WC052720

Today is books set in my city or state.

It's not possible to count the number of books, graphic novels, movies, TV shows that have dealt with William H. Bonney or known as Billy the Kid. I've driven through Fort Sumner, NM. a million times over my life and never had the urge to visit the outlaw's grave. We drove through Lincoln, NM on the 4th of July and watched their parade celebrating the Lincoln County War.

Naturally I set one of my books in Albuquerque. It's about a physics professor wrongly arrested and accused of selling cocaine. He develops super conducting plates that will levitate and turn anything they're under into a magic carpet. Naturally he uses them to make flying cars, but how do you sell them after 911? For a review by Berthold Gambrel click here.

The first book I remember being set in Albuquerque came out twenty or more years ago and sold respectably here, but not much better elsewhere. We have an international balloon fiesta every year in October (doubtful this year). Balloons are a regular feature in the mornings if the weather's right, and it usually is. They fly over my house regularly to land in the mesa behind my back wall.

The best selling thriller author, Joseph Badal, moved to Cedar Crest on the other side of Sandia Mountain from Albuquerque and has written two series of books set in Albuquerque and New Mexico. This is a picture of me buying one of his Lassiter/Martinez books at Treasure House books in Old Town.

The Lassiter/Martinez books of: Borderline, Dark Angel and Justice is about two female detectives who have to solve crimes and battle sexual harassment.

The Curtis Chronicles are about a doctor, who's also a retired Navy SEAL, who moves to Cedar Crest. His sister is murdered in Hawaii and when he goes to her funeral he tracks down the drug king pin who murdered her and takes down his empire. The drug dealer then decides to take revenge on Curtis and his family, trying to live peacefully in New Mexico.

George R. R. Martin lives in Santa Fe, where he writes his Game of Thrones books. Lew Wallace was the territorial governor of New Mexico and wrote Ben Hur in the Governor's Palace.

Tony Hillerman wrote about murder mysteries on the Navajo Reservation.
Please pray for the Dine people, they have been hard hit with Covid 19. The other native peoples across the country are struggling too.

Anne Hillerman, Tony's daughter has continued his work.








No Place for Old Men, and Best Picture Oscar winning film was filmed here, and of course the TV Shows: In Plain Sight and Breaking Bad, the spin off, Better Call Saul is still filming here. We now have three studios in the state with filming on hiatus right now, but it won't be long until they're making more.

My regrets to Dr. Irene Blea, Hank Bruce and Jonathan Miller who I've already posted about their works from Southwest Writers and Writers2writers.

10 Influential books no comment

Here's a meme from Facebook. Ten books that influenced my life the most. Without comment.
That's really hard!

Pets

Time to post pictures of pets. The Chihuahua is Bandit, the terrier it Sammie and the cat is our 18 year old Pippin. Named for Peregrin Took after the Fellowship of the Ring came out.

WC 052020

Hmm, How would I  survive a zombie apocalypse?
At my age I couldn't outrun them. With physical problems I couldn't fight them. I'd get a shotgun and blow my brains out, so I couldn't become one.
Hope that's not too pragmatic for others.

I have written three books in how to survive a super volcanic eruption and volcanic winter. 
Just remember: When it hits the fan, you need a plan!
Available on Amazon unlimited.

Family pictures

 Had a call today. My brother is in the hospital for a heart attack. He's feeling better and wanting to go home, but they want to take tests and can't do that today. I'm sure he's driving them crazy and he's a bear when not feeling well. Here's some pictures of us growing up.

This was the day Mom brought me home from the hospital. Dad is as usual taking the picture.

This is us feeding squirrels. They could eat out of your hand. 

This is Bruce and me in front of the Record Music Company. The business owned by my Grandparents. Pueblo gets cold in the Winter.

And this is all of us, Dad taking the picture. Mom, Bruce, Penni and me.

WC 041320

A villain you would like redeemed and why?
Had to think about this one. I mean Scrooge was redeemed, did it make all the pain he inflicted any better? He gets to jump about and laugh, everyone else is still dirt poor. Daytime dramas always start a character as a bad person then redeem them through love. Been done to death.
Okay, here goes. Saruman for LOTR.
He was a good guy, just seduced by Sauron. Gandolf wanted to rehabilitate him. What if Wormtale didn't kill him. Maybe once Sauron was defeated Saruman would have come to his senses.

