Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #566: Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

Fern has weathered the stillness and storms of a bookseller’s life for decades, but now, in the face of crippling ennui, transplants herself to the city of Thune to hang out her shingle beside a long-absent friend’s coffee shop. What could be a better pairing? Surely a charming renovation montage will cure what ails her!

If only things were so simple…

It turns out that fixing your life isn’t a one-time prospect, nor as easy as a change of scenery and a lick of paint.

A drunken and desperate night sees the rattkin waking far from home in the company of a legendary warrior, an imprisoned chaos-goblin with a fondness for silverware, and an absolutely thumping hangover.

As together they fend off a rogue’s gallery of ne’er-do-wells trying to claim the bounty the goblin represents, Fern may finally reconnect with the person she actually is when nothing seems inevitable.

Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree is expected out November 11, 2025 from Tor Books.

Why am I waiting on this book? I really enjoy Travis Baldree's writing. I like the characters and the world that it's set in. 

What book are you waiting on? Share it and a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by. Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #561: The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J.R. Dawson

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World is a powerful and poignant contemporary Queer fantasy perfect for fans of Hadestown and Under the Whispering Door

At the edge of Chicago, nestled on the shores of Lake Michigan, there is a waystation for the dead. Every night, the newly-departed travel through the city to the Station, guided by its lighthouse. There, they reckon with their lives, before stepping aboard a boat to go beyond.

Nera has spent decades watching her father—the ferryman of the dead—sail across the lake, each night just like the last.

But tonight, something is wrong.

The Station's lighthouse has started to flicker out. The terrifying, ghostly Haunts have multiplied in the city. And now a person—a living person—has found her way onto the boat.

Her name is Charlie. She followed a song. And she is searching for someone she lost.

"Gorgeous, lyrical, heartfelt, and true in all the ways that matter! This is an achingly beautiful book that is as much about life as it is about death."—Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J.R. Dawson is expected out July 29th, 2025 from Tor Books.

Why am I waiting on this book? It sounds like a lot of things potentially: touching, scary, interesting, and well-written. I think the location for the waystation for the dead is interesting. The stories of both Nera and Charlie sound touching. And the Haunts in the city sound scary. I'd like to see how it's resolved. And I like the comparison to Under the Whispering Door.

What book are you waiting on? 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!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #523: When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings. 

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

The moon has turned to cheese.

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.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi is expected out March 25, 2025 from Tor Books.

Why am I waiting on this book? I've read a few John Scalzi books now. I've always found them to  be entertaining and imaginative. I expect this one will be the same. 

What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to out TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

What I've Been Reading

 

This week I'm actually reading two books 'cause that's how I roll sometimes.

The first one is Network Effect by Martha Wells. It was published in 2020 by Tor Books and it's award winning. It won a Hugo, a Nebula, and a Locus award.

I'm happy that while this book is the first full length novel in the series, I am still enjoying it. It's about 348 pages according to Amazon and I'm about 50% through.

As in earlier books, Murderbot has its humans that it is trying to protect in dangerous situations. And the transport vehicle from one of the earlier books, ART, is back. In fact it's possible that ART has caused some of the danger and/or maybe its people have. At any rate, it's an interesting story and it's well done. I still really like Murderbot and I suspect I will be reading on in the series when I finish this one.

And as of December 2023, Apple TV+ has announced it has ordered an adaptation of the Murderbot diaries.

The other book I am reading is Broadcast Blues by R.G. Belsky. It's the sixth book in the Clare Carlson series  It's my first foray into the series. I'm given to understand that each book can be read as a standalone. It was just released today from Oceanview Publishing.

Clare Carlson is a newswoman approaching 50 with a somewhat precarious employment situation as her boss doesn't like her. Clare finds herself investigating and reporting on the murder of Wendy Kyle. Wendy was a former NYPD officer who was currently self employed as a private investigator. She specialized in working for women who thought their husbands might be cheating on them. That was until a car bomb went off ending her life. Because of her line of work, there seems ro be a long list of possible suspects.

And that's as far as I've gotten. The synopsis says there will be danger. And Jonathan Kellerman described the book as a, "page-turning, meticulously plotted crime novel." So, I'm looking forward to reading more and seeing where things take Clare.

What are you reading?

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.

Book Review: Ravensong by TJ Klune

 

From the publisher:

The beloved fantasy romance sensation by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, about love, loyalty, betrayal, and joy. The Bennett family has a secret: They're not just a family, they're a pack. Ravensong is Gordo Livingstone's story.

Gordo Livingstone never forgot the lessons carved into his skin. Hardened by the betrayal of a pack who left him behind, he sought solace in the garage in his tiny mountain town, vowing never again to involve himself in the affairs of wolves. It should have been enough. And it was, until the wolves came back, and with them, Mark Bennett. In the end, they faced the beast together as a pack… and won.

