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Guard in the Garden by Z. S. Diamanti: The Difficulty of Finding a New Path - The Irresponsible Reader
Guard in the Garden by Z. S. Diamanti DETAILS: Series: A Fable of Finlestia Publisher: Golden Griffin Press Publication Date: March 4, 2025 Format: eBook Length: 294 pg. Read Date: July 30-31, 2025 What's Guard in the Garden About? After a lifetime of effort and service, Felton Holdum is admitted to an elite group of
Books about Books and the People Who Love Them - The Irresponsible Reader
Updated 8/9/2025 Saturday was National Book Lovers Day (yes, around here, that's just another way of saying it's a day that ends in "ay," except it's a National thing). I'm not sure that "Lover" is the best way to describe me—buying, reading, and surrounding myself with books is just who I am. "One does not
Samurai! by Saburo Sakai with Martin Caidin and Fred Saito: The War in the Pacific from the View of a Japanese Cockpit - The Irresponsible Reader
Samurai! by Saburo Sakai with Martin Caidin and Fred Saito DETAILS: Publisher: Bantam Books, Inc. Publication Date: May 1978 Format: Paperback Length: 315 pg. Read Date: July 17-22, 2025 In the Imperial Japanese Navy I learned only one trade—how to man a fighter plane and how to kill enemies of my country. This I did
MUSIC MONDAY: “One More Minute” by “Weird Al” Yankovic - The Irresponsible Reader
Music Monday's originated at The Tattooed Book Geek's fantastic blog and has shown up hither, thither, and yon since then. Yes, I'm one of those people that takes videos when they go to a concert and makes people watch them (this was the only complete song from this concert). And yes, I'm being even more
Grandpappy’s Corner: Martin Luther by Simonetta Carr, Troy Howell (Illustrator): A Brief and Compelling Look at the German Reformer’s Life - The Irresponsible Reader
Yes, this is going to sound a lot like last week's post about Patrick of Ireland—hard not to when you have a good, consistent writer∞you're going to think similar things. Martin Luther by Simonetta Carr, Troy Howell (Illustrator) DETAILS: Christian Biographies for Young Readers Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books Publication Date: October 25, 2020 Format: Hardcover
Saturday Miscellany—8/9/25 - The Irresponsible Reader
Happy Book Lover's Day, everyone! Got a short list this week--I don't know if I'm just missing posts (very likely), or if everyone's got the August blahs (even liklier), or a societal collapse ennui (incredibly understandable)--but I did find a few things that I wanted to be sure to share. Odds 'n ends about books
Algospeak by Adam Aleksic: A Simply Fascinating Look at Language’s Next Phases - The Irresponsible Reader
I don't know if my spellchecks have featured so many red-squiggly lines before (well, ones that I'm keeping anyway). You'd think they'd be closer to the cutting-edge, no? Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language by Adam Aleksic DETAILS: Publisher: Knopf Publication Date: July 15, 2025 Format: eARC Length: 256 Read Date:
PUB DAY SPOTLIGHT: War Song by Michael Michel - The Irresponsible Reader
I'm excited to help Michael Michel spread the word about today's publication of the relaunched prequel novella in his Dreams of Dust and Steel series, War Song. A sequel novella is due in a couple of months, and what better way to tide yourself over until Book Three than by reading a couple of novellas
2025 WWW Wednesday—August 6, 2025 - The Irresponsible Reader
This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl. The Three Ws are: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next? Seems easy enough, right? Let's take
DNFd—The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne (Audiobook) by Ron Currie, read by Lisa Flanagan: Stopped by a Prologue - The Irresponsible Reader
The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne by Ron Currie, read by NAME DETAILS: Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group Publication Date: March 25, 2025 Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 10 hrs., 37 min. What Does the Publisher Say about The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne? A mythic, propulsive novel about the tangled fates
Opening Lines: The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman - The Irresponsible Reader
I need to re-read this book, which I remember quite enjoying, but I was a little fuzzy on the details. Well, it took me just this long to remember how much I enjoyed it. I was about to die. Worse, I was about to die with bastards. Not that I was afraid to die, but
A Brief Word About Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper - The Irresponsible Reader
Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper DETAILS: Publisher: Mulholland Books Publication Date: January 10, 2023 Format: Hardcover Length: 339 pg. Read Date: July 24-25, 2025 Damn. This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my
Grandpappy’s Corner: Patrick of Ireland by Simonetta Carr, Matt Abraxas (Illustrator): A Brief Look at the Evangelist’s Life - The Irresponsible Reader
Patrick of Ireland by Simonetta Carr, Matt Abraxas (Illustrator) DETAILS: Series: Christian Biographies for Young Readers Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books Publication Date: December 8, 2022 Format: Hardcover Length: 61 pg. Read Date: July 27, 2025 What's Patrick of Ireland About? Simply put—it's a biography of Patrick of Ireland written for young readers. It talks about