Payback

Joseph Badal's latest book, Payback. It's a standalone not part of his pervious series of books. I tend to like his standalones better than the later books in a series, that applies to all authors not just Badal.

In Payback Bruno Padace is a partner in an investment firm in 2008. He finds out from his secretary, who's having an affair with a senior partner that he's being set up to take the fall as everything is about to hit the fan for Wall Street.

Bruno grabs as many documents as he can get and bonds then disappears.

Ten years later one of the bonds he's stolen is cashed in California. Sy Rosen, one of the senior partners learns of the transaction and has a PI/hit man go after Bruno.

The plot of the story takes a number of twists and turns at this point. Janet Jenkins, who works at a battered women's shelter and is upset coming from a hospital where a woman was nearly beaten to death, but will return to her abusive husband and she can't do anything about it. 

She sees a homeless man clutching a battered briefcase as two thugs try to steal it. She chases them off and checks on the man to see if he's okay. Bruno follows her to her work and a few days later he meets with her at work and asks about her work. He devises a way to cash in all the bonds he still has and turns the money over to St. Anne's so they can expand their program.

The PI/hitman then follows Forsythe, the broker who cashed out the bonds and blackmails Forsythe into setting Bruno up. I'm leaving a few things out here, but Janet drives Bruno to meet Forsythe where the hitman kills Forsythe and shoots Bruno. Janet drives into the hitman pinning him against a car. Forsythe dies, but Bruno survives.

Forsythe was an alias for Carlo Massarino, of the Massarino crime family in New York. He and Bruno had grown up on the same block, went to high school and Harvard together. Carlo changed his name and moved to California to get away from the family business.

This is the set up for the Payback. Normally I don't that in-depth, but without that background what happens next wouldn't make sense.

Bruno goes back to New York and meets with Carlo's younger brother, Louis, who took over the family business. He claims he's gone legit as RICO had shut down most of the illegal business.

They devise a plan to make Sy Rosen and his partners pay for their sins. Bruno has a tough time convincing Louis to set them up financially and ruin them instead of just killing them.

Rosen meanwhile hires a professional hitter to find Bruno. The PI/hitman in is linked back to their investment firm and the DA in California is filing criminal charges for the murder of Carlo and attempted murder of Bruno. Rosen now wants Jenkins killed as well.

The suspense builds from this point on keeping the reader guessing. Janet flies to New York to be with Bruno and the DA sends two detectives to follow her so they can give Bruno a subpoena. At this point you have two detectives, a hitter, a mob boss with his crew and Bruno running a scam as Janet acts as a magnet bringing them all together.
Joseph Badal knows how to tell a remarkable tale that keeps the reader guessing the whole way.

I have one quibble. The whole action is started by Bruno cashing in that first bond that sets Rosen on his trail. It is never explained why after ten years of hiding out on the streets he cashes it in. An explanation would make the story have more sense.

TTT 051220

Today's topic is last ten books I've abandoned. 
No problem coming up with books I've bailed on, but I'm finding that most of the fellow bloggers on TTT are into genres of literature I'm not familiar with and not interested in. I've read a number of books that have been raved about like Six of Crows, and enjoyed it. But for most of them like Red, White and Royal Blue they weren't my cup of tea. So I'm bailing on the group. I'm one post out of up to two hundred a week. I'm sure I won't be missed.

