Name the last three books you have read...

[Tamstrong]

I had this pop up in my Kindle recommendations the other day. Sounds like the start of yet another new series.

Ramon “Ray” Cosa’s life is not what he expected it to be. Living in a small Texas town ravaged by Hurricane Harvey, Ray has suffered many losses in his young life, and he has little hope left that anything will ever change or get better.

That is, until the vintage Ford Galaxie and its strange, dying owner enters Ray’s life. Given a jeweled ring he cannot remove and a desperate mission, Ray is plunged into a universe of secrets, wonders, and terrors he never dreamed exists.

Now, he travels the Queen's Road - a hyper-space highway that connects all the planets and galaxies in creation - in search of one man, one of the Queen of the Universe's Rangers. That journey will put Ray on the front lines of an eons-old cosmic war between the primal forces of order and chaos.

And probably make him late for his next shift at the Chug-n-Lug.

Yeah, his stuff has been popping up in my recommendations too since I started reading his books. I've pretty much been adding everything that pops up to my wish/shopping lists.

 

[Tamstrong]

The 8th standalone novel in the Claus Universe.
His real name is Christmas. It’s embarrassing.

He’s been accepted into the Institute of Creative Mind, a prestigious institute for eccentrics, outliers, and gifted students. A school located in the middle of nowhere with two-hundred-year-old castles and a formidable stone wall. A school where Christmas is celebrated the entire year.

Christmas trees, ornaments, and lights decorate the castles. Presents are given out every month, and students are pitted against each other in creative challenges. Chris soon finds out, however, the stakes are high.

The losers are expelled.

He spends sleepless nights keeping up with his homework to not disappoint his parents and to keep a cruel guidance counsellor off his back. But this place is more than a demanding school for gifted students. Chris finds a clue in a textbook his first night, written in code.

Run, run as fast as you can.

When he’s presented with an impossibility that defies all laws of physics and biology, anything becomes possible. Chris discovers students aren’t chosen for their artistic abilities but because of a DNA test. He doesn’t know what the school is really after. If he doesn’t stop them, Christmas will end forever. Everything depends on his courage.

And a strange little friend.

Like the rest of the series, this book didn't disappoint. I haven't read anything by this man I haven't enjoyed.

An experiment in terror pushed him to his limits. Now Subject B is fighting back.

His name is Marcus Holt. He is a fighter, a survivor, and a decorated combat veteran. But to the sadistic Professor Abel Worthe, Marcus is known merely as Subject B -- a pawn in the scientist’s inhumane experiments. Worthe is an expert in the study of death and fear. And he intends to push Marcus to the limits of human endurance.

Trapped in the shadowy streets of a haunted village, Marcus and his young friend Alex must deal with a new threat: the ghost of a vicious murderer, who kills with a bloody mason’s hammer. Their task is made even harder when two new subjects, a bickering couple, are added to their group, drawing the wrathful spirit right to them.

As Marcus and the others struggle against this supernatural horror, Professor Worthe observes the psychological effects of their extreme terror. But Marcus Holt is a soldier. And he’s not going down without a fight.

Professor Worthe is about to learn that a caged animal is the most dangerous subject of all…

This is from another one of Ron Ripley's book series, called The Haunted Village Series. This is book 2, which I read before book 1 by mistake. lol As usual, I liked the book. I always enjoy Ron Ripley's work.

People move to New York looking for magic and nothing will convince them it isn't there.

Charles Thomas Tester hustles to put food on the table, keep the roof over his father's head, from Harlem to Flushing Meadows to Red Hook. He knows what magic a suit can cast, the invisibility a guitar case can provide, and the curse written on his skin that attracts the eye of wealthy white folks and their cops. But when he delivers an occult tome to a reclusive sorceress in the heart of Queens, Tom opens a door to a deeper realm of magic, and earns the attention of things best left sleeping.

A storm that might swallow the world is building in Brooklyn. Will Black Tom live to see it break?

Basically this novella is a different perspective on H.P. Lovecraft's The Horror At Red Hook. I don't think it's a must to read HPL's story first, but folks might get more out of this book if they do. I actually like LaValle's story better. This is only the second work of LaValle's I've read, but I definitely plan on reading more. He also has a graphic novel series, "The Destroyer", that looks pretty interesting for anyone into graphic novels.

 

[Tamstrong]

How much fear can one man take?

