Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Teaser Tuesday: 3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years by John Scalzi
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #523: When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
From the publisher:
New York Times bestseller John Scalzi flies you to the moon with his most fantastic tale to date: When the Moon Hits Your Eye
Now humanity has to deal with it.
For some it’s an opportunity. For others it’s a moment to question their faith: In God, in science, in everything. Still others try to keep the world running in the face of absurdity and uncertainty. And then there are the billions looking to the sky and wondering how a thing that was always just there is now... something absolutely impossible.
Astronauts and billionaires, comedians and bank executives, professors and presidents, teenagers and terminal patients at the end of their lives -- over the length of an entire lunar cycle, each get their moment in the moonlight. To panic, to plan, to wonder and to pray, to laugh and to grieve. All in a kaleidoscopic novel that goes all the places you’d expect, and then to so many places you wouldn’t.
It’s a wild, magical moonage daydream. Ride this rocket.
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Book Review: Starter Villain by John Scalzi
This was my first time reading John Scalzi, but it won't be my last.
Charlie Fitzer is a substitute teacher with dreams. He wants to own the pub that he and his dad frequented. Unfortunately the bank turns him down for a loan to do so because he has no collateral. On that same day, Charlie finds out that he has an inheritance from his estranged Uncle Jake. All he has to do is stand up for him at his funeral. The attendees, their actions, and Charlie's reactions are really something.
Mathilde Morrison, his Uncle Jake's right hand woman, reveals to Charlie that he's inheriting his uncle's business. Not so much the public business, which runs itself, but a more clandestine business of being a Villain.
Tilly takes him to a secret lair on a volcanic island in the Caribbean. Charlie finds out that his uncle has cats and dolphins working for him that communicate via computers. And while his uncle's competitors didn't like him, they don't want Charlie taking over the business either.
I really liked Charlie. He tries really hard to take everything in stride. He succeeds for the most part. I was glad he had Tilly, the cats, and the dolphins to help him. Having Charlie need to negotiate with unionizing dolphins was inspired. The dialog is well done and can be quite funny. The plot moves along at a good pace. The action pretty much starts with a bang and goes from there. It gets faster the further you get into the book.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it to people who enjoy well written books with unusual plot lines, devices, and a good dose of humor.
Starter Villain by John Scalzi was published September 19th, 2023 by Tor Books.
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #474: Starter Villain by John Scalzi
Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.
Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.
But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.
It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyper-intelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.
In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat.
Starter Villain by John Scalzi is expected out September 19th, 2023 from Tor Books.
Why am I waiting on this book? I really like the premise. I've worked as a substitute teacher. I wonder what he will do with his inheritance. It sounds like it has the potential for humorous parts as well as adventure. And it's not a long wait until this one comes out.
What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!