Requium on Blogging

Berthold today had a post on blogging. He was responding to Lydia and Audrey who also wrote posts about it. They made me nostalgic for the days of Blogging before Myspace and fb truncated communication. I don't bother with twitter or Instagram ad nauseum.
Bruce, my brother, introduced me to blogging either in 2000 or 2001. He is hyper political in both secular and religious circles. He had a long list of fellow bloggers. I was writing Optimus: Praetorian Guard at the time, but a few of friends and family that I was sharing the work with mentioned my female characters were weak. I wrote a short story entitled Human Sacrifices about a female teacher trying to save her students from gangs by teaching them to read and think for themselves. It was purely an exercise in getting into the female mentality to make the ones in Optimus more real.
When I created my first blog it was called Captain's Log. It was personal journal of what my day or week was like. Then I created my writing blog, Tiglathpilezerx, where I serialized Human Sacrifices turning it into the novel it is today. I then created this blog for my family and the friends I've picked up along the way.
I enjoyed posting comments on Bruce's blog. He'd get lots of trolls and I had fun arguing with them over being in Iraq and Afghanistan. There were the fundamentalists that he infuriated and it was fun arguing with them over premillennial dispensationalism verses amillennialism. I love a good spirited debate. Bruce got tired of the trolls and blocked them. He's always bee a bit of a spoil sport.
I can't remember the name of the assistant principal of a middle school in Oklahoma that had a great blog. He had a large following and every week he would provide links to his faithful commenters and it was fun to hit the links and have my link included. When I published Optimus he bought a copy and I mailed it to him. He did an excellent job of reviewing the book. The best one of all time. Amazon took it down for some reason along with about a dozen others. They set a policy that they won't publish a review if it includes that the writer is a "friend." Grr. He became a head principal and didn't have time to devote to the blog. I've really missed him. It's been so many years I can't remember his name of his blog.
There's one blogger I picked up from Bruce that I still blog with. For a number of years we lost track of each other, but recently we're blogging buddies again. Yogi lives in Tulsa and he loves to geocache. He has lots of pictures of all kinds of things. Recently he got a drone and it's adding to his pictures.
On my writing blog a woman started commenting about how much she liked the story and I started following her Kimdergarten blog. She lives in Mississippi and blogged about trying to live through Katrina which made what was happening in that part of the world more real that just the news. That storm disrupted the lives of people in five states, but all that was reported was about New Orleans. Her son went into the military and was deployed in Iraq, that also brought home the reality of war. She stopped posting and shut down the blog at that point. She's been greatly missed.
On my Captain's Log blog I made friends with two guys in Colorado and the brother-in-law of a fellow teacher who taught next door to me. Butch told me about Russ, saying he was a radical liberal like me. I also encountered Woody. We became the Curmudgeons. Our posts and comments were lively, funny and made for great comradery. The two from Colorado decided that we should all meet. They drove down and the five of us met for a night of beer, gourmet hamburgers and lively talk. Woody, Russ and I decided we'd keep meeting about once a month.
Russ was a professor at UNM, Woody was a retired professor from Oklahoma and LSU. This was about the time I retired. We had lively discussions. Woody is an avid poster on fb, but his health is giving him problems.
Our meeting stopped when Russ's wife was dying. He dropped off the map after her funeral for a time and found another love. In 2012 right after Obama's reelection he announced he was running for president in 2016. I became his campaign manager and we had a press conference announcing his run. He considered this as political comedy. He made up buttons and I posted on this blog and it was great fun. Here's a link to that post. Berthold and Russ were both Gilbert and Sullivan fans and got along.
Russ dropped from sight and only comes out every so often now. He's missed.
Another blogger I miss is Michael Manning. He had a great blog with every year a Steve McQueen festival. He wrote reviews of his movies, interviewed a number of his co-stars and knew all kinds of trivia. He talked on all kinds of different topics. He finally shut down and is greatly missed.
Scott Horton was and is my all time favorite. He's on fb now, but his blog was amazing. He had legal information and posted about the hatchet job that was done to the democratic governor of Alabama. He posted artwork and wrote detailed descriptions of the artist and interpretations of the piece. He's still at it on a much smaller scale today. He recently moved to New Mexico and has started posting pictures of the state.
In 2006 Playboy magazine had an inteview with Anne Huffington of the Huffington Post. I wrote a post on my blog making a few comments on what she said. About a week afterwards I got a call from Playboy. They wanted permission to put part of my post in their letters to the editor page. I agreed and that's how I got a "letter" in Playboy.
That's enough of memory lane for today.

WC050620

Favorite holiday

One of the proudest moments of my life was watching my son being raised over my wife (caesarian delivery) and hearing him cry.
Another was when my daughter was born, and then my grandson and granddaughter.

