Tag: Saturday Miscellany Page 1 of 62

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
Ian Rankin: ‘Why people who read books live 1,000 lives’—Rankin, talks “about libraries, comics, BookTok, prisons and the enduring power of reading in an age of digital distraction.” If I didn’t already like the guy, this would make me take a second look at him/his work
Comparisons as Predictable as the Sunrise—”An analysis of 200,000 similes from popular fiction.” Not only is this interesting (if not more), it looks great. You’ll end up spending more time on this than you expect.
This Archivist Has Saved 175,000 Articles from 30 Years of Writing about Magic: The Gathering—This is primarily about archiving, but you’ll pick up some fun info about Magic along the way (I know at least two of you will read it just for that)
Love Language: The undying dream of Esperanto—One of my regrets is not continuing on in my study of this (if only because the persistence with it might have helped with other language aquisition). It also was fun–and made me think that one day I might just be as cool as “Slippery Jim” diGriz. (an idea forever labeling me as un-cool)
Rediscovering Rereading (Again)—I resonate with so much of this (if not the individual works being discussed)
Monthly Manga Mania Featuring Firsty Duelist: Pandora Hearts by Jun Mochizuki—This one might end up on my TBR
The Best Writers of the Future May Be the People Who Never Go Online—I’m not sure I can agree with this–but I liked thinking about it.
Magical Minds: Neurodivergent Fantasy Recs!
Typos, Glitches, and Postal Fails: The Unexpected Quirks of Publishing a Book—AJ Calvin gives a look at some of the mishaps that can befall a self-published author along the way..
Why I’m Raising My Prices as an Indie Author—Claudie Arseneault is doing what some would see as unforgivable and/or foolish–but it really makes sense.
Adam Holcombe “does the math” on a recent post about Indie Authors’ income
These last three have got me thinking about all the work our beloved Indie/Self-Published authors go through to bring us their works. I wish there were an organized way to celebrate them. Oh wait–that’s right, there is! Announcement: Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week 2026—That’s right, it’s back! And (hopefully) better than ever. I’m pretty excited about what I’ve started to put together for it.
Garbage Pail Kids as Books: Part I—put together by book promoter Lori Hettler, who has introduced me to some of the best and strangest work I’ve read. I hope we get more of these.
Tom Gauld’s latest brought a smile to my face

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Sit. Stay. Read. Ep. 39: Peter Abrahams aka Spencer Quinn, Cat on a Hot Tin Woof—I don’t know if I’ve heard Quinn/Abrahams interviewed before. Was nice if only for that

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
“I know that when he sits beside me at the dining table and places his front right paw on my knee as he sniffs my food that he is trying his best to be polite before politeness loses.”—”Oscar” by Paul Yoon from The Best Dog in the World

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
The God We Worship edited by Jonathan L. Master
Thursday, 1:17 PM by Michael Landweber—I have a strong, visceral memory of this one (I should add positive)
The Cupid Reconciliation by Michael R. Underwood
Hard Court by Robert Germaux—the first of many times that Bob has made me smile
Hounded (Audiobook) by Kevin Hearne, Luke Daniels—my introduction to one of my favorite audiobook narrators
And I talked about the releases of: A Mint Condition Corpse by Duncan MacMaster; The Last Star by Rick Yancey; Dietland by Sarai Walker; and Dark Run by Mike Brooks

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
The Brothers McKay by Craig Johnson—Walt has to investigate the murder of one of his county’s least popular citizens.

as seen on ‪@raeradford.bsky.social‬

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
Why the Canon Is Worth Conserving—R.V. Young makes a good case here. Maybe not convincing, but good to chew on.
The Written Word Is Having A Rough Week—”Rough” is putting it mildly.
Common Readers: BookTok’s critical values
The most famous crime writer you’ve never heard of – prepare to be hooked—a heckuva piece on Peter Grainger. About time he got some attention.
Waterstones livestreamed Brandon Sanderson in conversation with Joe Abercrombie—I haven’t watched yet, but I imagine it’s more than worth the time.
Scalzi’s recent BlueSky post about AI sums up what a lot of us SF fans have been thinking. Just phrased better.

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Authors on the Air Global Radio Network Jordan Harper discusses A VIOLENT MASTERPIECE—a great conversation about the book and more. Every exposure I have to this writer makes me like him more.

