If you designed a book-themed escape room, what puzzles would it include?
I've never participated in an escape room, so I don't exactly know what puzzles are included. Perhaps there could be a book-themed jigsaw puzzle that reveals a word code when completed, which then unlocks something else in the room.
Happy Friday, fellow readers!
I am currently reading the new book Star Trek: Echoes in Eternity by David Mack, which Gallery Books kindly sent me. During a recent blackout caused by a wind-driven thunderstorm, I managed to read about 30 pages using a flashlight. I picked the book back up yesterday and have now reached Chapter Six.
Echoes in Eternity is a 60th Anniversary novel for the Star Trek franchise. It's divided into three parts, each set in a different era: Part One takes place in 2266, Part Two in 2277, and Part Three in 2292. The story begins aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise 1701 from The Original Series, then moves on to the refitted Starship Enterprise from the Motion Picture era, and concludes aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-A. All three timelines are connected to the barren world of KX-1, which can only be accessed during brief intervals many years apart, due to its complex orbit between two black holes. Additionally, there are some Romulans involved in the story.
Note: The Friday Book Snippet is hosted by Anne @ My Head is Full of Books and Olivia @ Bemused and Bookish.
I recently read Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle by Dolph Lundgren (co-written by Robert Greenfield). For those who might not know, Lundgren is best recognized for his role as Ivan Drago, the Russian boxer in Rocky IV (1985), with a comeback in Creed II (2018). His filmography doesn’t stop there: he was the heroic He-Man in Masters of the Universe (1987), faced off against Jean-Claude Van Damme in Universal Soldier (1992), donned the title role in The Punisher (1989), and appeared in the Expendables franchise, not to mention a slew of low-budget action flicks. Let’s not forget his curious turns in those CGI-heavy Aquaman movies. To say I’ve been a fan since childhood would be an understatement.
In 2023, Lundgren made headlines announcing he’d been grappling with kidney cancer since 2015. Given the memoir’s title, Fights Worth Fighting, I naturally anticipated a deep emotional look into this harrowing battle. How wrong I was! We simply graze the surface in a brief mention in the prologue, with cancer barely resurfacing in the final two chapters. It's a definite letdown for readers looking for an introspective reflection on that struggle.
The narration comes off a bit snarky, bordering on two-dimensional, which is perplexing for a memoir. Lundgren, a man with a master's degree in chemical engineering, showcases surprising limits in his writing skills. It raises the question: Did co-author Robert Greenfield, only mentioned in the acknowledgments, have a hand in this? Or was it simply a rushed affair, a hasty edit, leaving us with a half-baked look at a complex life? I wasn’t expecting a literary masterpiece, but I longed for more depth in Lundgren's storytelling.
Like many, he wrestles with childhood trauma, stemming primarily from an abusive father. Though he avoids detailing this agony explicitly, he does open up about his tumultuous on-and-off relationship with Grace Jones, who was clearly a source of turmoil and toxicity in his life. Ironically, this relationship receives far more page time than his health struggles.
Do you run more than one blog? If so, how do you manage your time?
I briefly tried to run a second blog focused on Western fiction, but it became too overwhelming. I eventually moved all the review posts here and deleted the other blog.
As October casts its eerie spell, I found myself reading a book that tiptoes between horror and Western: The Gunsmith: Skinwalker, the 497th installment, written by Marcus Pelegrimas under the pseudonym J.R. Roberts. Speaking Volumes, LLC publishes it. Within a few pages, I discovered it wasn’t just the usual shootouts and saloon brawls; instead, it beckoned readers into the depths of Navajo lore and the horrifying mythology surrounding the Skinwalker, or yee naaldlooshii, a shapeshifter feared across the land.
Our protagonist, Clint Adams, the eponymous Gunsmith, straddles the line between fate and misfortune. He stumbles upon Joe, a near-dead man uttering frantic tales of a creature that isn’t just a man or beast. Clint's instinct kicks in, and he swiftly hauls Joe to Wayland Pass, a town he's reluctantly revisited, where he finds both familiarity and a sizzle of passion with an old flame, Stormy.
