Tag: News/Misc Page 5 of 26

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:
The Winter of Frankie Machine

The Winter of Frankie Machine by Don Winslow

Not a good night to be out on the open ocean.

Too much swell and chop, and the roll coming out of the storm keeps working the boat back toward the coast.

Frank hacks it out about ten miles into the ocean anyway. He fished these waters hundreds of times as a kid. He knows every current and channel and he knows just where he wants to dump the bodies so if they ever come to shore, it’ll be in Mexico.

The federales will figure it’s a dope deal gone bad, and put about two minutes’ work into solving the case.

Still, it’s a bitch out here tonight, with the wind and rain and the roll, and Frank’s biggest fear is that he’ll run into a Coast Guard vessel that will stop him and want to know what kind of jackass is taking a boat out on a night like this.

I’ll just play stupid, Frank thinks.

Which shouldn’t be hard, given my track record tonight.

His neck hurts from the wire. But pain is good, he figures, seeing as how by all rights he shouldn’t be feeling anything.

The Friday 56 for 4/28/23: The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True by Sean Gibson

By HCNewton

On April 28, 2023

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 (and 57) of:
The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True

The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True by Sean Gibson

“Hey, wait a second!” the obsessive among you say (I’m going to pretend there are people who obsessively read this blog), “you already did a Friday 56 for this book! What gives? Is this just a re-run?” No, no, this is not a re-run (but that’s a good idea when I’m pressed for time). Gibson’s publishers recently re-issued this book with a fancy new cover, so I’m using this as an excuse to share this thing that made me smile (and made me hungry, too).

“We have to go back,” said Nadi as she stared into her wine glass.

“To Velenia?” asked Rummy.

“Yes.”

“Where there’s a homicidal wizard with an incredibly powerful weapon who has every intention of turning us into shish roundabobs?”

(Shish roundabobs were an ingenious invention that was revolutionizing food service across Erithea; unlike shish kabobs, which are pointy and pose constant danger throughout a meal, to the point (pun fully intended) where you can’t really relax and enjoy the lovely combination of meat and vegetables they offer, shish roundabobs are fashioned from a stick that has a pointed end in order to slide easily through food, but the pointy part snaps off once the food is on to reveal a soft, round tip that is much less dangerous if you happen to poke yourself in the eye with it. Even better, the stick is hollow, and can be filled with whatever substance best compliments the meal you’re eating—yogurt sauce, hot sauce, garlic sauce, lizard blood…whatever you fancy. It’s been whispered that the woman who invented them once lost an eye while eating a shish kabob, but I met her, and the worst injury she ever suffered eating a shish kabob was a tiny scratch on the roof of her mouth that took about a minute and a half to heal; she’s an exceptional marketer, however, so she generally wears an eyepatch wherever she goes—often switching it from one eye to the other so that she doesn’t strain her vision—and lets people make assumptions about the dangers of shish kabob consumption, leading, in most cases, to an uptick in sales for her invention. She’s pretty amazing.)

But, I digress.

The Friday 56 for 4/21/23: The Deal Goes Down by Larry Beinhart

By HCNewton

On April 21, 2023

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:
The Deal Goes Down

The Deal Goes Down by Larry Beinhart

Trees fight for life. If you climb to the high, rocky places, where the soil’s been stripped by the beating of the winds, day and night, you’ll see the pines hanging on, their roots crawling into the splits between the stones and wrapping tight around them, like the crew of a ghost sailing ship, desperately clinging forever to the lines as they ride through an eternal storm. .

This love of life that we go on about, how precious it is and such, is just a mechanism. Spiders and flies, blades of grass, and bacteria have it. Any form of life that doesn’t have it gets wiped out. Ipso facto, it’s built in, like spark plugs in an internal combustion engine. We spend endless hours wondering if our life will be short or long, good or bad, worthwhile or worthless, then death comes, and we have no idea at all.

