Tag: Saturday Miscellany Page 1 of 63

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:
What Do Booksellers Make Of “The End Of Reading”?—Defector’s piece is a good counter-point to all the doomsaying about the state of reading.
In Praise of “Wordy, Old Prose.” (Or, F*ck Your AI Reading Buddy)—from LitHub
Is There a Wrong Way To Chase Your Dreams? Some Thoughts Post WorldCon.—Micaiah Johnson has some things to say, this is written for up-and-coming authors, but I think it applies to a lot of spaces.
How to Be the Most Annoying Person at Worldcon, 2026 Edition—John Scalzi has some similar ideas
https://peterhartog.com/2026/09/05/where-the-deuce-have-you-been/—Peter Hartog/Peter David gives an update about his writing, and shares an incredibly relatable tale of heartbreak along the way.
The Indie Author Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror New Release List: September 2026—A.J. Calvin’s latest list of new Indie titles

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
The Granite Moth by Erica Wright
Timothy Other: The Boy Who Climbed Marzipan Mountain by L. Sydney Abel
The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by David Rosenfelt—I didn’t realize that Rosenfelt had been doing Christmas novels this long!
Outfoxed by David Rosenfelt
Empire Falls by Richard Russo
And I mentioned the releases of: The Kingdom of Speech by Tom Wolfe; Curioddity by Paul Jenkins; and The Key to the Coward’s Spell by Alex Bledsoe

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Unbearable by A. Lee Martinez—It’s been too long since Martinez put out a new book, I really didn’t care what it was about, it was going on my list. But then I read: “Ortiz is a man without grand ambition or talent. He survives by being mildly useful and eminently disposable, destined to end up in a shallow grave. But on the day he’s digging that grave, he discovers a magic sword. Not just any magic sword, but the magic sword: A weapon that keeps away the apocalypse in the form of an all-devouring dragon.” Now I care about what it’s about.

image source: @Reading_Addicts on Twitter

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:
Long Live Dolly Parton, Giver of Books—There’ve been so many tributes to Parton this week, many talking about this aspect of her legacy and work, but this is one of the few that focus on it. (incidentally, I cannot tell you how bothered I am that it’s not available in Idaho)
The Most Famous “Odyssey” Translation Is Inaccurate: On the shortcomings of Emily Wilson’s translation—I don’t have a dog in this fight, but I thought this was interesting. Even if you don’t want to get into “things Wilson got wrong” of it all, the discussion of translation is well worth the read
Million selling Crime Author M. W. Craven on the Story Behind the First Official Poe & Tilly Merch—in case anyone was wanting to buy me a gift
Narratess Indie August Sale—Narratess’ back batch o’ temptation is back with a lot to browse. (it’s also a great reminder for me to look back on my past purchases from the sale next time I’m making a TBR)
A Local’s Guide to Gaining Five Pounds Eating and Drinking at Worldcon 2026—MD Presley’s piece is a fun read, even if you’re not heading to Worldcon or the Anaheim area. (it’d do some damage to my shirt size if I were)
Book’d Out is 16!—no small achievement.
Interviews as a Reader—from Armed with a Book
Interview with the Legendary Margaret Weis—over at the epicenter of Dragonlance fandom, Witty and Sarcastic Book Club.
Why I Re-Read Books—from Bookstooge’s Reviews on the Road
Monthly Manga Mania Featuring Firsty Duelist: Akira Failing in Love by Shinta Harekawa—Firsty wades into the world of Rom-Com!

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Christians Reading ClassicsCrossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner, with Matt Stewart—If I keep hearing Stewart talk about Stegner, I just might read him one day. As Stewart’s an elder in my church, there’s a good chance I’ll get the opportunity. It should be an interesting conversation for people who don’t know him, too.

