, but I have the impression that I’m terser than usual in this round. I’m okay with that, but it’s an odd feeling. I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel of this series. That’s a nice feeling (be nicer if I would have made more progress on cutting and/or actual reading than I have, but…)

Anyway, I did some serious trimming of the fat on this list, and that feels pretty good. One thing I noticed is that there’s some pretty heavy theology in this group of 10. I don’t typically put these on my Goodreads list, and can’t heop but wonder why I did it here. I’m not opposed to it, but it’s a strange thing to find.

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:

1. Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
2. Order on ascending date added.
3. Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
4. Read the synopses of the books.
5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
6. 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)

	Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran Blurb: A wise-cracking former teen detective plying her trade in post-Katrina New Orleans. My Thoughts: How this has been on this list for a shade under two years without me moving on it boggles my mind. Verdict:
	One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence Blurb: Looks like a strong Stranger Things vibe to this. A probably terminally-ill teen finds himself on a quest to save a member of his D&D group. Apparently, some sort of time travel is involved. Verdict: Just not feeling it.
	The Son Who Learned Obedience: A Theological Case Against the Eternal Submission of the Son by D. Glenn Butner, Jr. Blurb: “This book offers a fresh perspective on the ongoing evangelical debate concerning whether the Son eternally submits to the Father. Beginning with the pro-Nicene account of will being a property of the single divine nature, Glenn Butner explores how language of eternal submission requires a modification of the classical theology of the divine will. This modification has problematic consequences for Christology, various atonement theories, and the doctrine of God, because as historically developed these doctrines shared the pro-Nicene assumption of a single divine will.” My Thoughts: I probably should read this, I recognize. I’ve heard a lot about the controversy, and have a decent handle on it, but I know I need to understand it better, but I can’t sustain interest in this error. Verdict:
	Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff My Thoughts: Middle-Grade Fairy Tale re-tellings are almost a guaranteed good time, and this one looks like a lot of fun. But I don’t know that I need one of these in my life right now and there’s nothing about this that says “must-read.” Verdict:
	A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself by William Boyle Blurb: “Goodfellas meets Thelma and Louise when an unlikely trio of women in New York find themselves banding together to escape the clutches of violent figures from their pasts.” Later the blurb describes this as “screwball noir.” My Thoughts: I had another William Boyle book on #16 of this series, and couldn’t remember why I was initially interested in the book. This one, on the other hand, I absolutely remember wanting to grab in March 2019, reading interviews and reviews about it. Still looks good. Verdict:
	Million Mile Road Trip by Rudy Rucker Blurb: “When a seemingly-innocent trumpet solo somehow opens a transdimensional connection to Mappyworld, a parallel universe containing a single, endless plain divided by ridges into basin-like worlds, three California teens find themselves taken on a million mile road trip across a landscape of alien civilizations in a beat-up, purple 80s wagon . . . with a dark-energy motor, graphene tires and quantum shocks, of course. Their goal? To stop carnivorous flying saucers from invading Earth. And, just maybe, to find love along the way.” My Thoughts: I have a love-meh relationship with Rucker. And while this has the potential to end up on the love end of it, my gut tells me it’d end up being a “meh.” Think I’ll pass. Verdict:
	The Teaching of the Epistle to the Hebrews by Geerhardus Vos Blurb: Vos’s classroom lectures on The Epistle to the Hebrews distilled into book form. My Thoughts: It’s Vos. No question about it. Verdict:
	The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan Blurb: “just two guys in the wrong place at the wrong time. Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out…” My Thoughts: Apparently, since I added this to the list, this was combined with the second book in the series and republished as Theft of Swords. So even if I was interested, I’d have a hard time tracking down a copy. And while almost everyone I know who’s read him is gaga over Sullivan, the blurb for this book (or the larger volume that replaced it) just doesn’t click with me. That said, a convincing argument to the contrary in the comments will result in me reading it in February. Verdict:
	Pimp My Airship: A Naptown by Airship Novel by Maurice Broaddus My Thoughts: A Steampunk-ish story in Indianapolis (in a reality where the US lost the Revolution), featuring a Muslim professional protestor and a poet. Verdict:
	Behind the Laughter: A Comedian’s Tale of Tragedy and Hope by Anthony Griffith Blurb: A memoir of a stand-up comic’s rough childhood, career in stand-up, and how he and his wife persevered in the light of their child dying from cancer My Thoughts: If I remembered why I was interested in this book in the first place, I might be interested in it still. But I can’t say that I’ve heard of this comedian, and am unsure why I wanted to try this. Probably inspirational, but just not grabbing me. Verdict:

Books Removed in this Post: 7 / 10
Total Books Removed: 101 / 240

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

(Image by moritz320 from Pixabay)