Friday Favorites: Female Protagonist Action/Adventure Novel Series

 

Action and Adventure books are more than a mystery. There is a mystery of some sort of course, but the focus is on the actions and adventures of the characters more than the mysteries alone. In no particular order, the following are some of my favorite action and adventure books.

The Revenge Services Inc. Series

Currently there are 3 books in this series by Alex A. King. Kick the Bucket is the first book in the series with a main character who is 44 years old.  The second and third books in the series have main characters in their 30s. All three main characters work for Revenge Services Inc. Someone has wronged you and you want to get back at them with creativity, you consult the Revenge Services. 

A substantial part of all three books takes place in Greece. Come for the mystery, stay for the action, adventure, culture, and humor. All three books are available for purchase or through Kindle Unlimited. I really like that the women are not 20 somethings and that the plots show a good deal of creativity.  

Poppy Fields Adventures

Follow the adventures of Poppy Fields starting with Fields' Guide to Abductions by Julie Mulhern. Poppy is an influencer and rich "IT girl." People follow her on social media and in the news. Then one day her life is changed forever when she is abducted by a Mexican Cartel while on vacation. She rises to the occasion with some missteps. I don't think it's a spoiler to say she survives with plenty of humor and snark since there are 8 books in the series at this point. In each book we get to know her and the other characters better as we follow her increasingly wild adventures. Again, the books are available by purchase or Kindle Unlimited.

Killers of a Certain Age series
 

And just in case pretty, young protagonists aren't your thing, there are Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn.  Four attractive, older women who previously had worked as hitwomen find themselves on the other end of the gun. The women are in their 60s. They find out someone has taken a hit out on them. They must work together if they are going to survive. Book two is a lot of fun too. 

And More:

There are plenty more books that fall into this category that make for fun reads: The Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano, the Aunties series by Jesse Q. Sutanto, and the Confessions. of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series by J.B. Lynn to name a few. 

What books in this category do you like to read? Share them in the comments so we can add them to our ever growing TBR list.

Friday Favorites: 2 Sides of One Coin: Reread or DNF

 

This week there are two questions: 1) Do you ever reread a book? and 2) Would you DNF a book? (DNF = Did not finish) Both questions are personal.

There are benefits to rereading a book. It can provide comfort. You've read it before. You pretty much know what happens. And yet you may see things you missed before. I rarely reread books. When I do reread, it's because I really enjoyed the book. It may be also be for comfort or because it had some ideas in it that I felt worth exploring again. Some examples of books that I've reread are Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach, The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal also by Christopher Moore, Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein, Mort by Terry Pratchett, and The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Then there is the other side of the coin. Most of the time I muddle through, but sometimes I just can't stand it and don't finish a book. Again I find that most of the time I haven't finished a book it's because I didn't like it and I reached a point where I was avoiding reading it. Other reasons may be because of the mood I found it was putting me in or something happens in the book that I just didn't want to read - found repugnant. Examples of books I've DNF'd are Moby Dick by Herman Melville, and The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts by Kim Fu. There are lots of other people who enjoyed these books, but they just weren't for me for one reason or another.

So, tell me, do you reread books? And which ones do you reread? Have you DNF'd a book? Which book and why? Share your thoughts in comments. Thanks for coming by. Happy Reading!

Friday Favorites: Any Author Living or Dead...

Today's topic:  If you could spend time with the author or authors of your choice, who would you choose?

I know most people who ask this question try to get you to limit it to one person. I've found that very seldom, though, can people actually do that. It's like once they start naming authors, they can't stop. 

For my part, the top three today that I chose are Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Terry Pratchett. Given the sense of humor and imagination that these men have,  I expect it would be a lively and fun time. And I say top 3 today because perhaps on another day, in another mood, I might pick different people to share my time with,

Top left on the graphic is Kurt Vonnegut. I've pretty much enjoyed everything I've read by him, but Slapstick has become a family favorite. Such things as heavy gravity days, inhaling Chinese, and the Church of Jesus Christ the Kidnapped have made it into the family lexicon.

In the middle, there is Douglas Adams. I've enjoyed the Hitchhiker's Guide "trilogy" as well as the Dirk Gently books and Last Chance to See. The man had a fantastic imagination. "Always know where your towel is," the one accessory every hitchhiker should carry with them. Don't listen to Vogon poetry willingly. What is 42? The only thing that travels faster then light is bad news. And, Douglas Adams actually spent some time working on Doctor Who.

The third author I chose was Terry Pratchett. Honestly, his Discworld novels and Good Omens are the extent of my reading experience with him so far. I've thoroughly enjoyed his creation of Discworld and the beings that populate it. Who else could conceive of a librarian as an orangutan at the Unseen University? A Death that speaks in all capital letters? A separate Death of Rats? A wonderful witch such as Granny Weatherwax? I've never tried to pick one book of his as a favorite, but say instead that I rather enjoy the series. Some books more than other books, of course, but there isn't one favorite above all else.