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
If Cumbria was a week-old slice of bread, Carlisle would be the big green splat of mould in the middle. The kind that made you question the whole loaf. The antibiotic breakthrough waiting to happen. Surrounding the big green stinky splat would be the lesser moulds. The spores, the bluey-green spots with white edges. Some the size of pinheads, others the size of mouse turds. You wouldn’t throw away the loaf because of the mouse-turd spores, but you’d definitely pick them off. You might sniff the slice and say, ‘Maybe we should toast this?’
—The Killer’s Mark by M.W. Craven

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
Trampling in the Land of Woe by William Galaini
Debt to Pay by Reed Farrel Coleman
An Obvious Fact by Craig Johnson
I mentioned the releases of The Barista’s Guide To Espionage by Dave Sinclair and Repo Madness by W. Bruce Cameron

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Any More Questions for the Corpse? by Jack Unthank—”When a young necromancer investigates a string of deaths in the hidden magical capital of England, the dead come back to haunt him—in more ways than one.”
The Demon Overlord’s Retirement Plan by M.H. Foster—”The Demon Overlord retires to farm turnips in peace, only to find life in a small village far more chaotic than he ever could have anticipated in this laugh-out-loud debut cozy fantasy with teeth.”

source: Because All the Books

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:
Secondhand book sales are booming. Is it because of AI?
Tracking the Tide of Language Change—I’m not sure I completely follow this (need more detail), but this is pretty cool. Part 1 of the interview with Bryan A. Garner, Are You an Informed Prescriptivist? is also worth the time.
“POP!” It’s the funniest crime novel of the year. And maybe the most bitter.—Nick Kolakowski gives a one paragraph review that concinves me to pick up the book and then posts an interview with the author, Angel Luis Colón, that solidifies that idea.
Standup Comedian imagines a conversation between William Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy.
Indie Features: Science Fiction—Cozy with Books kicks off new series of posts.
Omaha Public Library’s Museum of Forgotten Bookmarks is just great.
Nearby Garden City library brings you a Private tour of Garden City Public Library with James Patterson!

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
“None of this made sense, but we were alive, for now at least, and we had each other, and that was something.”—The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook by Matt Dinniman

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
One of the Few by Jason B. Ladd
Chasing Freedom by Marina Fontaine
The Phantom Tollbooth (Audiobook) by Norton Juster, Norman Dietz
Hammered (Audiobook) by Kevin Hearne, Luke Daniels
And I mentioned the releases of: Rise the Dark by Michael Koryta; Dead to Rites by Ari Marmell; The Eternity Fund by Liz Monument; and Invasive by Chuck Wendig

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Pop! by Angel Luis Colón—”a deliciously dark and funny organized crime thriller for every assistant who’s wished they could take out their incompetent boss”

image source: @becs_a_bookworm on Instagram

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:
Rakuten Kobo Returns to U.S. Retail as Sales Double —worth the read even if you don’t care about Kobo just for the commentary on e-book sales.
Ebooks are coming to Libro—the audiobook store that supports local bookstores is adding eBooks to the app next year.
How Readers Find Books—a new project from Debbie Ridpath Ohi to help with new ways to discover books. Readers of this post may want to look into contributing
Interview With an Author: Lee Goldberg—from the LA Public Library
Perhaps We Could Find Some New Book Topics to Argue About—Molly Templeton calls for finding new evergreen topics to argue about. (while giving her $.02 about some of the current crop)

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
“If I am wrong about this, then there is no sense in listening to anything else I might say, because it would reflect a misunderstanding so profound as to necessitate my retirement from sharing my thoughts with other people.”—The Wizard Who Kept Himself Suspicious by Scott Lynch

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
The Purloined Poodle by Kevin Hearne
Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart
And I mentioned the releases of: How to Party With an Infant by Kaui Hart Hemmings; Nevernight by Jay Kristoff; and Killer Instincts by Linden Chase