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
Having a teenage daughter is like Choose Your Own Adventure, a constant set of junctures in the road. She’s in a mood? How do you respond? Do you snap? Do you sympathize? I chose my go-to: ignore.—Go Gentle by Maria Semple

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
Burned by Benedict Jacka
Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs
And I mentioned the releases of: The Highwayman. by Craig Johnson; Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? by Paul Cornell; This Damned Band also by Paul Cornell and Tony Parker; Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me: What Pop Music Rivalries Reveal About the Meaning of Life by Steven Hyden; The Second Life of Nick Mason by Steve Hamilton; and My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Hawai’i Rage by Tori Eldridge—”A suspicious death on a Kohala Mountain ranch draws ranger Makalani Pahukula into a tangled family tree.” It’ll be a minute before I can dive into this, but I’m looking forward to seeing how this builds on Kaua’i Storm
True Romance: A Noir Anthology editby by Troy Lambert & Vincent Zandri—the author list alone is enough to get me to shell out a couple of bucks. In this anthology, “passion isn’t red roses and candlelight. Instead, it’s obsession, betrayal, revenge, and the kind of desire that leaves bodies in its wake…From quiet suburban rot to organized crime empires, from calculated seduction to explosive violence, these stories explore the dangerous intersection where love and darkness meet. Because in noir, love isn’t salvation. It’s motiv”
It’s Hard to Be an Animal by Robert Isaacs—”a funny, magical, and tender novel following a lonely, conflict-averse man whose sudden ability to understand animals sends him on a wild romp around NYC, and ultimately helps him discover his own voice. “
Ironwood by Michael Connelly—the sequel to Nightshade (which I need to read soon) brings Detective Sergent Stilwell into contact with Renée Ballard and a violent drug deal.

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
New Adult: A New Category for a New Generation of Readers—I thought NA was already a thing (that really didn’t work out), but other than the use of “New” in the headline, I appreciate this call to use the category more. I think it’d help.
A Beloved Children’s Book Author Said Most Children’s Literature Is “Crud.” It Has Not Gone Well.—I’d seen some people cursing Barnett’s name on Threads (and maybe other places), but didn’t see a lot of context, just mid-conversation screeds. The man’s got himself a point, I have to say. (and now I have to read the book…)
Can Men Write Romance? The Problem With Assuming Men Can’t Write Women—Matthew Norman (who is a man who can) kicks off his substack with this lil’ essay. I wondered if I just spoiled the essay, but I’ve been saying it for years, so I don’t feel too bad.
Tough Questions with Firsty Duelist—As a former subject/victim(?) of this, and appreciator of the series in general, I’m glad to see Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub dust it off. Particularly to focus on this particular blogger.
My Top 40 Fantasy Series/Books—Peat Long revises and expands his list–which is a great big ball of inspiration and intimidation.
Witty and Sarcastic Book Club wrapped up another great mini-series of posts this week, “Looking for the Helpers: Small Roles, Big Influence in SFF.” Its focus is “smaller roles in SFF books and how they can nonetheless play big parts.” You can go see last week’s Miscellany for more (or just go to the blog and find them yourself)
…Featuring Ashley Cape
…Featuring Joel C. Flanagan-Grannemann
Announcing 20 Books of Summer – #20BOS26—AnnaBookBel is bringing it back again. For those who haven’t participated before, it’s a fun way to give your goals a little mid-year boost. I’ve almost got my list finalized (I need to trim two books from it, we’ll see if my May can help me with that)
Are books really that expensive?—Nadezh Frank has a pretty convincing answer.

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
Perfect Family by H. Lovelyn Bettison—Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum
Giovanni Goes To Med School by Kathy Bryson
Slow Burn by Ace Atkins
The Old World by Roy M. Griffis
Shadow Rites by Faith Hunter
And I mentioned the release of The Vagrant by Peter Newman

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Robert B. Parker’s Booked by Alison Gaylin—”Boston PI Sunny Randall investigates a popular book critic on a mean streak . . . only for her to wind up dead.” It should be noted that I’ve only said good things about Gaylin’s work.

Yes, this is late–but you should blame (in part) Fall into Fiction for putting on another great event today.

