Sunday, January 5, 2025

[Review] — MY BEST FRIEND IS AN ELDRITCH HORROR: Vol. 1 is an Exhilarating Ride

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the MY BEST FRIEND IS AN ELDRITCH HORROR (Light Novel) by ACTUS Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

{Sunday Post} — Bellevue, Swift Vengeance, and Forty Times a Killer!

Billy Burgess Sunday Post ,

What Am I Reading?

I'm currently recovering from a nasty cold, which has really put a damper on my reading. Instead of getting into Defense Protocol, which I mentioned last week, I've picked up Forty Times a Killer! by William J. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone. This paperback reprint from 2014 was released on December 24th. With the holiday chaos, I figured my local Walmart might not have the book in stock right away, so I pre-ordered it on Amazon alongside another Western. However, the shipping date kept getting pushed back to late January, which is just ridiculous. To my surprise, Walmart did receive the book, so I grabbed it there and canceled my Amazon order.

I've only read a few pages of Forty Times a Killer!, but since I'm likely to be snowed in for a few days, I should finally have time to dive into it.

Song of the Week

Recently Reviewed

Books

We Kept Her in the Cellar

★★★★✰

The Primal Hunter: Vol. 1

★★★★✰

Movies

Wicked

★★½✰✰

What's in the Mailbox?

What’s going on with Amazon? You can’t seem to keep a simple paperback reprint in stock, yet you had no trouble sending out a "new" paperback release with the same publication date. The other Western I ordered is The First Mountain Man: Preacher's Strike by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone (written by a ghostwriter). The shipping was slow, but at least I received it in the end.

Putnam sent me an ARC of Robin Cook's Bellevue. Wait a second, can I even call this an ARC? The book came out in early December, and I’m only just now getting my copy.

What's New on the Bookshelf?

I stumbled upon a bunch of "new" free books at my local library. I couldn’t resist grabbing Swift Vengeance by T. Jefferson Parker and Killing Reagan by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard.

I also made another trip to the thrift store and picked up a handful of paperbacks: three Louis L'Amour Westerns—The Broken Gun, Milo Talon, and Tucker—as well as Dana Fuller Ross's Wagon West: The Frontier Trilogy (which includes Westward!, Expedition!, and Outpost!). I found The Cabinet of Curiosities by Preston & Child and Star Wars: The Last Command by Timothy Zahn, too.

The monthly Star Trek eBook sale, which has recently been lacking, surprised me this January with over twenty titles on sale for just $1.99 (up from 99 cents). I added a bunch to my Kindle: Klingon Empire: A Burning House by Keith R. A. DeCandido, S.C.E.: Blackout by Phaedra M. Weldon, S.C.E.: The Cleanup by Robert T. Jeschonek, S.C.E.: Honor by Kevin Killiany, TNG: Slings and Arrows: That Sleep of Death by Terri Osborne, New Frontier: Martyr by Peter David, TOS: The Shocks of Adversity by William Leisner, DS9: Objection: Bajor by John Peel, DS9: Betrayal by Lois Tilton, DS9: Warpath by David Mack, TNG: Fortune's Light by Michael Jan Friedman, Enterprise: The Good That Men Do by Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin, and Mirror Universe: Obsidian Alliances by Keith R. A. DeCandido, Peter David, and Sarah Shaw.

Additionally, I’ve added Outlaw Kingdom by Matt Braun, Black Hills Blood Hunt by William J. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone, and The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier to my Kindle library.

{Book Blogger Hop} — 2025 Anticipated Releases

Billy Burgess book blogger hop ,

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop!

To prepare for next week’s post, check out the upcoming prompts. If you'd like to submit a prompt, fill out this form. Join our Facebook group to connect with other book bloggers and get updates.

Here’s what to do:

Share your response to this week’s prompt.
In the linky list, enter your name or nickname followed by your blog name and the URL to your post (e.g., Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer).
Visit others on the list and leave comments.

[Review] — WICKED is a Visually Stunning but Erroneous Adaptation

Billy Burgess action , adaptation

Celebrate the New Year with the spectacular cinematic event, WICKED! After achieving the record for the largest opening of a movie adapted from a Broadway musical and earning four Golden Globe® nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, this thrilling adaptation will be available for exclusive digital purchase or rental on December 31, 2024, just in time for New Year’s Eve, courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Captivating viewers around the globe, the film proudly holds Certified Fresh and Verified Hot ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, along with an impressive “A” CinemaScore. Immerse yourself in the magic of this enchanting film, which includes a dazzling Sing-Along version, a captivating 40-minute exploration of Oz showcasing the film's stunning visuals, deleted and extended scenes, and much more. These features will be available when you purchase the movie from participating digital retailers nationwide, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu), Comcast Xfinity, Cox, and Microsoft Movies & TV.

[Review] — WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR Gives a Horrifying New Twist on the Classic Cinderella Story

Billy Burgess books , fairy tale

Retellings of classic fairy tales have long captivated readers, but the horror adaptations have carved out a particularly intriguing niche, gaining popularity over the years. New titles in this genre continue to emerge, one of which is the chilling reinterpretation of Cinderella titled WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR, penned by W.R. Gorman and published by Crooked Lane Books.

[Review] — THE PRIMAL HUNTER: VOL. 1 is a Flawed But Entertaining Bloody Fantasy Adventure

Billy Burgess books , fantasy fiction

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE PRIMAL HUNTER (Light Novel) by Zogarth Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

{Sunday Post} — Dawn to Dusk, Hell for Breakfast, and An Unfinished Murder

Billy Burgess Sunday Post ,

🎉 Happy New Year! 🎉

I hope everyone survived the Christmas chaos. Sorry if I sound like a humbug, but Xmas was stressful for me—the ice maker supply line busted on Christmas night. Besides staining the basement ceiling tile, no other damage was done. The supply line is turned off, and I'll use ice trays in the freezer until a new line gets installed. There are other things I'm overly stressed about, but won't go into details here.