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
The Killer’s Mark by M.W. Craven—not in the US, we have to wait for October (or cough be willing pay a lot for interational shipping cough), but I’m still counting it. “When a teenage girl walks into their office, looking for the mother she long believed to be dead, they agree to take the case. As Poe and Tilly investigate the girl’s claims, they find themselves drawn into a murky world of trafficking, pornography and prostitution.”
Killing A Perfect Beast by Thomas Trang—Trang wraps up this summer’s trilogy about crime and politics mixing on Mars.
The Tailor by Tim Sullivan—DC Cross’ 8th adventure puts him into “the world of spies and state secrets.” I have a few to go before I get to this, but I’m looking forward to it
Under the Falls by Richard Russo—”at once a propulsive thriller, a gut-wrenching portrait of a tight-knit rural community undone by the sins of its past, and an unflinchingly honest depiction of how porous the line between right and wrong, good versus evil, can become.” Honestly, of all the books that didn’t need a sequel, Empire Falls is near the top of my list. But I’m not sure I can resist the pull.
The Dungeon Book by Gareth Hanrahan—”A young girl is left to die in a wizard’s dungeon but finds a new home with the monsters around her in this humorous and heartfelt standalone epic fantasy.” Since I read Witty & Sarcastic Book Club’s review in June, I’ve been jonesing for this release.
Don’t Cross Mo Ellery by Birdie Horne—”A laugh-out-loud mystery following the indomitable hot mess Mo Ellery, whose job as a school crossing guard pulls her into an unhinged murder investigation.”
You’ll Love It Here by Natalie Sue—”One day is all it takes for Mona’s life to implode. After years of climbing at her marketing firm, she was supposed to be getting promoted and finally moving out of her crumbling apartment building. Instead, she’s jobless, aimless, and still stuck in a space barely big enough for a yoga mat. Then her eccentric landlady takes a tumble and asks Mona to step in as the building’s reluctant super. The deal is simple: help prep the place for sale, and she can secure the upgrade she’s been chasing. But that’s easier said than done when the neighbors treat ‘boundaries’ as optional.”
The Wandering Inn by pirateaba—The indie book makes it’s trad debut, it’s the first volume in a LitRPG “a dangerous world where magic is real and people can level up and gain classes, Erin Solstice must battle somewhat evil Goblins, deadly Rock Crabs, and hungry [Necromancers]. She is no warrior, no mage. Erin Solstice runs an inn. She’s an [Innkeeper].”

image source: The Goodwill Librarian

Okay, it’s not Saturday anymore for most of you. Sorry about that. Was a day in the hospital for a member of my family–all is good. Just needed a little TLC for a few hours. But it did put me several hours behind schedule.

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:
Abolish the Top Ten Books List—I don’t see myself stopping the practice, but I get the point and agree with is.
Jules Verne’s Empty Dream of Spaceflight: In “From the Earth to the Moon,” scientific advancement is treated as destiny — but no one quite asks why.
Book 4 Delayed to March 2027—Benedict Jacka has some sad news for his fans, but some good news for a croweded Fall TBR for me. (mostly sad for me, but…3 days of breathing room)
A.J. Calvin’s The Indie Author Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror New Release List: August 2026
Behind the Book: The Forest Exiles Saga by Mark J. Engels

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
TBRCon 2026/SFF Addicts PodcastInterview with Sarah Beth Durst—this was just a lot of fun–really appreciated her descriptions of Cozy Fantasy

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
“Genevieve Durand was one of those put-together people who looked as if she’d never, ever dripped marinara sauce on her shirt.”—The Wednesday Witches Book Club by Sarah Beth Durst

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
Dicing with the Gods by Sean McKenzie
The Innocents by Ace Atkins</a
Full of Briars by Seanan McGuire
Meeting of the Mustangs by Cathy Kennedy
Deep Down (Audiobook) by Lee Child, Dick Hill</a
Forever We Play by David Belisle
And I mentioned the releases of: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: The Official Script Book of the Original West End Production Special Rehearsal Edition by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany; Blood of the Earth by Faith Hunter; Repo Madness by W. Bruce Cameron; Enter Title Here by Rahul Kanakia; Spiderlight by Adrian Tchaikovsky; Amaryllis and Other Stories by Carrie Vaughn; The Hike by Drew Magary; The Bad Decisions Playlist by Michael Rubens; and The Coaster by Erich Wurster

