So, I did not update you last month, on what I’ve been listening to most recently. Let me tell you, the FLOOD of emails and comments, wanting to know what’s been running through my Audible, was deafening. Wait. No. I mean, deathly silent.

MISTLETOE MURDERS 3

I like Hallmark Christmas movies. They’re all similar, but they’re enjoyable. My ex-wife and I even got our son to kind of enjoy them. He would laugh at the tropes when they occurred, like the snowball fight, the misunderstanding, the plot twist at 90 minutes EVERY time.

Sometimes I watch the Hallmark Mystery movies, and the general ones. Mistletoe Murders is an Audible Original series, included with my membership level. On its third season. This radio show about a gift shop owner is like a Hallmark Mystery Christmas series. But with more emphasis on the mystery side, than the ‘sappy/silly’ Christmas side. She has a past that makes her far more than just a store owner.

Seasons have varied in number of episodes and length, running about an hour and-a-half first time out, and between four and four and-half-hours in the next two seasons.

If you like Hallmark Mysteries (which I wrote about here long ago), this wont’ do much for you. If you do like them, then this is pure bonus for your Hallmark-loving heart.

Just a few weeks ago, the first season of a streaming series started on Hallmark+. I don’t have that channel, so I haven’t seen it. But I think it’s cool they took the audio series and put it on screen. I hope to catch it soon.

THE CAINE MUTINY

I wrote about the Bogart film, here at Black Gate. Over on FB, I have made many posts related to the book, the movie, and the play from the movie. Even the audiobook.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, is slowed down too much by the love story with Mae. It’s not bad, it just makes the story drag. I really like it otherwise. I’m also a fan of his Don’t Stop the Carnival.

Last year’s The Caine Mutiny Court Martial (I wrote about that here) from Showtime is really good. I watched it again last month. Which led me to listen to the audiobook yet again. Click over to the BG post for more on that courtroom play. I like the LA Theater radio play of it, and it’s a semi-regular on my iphone.

I’m currently listening to Wouk’s novel on Audible. Since I like the book, no surprise I like the audiobook. The Mae stuff is still too slow, but Captain Queeg just took command, and thing are about to pick up! It’s an excellent novel, and this is a good audiobook version.

MR RICKEY CALLS A MEETING

If we are FB friends, you know that Jackie Robinson is my idol, and I am extremely well-read on Jackie and Branch Rickey. So, *I snagged this LA Theater version of a 1989 play. A 64 year-old former bellhop reminisces about a meeting back when he was 17. The meeting was with in 1947, with Rickey, Robinson, Joe Louis, Paul Robeson, and Bill Robinson. It should have been absorbing for me.

Nope. It is boring speeches and felt like it lasted hours. Paul Robeson is exhausting. I’ve got a couple dozen books on this subject, but I won’t be listening to this one again. Ugh.

Somebody filmed this with Ed Asner as Rickey, but I’ve not seen it anywhere.

Prior Audio Posts:
What I’ve Been Listening To: November, 2024
What I’ve Been Listening To: Sepetember, 2024
What I’ve Been Listening To: August, 2024
What I’ve Been Listening To: July, 2024
What I’ve Been Listening To: September 2022
May I Read You This Book?

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Bob Byrne’s ‘A (Black) Gat in the Hand’ made its Black Gate debut in 2018 and has returned every summer since.

His ‘The Public Life of Sherlock Holmes’ column ran every Monday morning at Black Gate from March, 2014 through March, 2017. And he irregularly posts on Rex Stout’s gargantuan detective in ‘Nero Wolfe’s Brownstone.’ He is a member of the Praed Street Irregulars, founded www.SolarPons.com (the only website dedicated to the ‘Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street’).

He organized Black Gate’s award-nominated ‘Discovering Robert E. Howard’ series, as well as the award-winning ‘Hither Came Conan’ series. Which is now part of THE Definitive guide to Conan. He also organized 2023’s ‘Talking Tolkien.’

He has contributed stories to The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories – Parts III, IV, V, VI, XXI, and XXXIII.

He has written introductions for Steeger Books, and appeared in several magazines, including Black Mask, Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, The Strand Magazine, and Sherlock Magazine.