Marcus Holt thought his worst memories were behind him. A veteran of the Vietnam War, the tough old soldier is haunted by nightmares of brutal conflict. But he’s about to discover that his battle for survival has only just begun.

Professor Abel Worthe is brilliant, wealthy, and utterly immoral. He is an expert in a very particular field: the study of fear and death. Using his vast resources, Worthe has purchased a collection of haunted houses and paranormal sites, hidden across the world. And he intends to subject a captive to each location in his collection of horror, all in the name of science.

All he needs is a test subject, a human lab rat to undergo his experiment in terror. And the target of his sinister attention is Marcus Holt. The aging veteran soon finds himself snatched off the streets, and forced to endure a never-ending barrage of horror.

But Marcus is no stranger to fear and death. He’s a fighter. And he is determined to survive long enough to find and kill his malicious captor.

Let the games begin.

Subject B’s terrifying ordeal continues. And this time, he may have met his match…

When Marcus Holt is kidnapped by the brilliant and sadistic Professor Worthe, the battle-hardened Vietnam vet is forced to endure a never-ending gauntlet of terror. He thought his days of death and horror were over, but Worthe’s Village promises only more of the same. And his next horrific encounter is about to begin.

There is a new test subject in Worthe’s haunted village: Subject G. A Roman Catholic priest in the outside world, this new victim’s faith and devotion are put to the test when the group is hunted by a vicious ghost called ‘The Butcher’. Seething with anger and rage, the Butcher haunts the crumbling remains of an abandoned taxi station. And she is capable of tearing flesh and shattering bones with the unnatural strength in her ghostly hands.

As Professor Worthe watches his latest experiment unfold, the vindictive wraith is set loose against the terrified subjects. Marcus possesses an iron will, and years of combat experience...

But will it be enough to lead his team to survival, and defeat the unholy killer stalking them from the shadows?

Subject B will do anything to get his life back. But the dead have other plans…

Kidnapped by the brilliant Professor Worthe, Vietnam vet Marcus Holt is forced to take part in a sadistic experiment. Worthe's game has one objective: to see how much fear a man can survive. Now known as Subject B, Marcus is about to discover the answer to that question… Whether he likes it or not.

Trapped in Worthe’s haunted village, Marcus and his team stumble across Subject H, a frightened young mother eager to reunite with her child. She soon becomes the target of a ghost drawn to her fear and anguish. A wrathful spirit that stalks them all from the shadows, waiting for a chance to wield his razor-sharp knife—to carve out the heart of any mother he can find…

Marcus must call on every ounce of strength and courage to protect Subject H from the terror that hunts her. But even if they can escape Worthe’s latest horror, another enemy lurks in the village… a deadly spirit Marcus has faced before.

This vicious ghost is about to end Worthe’s experiment once and for all… By killing Marcus Holt.

A few more books from the series I just started. I've been enjoying them all so far.

 

[Tamstrong]

Trapped between a killer and an army of the dead, Subject B must make a final stand…

Marcus Holt is a decorated combat veteran, a survivor of the brutal Vietnam War. But to the brilliant Professor Abel Worthe, Marcus is known as Subject B -- a human lab rat, forced to participate in a deadly experiment. Worthe intends to see just how much fear Marcus can survive, by trapping him in a village stocked with supernatural killers.

When a new building appears in the village’s dark, snow-swept streets, Marcus and his team are haunted by the cries of panicked children. After they investigate the decaying cobbler’s shop, they are shocked to find twin boys, cowering in fear. Marcus is determined to rescue these helpless children from the danger that Worthe has unleashed. But the twins are not the only inhabitants in this house of horrors.

Marcus and the others soon find themselves stalked by the venomous spirit of a bitter old woman, whose touch brings a painful death to her victims. But as they flee this hateful ghost, they quickly realize they are surrounded by an army of restless spirits. And even Worthe cannot control this horde of deadly wraiths.

Marcus’s back is against the wall. He swore he would fight to the death to escape Worthe’s fiendish game. But against these new foes, this may be a battle he cannot win.

Subject B is about to learn a new lesson in terror…

Marcus Holt survived the Vietnam War. But his greatest battle has only just began. Kidnapped by the sadistic Professor Abel Worthe, the former soldier is forced to take part in a diabolical experiment. Now known as Subject B, Marcus is trapped in a haunted village, where he must survive one terrifying ordeal after another. All so Worthe can discover just how much fear one man can survive…

When the insane professor imprisons a former employee in the haunted village, the terrified young man joins forces with Marcus and the others. As the group navigates the remains of a rot-ting old schoolhouse, they are stalked by the vengeful spirit of its former headmaster. This blood-thirsty ghost is forever bound to an old wooden cane… a weapon he uses to beat people to death.