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett—The best in this fantastic series (so far), as I tried to articulate the other day.
Teen Titans Together by Kami Garcia, Gabriel Picolo—The Wolfman/Perez purist in me is bothered by a lot of this series, but the rest of me has been having a blast with them–I can’t wait to get my hands on this one.
Marvel: What If…The Multiverse Was Doomed? by DaVaun Sanders—this has been an up-and-down series for me, but I’m very curious about this installment regardless.
Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst—”a cozy fantasy romance about finding your crew, your family, and moreover, finding yourself.”
One-Fifth Dragon by Shami Stovall—The tag-line on the cover is “John Wick Meets High Fantasy.” Which sounds good. The blurg on bookshop.org starts: “Dragons, Assassins, and Ninjas!” That pretty much seals it.
(Mostly) Human Resources by Grace Viall—”A debut slow-burn work-nemesis romance set in a world where cryptids and monsters are a part of life . . . and someone has to do the paperwork.” Okay, I’m not intersted in the “slow-burn work-nemesis romance,” but the rest of the premise looks pretty cool.
Dragonlance: War Wizard by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman—”the story of an unlikely friendship that would one day change the world.” This features a young Huma. Which might be enough to reactivate my Dragonlance-fandom.
Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty—”Anna, Teddy, and Jade leap headlong into time, hurtling on a crash course toward one another. At turns entertaining and illuminating, Time Travel for Beginners explores the moments, big and small, that shape our destiny.”

image source: @saras.booked on Threads

It’s been a strange week here–as my eldest put it on Tuesday, “today has certainly been a crazy week” (and the day got stranger!). The rest of the week was a little calmer, but let’s stress “little.” So, I didn’t get much book readin’ done. And less online reading done. So…scant things here this week. And a lot is from Witty & Sarcastic Book Club, so much so I feel I owe her a cut. Scratch that, I do owe her a cut. Jodie, you get 30% of every penny I make off this post!

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:
Libraries Expand Multilingual Offerings: Public libraries are augmenting their world language collections and bringing patrons to the international stacks—cool.
To commemorate the 72nd anniversary of it’s publication, Literary Hub posted W. H. Auden’s 1954 review of The Fellowship of the Ring.
My Life in the Closet…With My Imaginary Friends—a little piece by the legendary George Guidall about his very strange career
‘Neuromancer’ and the Long, Slow Grind of Cyberpunk: We’ve caught up to the future. Unfortunately.—Nick Kolakowski muses Neuromancer, Gibson, Cyberpunk, and society.
Celebrating Human Artists—Rather than another anti-AI tirade (as fun as those can be), A.J. Calvin goes pro-Human Artists.
Monthly Manga Mania Featuring Firsty Duelist: Case Closed! by Gosho Aoyama—Not only does the Firsty Duelist make his regular post, he explains why that kid shows up on the covers (I’ve always thought that looked out of place when I’ve seen it in bookstores, like every bookstore/library puts it on the wrong shelf)
The Specific Bliss of Just Not Having an Opinion (Sometimes)—Molly Templeton talks about something that doesn’t seem possible any more.
Interview with Dana, Owner of Happy Medium Books Café
There were a few more Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week posts that came out since last week’s Miscellany, like:
Interview with Julian M. Miles
An Interview with the Narratess Indie Sale—a person responsible for saving me a lot of money on books I’ve largely left unread. (the former is something I’m grateful for, the latter is my failing)
Jonathan Nevair Shouts About a Favorite Author

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Spies, Lies and Private Eyes Ep. 183 Tori Eldridge—a good chat about her new book, her background, and more.

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
I’ve realized is that I really like reading, I haven’t noticed the other kids reading, and I’m not surprised, because the books on the shelf are old and ratty-looking, I wasn’t drawn to them at first, and I only picked one up because I hoped it would help me fall asleep. But I started getting really into the stories, and I think I actually like them for the same reason as I like history class: you start off thinking that its good versus evil, or that the main character is the good guy, but most of the time, it ends up being more complicated than that.—Detained by David Esperanza and Gerardo Iván Morales

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
The Coaster by Erich Wurster
Friends of the Wigwam by John William Huelskamp
The Wizard’s Heir by Devri Walls
And I mentioned the releases of: The Summer that Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel; Outfoxed by David Rosenfelt; Nevernight by Jay Kristoff; GUN by The Gun Collective; and City of Wolves by Willow Palecek

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst—”the third magical adventure in the Spellshop series” focusing on Marin, the supply runner we met in The Enchanted Greenshouse–along with the sea serpent and Ree the shrub.
Magic & Mystery Collection curated by John Joseph Adams—”In these genre-blending short stories, acclaimed fantasy authors work their magic on puzzle-box plots. Whether set in realities far-flung or familiar, these mysteries leave an irresistible trail of clues.”

