Tag: News/Misc Page 25 of 26

April 2020 in Retrospect: What I Read/Listened to/Wrote About

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On May 1, 2020

In Books, Calendar Items, Currently Reading, News/Misc.

Well, this is more like it: 25 titles, 7290+ pages (there was one e-short story that I didn’t get a page count on)—three thousand more than March. My average rating for the month was 3.56, which isn’t exactly my goal—but it still means I enjoyed just about everything I consumed. I’ve made a more concerted effort to make time to read over the last couple of weeks—and it seems to be paying off.

As with just about every person on the planet, I have no idea what the next month is really going to look like for me day-to-day (and I’m not sure I could tell you what it was like the last month…), so I’m not going to pretend to have an idea what I’ll be reading/writing about. We’ll see, right?

So, here’s what happened here in April.
Books Read

Heartless A Bad Day for Sunshine The Time Traveler's Guide to Dating
3 Stars 4 1/2 Stars 3 Stars
Ice We Begin at the End Cheater's Game
2 1/2 Stars 4 Stars 4 Stars
The Poop Diaries Alive Caliban's War
3 Stars 3 Stars 4 Stars
The Identity Thief Fake Truth The Oracle Code
3.5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars
Bethlehem's Brothers An Unwelcome Quest Apex Predator
3 Stars 3.5 Stars 4 Stars
TITLE Grudge Match The Sword-Edged Blonde
4 Stars 3.5 Stars 4 Stars
Song of Songs The Misadventures of Nero Wolfe Of Honey and Wildfires
3.5 Stars 3.5 Stars 3.5 Stars
Demon Born Magics Stardust
3 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars
Promised Land
5 Stars

Still Reading

Tom Jones Original Cover Institutes of Christian Religion vol 1 King of the Crows
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

Ratings

5 Stars 1 2 1/2 Stars 1
4 1/2 Stars 1 2 Stars 0
4 Stars 8 1 1/2 Stars 0
3.5 Stars 6 1 Star 0
3 Stars 8
Average = 3.56

TBR Pile
Mt TBR January 20

Breakdowns
“Traditionally” Published: 14
Self-/Independent Published: 11

Genre This Month Year to Date
Children’s 0 (0%) 1 (1%)
Fantasy 4 (16%) 11 (14%)
General Fiction/ Literature 2 (8%) 5 (6%)
Horror 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Humor 0 (0%) 1 (1%)
Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller 10 (40%) 30 (38%)
Non-Fiction 1 (4%) 4 (5%)
Science Fiction 3 (12%) 8 (10%)
Steampunk 1 (4%) 1 (1%)
Theology/ Christian Living 2 (8%) 6 (8%)
Urban Fantasy 4 (21%) 13 (16%)
Western 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

Review-ish Things Posted

Other Things I Wroteotherwriting
Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th)

How was your month?

Down the TBR Hole (4 of 24+)

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On April 22, 2020

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

Down the TBR Hole

What’s the fourth round of this going to look like?

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?

I didn’t expect that I’d be as wordy as I have been in the first three posts, but this installment being as succinct as it ended up being really was unexpected. I can’t imagine that will continue in the future, concise ain’t how I roll…