Now, a year later, Gordo has found himself once again the witch of the Bennett pack. Green Creek has settled after the death of Richard Collins, and Gordo constantly struggles to ignore Mark and the song that howls between them. But time is running out. Something is coming. And this time, it’s crawling from within. Some bonds, no matter how strong, were made to be broken.

The Green Creek Series is for adult readers.
Now available from Tor Books.

My thoughts: 

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's a good followup to the first book in the series, Wolfsong. As the synopsis states, this is Gordo Livingstone's story. Some of it is his view of some of the events from Wolfsong. Most of it is about what happened after Wolfsong. 

I liked getting to know Gordo and seeing things from his point of view. He is a magic user rather than a werewolf. And he is a tether - he helps hold the wolves together so they don't lose themselves to the wolf within. I liked that Gordo grows and changes as the book goes on.

Green Creek is described again though maybe not as thoroughly as in the first book. Most of the action takes place in and around Green creek. The world building extends to the werewolves and how magic works in their world. There is a lot more about the Omega wolves in this book too. 

The book was slow to take off. It repeated some of the events from the first book, but from Gordo's point of view. Things picked up when new events began to happen. 

I still had the same nitpicky little things that bothered me about this book that bothered me about Wolfsong. So much happens to these characters, I guess I had too much empathy for them at some point and found it hard to read and a little depressing. Once again I almost DNF'd the book, but I stuck with it and was glad I did so in the end. Also the sex scene was a little too graphic for me. I am more of a fade to black kind of reader. I can understand why the author chose to include the scene, it just wasn't for me.

Overall, Ravensong is worth a read, especially if you've read Wolfsong and wondered what happened next. If you enjoy werewolf stories with some romance, then this might be a good book for you.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This didn't affect my opinion.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #474: Starter Villain by John Scalzi

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher: Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place.

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!

Book Review: Wolfsong by TJ Klune

 

From the publisher: 

The Bennett family has a secret:
They're not just a family, they're a pack.
Wolfsong is Ox Matheson's story.

Oxnard Matheson was twelve when his father taught him a lesson: Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then his father left.

Ox was sixteen when the energetic Bennett family moved in next door, harboring a secret that would change him forever. The Bennetts are shapeshifters. They can transform into wolves at will. Drawn to their magic, loyalty, and enduring friendships, Ox feels a gulf between this extraordinary new world and the quiet life he’s known, but he finds an ally in Joe, the youngest Bennett boy.

Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his heart. Violence flared, tragedy split the pack, and Joe left town, leaving Ox behind. Three years later, the boy is back. Except now he’s a man – charming, handsome, but haunted – and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.

The beloved fantasy romance sensation by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, about love, loyalty, betrayal, and family.

The Green Creek Series is for adult readers.

Now available from Tor Books.

My thoughts:

I gave this book 4 stars. I enjoyed reading about Ox and the Bennett pack. 

It's not a stretch at all to say Ox was my favorite character. I loved his quiet strength and the fact that he is smarter than many people assume he is.I did enjoy other characters as well, but none as much as Ox. As things turn out, he is an exceptional man. I enjoyed watching him grow and change throughout the book.

The world building was well done. Green Creek becomes a hometown not just a place for action to occur. Also the author did a good job at hinting and showng that there is something special about the area.

I found the four classes of werewolf interesting. There are of course Alphas and Betas and pack members. It's the fourth class of the Omegas - the ones lost to their wolves- that is different. They've lost control of themselves and seek out powerful wolves in an attempt to join their packs and heal. But it doesn't seem like there is any coming back from becoming an Omega.

I had two little nitpicking things that bothered me. One was that a lot happened to the Bennett pack and Ox. Sometimes I found this stressful to read and a little depressing. At those points I found it hard to go on and almost DNF'd the book. The second was that when the sex scene occurs it is rather graphic and I am more of a fade to black kind of person. I get why the author went with it the way he did, but it just wasn't for me.

Overall, it is a good book. It's worth a read. I would suggest this book to adult readers who enjoy werewolf stories with a sort of complicated romance.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not influence my opinion of the book.

Happy Book Birthday to Ravensong by TJ Klune

 

From the publisher:

The beloved fantasy romance sensation by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, about love, loyalty, betrayal, and joy. The Bennett family has a secret: They're not just a family, they're a pack. Ravensong is Gordo Livingstone's story.

Gordo Livingstone never forgot the lessons carved into his skin. Hardened by the betrayal of a pack who left him behind, he sought solace in the garage in his tiny mountain town, vowing never again to involve himself in the affairs of wolves. It should have been enough. And it was, until the wolves came back, and with them, Mark Bennett. In the end, they faced the beast together as a pack… and won.