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
We’re going to start on a highbrow note: Seven of the Greatest Farts in Western Literature
Celebrating 20 Years of First Law—Z.B. Steele commemorates The Blade Itself‘s 20th Anniversary. “Commonly heralded as a master of the craft and one of fantasy’s greatest character writers, it’s time to celebrate Joe Abercrombie, First Law, and the impact Abercrombie’s work has had on the genre.”
How Substack became the new book tour—huh
Celebrating 15 Years at Pages Unbound!
Witty and Sarcastic Book Club hosted another great mini-series of posts this week, “Looking for the Helpers: Small Roles, Big Influence in SFF.” Its focus is “smaller roles in SFF books and how they can nonetheless play big parts”
…Featuring Jonathan Nevair
…Featuring Dorian Hart
…Featuring Ben Schenkman
…Featuring Shannon Knight
…Featuring Ricardo Victoria

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
“What was it about fathers, Clay wondered, that compelled so many of them to test their children? To insist that a daughter, or a son, prove themselves worthy of a love their mother offered without condition?”—Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
Madam Tulip by David Ahern
Indexing (Audiobook) by Seanan McGuire, Mary Robinette Kowal
Dead is Best by Jo Perry
Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky—Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum
And I mentioned the releases of: Zero K by Don DeLillo; Everybody’s Fool by Richard Russo; Robert B. Parker’s Slow Burn by Ace Atkins ; The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan; Blood Defense by Marcia Clark; Double Down by Gwenda Bond; The Jewel and Her Lapidary by Fran Wilde; and Outriders by Jay Posey

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Out Law by Jim Butcher—A nice little novella that follows up The Law, Twelve Months, and Changes. Butcher’s spoiling us in 2026.
The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee—”A battle-worn corporate samurai undertakes one last mission on a merciless planet where death is always a mere breath away, in this standalone dystopian epic.”
On Faith and Freedom of Thought by Marilynne Robinson—”Marilynne Robinson’s speech for the 2026 Jon Fosse Lecture, delivered at the Norwegian Royal Palace…our creativity, along with the free space offered by literature, gives us reason for hope. This essay is a powerful exhortation to rediscover our spiritual and human obligations.”

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
Does reading do us any good?—”Stripped of easy moralising, literature makes us relish the search for truth in an age when many believe truth to be dead.” This is one to chew on.
MAGA Is Confused About Animal Farm—it makes for a good headline, but Wired suggests it’s not just MAGA that doesn’t.
2026 Edgar Allan Poe Awards—were announced this week. I really dig a lot of the choices here (especially Best Novel)
If it’s Edgar’s season, it’s also time for CrimeTime’s “State of Crime Novel” series, something I look forward to. Part 1: Routines, Problem-Solving, and Faithful Companions and Part 2: Issues and Recommendations
So you want to read digital comics—Fantasy Book Nerd has put together a nice round-up of some of the bigger apps for them.
Indie Blog Off Remnants (IBOR) released their Round 1 Champions—If they’re all in the same class as the two of these that I have read, I don’t envy the judges (well, it looks like they’re in a good time reading, but a hard time in judging)

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
Uncle Victor died the way he lived: running from the provincial highway patrol with a car full of weapons, because his car wasn’t made to be quite that airborne, and it definitely wasn’t made for the impact of hitting the ground. —“A Serious Track” by by Krystle Matar, from The Book of Spores

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
There Will Always Be a Max by Michael R. Underwood—Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum
The Absconded Ambassador (Audiobook) by Michael R. Underwood, Mary Robinette Kowal—Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum
Off to See the Wizard by Clay Johnson—Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum
And I mentioned the releases of Arf by Spencer Quinn and The Worst Night Ever by Dave Barry

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper—This is just fantastic. I’ve been trying to write something about this since Tuesday, and…words are failing me so far. Don’t wait for me to get my act together, just go get it.
Crownfall by Michael Vadney—”The gritty underworld and razor-edged found family of Six of Crows collide with the mysterious magic and sweeping intrigue of The City of Brass, all against the vivid industrial backdrop of Arcane in Michael Vadney’s nobledark fantasy debut.”” I’m eager to see what this is.
Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto—”A nearly divorced trophy wife enrolls in culinary school to win back her husband, only to find a fresh start in the unlikeliest of places.” Which really doesn’t sound like a book to necessary appeal to me. But when you say “Jesse Q. Sutanto”…
Jen & Gary’s Infinite (Quantum) Entanglements by Nick Gregorio—”Gary Leslie broke the universe… by confessing his love to his best friend, Jen Scott. Now he’s tumbling through the multiverse, waking up as everything from a tyrannosaurus to a murderbot, a sentient island with volcanic ex drama, a mooman (that’s moose-man, obviously), and even a coffee mug. In every reality, one thing stays the same: Jen…. Wildly funny, heartbreakingly human, and utterly bizarre, Jen & Gary’s Infinite (Quantum) Entanglements is a romantic comedy where love takes on infinite forms… and destroying reality might just be the easy part.”
A Murder Most Camp by Nicolas Didomizio—a “fun, twisty mystery following a spoiled nepo baby forced to work at a struggling summer camp who stumbles into a real-life murder mystery he has no choice but to solve”

Happy Indie Bookstore Day 2026! I hope you can get out and show your local some support.