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

Turn Around Bright Eyes Turn Around Bright Eyes: The Rituals of Love & Karaoke by Rob Sheffield
Blurb: A follow-up to Love Is a Mix Tape, which crushed me, Sheffield’s account of falling in love and his wife’s death through mix tapes. This is about him moving on via karaoke.
My Thoughts: There’s no reason for me to have jumped on this 7 years ago. Shame on me.
Verdict: Gotta get on it.
Thumbs Up
The Iggy Chronicles, Volume One The Iggy Chronicles, Volume One by Spencer Quinn
Blurb: It’s a short story where Chet’s neighbor and pal, Iggy, is the hero.
My Thoughts: I wasn’t crazy about the two Chet & Bernie shorts that I’ve read, but they weren’t bad. I should probably just do it. Besides, Iggy’s fun.
Verdict:
Thumbs Up
Wounded Prey Wounded Prey by Sean Lynch
Blurb: A retired cop gets one more chance at the serial killer he couldn’t put away years before.
My Thoughts: I don’t remember how this popped up on my radar back in ’13, looks okay, but I read enough like this already, without remembering what originally drew this to me, I’ll probably just let it go.
Verdict:
Thumbs Down
Doctor Who: Eleven Doctors, Eleven Stories Doctor Who: Eleven Doctors, Eleven Stories by Various Authors
Blurb: This was released back for the 50th anniversary with one story per doctor, each by a different author.
My Thoughts: I really dig some of these authors and seeing them take on The Doctor still sounds like fun.
Verdict: Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum
Thumbs Up
The Dark of Deep Below The Dark of Deep Below by Patrick Rothfuss
My Thoughts: I’ve been trying to get my hands on this since I read the first Princess and Mr. Whiffle, it’s just hard to find (and pricey). But still, it’d be a blast to read.
Verdict:
Thumbs Up
The Neighbor The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner
My Thoughts: In the short story I read about D. D. Warren, I really liked her. I like her character in the first two novels, but we spent far too much time with Bobby Dodge in both of those. If I knew he wasn’t around, I’d probably have read this by now.
Verdict: I’ll delete it, but may end up revising that decision later.
Thumbs Down
Love is a Canoe Love is a Canoe by Ben Schrank
Blurb:

The author of a classic self-help guide to love and relationships, Peter Herman has won the hearts of romantics and cynics alike. But decades have passed since Marriage Is a Canoe was published and a recently widowed Peter begins to question his own advice.

Much to his chagrin, he receives a call from Stella Petrovic, an ambitious young editor in New York City who forces him to reconsider his life’s work, not to mention the full force of his delusions. The book’s fiftieth anniversary is approaching, and Petrovic has devised a contest to promote the new edition. The prize? The chance for the winning couple—a pair of outwardly happy Brooklynites named Emily and Eli—to save their relationship by spending a weekend with the reclusive author.

If Peter is going to help the contest’s winners, he must discover what he meant when he wrote Marriage Is a Canoe—and also find a way for himself to love again…

Verdict: I’d probably like it, but at this point…eh, I’ve got enough on my plate.
Thumbs Down
Judgment Calls Judgment Calls by Alafair Burke
Blurb: Burke’s debut about a prosecutor on a mission who uncovers a lot more than she bargained for.
Verdict: Same as the above–Burke’s a sold writer, this is probably good. But I just don’t have the time, nixing this bugs me more than the rest.
Thumbs Down
The Case of the Missing Books The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom
Blurb:

Israel Armstrong is a passionate soul, lured to Ireland by the promise of an exciting new career. Alas, the job that awaits him is not quite what he had in mind. Still, Israel is not one to dwell on disappointment, as he prepares to drive a mobile library around a small, damp Irish town. After all, the scenery is lovely, the people are charming—but where are the books? The rolling library’s 15,000 volumes have mysteriously gone missing, and it’s up to Israel to discover who would steal them . . . and why. And perhaps, after that, he will tackle other bizarre and perplexing local mysteries—like, where does one go to find a proper cappuccino and a decent newspaper?

Verdict: Seems charming, I guess? I’m sure this is a fun read, I wish I had a clue what put it on my radar.
Thumbs Down
Phoenix Island Phoenix Island by John Dixon
Blurb:

No phones. No television. No internet. No escape.

When his defense of a helpless classmate lands sixteen-year-old boxing champion Carl Freeman in real trouble – a two-year sentence at an isolated boot camp for orphans – he’s determined to tough it out, earn a clean record, and get on with his life.

Then kids start to die.

Realizing Phoenix Island is actually a mercenary training facility turning “throwaway children” into super soldiers, Carl risks everything to save his friends and stop a madman bent on global destruction.

Verdict: Say what?
Thumbs Down

Books Removed in this Post: 6 / 10
Total Books Removed: 18 / 240

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 Saturday: Sibling Relationships

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On April 18, 2020

In Books, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Harry Dresden, Jim Butcher, News/Misc.

Top 5 Saturday Sibling Relationships

The Top 5 Saturday weekly meme was created by Amanda at Devouring Books.

Rules!

