July 2024 Books // 10 Short Reviews!

[@Chance.Dillon]

It’s cool to see your memories of ice experience! Glad it worked so well for you-erikson truly has a knack for pulling on the heart strings

[@esmayrosalyne]

Being an alpha reader together with you was so fun, and I think Andy absolutely went above and beyond to get this story into a near perfect shape. I can't wait for the rest of the series to come out, it really only gets better!! Also, glad to hear that Lehane continues to blow you away, even on rereads. I really want to read Mystic River! And if that Memories of Ice experience isn't the best example of why listening to the mood and giving second chances is so important, then I don't know what is! Hope the rest of the series continues to be this amazing for you! Happy reading Josh ;)

[@RedFuryBooks]

I agree, Esmay, it was fun to see your thoughts as the series unfolded! Hopefully we can do that again some time! I hope you can fit Mystic River in at some point!

[@a.r.witham9215]

Thank you so much, Josh, for including Rooker Flynn in your review, and thank you so much for your steadfast help & support in making this book shine! It wouldn't be nearly as good without your insight and input. You rock! May the Red Fury run forever!! (And Gerba Whipmarples says 'Thank you, dearie!')

[@RedFuryBooks]

My pleasure and you are too kind!

[@StoryGirl1128]

Thanks for the wrap up! I really enjoy how you describe and talk about books.

[@RedFuryBooks]

Thanks so much!

[@marcusmusings]

Dead Beat and Death Masks are my two favorite Dresden books

[@akellerhouse83]

I read 11 things in July. Three were comics though, so I read 8 books. The best were Lords of Uncreation by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Howling Dark by Christopher Ruocchio, and The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman. I guess I would pick Howling Dark as my book of the month. I've also been reading the Blackwater Saga by Michael McDowell over the last few months. It's divided into 6 parts and I read part 4 in July. It's so damn good! I'm considering finishing the last 2 parts in August.

[@RedFuryBooks]

I'm starting Suneater in December!

[@scottferris2686]

Good month of reading - so happy you are continuing your Dresden journey! My book of the month was a reread but it was Fools Errand by Hobb

[@RedFuryBooks]

Awesome!

[@Johanna_reads]

Great month of reading! Based on the cover, I would’ve never guessed the plot you described for Gardent Gnome. Glad it didn’t disappoint! Hooray for Memories of Ice! House of Chains is considered one of the least popular books in the series, but I loved it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts when the time is right.

[@RedFuryBooks]

I've heard a few spoiler-ish (from a structural standpoint, not a plot standpoint) things about House of Chains that leads me to believe that I'll enjoy it. Fingers crossed!

[@jaya5264]

Love the cover art on Garden Gnome. Very interesting premise. I may have to scoop that up. Thank you.

[@RedFuryBooks]

I hope you enjoy it!

[@OnlyTheBestFantasyNovels]

Sounds like a good month! That Rooker Flynn book sounds interesting - saw a few other people mention it but didn't pay much attention. Not surprised by the BOTM after the vlog, hopefully the streak continues in November with HoC.

[@RedFuryBooks]

Definitely check out Rooker Flynn!

[@a.r.witham9215]

I'm glad Rooker Flynn captured your attention! With any luck, you'll find some good adventures (and spiders) within!

[@BookishChas]

Excellent video Josh! I’m so glad you enjoyed Dead Beat. Definitely one of my favorite books in the series. I’m glad you enjoyed Memories of Ice on the second attempt. I also DNFd it temporarily a couple years ago. I need to revisit it.

[@RedFuryBooks]

Thanks, Chas!

[@bigaldoesbooktube1097]

What a reading month 💪 I’m glad you finished Memories of Ice. I thought about DNF’ing Deadhouse Gates at the time but stuck with the series. You’ll be glad to know that House of Chains is, I think better than all the books before it.

[@RedFuryBooks]

Oh, can't wait!