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
No, Books Are Not Remotely Too Expensive: Let’s Explore a Little Math—Joel J. Miller pokes at the “book affordability crisis” idea going around social media. Turns out we’re getting bargains (even if it doesn’t feel like it). I, for one, am embracing this idea today when I go celebrate Indie Bookstore Day–look how much money I’m actually saving, dear!!
Bookshop.org’s Sales Grew 55% in 2025, Sparked by Romance and E-books—Publishers Weekly reports: “Six years on, the online bookseller continues to grow at a remarkable pace”
Dragonlance: Selling the Dream—Tracy Hickman talks a little about the origins of the series. (Hat Tip: Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
Star Wars Day 2026 Gift Giving Guide—This Dad Reads’ annual guide (I’ve yet to part with actual money after reading these posts, but I’ve mentally spent hundreds each time)
Imagining Future Book Titles by AI… The Future is Bright!!—The Organgutan Librarian gets speculative…
Monthly Manga Mania Featuring Firsty Duelist: Seven Deadly Sins by Nakaba Suzuki —The Firsty Duelist gets mildly critical…
Ten Recommended Indie Fantasy/Scifi Novels—C.T. Phipps gives a list of knock-out titles (I’ve read 2 of these, and can see why they make the list for sure)

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
“There is always more after the ending. Always the next morning, and the next. Always changes, losses and gains. Always one step after the other. Until the one true ending that none of us can escape. But even that ending is only a small one, larges as it looms for us. There is still the next morning for everyone else. For the vast majority of the rest of the universe that ending might as well not ever have happened. Every ending is an arbitrary one. Everything ending is from another angle, not really an ending.”—Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire—I’m still talking about this book…
Life, The Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams
Fate Ball by Adam W. Jones—the title brings back near-visceral memories. This one did a number on me.
And I mentioned the releases of: The Drafter by Kim Harrison (in paperback); Dead is Best by Jo Perry; Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Brewslaw; and Almost Infamous by Matt Carter

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
The Photonic Effect by Mike Chen—”A starship captain and her crew face conspiracies and betrayals as they clash with various factions of a galactic civil war in a thrilling space adventure.” It’s been too long since I’ve read Mike Chen, this looks like a great way to end the drought.
Don’t Die Dave by A.R. Witham—JCM Berne vouches for this, that’s good enough for me. “A death game where the prize isn’t power or money — it’s health insurance.”
Gods & Comics by Kat Cho—about “a teen whose life is upended when the gods in her anonymous viral web comic inspired by a forgotten Korean myth come to life and the hero falls in love with her.”

Three things make a list, right?
Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
The Rise of Nobledark Fantasy and What It Says About Us Right Now—Please, oh please, let this subgenre blossom.
The Book News Isn’t All Bad—Molly Templeton points out the good news under the bad headlines
In the same vein, Bookish Diversions: Anything Better than a Bookshop?

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
”…the entire building burst into flames. It was not a gradual combustion. One second, the building was a normal not-on-fire warehouse. Then it was all fire, as if it were the head of a match that had been struck.”—Soul Fraud by Andrew Givler

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
Once a Crooked Man by David McCallum
Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire
And I mentioned the release of Strike by Delilah S. Dawson.

