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I can always tell when I enjoy a book; I usually read through it quickly. Nashville Trade is one of those books. As predicted, it has all the earmarks of a hardboiled detective novel, but with much, much more humanity. Told in first-person by a Vietnam War veteran, it's easy to tell that Jackson Trade seeks redemption. He's also in a downward spiral at the beginning of the book. A recently fired Assistant Dean of Students at Vanderbilt University, Jackson is not even living p

First of all, this novella was a hoot. As to be expected from John Scalzi. As predicted, it has all the earmarks of a whacky Scalzi SciFi tale. I was mistaken in my former blog. The main character, Ashley Perrin, is not a newly elected councilwoman, but a newly hired community liaison, in a city district that has more aliens than humans. The characters are indeed quirky. The plot, involving shapeshifting alien pets, an enormous—and sound barrier-busting—alien celebration, and

I am currently reading Nashville Trade: Jackson Trade, Book 1 (Hardboiled Southern), by TJ Arant. I like that it’s a hardboiled mystery, and that it’s a southern setting, so maybe a new twist on the genre might just be what the doctor ordered. A narrator in need of redemption, in fact? As said, I pepper my TBR with both mystery and sci-fi/fantasy, so this book is in line with my usual menu.

I am currently reading Constituent Service by John Scalzi. This is a science fiction novella with a hilarious premise. The story follows a newly appointed city councilwoman in an urban district peopled with many different types of extraterrestrials, their concerns, and their issues. There is also a trouble-starting chicken. The plot promises to be very John Scalzi, filled with hilarious plot strands and sidesplitting twists. I look forward to finishing this novella and, of co

I am going to start blogging about music, especially some of my favorite artists and albums. I have been a fan of QOTSA since not long after they hit the music scene. Since then, they have significantly shaped the “stoner rock” subgenre of music, grinding chord by grinding chord, trippy effect by trippy effect, laid-back atmospheric by laid-back atmospheric. Whenever a group releases an acoustic album, it promises to be both a departure from and a reaffirmation of their most

I must admit, at first, I wasn’t a fan of where this novel began and where—I thought—it was going. The narration—and, by association, the author—seemed to summon the surrealism of Karen Russell and the ridiculously quirky characters of Tom Robbins. But not quite. In purchasing this novel and placing it at the top of my TBR (To Be Read List), I looked forward to what I thought would be a magic realism story. I was led astray from this desire as I began and continued to read th

I am currently reading Carousel Grift: A Novel by David Lee Williams. It is a novel with supernatural elements, comedy, and family drama. The title and plot looked interesting to me, especially the part involving ghosts. It also received a high rating (4.7 out of 5) on Amazon from the 48 reviewers who posted so far.

As predicted, I enjoyed this book. It presented a (soon-to-be) down-on-his-luck protagonist who takes on cases but is not a licensed P.I. (yet). This appears to be a prequel or background novel. All the hardboiled detective novel tropes are here, including the Femme Fatale, the Man Behind the Desk, and a conspiracy that corrupts all who get near it. Slag dives in, asking questions, annoying those in power, and getting beaten down by thugs for his trouble. The mystery is solve

I am currently reading Rat Town Blues by Brian Kaufman. From just looking at the cover, I knew that this would be a hardboiled detective mystery novel, a genre that I find most pleasing . I usually stack my TBR list with novels such as these. At times, I also go back to novels by Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. I know that I will enjoy this book!

The essays in this book essentially chronicled the revolutionary events of America in the mid to late 1960s. Didion writes of these events with a critical yet unique eye, attempting to look at both sides of the issues while remaining impartial about them. From subjects such as John Wayne to the psychedelic movement, from self-respect to the decay of marriage as an institution, Didion becomes the intellectual's intellectual, presenting observations but never passing judgments.

First of all, I enjoyed the film. I saw it more than a few years back, and I enjoyed it now as much as I did then. And I remember the oddities of the film, especially concerning the casting. In the film, you have Kevin Kline, who usually plays a goofball in other films, playing a straight leading man in this one. And you have Kevin Costner, who usually plays a straight leading man in other films, playing a goofball in this one. The plot of the film went along nicely, with eng

We all know what White Room Syndrome is—it occurs when scenes in writing lack a defined setting, making characters feel as if they are floating in an undefined space or a white room—but allow me to introduce you to White Time Syndrome. Are hours, days, and years different on the planet Saturn than they are here on Earth? White Time Syndrome is when a science fiction writer crafts a story on another planet and/or in another galaxy, but uses hours, days, and years as we use the

I am currently reading Slouching Towards Bethlehem : Essays by Joan Didion. I was introduced to this title when I was reading The Uncool by Cameron Crowe. Jann Wenner, the editor of Rolling Stone at the time of the events in the memoir, gives Cameron this book, telling him that it would help him become a great writer. Cameron Crowe read Slouching Towards Bethlehem , and now I am following suit.

First of all, this was an enjoyable read. A book that I found myself hooked on, reading through it in only two days. The characters were rich and fully realized, the dialogue was snappy, and the plot moved along at a steady crescendo. That being said, I have some issues with this novel. This first one is an issue I have with many science fiction tales (please note that I did not say hard science fiction stories). The issue involves time, especially the passage thereof when it

I am currently reading Boltguns and Duct Tape (Spaceship Mechanic Book 1) by Jamie McFarlane. It is a science fiction, fish-out-of-water (sort of), comedy adventure involving a sharp-witted, fast-thinking protagonist, Rix Banner, who, because of an ad on a billboard in late 1940s Wisconsin, agrees to fix a spaceship stranded on Earth. This book presents itself as the first in a series, and, if I enjoy this book as much as I think I will, I anticipate the next chapter when i

As I mentioned when I first began reading this book, I enjoy reading biographies/autobiographies/memoirs that focus on a specific time or event in the subject's life. Crowe, here, focused on his later teenage years, when he graduated early from high school and became a rock and roll journalist. Many of the chapters and events in this memoir, including following bands like Led Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers Band, The Who, and profiling artists like David Bowie, seemed episodic,

A group of college friends and I get together once a week on Zoom to discuss a film we've decided to watch. This week, we will be watching Silverado , a western released in 1985. I'll give my thoughts after we discuss it.

I am currently reading The Uncool , a memoir by Cameron Crowe, who is better known as a filmmaker. I always enjoy reading memoirs that place specific emphasis on only a part of the subject's life. Here, it would seem, a coming-of-age reflection and the making of his film, Almost Famous , are the main foci.

To me, Charlie Huston has never shied away from violence, especially violence that shocks and disturbs the reader. He did so in Caught Stealing, and he did so in the previous Joe Pitt Casebook Novels. To say the least, the violence in his books is not for the faint of heart. But the violence is significant. In the case of Joe Pitt in this book, again, he finds himself aching, bruised, bloody, and close to death, making questionable choices all along the way. I won't give spoi

I am currently reading Half the Blood of Brooklyn: A Novel (Joe Pitt Casebooks Book 3) by Charlie Huston. It is a vampire tale set in New York City, with a flawed, arrogant anti-hero as its main character and narrator. I especially admire the unique use of dialogue punctuation that Huston employs here.