I Read (a lot) and then Rant, Rave and maybe Review
Hi all, thanks for reading this—over the next few (I hope very few) days, I’m going to be changing hosts for this here thing. My Followers, etc. should, should, should be unaffected, and move right over with me. If you don’t hear from me for a bit on whatever you use to track me, maybe just type in irresponisblereader.com, or find me on Twitter.
Hopefully, posting this/reading this has been a minor waste of our time and everything went smoothly, but, I really don’t believe that’ll be the case.
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Elphie Meets the End of The Worldby Hagit R. Oron, Or Oron Misgav (Illustrator) Kindle Edition, 17 pg. Read: July 8, 2020 |
It’s not uncommon given, well, everything that’s happened in 2020, for people to joke about the apocalypse coming, the End of the World being even more nigh-er than usual, and whatnot. But how many kids—either because they overhear someone joking and not realize it, or just arrive at that conclusion themselves after trying to understand everything going on around them. How are they supposed to react to this?
One day, Elphie is playing hide and seek with Phante and Phante’s older brother comes in talking about how he saw on the news that the world ending. Eliphie doesn’t take the news well and runs home to hide. Mom and Dad try to comfort and assure him. But it doesn’t really take—so they decide that if the world is going to end, they might as well make a party of it. That seems to work, and in the end, drives home the lesson that every day—even our last—ought to be enjoyed as a gift.
As usual, Or Oron Misgav, are just what the story needs. The drawings are cute and eye-catching. They capture the story well and would keep young eyes on the page. The illustrations bring out the right emotions, as well.
This is a nice, timely book—one that would work pretty well in the event we get past this cultural moment, too. Five years ago, I’d have never predicted that I’d be following a series of picture books about an anthropomorphic elephant child. But that was before I met this creation of the Orons, now these books are a reliable source of pleasure for me, and give me hope for what kind of picture books my (eventual) grandchildren can expect. Elphie Meets the End of The World combines the cute and hopeful story for kids, the cute art for both kids and those who read to them, and a decent model for addressing these times with those little ones entrusted to our care.
Grab the lot of them (they’re short and cheap), but definitely grab this one if you have an apprehensive child (or one that you’re afraid may be).
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this from the author in exchange for my honest impressions and thoughts about the book. I thank her for this.
It’s the 190th day of 2020, which happens to be a Wednesday, so we might as well do a WWW Wednesday, right? (every time I previewed this, at least one image didn’t show up…hey, look, the host transfer issues I worried about are showing up!)
This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.
The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
Easy enough, right?
I’m reading One Man by Harry Connolly and am listening to Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O’Keefe, Joe Jameson (Narrator).
I just finished M. W. Craven’s The Curator and Heartburn by Nora Ephron, Meryl Streep (Narrator) on audio.
My next book should be I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman and Land of Wolves by Craig Johnson, George Guidall (Narrator) on audiobook.
Hit me with your Three W’s in the comments! (no, really, do it!)
There are more books involved with this one for reasons you’ll see, which is part of I cut more on this dive down the hole than usual (also, there’s a bit of cheating, too). Hopefully, someone out there finds these somewhat interesting, I find composing them rather cathartic.
This meme was created by Lia @ Lost in a Story—but Jenna at Bookmark Your Thoughts is the one that exposed me to this, and as my Goodreads “Want To Read” shelf is scarily long, I had to do this.
The Rules are simple:
What distinguishes this series from the Mt. TBR section of my Month-end Retrospectives? Those are books I actually own while Goodreads contains my aspirational TBR (many of which will be Library reads). The Naming of the two is a bit confusing, but…what’re you going to do?
(Click on the cover for an official site or something with more info about the book)
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Sidekick: The Red Raptor Files – Part 1 by Christopher J. Valin Blurb: The Sidekick to his city’s greatest hero has to go solo to save the day, and his partner. My Thoughts: I’ve got too many unread Indie-pubbed Super-Hero books in my possession already, as fun as this looks, I need to cut it. Verdict:  |
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Mash Up by Joe Klingler Blurb: “When a suspect dies on his watch, failure pushes Alaskan detective Qigiq to San Francisco–the land of magical technology–to regroup. His new fast-driving partner, Kandy Dreeson, calls at dawn: a beautiful avant-garde violinist is at the station freaking out about an Amazon box–and her missing roommate. Thus begins the hunt for a killer who leaves behind a torrent of body parts, videos of heinous crimes, and deadly explosions. Qigiq and Kandy enter a world of cybercrime he doesn’t understand–but is determined to master. Dodging attempts on their lives with each new bit they decipher, they grow ever closer to a dangerous force that trades money for murder, and music for privacy. Closer with each Amazon delivery. Closer with each new victim.”