Marcus must call upon all his strength and courage to survive this new threat, and unravel a secret that links his fate to the diabolical Professor Worthe. But when another survivor develops the terrifying power to see the dead, they soon find themselves faced with a new mystery…

Is this chilling psychic ability a blessing? Or a deadly curse in disguise?

A killer’s blade craves fresh blood…

Marcus Holt is Subject B, a Vietnam veteran forced to take part in Professor Abel Worthe’s sadistic experiment. Worthe keeps his human lab rats in a village haunted by murderous ghosts, and forces them to one terrifying ordeal after another. This time, the prisoners find themselves hunted by another vicious spirit.

Within the walls of a rotting old New England cottage, the ghost of a vicious serial killer lies in wait. His name is Christopher, and his razor-sharp bayonet longs to taste the blood of a fresh victim.

Even as they plan to defeat Christopher, Marcus prepares for an onslaught from outside the village walls, and finds strange new allies in the coming battle. He must fight on two fronts, battling an undead killer within the village walls, and an enemy gathering strength beyond the gates.

But will victory be enough to free them all from the professor’s unholy grasp? Or is it all just another trap in Worthe’s diabolical game?

More of the series I've been reading with only two more books to go. Highly entertaining.

 

[Tamstrong]

For Subject B, death is only one scream away…

As war veteran Marcus Holt and the others struggle to escape Worthe’s haunted village, they find themselves stalked by a new enemy.

A paranoid psychotic, this demented soul hears voices in her head and is convinced that people are talking about her. Armed with her hatchet, she is determined to murder everyone in the village to silence them all. No matter how far they run, this maniacal spirit is always one step behind them, listening for the slightest sound…

But this deadly specter isn’t the only foe they must face. The sadistic Professor Worthe has set his eyes on one of the subjects, with orders to eliminate anyone who gets in the way.

Marcus must find a way to save him at all costs. But he is exhausted, battered, having fought against the worst nightmares imaginable and suffering grievous injuries in every battle.

Death is coming for Subject B and his friends. And this time he may be powerless to stop it…

Every experiment must come to an end…

Marcus Holt is Subject B, a Vietnam veteran forced to run the gauntlet of Professor Abel Worthe’s sadistic study of terror. But the professor’s brutal experiment is finally coming to an end. And Worthe has saved his deadliest surprise for last.

Still injured from his battles against the supernatural, Marcus struggles to keep his team together. As they desperately try to escape from Worthe's horrifying village, a new structure appears in the twisted landscape. A simple little house that Marcus knows all too well…

As the wounded soldier confronts a ghost from his past, another subject finds himself consumed by his growing paranormal abilities. Now able to force the dead to do his bidding, his terrifying power may be the key to escaping the haunted village once and for all. But it just might shatter his soul in the process.

The final battle draws near, as enemies and allies both converge on the village’s walls. Marcus must overcome crippling pain and fear, to fight harder than he ever thought possible. But will courage be enough to beat the professor at his own sinister game?

Or will the subjects finally join the tortured souls that haunt Worthe’s village?

The final two books of the series. Ron Ripley's stories are always entertaining, and I enjoy how some of his different series are connected somehow via certain characters.

Lucretia’s best friend and upstairs neighbor Sunny—a sweet pitbull of a kid, even as she struggles with a mysterious illness—has gone missing. The only way to get her back is for Lucretia to climb the rickety fire escape of their Queens tenement and crawl through the window of apartment 6D, portal to a vast shadowland of missing kids ruled by a nightmarish family of mutants whose designs on the children are unknown. Her search for Sunny takes Lucretia through a dark fantasyland where she finds lush forests growing from concrete, pigeon-winged rodents, and haunted playgrounds. Her quest ultimately forces her to confront the most frightening specter of all: losing, forever, the thing you love the most.

Lucretia and the Kroons is a dazzlingly imaginative adventure story and a moving exploration of the power of friendship and the terror of loss. This all-new novella serves as the perfect companion piece to The Devil in Silver, a thrillingly suspenseful work of literary horror that continues the story of Lucretia.

This author never disappoints.

 

[Tamstrong]

Novel based on the volatile true love story of literary icons Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes.