The Friday 56 for 4/13/23: Ozark Dogs by Eli Cranor

By HCNewton

On April 14, 2023

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 (and 57) of:
Ozark Dogs

Ozark Dogs by Eli Cranor

Evail loved his big brother, a bond that went even deeper than blood. In a way, Rudnick was the start of everything all those nights in the field, the kits’ calls playing out scared and lonely. It was just like the hunting. Rudnick had simply asked if Evail would do it, and then he did. Again and again. For a while, the brothers went hunting almost every night. It was the summer before Rudnick’s senior year in high school. Evail on the cusp of sixteen.

And then Rudnick was gone, Evail went to prison, and everything changed. The darkness shifted and the calls howled from the inside out. When Evail returned, he took to the field alone, no longer using the recordings, opting instead for the darkness, working along the tree lines and stalking his prey. He wore the hides of the creatures he’d taken. A mass of fur and bone death-still in the shadows, Evail crouching, waiting, the gun barrel blue in the night. Coyotes were loyal and thick as thieves. When one went down, the others came running. It wasn’t until there was a pile of blood-warm bodies that the big boy would finally come sauntering up from the shadows. The alpha. Rudnick had always been the alpha. He wasn’t anything anymore.

The Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag

By HCNewton

On April 14, 2023

In Book Tag, Books, News/Misc.

The Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag
I’ve seen this on a couple of blogs like Dini Panda Reads and Biblio Nerd Reflections, and it seemed pretty fun. Also, I hadn’t done a tag in ages, and wanted to. It was created by @Roisin’s Reading.

How many books have you read so far?

81 titles on 4/8 (the day I’m composing this), which is where I was on 4/8 of last year (although this year’s number includes more picture books, so I’m behind the pace). That’s not bad at all.

Have you already found a book you think might be a 2023 favourite[sic]? If not, what was your favourite book you read that wasn’t quite five stars?

Fearless Blank Space How to Examine a Wolverine

Fearless by M.W. Craven and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto are destined to end up in my Top 10 of the year, possibly Top 3.

Any 1-star books / least favourite book of the year?

Triptych

The audiobook for Triptych by Karin Slaughter is the only book that comes to mind here. It’s not a 1-Star, and is too well put together for that. But it qualifies as least favorite.

Most read genre so far?

Hold on to your hats here..you’re going to be surprised…it’s Mystery/Crime/Thriller. I’ll give you a moment to gasp while you look at the pie chart.

1 Quarter Genre Chart

A book that surprised you?

That’s a good question. I guess

Magpie Murders

Magpie Murders maybe? I’d heard only good things, so I expected it to be good–just didn’t expect it to be that good. Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers might also qualify that way.

Triptych also qualifies because I’m suprised that that book could lead to a 11-book long series and a TV show.

A book that’s come out in 2023 already that you want to read but haven’t yet?

Ozark Dogs by Eli Cranor is the one that jumps to mind, but by the time this posts, I should have at leasted started it. I think I’m doing pretty good at keeping up with the new releases I’m into this year…we’ll talk about the side-effects of that below.

A few others that qualify:

Know Thy Enemy Blank Space But Have You Read the Book?

Lie to Her Blank Space Everybody Knows

bullet Know Thy Enemy by Jeffery H. Haskell
bullet But Have You Read the Book?: 52 Literary Gems That Inspired Our Favorite Films by Kristen Lopez
bullet Lie to Her by Melinda Leigh (my library hold just became available, so this will be taken care of soon-ish)
bullet Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper

One goal you made that you’re succeeding at

Keeping up with New Releases? But that’s not an “official” goal. I guess it would be The 2023 Booktempter’s TBR reduction challenge and reading stuff for my Grandpappy’s Corner series.

One goal you made that you need to focus on

Every other one. I really want to focus on reading the books I’ve bought (mostly) and/or planned to buy (a few) for the Literary Locals series. These look great and I need to stop distracting myself to read and blog about these. New releases and author submissions keep distracting me and getting my off-target. I need to rein myself in.

New to you Bloggers/Booktubers/ Bookstagrammers/Booktokers for 2023 you recommend?

I’m not sure if these were new-to-me in 2023, but they’re pretty recently new-to-me (or blogs I’ve read before, but I’ve gotten more consistent about checking):
bullet Biblio Nerd Reflections
bullet Gina Rae Mitchell
bullet Mike Finn’s Fiction
bullet reader@work
bullet Read with Me
bullet Stephen Writes

The Friday 56 for 4/7/23: The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian

By HCNewton

On April 7, 2023

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:
The Raven Thief

The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian

“I think she means,” said Sanjay, “that the killer could have run away, and now they’re getting farther away.”

