Mark McNease

All things are of the substance of dreams

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  • Book Reviews,  LGBTSR

    Book Review: Here We Go Again, by Alison Cochrun

    April 13, 2024 /
    https://lgbtsr.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ElevenLabs_2024-04-13T11_41_39_Naomi-Serious-and-Slow_gen_s50_sb75_se0_b_m2.mp3

     

    By Terri Schlichenmeyer
    The Bookworm Sez

    “Here We Go Again” by Alison Cochrun
    c.2024, Atria  $17.99   368 pages

    … Joe didn’t want to die surrounded by hospital walls. Would Logan and Rosemary drive him and his dog to Maine, to a cabin he owned? Would they spend time crammed side-by-side in a used van with a gay logo, keeping Joe alive, coast-to-coast? Could they do it without screaming the whole way?

    Can you do me a solid?

    Just one little favor, a quick errand, it won’t take long. You can do it next time you’re out, in fact. Consider it your good deed for the day, if it makes you feel better. A mitzvah. An indulgence to a fellow human. As in the new novel, “Here We Go Again” by Alison Cochrun, think of it as a life-changing thing.

    She couldn’t remember the woman’s first name.

    Did Logan Maletis really ever know it? Everybody at her job – administration, students, other teachers – called everyone else by their last name so the colleague she’d been hooking up with for weeks was just “Schaffer.” Whatever, Logan didn’t care and she wasn’t cold-hearted but when Savannah broke up with her in public, she did wonder if maybe, possibly, the awful names she called Logan were fair or true.

    Rosemary Hale would’ve agreed with every single last one of those nasty names.

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    Editor
  • Book Reviews,  LGBTSR,  Terri Schlichenmeyer

    Book Review: The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: True Stories of the Magic of Reading, by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann with Chris Mooney

    April 6, 2024 /

    By Terri Schlichenmeyer
    The Bookworm Sez

    “The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: True Stories of the Magic of Reading” by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann with Chris Mooney

    c.2024, Little, Brown  $28.00  338 pages

    Last night, you got between the covers and went to South America.

    It wasn’t difficult. A few days ago, you walked around London in 1888; you were in the future before that; you’ve met con artists, florists, runaways, and heroines, and you didn’t even have to leave your house. You can experience many things with a book, and in “The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians” by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann, you’ll read about a different kind of adventure.

    “To be a bookseller,” say the authors, “you have to play detective.”

    That means determining which book with a “blue cover” is the one the customer wants. It’s asking the right questions to find the right fit for young readers and assuring book lovers that “that’s okay” if they didn’t like something.

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    Mark
  • Book Reviews,  Terri Schlichenmeyer

    Terri Schlichenmeyer’s Holiday Book Gift Guide (Fiction and Non-Fiction)

    November 12, 2023 /

    By Terri Schlichenmeyer
    The Bookworm Sez

    One thin line.

    There you are, you’ve just crossed off your last person, thereby finishing your Holiday Gift List for the year. But oops, you forgot that one hard-to-buy-for aunt, and you haven’t gotten anything for your babysitter. And, and, and… you’re out of ideas. So how about something to read? See if these great books don’t give you some guidance…

    FICTION

    The novel lover who’s always doing good things for other people may enjoy unwrapping “Just Do This One Thing for Me” by Laura Zimmermann (Dutton). It’s the story of a daughter who always does what her free-spirited mother asks of her – even if it gets her in trouble. Wrap it up with “Time’s Undoing” by Cheryl A. Head (Dutton), a novel about a woman who’s determined to learn how her great-grandfather died, and how what it means to her safety. Bonus: this book was based on the author’s own family history.

    The reader who loves twisty tales of sister love and rivalry will want to unwrap “How to Care for a Human Girl” by Ashley Wurzbacher (Atria), the story of two sisters, two pregnancies, and a whole pile of resentments. Pair it up with “Before You Found Me” by Brooke Beyfuss (Sourcebooks). It’s a tale of choosing your family and sticking together.

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    Editor
  • Book Reviews,  Books

    Ann Cleeves Hits Another Homerun in the Matthew Venn Series

    November 1, 2023 /
    https://lgbtsr.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ElevenLabs_2023-11-01T10_35_57_Antoni_pre_s75_sb75_se0_m2.mp3

    Narration provided by Wondervox.

    Cross-posted from LGBTSr.com.

    By Mark McNease

    I’ll be talking some more about Ann Cleeves’ Matthew Venn series on the upcoming Mark McNease Mysteries Podcast.

    What stands out in this series is the exploration of identity, relationships, and the shades of gray in between. It’s an effective combination of a gripping mystery and a deep, personal journey.