So tell us, who would you like to spend time with? And if you are so inclined tell us why?

Friday Favorites: Autobuy/Autoread Authors: Alex A. King

 

A question I've seen a lot asked of book readers and. book bloggers is, "Who do you autobuy?" I can understand that because it indicates which authors are deemed precious enough to part with money to be able to read them at your leisure. But some of us can't afford it as much as we'd like to.

I'd like to know, who do you autoread? Which authors' new books do you reserve from the library, or buy - first or second hand? Everyone has a few authors that they look forward to reading no matter what they are writing. And who it is, doesn't always remain the same, Sometimes it changes according to mood or life circumstances.

For me currently, one of my autoreads and autobuys is Alex A. King. She has written at least 5 different series. The first one I ran across was the Kat Makris series. Book one is titled Disorganized Crime. Kat grew up hearing tales from her father about Greece's boogeyman. Come to find out there is some truth to his tales and Kat must confront the somewhat familiar monster. Family Ghouls is the first book in the Greek Ghouls series. It's another fun series. The main character can see ghosts and has been tasked by her friend and neighbor to find out who killed her. Kick the Bucket is the first in the Revenge Services series. Each book focuses on a different character that works for the service. I thought the concept of an agency that helps people get revenge on others was interesting and a fun thing to read about. I also have enjoyed the Women of Greece series. Pants on Fire is the latest one. They are fun to read too. More romance, which I seldom read, than anything else. Each book focuses on a different woman and man. It came out last May and focuses on a woman who inherits half a house from her grandmother. The Penny Post Myth Agent series is still funny, but for some reason I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the other series. When I find out that she has something new coming out, I either read it on Kindle Unlimited or purchase the Kindle version.

What draws me to her writing is the humor and descriptions.  

“She did sarcasm like other people did breathing.― Alex A. King, Family Ghouls

“She's the most outgoing of them all and lives life without a backspace key. Or a volume button.”
― Alex A. King, Pride and All This Prejudice

"The fifty-something principal, who was never an educator herself, has the complexion of an old leather canteen and the personality of razor wire." -- Alex A. King, Pants on Fire

So, tell me one of your autoread or autobuy authors. Who is it that you can't wait to read when you've heard a new book is coming out or is out already?

Friday Favorites: Personifications of Death

 

Death has been around forever. Most cultures have a personification of Death and cultural traditions associated with him. For example, putting coins on the eyelids of a dead person to make sure they have the fee to give the ferryman to pass over the river Styx into the realm of the dead.

Death is still very much present in modern literature. Today I'd like to talk to you about two of my favorite representations of Death. The first one is from the book Mort by Terry Pratchett. It is part of the Discworld series. Death's appearance is familiar - black cloak, skeletal body, and scythe. Where Death differs is in how he speaks and what all he wants. Death speaks in all caps, all the time. And Death takes on an apprentice because he wants to experience the world he hasn't fully known. What follows are some quotations from the book.

"It was the sort of smile that lies on the sandbanks waiting for incautious swimmers."

"How do you get all these coins?" asked Mort. "IN PAIRS."

It is a fact that although the Death of Discworld is in his own words, an ANTHROPOMORPHIC PERSONIFICATION, he long ago gave up using the traditional skeletal horses, because of the bother of having to stop all the time to wire bits back on."

Death was standing behind a lectern, pouring over a map. He looked at Mort as if he wasn't entirely there. "YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF THE BAY OF MANTE, HAVE YOU?" he said. "No sir," said Mort. "FAMOUS SHIPWRECK THERE." "Was there?" "THERE WILL BE IF I CAN FIND THE DAMN PLACE."

"I USHERED SOULS INTO THE NEXT WORLD. I WAS THE GRAVE OF ALL HOPE. I WAS THE ULTIMATE REALITY. I WAS THE ASSASSIN AGAINST WHOM NO LOCK WOJULD HOLD."

"Yes, point taken, but do you have any particular skills?" - Death consulting a job broker.

"I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU," he said, "BUT I COULD MURDER A CURRY."

The other personification of Death I enjoy comes from the book A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore. Charlie Asher's wife passes away unexpectedly. When Death comes to.call he is able to see him. After that it seems that Charlie has been tasked with the job of being Death. Chaos ensues. 

He finds a publication: "So Now You're Death: Here's What You'll Need."

"In order to hold off the Forces of Darkness, you will need a number two pencil and a calendar, preferably one without pictures of kitties on it."

"Funny how the illusion of safety can make us careless." 

"Know what I like about mysteries? They're mysterious."

"He realized, with no little sense of irony, that until he became Death, he'd never felt so alive."