[@DebbieHeim-fv6yx]

My best book in July was Lonesome Dove! Thanks for encouraging me to read it! I also started Streets of Laredo in July,and just finished it last night. At first I thought “this is not going tp be as good as Lonesome Dove”, and I still don’t think it was, but I couldn’t stop reading it at the end so I guess I liked it pretty well! Starting on Dead Man’s Walk today, and so far I like it. I was reading a Book Club book, and I said to myself, “ I want my Larry McMurtry!! I really enjoy your channel and you have gotten me very interested in the Fantasy genre…who could help it when your eyes light up!

[@RedFuryBooks]

So glad you loved Lonesome Dove as well as the others! I read Dead Man's Walk a long time ago, but plan on reading all of them at some point.

[@Kim_Miller]

A great list. I got through nine books in July, top place going to Ruocchio's Ashes of Man, although his followup novella Dregs of Empire was grabbing at its coat tails. Out of your list I've put The Crimes of Rooker Flynn and Mystic River on my TBR. The only Lehane book I'm familiar with is A Drink Before the War, but I went looking up his website. One thing about Lehane is that he looks like he could be a character in a crime movie himself. He's got the kind of lined face with straight piercing gaze and just a hint of sardonic smile to make him a serial killer. Hannibal Lecter, you've got competition. 😀

[@a.r.witham9215]

Thank you Kim! Please let me know your feelings on Rooker Flynn when you finish the story! I appreciate you giving it a shot!

[@RedFuryBooks]

I'm excited to start Ruocchio later this year! I hope both The Crimes of Rooker Flynn and Mystic River are books that you love as I do!

[@RedFuryBooks]

I look forward to starting Ruocchio later this year! And I hope that you enjoy The Crimes of Rooker Flynn and Mystic River as I do!

[@fehner27]

I love the fact you read more genres than just sci fi and fantasy. I'm working on that as well. Currently, I'm reading Billy Boyle by James Benn (WW2 detective novel), since I love studying WW2 and also wanted to read a detective novel. I will start reading some Dresden Files soon since detectives mixed with fantasy seems to be up my alley. I did read A.R. Witham's Legend of Black Jack and it was awesome. I have Rooker Flynn on my Kindle app and will be reading it in the coming weeks. Thanks again for the video!

[@RedFuryBooks]

Thanks! Mixing genres keeps things fresh for me. I hope you enjoy Rooker Flynn!

[@Shelf-Esteem]

What a comeback story! From DNF to Book of the month with Memories Of Ice - thanks for sharing that journey! Made me extra excited about retrying the series. 10 books sounds like a fantastic month! A number I can only dream of reaching haha 😊

[@RedFuryBooks]

Haha, yeah 10 in a month is a lot!

[@BrianBell7]

Excellent video! I love how you break down your reading experiences. Polka never dies.

[@RedFuryBooks]

Indeed, polka never dies!

[@cynthiafialka]

I only needed to see the spiders on the cover of The Crimes of Rooker Flynn to decide to buy it for my husband for Christmas. He likes spiders. 😂 Or maybe I should say he finds spiders fascinating. The Garden Gnome looks interesting too.

[@a.r.witham9215]

Cynthia, thank you so much for getting the book as a gift - your dear husband will discover plenty of arachnids in this story to keep him fascinated. I hope he loves it!

[@cynthiafialka]

@@a.r.witham9215 I will read it too! So nice that you commented! 😊

[@elizabethmurphy3931]

Dennis Lehane, SO Good. Even his lesser works are much above the average. I must agree with you also about Cormac McCarthy. I find I love his work, or hate it, or just cant read anymore. I always appreciate your input. Thank you.

[@RedFuryBooks]

I agree 100% with Lehane.

[@MichaelRSchultheiss]

Sounds like an amazing July! Dresden Files is one of my favorite series, and I'm looking forward to more of your reactions to later installments (especially Changes, of course). I actually ran into a similar problem with Memories of Ice, but I'll have to give it another try.