Now, a year later, Gordo has found himself once again the witch of the Bennett pack. Green Creek has settled after the death of Richard Collins, and Gordo constantly struggles to ignore Mark and the song that howls between them. But time is running out. Something is coming. And this time, it’s crawling from within. Some bonds, no matter how strong, were made to be broken.

The Green Creek Series is for adult readers.
Now available from Tor Books.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #465: Wolfsong by TJ Klune

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher: The Bennett family has a secret:

They're not just a family, they're a pack.
Wolfsong is Ox Matheson's story.

Oxnard Matheson was twelve when his father taught him a lesson: Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then his father left.

Ox was sixteen when the energetic Bennett family moved in next door, harboring a secret that would change him forever. The Bennetts are shapeshifters. They can transform into wolves at will. Drawn to their magic, loyalty, and enduring friendships, Ox feels a gulf between this extraordinary new world and the quiet life he’s known, but he finds an ally in Joe, the youngest Bennett boy.

Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his heart. Violence flared, tragedy split the pack, and Joe left town, leaving Ox behind. Three years later, the boy is back. Except now he’s a man – charming, handsome, but haunted – and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.

The beloved fantasy romance sensation by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, about love, loyalty, betrayal, and family.

The Green Creek Series is for adult readers.

Wolfsong by TJ Klune is expected out July 4th, 2023 from Tor Books.

Why am I waiting on this book? I've enjoyed the other books I've read by TJ Klune. I enjoy stories about shapeshifters. I expect this book to be well-written like Under the Whispering Door. Plus there's not long to wait for this one.

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!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #462: Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

Set in the world of New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree's Bookshops & Bonedust takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and second-hand books.

Viv's career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam's Ravens isn't going as planned.

Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she's packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she'll never be able to return to it.

What's a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn't possibly imagine.

Still, adventure isn't all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree is expected out November 7th, 2023 from Tor Books.

Why am I waiting on this book? I like stories that involve bookshops. And I enjoy a good fantasy tale. This looks to be both.

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!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #452: In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots--fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They're a family, hidden and safe.

The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled "HAP," he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio-a past spent hunting humans.

When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio's former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic's assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.

Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?

In the Lives of Puppets is expected out April 25th, 2023 from Tor Books.

Why am I waiting on this book? I've read two books by T.J. Klune and I've enjoyed them both. I haven't been reading much of what you might call science fiction for a while, but the premise here intrigues me.

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!

Teaser Tuesday: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

“Sometimes,” Mr. Parnassus said, “our prejudices color our thoughts when we least expect them to. If we can recognize that, and learn from it, we can become better people. " (24% through on my Kindle)

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune was published March 17th, 2020 by Tor Books.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #403: The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher: 

Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book's content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries.

Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon—like all other book eater women—is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairytales and cautionary stories.

But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger—not for books, but for human minds.

Sunyi Dean's The Book Eaters is a contemporary fantasy debut. It's a story of motherhood, sacrifice, and hope; of queer identity and learning to accept who you are; of gilded lies and the danger of believing the narratives others create for you.

The Bookeaters by Sunyi Dean is due to be published August 9th, 2022 by Tor Books.

Why am I waiting on this book?  I think the idea of people who actually eat books is interesting. How the content appears to affect them adds to it. But the idea of one of them hungering for human minds is a little on the scary side.

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!

Book Review: Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

 

From the publisher:

Welcome to Charon's Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.

And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.

But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home.

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune was published September 21st, 2021 by Tor Books.

My Thoughts:

Wallace is a very busy man. Work is his life. Imagine his surprise and consternation when a reaper comes for him as he's watching his own funeral. She brings him to a tea shop where the ferryman is. Wallace is quite upset. At one point he even stomps his foot and demands to be returned to the living. Hugo, the ferryman, informs him this is impossible. Wallace sulks. This is how he begins his transformative journey with the help of Hugo, Hugo's grandfather, the reaper, and a ghost dog.

The characters are all interesting. Wallace undergoes the biggest and most obvious change. But the others experience growth as well. I enjoyed the characters and rooted for them. I especially liked the bits between Wallace and Hugo's grandfather. And I enjoyed reading about Wallace and Hugo as they grow closer.

The novel has a quiet sort of tone to it. Almost all of the action takes place in the tea shop. The calmness is the perfect background for the story. 

There are a few scenes that are full of action. And there is a certain amount of sarcasm in the story as well. There's also some humor. I wasn't crazy about the ending, but it does follow the experiences logically.

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's well written. The characters are endearing for the most part. I really wanted to know what was going to happen to them. If you enjoy fantasy titles , you might enjoy this one. I really looked forward to this book and it did not disappoint.. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.