iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 40m

Pike position. Slightly harder degree of difficulty. Good form. 👍

azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 49m

I found things to like here, but mostly in the background and setting. The story and mystery didn't win me over. Others tended to like it more than I did, though I gave it 3 stars for the Singapore information, etc. My thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Not quite my thing.

The cover of The Paper Bark Tree Mystery, which is mostly pink, with a bird on a branch in the foreground and a woman in yellow, small in the distance.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 53m

Truly, we don't get nearly as much tintinnabulation as we used to, and that's a shame. But the language is still doing pretty well, I think. 😄

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

My favorite Moliére play so far. The farce seems genuinely funny this time. Maybe it's less mean-spirited than some similar plays... 5 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Recommended. I want to see a production of this, with all the music and dances.

An image from the cover of "The Would-be Gentleman," (though in French) with an outrageously overdressed man leaning on a fancy cane, with a huge headdress of red and white and gray feathers.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I'm not always the right person for Agatha Christie novels--sometimes--but this one worked for me. Good action, interesting investigation, creepy story... 4 stars. my brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Recommended. I liked Tommy and Tuppence--I'll look for another with them.

The cover of Agatha Christie's "By the Pricking of My Thumbs," showing the drawing of a scary house in the nighttime, with a figure in red near the door.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Lines from Agatha Christie’s “By the pricking of my thumbs,” where she uses “different from” in the American way. I thought British speakers always said “different to.” 🤔 Maybe the rules are more nuanced than that. I dunno.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I'm trying to branch out in my reading, which is leading me to books I don't love. But I finished it. 3 stars. (I was feeling two, and my comments lean that way.) My brief--kinda critical--thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Apparently it's not the best entry in the series. 🤷

The cover of "Chasing Midnight," showing water under a dock near dark, with a small boat in the distance.

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On Wednesdays We Read Pod @owwrpod.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

We're giving away a SIGNED COPY of @trudieskies.readindiefantasy.com Thirteenth Hour!! 1 lucky winner will get this just in time for #IndieMission! To enter: 1. Like & Reshare 2. Tag friend (1 entry per tag) Open in the UK, US, Canada! Ends midnight CT September 20! (On insta too) #booksky #books

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I just read Julius Caesar out of the No Fear edition, and found the improvement in comprehension well worth it. If you need to read it, this is the way. My brief (updated) thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Recommended.

The cover of the No Fear edition of Julius Caesar. Has their usual blue top half with the name, and the bottom shows a sword and wreath.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Robert Louis Stevenson is real hit or miss for me. Treasure Island--hit! Prince Otto--Miss! I gave it 3 stars for the things it did well. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com I liked the book I thought it was gonna be. I didn't like the book it ended up being. Alas.

A cover for the novel "Prince Otto," showing an idealized painting of a European castle on a hill, with the image of a pensive young man in the foreground.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I seldom buy brand-new books at full price these days, but this is one of them. The first book was so good--and the second was, if anything, better. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com 5 stars. Highly recommended. Great mystery and fantasy in one.

Cover of "A Drop of Corruption," a mostly black cover with silver art in the center--stylistically showing a hand that becomes a plant--and green branches and leaves along the sides.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I found this cozy fantasy to be quirky and clever and silly and good fun. Some people hate that, apparently. I gave it 4 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Recommended for people who aren't annoyed by childish things. For reals. Kinda Princess Bride vibes.

The cover of The Bookshop and the Barbarian, with simple line drawing of fantasy castles, books, swords, and feathers arranged around the title. Mostly black with orange and brown designs.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

There's some good action in this novel--for which I gave it a 3--but a lot of politics that don't match mine, becoming increasingly annoying as I read. It also suffers from the curse of obnoxious banter, which I hate in any genre. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Not for me.

The cover of "Against All Enemies," with a blue background and big white letters over an image of the Capitol and the CIA symbol.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I liked the second half of this quite a bit. Freyja Bedwyn is angrier than most FMC's; Joshua Moore is closer to being an actual rogue than is really acceptable. But it works out. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com The murder mystery near the end helped seal the deal. 4 stars.

