{Sunday Post} — Did I Say You Could Go, I Am Spock, and The Teacher

The Caffeinated Book Reviewer's Kimberly hosts a weekly meme called "The Sunday Post"! 

* Weekly Tidbits *

• Hooray! The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl last Sunday. Not so ecstatic following the players' excessive drinking during Wednesday's Chiefs parade and rally. Seriously, there were kids there; the players should be role models. Even worse, following the terrifying shooting at Union Station, Mahomes, Kelce, and a few other players threw a party that night. They could have at least held off for a few days, showing some consideration for the victims. (Full disclosure: I did not attend the event; I saw it on television, securely at home.)

What Am I Currently Reading?

When it comes to reading, I feel like I'm repeating myself. I'm still reading the same books from last week. To be more precise, I didn't pick up Heat 2 again until yesterday afternoon; I believe I'm now on page 303. I want to finish reading it today—so I can go on to Let's Go Play at Adams' before the loan expires. Then, in no particular order, I'll go on to the next book in the graphic above.

Recent Reviews

The Chosen: Season Four: Episodes 4-6
★★★½✰

Losing Spring
★✰✰✰✰

What's New in the Mailbox?

My pile of "NTBRs" (need to be reviewed) is growing. Freida McFadden's The Teacher, kindly supplied to me by Poisoned Pen Press, has joined that list.

I got my copy of Tim White's The Nightmare Machine, which I will review on February 29th as part of a blog tour. Holy Moley! It's a massive book of about 600 pages.

What's New on the Shelf?

I picked up Iris and Roy Johansen's More Than Meets the Eye yesterday while running a few errands. I'd looked at the book in stores a few times, but the $8.98 price tag deterred me from purchasing it. However, an odd little voice from the back of my head kept encouraging me to buy it.

Some of you might be surprised that I might not continue to read James Patterson novels. I haven't read many of his recent publications, and the ones I have read so far haven't particularly impressed me. I might or might not buy his future novels unless they're thrillers like Women's Murder Club or anything with Michael Bennett or Alex Cross. However, if I receive a review copy, I will read and review it. I plan to approach each book basing my choices on the synopsis and co-author. Let's face it: there have been a few recent duds.

 

However, I did get a copy of Crosshairs, which James Patterson co-wrote with James O. Born. It's a Michael Bennett thriller, and I like the character, so I don't mind spending $20 for the book. 

 

Additionally, I purchased Clive Cussler's Fire Strike by Mike Madsen, which I thought was released around the end of 2023 but was only recently available at a nearby Walmart. I'm cautious about buying new Clive Clusser novels because I frequently find them discounted at dollar and thrift stores. Fire Strike seemed appealing, so I purchased it.

After a little dry spell, my local Dollar Tree received further books, and I discovered what remained of them. Someone has been through the books, strewn all over the shelving-leaving them in a messy state. I selected three paperbacks: Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone, The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter, and Did I Say You Could Go by Melanie Gideon.

Hold on for a moment. Mirrorland, didn't you say?

Indeed, I did. And, no, I'm not experiencing memory problems like our president. I'm aware that I purchased a different paperback copy of Mirrorland last year; it is now on my TBR shelf. What made me choose a second copy? How do I put it? I fell in love with the Gothic-style cover. A humorous anecdote is that the book's UPC tag reading "fiction astd" was missing, so the checker had to enter the $1.25 price into the register to get the book to scan at the checkout.

I'm not into The Photographer's cover art. I didn't recognize the author either, and I hadn't planned on reading the blurb until I noticed Liza Lutz's quote. The storyline seems fascinating, similar to a psychological thriller.

Melanie Gideon's name sounds familiar, but I don't think I've ever read anything by her. However, that wasn't why I wanted Did I Say You Could Go; it was the title and unsettling cover. I'm not sure whether or not you can see it in the photo, but the cover has an embossed haze; you can feel the water droplets when you touch it. I like how eerie it is.

Is there anything worse than inadvertently purchasing a book that you already own? It happens to me on occasion, and it's most likely due to a different cover. I bought Somebody's Daughter by David Bell at a thrift store. Although the title seemed familiar, I couldn't place the cover. I took a chance for ten cents, a risk since, as the accompanying picture shows, I already had it. (Note: The new one is the larger paperback.)

The non-fiction section of the thrift store usually consists of used college and religious books, so I don't usually look at them. However, as I walked in, I saw a box on the floor next to the non-fiction books. I took a short peek and was delighted when I saw Leonard Nimoy's I Am Spock; as you all know, I am a Star Trek fan. I Am Spock, first released in 1995, served as an apology for Nimoy's 1975 autobiography, I Am Not Spock, which got criticism from Star Trek fans due to its title.

You won't believe it when I tell you I discovered a Bentley Little paperback in the wild—the terrifying 2001 novel The Association, which I have never read. The photo shows the paperback has some rough edges, but some clear, acid-free tape should fix it.

I came across a paperback copy of Robin Cook's Brain. While I could be wrong, I don't think I have a copy. I own several Robin Cook titles, but I can't recall the names off the top of my head.

I almost passed on Kristine Kathryn Rush and Dean Wesley Smith's The X-Men novelization because part of the cover is missing, and a few pages have water stains. Once more, the little voice entered my thoughts, asking, "When have you ever seen a copy of The X-Men?" The answer is never.

David Baldacci's Absolute Power was my last thrift store treasure. After searching for a long time, I've finally found a copy. Some of you may be familiar with Clint Eastwood's 1997 film of the same name based on this novel.

That voice in my head was at it again, urging me to spend Thursday afternoon in the library. Lo and Behold; there was a spate of Brad Taylor thrillers on the "free" bookshelves. There were eleven hardbacks, and I grabbed the nine I didn't already possess with avarice. (FYI, I only had two other Brad Taylor novels at home.) The titles are Days of Rage, No Fortunate Son, Ghosts of War, Ring of Fire, The Insider Threat, Daughter of War, Hunter Killer, End of Days, and The Devil's Ransom (released in 2023).

Also, I picked up Jennifer Worth's Call the Midwife. Indeed, Call the Midwife appeals to the same man who enjoys military thrillers. I like the PBS series, and I borrowed this book many years ago from the library, but it was a different copy.