Sunday, April 18, 2021
Saturday, April 17, 2021
Dallas Library Reopening
Got the official form letter from the DPL stating they plan to reopen in early May. Unlike staff that told us it was May 4rth, the letter does not specify a date. The letter includes the warning that they are going back to the pre plague criteria criteria and that I am in violation of the "no more than 100 items checked out" policy. While staff told us that were phasing this in and we had time, the letter says I am suspended immediately until I bring my account back into "good standing."
As of today, my account continues to work. They have also not checked in books that they have had for ten days now.
Their letter also has several typos. 😆😆
Beneath the Stains of Time: Murder at Monk's Barn (1931) by Cecil Waye
Beneath the Stains of Time: Murder at Monk's Barn (1931) by Cecil Waye: John Street was one of the more prolific mystery writers of the genre's heydays, producing nearly a 140 novels in two long-running seri...
Scott's Take: Dr. Strange Surgeon Supreme Volume 1: Under The Knife by Mark Waid and Illustrator Kevin Walker
Dr. Strange Surgeon Supreme Volume
1: Under The Knife by Mark Waid and Illustrator Kevin Walker is the
latest relaunch featuring Doctor Strange. Ever since the movie came out, Marvel
keeps relaunching this series with a new premise and a new supporting cast.
Over the years since the movie, Doctor Strange has gone through a lot by way of
the various versions. He lost his magic, relearned his magic, went to space,
became a veterinarian, had a ghost dog, and more. This is the first volume in a
planned two volume series. I have enjoyed most of the previous series, but the
constant change in direction and supporting casts is annoying.
In this read, Dr. Strange again has use
of his hands and can again be a surgeon. He gained that ability by making a
deal with a demon. He did that so that he could save the life of a child. To regain
his ability, Dr. Strange agreed to do whatever is requested of him by the demon
at some future point. One hopes that
will not entail going down to Georgia and fighting the devil for a golden fiddle.
In the here and now, Dr. Strange is trying
to balance the job of being an actual operating room surgeon with his ongoing
job as the Sorcerer Supreme. This means he is frequently forced to choose which
lives to save as he tries to balance two very different and demanding jobs. If
that's not hard enough, there is a crossover link here with the series, Strange
Academy by Skottie Young, where Strange is running a school that is
like Hogwarts. Then there is the problem that somebody is giving bad guys
magical weapons that could destroy reality. It should be clear that Dr. Strange
has way too much on his plate.
While he is attempting to deal with all
these jobs someone is arming people with magical weapons that could destroy
reality. Doctor Druid returns and his working at the same hospital as Dr.
Strange. Dr Druid is a former avenger who died came back as supervillain and
now claims to have given up magic now. Can Dr. Strange trust his former ally
who recently went evil?
Featuring plenty of high stakes, magic, and spectacular art keeps the reader entertained as Dr. Strange attempts to keep his jobs separate. There is also plenty of humor with Dr. Strange trying to interact with regular people. This is a good book for people who are fans of Dr. Strange and are looking for his latest fresh start.
Dr. Strange
Surgeon Supreme Volume 1: Under The Knife
Mark Waid
Illustrator
Kevin Walker
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Kev_Walker
Marvel Comics
December 2020
ISBN: 978-1-302-92105-7
Paperback (also
available in eBook format)
136 Pages
My reading copy came from the Timberglen Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2021
Friday, April 16, 2021
Writer Beware®: The Blog: Publisher Storm Warnings: Diversion Books
Writer Beware®: The Blog: Publisher Storm Warnings: Diversion Books: Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware® Founded in 2010 by Scott Waxman of the Waxman Literary Agency , Diversion Books was one of ...
The Reading Room: A Dead Man's Eyes by Lori Duffy Foster: Reading Room Review
The Reading Room: A Dead Man's Eyes by Lori Duffy Foster: Reading Ro...: A Dead Man’s Eyes is the first book in the new Lisa Jamison Mystery series by Lori Duffy Foster , and it is the author’s debut mystery/c...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams: Reviewed by Ambrea Braden Mack is the mastermind behind the Bromance Book Club and, truthfully, he considers himself a bit of an expert ...