“We all know that’s not what happened,” Kumiko said. then muted her phone so the 9-1-1 dispatcher wouldn’t hear what she said next. “This wasn’t an outsider. It was one of us.”

For the next seven seconds, the only sound in the room was the breathing of its stressed-out occupants.

UPDATE: Mrs. Covington’s: A Cozy Fantasy Novel Kickstarter

By HCNewton

On April 6, 2023

In Books, Fantasy, Fiction, News/Misc.

Before this Kickstarter launched I assured you that you’d be hearing a lot about this book over the next few weeks–I might as well keep going now. Yesterday, the book hit the funding goal, and is a couple of hundred past it. So, congrats to K.R.R. Lockhaven!

Now, I’m no longer trying to encourage (read: pressure) you into supporting this book for the sake of Lockhaven and his fans (like me), at this point I’m telling you to help yourself. You want this book in your life and you’ve got 6 days to do it easily (and to help him hit a stretch goal or two to make the experience better for everyone).

Last week, I blogged my thoughts on the beta version of the novel and was joined by Lockhaven for a Q&A about the book and Kickstarter campaign. If you haven’t read those yet, I encourage you to do so. Also, in case you’re not familiar with the name, I’ve said plenty of good things about Lockhaven’s previous books, and you should read those–not so much because what I’ve said is all that worth reading, but so I can point you to those books.

For those who haven’t looked into it yet, here’s the skinny on the campaign:

Check out the video:

What do you know? I’ve been pronouncing the “o” in Covington wrong…anyway.

Look into the book and then pitch in to help Lockhaven put a better version of this out there in the world. I think you’ll be glad you did. I won’t be so bold as to suggest that the publication of Mrs. Covington’s will make the world a better place, but it will brighten the day of whoever reads it. So it’ll feel like the world is a better place for a while.

Go kick that start.

The Friday 56 for 3/31/23: Hacked by Duncan MacMaster

By HCNewton

On March 31, 2023

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.

I’ve been reading a lot of ARCs lately, so nothing I can quote from, but MacMaster talking about editing book 3 in this series got me thinking about it. Ergo…

from Page 56 of:
Hacked

Hacked by Duncan MacMaster

“Let’s change the subject.”

“Well,” she said, “the rumours about you being kidnappig have really given interest in your books a big shot in the arm.”

“At least it was good for something,” I said.

I ordered breakfast, Geetha told me she already ate, so I only ordered for myself. I ordered big, waffles and Sausages with real maple syrup, coffee, and orange juice. I normally didn’t eat this big in the morning, but kidnappings really worked up an appetite.

The Friday 56 for 3/24/23: Please Return to the Lands of Luxury by Jon Tilton

By HCNewton

On March 24, 2023

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:
Please Return to the Lands of Luxury

Please Return to the Lands of Luxury by Jon Tilton

Jane sighed and cradled the doll in her arms. As she studied the closest group of homes, the tag brushed against her hand. Her heart skipped a beat. Of course—even though she couldn’t read, she knew what the words ‘Spring Blossom Way’ looked like. She grabbed the tag and compared its letters to the ones on the sign. A few matched, but nothing exact.

Jane hurried down the street, stopping at each intersection until she found a match. A warmness swept through her, as if the letters had jumped off the sign and given her a hug.

The Friday 56 for 3/17/23: Backpacking through Bedlam by Seanan McGuire

By HCNewton

On March 17, 2023

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:
Backpacking through Bedlam

Backpacking through Bedlam by Seanan McGuire

Sitting down to dinner inside a giant termite mound, and other sentences I’ve never considered before.

The patriarch turned out to be a smiling man roughly Thomas’s apparent age, with paler spots than most of the others, and who went by the unprepossessing name of “Kenneth.” That was almost reassuring. Real-life cult leaders don’t usually call themselves “Bloodfang the Consumer,” but they also aren’t generally content to go around being named “Kenneth.”