What I anticipated as a red herring turns out to be a harrowing reality: Clint encounters the Skinwalker firsthand, an entity that evokes gruesome horrors: half-werewolf, half-human, all-nightmare. Teaming up with the locals, Clem and his nephew, Seth, Clint journeys into Navajo land, seeking wisdom to confront this supernatural menace before it claims more innocent lives.
As a book lover, what’s your biggest fear?
My biggest fear is that big-box stores like Walmart and Target will phase out physical books. I live in a small town with no real bookstores, just a Walmart and a few dollar stores. Recently, the Walmart here has significantly reduced its book section, and they rarely restock the selection. There are two other Walmarts in separate counties, both with much larger book sections. I worry that these two Walmarts will also shrink their book offerings. While I can order books online, I prefer to browse and look over a book before buying it, especially if I’m not already familiar with the author.
Happy Friday, fellow readers!
This week for my Friday Book Snippets (hosted by Anne @ My Head is Full of Books and Olivia @ Bemused and Bookish), I’m featuring the 1932 Western novel Fighting Blood by Gordon Young (1886-1948). While browsing for books at my local library, I received a tip that they had more Westerns available in the large-print section, which led me to discover Fighting Blood. I recognized the author’s name, and upon researching for this write-up, I was surprised to find that Gordon Young was born in the same county where I live.
When did horror films truly become part of the cultural landscape? I still fondly remember my initiation into the art of fear at the tender age of seven, back in the late '80s. I was fortunate to have a grandmother who babysat me, but her idea of child-friendly entertainment was slightly askew: horror flicks. Those images of suspense and terror were akin to adult films; they lived in a realm way above what was suitable for children. My classmates and teachers reacted to my fascination like I was discussing the finer points of those films; the looks on their faces suggested they thought I was a budding psychopath.
If I had to pinpoint a moment when horror transitioned from the fringes to the forefront of American pop culture, I’d wager on 1996 with the release of Scream. Wes Craven’s clever and self-referential take on the slasher genre opened the floodgates. Suddenly, it seemed like everyone was talking about horror, and the genre found itself firmly in mainstream conversations.
My own journey through horror took a circuitous route, particularly with the Evil Dead franchise. It wasn't until I stumbled upon Army of Darkness airing on the Sci-Fi Channel (which they bizarrely rebranded as SYFY). Bruce Campbell’s cheeky charm was familiar, as I had seen him in the delightful The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. The TV edit of Army of Darkness was a pale imitation of the rated R version, but even that watered-down experience was a hoot.
Little did I know that I was getting into the third act of a saga that had a devoted fanbase. After some sleuthing through TV Guide, I realized I needed to backtrack and find the earlier installments. My then-teen self wandered into a Best Buy. Remember when they actually sold physical media? I bought Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness on VHS, all while sporting a convincing older-than-seventeen facade. Somehow, the video store folks didn’t bat an eye when I rented Evil Dead, either.
Years later, Halloween rolled around, and I spotted Evil Dead on a Walmart shelf. It was also a coincidence that I ran into a couple of classmates who shot me a look that screamed, “Weirdo!” for perusing the horror section. Some things never change, I suppose.
Happy Friday Saturday, fellow readers!
I apologize for being a day late with this post, but I have a good reason. I initially had a Friday Book Snippets (hosted by Anne @ My Head is Full of Books and Olivia @ Bemused and Bookish) post ready featuring a library loan title, so I decided to delay it for a week because I knew I would be receiving a review copy of Dolph Lundgren's new memoir, Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle, courtesy of Harper Horizon. The book arrived late on Friday afternoon. To my surprise, the publicist also included an unrequested copy of Idle in Provence: A History of Thyme by Eric Idle.
For those who may not know, Dolph Lundgren is an actor best known for his roles as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV (1985) and Creed II (2018), as well as He-Man in 1987's Masters of the Universe and Gunner Jensen in The Expendables franchise. Lundgren announced in 2023 that he has been battling kidney cancer since 2015, which is the inspiration for the memoir's title and likely its main subject. According to the blurb on the book's jacket, Lundgren discusses his upbringing in Sweden, his journey from a chemical engineering student to a martial arts champion, and his eventual transformation into an international movie star.
What’s the best investment you’ve made for your blog?
My best investment is probably the books I purchase, read, and review here. While I occasionally receive ARCs, I buy most of my books. I’ve also invested in my domain and current blog template. Although I did buy the template, I’ve modified it so extensively that it feels more like my own creation. So, books are my top investment.