Saturday Miscellany—8/2/25 - The Irresponsible Reader
Much peopleing was done today (at least by my standards), so I'm running behind. Hope no one tries to set your watch by when this thing posts (it's erratic enough that no one likely does, but you never know) Odds 'n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You've probably seen
20 Books of Summer 2025: July Check-In - The Irresponsible Reader
A quick check-in for this Reading Challenge hosted by Emma of Words and Peace and Annabel from AnnaBookBel (you can read more about it here). I've read 9 really good-to-great books so far this summer, and have high expectations for the rest. I'm really just having so much fun with this challenge this year. So
Opening Lines: The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman - The Irresponsible Reader
We all know we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover (yet, publishing companies spend big bucks on cover design/art and we all do judge them that way). But, the opening sentence(s)/paragraph(s) are fair game. So, when I stumble on a good opening (or remember one and pull it off the shelves), I
2025 WWW Wednesday—July 30, 2025 - The Irresponsible Reader
I'm on a streak of really good reads lately--which is great, except it makes it hard to put them down to tend to things like a blog about books. Woe is me, indeed. 'Tis a hard knock life, ya'll. So here's a quick look at what's keeping me from writing as much as I feel
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone: Just Doesn’t Deliver the Brilliance it Promises - The Irresponsible Reader
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone DETAILS: Publisher: S&S/Saga Press Publication Date: March 17, 2020 Format: Paperback Length: 198 pgs. Read Date: July 23, 2025 On a span of blasted ground, she finds the letter. It does not belong. Here there should be bodies mounded between the
MUSIC MONDAY: “Poisoning Pigeons In The Park” by Tom Lehrer - The Irresponsible Reader
Music Monday's originated at The Tattooed Book Geek's fantastic blog and has shown up hither, thither, and yon since then. Like so many today, I'm spending some time revisiting the works of this absolute legend. It was hard to pick just one, but I think I'll go with this Springtime Classic.
Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue by Spencer Quinn: The 72-Year-Old is Back for More Adventure! - The Irresponsible Reader
Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue by Spencer Quinn DETAILS: Series: Mrs. Plansky, #2 Publisher: Forge Books Publication Date: July 15, 2025 Format: eARC Length: 304 pg. Read Date: July 5-8, 2025 What's Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue About? Mrs. Plansky and Kev Dinardo (who I think we met briefly toward the end of her first book), win
Spreading the Self-Pub Love in 2025 with David T. List - The Irresponsible Reader
I had so much fun with this last year (and grew my TBR--plus a few others'), that I'm bringing it back. In the spirit of "a rising tide lifts all boats," for Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week I wanted to give some Self-Published authors a chance to spread some love. (They also get to do a
PUB DAY SPOTLIGHT: You’ll Never Walk Alone by Troy Lambert - The Irresponsible Reader
I'm excited talk about today's release of (literary local) Troy Lambert's You'll Never Walk Alone. It looks like a quick, intense read for the thriller fans out there. Here's a little more about the story to get you interested. Book Details: Title: You'll Never Walk Alone by Troy Lambert Format: eBook/Audio Length: 26 pg. Publisher:
Saturday Miscellany—7/26/25 - The Irresponsible Reader
I really don't have much for today, almost an inexcusably short amount. In my defense, I was a little busy this week. Odds 'n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You've probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case: A Refuge From Censorship: Why Independent Bookstores Will Save Us—The
Spreading the Self-Pub Love in 2025 with DB Rook - The Irresponsible Reader
I had so much fun with this last year (and grew my TBR--plus a few others'), that I'm bringing it back. In the spirit of "a rising tide lifts all boats," for Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week I wanted to give some Self-Published authors a chance to spread some love. (They also get to do a
The Irresponsible Reader On…Self-Published Fantasy - The Irresponsible Reader
(updated 7/25/25) From the first moment that people did the strange thing of asking me to talk about their books on my blog, I've been impressed by the quality of a lot of what's been published by authors going out on their own, taking all the risks, shouldering all the responsibility and doing all the
Looking Back at a Week of Spreading the Self-Pub Love - The Irresponsible Reader
Here we are at the tail end of Self-Published Author Appreciation Week, and wow, there've been a lot of great posts this year. I hope you all have spent time on the SPAAW Hub to read it all. Around here, in case you didn't notice, it was all about spreading the love for self-published works.