[@RedFuryBooks]

I hope Memories of Ice works for you whenever you have time to fit it in! Looking ahead, I have a book called The Altar of My Fate on the August TBR. You may have heard of it ;)

[@MichaelRSchultheiss]

@@RedFuryBooks that makes my day, my friend! Thank you so much for your interest in my work!

[@Tino-vw7xl]

Polka will never dieeeee!!

[@SarahJ70]

It’s funny because I just finished reading Darkness Take My Hand yesterday. Love his prose, but sometimes I have to suspend my disbelief a little bit. The confrontation in the end got me scratching my head, a little over the top as you said. Still, I’m excited to read more Lehane. I got Shutter Island on my TBR. I already knew the big reveal in Mystic River since I’ve seen the film first, but it didn’t ruin my enjoyment at all. His three dimensional characters stayed with me. The ending makes me angry, especially the unfairness of it all. Can’t wait to read it again

[@RedFuryBooks]

Yes, I prefer the more realistic side of Lehane's more literary works for the same reason. The thrillers are a bit over the top, but certainly still good reads.

[@jordonvh91]

I've snagged a couple Lehane books because you've spoken highly of him and our reading taste venn diagram is damn near a circle. But I finally got into one, got a little over half way through Shutter Island last night, loving it even though I already know the reveal from seeing the movie. Give Suttree by McCarthy a try. It's a bit different from his other books, it'll make you laugh and make you cry. It's probably my favorite of his novels, I think about the character named Harrogate on a daily basis.

[@RedFuryBooks]

I'm glad you're enjoying Lehane!

[@angelaholmes8888]

I read 10 books in july

[@MacScarfield]

Hope to get to McCarthy next year! In July I read: «The Stone of Farewell» (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, #2) by Tad Williams (Epic Fantasy, a key influence for George R. R. Martin's « A Song of Ice and Fire») «Tiamat's Wrath» (The Expanse, #8) by James S.A. Corey (Space opera) «The Warrior Prophet» (The Prince of Nothing #2) by R. Scott Bakker (Grimdark/Dark Epic Fantasy inspired by the Crusades, Silmarillion & Dune) I really have a hard time picking my July book of the month between «The Stone of Farewell» & «The Warrior Prophet»!😅

[@RedFuryBooks]

Oh fantastic! Memory, Sorrow and Thorn will be my first series in 2025 and I can't wait! I think it'll be a great fit for me.

[@kyrosv1289]

So glad to hear your good month of reading!! and also happy that it was a relaxed month regarding work, it's good to have some time to take it really easy!! ... I have been recommended a book that you may be interested into! it's a memoir by a musician, but it is a person to whom music was his "salvation" from a very dark time in his life. It has been highly recommended especially from a psychology's point of view. I don't know more. The name: Instrumental (2015) by James Rhodes The subtitle: A Memoir of Madness, Medication, and Music ... Do you know it?

[@RedFuryBooks]

I've never heard of this one but am jotting it down - thank you!

[@arselanehadjslimane2582]

I am seeing Dennis Lehane more more this last month. I've been wanting to get into crimes fiction for a long time but have been afraid because i didnt know where to start, maybe i will start with him.

[@RedFuryBooks]

He's really great - one of the best in modern crime fiction. I also recommend Michael Connelly, who somehow can't write a bad book.

[@avantgardenovelist]

how about an interview/conversation with Erikson about your conversion from dnf to fan?

[@RedFuryBooks]

I think I would be a little intimidated by Erikson at this point to interview him to be honest!

[@avantgardenovelist]

@@RedFuryBooks there are a few interviews of him out there. he seems surprisingly (considering his artifacts!) accessible and, dare I say, humble.

[@RedFuryBooks]

@@avantgardenovelist I agree: Erikson does seem like a very humble man considering his literary achievements.

