A story about a woman working in the comics industry in New York City in the 70s. I had originally tried it out as an ebook but there are some comics panels in there which tell part of the story so I picked it up in print from the library. A few comic panels in addition to the central narrative help flesh out what’s actually going on. Some of the emotional tenor felt wrong in places--the lead character is compelling but sometimes it’s hard to follow her trains of thought--but overall a great read especially for people who are interested in 70s era comic book publishing and New York City at that time.

I’ve heard this is Archer Mayor’s last book and maybe that’s not a bad thing after 33 books. The usual Vermont whodunit with the ensemble cast of folks you’ve known forever (but not most of the ancillary characters that pop up from time to time), but I was more aware of the rampant classism & dirty cop antics with the ends-justify-means plots than usual. Not a huge deal but maybe it’s time for this series to wrap up.

This was the second book in a series apparently. I got from the free pile at the library which means it wasn’t circulating terribly well. The loose plot is that a CIA-ish trained psychic soldier needs to figure out why people are mobbing up to attack celebrities and other folks. We learn it’s because of a Dark Web site and then they try to figure out who is behind it and what their angle is. Lively and interesting, if trope-y.

A really interesting idea--remote manipulation of distant building projects via quantum entanglement and human operators--and a great plot with somewhat uneven pacing. Was hoping it would wrap up nicely by the end of it after a lot of ups and downs, but instead we’re poised for a sequel. A high body count.

A bit of a palate cleanser after a bunch of darker stories. This is a cute semi-magical YA graphic novel about what to do when your dreams for who you want to be are confusing and complicated. Everyone’s trying their best but conflicts still happen. Beautifully illustrated and a fun read.

This book has a great plot with some thought experiments about cryogenic suspension and politics surrounding it, but the overall dystopian narrative (with a very sick protagonist who is struggling and in pain throughout) was not quite what I needed right now. Just an awful lot of struggle, too few places of comfort and a lot of confusion that could have been cleared up if people talked to each other more.

A really fun popular history of plumbing and bathrooms by a guy who tried to learn some of it from first principles and sounds endearingly annoying as a spouse. He tries a few experiments in his own house, goes on a few interesting field trips, and maintains a positive attitude throughout. Better than you’d think it would be.

Just to get it out of the way, this cover is stupid. This book is pretty good. A much more emotionally aware time travel book than you may be used to (but not quite as mushy as The Time Traveler’s Wife) with many believable female characters. A small part of it takes place in the Late Triassic. Fast-paced but not enough to keep you up at night.