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Jack, Janet, and June: A Love Letter to Sitcom Roots
Can a font and a dedication really sell a book? Yes it can. Last month, I hopped on Audible to purchase the latest Batman ‘89 novel from John Jackson Miller. (Last year, he published Batman: Resurrection, a direct sequel to the 1989 film that takes place in that universe. It was one of my favorite books of 2024 so the next book, Batman: Revolution, was a no-brainer.) But when I got to the site, a book cover caught my eye. Being a Gen-Xer, what struck me first was the font. It’s not just that the word “Different” is in the book’s title, but that went a long way. I instantly…
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Lights, Loss, and Love
Matthew Norman’s Holiday Novel Shines with Real Emotion As a reader, one of my favorite things is discovering a new-to-me author. But almost as soon as the discovery is finished, a question follows: will I read another book by the author? Back in 2023, I discovered Matthew Norman based on his then-new novel, Charm City Rocks. I devoured that book in only four days, one of my fastest reads in a long time. For the past two years, when someone asks me to name one of my favorite books, Charm City Rocks made the list. You also must know that I don’t re-read books. I just don’t. There are too…
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What Do You Take for a Book Hangover?
Ever had a book hangover? You know what I’m talking about. You read a book and you really, really get into it. The author’s words transport you, the ideas engulf you, you probably get emotional while reading, and the ending leaves you with a special feeling you’ll want to remember but will fade as time passes. In short, the book moves you. Famous books that did this trick for me: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Redshirts by John Scalzi, Replay by Ken Grimwood, and all three novels by T.J. Newman (Falling, Drowning, and Worst Case Scenario). On the romance side of things, Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman. I…
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Harlan Coben’s Back Spin is as Good as a Hole in One
Somehow, I fell into a Harlan Coben trough. It’s not really a rabbit hole, but when I finished Back Spin on Thursday and noted it on my “Books Read” list, I noticed something. Of the 11 books I’ve read this year, three have been by Coben. And of those, two feature Myron Bolitar, sports agent and righter of wrongs. In Back Spin (1997) is the fourth book in the series. I hadn’t planned on reading it immediately after I finished Coben’s latest, Nobody’s Fool, but a co-worker with whom I converse about books is, via audiobook, rapidly catching up to me. Easy for him considering his commute one way is…
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What Makes a Thriller? Harlan Coben Provides One Answer in Nobody’s Fool
I’m relatively late in reading anything by Harlan Coben, having read the first Myron Bolitar novel just last fall. I’ve since read three Bolitar books but never a standalone entry in Coben’s 37-novel career. When Nobody’s Fool was published, I checked out the audiobook from the library and settled into what is billed as a thriller. What Does “Thriller” Mean To You? “A stunningly twisty thriller” are the opening words to the book description so my mind conjured up an idea of what that meant. “Stunningly twisty” told me that I was going to get what Coben is famous for: a story that turned on itself, subverting expectations while truths…
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How Does Fandom Change as We Grow Older?
Being a fan of something is different when you’re younger. A fellow Gen-Xer and I have discussion about fandom: what it was like as a kid or a young adult and what it’s like as we continue to get older. Recently he sent me a text and I’ve been reflecting on it. I think my new take is that something has to touch my life in reality for my mind to naturally lock onto it the way it did before. For example, a TV show doesn’t actually touch my life. I’m not part of the creation of it, distribution, marketing, etc. My role is the very last step, and it’s…
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Daredevil Born Again and Why You Don’t Always Have to Start from the Beginning
A few years ago, I was shopping at Kroger when my eyes landed on the cover of a book. It was The Race by Clive Cussler. Here’s the cover. I was immediately captivated. Old-fashioned planes! Cussler’s name! And was that trailing plane firing weapons at the leading plane? I picked up the novel and read the description and discovered the Isaac Bell series. The Race was the fourth one and I made the decision to start from book one and make my way forward from the beginning. With all of my other reading, it took me months to get to The Race but I read, listened to, and enjoyed every…
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Unexpected Discoveries Are the Best
Have you ever been surprised by a piece of pop culture? It happened to me this week. My wife and I attended a concert on Monday. The names on the bill were Howard Jones, ABC, and Richard Blade. I knew Jones and had already seen him once, decades ago, but hadn’t listened to his music in a while. Driving to downtown Houston, we listened to HoJo’s greatest hits and I discovered I still knew most of the words to his song—and could still play a mean steering wheel keyboard. His set was fantastic, and I especially appreciated his changing up nearly every song, making the live experience something special rather…
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My Favorite Books from 2024
The year 2024 turned out to be one of my best reading years in quite awhile. Granted, I kept pace via audiobooks, but since that is my go-to, I don’t even count it. The Stats Overall, I got through 34 books in 2024, and I was 45 minutes (2 chapters) from finishing a 35th on New Year’s Eve. My science fiction book club (now entering its sixteenth year!) can account for at least eight books most years. Yeah, I don’t finish a book I don’t like. Long ago I realized it is better to pull the ripcord on a bad book and read something I enjoy versus slogging through a…
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A Compelling Book That Will Make You Assess Your Life: The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave
Know how, as soon as you finish watching The Sixth Sense, you watch the movie again, knowing the truth, and it all lines up? That’s how the prologue is in The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave. Hat tip to The University of Texas at Austin, Apple TV, and Houston’s Blue Willow Bookshop for introducing me to the work of Laura Dave. How do those things connect? Well, my wife watched the adaptation of Dave’s The Last Thing He Told Me on Apple TV and some of those episodes took place in Austin, Texas, and, specifically, the University of Texas football stadium. I stopped, watched those episodes, and then…