The cover of Slightly Scandalous, which is all blue with white letters. Except for some faint filigree in the background, the only image is an orange key on a string.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Think how fortunate you have to be to live while your favorite author is still writing books. And finding them in the wild. 😎

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

One of my favorite books by Sir Walter Scott. 5 stars. A young Scots nobleman in service of France's Louis XI has to help a young woman reach refuge in Liege while others are trying to capture her and marry her off. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Great fun. Recommended.

The cover of Quentin Durward, showing three medieval fighting men facing off, one in a Scottish tam.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

My second book in this series. These are really fun. 4.5 stars. (5 on GR.) The character and the stories are very engaging. I'm looking forward to the other ones I just picked up. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Recommended. (Advisory: Jason Bourne levels of violence.)

The cover of Enemy of the State, showing, in black and white, the silhouette of a person on steps with the Washington Monument in the distance.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

I haven't read Cyrano since high school. I liked it plenty then; loved it this time. 5 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Sometimes stories are as good as people say.

The cover of Cyrano de Bergerac, showing a cartoon-style drawing of a man with a very big nose, wearing a hat with a feather in it.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

I couldn’t watch it for that reason. And I like Meryl Streep a lot. Just such an unpleasant tone.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

The third or fourth book in the series, depending on how you see it. I liked it. Anne goes to college. 4 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Anne is a bit of a happiness catalyst and has more than a little in common with Ted Lasso. That thought pleases me.

The cover of Anne of the Island, showing Anne on a grassy hill overlooking the ocean, with a man (Gilbert?) in the background.

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Dianna Gunn Does (Fictional) Murders 🇨🇦 @diannalgunn.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Did some math and realized I only need to sell ONE book (well, one novel or two copies of my short story collection) to hit my sales goal for July Sooooo if you like fantasy or horror, check out my books and help me get there? diannagunn.itch.io

diannagunn.itch.io

DiannaGunn

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

This is the junior novelization; not what I thought I was getting when I ordered it. 😄 I liked it about 3-stars' worth. Most readers liked it more. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com My issue? The cutting and rounding off took out much of the tension and excitement. IMO. 🤷‍♂️

the cover of the junior novelization of Raiders of the Lost Ark, with a main image of Indiana Jones wearing his fedora with his coiled whip over his shoulder. Smaller images from the movie are on the bottom, including Indy climbing down a rope into an archaeological dig.

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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

This week's Monday snippet comes from my fantasy rom-com Wooing the Witch Queen, which is out in ebook, paperback, and audiobook: stephanieburgis.com/books/wooing-the-witch-queen ...because what's sexier than a fountain pen? ;) #romancelandia

An image of the front cover of Wooing the Witch Queen shows a sinister witch queen in a spectacular beaded dress embracing her handsome and adoring new librarian (in a black wizard's robe) inside a library of magic filled with crows and masks and flying books. Above and beside it is this snippet from the book:
Closing her fingers around the pen, she held it up to study from different angles. “Which end do you write with?”
“Here.” Shoving down the old memories before they could take over, he showed her how to remove the cap, revealing a shining steel nib, far sturdier than any hand-carved quill. “Would you care to give it a try?” Scooping up a spare piece of paper, he laid it on a bare section of the table before her. “You have to use a slightly different angle than you would ordinarily, but...no, that’s not quite—here, let me show you.”
Stepping up behind her, he wrapped his right hand gently around hers. He redirected her movements to draw a firm line of ink, his attention wholly focused on instruction as he leaned over her to help—until her warm, lush body shifted with a deep breath against his cloak.
He froze, every sense flaming into life with sudden, excruciating awareness.

Beneath the quote is an illustration of a fountain pen drawing a curving line of ink.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

In the case of copyediting, it’s probably a good bet. 😄

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

This is my second book by this mid-20th century author. I liked the first and loved this one. 5 stars. Blaise is a great hero, and Anne Russell makes a fantastic foil for him. Good spy adventure; excellent writing. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Highly recommended.

The cover of "The King's Cavalier," showing a mounted soldier and a woman in clothing typical of the 1500s.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

My first book by this Western author (and his son, I guess). I liked it pretty well. 4 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com I like the main character, and I hope the couple sequels are also well done.