  • Share your top 5 books of the current topic—these can be books that you want to read, have read and loved, have read and hated, you can do it any way you want.
  • Tag the original post (This one!)
  • Tag 5 people (I probably won’t do this bit, play along if you want)

This week’s topic is: Sibling Relationships. If the Weasley family doesn’t immediately spring to mind once you think about siblings, there might be something broken in your mind—ditto for the Pevensies. But I wouldn’t let myself use them. The more I wrote in this list, the more relationships came to mind that I don’t have space for–that’s very annoying (a lot of fun, too), I hate to leave some of these off. I don’t know why I didn’t grab sibling relationships that are more than a pair (the aforementioned groups, the Spellmans or Tropper’s Altmans would’ve worked)—I’m assuming it’s because I had one sibling myself, so I tend to think of pairs rather than 3+?

Sibling relationships are tricky to depict—they’re all a little different, but there are some typical aspects. There’s a shared history (even if individuals react pretty differently to them, and remember them differently); jealousy/rivalry—usually tempered by some sort of affection and loyalty; usually a bit of reflexive self-sacrifice (frequently malgré lui); and a kind of honesty you don’t get from anyone else.

Raistlin and Caramon Majere

from: Dragonlance Chronicles, Dragonlance Legends
by
Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman

This is the first sibling relationship that really sticks out at me (post-juvenile fiction, anyway). They need each other (in healthy and unhealthy ways), but really don’t like each other. There’s a love and a bond that’s nigh-unbreakable, don’t get me wrong, but man…Raistlin treats his brother like trash. I remember regularly being so upset with him for that (and a little bit now just thinking about it), but Caramon keeps coming back for it. He never gives up on his twin. Even when—especially when—he absolutely should. It’s a nuanced and complex relationship and is likely one that I judge many other fictional representations by.

Side note: I really need to re-read the first couple of Dragonlance trilogies.

Jack and Jill Wolcott

from: Wayward Children
by
Seanan McGuire

(art by Rovina Cai)
While I do wonder if McGuire had come back to this well one time too many in this series, there’s clearly something about this fractured relationship (huh, another set of twins, with one more to come…didn’t mean to do that) that clearly resonates with readers and the author. If there’s anything healthy in their relationship when we first meet them, it’s gone by the most recent volume—but they’re the textbook definition of inextricably linked. To their detriment, yes, but that’s beside the point. Fascinating pair.

Scout and Jem Finch

from: To Kill a Mockingbird
by
Harper Lee

Scout worships her brother (doesn’t stop her from being frustrated with him frequently) and Jem’s clearly devoted and protective of her. I’ve loved reading about these two since I first met them in Mme. Dobbs’ English class* in high school and I’ll probably love it for the rest of my life. They’re not ideal, but they’re pretty close.

* she also taught my French class, so I reflexively think of her with that title)

Doug and Clair Parker

from: How to Talk to a Widower
by
Jonathan Tropper

Alas, I don’t have a picture of them—Tropper doesn’t inspire a lot of fan art. Yeah, Doug and Clair’s relationship echoes any number of the sibling relationships in Topper’s work. This is honestly the first pair that jumped to mind when I compiled this list. The honesty, the humor, the prodding/pushing, and care between the two is one of the best parts of this novel (probably my favorite of his). Great interplay between the two. Neither Doug or Clair remind me of my sister or myself individually, but for some reason, their relationship made me think about our relationship.

Harry Dresden and Thomas Wraith

from: Dresden Files
by
Jim Butcher

(art by Mika-Blackfield)
Sure, these two weren’t aware of each other for most of their lives, so their shared history has only to do with their mother. Still, the bond, the love, the loyalty that everyone thinks of when it comes to brothers is perfectly depicted with these two. They’re probably my favorite sibling pair that’re still being written about—I just hope they both survive ’til the end.

The Wanderlust Book Tag

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On April 8, 2020

In Book Tag, Books, Craig Johnson, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, News/Misc., Walt Longmire

The Wanderlust Book Tag
My general attitude toward traveling is, “Why?” Followed closely by, “Well, okay, but can I bring books?” Which is not to say that I have anything against the idea of other places, but they’re things best experienced by other people. Or vicariously.

Which brings us to this Book Tag, seen recently on Bookstooge’s Reviews on the Road (but I’ve also appreciated Ola and Pio’s entry on Re-enchantment Of The World and The Orangutan Librarian‘s). Nothing better than exploring different environments than through novels.