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Cat on a Hot Tin Woof by Spencer Quinn—”Chet the dog is less than enthusiastic about the Little Detective Agency’s next case. Chet and his human partner, PI Bernie Little, have been hired to find a missing person—only the missing person is a cat. Miss Kitty, an internet sensation, has disappeared, and Chet and Bernie have been hired to find her before her many followers realize something is wrong.” I enjoyed talking about it recently.
Electric City Switches by M.D. Presley—Corbin has his hands full trying to track down a thief, keep her safe from bounty hunters and her (estranged) family, while his mentor is confined to their hotel. I tried to talk coherently about it yesterday.
Paranormal Payback edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes—A solid collection of Urban Fantasy revenge tales. I wrote something about it earlier in the week–and forgot to mention that the last story is a must read for the names of the two protagonists alone! (the rest of the story was pretty good, but I want an explanation of the names)
First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston—An “innovative space fantasy, where wizards race to be the first on the moon – also known as the land of the gods.”
Go Gentle by Maria Semple—I don’t know what it’s about (honest!), all I need to read is “Maria Semple.”
Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell—”[A] breathtakingly honest novel about a woman who lost everything — and isn’t sure she wants it back.”
The Signal Beneath the Sand by Hank Garner—I’ve spent so much time listening to Garner talking to authors of every stripe, I’m eager to see what he can do. Also, who doesn’t like a first contact SF adventure?
Spies and Other Gods by James Wolff—A “darkly funny”, possibly Mick Herron-esque, “cat-and-mouse spy thriller, an anonymous whistleblower sends British Intelligence into a frenzy, threatening to reveal secrets that could bring the establishment to its knees.”
Murder Mindfully by Karsten Dusse, translated by Florian Duijsens—”In this zen and zany crime debut, a shady lawyer transforms his life through mindfulness—and uses his newfound techniques to kill his way to the top.” Oh, and it’s apparently on Netflix.

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
The Quiet Collapse of Reading—and the Only Real Solution—I less-than-three the solution a lot
How Amazing Stories Served as the Blueprint for American Science Fiction
Movements Need the Critical Thinking That AI Destroys—this doesn’t technically fit my heading, but it’s close enough. If nothing else, I need a place to save this link so I can use the article.
GET TO KNOW: Bestselling Author Craig Johnson
This week’s Fantasy with Friends prompt How Do You Define “Fantasy”? had some really good responses to what proved to be a challenging task. Briana’s contribution on the host page is a great starter.
The Bibliophibian had some good input, too.
I was relieved and pleased that Pete Long weighed in, as futile as the exercise may be.
JCM Berne’s Twitter comment offered what might be the best definition (definitely the pithiest). But he also pointed to a less-brief discussion he posted a few years ago, I think I linked to it some time ago.
Books About the Pursuit of Knowledge—a handy listicle from The Orangutan Librarian
5 Unhinged Thrillers You Need on Your TBR — Dark, Twisted & Completely Addictive!—and another from The Crime Book Junkie (how I missed it for 2 weeks, I don’t know).
Carol treated us to a This Not That post, which are always fun–if only so you can think of your own answers.
Lastly, it’s Narratress’ Indie Book Sale time again! Go set your eyes on some goodies!

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
“You can’t go home.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. Because it’s gone.” Aminata frowned, finished her drink, and nodded. “You can’t find it again. Even if you go back, it’s not there anymore. That’s history, that’s how it works! Someone’s always changing someone else.”
—The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
Calamity by Brandon Sanderson
Waylaid by Kim Harrison
The Red Storm by Grant Bywaters
A Far Out Galaxy by Marjorie Thelen
The Watcher in the Wall by Owen Laukkanen
And I mentioned the releases of: Burned by Benedict Jacka; Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire; Waylaid by Kim Harrison; There Will Always Be a Max by Michael R. Underwood; and Shadow Rites by Faith Hunter.

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon (I’ll warn you now, next week’s list will be massive):
The Great Big Bear and Other Stories of the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne—12 new Iron Druid (et al) stories!
The Museum of Unusual Occurrence by Erica Wright—”Rational and cynical Aly Orlean’s life in her psychic hometown of Wyndale, Florida couldn’t be more hectic. It’s all about running her business, raising a teenage sister, sending out holiday greetings–and her new task: finding a killer.

For her Museum of Unusual Occurrence not only houses odd curiosities but now has a brand-new display: The body of Rose Dempsey, a local twenty-year-old, set up in one of the exhibits as if she has been ritually sacrificed.” This definitely looks different than the other Wright books I’ve read–which is not a bad thing, I stress. Be sure to check out what Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub said about it.
The Dead Can’t Make a Living by Ed Lin—Great title. Fantastic cover. Oh, and the premise is pretty good, too: “Jing-nan, the owner of the most popular food stand in Taipei’s world-famous Shilin night market, is hauling trash after a successful evening of hawking Taiwanese delicacies to tourists when he finds a corpse propped up against the dumpsters. The dead man turns out to be Juan Ramos, a Philippine national who came to Taiwan for a job at a massive ZHD food processing plant… This rollicking crime novel is a scorching, timely examination of our global dependence on undocumented immigrants.”
The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon—”In a near future, where even the smallest of appliances are sentient, a young Roomba vacuum sets out to save the humans of her house from a rising technological power in this compelling, original novel.”