The cover of "Hell's Half Acre," showing a street in a western town with a sheriff in the foreground, along the spine, holding a gun.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Another good book in the Bedwyn series. I think the author bends but doesn't quite break the rules of the genre. I liked it. 5 stars. My brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com Mary Balogh makes excellent characters, all quite different, that the reader cares about. That's a pretty good skill.

The cover of "Slightly Wicked," which is large red type over a black background.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

I’m enjoying my second book by this author. Look at this description in his historical fiction novel set in 1500s France and Switzerland. Samuel Shellabarger—writing in 1950. How did I never encounter his novels until now?

A photo of text from the novel, a descriptive passage making a hunting lodge sound magical and dangerous. “A strange, almost eerie silence brooded over it…”

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

This was interesting--and pretty entertaining, in a Elizabethan comedy sort of way. 3 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com I've got 4 more plays in a little volume of his works, and I'll give the others a look, eventually. Recommended for anyone who is curious about it.

The title page of the play "The Shoemaker's Holiday," with black and white line art full of curlicues and angels.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Now I start to wonder which other outside agitators have been right and I didn’t realize…

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Some beautiful writing and a touching story. Funny, too, now that I think about it. 4 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Nice to see Northern Michigan get some love. It's not all sweet, but it feels like it was once you're done. Recommended.

The cover of Tom Lake, showing grass and a hedge in green with daisies sprinkled about.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

It was a bummer. It looked like teams from the 90s. They had been entertaining earlier. And nobody wants Trump taking their side. Too much like Berlin in the 30s...

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

😂 No doubt. (I was a little softened toward Caroline Bingley in the last episode of The Other Bennet Sister. I am now prepared for your evolution of her character.) Good luck with your writing. 👍

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

I'm enjoying the title of your book, now that I've seen. I love a good Austen continuation. Sounds great. : )

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

There should be a movie about mixing up the two, sending them the wrong way.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

If the ref had called a red card on the play, on the field, it would be one thing. But he didn't. There was no card. He used slow motion VAR to make the call. Why be more upset at fixing an error than at the original error?

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

I remember more about the 1968 Detroit Tigers than almost any other team since, any sport. I was 5. I wish I had saved some of that memory space for the people I meet in 2026. 😄

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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Ahhhh look at these gorgeous author copies that just arrived! 😍 I love the OwlCrate edition of Enchanting the Fae Queen even more than their edition of Wooing the Witch Queen - and that's saying a *lot*. ❤️ Preorder your own copy here: www.owlcrate.com/products/enc... #romancelandia

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

I first read this about 9 years ago. Loved it then and now, rereading it. Such a great series. Just added an edit to my original review. (And a few paragraph breaks. Not sure why I wrote it like an email...) 😄 My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Five stars. Recommended.

Cover of "Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas," showing a woman's silhouette against a red background, with a grayish doily pattern worked into the red.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Did I vibe with this period mystery? No, I did not. Mostly, I thought the MC was a terrible spy. And the pacing is very much bad. IMO. My thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com I finished it, so I gave it a 3. I will not be looking for any sequels, though.

The cover of "A Conspiracy of Violence," showing a parchment-colored map or drawing of London.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

I liked this old German novel about a real man who protected Berlin during the war with Russia and Austria but wasn't protected when he needed help. Reminded me of Timon of Athens. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com 4 stars.

The frontispiece of the novel "The Merchant of Berlin," showing an 18th century German man in long coat and wig standing at his desk, hand on the back of an expensive chair

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

I've never read this series before and tried it on a whim. I enjoyed it. Well-written, tight, fast-paced--it's a good read. 5 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com This is #15 in the series. I may need to back up a bit and try the earlier books. Recommended.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

This is the first of 11 middle grade novels made in the 1990s tied in to the cartoon series. I didn't know they existed until recently. I loved me some Jonny Quest back in the day. 4 stars. Here are my brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com I liked it. Wish they had gotten a better response.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

I hoped to like it more than I did. 3 stars. It didn't feel much like an Indiana Jones story, and he didn't seem like Indy. This got better near the end, though. My brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com There are a bunch of these books, and I think maybe I'll try one or two more.

The cover of "Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead," showing Indy in the foreground with his whip in one hand and a torch the other, a plane behind him, and zombies chasing.

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