[@garthok6224]

I love short books, novellas novellets. Can you make a good list about those? I'm finishing pillars of the earth, finally. It's a masterpiece. Thanks for convinced me to read it.

[@RedFuryBooks]

You know, I made a video about short books when the channel was young, but maybe it's time for a refresher. Thanks for the idea, and glad that Pillars of the Earth was a hit for you!

[@williamhaun8342]

My favorite McCarthy book is No Country for old Men. Better than Blood Meridian and The Road. JMO

[@RedFuryBooks]

I always seem to forget about No Country for Old Men.

[@dubhmoore575]

Au contre, i loved your Malazan vlog, it convinced me to start G of the M 🥳

[@RedFuryBooks]

Thanks! I hope you enjoy Gardens of the Moon!

[@marjoriedonnett5467]

I also read Mystic River in July. I thought it was really well written with the characterizations also drawn superbly.

[@RedFuryBooks]

Awesome!

[@masonmclaughlin7905]

Sweet Hamilton Chrono

[@RedFuryBooks]

Close! It's actually a panda dial with a Seagull movement!

[@Fianna1775]

I’m waiting for Malazan for when I take up my program in Spain. I found the first seven on audiobook on KZbin. We’ll see if I can handle that. Pretty positive month in July 😁 On July 1st I finished Say nothing by Patrick Keefe (the author of Empire of Pain). This is a nonfiction book about the IRA from the 70s through the end of the Troubles and the Good Friday Agreement. The events and people it discusses tie back into the notorious murder of a “disappeared” mother of ten named Jean Mcconville. The Price sisters, who helped organize the London car bombings, and Gerry Adams are also heavily featured. This book was fascinating and I would read it again. Some other nonfiction I read was Nothing to Envy and a book on Sekigahara with lots of big pictures. I also finished demon slayer! Whoooo Hoooo! One of my favorite fantasy series. Still have to finish the anime I usually like to see the fight scenes in the anime because I’m not familiar enough with manga to always be able to decipher them in black and white on the page. The Pleasure District Arc was my favorite and gave me a much needed laugh. If you are looking to get into manga this might be a good place to start. Three shorter novels I finished were Legends of the Galactic Heroes bk 4, The Samurai by Endo, and rereading In Cold Blood. LOGH bk 4 was ok. It wasn’t my favorite in the series. I kept hearing the Pitch Meeting Guy say “super easy, barely and inconvenience….oh really?” In my head. Ah well. On to the next installment. In Cold Blood remains fantastic. Read it. The samurai was really interesting because it is based on the mission of an actual samurai who travelled all across the world with a Catholic priest to help promote trade relations with the West. This author also wrote the book Silence which was adapted into the movie with Andrew Garfield. Both of these books deal with Japan’s relationship with Christianity during the Tokugawa Shogunate in the 1600s. I liked it a lot, but if religion doesn’t interest you, I don’t know if I would recommend. Or maybe I will recommend anyway. And I have two book of the year candidates FINALLY. These would be Fire and Blood and Lord of Emperors. These were fantastic. I haven’t yet finished the main series of ASOIAF. It’s weird I have picked up Storm of Swords a few times but just end of flicking through it without feeling attached to the characters. I still don’t know why. It troubles me. I found myself so invested in the people covered it this book. Maybe because I read mostly history so I’m used to it. The Aegon I chapters were my favorites I think. Lord of Enperors is my second favorite GGK novel so far. Under Heaven is still my favorite but sometimes your first is your sweetest. But what a duology. Happy Reading! 🤗

[@RedFuryBooks]

How long are those Malazan audiobooks? Wow! Thanks for your wrap-up - I'm actually almost done with Fire and Blood at the moment. I'm LOVING it. I knew I'd like it, but it seems I enjoy Martin's historical approach as well, as I've also read things in this vein.

[@Fianna1775]

They can be up to 43 hours or so….depends on the book. Glad you’re enjoying fire and blood. 🔥 🩸 🐉