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RATS by Joe Klingler Blurb: “Summer greets the land of the midnight sun as a lone rider races across the last American wilderness, delivering on a promise he made long ago. He has many names, but the world only knows a shadow called the Demon. Soon to be drawn into the Demon’s world, Claire Ferreti, an Army sniper, sips sake in Washington, DC with her lover, a young, ambitious General whose geosecurity specialty remains classified. When a boy finds a small machine, Claire embarks on a a black-ops mission that leads to a test of skill, a clash of ideologies, and her unconscious body lying in a typhoon-ravaged jungle. In that instant she becomes the hunted, the Demon’s tool for survival, and an unforeseen threat. As the General pursues them into a labyrinth of cyber-secrets, political necessity and financial reality collide like a fireball piercing steel.” My Thoughts: See above. Verdict: |
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Absence of Light by Zoë Sharp My Thoughts: I missed this novella between Die Easy and Fox Hunter. A mistake I should rectify, and soon. Verdict:  |
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Killer Instinct; Riot Act by Zoë Sharp; Hard Knocks by Zoë Sharp; Road Kill by Zoë Sharp My Thoughts: I could be wrong here, but when First Drop came out in the states, the first three of these weren’t available–and I don’t know that Road Kill was published here before Second Shot was–I looked for everything I could get my hands on (ordering from overseas wasn’t really a thing I considered), and I honestly wasn’t aware these existed until years later. I just thought that Charlie showed up in First Drop with this complex backstory that we learned about in allusions and bits and pieces. Which was cool. Then a couple of years ago, I saw that these were a thing and slapped them onto my Goodreads list. And while I typically don’t get it when people do this, I don’t think I’m going to go back and see Charlie’s early years (as curious as a I am), because I like my Head Cannon. Verdict: |
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Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell My Thoughts: I’ve been a big Rowell fan in the past, but her recent work–the Marvel comic or the Simon Snow YA books (I thought the Snow stuff was the weakest part of Fan Girl and have no interest in pursuing it)–has so not appealed to me, that I think it spilled over into this short work about a girl waiting in line for a new Star Wars movie. Probably something I’d like, I just need to remember to read it. Verdict: |
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Why Bother With Church?: And other questions about why you need it and why it needs you by Sam Allberry My Thoughts: The title says everything you need to know about it. Allberry’s a clever, concise writer, so this should be good. I’ve read one or two others in this series (by other authors), and it should be a short, punchy read. Also, my wife’s read it twice and owns it. Just need to take an hour some day. Verdict:
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Open Season by C.J. Box Blurb: The first in Box’s long-running series about a Wyoming Game Warden who keeps stumbling into murder cases. My Thoughts: This is so, so, easy. I listened to the audiobook last year, so I can remove this from the “Want to Read” list. (this feels a little like a cheat, but I think I’ll get away with it). Verdict: |
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The Days of Tao by Wesley Chu My Thoughts: There is no reason at all that I haven’t read this. I’m a fan of the Tao series. I liked Cameron Tan. This is a short novella that I own. I’ve just got to take a day. Verdict:
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Barsk: The Elephants’ Graveyard by Lawrence M. Schoen Blurb: Genius-level, sentient elephants in the far-flung future. My Thoughts: I think Kevin Hearne talked about this in a newsletter, and it sounded good. It probably is good, but there’s probably a reason I left it untouched for 4 years. I’d probably like it, but not love it, so in the interests of time…to the chopping block it goes. Verdict: |
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Where All Light Tends to Go by David Joy Blurb: A country-noir tale about the son of a meth cooker trying to get out from his father’s shadow to be with the woman he loves–far from home. Verdict: This one hurts, I feel like I’m turning my back on something good. But I’m going to be honest, I’m just not going to get to it. |
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The Two of Us by Andy Jones Blurb: “Fisher and Ivy have been an item for all of nineteen days. Both of them have been in relationships before, and this time around, they know something is different—they are meant to be together. The fact that they know little else about each other is a minor detail. But over the next year, a time in which their lives are irrevocably altered, Fisher and Ivy discover that falling in love is one thing—and staying there is an entirely different story.” |
Anyone out there read any of these books? Did I choose wisely? Or did I choose poorly?
