20 Books of Summer 2022

Cathy at 746 Books is hosting her annual 20 Books of Summer reading challenge. The “rules” are, between June 1st and September 1st (or so), read and blog about twenty books. Or ten books, or fifteen. Stick to your list, or swap books out. It’s a *very* flexible challenge.

I don’t think I’ve ever attempted the full 20 book challenge. I’ve mixed results reading 10 and 15 books, so there is no reason I should be optimistic, but oddly, I am. I’ve picked 20 books, mostly from my backlog stacks.

A physical TBR pile! Assisted by an owl.

1. I See by My Outfit by Peter S. Beagle
2. To Sir, With Love by E. R. Braithwaite
3. Mockingbird by Watler Tevis
4. Elric of Melnibone by Michael Moorcock
5. The Cormorant by Stephen Gregory
6. The Circus of Dr. Lao by Charles Finney
7. Confessions of an English Opium-Eater by Thomas de Quincey
8. Winter in Majorca by George Sand
9. The Book of the Omaha edited by Paul A. Olson
10. The Beautiful Cigar Girl by Daniel Stashower
11. Sherlock Holmes: The Hidden Years edited by Michael Kurland
12. Teller of Tales by Daniel Stashower
13. The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr
14. A Dead Man in Deptford by Anthony Burgess
15. Nothing Like the Sun by Anthony Burgess

Not pictured above, but on my Kindle:

16. On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers
17. Infinity Dreams by Glen Hirshberg
18. King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard
19. On Boxing by Joyce Carol Oates
20. Nightmare Fuel by Nina Nesseth – an ARC and the only non-“Beat the Backlog” book on this list.

If I read a mere 60 pages a day (plus Daily Dracula and Deal Me In), I should be able to read the whole list!

10 Books of Summer ’21 & #TrekAThon

20 Books of Summer is an annual reading extravaganza hosted by Cathy at 746 Books. Now, you might have noticed that I just wrote “20 Books of Summer” but the graphic above reads “10 Books of Summer.” That’s because there are options for us slow and/or indecisive readers. I have a plan, mostly, and it should result in me reading at least 10 books cover to cover between June 1st and September 1st. (Finished Books of Summer are denoted with the ✅. Current count: 10/10!)

Mini Reviews, Vol. 13

After a readathon, a mini review post is usually appropriate.

	The Science of Illusions by Jacques Ninio (trans. Franklin Philip I bought this book last year at The Open Book when visiting my sister in Santa Clarita. I was intrigued because Science! Illusions! What could be more up my alley? Alas, this book is very broad and not very deep. The categories on the back list it as “psychology, history of science, philosophy” and, so, it’s lighter on the hard science than I had hoped. Granted, this book was published in 1998. Our understanding of neuro-biology has increased immensely. Challenges: #20BooksOfSumer, Nonfiction Reading Challenge
	Q’s Legacy by Helene Hanff A reread that I started back in June. The thing that has always made Helene Hanff inspiring to me is, not her faith, but her unflagging stick-to-itiveness to keep doing something related to writing and reading until something worked out. Her path to fame was circuitous, unexpected, and a little lucky. I sometimes need to remember: life goes that way.
	Jane by Aline Brosh McKenna & Ramón Pérez (Illustrator) I read this more because I’m a fan of Ramón Pérez’s art (I’ve been a fan since his stint as an illustrator at Paladium Games) than a fan of Jane Eyre. That’s probably a good thing. While this is an adaptation, it takes some modern liberties with the story. It’s a good story, but it doesn’t quite have Brontë spirit. But the art is gorgeous!

Review ~ World of Trouble

World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters

There are just 14 days until a deadly asteroid hits the planet, and America has fallen into chaos. Citizens have barricaded themselves inside basements, emergency shelters, and big-box retail stores. Cash is worthless; bottled water is valuable beyond measure. All over the world, everyone is bracing for the end.

But Detective Hank Palace still has one last case to solve. His beloved sister Nico was last seen in the company of suspicious radicals, armed with heavy artillery and a plan to save humanity. Hank’s search for Nico takes him from Massachusetts to Ohio, from abandoned zoos and fast food restaurants to a deserted police station where he uncovers evidence of a brutal crime. With time running out, Hank follows the clues to a series of earth-shattering revelations.

The third novel in the Last Policeman trilogy, World of Trouble presents one final pre-apocalyptic mystery—and Hank Palace confronts questions way beyond whodunit: How far would you go to protect a loved one? And how would you choose to spend your last days on Earth? (via Goodreads)

Why was I interested in this book?
This is the third book in the trilogy. I enjoyed the first two and I was interested in how Winters was going to wrap up a story set at the end of the world.

What Worked
There are a lot of post-apocalypse stories, but there aren’t many pre-apocalypse stories. I’d argue that’s because the end of the world is the least interesting part of the whole deal. Therefore, if you’re going to set a story at the apocalypse, the story itself has to be solid. Winters does a great job telling a story that would have been good even without an asteroid hurtling toward earth.

The feel of this installment reminded me of the movie Looper. The characters in both act in the inevitable way they should. Both are noir, but take off into a rural setting. I like that juxtaposition. Both also have a speculative fiction future setting that isn’t the story itself.

I’ve said it before but I like Hank Palace. I like his dogged determination and his loyalty. Which is why it’s pretty heartbreaking when he’s wrong about a few things. I’m going to avoid spoilers, but Hank is a little dense at times in this book. It’s understandable, but weirdly disappointing.

