Monthly Archives: April 2014

Super What Now? Making Room on the Shelf for Comics

April 17, 2014Adventure, comic, Fantasy, super heropower, romance, science fiction, soap opera, super hero, super heroe, super heroes, young adultDani M. Stone

by Joshua Unruh – Official Booky Goodness “Nerd Czar”

Hello, lovers of Booky Goodness! My name is Josh and I am a giant nerd. I’m also an author of novels, novellas, short stories, and other freelance type things. When these two things combine, they form Voltron. Or me becoming the Booky Goodness authority on superheroes.

“But Booky Goodness is a site for grown-ups!” you may protest. “What do grown-ups want with superheroes?”

Or probably not. Most of my life, that’s been the conversation starter when folks found out my love of the four color characters. But since superheroes have made box office receipts higher than the gross national product of Central America and invaded primetime on your TV, I hear that familiar refrain a lot less.

Superheroes can be daunting, though! Many of the most well-known characters have been in continuous publication for fifty, sixty, or even seventy years. There are shared universes where Hero Guy can team up with Scary Man. Only, Hero Guy can’t team up with Bug Dude because different companies own them. Where does an interested but overwhelmed person start?

Today, I’m going to make a superhero suggestion tailor made to the hottest trends in prose fiction. This series has deep roots in the history of superheroes yet has been constantly reinvented to stay fresh and interesting. It’s a literal nexus of superheroes, science fiction, Young Adult, romance, adventure, and probably a bunch of other stuff.

Continue reading Super What Now? Making Room on the Shelf for Comics →

I Just Want To Be Alone Is Hilarious Husband One-Upmanship

April 15, 2014Book Review, Chick Lit, Essays, Uncategorizedabby heugel, ak turner, bethany thies, i just want to be alone, i just want to pee alone, jen mann li, karen alpert, keeper of the fruit loops, kim bongiorno, Leanne shirtliffe, people i want to punch in the throatDani M. Stone

Hubby, The Hubs, Sir Stinks-Alot, My Hero, The Hotness – These are all nicknames I’ve heard my friends use when referring to their husbands. No doubt there is a story or two behind these monikers. I call my husband The Colonel, because at times he’s a bit like a drill sergeant in cargo pants.

In the new book, I Just Want To Be Alone, by Jen from the no-holds-barred blog, People I Want To Punch in the Throat, women are opening up about their husbands and sharing stories that are usually reserved for gatherings around bowls of queso and jumbo margaritas.

For the anthology, Jen hand-picked the best stories submitted by some of the most kick-ass, honest, funny, raw bloggers in bloggy-blog world.

I had the pleasure of spending time with Jen last year when we were fellow cast members in the Listen To Your Mother show in Kansas City. Her debut anthology, I Just Want To Pee Alone, was a huge success. If Jen is involved, you want to be part of it.

When I found out she was putting together a collection of stories, I pictured her walking through the streets of bloggy-blog world playing a flute, attracting the attention of fellow writers like a petite foul-mouthed pied piper.

Continue reading I Just Want To Be Alone Is Hilarious Husband One-Upmanship →

The Man From Primrose Lane – Still Makes Me Squirmy About Adults Wearing Mittens

April 9, 2014Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Uncategorizedjames renner, mittens, mystery book, thrillerDani M. Stone

by Dani Stone

The Man From Primrose Lane – James Renner

No spoilers! I swear.

Why is this proclamation important? Well, besides letting you know I’m a courteous gal, it serves as a warning for any other review of this novel. There are things that can be spoiled, my friends, important things.

I belong to a ~~chips and queso~~ book club and this month, a few of us convinced the rest of the laaaadies to give this book a shot. Frankly, I was shocked how many still hadn’t read it, even though it came out in 2012.

I discovered it one day when I found myself with a few unscheduled hours, and the books in my TBR pile started fluttering their little pages at me. I chose it based on the recommendation of a good friend and this intriguing description from Amazon.

In West Akron, Ohio, there lived a reclusive elderly man who always wore mittens, even in July. He had no friends and no family; all over town, he was known as the Man from Primrose Lane. And on a summer day, someone murdered him.

Continue reading The Man From Primrose Lane – Still Makes Me Squirmy About Adults Wearing Mittens →