I had a great time at the 4th Annual Treasure Valley Book Fair at the Nampa Public Library–got to chat with a few authors I’ve met before, met a couple of handfuls of new-to-me authors. Walked out with a healthy stack of books (wish it was a few more…but, budget is smaller than my appetite). I hope to be bringing you some more about this soon.

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
@dlondonwortel posted about this great resource from Harvard—hundreds of recordings of authors reading their poetry. The names alone…
The collapse of literary curiosity—this is so good.
Asteroid Savage – my next book releases June 2026—Thomas Trang starts by giving an update/announcement about his June 2026 release, and ends up saying a lot more. The backstory for this book makes me as eager to read it as the premise does.
AI Can’t (And Never Will) Write Good Books—JCM Berne drops by Stewart Bint’s blog to sound off a bit.
The Art of Interview and Interrogation: A retired police detective discusses his approach to interviews, in fiction and in life.—I’ve never read Swinson, but I’m in the mood to now.
The Specific Experience of Being Stuck on a Book—Once again, Molly Templeton does a fantastic job capturing something we’ve all experienced, but couldn’t put into words
The Indie Author Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror New Release List: April 2026—A.J. Calvin brings this month’s batch of Indie Temptation.
The Costume Changes, the Cage Remains – The Four Pillars of Crafting a Dystopia
Book Characters Seldom Engage in Making Restitution—This brushes up against something I’ve been working on for a while. Maybe so close I don’t need to bother…or maybe it’s the kick in the pants I needed to finish. But most importantly, this is something that you should check out.
Funniest (and Craziest) Library Stories!—good stuff
Is the Future of Libraries Screen-Free Children’s Areas?—Speaking of libraries…
Monthly Manga Mania Featuring Firsty Duelist: Blue Lock by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura—Whoops, I missed this last week.
This April 1 had some pretty tame offerings (or lame, if you read mine). This was the best that I saw.

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Six Elementals Interview #61 with Michael Michel—P.L. James interviews Michael Michel. Looks to be a good ‘un

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
The Shootout Solution (Audiobook) by Michael R. Underwood, Mary Robinette Kowal
Heroes and Villains: Pawn in the Game by Tara R
A Devil in Hong Kong by David Harris Lang
And I mentioned the release of Javelin Rain by Myke Cole

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews—”When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn’t take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she’s been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel. Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem? Her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters’ ambitions and fates.”
Upward Bound by Woody Brown—”A wondrous, deeply affecting portrait of the interlocking lives at an adult day care center in Southern California, depicting an often overlooked community with extraordinary wit and grace”

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
Neverending Stories: On the continuation novel
The Key to Writing Effective Action and Suspense (Part 1): It’s all about answering a question.—Nick Kolakowski follows up on a viral tweet (that I loved), sure, it’s for writers, but we readers can get into it, too.
Modern Retellings for Your Bookshelf
8 Changes I’ve Noticed in Book Blogging in the Past Few Years—now that Briana says it, yeah, I think I’ve noticed that, too.
10 Series I Won’t Finish (And Why I’m Okay With That) —I totally get where Already Overbooked is coming from here.

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
A. R. Witham The Shadow of JCM Berne—Witham chats with the author about the fourth book in the Hybrid Helix series, Shadow of Hyperion. How fun is that?

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
Got Luck by Michael Darling—I’m still annoyed that I didn’t read the sequel.
Elphie and Dad go on an Epic Adventure by Hagit R. Oron, Or Oron
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
And I mentioned the releases of: Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye; Got Luck by Michael Darling; and Transgalactic by James Gunn

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Enemy of My Enemy by Alex Segura—”Matt Murdock defends the Punisher in the trial of the century—the murder of the Kingpin—while by night Daredevil staves off a war of succession for the throne of the criminal underworld.” I can’t wait to dive in.
Tales in the Midst: A Collection of Short Stories from the World of Jane Yellowrock by Faith Hunter—6 tales from the Yellowrock-verse
Trace Elements: Conversations on the Project of Science Fiction and Fantasy by Jo Walton, Ada Palmer—”From two of the most acclaimed writers in the field today, a groundbreaking look at how SF and fantasy writing—and reading!—work.”