The Rules

bullet Mention the creator of the tag and link back to original post [Alexandra @ Reading by Starlight]
bullet Thank the blogger who tagged you (see earlier mention of Bookstooge)
bullet Answer the 10 questions below using any genre
bullet Tag 5+ friends (the first five people who read this should consider themselves tagged. Not sure if you’re #3 or #17? Assume you’re #3)

The Settings

1. Secrets and lies: a book set in a sleepy small town

Paradox BoundParadox Bound

by Peter Clines
My post about the book.
A (seemingly?) typical small New England town is our entry point into a cross-country time travel adventure.

2. Salt and sand: a book with a beach-side community

The Dawn PatrolThe Dawn Patrol

by Don Winslow
I can’t believe that I’ve never written anything about this. Sigh. I read “beach” and it’s the first novel that pops to mind (also third, sixth, ninth-twelfth, and so on). A stylish, deceptively breezy PI novel centering on a group of surfers in San Diegeo is what made me a Don Winslow fan for life.

3. Here there be dragons: a book with a voyage on the high seas

Wake of the Bloody Angel (Eddie LaCrosse, #4)Wake of the Bloody Angel

by Alex Bledsoe
My post about the book.
This entry in the Eddie LaCrosse “PI in a fantasy world” series takes our redoubtable hero to the high seas in search of a missing person. There’s adventure, piracy, sword-play, banter, friendship, and a bit of betrayal.

4. Tread lightly: a book set down a murky river or a jungle

The InformationistThe Informationist

by Taylor Stevens, Hillary Huber (Narrator)
My post about the book.
I think there’s a nasty river, there’s jungle, and a good deal of urban settings. This first Vanessa Michael Monroe adventure introduces readers to a world not seen enough, as well as a heckuva character.

5. Frozen wastes: a book with a frost bitten atmosphere

Hell is EmptyHell is Empty

by Craig Johnson
My post about the book.
As Johnson tries to cycle through the seasons in these books, Walt’s actually had a few Wyoming-as-frozen-wasteland adventures. This one is just my favorite of them. Walt’s on the hunt for escaped federal prisoners in the middle of a blizzard. A gripping tale of man against nature, man against man, man against himself, told with Johnson’s signature style and wit, with one foot in Dante and the other in Indian folklore.
Runner up: Winterkill (Audiobook) by C. J. Box, David Chandler

6. The boonies: a book with rough or isolated terrain

A Star-Reckoner's LotA Star-Reckoner’s Lot

by Darrell Drake
My post about the book.
Set in Persia, full of rough and isolated terrain. Full of social mores that are just as foreign to Western readers as anything that the most imaginative novelist could invent, along with a magic system, a belief system, and a host of supernatural beings that are equally novel. Years later, I’m still in awe of what Drake did with this.

7. Hinterlands and cowboys: a book with a western-esque setting

The Shootout SolutionThe Shootout Solution

by Michael R. Underwood
My post about the book.
The beginning of the Genrenauts series, which I can’t summarize (I’ve tried). So, here’s a bit from the blurb from Underwood’s site:…our world is just one of many, and every other world is the home of a story genre — Science Fiction or Romance, Fantasy or Western — populated by archetypal characters and constantly playing out familiar stories.

The Genrenauts’ mission: find and fix broken stories. If they fail, the ripples from the story worlds will cause havoc and devastation on their home world.

This particular mission takes place on Western world, which is pretty much the definition of Western-esque.

8. Look lively: a book set across sweeping desert sands

Hunger Makes the WolfHunger Makes the Wolf

by Alex Wells
My post about the book.
A SF with a touch of fantasy set on a planet that’s basically defined by sweeping desert sands. Tanegawa’s World is a little forgotten backwater of a planet—think Tatooine—so forgotten that none of the colonists there really have a clue that there’s an interplanetary government, or what’s going on with any other planet. The company that runs the mines (and by extension, the farming communities that support the mines) runs the whole show. There are organizations of workers in individual towns, and there’s a loose network connecting them, for mutual assistance and support. And then there are the Ghost Wolves—a band of mercenary bikers. They are a law unto themselves, but have strong ties to the miner groups. They may be supported by/sympathized with by most people in the towns, but officially they’re outlaws.

