Tag: Saturday Miscellany Page 1 of 61

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.”

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:
Let’s start off with this feel-good story. Make-a-Wish Idaho helps a fifteen-year-old cancer survivor become a published author with an assist from Ridley Pearson. The book can be ordered here.
Do You Actually Have to Finish That Novel?—I’ve linked to several pieces about DNFing over the years, but this one is from The Yale Review, so it has to be smarter, right? (snark aside, it’s worth your time)
How To Read Sixteen Books at Once (At All Times)—this might make you tired just reading it. My hat’s off to Jo Walton for this, I just cannot imagine doing this.
Benjamin Stevenson on the “Gamification” of Crime Fiction: How fair play mysteries invited readers in even further.—a good piece on Gamification that’s at least as charming as his books.
Paperback vs. Hardcover: Which is Better For Readers (and For Writers)?
How to Find Your Book Twin—In which Carol introduces me to a new term.
Quirky Picturebooks to Read Aloud for Rhyme Times and School Classes!—making notes for Grandpappy’s Corner.

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Belated Binge The Rise and Fall of Sonder in the Alex Verus series —I haven’t finished it yet, but Sonder’s arc in the Verus series is one of the most intriguing (and not one I would’ve guessed at). Glad to see it getting attention.

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
Dead is Better by Jo Perry—one of the better books I read that year. Still an all-time fave.
Risen by M. T. Miller—I’ve been reading Miller that long, too? Impossible.
And I mentioned the releases of: The Watcher in the Wall by Owen Laukkanen; An Unattractive Vampire by Jim McDoniel; and Snakewood by Adrian Selby

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Stakeouts and Strollers by Rob Phillips—”Amateur private investigator and new dad Charlie Shaw gets more than he bargained for when he agrees to track down a young girl’s missing father.” I talked about it earlier this week. It’s just so much fun.
Black Bag by Luke Kennard—”An out-of-work actor accepts the role of a lifetime—sitting soundlessly in a lecture theater, zipped into a large leather bag—to aid a professor’s psychological experiment. What could possibly go wrong?” I wrote about this absurd and thoughtful book last week.
The Lost Daughter of Sparta by Felicia Day, illustrated by Rowan MacColl—”a feminist graphic novel about the lost mythical character of Philonoe—Helen of Troy’s sister.” I’ve started this, and am enjoying it.
Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson—”Ten heists. Ten suspects. A murder mystery only Ernest Cunningham can solve in this delightfully clever and twisty new novel.” I’m finding Ernest himself harder to put up with the more the series goes on, but these are too clever to stop with.
Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle Cosimano—Finlay attempts to come to Vero’s rescue from the law and a stalker.

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:
I don’t think I noticed last October when Southern Living named its 50 Books From The Past 50 Years Everyone Should Read At Least Once—an impressive and daunting list, to be sure. But I did notice that Books of Brilliance talked about that list this week: Southern Living’s 50 Best Books of the Past 50 Years: The Novels That Defined Modern Literature
Why Motive Matters Even More than Truth in Crime Fiction:
Nadine Matheson mulls how to create narrative satisfaction rather than random violence—Matheson nails this
Acclaimed crime fiction writer M. W. Craven on upcoming TV adaptation —a good interview about upcoming adaptations, his MG James Bond series, and more.
Popular Book Genres Seen as “Easy Reading”—a typically thoughtful post from Briana at Pages Unbound.