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Muzzledby David Rosenfelt eARC, 304 pg. Read: June 20, 2020 |
Wow. Andy Carpenter #21. That’s pretty mind-boggling, I’ve got to say. The way that Andy’s been ramping up the retirement talk over the last couple of books, I can’t help but wonder how many more are in store—but I have to expect we’ll get a few more. Rosenfelt’s army of dogs takes a lot of food. The more the merrier, I say—especially if there are more like this one in the wings.
Andy’s contacted by a friend also in the dog rescue biz—she’s come into possession of a stray and has been contacted by the owner to retrieve the dog. Which sounds pretty straightforward and good up until the point where she tells Andy the owner’s name. He’s the victim of a triple murder a few weeks ago when his boat was destroyed by a bomb of some sort. Yeah, you read me right—the victim. Except he clearly escaped and after being on the run for his life a bit, has decided he can’t run off without the dog. So he risks life and limb to be reunited with his pet. At this point, the reader (and everyone who knows Andy) realizes that if this man needs legal help, Andy will be his attorney. Andy needs some convincing, however.
And Alex Vogel is going to need Andy’s help—if he wasn’t one of those killed, the police would like to know, why wasn’t he? The explanation that makes the most sense to them is that Alex Vogel made and detonated the bomb, killing his friends. The motive is a little shaky, but that’s beside the point.
Alex gives Andy one possible reason that he’d be targeted, and while he doesn’t buy it, he has nothing else to go on, so while Andy tries to come up with an idea of his own, he spends a lot of time exploring that. In a long-running series like this is, it’s the little differences that really stick out and keep things fresh. It took Andy a painfully long time to come up with an alternative theory of the case. And while I found it frustrating that he was so slow, I appreciated that Rosenfelt let things go that way. I also admit that it’s not fair for me to judge, as the reader has access to some third-person narration portions of the novel that Andy doesn’t.
Whether looking for flaws in the Prosecution’s case, running down Alex’s theory, or trying to find an alternative, Andy and his regular band (which includes The K Team now) are as fun as always. The narration is clever, the humor is witty, the case complex, the herrings are red, the dogs are adorable—all the elements of a solid Andy Carpenter novel are there.
As I was mulling over this book this week, I’d mentally drafted a paragraph thinking about this one in the context of the series as a whole. At some point, it seemed pretty familiar, so I looked up what I said about Dachshund Through the Snow, the twentieth novel in the series. I’d said pretty much the same thing about that book as I wanted to say about this one. It doesn’t say much for my originality, but it says something about Rosenfelt.
I’ve read them all—some twice—and while I’ve never read a bad Andy Carpenter book, there were a few that were simply “fine” (that’s not a complaint, I’ll take a fine book over a lot of others), but there’s been a resurgence in the last five or so, particularly in the last two. In both of them Rosenfelt has done something I couldn’t/didn’t see coming, breaking his tried-and-true formula. Rosenfelt has no reason to do that at this point, he could keep churning out these books and his fans (including me), would keep gobbling them up. But he’s taking risks, he’s doing relatively daring things (while remaining true to the world he’s created).
I really liked this book on its own merits, I loved it in the context of the rest. Does that mean a new reader has to read the other twenty before this one? No—any of these novels are a good jumping on point, you’ll end up wanting to read some/all of the earlier ones though. A smart legal thriller—great stuff out of the courtroom, and amusing antics in it (I’ll never tire of reading Andy cross-examining a witness). Muzzled is one of the best in this great series.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this. As always, my opinions remain my own.
This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you.
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Of Mutts and Menby Spencer Quinn eARC, 304 pg. Read: June 27-29, 2020 |
Bernie meets the man destined to his new best friend—a hydrologist who seems to share many of the same opinions as Bernie when it comes to water usage in Phoenix. I don’t think we’ve managed to get a novel where Bernie hasn’t complained about the waste of water in the area (except maybe those two when they were back East), “we only have one aquifer.” It appears that Wendell has need of a P.I., too—the two make arrangements to meet the next day to discuss it.