9. Wild and untamed: a book set the the heart of the woods

Back of BeyondBack of Beyond

by C. J. Box, Holter Graham (Narrator)
My post about the book.
For those of us in the US (at least the lower 48), there’s nothing like Yellowstone National Park for wild woods. This adventure into the untamed wilds on the hunt for a murderer pits a bunch of people who have no business being in the woods (helped by a couple of pros) against the elements, their own incompetency, and a little bit of urban evil.

10. Wildest dreams: a whimsical book shrouded in magic

No Country for Old GnomesNo Country for Old Gnomes

by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne
My post about the book.
Yeah, I can think of a few other contenders for this. But “whimsy” is the best word to describe this book. And there’s loads of magic afoot (or is that a-beard?). Such a freakishly fun read, I have to throw in a reference to it whenever I can.

March 2020 in Retrospect: What I Read/Listened to/Wrote About

By

On April 1, 2020

In Books, Calendar Items, Currently Reading, News/Misc.

It’s hard with work right now, but given COVID-19, Sheltering at Home—and a (no kidding!) Earthquake in Idaho (of all places)—man, I need books to escape to and lose myself in. So I’m pretty glad that despite everything going on in the world and my life, I somehow managed to finish one more book than last month—18—with 4903+ pages (one was an Audible Original, so I have no idea what the page count would be) with an average rating of 3.94. I’m guessing that’s 500 pages less than Feb, even with the higher book count. Still, not too shabby.

So, anyway, here’s what happened here in March.Books Read

False Value The In Between Avenge the Dead
5 Stars 4 1/2 Stars 3 Stars
The Starr Sting Scale Everyday Prayer with John Calvin Dead Wrong
3.5 Stars 3 Stars 4 1/2 Stars
The K Team Joker The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
3.5 Stars 4 Stars 4 Stars
The Awful Truth About the Sushing Prize The Immortal Conquistador Back to Reality
3.5 Stars 3.5 Stars 4 Stars
Smoke Bitten The Identity and Attributes of God With All Your Heart
4 Stars 5 Stars 4 Stars
Paradise Valley Mortal Stakes Funny, You Don't Look Autistic
3.5 Stars 5 Stars 3.5 Stars

Still Reading

Tom Jones Original Cover Institutes of Christian Religion vol 1 A Bad Day for Sunshine

Ratings

5 Stars 3 2 1/2 Stars 0
4 1/2 Stars 2 2 Stars 0
4 Stars 5 1 1/2 Stars 0
3.5 Stars 6 1 Star 0
3 Stars 2
Average = 3.94

TBR Pile

Mt TBR Mar 20

Breakdowns

“Traditionally” Published: 12
Self-/Independent Published: 6

Genre This Month Year to Date
Children’s 0 (0%) 1 (2%)
Fantasy 0 (0%) 7 (13%)
General Fiction/ Literature 0 (0%) 3 (6%)
Horror 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Humor 0 (0%) 1 (2%)
Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller 9 (50%) 20 (37%)
Non-Fiction 1 (6%) 3 (6%)
Science Fiction 2 (11%) 5 (9%)
Steampunk 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Theology/ Christian Living 3 (17%) 4 (7%)
Urban Fantasy 3 (17%) 11 (20%)

Review-ish Things Posted

Other Things I Wroteotherwriting

Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th ), I also wrote:

How was your month? I hope you are all safe, healthy and finding solace in something right now.

Down the TBR Hole (3 of 24+)

By

On March 25, 2020

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

Down the TBR Hole

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?

Here we are with another 10 books to choose the fate of. I’m forcing myself to be ruthless with this project. Mostly. (I really don’t want to)