    I’m a relatively recent fan of established mystery master Ann Cleeves. With her intricate plots and deep, complex characters, it’s no surprise that this British author is one of the leading figures in contemporary mystery fiction. She creates atmospheric settings that make you feel like you’re right there on scene, whether it’s the wild and windy Shetland Islands or the quaint, secluded villages of Northumberland.

    She’s invented some of the most iconic detective characters in contemporary fiction: Jimmy Perez from the ‘Shetland’ series, and Vera Stanhope from the ‘Vera Stanhope’ series. Both protagonists exhibit layers of complexity that make them as unpredictable as the mysteries they’re trying to solve. They become like old friends who you’ve known forever, with all their quirks and idiosyncrasies.

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    Mark
  • Book Reviews,  LGBTSR,  Terri Schlichenmeyer

    Halloween Books for Your Screaming Pleasure, by Various Authors

    October 23, 2023 /
    https://lgbtsr.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ElevenLabs_2023-10-23T10_01_30_OLDER-WOMAN-VOICE-CUSTOM_gen_s50_sb75_se0_b_m2.mp3

    Narration provided by Wondervox.

    By Terri Schlichenmeyer
    The Bookworm Sez

    Halloween Books for Your Screaming Pleasure
    Various Authors

    c.2023, various publishers
    $12.99 – $27.00 various page counts

    What’s that noise?

    Was it the scrape of a branch on the outside of your walls, or the brush of a wing or a fang or a talon? Was there a monster creeping outside your windows, or just the wind and leaves? This is a lousy time for the lights to go out, so grab a flashlight and one of these great new books…

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    Editor
  • Book Reviews,  Book Reviews,  Books,  LGBTSR

    Book Review: Not Forever but For Now, by Chuck Palahniuk

    September 7, 2023 /

    By Terri Schlichenmeyer
    The Bookworm Sez

    Not Forever but For Now” by Chuck Palahniuk
    c.2023, Simon & Schuster  $25.99  256 pages

    You always wanted the family business.

    Started by your grandfather, nurtured by your parents, aunts, and uncles, you hoped to be the next generation of caretakers to help it grow, succeed, and readied for its owners in the future. You trained all your life to take the reins of the Family Empire, and in the new book “Not Forever but For Now” by Chuck Palahniuk, you’ll do it, even if it kills you.

    They were probably too big to be in a nursery, but he didn’t care.

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    Mark
  • Book Reviews

    Book Review: How to Sell a Haunted House, by Grady Hendrix

    January 14, 2023 /

    By Terri Schlichenmeyer
    The Bookworm Sez

    “How to Sell a Haunted House” by Grady Hendrix
    c.2023, Barkley $28.00  432 pages

    You forgot that there were strings.

    You forgot who was doing the talking, too. No, your eyes were stuck on the puppet with a funny voice that made you forget that this was a show, that a bit of cloth and a wooden face were only objects of theater. Didn’t you see the puppeteer’s lips move? As in the new book “How to Sell a Haunted House” by Grady Hendrix, wasn’t there a human holding the strings?

    Driving by it, her parents’ house looked smaller then she remembered.

    Then again, it had been some time since Louise Joyner had been home. Years ago, she’d escaped the place and never looked back, returning only when necessary – like now, when she and her brother, Mark, had a double-funeral to plan and that shabby old house to clear out.

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    Mark
  • Book Reviews,  Books

    Best Books of 2022: Terri Schlichenmeyer’s Bookworm Sez!

    December 22, 2022 /

    By Terri Schlichenmeyer
    The Bookworm Sez

    Best Books of 2022

    It happens every year.

    The decorations come down. The last of the Christmas leftovers have been eaten. Errant bits of ripped wrapping are found and discarded. You have no more holiday candy or cookies, you look around at your empty hands, and you wonder now what?

    Now it’s time to settle in and read for the rest of the winter season. For your pleasure, here are the Top Five Bookworm Picks for the Best of 2022…

    Fiction

    Lovers of fairy tales are in for a big surprise with “The Book Eaters” by Sunyi Dean (Tor, $26.99). It’s a dark, dark legend filled with evil dragons that look like men, princesses that are worse than second-class citizens within their realms, and a chase that will chill you. Book lovers will adore this tale, especially if you don’t necessarily need a happily-ever-after.

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    Mark
  • Book Reviews,  Books

    Book Review: The Battle Cry of the Siamese Kitten, by Philipp Schott, DVM

    December 17, 2022 /

    By Terri Schlichenmeyer
    The Bookworm Sez

    The Battle Cry of the Siamese Kitten, by Philipp Schott, DVM
    c.2022, ECW Press  $17.95  280 pages

    Oh, those tiny little claws are sharp!