"Sometimes, a man must muster all of his courage simply to sit still. How much humanity has been spoiled for the confusion of movement with progress, my friend? How much?"

"He crossed against the light, limping slightly under the weight of the subtext."

And this one from his daughter Sophie, "Kitty!"

I hope you've enjoyed the Friday Favorites. Do you have a favorite Death character? Let us know in the comments. Make sure to add the book name so we can add it to our TBR. Happy Reading!

Friday Favorites: Southern Cozy Mysteries

 

Southern Cozies are a favorite of mine at least in part because I live in the south. For the purpose of this post I am using the Census Bureau's definition of the south-- South Atlantic: Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, amd Delaware East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee West South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas.

What makes a southern cozy? It takes place in the South. The dialogue is generally polite, but can be sharp (Bless her heart.) There is usually nothing overtly graphic in the way of violence, gore, or sex. The murderer is always caught and brought to justice and harmony restored. The main investigator is usually a likable, female character. And the villain is despicable.

I like the easy, light reading of the southern cozy. The banter is usually good. Settings for the most part are pleasant. I found when I was out of town for an extended period, that the southern cozies helped with my homesickness. 

Murder on a Girls' Night Out is the first in the Southern Sisters mysteries by Anne George. This is one of my all time favorite series. The books take place in Birmingham, Alabama. Patricia Anne (aka Mouse) and Mary Alice (aka Sister) are the sleuths. There is a lot of humor to the writing as well. There are 8 books in the series.

Another humorous series is the Cherry Tucker series that takes place in Halo, Georgia. Cherry Tucker is a talented artist who ends up having a skill for finding trouble as well. She has 6 novels and 2 novellas according to Goodreads. Portrait of a Dead Guy by Larissa Reinhart is the first book in the series.

Another humorous southern cozy is The Liz Talbot series by Susan Boyer. It starts with Lowcountry Boil. I love the description of the plot of the first book on Goodreads. There are 11 novels and one novella. The novels take place in South Carolina. "Private Investigator Liz Talbot is a modern Southern belle: she blesses hearts and takes names."

Some other humorous southern cozies include: The Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano (Virginia), The Miss Fortune series by Jana DeLeon (Louisiana), The Southern Ghost Hunter series by Angie Fox (Tennessee), The Claire Malloy series and The Arly Hanks series by Joan Hess (Arkansas).

Two series that I have on my TBR list, but haven't gotten to yet are The Sarah Booth Delaney series by Carolyn Haines (Mississippi) and The China Bayles series by Susan Wittig Albert (Texas).

Do you have a favorite southern cozy series? Or does one of these appeal to you? Share in the comments. Happy Reading!

(All links open in new tabs and come from Goodreads.)

Friday Favorites: Urban Fantasy

 

Urban Fantasy is a genre that became more popular starting in the 1980s. In Urban Fantasy, the magical shares our world, but is often hidden in some way. It differs from Magical Realism in that in Magical Realism, the magic is accepted as a normal part of the world. Not everyone has magic, but those that do or those around them more or less accept it as part of the status quo. When you think of Urban Fantasy, think about perhaps some of the magical people/creatures living underground in old subway tunnels. Or perhaps inhabiting an arts studio where their eccentricities might be discounted rather than really noticed.

My introduction to Urban Fantasy came with the book Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint. It is a collection of short stories that take place in the fictional city of Newford. Since the birth of Newford, the author has gone on to write many more stories that take place there as well as in other locations. Newford is a favorite of fans as are some of the characters that inhabit there such as Jilly Coppercorn and The Crow Girls.

Terri Windling is also of note as she has been editor, writer, artist and more in the genre and beyond starting when it became more popular.

Some other favorites of mine include, but are not limited to:

C.E. Murphy - The Walker Papers

Faith Hunter - The Jane Yellowrock series and the Soulwood series

Seanan McGuire - The InCryptid series and October Daye series

SM Reine - Preternatural Affairs and more

Kim Harrison - The Hollows series

Patricia Briggs - The Mercy Thompson Series

Jennifer Estep - The Elemental Assassin Series

Jim Butcher - The Dresden Files 

Kevin Hearne - The Iron Druid Chronicles

If you enjoy contemporary fantasy, you will most likely enjoy urban fantasy. I remember being surprised at how many people chose to use a blend of Celtic and Native American beings. For example, in book one of the Walker Papers, Urban Shaman, Joanne Walker discovers that she is a shaman and must save people from the Wild Hunt. Some other authors design a magic system virtually from scratch - the Elemental Assassin series for example.

Question: Is it possible to have urban fantasy in a historical city setting such as Boston? An example here would possibly be The Whimbrel House series by Charlie N. Holmberg.

Please understand this is not a definitive list, but rather some Urban Fantasy authors I have enjoyed over the years. If you have a favorite you don't see here or have something you'd like to add, please feel free to do so in the comments. Happy Reading!