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

Shall We Gather Shall We Gather by Alex Bledsoe
Blurb: “When one world brushes another, asking the right question can be magic…”
My Thoughts: That’s it. That’s the whole blurb. Which actually makes me really curious. Also, it’s in the Tufa series, so I have to read it.
Verdict: No brainer. Also, I bought it this weekend to force my hand.
Thumbs Up
The Guts The Guts by Roddy Doyle
My Thoughts: What is wrong with me. There’s a sequel to The Commitments that was published four years ago and I haven’t touched it? This has gotta end soon.
Verdict: Have to keep this.
Thumbs Up
Dogtripping Dogtripping: 25 Rescues, 11 Volunteers, and 3 RVs on Our Canine Cross-Country Adventure by David Rosenfelt
Blurb: Subtitle pretty much says it all.
My Thoughts: Rosenfelt talked about this some in his Lessons from Tara which was great, and made the book sound like a must-read.
Verdict: Rosenfelt + dogs? Duh.
Thumbs Up
Stay Stay by Allie Larkin
My Thoughts: I wish I remembered how this ended up on the list. Looks like a rom-com about a woman trying to get over a guy, so she buys a dog and then falls for the vet? Or something like that.
Verdict: Probably cute enough, but it’s not really speaking to me.
Thumbs Down
The Bastards and the Knives The Bastards and the Knives by Scott Lynch
My Thoughts: So apparently this book didn’t get published, plans changed, etc., etc.
Verdict: Seems pretty obvious, no?
Thumbs Down
Other People's Weddings Other People’s Weddings by Noah Hawley
Blurb: A romance between a wedding photographer and a caterer, exploring loss, recovery, and I’m guessing, love.
My Thoughts: A few years back, I decided I needed to read the Hawley novels that I’d missed. So that’s how this one ended up on the list. Would probably enjoy it, but I have to admit to myself that I’m just not interested enough to track it down.
Verdict: Sorry, Mr. Hawley.
Thumbs Down
The Punch The Punch by Noah Hawley
Blurb: Hawley’s version of This is Where I Leave You, but not as light?
Verdict: Again, I’d probably enjoy it, but I have to admit to myself that I’m just not interested enough to track it down.
Thumbs Down
Death Watc Death Watch by Jim Kelly
Blurb: The disappearance of one sibling is followed by the murder of another 18 years later. But what’s the connection?
My Thoughts: I remember really enjoying the interplay between DI Peter Shaw and DS George Valentine as they investigated the crime in the first novel. No idea why I didn’t continue.
Verdict: Gotta get on it.
Thumbs Up
What Fresh Hell Is This? Dorothy Parker: What Fresh Hell Is This? by Marion Meade
Blurb: A biography of Dorothy Parker.
Verdict: ’nuff said. Why haven’t I read this yet?
Thumbs Up
The Rules for Disappearing The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston
Blurb: A YA novel about a teen daughter in Witness Protection with her father—who refuses to explain why they’re in the program.
My Thoughts: Intriguing concept—good enough/popular enough to justify a sequel, too.
Verdict: Intriguing, but not enough to get me to move forward.
Thumbs Down

Books Removed in this Post: 5 / 10
Total Books Removed: 12 / 240

That’s an average of 4 books per entry. That’s not going to trim this down too quickly if I don’t get stricter (still, 40% down is better than nothing).

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 Saturday: Trilogies

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On March 7, 2020

In Books, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, News/Misc.


The Top 5 Saturday weekly meme was created by Amanda at Devouring Books.

Rules!

  • Share your top 5 books of the current topic—these can be books that you want to read, have read and loved, have read and hated, you can do it any way you want.
  • Tag the original post (This one!)
  • Tag 5 people (I probably won’t do this bit, play along if you want)

This week’s topic is: Trilogies. I immediately wrote down three of these, and then thought a bit and came up with 8 more. I whittled those down to five—the ones that had the biggest impact on me/my development as a reader. I left a lot of good candidates out, but at the end of the day, these are the biggies for me. I’ve read them all multiple times (except #4, honestly—only read that twice), and would gladly do so again tomorrow (well, okay, in three weeks, am too busy in the meantime).

The Foundation Trilogy
by
Isaac Asimov

Hari Seldon, uber-mathematician, creates a new science combining mathematics and social sciences to predict (and shape) how humanity will react to the imminent fall of the Galactic Empire. He uses this science to come up with a way to shape the future, helping humanity survive the challenges on their way. I read this sooo many times in high school—for years it served as the ruler by which I judged all SF. Also, other than his Black Widowers mysteries, my favorite works by Asimov.

Yeah, there were a couple of sequels (not nearly as good) and other related works, but these were a trilogy for so many years, I have no problem ignoring the others.