In 1963 Sylvia Plath took her own life in her London flat. Her death was the culmination of a brief, brilliant life lived in the shadow of clinical depression—a condition exacerbated by her tempestuous relationship with mercurial poet Ted Hughes. The ensuing years saw Plath rise to martyr status while Hughes was cast as the cause of her suicide, his infidelity at the heart of her demise.

For decades, Hughes never bore witness to the truth of their marriage—one buried beneath a mudslide of apocryphal stories, gossip, sensationalism, and myth. Until now.

In this mesmerizing fictional work, Connie Palmen tells his side of the story, previously untold, delivered in Ted Hughes’s own uncompromising voice. A brutal and lyrical confessional, Your Story, My Story paints an indelible picture of their seven-year relationship—the soaring highs and profound lows of star-crossed soul mates bedeviled by their personal demons. It will forever change the way we think about these two literary icons.

I liked it. I've been a Sylvia Plath fan for years, but I never saw her as the martyr like many others have. I also never blamed her husband for her death. From the get-go I recognized that she was an extremely manic depressive person with the multitude of issues that came with that. As all human beings, she and her husband had their personal demons that affected them and their relationship, and I think this author did a good job of conveying that.

The real nightmare starts when her daughter is returned…

A girl is missing. Five years old, taken from outside her school. She has vanished, traceless.

The police are at a loss; her parents are beyond grief. Their daughter is lost forever, perhaps dead, perhaps enslaved.

But the biggest mystery is yet to come: one week after she was abducted, their daughter is returned.

She has no memory of where she has been. And this, for her mother, is just the beginning of the nightmare.

Enjoyable suspense story. It had a good flow, quick pace, and a solid ending.

Seven stunning stories of speculative fiction by the author of A Boy and His Dog.

In a post-apocalyptic world, four men and one woman are all that remain of the human race, brought to near extinction by an artificial intelligence. Programmed to wage war on behalf of its creators, the AI became self-aware and turned against humanity. The five survivors are prisoners, kept alive and subjected to brutal torture by the hateful and sadistic machine in an endless cycle of violence.

This story and six more groundbreaking and inventive tales that probe the depths of mortal experience prove why Grand Master of Science Fiction Harlan Ellison has earned the many accolades to his credit and remains one of the most original voices in American literature.

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream also includes “Big Sam Was My Friend,” “Eyes of Dust,” “World of the Myth,” “Lonelyache,” Hugo Award finalist “Delusion for a Dragon Slayer,” and Hugo and Nebula Award finalist “Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes.”

The author has a couple of annoying quirks I won't get into, but overall I did enjoy this little anthology. The title story was my favorite of the bunch.

 

[ColiBreh1]

The definitive firsthand account of the movement that permanently broke the American political consensus.

What do internet trolls, economic populists, white nationalists, techno-anarchists and Alex Jones have in common? Nothing, except for an unremitting hatred of evangelical progressivism and the so-called “Cathedral” from whence it pours forth.

Contrary to the dissembling explanations from the corporate press, this movement did not emerge overnight—nor are its varied subgroups in any sense interchangeable with one another. As united by their opposition as they are divided by their goals, the members of the New Right are willfully suspicious of those in the mainstream who would seek to tell their story. Fortunately, author Michael Malice was there from the very inception, and in The New Right recounts their tale from the beginning.

Malice provides an authoritative and unbiased portrait of the New Right as a movement of ideas—ideas that he traces to surprisingly diverse ideological roots. From the heterodox right wing of the 1940s to the Buchanan/Rothbard alliance of 1992 and all the way through to what he witnessed personally in Charlottesville, The New Right is a thorough firsthand accounting of the concepts, characters and chronology of this widely misunderstood sociopolitical phenomenon.

Today’s fringe is tomorrow’s orthodoxy. As entertaining as it is informative, The New Right is required reading for every American across the spectrum who would like to learn more about the past, present and future of our divided political culture

 

[Ol'Skool Classic]

In the more shadowy corners of the world, frequented by angels and demons and everything in-between, Laytham Ballard is a legend. It's said he raised the dead at the age of ten, stole the Philosopher's Stone in Vegas back in 1999, and survived the bloodsucking kiss of the Mosquito Queen. Wise in the hidden ways of the night, he's also a cynical bastard who stopped thinking of himself as the good guy a long time ago.

