Looking for Your Next Book

I'm a long-time reader of science fiction (since the 1970's) and a moderately recent devotee of classic pulp fiction of the 40's, 50's, and 60's and as such it would be nigh impossible to not be familiar with the name Robert Silverberg. However, I haven't really read much Silverberg. There's no particular reason other than 'so many books, so little time' and his books just never found their way to the top of my TBR pile. Hard Case Crime books has pulled some classic Silverberg pulp fiction out of retirement and presented it again.  Thanks, Hard Case Crime! The Hot Beat , originally published in 1960 under the pseudonym Stan Vincent, is a hardboiled crime novel set in the seedy world of postwar Los Angeles nightlife (I think hardboiled crime novels are always set in a seedy world). Bob McKay, once a successful and celebrated bandleader, has lost his career, reputation, and relationship with a beautiful aspiring actress because of his increasingly dest...

Nora Pacetti is happy to be a stay-at-home mom to her sweet new baby girl, Olivia. One day Olivia begins to wail in pain and Nora notices odd growths sprouting out of her baby.  Nora's mother, Giulia, who tends to believe in every crazy conspiracy theory, is confident that the growths are pinfeathers - that Olivia is growing feathers. Nora isn't convinced in her mother's theory, but she does know that something unusual is happening. Her husband, Adam, encourages a doctor visit but when the physician shows unusual curiosity and wants to run further tests, Nora fears that her baby will taken away and poked and prodded like a lab rat. Life gets dicier when their home is invaded and Nora accidentally kills an intruder. Her mother's crazy theories start to hold more weight and the family heads west before authorities come to investigate the dead man in their home. Olivia becomes more and more bird-like, and Giulia proves resourceful as she's horded cash, purchased cars, ...

THE CASE OF THE GREEN CARNATION - David Gerrold The renown Sherlock Holmes is being brought in to a meeting with noted author, Oscar Wilde. Wilde is being blackmailed and is looking for help from Holmes. There is an answer, but without true willingness on Wilde's part, there won't be the resolution he hopes for. I found David Gerrold's writing to be very true to both Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.  There's a nice back and forth tête-à-tête with the two larg er-than-life characters (not a true tête-à-tête, I suppose, given Watson's presence in the room), each displaying their brilliance.  It's almost as though Wilde is trying to show Holmes that he is just as smart and clever, with Holmes showing Wilde that while he is certainly clever, his brilliance blinds him to the truth.  This is very nicely done and the suggestion that Holmes' relationship with Watson is something more than just business associates really made me pause and think. Th...

 I've noted before that I'm typically not a fan of cozy mysteries, but Gigi Pandian is an author I really enjoy. I'm so delighted that she's found a way to continue the Accidental Alchemist series after the initial publisher had some troubles. Zoe Faust has lived for centuries thanks to an alchemy accident and in order to not be discovered, she's constantly on the move. To say she's seen a few strange things in her extended lifetime would be putting it mildly. She is currently host to a talking, French gargoyle by the name of Dorian who also happens to love cooking. But maybe stranger still is the fact that she's actually considering settling down. Zoe is about to marry Max - a retired detective who has helped Zoe solve a few mysteries (or is that vice versa?). Max is one of the very few people who know that Zoe was actually born in 1676, despite looking all of 28 years old. Zoe is now ready to settle down and live with Max the rest of his days and she's...

Anyone my age (mid-60's) who was in any way social (ie: went to school), is probably familiar with the comedy group Monty Python and if not their British comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus , then there's got be, at the very least, a passing familiarity with their film Monty Python and the Holy Grail , if not a full-fledged knowledge of and quoting favorite lines from said film. And most of the people I know, in addition to quoting entire scenes from the films and the shows, can also name all of the Pythons (and that includes the animator, the women, and others who appeared only occasionally. Among that list, possibly at the top for many, is Eric Idle - who's apparently decided he needs to put a new addition on his house in Provence, France, hence a book to make some money to do that addition. In this biography, Idle looks back a little on his career and a lot on his life. The run-down little shack that he fell in love with in France slowly grows into a livable...

October “Toby” Daye is trying to settle into life with her newborn daughter while continuing to deal with the dangers of Faerie. Things become complicated when Raysel, the estranged daughter of Toby’s liege lord, is nearing the end of her time living with Toby. Raysel’s mother, Luna, wants her daughter back, but Raysel doesn’t want to leave the home and family she has found with Toby. When Luna takes matters into her own hands and carries Raysel away to the dangerous lands of Blind Michael, Toby must set out to bring her back before it’s too late. October Daye has been through a lot over the course of the series, and now, in A   Divided Duty , she once again finds herself dealing with trouble in the world of Faerie. This time, she has the added benefit of having Tybalt working alongside her. Of course, whenever Toby and Tybalt get involved in something, things have a tendency to become complicated very quickly. What...? Surprise! As I've often noted, I really enjoy Seanan McGuire...