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
The Conversation with Nadine Matheson Coffee Break with Neil Lancaster: The Dark Heart—a fun chat.
In Person With Paul Neil Lancaster—a more serious and wide-ranging conversation (that includes several great recommendations)

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
I had a light posting week due to running around getting things like fingerprints and drug tests for a then new job. But I did mention the releases of Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs; Stop the Presses! by Robert Goldsborough; The Stone Bearer by Jacque Stevens

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Butterfly Effects by Seanan McGuire—Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum I tried to express my enthusiasm for it earlier this week.
The Shadow Carver by Nadine Matheson—DI Henley is on the hunt for another grizly serial killer
The Dark Heart by Neil Lancaster—As you probably guessed from the above, Lancaster has a new book out. This time DS Craigie tangles with some spies.
The Best Dog in the World: Essays on Love edited by Alice Hoffman—”Fourteen beloved authors celebrate the life-changing bond with their canine companions in this heartwarming essay collection.” Something tells me that a Kleenex or eight on-hand would be a good idea.
The Most Dangerous Pet Shop by Paul Regnier—”On the night of his thirteenth birthday, Tristin is pulled through an enchanted mirror into a medieval fantasy realm with no way home. Stranded in the magical town of Springhaven, the fate of his family’s otherworldly pet shop is in his hands. But dealing with snapping dragons, talking animals, and mischievous pixies is a lot to handle.”
This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum—”Best friends Benny and Joy like to say they’ve been saving each other’s lives since the moment they met. Until the day Joy disappears and Benny is suspected of murder . . .” Check out the review over at Before We Go Blog.
Nobody’s Baby by Olivia Waite—A cozy sci-fi mystery novella set on an interstellar passage liner. This is the second in a series, but looks so good I’m getting my hands on the first one!
Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett—”When a magical hotel appears smack-dab in the middle of the most unmagical of worlds, the last thing the residents expect is to fall in love.”
The First Step by Tao Wong—”In a spectacular world of immortals, spirit beasts, and mystical martial arts, the young farmer Wu Ying’s life will be changed forever when he is unexpectedly invited to join an elite school of cultivation.”

I’ve been sick most of this week, and spent so little time with my eyes open it’s a wonder they still function (reading online posts really didn’t happen–nor did reading anything longer). Somehow I’m getting this post up, and I might be able to get some things up next week, too.

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:
Ageless Literature (@agelessliterature) posted some provocative slides “What happens when a society stops reading”
I get that almost none of you can take advantage of this program at a local bookstore, but it’s such a good idea, you should give it a look. Shared Stories is starting a Junior Booksellers series in March—where you casn “Meet neighborhood kiddos who are passionate about reading & hear all about their favorite books so you can love them too!” Like Hans today.
Can the Dictionary Keep Up?—an in-depth look at Stefan Fatsis’ Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat To) the Modern Dictionary
What We Lose When We Gamify Reading: Marissa Levien Makes the Case for Slowing Down—It may seem like hypocrisy for someone like me to like this kind of thing. But honestly, this is how I think–I just think like this while reading a lot. Both can be true (because the number is really never my goal, it’s just a game).

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
No Problem, Mr. Walt by Walt Hackman—still up there as one of my favorites.
Morning Star by Pierce Brown—remember back in our innocence when we thought that Brown was going to have mercy on us and end it as a trilogy? Good times–harrowing times, but good times. (we all know I’m not complaining here, I’m just saying)
I noted the releases of: The Passenger by Lisa Lutz; Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire; Borderline by Mishell Baker; East Of The City by Grant Sutherland; Who Wants To Be The Prince Of Darkness? by Michael Boatman; The Courier by Gerald Brandt; and Arkwright by Allen Steele

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
The Politician by Tim Sullivan—The fourth DC George Cross mystery had it’s American re-release this week. I’m assuming the victim was a politician of some sort. I’m resisting the urge to read the description until I catch up.
We Interrupt This Program by Randee Dawn—”Welcome to Seaview Haven. A delightful village of charming humans, quaint homes – and cozy mysteries! Fortunately, there’s silver-haired author-turned-sleuth Winnie Arrowmaker on hand to solve them all.

But things aren’t exactly as they seem. Seaview Haven is one of the Seelie Court Network’s many invented TROPE towns, and the “mysteries” are scripted and streamed for the entertainment of enchanted creatures across the Veil. Or, rather, they were…”
Flour & Forge by Herman Steuernagel—”A weary warrior. A restless baker. A magical side quest neither of them asked for, but both might need…perfect for anyone who believes that while pastry might not save the world, it can help make it a world worth saving.”