Now a promise to a dying friend has Ballard on the trail of an escaped Serbian war criminal with friends in both high and low places—and a sinister history of blood sacrifices. Ballard is hell-bent on making Dusan Slorzack pay for his numerous atrocities, but Slorzack seems to have literally dropped off the face of the Earth, beyond the reach of his enemies, the Illuminati, and maybe even the Devil himself. To find Slorzack, Ballard must follow a winding, treacherous path that stretches from Wall Street and Washington, D.C. to backwoods hollows and truckstops, while risking what's left of his very soul . . . .

The first half of the book is very grounded & dark supernatural horror in tone but eventually begins to lean into more fantasy & some sci fi elements to mellow out the dark horror of the story. The protagonist starts off as somewhat cold and unlikable but as the story progresses and you lean more of his backstory you begin to understand why he seems to be unlikable (but really isn't ). Overall interesting & entertaining read.

When the Supernatural nations of the world meet up to negotiate an end to ongoing hostilities, Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, joins the White Council's security team to make sure the talks stay civil. But can he succeed, when dark political manipulations threaten the very existence of Chicago—and all he holds dear?

Harry has faced terrible odds before. He has a long history of fighting enemies above his weight class. The Red Court of vampires. The fallen angels of the Order of the Blackened Denarius. The Outsiders.

But this time it’s different. A being more powerful and dangerous on an order of magnitude beyond what the world has seen in a millennium is coming. And she’s bringing an army. The Last Titan has declared war on the city of Chicago, and has come to subjugate humanity, obliterating any who stand in her way.

Harry’s mission is simple but impossible: Save the city by killing a Titan. And the attempt will change Harry’s life, Chicago, and the mortal world forever.

Two new novels, one big grand story arc. Recommended reads for anyone reading the Dresden Files series.


BONUS AUDIOBOOK CHEAT READ: Had to work three days during Christmas week an none of my regular podcast listening fare that I have as background noise when I work was not available so downloaded an audiobook for replacement background noise.

Rousing pulp action and steampunk come together in a heartbreaking story of high adventure and alternate history. In the year 1870, a horrible plague of vampires swept over the northern regions of the world. It is now 2020 and a bloody reckoning is coming. Princess Adele is heir to the Empire of Equatoria, a remnant of the old tropical British Empire. When she becomes the target of a merciless vampire clan, her only protector is the Greyfriar, a mysterious hero who fights the vampires from deep within their territory. Their dangerous relationship plays out against an approaching war to the death between humankind and the vampire clans. The first book in a trilogy of high adventure and alternate history. Combining rousing pulp action with steampunk style, the Vampire Empire series brings epic political themes to life within a story of heartbreaking romance, sacrifice, and heroism.

Interesting and entertaining enough that I'll eventually check out the other books in the series.

 

[Tamstrong]

In the more shadowy corners of the world, frequented by angels and demons and everything in-between, Laytham Ballard is a legend. It's said he raised the dead at the age of ten, stole the Philosopher's Stone in Vegas back in 1999, and survived the bloodsucking kiss of the Mosquito Queen. Wise in the hidden ways of the night, he's also a cynical bastard who stopped thinking of himself as the good guy a long time ago.

Now a promise to a dying friend has Ballard on the trail of an escaped Serbian war criminal with friends in both high and low places—and a sinister history of blood sacrifices. Ballard is hell-bent on making Dusan Slorzack pay for his numerous atrocities, but Slorzack seems to have literally dropped off the face of the Earth, beyond the reach of his enemies, the Illuminati, and maybe even the Devil himself. To find Slorzack, Ballard must follow a winding, treacherous path that stretches from Wall Street and Washington, D.C. to backwoods hollows and truckstops, while risking what's left of his very soul . . . .

The first half of the book is very grounded & dark supernatural horror in tone but eventually begins to lean into more fantasy & some sci fi elements to mellow out the dark horror of the story. The protagonist starts off as somewhat cold and unlikable but as the story progresses and you lean more of his backstory you begin to understand why he seems to be unlikable (but really isn't ). Overall interesting & entertaining read.

When the Supernatural nations of the world meet up to negotiate an end to ongoing hostilities, Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, joins the White Council's security team to make sure the talks stay civil. But can he succeed, when dark political manipulations threaten the very existence of Chicago—and all he holds dear?

Harry has faced terrible odds before. He has a long history of fighting enemies above his weight class. The Red Court of vampires. The fallen angels of the Order of the Blackened Denarius. The Outsiders.

