May 2018 Newsletter
Welcome to the May newsletter!
May is my favourite time of the year. I’m a big sports fan and so nothing beats the NHL and NBA Playoffs. Then you’ve got all the European soccer leagues wrapping up, the NFL draft is complete and you start to look forward to the season, and then there’s the usual ongoing sports like golf and UFC. And this all leads into June with the World Cup. I love it!
And of course in between periods, quarters, fights or halves it’s the perfect time to sneak in some quick reading. I also find May is a “down” period in terms of new books coming out by authors I blindly purchase, so it allows me to discover new authors which is nice.
Last month I recommended The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian. When I recommended it, I was about 75% through the book and really loving it. After finishing it – ugh. The book itself I thought was excellent but just ruined by an extremely poor ending. That always bugs me as it really sours you on a book when it doesn’t end well.
I was able to get off that “psychological thriller” kick I was on (although I still read a few) to get back to reading a couple of actual book series. I finally read the latest book in the John Wells series by Alex Berenson. It was excellent as always and if you’re into the spy thriller genre, start that series immediately.
Berenson isn’t hesitant to deal with current events and in this one there’s an alleged attack by ISIS on US Soil however it ends up the Russians are apparently behind it. There’s something about Berensons writing that always gets me on the edge of my seat and I can’t wait for the next one.
I also read Agent in Place by Mark Greaney – the latest book in the Gray Man series. The usual excellent stuff. One thing I love about Greaney is he packs so much action into a book but it never feels like “too much”. I remember being at about 35% in the book yet it felt like I was so much further into the story. One of those authors where you really feel you get your moneys worth.
Looking forward to more reading in May. The weather was brutal in Canada in April again with hurricane level winds to begin the month and an ice storm in the middle of the month. Hopefully this month is nice so I can get some suntanning done while reading.
And finally I went to New Orleans at the beginning of April, which I mentioned last month. Absolutely amazing trip and it reinforced NOLA as my favourite city in the USA.
What I love most I think is the food – I didn’t have a bad meal all weekend and it didn’t matter where we went. Fancy restaurant to try souffle potatoes? Great food. Dive bar across the street from where I just got a tattoo and I need something in my stomach immediately? Great food. Random pizza joint on Bourbon at 2am? Best pizza of my life. (Seriously, if you’re in NOLA Pizza Express on Bourbon is the best pizza I’ve ever had).
I don’t think I could ever live there, however when we come empty nesters in about 8-10 years I expect we’ll be traveling there at least 4 times per year.
Each month we give away 2 prizes to 2 random subscribers of $25 each in the form of Amazon gift certificates. To win all you have to do is be a subscriber. Nothing more! When we go to hit “Publish” we take a list of all of our subscribers, throw them into a random draw and those are the winners.
Our winners this month are Kathryn from Beverly Hills, FL and Don from Grand Forks, ND. Both of you have been e-mailed. If you don’t see anything, check your junk folder or contact me.
Book Recommendations:
From Unseen Fire by Cass Morris: This is the first novel written by Cass and is the first in the Aven Cycle series of books. It’s historical fantasy and takes place in an alternate Rome. It’s a story of political intrigue, magic and romance. Not the type of niche I personally like however I’m hearing a lot of good things about it from the world building to the characters and especially powerful women. If you’re a fan of historical fantasy novels or badass women, be sure to check this one out.
The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri: The first novel in the Inspector Montalbano series. Montalbano is a detective in Sicility and the series was adapted into a TV series. Written in Italian and translated to English this is a very popular book series and is quite different from the usual police procedural. There’s a lot less action and the story goes at a more relaxed pace. This isn’t a bad thing – it really adds to the books and they are a very enjoyable read. Start the series today.
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun: When I look at site traffic I’m seeing more and more cozy mystery series rise in popularity, so I wanted to recommend this great cozy mystery series which began back in 1966. What I love is Lilian created the series after her own cat passed as tribute to the cat. Jim “Qwill” Qwilleran is a reporter and the main character, and he has two Siamese cats. One of them has a sixth sense which helps assist Jim in solving mysteries. If you’ve never read this series but are a fan of cozy mysteries, you’ll love it.
Hyperion by Dan Simmons: This one is for sci-fi fans and is the first book in the Hyperion Cantos series. Although even if you aren’t big into sci-fi, you should enjoy this book. Earth has been destroyed and humanity is all over the universe on various planets. Hyperion is one such planet, and it’s beyond the reach of galactic law. There is a creature there called the Shrike who some worship, some fear, and some vow to destroy it. Seven pilgrims come together to make the journey to Hyperion to undertake a pilgrimage to the Shrike. The world and universe building is fantastic and this is probably one of the best science fiction books out there. Details.
May 2018 Book Of The Month
10 Other Notable Books Being Released in May:
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts
The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan (Trials of Apollo Series)
The Crooked Staircase by Dean Koontz (Jane Hawk Series)
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
Overkill by Ted Bell (Alex Hawke Series)
The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths (Ruth Galloway Series)
Lost Creed by Alex Kava (Ryder Creed Series)
War Storm by Victoria Aveyard (War Storm)
The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews
I did not read much as a child, but when my own child entered preadolescence, I read everything she read. My favorites was a Judy Blume “Dear God Its Me Margaret” and also “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Favorite Book(s) of My Childhood: Although I’ve very fondly remembered these two good reads as outstanding in my memory, only one of them did I explore and try to find as an adult as a result of a discussion at work one day with a fellow bibliophile. It is, “The Mirror”, which I read when I was about 12 years old about a girl/young woman who had a large (I believe antique) floor-standing mirror that gave her a look into the past where she was pulled in and became the girl of that era, while the girl of that era was pulled into the mirror into present day–their lives exchanged for those periods they were in the mirror. Nothing really sci-fi’ish, but really thought provoking in how these two young people learned about living in each of those different times. My fellow bibliophile said she ordered it for me but for whatever reason the book was not mentioned again. I searched for it myself superficially and saw several of the same title, but never went further.
The second most memorable book I often think of, again author unknown, is “Giants in the Earth” which I read at about 14. I just remember thinking it was an awesome book when completed, and that it was the thickest book I’d read, and turned in my book report. Lifemoved on. It is on the ilk of Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath” (if memory serves me correctly).
I will now make an effort to look up those two memory makers–worth the effort!
Debbie
Favorite books of my childhood: by far, the “Black Stallion” series of books by Walter Farley. I used my allowance money to buy each one, and they were so exciting to me…..!!!
Also, many many years later, loved the movie “The Black Stallion” which (for once!) followed the book very closely!
Highly recommend, even now, to any kid who likes to read!