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:
Libro.fm has a neat deal–donate $15 to a library, and get a free audiobook—this campaign ends today, but there’s still time! Also, apparently today is the end of National Library Week, which is totally a thing I knew about before now.
New book collects the weirdest forgotten stories of printing history—Okay, this article is just a thinly-disguised advertisement for a Kickstarter, but it’s still a fun read
My New Take on Whether We Should Remove “Old” Books from School Classrooms
Monthly Manga Mania Featuring Firsty Duelist Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato—It’s the time of the month for Firsty Duelist to educate people like me about Manga
It’s also time for the Captivating Characters of the Month Linkup
A couple of month-end link wrap-ups to check out are: 10 Interesting Posts from the Book Blogosphere You May Have Missed in Feb. 2026 from Pages Unbound and February 2026 Book Blog Wrap-Up from A Literary Escape

A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Crime Time FM‘s NADINE MATHESON In Person With Paul—was a lot of fun to listen to

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
“The questions we have for the dead haunt us like unfinished dreams.”
—Head Fake by Scott Gordon

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
The Story of Lucius Cane: Book One by Vanya Ferreira—(I’d completely forgotten about the existence of this book)
Steal the Sky by Megan E. O’Keefe
Freedom’s Child by Jax Miller—that was 10 years ago??
I mentioned the releases of: The Absconded Ambassador by Michael R. Underwood; Out of the Blues by Trudy Nan Boyce; The Drowned Detective by Neil Jordan; The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury; Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon (and one I forgot last week):
Prey of Angels by JCM Berne—the latest in The Hybrid Helix looks great!
The Book of Spores—the ebook for this anthology is available now, “Collecting fungal tales from across countless universes, this FanFiAddict anthology spotlights the best of fantasy, science fiction, and horror.”
After the Fall by Edward Ashton—”Part alien invasion story, part buddy comedy, and part workplace satire, After The Fall… asks an important question: would humans really make great pets?”
Amari and the Metalwork Menace by B. B. Alston—huh. I thought this was a trilogy, but the publication of the fourth book reminds me to not assume so often.

(full credit to @jasonroygaston)

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:
Books and screens: Your inability to focus isn’t a failing. It’s a design problem, and the answer isn’t getting rid of our screen time—This’ll provoke some thinking (also, I want to be whereever that picture was taken)
“The guy you buy”: The Michael Clayton of it all.—a great piece on Corporate Thrillers
Read this: Generative AI is doing a number on the romance novel market—in case your blood pressure could use a boost (or your despair is running a little low)
From Atoms to AI: The Futile Search for a “Perfect” Language
Five Cosy Activities For Audiobook Listening—all of them sound better than my typical audiobook listening activities: driving, work, cleaning
“The Victim has to be a Believable Person”: An Interview with First Do No Harm’s S.J. Rozan
What Do You Want to Know About a Book Before You Read It?—a question I think about a lot

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
“Goblin tea resembles a nice cup of Earl Grey in much the same way that a catfish resembles the common tabby. They share a name, but one is a nice thing to curl up with on a rainy afternoon, and the other is found in the muck at the bottom of polluted rivers and has bits of debris sticking to it.”—Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe—Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum
Talking to the Dead by Harry Bingham—featuring a protagonist that belongs on one of my personal Mt. Rushmores
Some Assembly Required by Kevin Smith, Phil Hester and Jonathan Lau
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
The Relic Master by Christopher Buckley—yeah, I DNFed it, but I talked about it.
Lastly, I talked about the releases of Switcheroo by Aaron J. Elkins and Calamity by Brandon Sanderson

