grady

@gradyish.bsky.social

112 Followers 84 Following

boooooooks. mostly SFF & LitFic. some NonFic now and again. Reviewer for SFFInsiders.com Judge for SPFBO XI Insta: @gradyisbookish TikTok: @gradyish

Tinkers Review An emotional, dense novella. Paul Harding packed an incredible amount of life, loss, and adventure into this tidy package. Follow along the final days of George Washington Crosby (it’s not a spoiler when it’s told in the very first sentence). Witness as we unwrap, then unravel, his life and that of his father’s. The multi-generational journey is at times a bit of a mind-bender. It features an unconventional structure meant to pull you within the fold; large unbroken sections, and unformatted dialogue blend nearly seamlessly inline between characters. Choices that make “Tinkers” not the easiest read, but the result is like moving through a thick, turbid river, whose water is rich with life and wonder. Not particularly inviting and certainly not warm, but all the more intriguing and engrossing in its uncomfortable familiarity. She took my face in her hands, which were cold and raw and calloused, and told me to open my mouth. You must not speak for a week. I began to say, No, I went looking for Father’s teeth in tree wood and his hair in the stalks of bushes and—but she clamped my face more tightly and said, Stop. Seven days. Your tongue will fall off if you speak any more. It may have been true, for all I ever knew. This book has taken me time to digest, even with the benefit of having listened to Harding speak in the past on his process and recognizing some of the patterns he touched on: the steady distillation of thought, the percussive rhythm of prose, and shaping his literary music to fit the vibe of the piece just right. “Tinkers” started as a short story, but it extended over the years as it was worked, and reworked. If I squint, I might guess where the additions were made around that original kernel, but his labor has made any such joinery perfectly seamless. Author Paul Harding was surprised to win a Pulitzer for this. I think many were since it was an obscure debut from a fairly obscure publisher, Bellevue Literary Press (respectfully)…
Overlaid Text: 'read it on sffinsiders.com' Secondary image: illustrated dog named Dingle Barry Primary image: Proxima Station, By Mike Mollman Title Page - signed, "To Grady Enjoy" Background image: purple milkway sky Overlaid attribute text tied to the first image: 147 pages, Genre: Sci-Fi, Imaginative Alien Species & Behaviors, By Mike Mollman, Absurdist & Fun, Kidnapped Recent Grad (editorializing) Overlaid attribute text tied to the seond image (Dingle Barry): Not an Alien Bottom Text: "Link in the comments" with down arrow Bottom logo: 'SFF Insiders with book and lightning'
Overlaid Text: 'GUEST REVIEW' Excerpt: "It very staunchly does not take itself seriously, but Mike Mollman is sharp, witty, and really knows how to pace a well-stitched story." Image: Proxima Station novella, by Mike Mollman on a bookshelf. Background image: purple milkyway sky Bottom text: '@gradyish’s full review on SFFInsiders.com' Bottom logo: 'SFF Insiders with book and lightning'
Overlaid Text: 'GUEST REVIEW DEBUT' Excerpt: "How do you find your place in a society that works relentlessly to undermine you and bring you down? When you know from your earliest ages your very existence is upheld only out of political advantage...?" Image: Assassin's Apprentice, by Robin Hobb Illustrated edition being held up. Background image: un-detailed two toned beige cut by a diagonal line Bottom text: '@gradyish’s full review on SFFInsiders.com' Bottom logo: 'SFF Insiders with book and lightning'
Text: "MORE EXCITING NEWS upcoming podcast appearance I’m excited to announce that I’ll be joining Mike and Roe, of Bald & Balding fame, on Thursday, September 11th (never forget 🙏🏻) 4pm PDT, for their live podcast, Book and a Beverage. With them I plan to talk books and perhaps even beverages. Grady Shelton, Book Reviewer" With image of Grady looking at the Bald & Balding logo, overlaid a desk piled high with books.
Exciting NEWS I’m thrilled to announce my new partnership with SFF Insiders, a growing platform for Science Fiction & Fantasy fans, creators, and content. With them, I will be writing and sharing my newest reviews as a guest. Stay tuned for more! SFFInsiders.com
Of Blood and Fire, Ryan Cahill
The Halley Traveler, Mike Mollman
Heliotrope, Palmer Pickering
Jade City, Fonda Lee
Royal Assassin, Robin Hobb
10 books on a bed with a dog. Tagged authors include George RR Martin, Robin Hobb, Brandon Sanderson, Fonda Lee, Palmer Pickering, Ryan Cahill, Zack Argyle, & Mike Mollman
Authors MJ Kuhn, Greta Kelly, Robin Hobb, George RR Martin, Adrian Gibson, Brandon Sanderson, Rebecca Roanhorse, Ryan Cahill line up for a photo after their live podcast taping
cover of moby dick by herman melville with the rating 10/10 superimposed over the top.
Holding the book A Philosophy of Walking
Man holding the novel Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver with Teddy the dog standing in the background
Armchair Books, Edinburgh
Silo Series book two Shift paperback by Hugh Howey with text overlaid: 6/10
Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson paperback
A man called ove paperback by Fredrik Backman