If you’re of a certain age and remember what’s now called The Great American Songbook with pleasure, you might enjoy a new book called “The B-Side: The Death of Tin Pan Alley and the Rebirth of the Great American Song.” Written by Ben Yagoda, it’s a brief history of the popular American song and the …
I always read the author’s dedication first when I open a book. Here’s a wonderful one. It’s from Ben Aaronovitch in his book Foxglove Summer, the fifth book in his “Rivers of London” series. This book is dedicated to Sir Terry Pratchett OBE, who has stood like a wossname upon the rocky shores of our …
I now have the entire Archer’s Beach trilogy by Sharon Lee. I also have Andy Weir’s The Martian. Also Keith Laumer’s A Plague of Demons & Other Stories. Weir’s book was self-published in 2011 and purchased by Crown Publishing in 2014. It’s gotten very good reviews. Laumer was an interesting character. An ex-Air Force officer, …
And not just any library book, but As You Wish, Cary Elwes’ memoir of the making of The Princess Bride!
I have a terrible habit of browsing booksellers’ sites and buying on impulse. I did that the other day and picked up three books with another one pre-ordered for purchase upon release. The first one is David Weber’s “Like a Mighty Army,” the seventh book in his Safehold series. I’ve got the other six, so …
I was given several gifts which qualify as complete surprises. First, a CD of the soundtrack of the new movie “Into the Woods.” I had never expressed any desire for this, but I’m absolutely sure I’m going to love it. How can you not love Sondheim? Next, a lovely little memoir entitled “The Piano Shop …
I just got the newest entry into the Honorverse at the library. David Weber and Tim Zahn have written a story of the early days of the Royal Manticore Navy, some 375 years before Honor and her contemporaries were born. The Navy is at risk of being broken up by politicians who begrudge spending money …
In an interview with Robert Siegel of All Things Considered this afternoon, Mariano Rivera said something interesting. If he hadn’t made it to the big leagues, “I wanted to be a mechanic. So I would have saved all the money that I make to open my own shop,” he says. He certainly has the hands …
Woohoo! Two books into the Liaden Universe (Agent of Change and Conflict of Honors) and I’m glad I bought them. There’s a sense of fun in them that is often missing from space opera, convulsed as it is with BIG THEMES and WORLDS IN THE BALANCE. I’m now starting Carpe Diem. Back to Val Con …
Back here I asked for help selecting which book of a bunch of new ones to start next. I just finished the Evergence series, so now I can start the next batch. But which?