But this time it’s different. A being more powerful and dangerous on an order of magnitude beyond what the world has seen in a millennium is coming. And she’s bringing an army. The Last Titan has declared war on the city of Chicago, and has come to subjugate humanity, obliterating any who stand in her way.

Harry’s mission is simple but impossible: Save the city by killing a Titan. And the attempt will change Harry’s life, Chicago, and the mortal world forever.

Two new novels, one big grand story arc. Recommended reads for anyone reading the Dresden Files series.


BONUS AUDIOBOOK CHEAT READ: Had to work three days during Christmas week an none of my regular podcast listening fare that I have as background noise when I work was not available so downloaded an audiobook for replacement background noise.

Rousing pulp action and steampunk come together in a heartbreaking story of high adventure and alternate history. In the year 1870, a horrible plague of vampires swept over the northern regions of the world. It is now 2020 and a bloody reckoning is coming. Princess Adele is heir to the Empire of Equatoria, a remnant of the old tropical British Empire. When she becomes the target of a merciless vampire clan, her only protector is the Greyfriar, a mysterious hero who fights the vampires from deep within their territory. Their dangerous relationship plays out against an approaching war to the death between humankind and the vampire clans. The first book in a trilogy of high adventure and alternate history. Combining rousing pulp action with steampunk style, the Vampire Empire series brings epic political themes to life within a story of heartbreaking romance, sacrifice, and heroism.

Interesting and entertaining enough that I'll eventually check out the other books in the series.

Any plans on checking out Nightwise 2 any time soon, or is it a no hurry to grab the next installment kind of story?

I still have a way to go on The Dresden Files. I just started book 7 this morning. Between a gift card I was given and a discount deal they had going on for the Dresden books for the holidays, I was able to grab 8-12 at a good price.

Since I overdid it and read too many books during Thanksgiving break (and due to my stupid allergies & insomnia), I've had to ease up on my reading & screen time lately. So annoying and boring (like me lol). My eyes have improved quite a bit since I've been resting them more often and using all the tips/treatments I was told to use, but they're still on the sensitive side. Must be how vampires feel when sunlight is cooking their eyeballs. lol

 

[Ol'Skool Classic]

Any plans on checking out Nightwise 2 any time soon, or is it a no hurry to grab the next installment kind of story?

I still have a way to go on The Dresden Files. I just started book 7 this morning. Between a gift card I was given and a discount deal they had going on for the Dresden books for the holidays, I was able to grab 8-12 at a good price.

Since I overdid it and read too many books during Thanksgiving break (and due to my stupid allergies & insomnia), I've had to ease up on my reading & screen time lately. So annoying and boring (like me lol). My eyes have improved quite a bit since I've been resting them more often and using all the tips/treatments I was told to use, but they're still on the sensitive side. Must be how vampires feel when sunlight is cooking their eyeballs. lol

I'll get around to checking it out eventually but not anytime soon. Between other books I have on deck to read as well as eventually checking out at least the first Brotherhood of the Wheel novel since it is in the same universe as Nightwise, I'll wait awhile before checking it out.

That was one of the two big pluses from listening to the audiobook I downloaded (actually I got the Kindle version of the book & it came with a free audio download of it as a promotional push to get people to subscribe to Audible) didn't strain my eyes from normal reading & got to "read" or more accurately have a book narrated to me while doing work.

 

[Tamstrong]

I'll get around to checking it out eventually but not anytime soon. Between other books I have on deck to read as well as eventually checking out at least the first Brotherhood of the Wheel novel since it is in the same universe as Nightwise, I'll wait awhile before checking it out.

That was one of the two big pluses from listening to the audiobook I downloaded (actually I got the Kindle version of the book & it came with a free audio download of it as a promotional push to get people to subscribe to Audible) didn't strain my eyes from normal reading & got to "read" or more accurately have a book narrated to me while doing work.

Hmm I didn't realize both series were part of the same universe. Thanks for the info.

I just don't get as much out of the audiobooks as far as "reading" for enjoyment goes ( I tend to get antsy and I just don't get the same out of it not reading it myself), but I may try the listening while I'm working thing. I enjoy listening to music while I work, so I might enjoy the audiobooks that way too.

 

[Ol'Skool Classic]

Hmm I didn't realize both series were part of the same universe. Thanks for the info.

I just don't get as much out of the audiobooks as far as "reading" for enjoyment goes ( I tend to get antsy and I just don't get the same out of it not reading it myself), but I may try the listening while I'm working thing. I enjoy listening to music while I work, so I might enjoy the audiobooks that way too.