image source: lewis_workshop on Threads

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 the ‘hot literati’: how reading became sexy—believe it or not, The Guardian doesn’t have me in mind
How owning books became everybody’s business: The number of books you have, and the way you shelve them, invites judgment
The Other Asimov: Isaac Asimov’s laws of robotics have influenced AI’s development, but to what end?
Inside the Selection Process—how does the Folio Society decide which books to put out for us to drool over (and, I assume, possibly buy)
A Brutally Honest Field Guide to Horror Author Headshots—from The Ginger Nuts of Horror
Fantasy-Faction brings a fresh Scott Lynch Interview – The Thorn of Emberlain —take the Emberlain material with a grain of salt, if you insist. But the rest of this is more than worth your time.
Making Things and Having Fun: The Mad Scientists’ Club by Bertrand R. Brinley—I had to have read this book at least 30 times in my (far) younger days. I’m so glad someone reminded me of its existence.
Finding the Right Covers—Matthew Hanover describes the journey his covers have taken
Which leads us nicely into this: As you’ve probably noticed here, it’s Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week here are some of my favorite posts:
Awesome Author Alert: Jonathan Nevair at Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
Awesome Author Alert: Rebecca Crunden at Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
Awesome Author Alert: Tessa Hastjarjanto at Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
Complex PTSD and the Creative Life by Sarah Chorn and Ken Scholes at Read Indie Fantasy
Guest Post: We Live Here by Zig Zag Claybourne at Read Indie Fantasy
Interview with Christiane Knight by Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
Interview with Richard Moon by Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
Interview with Scott A. Clark by Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
 Interview with Shelby Hailstone Law by Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
Interview with Simon Brading by Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
Guest Post: How Reading More Helped Cure My Indie-Author Burnout by Angela Boord at Read Indie Fantasy
Tough Questions with Namita Kumari by Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
Some Favorite Indie Reads by Fantasy Book Nerd
2026’s Big, Long List of Super Self-Published Books a monumental list compiled by Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
5 simple steps to reduce you TBR pile—there is something deeply wrong with this post

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
The Four Beardsmen of the BookpocalypseBeth Tabler and the beards! —I haven’t found time for this (been busy this week), but it’s sure to be a great episode

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
“In reading a novel, any novel, we have to know perfectly well that the whole thing is nonsense, and then, while reading, believe every word of it.”—from the Author’s Note in The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
Second Son (Audiobook) by Lee Child, Dick Hill
Small Wars (Audiobook) by Lee Child, Dick Hill
The Summer that Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel—one of the best books ever discussed on this here blog.
Bravo and Elphie by Hagit R. Oron, Or Oron
Trumped! by Peter Davidson—and to even things out, possibly the absolute worst books ever discussed on this here blog
Blood of the Earth by Faith Hunter
And I mentioned the releases of: Nightshades by Melissa F. Olson; The Dragon Lords: Fool’s Gold by Jon Hollins; and Flying by Carrie Jones

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Deadly Does It by Abbi Waxman—”Mason, a Gen Z adrenaline junkie, and Mann, an ex-con, ex-actress, and lawyer turned sleuth, have already solved one murder together. United by their commitment to sarcasm and general disappointment with the human race, they now face a second crime that’s way too close to home.” This had me at “Waxman,” and sealed the deal by bringing back Mason and Mann.

image source: Jonathan Edward Durham on Facebook

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:
People Who Can Still Read Will Rule the World—When I read this earlier in the week, I thought “problem-filled but worth the read.” I’m struggling to find the worth today, but maybe you will? It’s short anyway.
Pressed for time? 20 brilliant books you can read in a day—this list might play into the hands of the opening piece.
Best Science Fiction Books of the Century (So Far)—according to Book Riot, anyway
So You Want to Read More Indie Authors—pretty good list. And a great lead-in to next week’s Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week
If you Like This, Read That: Dad Edition—”here’s a bunch of book recs that will make the transition from reading just for you, to reading with a baby, a little bit easier”

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Twisted Passages Episode 117: Jack Friday (KILLER VIBES) (I couldn’t find a link to an audio version)

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
The Substitute Sleuth by Michael R. Underwood
Korian and Lucy by Zoe Kalo
And I talked about the releases of: The Innocents by Ace Atkins; Time Siege by Wesley Chu; and Salvation Lake by G. M. Ford.

