Behind Blue Eyes

I Know Better Now: My Life Before, During, and After the Ramones by Richie Ramone My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received an ARC audiobook of this title from the publisher through NetGalley... When I saw a memoir available from a member of the Ramones, I had two quick thoughts. One, that I had to request it. And two, that I thought the original members of the band had all died..... This was true, and as it turned out, this was written and narrated by a replacement drummer that came along a few years after the Ramones hit it big. Richie Ramone was actually only there for the recordings and tours of a couple of albums in the mid 80s, and while this was an era of the band that might be seen as past their prime, it was still an important turning point in the history of the Ramones. A last surge of popularity perhaps before the final years.... As most musical memoirs tell the story of an artist or band from early on, this one is different. It does tell how Ric...

Anji Kills a King by Evan Leikam My rating: 4 of 5 stars I was given an ARC audiobook of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. This was fun. Anji kills a king, then the rest happens. The bulk of this story is Anji's journey from capture to a promised sentencing that involves much torture and death, in that order. We meet the one who captured her, a notorious bounty hunter known as The Hawk. Along the way we, along with Anji, discover that there is more to the Hawk than the legends. And there are ramifications to Anji's deed that's stated in the book's title. It's well paced without being overly quick. Just the right amount to cover a journey and the things that happen along the way. A few surprises and twists, along with some good introspection. All in all, an enjoyable debut novel. View all my reviews

Rebel Without a Crew, or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker with $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player by Robert Rodríguez My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received an ARC audiobook of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. I've always enjoyed the films of Robert Rodriguez, so this was a great listen. Told as a diary of the events during filming El Mariachi and getting it out there, it was cool to hear it from the author's experiences. And as a bonus, Rodriguez narrates the edition. View all my reviews

Son of Southtown: My Life Between Two Worlds by Sonny Sandoval My rating: 5 of 5 stars I received a copy of this audiobook ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. This was a lot of fun. One of my favorite types of escapism relaxing reads is to get into a memoir from a musician that I listen to. Sonny Sandoval provides this here, with Son of Southtown. It's always a great bonus when the artist/author is the one doing the narration. I found Sonny's story to be fascinating and inspiring, from his early days pre-POD all the way to the present. Sonny covers what's been going on in his life as well as his professional career, which is a great formula for an entertaining memoir... View all my reviews

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. Django Wexler taps into his comedic side here with this trope-shattering humorous fantasy adventure. Our narrator, Davi, has been suffering through a Groundhog Day type situation where she's on a quest to save the world, only to have it reset back to the beginning whenever she's killed in the attempt to defeat whatever forces of evil the Kingdom is forced to deal with. After a thousand years of this, Davi is fed up. She's looking to spit in the eye of fate by changing her own narrative. Instead of trying to save the world and ultimately failing, she's going to BE the Dark Lord, gather her minions, and try it from the other side..... This was a lot of fun, often hilarious, and even had some heart wrenching moments. Great stuff, and I'll be looking forward to the next stage in Dav...

Entrances and Exits by Michael Richards My rating: 5 of 5 stars I received an audiobook ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. This was a great escape. I always enjoy memoirs a little bit more when they're read by the author, as this was. It's especially important here, where Richards sometimes goes into character, and that wouldn't work as well with another reader.... Since I was a fan of Seinfeld, I got an extra benefit from this book, but Richards's life story was interesting before and after Seinfeld as well. 4 1/2 "Cookies!" View all my reviews

The Trials of Empire by Richard Swan My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. This really brings everything full circle and packs a punch, wrapping up the trilogy. The way things were unraveling through the last book and a half or so, I didn't expect the ending to satisfy, but was surprised that it wrapped up the story pretty well. View all my reviews

The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley... This was a brilliant and fast paced follow up to The Justice of Kings , both working well as a sequel and a bridge to the final in the trilogy, which is releasing soon... View all my reviews

No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received an audiobook ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. Excellent narrator that also did Marshall's What Lies in the Woods last year, and once again the combination of author and narrator keeps the story moving, and the twists keep the reader guessing and reguessing... View all my reviews