But when our dynamic duo shows up at Wendell’s worksite office, they find him murdered. Which puts the kibosh on the bromance. Bernie naturally begins investigating—spurred to action after meeting the Sheriff’s Deputy in charge of this case, if nothing else—who is one of the sorriest excuses for a law enforcement officer that I’ve read this year. Some quick detective work leads Bernie to a suspect—not one that he believes really did it, but he still feels compelled to hand him over to Deputy Beasley.
This was a mistake as Beasley locks in on the suspect and ignores any other possibilities. But the more that Bernie looks into things—if only to find out why Wendell wanted to hire him—the more he’s convinced the suspect is innocent. Only no one—including the deputy, and the suspect’s own defense attorney—will listen to him.
What is there to say about Chet the Jet? He’s the same loveable, heroic champ we’ve come to know and love. For those who don’t know—Chet’s our narrator, Bernie’s partner, and a 100+ pound dog. Other than a couple of sentences showing a more libidinous side to Chet than we’re used to seeing, he’s exactly what we’ve come to expect. Don’t read anything into me not having a lot to say about him—he’s the best dog in fiction (for my money), but there are only so many ways you can say that.
On the other hand, I think I’ve given Bernie short shrift over the years—it’s easy to focus on Chet. But Bernie’s more than just the guy who complains about wasting water while making horrible investment choices. He’s a top-notch P.I., but like most fictional P.I.’s, his principles, independence, and lousy business sense keep him from being much of a success. His residence and devotion to Chet are most of what separates him from Elvis Cole, for example (sure, Elvis has his cat, but he doesn’t take the cat with him on cases).
I felt more connected to Bernie in this novel than usual—I’m not sure if that’s a reflection on me or Quinn’s writing. Bernie’s outrage at the treatment of the suspect (some directed at himself for getting the Deputy looking at him) drives him more than any desire for a fee or to discover what Wendell wanted.
In addition to the case and the machinations of the principles involved, there’s a lot going on in Bernie’s private life. He doesn’t deal well with most of it, which isn’t a surprise, dealing well with personal relationships isn’t his trademark. It seems to affect him more in this novel than I’m used to seeing him—both positively and negatively (although, there’s a lot of negative in this novel—all around).
In case you can’t tell, I can’t put my finger on what’s different this time—but Bernie seems more human, more real, less “merely the guy who Chet is devoted to” (although he absolutely is that). Quinn puts him through the wringer in many ways here, and the novel is better for it.
It’s not just with Bernie, I think that this novel has some of the most subtle and rich character work in the series (last year’s Heart of Barkness) headed in this direction (growth prompted by The Right Side?). The villain of this novel is the most complex and compelling foe for these two. Beyond that, there were so many characters that showed up for a scene or two—five or six pages total—that were just dynamic. Even Malcolm, the husband of Bernie’s ex-wife, Leda makes a couple of positive contributions! He’s rarely been much beyond an antagonist for Bernie, a competitor for the paternal role for Bernie’s son—and here he’s in such a better way, I almost liked him.
There are three—maybe four—scenes in this book that “hit you in the feels.” One only took two or three sentences to deliver the punch, and could easily be missed. But the emotional core of this novel is shown in a couple of others (some readers will be torn up by them, others will be satisfied—either reaction is warranted).
But there’s one scene—it has only the most tangential tie to the plot—that will (or ought to) devastate you. I’m honestly not sure why Quinn included it, but I am so glad he did. You’ll know it when you read it, I’m not going to say anything else about it. Chet was still his goofy self, but even he came across differently in it. The book is worth the purchase price for it alone.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, I’ve been a fan of this series since maybe the third chapter of the first book eleven years ago. And I’ll be a fan until Quinn moves on. But there’s something different about this book. Still, I’m going to try to thread the needle here—this is not my favorite book in the series. However, I think it’s unquestionably the best book so far. I’m not crazy about some of the longer-term arc events here—hey’re the smart move by Quinn, I’ll defend them, but I didn’t like them.
Still, there’s a good mystery, you get the wonderful partnership of Chet and Bernie, probably the best use of Bernie yet, and a new depth to Quinn’s writing—it’s precisely what the doctor ordered. New readers will have no problem jumping in at this point, returning fans have to be pulling on their leashes to get to this. Highly recommended.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Macmillan-Tor/Forge via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this. Also, sorry that I didn’t get this posted sooner, I really did try.
This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.
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The Curatorby M. W. Craven Hardcover, 372 pg. Read: June 30-July 2, 2020 |
‘Sean Carroll’s a kite enthusiast,’ Bradshaw said after Nightingale had ended the call. ‘He’s not a dork.’