My favorite holiday is Father's Day. It aside from my birthday is the only day where in the family it's my day, now shared with son. It's also a day for me to remember that no matter what I accomplished as a teacher or any other profession I've worked in, that all turns to dust. My posterity is not my bank account or my possessions. It resides in my children and grandchildren and then with theirs.

TTT 050520

Today's topic: What kind of bookish party would you throw. Once the pandemic is over.

Guests: I agree with Artsy, you dear reader would naturally be invited. Also would be my writer's group. My spiritual twin, she's a painter, but let's me use her art on my covers, and is my fiercest critic.

Venue: A triclinium. There are three couches formed in a U shape. Each person reclines. In the middle of the U is a mensa or small table. Servants bring in each course on a platter with the serving in small pieces so the diners can eat with their hands.
Attire: Men wear a plain linen tunic with short sleeves in color of choice. Women wear a stola with V neck or Chiton with a square neck and silver or gold cord under breasts and crossed between them. Fabric can be linen, cotton, or silk with many colors and patterns.
The menu: 
Beverage: Wine, ale, Meade, tea or coffee.
the appetizer is fresh fruit: grapes, cherries, apricots, sliced apples. Between courses, servants bring a bowl of water with roses floating to wash your hands, and then dry on paper towel.
 Vegetables: carrots, fresh asparagus, radishes, cherry tomatoes, cut celery stuffed with strawberry crème cheese.
Entrée: Cut pieces of chicken, beef, pork, lamb, mutton, shrimp, scallops, oysters, filets of cat fish. trout.
Dessert: Ice cream: Vanilla, Spumoni. The only course using a spoon. 
Conversation: The latest book each person has read or the one they currently writing.

Front yard Flowers.

 I live in a desert and getting things to grow is a chore, and water is expensive. We also have restrictions on when and for how long we can water. My front yard is between the house and the sun for most of the day. I've got a flowerbed with plants that don't need much direct sunlight and it's easy to water a small triangular area. On the side of the front yard are roses and in front between the street and sidewalk is an area with a lilac bush and a monster bush, don't know the name, but they are all over the place in people's yards. This is my Lilac.

This is the monster bush all flowered out. Once it back to normal I'll have to chop it down as it's overflowing the curb and sidewalk. This is if I can get my son to take the edger to it.

Here's one of my rose bushes.

Trial of Anne Hutchinson

Captivating History is an ARC I read and write reviews for and I don't mention them often on here. They cover a wide range of history and topics. I'm mentioning this one. This is a book that NEEDS to be read.
The trial of Anne Hutchinson speaks volumes to us today. It's about freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, freedom of religion against power hungry tyrants of conformity.
The writers of this book have to explain the reasons why the Puritans first came to America and the division between the Church of England and those who wished to purify it. I also explains religious splitting of hairs within this group once they get here.
The main bone of contention we would call today is Orthodoxy and Priesthood of the Believer. The terms used here are COVENANT OF GRACE over COVENANT OF WORKS.
John Calvin is the founder of the Puritans. The book quotes him as saying that "the covenant of grace lead the believer to perform good works."
Founders are always misinterpreted. Just look at the followers of Christ!
The main problem here is that church and stare are one. Religious law is in charge. The preachers of works are the ones in control. The believers in grace, if they're men are tolerated. If they are women like Anne Hutchinson they instruments of the devil.
There was a practice at this time known as a "conventicle." It was home meeting during the week to discuss the sermon from Sunday. Anne held these and they became popular. Mostly women attended them, but a few men did, among them the Governor Vane.
When Governor Vane was replaced by Governor Winthrop, the new man saw the covenant of grace belief leading to dissention, and sinfulness. After all if all you have to go to heaven is simply believe, they you could do all kinds of evil and still go to heaven.
Winthrop and the works preacher start enforcing on the people good works by making them not sin. If they're caught sinning then they're punished. Stocks, mutilation, the Scarlet A for adultery, etc.
The issue is spirit of the law versus letter of the law. 
Anne Hutchinson was convicted and exiled. She was pregnant at age 47 and walked 60 miles in winter through snow to Rhode Island. She miscarried a deformed baby and Winthrop used this to prove his case that she was cursed by God.
Golly Gee, isn't that what we're going through in the good old U S of A today?
Preachers still say anything that's bad is God's wrath because of Gays and Abortion.
Women are still second class citizens. Trump got elected by the religious works assholes because Hillary was a baby murderer. Grace wants separation of church and state. Works wants to enforce God's law. Freedom is on trial today and the forces of tyranny are in power. 
400 years later and none the wiser.