    You don’t expect something that small to draw blood, but there it is on the back of your hand. Fortunately, the pain is overwhelmed by the big ears and the huge eyes and the tail like a car antennae. You fell in love with your kitten one-point-three seconds after it landed in your hands and in the new book “The Battle Cry of the Siamese Kitten” by Philipp Schott, it does more than purr!

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    Mark
  • Book Reviews

    Book Review: A History of the World Through Body Parts, by Kathryn Petras & Ross Petras

    November 26, 2022 /

    “A History of the World Through Body Parts” by Kathryn Petras & Ross Petras
    c.2022, Chronicle Books $22.95 255 pages

    Give the gentleman a hand.

    He did a good job, and he deserves it. Seriously, someone gave him a leg-up, he jumped in with both feet, and shortly after he put his nose to the grindstone, he found himself rubbing elbows with influential people. He shouldered some responsibility, kept his ear to the ground, and look where he’s been – so give him a hand, and read “A History of the World Through Body Parts” by Kathryn Petras & Ross Petras.

    It all begins with Cleopatra’s nose.

    Mathematician Blase Pascal seemed fascinated by it, not because it stood out (though it did), but because Julius Caesar and Marc Antony were both smitten with it and their obsessions changed the world. That got Petras and Petras thinking how other bodily bits might have affected history. Can “zeroing in on a body part” help make sense of our world?

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    Mark
  • Book Reviews

    Book Review: Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden history of America’s Cemeteries, by Greg Melville

    October 30, 2022 /

    You’ve moved – how many times already?

    A couple times as a child, a few times in college and a lot more boxes, once or twice in truckloads since then, the average American moves more than 11 times in a lifetime. And then one day, you won’t. As you’ll see in “Over My Dead Body” by Greg Melville, then you’ll have your real, true Forever Home.

    Everybody, they say, needs a hobby and Greg Melville’s just happens to be visiting cemeteries. His family knows that every vacation will be wrapped around gravesites, every chance for a run happens to circle around tombstones. While the family complains, Melville studies the grounds upon which so many rest and he thinks about those who are interred.

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    Mark
  • Book Reviews

    Book Review: Halloween Books for Kids and Adults

    October 23, 2022 /

    By Terri Schlichenmeyer
    The Bookworm Sez

    Halloween Books for Kids and Adults
    c.2022, various publishers $16.95-$29.99
    various page counts

    The leaves are crunchy beneath your feet.

    There’s a chill in the air, too, and darkness creeps into the day earlier and earlier. It’s the perfect time to get terrified, isn’t it? These three books will do it to you…

    Let’s start with something for everybody over the age of 8 in your haunted house: “Tales to Keep You Up at Night” by Dan Poblocki (Penguin Workshop, $17.99). In it, young Amelia’s grandma has disappeared and it’s natural that Amelia would look for her, right? But grandma’s not in the attic. What is there is a book, one that sure looks like a library book but the library says it’s not. Nope, it’s a book of stories and as Amelia begins to read them, they start to look a lot like real-life, making her wonder exactly what’s merely story and what’s not.

    This book is written in chapters that are the perfect length for reading aloud every evening. Start a tradition: turn off the lights, bring a spooky candle, but do it well before bedtime.

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    Mark
  • Book Reviews,  Books

    Book Review: From Gay to Z: A Queer Compendium, by Justin Elizabeth Sayre, Illustrations by Fredy Ralda

    August 20, 2022 /

    By Terri Schlichenmeyer
    The Bookworm Sez

    From Gay to Z: A Queer Compendium, by Justin Elizabeth Sayre, illustrations by Fredy Ralda
    c.2022, Chronicle Books  $24.95   312 pages

    Little things mean a lot.

    A tiny kiss, a love note written on a scrap of paper, you know how you cherish those things. If you can keep them in your pocket, on a keychain, or tucked in a satchel, all the better because importance isn’t measured by volume. Little things mean a lot, and in the new book “From Gay to Z” by Justin Elizabeth Sayre, they all add up perfectly.

    For most of your life, you’ve been fed a steady died of history, but what do you know about gay history, pop culture, and stand-out activists?  Everything you don’t know about your GayBCs is in tiny entries in this book.

    Take, for instance, drag, or a method of performance that Sayre thinks “queer people have always participated in…” Drag is performance, but it’s also campy theatre, “empowerment,” and “a chance to… get to be the person you always wanted to be.” Check out this entry, and the one for RuPaul.

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    Mark
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