Tag: News/Misc Page 8 of 29

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

On April 14, 2023

In C-E, Currently Reading, Eli Cranor, 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.”

Mrs. Covington’s: A Cozy Fantasy Novel Kickstarter

By HCNewton

On March 14, 2023

In Books, Fantasy, Fiction, News/Misc.

I told you yesterday that you’d be hearing a lot about this book over the next few weeks–and I’m starting to make good on that promise now. I’ve said plenty of good things about Lockhaven’s previous books, we’ve asked each other Qs and As on our respective sites, and so on. So it’s not a huge surprise that I want to encourage you to support this Kickstarter.

I’m currently beta-reading this book (I hope to finish it tonight) and I’m doing a lousy job of taking notes for feedback, because I keep getting sucked into the story. This novel, “Set in a capybara-themed pub, this book includes a clue-based treasure hunt, found family, kindness, empathy, and nachos,” is going to charm readers–but it needs to get out into the world for that to happen. As of the moment I’m writing this, the campaign is 20% of the way to the goal–help it get a little closer.

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 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 3/10/23: Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide (to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson

By HCNewton

On March 10, 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:
Miss Percy's Pocket Guide (to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons)

Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide (to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons) by Quenby Olson

Carefully, he looked through the pages, paused at one in particular, and handed it across to her.

“Is that a…?” She tilted it towards the light streaming through the windows. “It looks like a bird?” (In her defense, the sketch—a curious amalgam of skeleton and tendons and muscle rendered in a mixture of pencil and ink—was not well done. Her Great Uncle Forthright may have had a talent for collecting interesting things and living a hearty life for an extraordinary number of years, but his drawings—while technically correct, for the most part—bore a childlike quality to them that made portions of them difficult to decipher.)

Top 5 Tuesday – One Word Wonders

By HCNewton

On March 7, 2023

In Books, News/Misc.

This week’s topic is, Top 5 books with one word titles We’re aiming for brevity this week!” This would be easier to compile without the pesky definite article, but I pushed through.

These are likely the 5 most meaningful (to me) books with one-word titles.

	Underworld by Don Delillo Honestly, I remember so little about this book that I probably shouldn’t use it for this list (although, I have spent the last twelve hours with it in the back of my mind…at this rate, give me a week and I might be able to talk about it vaguely). However, it’s directly in my eyeline as I look up from my desk, so obviously it was one of the first I wrote down as candidates. I remember a scene or two..and the general impression I got from it back in ’97. As well as the great sense of accomplishment that I finished in the first place—800+ pages of not-at-all-breezy prose. It might as well have been called “A Great American Novel,” (but then it wouldn’t be on this list) discussing the Cold War, celebrity, baseball, and too many other things to list off here. Powerful stuff.
	Hounded by Kevin Hearne This is kind of a cheat, every novel in this series is a one-word title. Oh well. I’ve read every novel and almost every novella that Hearne’s produced, and it all started with this one. The sole surviving Druid who’s alive millenniums later than the rest because he’s really good at keeping his head down starts fighting back, and everything starts going wrong for him. This book also introduces a canine companion who is one of my favorite characters from the last decade or so (all time, really). I might not be the biggest fan of a couple of the later books—but Hounded has a special place in my heart.
	Geekomancy by Michael R. Underwood What geek/nerd/geek-ly inclined person wouldn’t love it if their passions paid off in an unexpected way…like, say, with magic powers tied to their fandoms? Throw in a plucky and snarky protagonist who’s immediately likable? Underwood has got himself a winner here.
	Valediction by Robert B. Parker It’s possible that this is Parker’s best work. Spenser’s pushed to his breaking point here—possibly past it, actually. But that doesn’t stop him from doing what he needs to in order to close the case. He’s clearly fallible here, making costly mistakes, but he’s still the man we’ve come to know.
	Changes by Jim Butcher If there’s a better way to sum up these 400+ pages than these two syllables, I can’t imagine what it’d be. Nothing is the same after this book, series is altered in ways readers are still figuring out by this book. I love it, it breaks me every time I read or listen to it.