What Didn’t Work
The characters in this book take beatings. And stabbings. And burnings. Sometimes, I had a hard time believing that anyone could survive such abuse. I suppose it’s not impossible, but it gives me pause.

What Worked Best
There are so many times when I thought to myself, “Winters isn’t going to pull this off. He’s going to screw up the ending.” But he doesn’t. The meanderings of plot are all justified. The ending is spot-on. I don’t read a lot of series fiction and I finish even less.

I’m going to miss Henry Palace.

Publishing info, my copy: Kindle, Quirk Books, July 15, 2014
Acquired: Amazon, 5/30/18
Genre: mystery/crime

 

20 15 Books of Summer, hosted by Cathy @ 746 Books

15 Books of Summer 2018

20 15 Books of Summer, hosted by Cathy @ 746 Books

Mini Reviews, Vol. #9

My 20 15 10 Books of Summer efforts crashed pretty hard. I was going to make a last valiant effort during Bout of Books, but alas:

We all knew it was going to happen: I'm cheating on my TBR pile w/ those wantons fm the library again. #BoutofBookshttps://t.co/m9TDf2PopB

— Katherine Nabity (@Katen) August 23, 2017

I ended up in digital libraries like some sort of ebook junky. So, here’s a wrap-up, not of 20 15 10 Books of Summer, but of what I ended up reading instead.*

	Andre the Giant: Life and Legend by Box Brown As a kid growing up in the Midwest in the 80s, I don’t think there was any escaping the reach of pro wrestling. Even before he was the brute squad, one of the most recognizable “faces” in the wrestling industry was that of Andre the Giant. This is a no-nonsense graphic biography of Andre Roussimoff, warts and all. It’s also a nice snapshot of the world of professional wrestling as a business and an entertainment.
	Landline by Rainbow Rowell Rainbow Rowell is my ultimate slump-buster. Don’t know what to read? In a mood? Rainbow Rowell. But, I didn’t like Landline as much as I have her other books. I loved the voice of it, but the characters and plot didn’t do it for me. In the end, it didn’t feel like the story went very far.
	The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee So, I stumbled upon a book recommendation engine. “What should I read next?” That sort of thing. I plugged in The Last Unicorn (not what I just finished, but my favorite book of all time) and The Silver Metal Lover was the top of the list. And it was available through the Open Library, so…I thought I’d give it a go. A YA dystopia, it is not my kind of book. Jane, our young protagonist, feels everything so acutely. She breaks away from her rich, controlling mother through the love of a good…robot. Despite the kind of ridiculous title, there’s not a lot of sex. Which is just fine. Instead there’s a ton of drama and peril. Maybe more sex would have been better.

* I did go 6/10 for my 10-ish Books of Summer, which isn’t a passing grade, but is actually better than I thought before I counted.

Review ~ Adelaide Herrmann, Queen of Magic

Adelaide Herrmann, Queen of Magic by Adelaide Herrmann, Margaret B. Steele (Editor)

Madame Adelaide Herrmann (1853-1932) was a superstar of the Golden Age of Magic and now her story is finally told, and what a story it is! Entitled “Sixty-Five Years of Magic,” Madame takes us on an amazing adventure, from her beginnings as a dancer and trick bicyclist, to her marriage to Alexander Herrmann and their subsequent tours of the U.S., Mexico, South America and Europe. She peppers her memoir with hilarious anecdotes, misadventures, accidents and the continuous outrageous antics of the husband she adored. She describes their show in minute detail, including her husband’s magic repertoire and their baffling illusions which drew standing-room only audiences wherever they went. In heartrending detail, she tells the story of her husband’s death. She then reinvents herself into the first great female magician, and takes us through yet another thirty years of solo adventures. (via Goodreads)

Why was I interested in this book?
This is the memoir of the greatest female magician of the early 20th century (perhaps ever). Are you kidding me?! Of course I was interested in this book!

What Worked
Often there are two kinds of magic books: the cheaply made public domain scanned reprints or the beautifully made limited editions that are beyond my budget if available at all. This book is thankfully neither of those things. It is a very nicely made trade paperback full of black and white pictures. Finding Mme. Herrmann’s memoir and collecting her writings and ephemera together was a labor of love for magician and editor Margaret Steele, and it shows. And…it’s available!  Because why wouldn’t you want to make Adelaide Herrmann’s memoir available?

The first three-fourths of the book is Alelaide Herrmann’s memoir, written by her with some editorial help. It covers her life from meeting, marrying, and becoming the assistant to Alexander Herrmann (“Herrmann the Great”) to the end of her career in the late 1920s. It covers their love story, many of their adventures, and her trials and triumphs working on her own as a performer. The last fourth of the book is articles written by and about Mme. Herrmann, including several from women’s magazines encouraging young women to take up magic.

I have often wondered why more young girls do not turn their attention to the study and practice of magic, as it develops every one of the attributes necessary to social success—grace, dexterity, agility, easy of movement, perfection of manner, and self-confidence.

Here’s Margaret Steele performing one of Adelaide Herrmann’s signature tricks:

Publishing info, my copy: trade paperback, Bramble Books, 2012
Acquired: Amazon, 12/17/16
Genre: memoir

This is 6/10 Books of Summer!