FFB Review: Glory in Death: Eve Dallas Mysteries (Book 2) by J. D. Robb
It has been a few months since Naked in Death and Lieutenant Eve Dallas is on the scene of another murder as Glory in Death. The year is 2058 and murder still happens in New York city despite genetic testing and catching those who might have hereditary traits predisposing them to violence. Guns are banned, but knives still work. Especially when used across the throat of the victim as in this case.
The dead woman was prosecuting attorney
Cicely Towers. Her life ended on a street outside of a sex club and that same
street is where her body lies as the rain comes down. Dressed for a meeting,
she does not belong on this street at this time of night. Why she was there
becomes soon evident though who did it and why remain elusive in the
investigation.
A second murder is also clearly linked
to the first no matter how others see it. Finding out the reasons why and the
identity remain elusive as a media frenzy descends on the case. A media frenzy
made worse by the fact that Lt. Dallas is dating one of the most famous men in
the world, Roarke. Not just because of their romance, but the fact that Roarke
was also well known to the victims as well as others connected to the case.
This second book in the series continues
the turbulent romance between Dallas and Roarke as the police procedural moves
forward. First and foremost, that is what this series is-- a police procedural.
Decades in the future with all sorts of incredible technology, solving murder
cases still comes down to shoes on the ground doing the legwork, asking
questions in person, and catching suspects in lies.
The same issues detailed in my review of
Naked
in Death are very much present here. The constant shifting of pov,
often in successive sentences in the same paragraph, continues unabated here
throughout the entire novel. It can be a bit distracting until one gets in the
flow of the story and the chase for love as well as a killer.
All in all, Glory in Death
is a fun read and worth your time.
Glory in Death:
Eve Dallas Mysteries (Book 2)
J. D. Robb
https://jdrobb.com/1995/12/glory-in-death/
Thorndike Press
https://www.gale.com/thorndike/-/N-5p
May 2009
ISBN# 978-1-4104-1542-4
Hardback (also
available in audio, eBook, and paperback formats)
475 Pages
My copy from the Downtown Branch of the
Dallas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2021
Thursday, April 15, 2021
Review: Missing and Endangered: A Brady Novel of Suspense by J.A. Jance
It is the first week of December as Missing and Endangered: A Brady Novel of Suspense by J.A. Jance begins. Things are fairly routine as the paperwork keeps coming. Jenny is making plans to be home as soon as finals are over. Butch is out of town on a book tour. As always, Sheriff Brady needs more deputies and a budgetary increase for staff and equipment. Everything is pretty much normal until she gets reports of an officer involved shooting.
Deputy Armando Ruiz was out on a call to deliver a
no contact order to Leon Hogan. Things escalated and Leon Hogan did not
survive. Deputy Ruiz, gravely wounded, was able to call for help. Mr. Hogan’s
wife, Madison was there at his house when the incident happened as were their
kids, Kendall, age 7, and Peter, 5. Why Madison and their kids were at his
house just hours after she requested a no contact order is one of the many
questions that Sheriff Brady wants answered.
The officer shooting case becomes the primary story
line. What happened with the kids in the past and present becomes one of the two
secondary storylines in the book. Their world, from their pov, is provided in
heartbreaking detail. These sections are all too real and often very hard to
read.
The other secondary story line involves Jenny and
her roommate, Beth Rankin. Sheltered and very naive, Beth is extremely vulnerable
to the predators of the online world. In a very predictable story line, her
trust is used against her. Things escalate which puts herself as well as Jenny
in danger.
As has been the case the last few books, much of this
book is spent discussing relationships and family. Family often goes far beyond
the biological. The consistent and caring people in your life often become your
real family. A point driven home again and again in this entertaining
read.
I was able to read this book in eBook format because my son, Scott, could make the Libby App with the Dallas Public Library System work. It is the way of his people.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2021
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