Yeah, the lead protagonist of the Brotherhood of the Wheel series makes a cameo appearance in one of the chapters of Nightwise and Ballard the protagonist gives a brief run-down of who the Brotherhood are & what they are about.

The only way I could get into audiobooks on a routine basis is if how & why I did it for that week somehow became the norm for my regular work routine. I use to listen to music as my background noise while working but eventually that became stale especially when trying to find new & enjoyable music to listen to, which eventually lead me down the podcast route. New & varied content to listen to on a regular basis unless it's the holidays or content creator have something going on outside of of their podcast that keeps them from putting up new content.

 

[Tamstrong]

Yeah, the lead protagonist of the Brotherhood of the Wheel series makes a cameo appearance in one of the chapters of Nightwise and Ballard the protagonist gives a brief run-down of who the Brotherhood are & what they are about.

The only way I could get into audiobooks on a routine basis is if how & why I did it for that week somehow became the norm for my regular work routine. I use to listen to music as my background noise while working but eventually that became stale especially when trying to find new & enjoyable music to listen to, which eventually lead me down the podcast route. New & varied content to listen to on a regular basis unless it's the holidays or content creator have something going on outside of of their podcast that keeps them from putting up new content.

Gotcha.

That makes sense, and the podcast routine does sound a lot better. I may try that out myself for something different. Even the music you love gets old sometimes. That and at school I can't always listen to what I want since headphones/ear pods aren't allowed. I do push the envelope a little bit sometimes with what I play though. lol

It's got me thinking about audiobooks being a possible option for my mother. She used to read a lot, but her vision has gotten so bad as she's aged she can't see well enough to do it anymore. I think being able to listen to them might be an enjoyable way for her to pass her time since she's stuck at my brother's way out in the boonies. She's always loved books and read even more than I do, so I know she misses it. She watches a lot of TV, but she needs more to do to switch things up sometimes. Scratch that idea—she can barely manage a cell phone, so digital is out of the question. And cds would be too expensive. Hmm, maybe a trip to the library every couple of weeks could be arranged. I think if she had more activities to help keep her mind occupied, she might have fewer episodes.

 

[Ol'Skool Classic]

Gotcha.

That makes sense, and the podcast routine does sound a lot better. I may try that out myself for something different. Even the music you love gets old sometimes. That and at school I can't always listen to what I want since headphones/ear pods aren't allowed. I do push the envelope a little bit sometimes with what I play though. lol

It's got me thinking about audiobooks being a possible option for my mother. She used to read a lot, but her vision has gotten so bad as she's aged she can't see well enough to do it anymore. I think being able to listen to them might be an enjoyable way for her to pass her time since she's stuck at my brother's way out in the boonies. She's always loved books and read even more than I do, so I know she misses it. She watches a lot of TV, but she needs more to do to switch things up sometimes. Scratch that idea—she can barely manage a cell phone, so digital is out of the question. And cds would be too expensive. Hmm, maybe a trip to the library every couple of weeks could be arranged. I think if she had more activities to help keep her mind occupied, she might have fewer episodes.

Digital could still be the way to go with your mother by way of some voice assistant set up but again price might be an issue depending on what device/services you got and how easy or hard it would be for her to remember voice commands needed for device/services.

 

[Tamstrong]

Digital could still be the way to go with your mother by way of some voice assistant set up but again price might be an issue depending on what device/services you got and how easy or hard it would be for her to remember voice commands needed for device/services.

Unfortunately she wouldn't be able to handle that either. Even before she lost her mind she was stubborn about technology, and trying to teach her to use any of it was/is a waste of time. She won't even try, yet she blames it on the device & whoever showed her how to use it. Anyone trying to teach her risks their own sanity. It's not worth the risk. lol

Maybe I should just load her up with some oldies CDs and some headphones. I don't think she'll be doing any dancing around the house like she used to, but her oldies always seem to perk her up back in the day. And music is an effective mood lifter. She needs something other than the TV. She likes to watch all of those true crime & drama shows, which probably doesn't help her paranoia. I think too much time to think gets her imagination running wild. And you know she's out there enough already.