Friday Favorites: Beach Books

 

For Friday Favorites, I will be sharing some books or authors or genres that I find interesting and enjoy. Please feel free to leave a book/blog related comment.

This week's subject is Beach Reads.

If you were going to the beach today, what would you pack to read?

I ran a poll on Threads asking what genre people would read for their beach reads.

The results were interesting. I expected light reading material. That much was true. The genres were mixed . Keep in mind that this poll had a low turnout. I still found the results interesting. The winning genre was Romance followed closely by Science Fiction and Fantasy. Mystery came in third, and Horror last. I am wondering if people had a particular book or author in mind when they answered or if it was just a general answer. I should've included more genres in my poll as well.

I haven''t read a straight up romance book in ages. So, I will leave it to y'all to make suggestions. I've read some romantasy. Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde trilogy is excellent. There's tons more out there.

As for light science fiction and fantasy, The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells make for good sci-fi on the light side. And for fantasy, I've read Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree and other books in the same world. And if you want something that is sometimes silly, sometimes serious, I would think the Fool series by Christopher Moore would make for good reading. There's Fool, The Serpent of Venice, and Shakespeare for Squirrels.

For mysteries, it depends on what kind of book you really like - light, cozy mystery, police procedural, etc. In the last year I discovered Caleb Wygal has a series that takes place in Myrtle Beach where a widowed bookstore owner tries his hand at solving mysteries. Other books and authors I've read or had recommended to me are Susan Boyer with her Low Country mystery series and Larissa Reinhart's Cherry Tucker mysteries. Those are pretty much cozies. Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn and the sequel Kills Well with Others are more of a thriller type mystery. There's these older women who were assassins and have been retired, but now someone is after them.

And, for horror,  Grady Hendrix's How to Sell a Haunted House or The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires are good horror beach reads. I've also had Preston & Child recommended to me in this category or the previous one. Maureen Kilmer has a few: Nightmare of a Trip, Suburban Hell, and Hexed all make for good reading on the lighter horror side.What kind of horror do you consider a good beach read? Do you prefer light horror, chilling horror, or something else?

Some older books I'd like to plug for beach reading are Elizabeth Peters's Amelia Peabody mysteries, Darynda Jones's Charley Davidson books, as well as the Southern Sisters mysteries by Anne George and Joan Hess's Arly Hanks or Claire Malloy mysteries.

What's in my beach bag? 

The most recent Elle Cosimano book - Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line, The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance by Chiara Bullen. and Rich Girl: a Country Club Murder Novella by Julie Mulhern.

What's in your beach bag? Please share it in a comment. Thank for stopping by and Happy Reading!

Friday Favorites: Horror with a Dash of Humor

For Friday Favorites, I will be sharing some books or authors or genres that I find interesting and enjoy. Please feel free to leave a book/blog related comment.

This week's subject is Horror with a dash of Humor. 

It seems from time to time that many people like to read a little horror while others prefer a steady diet of it. I  like it now and then, but don't read it constantly. And I prefer my horror to come with the occasional comic relief. It breaks some of the tension and sometimes sets you up for the next scare. 

Why do people like to read horror at all? There are many reasons. The one I found most interesting was that it gives people control. If it's getting too scary, you can close the book for a while. You can decide how scary the book you pick is. And sometimes this is the best thing we can do when the world around us is crazy. 

Some of my favorite horror/humor authors are: Lindy Ryan, Maureen Kilmer, Grady Hendrix, and Christopher Moore. Although Christopher Moore's books I think are more humor than horror. And full disclosure I haven't read Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines yet nor Anima Rising by Christopher Moore. And I have just dipped into the anthology Blood Lite from time to time.

I'm looking forward to Slayers of Old. Here's a quotation I found on Amazon from it. "As a Hunter, my body reacted to the presence of unnatural threats: monsters and demons and people who hung the toilet paper roll "under" instead of "over." My duty was to track down and end these threats." 

Lindy Ryan's stories of the Evans women - Bless Your Heart and Another Fine Mess were joined by Dollface this year in the horror with a dash of humor category. Dollface is not one of the Evans women, but it is a story about a serial killer killing off people in the PTA of an elementary school.

Christopher Moore's book, A Dirty Job, asks the question what would happen if you had to raise a toddler while perhaps being the personification of death. The Stupidest Angel - "a heart warming tale of Christmas terror" cautions be careful what you wish for and combines the undead with the holiday season.

If you haven't already, do also check out Maureen Kilmer and Grady Hendrix. For more on horror and humor suggestions, my post from this past October is still available to read, Spooky Season Recommendations. 

Do you like to read horror with or without humor? What are some of your favorite authors or books? Drop a line in the comments. Happy Reading!