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett—”A woman who runs a cat rescue in 1920s Montréal turns to a grouchy but charming magician to help save her shelter.” (“turns to” and “grouchy” aren’t necessarily the words I’d use, but…whatever). I opined about it a couple of weeks ago. Lots of fun.
Time for a Change by Questlove, S. A. Cosby—I was a little worried that we weren’t going to get a sequel, but: “On the heels of their thrilling appearance in Rhythm of Time, best friends Rahim and Kasia are back traveling through time in Time for a Change. Last time around, they were on their own—now they are working with Aevum, a mysterious organization from the future that tasks them with averting disaster and safeguarding the flow of history.”
Worse than a Lie by soandso—”a lawyer drawn into a case that begins with a violent traffic stop and spirals into a fight over truth, power, and freedom inside the criminal legal system.” (for more, read the link there or this feature from the Westside Gazette, which is where I lifted that quotation from)

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:
Farewell, Pocket Books—I’ve linked to several things about this in the last few months (well, maybe a handful). I rather appreciated this short video.
Dorothy Parker: Sharp-Witted Writer, Bitter Professor—I didn’t know this about Parker.
Scammers’ Delight: Christopher Farnsworth on Living in the Golden Age of Grift—Yes, this is mostly an advertisement for Farnsworth’s new novel (see below), but even without that, it’s a good read. And you can see why people like Farnsworth, Spencer Quinn, and Jesse Q. Sutanto write about bringing these kind of crooks down.
It’s Time to Get Loud About the Books You Love—If you’re going to limit yourself to reading one thing I link to this week, this is the one.
Death Show Colossus: A Fantasy Cyberpunk Deluxe Edition Kickstarter—this looks like a great read, and you can get a very pretty copy of it on the cheaper side while helping some indie artists.
Books That Take Place in Bookstores or Libraries—a handy-dandy list.
Books with Relationships for People who Don’t Love Love: 2026 Edition—I’d forgot that Witty & Sarcastic Book Club did this every year. Shame on me. I enjoy seeing the picks (this year, I’m feeling clever: I’ve read one, own one, and have had another on my “to get” list for ages).
Similarly, Noelle Holten has a couple of Anti-Valentine’s Day Book Recs
If, however, you’re in the mood to celebrate the day, you might appreciate this collection of valentines to print for your special someone (or to at least forward the images to them)
The Manhattan Beach Library has a great game for bored librarians to play

My favorite sentence/passage/phrase (or two) that I read this week:
“Death may be the price of warriors, but grief is the price of the ones they leave behind.”—Banners of Wrath by Michael Michel

To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago This Week?
The Batgirl of Burnside by Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart & Babs Tarr
The Highly Capable by Jayme Beddingfield (I feel pretty bad that I forgot about this book entirely until I read this post today)
Guardians by Josi Russell
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
And I mentioned the releases of: Morning Star by Pierce Brown; Dead Is Better by Jo Perry; Atlanta Burns: The Hunt by Chuck Wendig; As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Banners of Wrath by Michael Michel—the third book in this saga is really pushing these cultures to the brink of destruction. I’m not so sure that there’s a way for this series to resolve in anything but chaos. I think I’m okay with that as long as the writing stays this compelling. (and if I’m wrong, all the better)
Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson—”An ordinary man discovers a hidden world of supernatural creatures—and an unexpected home—in this enchanting contemporary fantasy debut.” I tried to talk about what a cool read this is recently.
Robert B. Parker’s Big Shot by Christopher Farnsworth—”Police Chief Jesse Stone finds himself in the crosshairs of a rich hedge fund manager dead set on making Paradise Jesse’s personal hell.” I’m appreciating Farnsworth’s approach to Jesse, coupled with the piece linked above, I’m eager to dive in sometime next week.
Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman—”A man must fight for his planet against impossible odds when gamers from Earth attempt to remotely annihilate it in this epic, fast-paced novel.” This is not the jokey-Dinniman that others have described to me. This is like Suzanne Collins mixed with Scalzi’s more serious side. I’m almost half-way through this audiobook, and it’s captivating and gut-punching.