 

[Ol'Skool Classic]

Unfortunately she wouldn't be able to handle that either. Even before she lost her mind she was stubborn about technology, and trying to teach her to use any of it was/is a waste of time. She won't even try, yet she blames it on the device & whoever showed her how to use it. Anyone trying to teach her risks their own sanity. It's not worth the risk. lol

Maybe I should just load her up with some oldies CDs and some headphones. I don't think she'll be doing any dancing around the house like she used to, but her oldies always seem to perk her up back in the day. And music is an effective mood lifter. She needs something other than the TV. She likes to watch all of those true crime & drama shows, which probably doesn't help her paranoia. I think too much time to think gets her imagination running wild. And you know she's out there enough already.

Both true crime shows & all the various reality shows are the worst mind fuck to be addicted to IMO. True crime like you said makes you paranoid & it's overly depressing if you spend all your time watching it & reality shows make you numb to the actual dumb shit that people around you are doing are saying in real life. My wife likes watching a lot of those reality shows & again IMO is reason the has a hard time picking up on other people's ignorant bullshit right off the bat the I or the twins do.

 

[Tamstrong]

Both true crime shows & all the various reality shows are the worst mind fuck to be addicted to IMO. True crime like you said makes you paranoid & it's overly depressing if you spend all your time watching it & reality shows make you numb to the actual dumb shit that people around you are doing are saying in real life. My wife likes watching a lot of those reality shows & again IMO is reason the has a hard time picking up on other people's ignorant bullshit right off the bat the I or the twins do.

Yeah, they can be if a person is too into them. It didn't start with my mother until after she got dementia though. It feeds into her paranoia that folks are trying to kill her or steal from her or whatever else she believes is going on. The trouble with reality shows is when people think they actually represent reality. Folks tend to forget it's just TV & more about entertainment & ratings than what's real.

 

[Ol'Skool Classic]

I still have a way to go on The Dresden Files. I just started book 7 this morning. Between a gift card I was given and a discount deal they had going on for the Dresden books for the holidays, I was able to grab 8-12 at a good price.

You'll be pretty much caught up on most of the series once you get to book twelve. Recommend trying to find deals on books 13 (Ghost Story) &14 (Cold Days) that way we can finally have some off the board conversations about the series.

 

[Tamstrong]

You'll be pretty much caught up on most of the series once you get to book twelve. Recommend trying to find deals on books 13 (Ghost Story) &14 (Cold Days) that way we can finally have some off the board conversations about the series.

Sounds good. As soon as I get the ones I have read, I'll be buying some more. Hopefully they have some deals going by then.

 

[Tamstrong]

Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only practicing professional wizard, should be happy that business is pretty good for a change. But he also knows that whenever things are going good, the only way left for them to go is bad. Way bad. Such as:

• A duel with the lethal champion of the Red Court, who must kill Harry to end the war between vampires and wizards...
• Professional hit men using Harry for target practice...
• The missing Shroud of Turin—and the possible involvement of Chicago's most feared mob boss...
• A handless and headless corpse the Chicago police need identified...

Not to mention the return of Harry’s ex-girlfriend Susan, who’s still struggling with her semi-vampiric nature. And who seems to have a new man in her life. Some days, it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed. No matter how much you’re charging.

Harry Dresden has had worse assignments than going undercover on the set of an adult film. Like fleeing a burning building full of enraged demon-monkeys, for instance. Or going toe-to-leaf with a walking plant monster. Still, there’s something more troubling than usual about his newest case. The film’s producer believes he’s the target of a sinister curse—but it’s the women around him who are dying, in increasingly spectacular ways.

Harry’s doubly frustrated because he only got involved with this bizarre mystery as a favor to Thomas—his flirtatious, self-absorbed vampire acquaintance of dubious integrity. Thomas has a personal stake in the case Harry can’t quite figure out, until his investigation leads him straight to the vampire’s oversexed, bite-happy family. Now, Harry’s about to discover that Thomas’ family tree has been hiding a shocking secret: a revelation that will change Harry’s life forever.

Paranormal investigations are Harry Dresden’s business and Chicago is his beat, as he tries to bring law and order to a world of wizards and monsters that exists alongside everyday life. And though most inhabitants of the Windy City don’t believe in magic, the Special Investigations Department of the Chicago PD knows better.

Karrin Murphy is the head of S. I. and Harry’s good friend. So when a killer vampire threatens to destroy Murphy’s reputation unless Harry does her bidding, he has no choice. The vampire wants the Word of Kemmler (whatever that is) and all the power that comes with it. Now, Harry is in a race against time—and six merciless necromancers—to find the Word before Chicago experiences a Halloween night to wake the dead...

All good.