Unbound II: New Tales By Masters of Fantasy by Shawn Speakman My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received an ecopy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. There's a little of something for everyone here, I think. As with most collections, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but the quality of the writing is top notch throughout this one. Favorites by far include stories by Tamora Pierce, Django Wexler, and Shawn Speakman. These three easily gained the overall experience a star rating bump by their inclusion. View all my reviews

The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan My rating: 5 of 5 stars I received an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley... I didn't know what to expect going in, but I was more than pleasantly surprised by what I got. It appeared to be an epic fantasy with swords and battles and such, and while it was that it was so much more as well... A mystery/whodunit which could be an homage to Sherlock Holmes set in a medieval world with a very elaborate political world setting. What's not to love? View all my reviews

Things Get Ugly: The Best Crime Fiction of Joe R. Lansdale by Joe R. Lansdale My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley... Joe R. Lansdale knows how to craft a story, with an instinctive grasp of character development. His language is such that he connects with readers and makes the task of reading an enjoyable escape. While all of the stories in this book fall into the "crime" category, this is a very loose grouping. There is such a mixed bag of offerings here, from the noir to the really freaking weird. As with most collections, some stories hit with me better than others, but there really aren't any duds here. View all my reviews

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree My rating: 3 of 5 stars I received an audio ARC and ebook ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. This was an entertaining followup to the breakout novel, Legends & Lattes . While not as solid a story as that told in the first book, this prequel adds quite a bit of backstory to the main character of both novels, Viv. Although as a prequel this novel is set some years before the first published book, I would recommend reading Legends & Lattes first. It serves as a better introduction to the characters and settings. Also, this book has an epilogue that is set after the events of both books. On a final note, Travis Baldree does the audio reading of this book himself, and he is excellent at capturing the characters and keeping the story moving.... View all my reviews

Starter Villain by John Scalzi My rating: 5 of 5 stars I received an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. This was probably the best book I've read this year, or one of the top three at the very least. Trust John Scalzi to put down a comfortable, readable, and often hilarious story, because once more he comes through.... That was just what I needed: a light-hearted (though full of supervillainy) fun diversion.... View all my reviews

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher though NetGalley.. I've been debating what to put in this review and whatever I have falls short of describing what this is all about. There's a lot going on, but it really needs to be explored on a personal level. Let's just say that the reader should leave this experience with a strong concept of the power of books... View all my reviews

City of Dreams by Don Winslow My rating: 5 of 5 stars Don Winslow continues to blow me away. A trilogy bridge/middle book, but very much tells its own story as it sets up the finale. Which is high on my anticipated reads list..... View all my reviews

Sing Her Down by Ivy Pochoda My rating: 3 of 5 stars I received a free audio ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. The narration was brilliant. The story, well this is different. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the mysterious quality of it. The southwest American setting added to the ambience of it. The characters, flawed but interesting. The story overall, I don't know. I'm not sure I get it. Still, not a bad listening experience... View all my reviews

Tell Me Everything: A Memoir by Minka Kelly My rating: 5 of 5 stars I received an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. ...and then, I found it that it was available as an audiobook with my Scribt membership, so I quickly downloaded and listened. I do find memoirs much more enjoyable when in audio format, especially when read by the author, as in this case. This was a fascinating and often heartwrenching account of actress Minka Kelly's life from her own perspective. I always prefer a personal memoir to a third person biography because you get the personal experience and insight directly from the subject, which brings it to life. This was certainly the case here as well... View all my reviews

Tsalmoth by Steven Brust My rating: 3 of 5 stars I received an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. Vlad is back, and to my delight he's back in his early days, as this takes place just before the first novel in the series, Jhereg . It's not my favorite in the series, but it's a welcome return nonetheless. The best parts to me are the little introductory segments that begin each chapter and form a part of the story on their own. View all my reviews

The Donut Legion by Joe R. Lansdale My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received a free eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley... This was a fantastic ride, from the author of the Hap & Leonard series and many more works. I mention H&L because this reminded me of those, in the setting and tone, and in the fast pace of the narrative. A fun, quick read from one of today's master storytellers... View all my reviews