The Tale of the Wicked by John Scalzi

December 05, 2025

John Scalzi can say more in a short story than many authors can in an entire novel. “The Tale of the Wicked” is a satisfying, surprising story with clever plotting. Even in a short story, his characters can grow and change, including a battle ship itself....

What Are You Reading?

December 04, 2025

I’m going to say this once, and then I’ll drop it for those who are not yet retired. I love retirement. I hate snow, driving in it, walking in it. We had snow in the middle of the night on Sunday, and it continued into rush hour on Monday. And, I...

The Curious Poisoning of Jewel Barnes by Terry Shames

December 03, 2025

While I’m a big fan of Terry Shames’ character Police Chief Samuel Craddock, I’m not a big fan of her latest book, The Curious Poisoning of Jewel Barnes. I love Craddock and the familiar characters in the series. However, there are a few too many...

The Snow Lies Deep by Paula Munier

December 02, 2025

I used to turn to Louise Penny’s Armand Gamache books when I wanted beautiful writing. Now, I do the same with Paula Munier’s mysteries. In The Snow Lies Deep, the seventh Mercy Carr mystery, Munier describes a Vermont Christmas with poetic, magical turns...

January Treasures in My Closet

December 01, 2025

Are you ready for a sneak peek into January 2026? Let’s forecast a few of the books of that month. Let me know which ones you want to read. And, don’t forget to tell us what books I missed that are January releases. Let’s kick off January with A.D....