WC 042920

The reason I stopped reading a series I loved:

Frank Herbert's Dune series. I made it through God Emperor of Dune, but balked at the others. The books were getting too long and not as interesting.

Jean Auel's Earth's Children. I liked Clan of the Cave Bear, read the next two. By the third I figured out if Auel cut out duplicating the same for or five pages of descriptive landscape, most of it repetitious, the number of pages would be cut in half. The third book I started skipping not only the description, but the sex scenes as they were repetitious.

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan books. Again the books were getting too long, and after Executive Orders I didn't think there was much further to go. He lent his name to other series but used ghost writers and they were second rate.

Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Riders. I stopped at Moretta Dragon Rider of Pern. I was time to go on to someone else.

Anne Rice. I read the vampire books, the Witches of Mayfare, The Body Thief, The Mummy: Rameses the Dead and it was time to read something new.

I've started a number of series on Unlimited and after reading the first three or four books the next ones you had to pay. If the series was good enough and the price was under three bucks I'd spring for a few. If the price was too high, Sayonara. 

James A. Michener. He never did a series, but I once tried to read all the books he had in print. I spent two years reading only Michener and barely made a dint. He beat me. The Source is still one of my all time favorite books and I enjoyed all of them, but it was time to move on.

Barry Sadler and Tony Robert's Casca series. There's now 52. I've read, listened and re-read the first 22 books for decades. Tony Roberts took over the series and has now written 25 of them. Books 49, 50 and 51 I felt he phoned in the stories. All of them fit a formula, but he was rehashing times and places already covered. The last one I debated about bothering with. Since it's on unlimited and only takes about six hours to read I got it. This one is Casca: The Rough Rider. It still has the formula, but the place and time was new so it made for an interesting read. I'm not sure I'll stick with the series in future.

TTT 042820

Books I wish I'd read I'm dating my childhood as ending when I went to college.
 

Growing up with a basement full of books I never lacked for something to read. I also utilized the school library. I never had trouble writing a book report. It's hard to think back what to what was available at the time and I missed. Here goes.

Dragon Flight and Dragon Quest, by Anne McCaffrey. They came out in 1968 and 1971.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.  I read Screwtape Letters in high school. So tied up with LOTR I overlooked these. Made sure my kids read these before Tolkien.

Worthy is the Lamb, by Ray Summers. The book that changed my theology and gave me a bright future instead of a fearful one.

The Three Musketeers, and Count of Monte Christo by Victor Hugo

20,000 League Under the Sea, Mysterious Island, Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne 

Little Fuzzy and The Other Human Race by H. Beam Piper. My children loved these books.

I never read anything by Edgar Rice Boroughs. I watched all the Tarzan movies, but never read the books. Think of all the John Carter books I missed.
I read lots of Zane Grey books, but none by Louis LA 'More  

Past Posts: Capture of General Prescott 1777

CAPTURE OF GENERAL PRESCOTT.

From Wikipedia.
THIS capital exploit of Colonel Barton took place on the 10th of July, 1777. The British general, Prescott, was commander of Rhode Island, and had his head-quarters on the west side of the island, near Narraganset Bay, about a quarter of a mile from the shore, and at some distance from any body of troops. He was but slightly guarded, trusting chiefly for security to the numerous cruisers, and to a guard-ship, which lay in a bay opposite his quarters.
Colonel Barton, at the head of forty men, officers and volunteers, passed by night from Warwick Neck to Rhode Island; and although they had a passage of ten miles by water, yet, by keeping near the land, they eluded the vigilance of the British ships-of-war and guard-boats which surrounded the island. They conducted their enterprise with such silence and address, that, about midnight, they reached the general's quarters undiscovered, secured the sentinel, surprised the general in bed, and, without giving him time to put on his clothes, hurried him on board, with one of his aides-de-camp, and conveyed him safely to Providence. This event was very mortifying to General Prescott, and to the royal army; but occasioned much exultation among the Americans. Hitherto General Howe had absolutely refused to release General Lee, but he soon agreed to exchange him for General Prescott; and General Lee again joined the American army.