A printed book should make the content feel easy to enter, easy to follow, and worth returning to. Whether the project is a novel, workbook, catalog, annual report, training guide, or community publication, strong design helps readers focus on the message instead of struggling with the format. A sturdy perfect-bound book printing option can give longer publications a polished, familiar shape, but the best results begin long before the file reaches production.
Reader-friendly design is not about adding decoration to every page. It is about making purposeful choices about size, type, space, images, materials, and structure. When those choices support the intended audience, a book can look professional while remaining comfortable to read and practical to use.
Before choosing a font or building a cover, define why the book exists and who needs to use it. Consider whether readers will spend hours with it at home, consult it quickly in an office, carry it to meetings, or write notes in it during a class. Those details affect nearly every design decision.
A novel may benefit from an uncluttered page and long, comfortable reading stretches. A training manual needs obvious headings, callouts, checklists, and page references that help people locate information quickly. Decide early whether the desired tone is formal, practical, creative, instructional, or conversational.
The final book size affects portability, page comfort, image placement, shelf presence, and available writing space. Select the format before building the full layout, since changing dimensions late in the process can force extensive reformatting.
When homeowners think about improving their property, they often focus on changes that make the home look better. However, the right renovations can do much more than improve appearance. They can make a home more comfortable, functional, and attractive to potential buyers. Among the many projects available, bathroom and deck design Leesburg VA are two upgrades that can make a noticeable difference.
Bathrooms are essential spaces that homeowners use every day, while decks can extend a home's living area into the outdoors. Updating these areas can give an older property a fresh appearance and create features that make the home more enjoyable. Whether you plan to sell soon or want to improve your living space, thoughtful renovations can be a worthwhile investment.
A bathroom may be one of the smaller rooms in a home, but it can have a significant effect on how the property feels. An outdated bathroom with worn fixtures, poor lighting, or damaged surfaces can make an otherwise attractive home seem older than it is.
A bathroom remodel Leesburg VA project allows homeowners to replace outdated features with modern, practical options. New flooring, updated fixtures, attractive tile, improved lighting, and fresh paint can completely change the room's atmosphere without necessarily requiring a full reconstruction.
The key is to create a bathroom that feels clean, comfortable, and functional. Modern homeowners often appreciate simple designs, useful storage, and durable, easy-to-maintain materials.
One of the easiest ways to improve a bathroom is by replacing old fixtures. Faucets, showerheads, sinks, toilets, and cabinet hardware can become dated over time. Replacing these elements with contemporary options can instantly make the room look more polished.
Fixtures should complement one another rather than appearing randomly selected. Matching finishes and consistent design details can create a more coordinated appearance. Homeowners should also consider functionality when selecting fixtures. Water-efficient toilets and faucets, for example, can help reduce water use while providing a modern appearance.
Storage is another important part of bathroom design. Cluttered counters can make a bathroom feel smaller and less inviting. Renovations can provide an opportunity to add cabinets, shelves, recessed storage, or vanity space.
Well-planned storage keeps toiletries, towels, cleaning supplies, and other necessities organized. This can make the room easier to use while creating a cleaner overall appearance.
Even a modest bathroom can benefit from smart storage solutions. Wall-mounted cabinets and built-in shelves can provide useful storage without taking up excessive floor space.
Bathroom flooring and walls are regularly exposed to moisture, making durable materials particularly important. Old, cracked, stained, or damaged surfaces can negatively affect the room's appearance.
Replacing outdated flooring with a moisture-resistant material can provide both visual and practical benefits. Tile remains a popular choice because it comes in many colors, patterns, sizes, and textures.
Wall improvements can also transform a bathroom. A new backsplash or tiled shower area can become an attractive focal point. Even repainting the walls with a suitable moisture-resistant paint can give the space a brighter, more up-to-date appearance.
Good lighting can make a bathroom feel larger and more comfortable. Poorly lit spaces can appear dull, while strategically placed lighting can highlight important features and improve everyday usability.
Layered lighting can be particularly effective. Overhead lighting can provide general illumination, while vanity lighting can make grooming tasks easier. Accent lighting can also be used to emphasize architectural details or decorative features.