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Killer Vibes by Jack Friday—”A wild and wickedly funny series debut, introducing readers to the irresistible and irrepressible private investigator, Peter Key.” I was pretty enthusiastic when I talked about it recently.
Unpredictable Magic by Faith Hunter—”Witches Angelina and Evan Everhart-Trueblood take a case that spirals out of control until the whole city is at risk in this exciting new novel from New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter.” I love the idea of seeing Angelina and Evan as adult witchy PIs. I have high hopes for this sequel series.
Howliday Inn the Graphic Novel by James Howe, Andrew Donkin, Stephen Gilpin—stumbling onto the Bunnicula graphic novel a couple of years ago was a great excuse to revisit some old friends. This should serve the same purpose.
The Dragon Has Some Complaints by John Wiswell—”In this heartfelt and humorous fantasy from the Nebula-winning author of Someone You Can Build a Nest In, a dragon whose three heads bear rather…different…personalities finds family in the most unexpected of places.”…”This cozy fantasy intertwines epic battles with loving friendships, sharing an utterly unique perspective on what it means to be a “monster.”

image source: Imani Rhiannon on Facebook (of an image of a post by @PaperFury somewhere else)

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:
A Moment of Divine Inspiration Helped Melvil Dewey Bring Obsessive Order to the Infinitely Disorganized Stacks in the Library—huh. (probably better to say moment of boredom than divine inspiration, but….)
Rereading Mark Twain While Everything Else Burns
let’s do a ‘couch to 5k’ for reading—this is a pretty cool idea
‘Angel Down’ and Riffing on a Literary Trick—Nick Kolakowski muses on Kraus’s Angel Down.
The Stories We Don’t Tell—Reading about why and how Knighton walked away from what sounds like a promising novel (but yeah, I totally get why) and how it transformed into something else. Invoking The Faithful Executioner didn’t hurt my appreciation.
Summer’s One Must Read Book 2026—I don’t know how I forgot to post this last week. Over on Readling Ladies Book Club last week, a handful of bloggers shared one book a piece to help you come up with summer reading.
Announcement Repost: Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week 2026—Another thing I think I forgot to properly share (this time back in May), was the upcoming Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week. From what I’ve seen, this is going to be better than the (IMHO, great) ones in the past. There’s still time to get involved for readers/bloggers/writers.
Over on Instagram, @spooky_bookworm shared a (possibly controversial) list Books Written w/AI Worth Reading—I couldn’t agree with this list more.
Tom Gauld shares some Heatwave Reading Dangers

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
“Beer is to Bill as methadone is to a heroin addict. The alcohol level in the beer is so low he can’t drink enough to get sloshed, to saturate his fat-laden tissues. His gray matter. But he tries. He’s in pain and needs to blot out reality. Some way. Somehow.”
—from “Midight Confession” by Lawrence Kelter in True Romance: A Noir Anthology edited by Troy Lambert & Vincent Zandri

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
The Asset by Shane Kuhn (I miss this guy’s books)
Daughter of the Sun by Zoe Kalo
The Question of the Felonious Friend by E.J. Copperman/Jeff Cohen
And I talked about the releases of: Sacrifices by Jamie Schultz ; The Last Adventure of Constance Verity by A. Lee Martinez; and Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Late Night Mars by Thomas Trang—”Book 2 of the Asteroid Savage Series, a gritty, high-stakes science fiction thriller perfect for fans of The Expanse and Altered Carbon, where the line between hero and criminal is as thin as the Martian atmosphere.”
Country People by Daniel Mason—”A year in the life of a family as they strike out into the unknown (aka Vermont), leaving all the comforts of home behind”
Some People by Parini Shroff—as well done as Shroff’s previous book was, I really hadn’t planned on another. But… “A man on the brink of divorce is forced to care for his injured future-ex-mother-in-law in this wise, witty, and heartfelt novel” sounds pretty good.

image course: Book of the Month on Facebook.