Poe grunted. He had a problem with ‘enthusiasts’. As far as he was concerned, on the ladder of weird interests that eventually escalated to criminal behaviour, enthusiasts were only a rung below Obsessives, and he’d seen first-hand what obsessed people were capable of…
Yup, this case is strange enough that Poe is driven to consult a kite dork—sorry, enthusiast—that’s just how desperate he is for a clue. Not only has Poe seen first-hand what obsessed people can do, he’s frequently the obsessed person in question–he can make Harry Bosh look laid-back.
It all starts around Christmas—two severed fingers are found in a public location with no indication how they got there. Tests show that one finger was removed from the victim while they were alive, the other after they were dead. Two more sets of fingers show up in equally public, yet hard to access places. Clearly, there is a creative, disturbed and clever killer at work. The local police waste no time in calling in Washington Poe—this is up his alley, near his home, and the replacement for Detective Superintendent Gamble knows they need his assistance. With Poe comes his DI, a very pregnant Stephanie Flynn, and Tilly, everyone’s favorite analyst.
Racing against the clock—the last thing anyone wants is another pair of fingers showing up—Poe and Tilly do all they can to figure out what the victims have in common, or what would make them a target. And what “#BSC6” could mean—it was left at each scene, and even Tilly is stumped by it.
They catch a break or two, and Poe makes the most of it. Before long, they’re able to make an arrest, Tilly is able to do things with that evidence that even Poe didn’t know she could do—solidifying the case they have against their suspect—who begins confessing to crimes no one knew about. But he won’t confess to the killing.
And then there’s a phone call from a crusading FBI Agent to Poe. And suddenly, everything that Poe thought they’d established about the killer is thrown out the window.
From that point on, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. It was surprise after surprise after surprise. The twists didn’t stop coming—I’m pretty much at a loss for words. Is there a word that means “more than intricate”? If so, I need to learn it so I can describe this novel. Craven doesn’t cheat when it comes to his twists and reveals—it’s all there in the book for you to find. But you probably won’t, because Craven’s smarter than almost all of his readers.
The real draw to these books are Poe and Tilly. Everything readers liked about the before is back. Their camaraderie is as strong as ever and the reader can feel it radiating off the page, who needs a friendship of your own if you can live vicariously through theirs?
In The Puppet Show, Poe was trying to find his footing again after being reactivated. In Black Summer, he’s fighting to protect his reputation and career. Here? Poe’s just a man on a mission, with no distractions or hindrances in his way. Poe unleashed is a great thing to behold.
As much as Poe’s a local legend among Law Enforcement, it won’t be long until Tilly’s as much of a star (if not more). Watching her win over a bunch of jaded, cynical cops by being her brilliant, socially awkward self was so much fun. (her interaction with a representative from the Ministry of Defense might have been more entertaining, but not by much)
I don’t want to take away anything from DI Flynn—her role in this is pivotal, but her role in the investigation isn’t as large as it has been before, making her more of a supportive character than usual. Her condition, and Poe’s protective instincts (despite Flynn’s objections), won’t allow for anything else.
Detective Superintendent Nightengale is a no-nonsense woman. She’s clearly a good officer, a good manager. She wants to do things by the book, but she’s clever enough to give Poe and Tilly all the latitude she can for them to do a more effective job than the by-the-book route, just in case. I’m sure that eventually,, she’ll run out of the patience required to deal with this team—but that’s a plot complication for another day (and one I look forward to).
Estelle Doyle, the pathologist we met in Black Summer is back and just as wonderful. I know it’d be pushing things to have her play a larger role in these books than she does, but the few scenes we have with her are just not enough to satisfy.
Neither space or time permit me to discuss the other standout characters—on both sides of the law. I would like to talk a bit about the eponymous Curator, because the Curator is the kind of character that you want to sit around discussing for a couple of hours. Obviously, I can’t do that here.
In addition to the plot and characters, there’s real pathos, real tension, real heart—and even some real laughs. I’m not sure I breathed enough in the last seventy-five pages, it’s probably good that I wasn’t hooked up to an oximeter, the alarms that it would have sounded would’ve been really distracting. As usual, this is given to us via Craven’s crisp and compelling prose. Combine those characteristics with a top-notch mystery? And you’ve got a book that deserves all the accolades the first two books in this series has received, and then some. As good as The Puppet Show and Black Summer were (two of the best books I’ve read in the last two years), The Curator is better.