Walking the Way of the Wise by Mitchell L. Chase: The Walk of Life - The Irresponsible Reader
Walking the Way of the Wise: A Biblical Theology of Wisdom by Mitchell L. Chase DETAILS: Series: Essential Studies in Biblical Theology Publisher: IVP Academic Publication Date: June 3, 2025 Format: Paperback Length: 162 pg, Read Date: June 15-22, 2025 Wisdom in the biblical sense is more than street smarts. It is more than cleverness
The Irresponsible Reader On…Self-Published Crime Fiction - The Irresponsible Reader
(updated 7/25/25) From the first moment that people did the strange thing of asking me to talk about their books on my blog, I've been impressed by the quality of a lot of what's been published by authors going out on their own, taking all the risks, shouldering all the responsibility and doing all the
Cover Reveal: Memento Mori Station by Shannon Knight - The Irresponsible Reader
I'm very pleased today to welcome the Cover Reveals for Shannon Knights's upcoming Death Rights. I'm more than pleased, I'm excited. No one (including me) has talked more on this site about covers than Shannon Knight, so for her to have a new one, you know thought has gone into this. I'm eager to get
Bones & Betrayal: Silence of the Dead by Andi Ewington/Erica Marks: Murder, Magic, Puns, and Pie. As Yummy As It Sounds. - The Irresponsible Reader
Bones & Betrayal: Silence of the Dead by Andi Ewington/Erica Marks DETAILS: Series: Bones & Betrayal, Book One Publication Date: August 5, 2025 Format: eARC Length: 286 pgs. Read Date: June 12-24, 2025 What's Bones & Betrayal: Silence of the Dead About? Holtar is a former adventurer who has left that life for a quieter
MUSIC MONDAY: “The Impression That I Get” by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Irresponsible Reader
Music Monday's originated at The Tattooed Book Geek's fantastic blog and has shown up hither, thither, and yon since then. Thanks to this song popping up on a shuffle this weekend, I'm probably going to burn myself out (again) on the Bosstones this week. Until that point, I'm going to have a lot of fun.
REPOST: The Christ of Wisdom by O. Palmer Robertson - The Irresponsible Reader
The Christ of Wisdom: A Redemptive-Historical Exploration of the Wisdom Books of the Old Testament by O. Palmer RobertsoneARC, 432 pg.P&R Publishing, 2017 Read: May 7 - 21, 2017 Robertson's preface laments the way that the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament is usually ignored in Redemptive-Historical studies -- ...how do you fit these wisdom
Saturday Miscellany—7/12/25 - The Irresponsible Reader
I clearly didn't spend that much time online this week. This is probably a good thing when it comes to my mental health, but as I'm trying to put this together today, I find myself rather annoyed. Seriously, mental health is overrated, anyway, what was I thinking? Odds 'n ends about books and reading that
2025 WWW Wednesday—July 9, 2025 - The Irresponsible Reader
I took the day off from work for some family stuff, which ended up not taking as long as I'd expected--so I got a novel read yesterday. It's been a minute since I've been able to do something like that. It's pretty nice, I have to say. This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at
Mid-Year Reading Check Tags - The Irresponsible Reader
I enjoy doing these mid-year check ins, like this one from The Orangutan Librarian or Stephen Writes, and a few other places I forgot to bookmark. And I typically do one of them around this time, too. This year, I saw the way that Emma @ Words And Peace mashed-up and reorganized a couple of
Pub Day Post: The Blue Horse by Bruce Borgos: Love (and Murder, mostly Murder) in the Time of COVID - The Irresponsible Reader
The Blue Horse by Bruce Borgos DETAILS: Series: Porter Beck, #3 Publication Date: July 8, 2025 Format: eARC Length: 368 pg. Read Date: June 24-27, 2025 What's The Blue Horse About? For Porter Beck and the Lincoln Sheriff's Department, change—and a pandemic—are in the air. But we'll talk about that later. The main thing that
Stunned Thanks - The Irresponsible Reader
In my Saturday Miscellany post this weekend, I mentioned a GoFundMe to help with travel expenses for my son's upcoming kidney transplant. We've hit our goal (and then some) far faster than we'd imagined we might (I really didn't think we'd hit it). I wanted to thank those who looked/spread the word and (most importantly)
Dogged Pursuit by David Rosenfelt: An Origin Story - The Irresponsible Reader
Dogged Pursuit by David Rosenfelt DETAILS: Series: Andy Carpenter, #31 Publisher: Minotaur Books Publication Date: July 1, 2025 Format: eARC Length: 288 pg. Read Date: July 3-4, 2025 What's Dogged Pursuit About? Andy Carpenter has recently left the Prosecutor's Office to become a defense lawyer. He's rented an office, helped one client, and...well, that's it.