Blog

In which I briefly comment on the books I read each month, so a few years from now when I’m trying to remember one of them, I’ll be able to find it here. Since I’m a media omnivore, it also includes games, movies, and any other media of note that I engaged with.

Do we have similar tastes, or will you be questioning how we ever got connected? Let’s find out!

Books

{STAR} The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition by Jane Friedman

Anyone familiar with Friedman’s work over the years won’t be surprised at the thoroughness and clarity that makes this a must-read, not just for aspiring authors, but anyone in the publishing industry who wants to understand the nuts and bolts of the business of writing. I have a handful of books in certain categories that I judge a bookstore’s curation by, and this is one I expect to see in any section for writers that includes classics like Bird by Bird and On Writing.

{STAR} A People’s Guide to Publishing: Building a Successful, Sustainable, Meaningful Book Business From the Ground Up by Joe Biel

Part memoir, part explainer, Biel weaves an insightful combo of best practices, explicit examples, and a variety of anecdotes into a compelling alternative vision for publishing that delivers on his subtitle. Not coincidentally, Microcosm is one of my favorite publishers, but Biel does a great job of pulling in other voices to expand the scope of the book, making this new edition a must-read for anyone curious about more than the creative side of the business. I also expect to see this one in any bookstore with a section for writers.

How to Organize Inclusive Events and Conferences by Dr. Alex D. Ketchum

As someone who’s organized, marketed, and hosted literally hundreds of events of all kinds over the years, I still learned some things from Dr. Ketchum’s comprehensive overview. I wish I had a book like this 30 years ago when I first got involved with events, but I’m glad it exists now!

Brutal Kunnin by Mike Brooks

I wasn’t sure Orks could carry a whole novel, and Brooks apparently wasn’t either. While it’s not the “must read” it’s often claimed to be, it’s definitely an entertaining enough romp that brings some awkward humor to the grimdark future. While I’d consider reading more about Ufthak’s adventures, especially if Orks were actually given the full spotlight, it unexpectedly made me more interested in the Adeptus Mechanicus. (see Games below)

May Day by Jess Lourey

I asked for a cozy library mystery a while back and, of course, a librarian reader delivered, recommending this fun, breezy whodunnit that I wouldn’t be surprised to see pop up on Netflix at some point. It was Lourey’s first novel, so the plot’s skeleton is pretty transparent at times, but Mira James has a lot of potential, and it left me curious about what happens with her in June.

Games

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus (Steam Deck)

I bought a bunch of 40k games on sale a while back on Xbox and Steam, and even though this one had positive reviews and a forthcoming sequel that looks interesting, it was languishing in my backlog until I realized it was optimized for the Steam Deck, which is officially my primary gaming platform now. The Adeptus Mechanicus are arguably the weirdest faction in 40k, simultaneously relatable and inscrutable; like software brain as a religion, but in the grimdark future! While playing/reading Rogue Trader made them intriguing, reading Brutal Kunnin actually made them interesting. I’m only ~6 hours into the game so far, but the narrative framing is doing a good job of putting their worldview in context while clearly delineating the sub-factions, and the turn-based tactics make it a fun challenge to play. In the never-ending immersion loop of 40k, I might have to find a good Mechanicus series to read next…

Out of the Park Baseball 26 (Steam)

I made it 10 seasons in my New Orleans expansion save, with six straight playoff appearances, a solid core of players on a sustainable payroll, and a rabid fanbase that was regularly filling seats. In our 10th season, we were the best team in the league, won our division by almost 20 games, and were poised for a deep run that should have ended with our first World Series championship! Instead, we lost 4-2 to the wild card Marlins and… I needed a break. OOTP went way beyond scratching the Football Manager itch, to the point where it’s now my preferred sim by far, but with the Mets being so bad IRL, I can’t have my fake baseball team disappointing me, too. When OOTP 27 stabilizes and goes on sale after the All Star Game, I’ll probably jump back in for a brand new save, leveraging everything I learned in an amazing run in 26 to finally bring glory to the Big Easy!

Movies & TV

Him (Airplane Streaming)

The premise has potential, Marlon Wayans is surprisingly good, and there are some interesting visuals here and there, but the script’s reach far exceeds its grasp before eventually devolving into utterly farcical nonsense for the final act. Either of the alternate endings would have been better, depending on how much of the actual ending would have preceded them, but probably still not enough to make it a good movie, even on an airplane.

Caught Stealing (Airplane Streaming)

I vaguely recall enjoying the novel this was based on (which I read many years ago, right before meeting its author for one of my favorite interviews ever), but don’t remember much about it. The trailer looked like a fun black comedy, perfect for breaking up a long flight, and that’s a pretty good summary of what it is. An unexpected bonus is that I’m a little more comfortable with Austin Butler in the Miami Vice reboot now.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (Streaming)

This movie should probably come with a laundry list of content warnings, but it’s also arguably best watched knowing as little as possible, like I did. Rose Byrne delivers a legit “tour de force” performance in one of the most stressful and relentless movies I’ve ever seen, and Mary Bronstein ambitiously refuses to tell you how to feel about any of it, or make you comfortable with whatever those feelings are. I’m glad I saw it, and will never watch it again!

Sports

NY Mets (SNY & Audacy)

What a catastrophe! Firing Mendoza wouldn’t change anything, and it’s arguably still too early to declare Stearns’ rebuild a total failure, and it’s too early in the season for a trade that would make a difference… but something has to change. If the team can’t start playing competitive games and winning series by the end of May, Cohen may be justified in blowing the whole thing up and giving a bunch of kids the rest of the season to prove they’re ready for the major leagues, because it literally can’t get much worse than this past April. Can it?

Your Notes?

If you’ve engaged with any of these, let me know what you thought. And if you have any related recommendations, drop ’em in the comments or on the socials! Some of you prefer email, which is cool, too. You do you!