It was two days after I finished this before I could start another book—three before I could start another novel. That is rare for me. But I needed some time to recover/come down from this one. Pick an element—plot, atmosphere, character, pacing, complexity, twists—Craven nails it all. This is an exceptional work. It’s pointless for me to say anything else, why try to gild the lily?
I did come across some fun things to read this week, bu I’ve got no podcasts (a couple of videos, though), no new releases to talk about, this is going to be quick. Which I guess is good, because I don’t see a lot of my US readers all that interested in spending time today in reading this post (…eh, maybe given the peculiarities of this year…).
Happy Independence Day to you in the U. S., and happy Saturday to the rest of you.
that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
How to Fit Reading into Your Stay-at-Home Life
Flipping hell: book designers lament Waterstones’ back-to-front displays—Waterstones made (IMHO) a pretty smart move when it comes to book displays right now, but…yeah, I can see where designers would be miffed.
This tweet from Kevin Hearne did two things: 1. Taught me the term “ink drinker” (buveur d’encre) for bookworm (although one of the comments to his tweet contests that), and 2. led me to finding this list: Names for people who #read a lot—I like the Welsh (and one of the Swedish) name a lot, too.
7 Ways You’re De-Valuing Your Books
Me and my detective by Lee Child, Attica Locke, Sara Paretsky, Jo Nesbø and more—authors on living with their creations for years
The Stories Behind 15 of the Best Names Famous Writers Gave to Their Pets
Mallory O’Meara (@malloryomeara)—tweeted the best idea I’ve heard this year.
The Doctor will see you now with Ian Patrick—a half-hour chat with the inimitable Ian Patrick about his new book (that i recently gushed over), his work with the police and…probably some other stuff (I haven’t had time to finish it yet)
The Great Fantasy Debate: Is It Better to Have a Career in the Empire or the Rebellion in Star Wars? with authors Pierce Brown and Tochi Onyebuchi
The Greatest Book Blogging Myths I’ve Encountered: Some Confessions And Thoughts On What We Think Blogging Is And What It Actually Is
22 Problems only true Audiobook Fans understand…
Things I Look For In Reviews—Some good stuff here. Over the last year or so, I’ve wondered a bit about my propensity for “large bits of text” and people being “much less likely to read a review that’s just a bunch of paragraphs together in regular font with nothing to break it up,” since that’s what I tend to slip into. But adding in graphics or other headers? That’s another time investment, and I’m not sure how that’d affect my flow. (okay, this has stopped being about the post and all about me, which is not what this is for…still, readers, I’m open to comments/suggestions)
Fantasy: My Genre Breakdown—The Book in Hand blog gets all taxonomic on Fantasy. Also, I should hire Sam to organize my Goodreads shelves.
I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome toEd A. Murray who followed the blog this week. Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?
So, we left Partridge and Tom seeking shelter in a stranger’s home—The Man on the Hill (I kept mentally substituting “The Fool on the Hill” from Magical Mystery Tour, which made this difficult). We’re told he has an interesting life (the fact that he’s known by a title and not a name is a tip-off).
So, for reasons I’m hoping I’ll understand eventually, Fielding treats us to five chapters of this guy telling his life story. It’s an interesting tale, frequently interrupted by Partridge being amusing (and a little annoying). Tom draws some parallels between TMotH’s life and his own, which may lead to some introspection and maturity.
But, let’s be serious, it probably won’t.
This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice
RULES:
Grab a book, any book.
Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
Find a snippet, short and sweet.
Post it
from 56% of:
“You were going to describe the fight,” Mirishiya said.
“The fight is the best part of the story! Swift, bold strikes! One man against many! The pirate captain crippled! The pirate crew throwing down their weapons in terror! When I tell it, it’s like an old tale of adventure.
“But the truth is I didn’t see any of it. The night was darker than any I’ve seen before or since. The watch lanterns on Scream for Mercy seemed to wink out, as though a shroud had been thrown over them. I heard the clash of metal. I heard screaming. By the fallen gods, I heard screams that haunt my dreams to this day. But all I could see was growing darkness and the flicker of blue firelight.”
The point of these quick takes post to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.