Natural light should also be considered whenever possible. Clean windows, attractive treatments, and thoughtful placement of mirrors can help maximize the available daylight.
While bathroom renovations improve an important interior space, deck renovations can enhance the outdoor experience. A well-maintained deck can serve as an extension of the home's living area, providing space for relaxing, entertaining, dining, or enjoying the outdoors.
An aging deck can have the opposite effect. Peeling finishes, damaged boards, loose railings, and outdated designs may make the outdoor space less appealing. Renovating the deck can restore its appearance and improve its usability.
Deck boards are exposed to sun, rain, changing temperatures, and regular foot traffic. Over time, these conditions can cause wood to fade, crack, warp, or deteriorate.
Replacing damaged boards can give the deck a cleaner appearance and help address potential safety concerns. Depending on the home's style and the homeowner's preferences, traditional wood or composite decking materials may be considered.
Composite materials can offer a low-maintenance alternative, while natural wood provides a classic appearance. The best choice depends on factors such as budget, maintenance expectations, climate, and desired style.
A deck becomes more appealing when it is designed around how the homeowners intend to use it. Comfortable seating, outdoor dining areas, lighting, planters, and decorative features can make the space feel more inviting.
For homeowners who frequently entertain guests, a larger seating or dining area may be valuable. Those who prefer quiet evenings outdoors might prioritize comfortable chairs, privacy features, and subtle lighting.
The goal is to create an outdoor area that feels like a natural extension of the home rather than an unused platform attached to it.
Railings play an important role in both deck appearance and safety. Older railings can make a deck look dated. In contrast, a new railing design can give the entire structure a more modern appearance.
Lighting is another improvement worth considering. Soft outdoor lighting can make the deck more usable after sunset while highlighting architectural features. Step lighting, railing lights, and strategically placed fixtures can add functionality without overwhelming the space.
Bathroom and deck renovations do not have to look completely separate from the rest of the property. A cohesive design can make improvements feel more intentional.
For example, homeowners can choose finishes, colors, textures, and materials that complement existing architectural elements. The bathroom can reflect the home's interior style. At the same time, the deck can coordinate with the exterior siding, trim, landscaping, and overall architecture.
A consistent design can make the property feel more thoughtfully maintained and visually appealing.
Although current design trends can inspire, homeowners should avoid choosing features solely because they are fashionable. Trends can change quickly, while quality materials and timeless designs can remain attractive for many years.
Neutral colors, durable surfaces, functional layouts, and classic finishes are often safer choices for homeowners considering future resale. Personal touches can still be included through easily changed items such as décor, furniture, towels, cushions, and accessories.
The value of a renovation is not limited to its potential effect on resale. A well-designed bathroom can make daily routines more convenient. At the same time, a renovated deck can provide additional space for relaxation and entertainment.
When planning either project, homeowners should consider durability, maintenance, functionality, and overall design. Spending money on improvements that solve existing problems and improve everyday use can provide meaningful value even if selling the home is not part of the plan.
Bathroom and deck renovations can significantly improve a home's appeal by combining better appearance with improved functionality. A refreshed bathroom can create a cleaner, more comfortable interior space. At the same time, an updated deck can provide an inviting area for outdoor living.
The most successful renovations are carefully planned around the home's existing design, the homeowner's needs, and long-term goals. Instead of focusing only on expensive features, homeowners can prioritize durable materials, practical layouts, quality artistry, and timeless design choices.
Whether you are preparing your property for the market or want to enjoy it more, investing in these two areas can make your home feel fresher, more functional, and more welcoming. With thoughtful planning, even relatively simple improvements can create a noticeable difference in the way a home looks and feels.
If you could recommend one overlooked book, what would it be and why?
I'm not going to mention a specific book, but I want to highlight a horror author, John Saul, who has fallen under the radar. His first book, Suffer the Children, was published in 1977, and many of his works have appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list. I refer to him as a pulp horror writer, as many of his titles from the 1980s reflect the shock paperback thrillers of that era. His last book was published in 2009, and has since retired from writing.
I discovered his books in the mid-90s during my teenage years. John, along with Stephen King and Anne Rice, helped me get through challenging high school years marked by relentless bullying from both students and teachers. Reading was a much-needed distraction during that time. My favorite book by John Saul is Nathaniel, which was published in 1984.