Why we resist

Never give up! Never give up! Never never never never never give up! ---Winston Churchill.

This is a treatise on the resistance movements in the 1900's through today. Many of the early marches and threatened marches for equal rights were obscure to me. It was a slow process for women to get the right to vote, African Americans to be able to fight, and the desegregation of the military. 
I grew up with the civil rights movement and watched on TV the freedom marches, freedom rides and saw the hate and repression. I remember the protests against Vietnam and was faced with being drafted. 
I exulted in the court rulings freeing up stereotypes. Rules against men having hair too long, women able to wear pants instead of dresses. Rulings against obscenity allowing swear words and nudity in movies. I really like nudity in movies, still do, though now more of it is on streaming services like HBO, Showtime and Starz than movies.
When Berry reaches the 80's and our slow descent into tyranny from Reagan to the present it points to the need to keep resisting, to keep marching and most importantly to keep voting against the forces of conformity and repression. It's also disheartening that one victory--Roe v Wade has proved so costly and one defeat--the ERA amendment has kept women still second class citizens.

Side note, Mark Rudd, a member of the Weather Underground is mentioned with the group. I heard Rudd give a presentation at Southwest Writer's Workshop around 7 or 8 years ago. He was promoting his book. I even bought it. (My father is still rolling in his grave). He was in hiding and working construction in Santa Fe, and once charges were dropped has taught at first the Technical Vocational Institute in Albuquerque, now CNM. 
My review is here.

Wednesday Challenge 042220

This week: My silliest Pet Peeves.

1. Too many uses of the word have or had in a sentence. He had had enough to have had a nervous breakdown. Somehow that comes out grammatical, but it's atrocious. Too many authors use this tense to pad the number of words in a book.

2. English writers do this. It's like screeching breaks while reading. They had sat or they were sat. American English teacher (that's not an oxymoron) in me wants to scream: They sat. They were sitting.

3. Description is important, but not the be all and end all of the book. I hate skipping over two or three pages while every flower, tree, blade of grass etc is painstakingly described. I prefer people be described in some detail so you can get a visual of the character. It's important to know the setting, but to quote Shakespeare: "Brevity is the sole of wit."  

4. Over use of the word Fuck! It's good for affect, but if it's every other word it becomes meaningless. If the series or movie is set in ancient, middle ages or outside of Europe it shouldn't be part of the vocabulary.

5. Wife makes me watch The Voice. I actually like the singing and the guest coaching, but spare me the bickering and drivel between the four coaches over nothing. I get a little put out with the sob story of the singers. Everyone has a sob story, it's the voice that counts. When it comes to voting, I now know how someone like Trump could get elected president.

6. I am sick to death of World War II, even WWI. I'm tired of movies and TV shows that have body counts in the hundreds in a single episode. I stopped watching SEAL Team and SWAT, because it was like watching a video game over and over.

7. Shoot outs where the bad guys are spraying and praying with AK47's or M16's and the good guy has a pop gun, but hits the bad guy because they're behind a car door. A 7.6mm assault rifle round would make Swiss Cheese of that car door in a second and they'd pick up the good guy with a magnet. Part B, why do the bad guys always have assault rifles and the good guys have at best a Glock 9mm?

8. I've mentioned this before: anachronisms in historical fiction. It may be only a setting for a steamy romance, but get the history right. 
They didn't eat potatoes or yellow corn in Europe until after Columbus. The corn used before that time referred to wheat. 
Know your weapons. Sorry they didn't have gunpowder at the time of Robin Hood or a spyglass for that matter. 
They didn't know about red sulfur and use matches or zippers in the middle ages.

9. Repetitious sex scenes in books and movies. I watched the White Queen on Stars. Did they do one love scene and use if three times?
I've read books where every other chapter there was a sex scene word for word the same as the previous one with the same couple. It really peeves me to skip over sex scenes. Those should be the good parts.

10. Book pricing. With some of the authors on TTT and WC, they have their books on the sides of their column and I'll buy them to write a review, hoping they'll return the favor with one of mine. A little quid pro quo doesn't hurt. But when I pay five dollars and the book turns out to be a short story, I feel slighted. 