The Deed of Paksenarrion
by
Elizabeth Moon

Wow. This is just…wow. Rather than submit to the arranged marriage her father has planned, Paksenarrion, takes off and joins the army. Eventually is trained and recognized as a Paladin. A fantastic hero’s journey that I wish I remembered more of. I remember being blown away by it and hating that the trilogy ended.

The Barrytown Trilogy
by
Roddy Doyle

Can I talk about these in less than 1500 words? These books focus on the Rabbitte family in Dublin. The first chronicles the oldest son’s attempts to launch his career as the manager of The Commitments, the second is about the very unplanned pregnancy of the eldest daughter (and her father’s struggle to accept it—followed by his outrageous pride for the kid), and the last focuses on the father’s attempt to provide for his family after he becomes unemployed by opening a chip van (a precursor to today’s food truck obsession). They’re all as funny as you could hope, full of hope, sadness, and love. I’m getting excited just by writing this snipped about them.

The Dragonlance Chronicles
by
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, and Dragons of Spring Dawning were my obsession in eighth grade—one I shared with as many people as I could. I’m pretty sure the fantasy I respond to today is the fruit of these books. And I’m totally okay with that. Say what you will about the quality of these, they hold a special place in my heart (right above the cockles, near the blockage on the right)

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy
by
Douglas Adams

Was there any doubt? I can’t stop talking about Adams/This Trilogy (see my Annual Towel Day posts, for example). From the moment I read the first chapter (three or four times before I moved on to Chapter 2) to the point when I heard the radio series to getting the planet icon tattooed on my arm to today and all points between. This Trilogy has been at or near the top of my list, and will stay there for a long time to come.

I maybe should’ve added Colfer’s 6th volume, but…I decided to go old school.

Thoughts at the beginning of March

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On March 4, 2020

In Books, News/Misc.

I liked doing a post like this last month so I’ll try it again.

I’ve done one Book Tour already this month with two to go (including this week), and with 3 or 4 books I’ve received from authors (most of which are a hold-over from last month, I must admit).

Something I don’t do often (and it’s been years since I did), but am glad to have happening: I’m doing one book tour for an audiobook and reviewing an AARC (is that what you call an Advanced Audiobook?), I’ve listened to the AARC and IT.WAS.AWESOME.

There are 4 books I’m doing tours for/promised an author I’d read this month (plus one from December that I thankfully didn’t give a firm commitment to).

And then, as I said four weeks ago (it’s literally the same sentence and graphic)–My NetGalley Shelf needs to get cleaned out this month:

Lastly, I have A Blight of Blackwings, The Border (paperback), and Imaginary Numbers still taking up space on my TBR shelf.

It feels like this year has gotten out of my control already–and I know with the way the ol’ day job is looking for the next 3 months, I bet I’ll still be talking about a lot of these books as upcoming reads in early April. So much for having fun with this post, just elevated my blood pressure instead…

That aforementioned audiobook got me thinking yesterday. Here it is March 3, and I’ve already got 4 things I fully expect to show up on my 2020 Best of non-Crime List and a strong contender (or two) for the Crime Fiction list. This is insane. If this trend continues, I won’t be able to produce a Top Ten, but I’ll have read so many great things, I won’t really care.

February 2020 in Retrospect: What I Read/Listened to/Wrote About

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On March 2, 2020

In Books, Calendar Items, Currently Reading, News/Misc.

The short version: 17 books, 5715 pages, 3.6 Average. The same number of books as January, a thousand (or so) more pages (not sure how that worked), a decent average rating. Things are ramping up at work for a couple of months, and I’ll be stunned if my numbers don’t slim down a little until June. All in all, a pretty decent month (unless you compare what I did to my February Plans post…but we can ignore that, right?)