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Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examinerby Judy Melinek, MD, & TJ Mitchell, Tanya Eby (Narrator) |
(the official blurb)
I really don’t know what to say about this account of a forensic pathologist’s training in NYC. Read it, listen to it, whatever. It’s fascinating. It’s a good reminder/way to learn that not all of forensic pathology is what you see on police procedurals (and even then…wow, fictionalized).
Her retelling of the reasons she left her surgical residency—and the fact that she’s not the exception to the rule (beyond having the good sense to leave when so many don’t), is one more reminder that we desperately need to overhaul medical training in this country.
But that’s not what the book is about—it’s about the day-to-day grind, the countless ways pathologists find evidence about what kills us, the hard job of getting answers for the bereaved, and yeah—there’s the criminal justice side to it. I’m a little squeamish when it comes to real-life medical “stuff”, I’ll watch a Tarantino marathon and not blink and the bucks of blood (well, maybe the dance scene in Reservoir Dogs some days), but I can’t last 15 minutes in a medical documentary without my toes literally curling. There were moments listening to this that made me wonder—but there weren’t many, and they passed quickly. If you’re like me, stick with it.
I was all set to say this is a good book and well worth your time, and then we got to the penultimate chapter. Melinek wisely organized her story by topic, not chronology. Largely due to this chapter (I’d guess), because you want it at the end so it doesn’t dwarf the rest. She started her residency a few weeks before September 11, 2001. I’m not even going to try to describe it. The whole book could’ve been written about this and the immediate aftermath.
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Out of Rangeby C. J. Box, David Chandler (Narrator) |
(the official blurb)
Of all the books in this post, this is the one that bugs me the most—but I’m being honest, I’m not going to find the time to give this the post I want to. Like his fellow Wyomingite (I had to look that term up), Walt Longmire, Joe Pickett has to leave his home occasionally. There’s just no way Box can keep killing people in that sparsely populated area.
So Joe goes to Jackson Hole to temporarily fill the office of a warden who killed himself—and, maybe, just figure out what drove the man to suicide*. Seeing Joe out of water, yet right at home in the work is great—I’m betting Box will do things like this in the future (again, see Longmire), and it’ll be worth it.
* Spoiler: he does.
Joe leaves Marybeth and the kids at home, with the usual financial woes, stresses of a pre-teen far too wise for her years (but with all the attitude of a preteen), and new loneliness. This marriage is headed for trouble—thankfully, both of them realize it (I’m not sure I can handle them splitting, and I’m not a die-hard Pickett fan yet).
Great mystery. Better sub-stories (I can’t start talking about the Nate Romanowski story without spoiling it). I’m really, really glad I started this series.
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The Fangs of FreelanceDrew Hayes, Kirby Heyborne (Narrator) |
(the official blurb)
Fred’s move to become a freelance accounting consultant for The Agency really just opens the door for more adventures (as well as for more challenging accounting jobs). It frequently looks like he bit off more than he can chew, but with a little help from his friends… Fred’s also dealing with the ramifications of starting his own clan in the last book—a move I thought was inspired and I’m enjoying watching that clan solidify.
This is probably the best of the series, really. Hayes makes some bold moves here. Heyborne’s narration remains strong and entertaining.
This is really a nice, reliable “cozy” Urban Fantasy series. I’m glad I stumbled upon it.
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Wonder Twins Vol. 1: Activate!by Mark Russell, Stephen Byrne (Artist) |
(the official blurb)
Okay, so…straight out of the second (pretty sure, it was the second) incarnation of Super Friends comes this Wonder Twins series. And it was . . . eh, okay, maybe?
Zan and Jayna are on Earth, sent here by their parents under the watchful eye of Superman. They’re open about their alienness, telling everyone at school about their home planet, its culture, and their abilities. And pretty much no one cares. After school, they hang out in the Hall of Justice as interns, they end up battling The League of Annoyance (villains too lame for consideration in the Legion of Doom). Oh, and eventually, Zan buys a circus monkey that turns out to be blue.
I really dug the art. I’m not sure what else to say about that—I’m interested in checking out more of Byrne’s work. Oh, wait…I have said nice things about him already. I should pay more attention to things like that.
The tone of this was wildly uneven—was it comedic? Was it earnest?. The League of Annoyance was too silly for this book—too silly even for the Teen Titans Go cartoon. I liked a lot of what went down in the Hall of Justice (especially the supercomputer).
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The Irresponsible Reader 