As you've possibly guessed. I'm an old curmudgeon and getting cranky for being cooped up during the pandemic. Actually the only hardship is not being able to go to the library. I'm retired and sit around the house writing, reading and watching TV on a normal basis.

TTT 042120

Titles that would make good band names. For most of them they would make good heavy metal bands, and I don't like that music.

Think about this, aren't those dying from Covid19 sacrifices to the gods of corporate greed in the medical industry.

Political protest song.

Assume the Position by Tanith Davenport

Hip Hop or Rap, multiple meanings.

1NG4 by Berthold Gambrel

New Age or Punk






And the rest of the list.
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Good for multiple genre's, male of female, group or solo.
Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
Heavy Metal, Rap, Hip Hop, Alternate, Pop
Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison
Heavy Metal, Rap, Hip Hop, Alternate, Pop
Death World by Harry Harrison Heavy Metal, Rap, Hip Hop
Shatterday by Harlan Ellison
Pop, easy listening, alternate.
Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison
Heavy Metal, Rap Hip Hop, Alternate
Dune by Frank Herbert
Alternate, easy listening
Soul Catcher by Frank Herbert
Religious, easy listening, country
White Plague by Frank Herbert
Heavy Metal, Rap, Hip Hop
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
Girl Group, Pop, Rap, Hip Hop
Chrystal Line by Anne McCaffrey
Girl Group, New Age, Pop
Dragon Quest by Anne McCaffrey
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Girl Group, Country, Pop
Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
Country
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Heavy Metal, Rap, Hip Hop
Animal Farm by Aldous Huxley
New Age, Pop, Rap, Hip Hop
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
New Age, Pop, Religious
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 
Heavy Metal, Rap, Hip Hop

Apocalypse Now (movie)
Glitter (movie)
Soylent Green (movie)
Omega Man (movie)
Planet of the Apes (movie)

Human Sacrifices paperback

Human Sacrifices is now available in paperback for $9.99. It's still available as an e-book on unlimited or 99 cents.
Berthold Gambrel wrote a review.

Elven

Wow, mix Norse and Elves together fighting a demon in the guise of half man half boar. 
A Norseman's hunting party is wiped out and he tries to get to a stone circle where a signal fire is kept to warn his village. The wood is missing and in order to save himself he goes into the center of the circle.
He enters into the realm of elves and normally would be killed, but an oak tree decides to save him. Mandred's blood is replaced by the Oaks and he become more than human. 
The elves don't trust him, but he convinces their queen to help him kill the Manboar. An Elfhunt is formed with Mandred as their leader, a centaur, a sorceress, a healer, four elven men and seven elvish wolves. Naturally there's distrust by the elvish for being lead out of their realm by someone they don't fully trust. Nuramon and Farodin are wooing Noroelle. Before leaving on the quest she makes them promise to protect each other's lives to avoid a fight between them.
 I don't want to spoil the quest and stop there.
 It's well told, has complex characters and for a quest keeping you wanting more while tossing in surprises. A bonus is that it's not only available on Unlimited, but free audio. It has two sequels also on Unlimited.
If you're up for a rip roaring tale of fantastical creatures, magic, demons, and mayhem. This one is for you.
I checked the reviews on Amazon. There are over a thousand so far. I don't write reviews when there's that many. My voice would be drowned out. You'd expect there to be a few negative reviews, but 80% are four and five stars.

Ninth House

For the past few months on TTT and WC many of the members posted Ninth House as a favorite book. I took their advice on Bardugo's book Six of Crows and I enjoyed it as well at the sequel. I posted a review way back on September 2, 2019.
Ninth House for some reason hasn't grabbed my interest. I Listened to the Crows books as the audio was reasonably priced. I got 9th as my monthly book on Audible. For some reason while listening my mind wanders to other things and when I refocus I'm lost with the story. Not sure what the problem is. It could be me as I have a lot on my mind lately or the narrator is not grabbing my interest. The same narrator did the Crows books and I didn't have a problem then.
To tell the truth taking a well known group from Yale and then turning it into a cult that operates on living humans to check entrails for omens and then adding magic put me off.