So, here’s what happened here in February.
Books Read

A Beginning At The End Bloody Acquisitions Burn the Dark
4 1/2 Stars 3 Stars 3 Stars
House on Fire Academ's Fury QualityLand
3.5 Stars 4 Stars 4 Stars
Hi Five Hidden Steel The Gene Wizards
4 Stars 2 Stars 2 Stars
Shadow of the Batgirl Lies Sleeping Every Day Matters
3 Stars 5 Stars 3.5 Stars
Highfire God Save the Child Dark Harvest Magic
4 Stars 5 Stars 3 Stars
Madam Tulip and the Serpent's Tree Venators: Magic Unleashed
4 Stars 4 Stars

Still Reading

Tom Jones Original Cover Institutes of Christian Religion vol 1 The Identity and Attributes of God
The In Between False Value

Ratings

5 Stars 2l 2 1/2 Stars 0
4 1/2 Stars 1 2 Stars 2
4 Stars 6 1 1/2 Stars 0
3.5 Stars 2 1 Star 0
3 Stars 4
Average = 3.6

TBR Pile
Mt TBR January 20

Breakdowns
“Traditionally” Published: 10
Self-/Independent Published: 7

Genre This Month Year to Date
Children’s 0 (0%) 1 (3%)
Fantasy 4 (24%) 7 (19%)
General Fiction/ Literature 0 (0%) 3 (8%)
Horror 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Humor 0 (0%) 1 (3%)
Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller 5 (29%) 11 (31%)
Non-Fiction 0 (0%) 2 (6%)
Science Fiction 3 (18%) 3 (8%)
Steampunk 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Theology/ Christian Living 1 (6%) 1 (6%)
Urban Fantasy 4 (24%) 8 (22%)

Review-ish Things Posted

Other Things I Wrote
I had a post that I was very excited about, but everytime I tried to write it, it went off in another direction than I wanted and I couldn’t get it back in line. Maybe next month, maybe it’s (another) one for the Trash Heap. On the successful side, other than the Saturday Miscellanies (1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th Sat), I also wrote:

How was your month?

Top 5 Saturday: Books Inspired by Mythology

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On February 29, 2020

In Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Kevin Hearne, News/Misc., Urban Fantasy, YA/MG/Children's Books


The Top 5 Saturday weekly meme was created by Amanda at Devouring Books.

Rules!

  • Share your top 5 books of the current topic—these can be books that you want to read, have read and loved, have read and hated, you can do it any way you want.
  • Tag the original post (This one!)
  • Tag 5 people (I probably won’t do this bit, play along if you want)

This week’s topic is: Books inspired by Mythology. Which you’d think would be super-easy—and it was fairly easy—but coming up with a fifth took a little more work than I expected.

Bad Blood
by
Lucienne Diver

An Urban Fantasy featuring a strong, snarky, female PI who doesn’t believe the family legend that she’s descended from Pan and Medusa. But when Apollo himself shows up to hire her, she starts to come around . . . I admit I don’t remember a lot of this (I read it 7 years ago), but it was one of the first I thought of when I decided to do this list and I do keep asking myself why I never got around to reading the rest of the series.

American Gods
by
Neil Gaiman

Honestly, not my favorite Gaiman (maybe on a second read that’d change). But man, there are passages in this book that are pure magic. Epic in scope, but filled with fantastic characters, and Gaiman’s prose, you can absolutely understand why it’s beloved and so widely-read.

The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
by
Douglas Adams

Unless I read something I cannot recall, this was the first book I read that made use of mythological characters in a contemporary setting. I absolutely loved the idea and wondered why more people didn’t do that. Clearly, they do (just see the rest of this post and the others posting on this theme today), but at the ripe old age of 15, it was revolutionary to me. Odin, Thor, Loki and a few other Norse dignitaries are flitting about London and the area, inflicting damage, killing innocents, and driving nursing home staff crazy. Throw in Dirk Gently and Adams at his best and you have a killer read.

Hunted
by
Kevin Hearne

Members of five (I think) pantheons show up in this book—in what’s probably Hearne’s finest use of them all. A good story for Atticus, Oberon, and Granuaile (Oberon has his best dramatic moment, as I recall) aside from that, but a great way of blending the various pantheons into the Iron Druid’s world. One of my Top 2 in the series.

The Lightning Thief
by
Rick Riordan

How can you have a list like this and not include this book (or one of the legion it spawned)? The book that started a craze and gave Riordan the ability to quit teaching. This set the template for all of Riordan’s myth-inspired books (be it Greek, Roman, Egyptian or Norse mythology) and is just fun (unlike some of the latter books which got a bit preachy and tedious). It’s not quite Potter-level of fame/influence, but it’s the closest we have in the States, a nice collection of kids, a creative way of brining myths to the 21st Century, and a rollicking good time.

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