Happy Weekend everyone! It’s hot, AGAIN, here in the middle of America. The heat is once again making me sick and forcing me to suddenly re-implement the siesta. I swear that temperatures of 110 are unnatural, which is what we’ve been seeing in Oklahoma this week. So I hope that the rest of you out there are cooler than I am.
I’ve been reflecting a lot after hearing the sad news out of Denver. For the most part our relationships online, through blogs and our little community, is mostly anonymous, and I just want to say that I hope all of you out there are safe and happy. When things like this happen it makes all of us quiet the white noise in our lives for a minute and take a look around, and one thing that always bothers me about feeling so disconnected from most of you is that I’ve come to care about a lot of people online — reading buddies, authors, other reviewers, all book lovers like myself — and by the nature of that anonymity, I wouldn’t know what happened to some of you if you stopped showing up online. This is why it makes me so sad to see people tear each other apart over the internet, which we’ve seen a lot of these last few weeks, when I’m more concerned with the fact your absence, whoever you are out there, would be missed if anything happened to you. So I just want you all to know that someone cares.
In other news, I have a great announcement for something that’s been in the works now for a couple of months. We have a new contributor to the site! Read below for more… but I promise you it isn’t a reviewer 
This Week’s Wrapup
I’ve been totally addicted to the Falls Chance Ranch series this week, but I have gotten some reviews in during that time. What I’m loving so much about the western serial is the fact that it has become a refuge and real treat for me to read. It’s long, so it will be something that I can read a bit of every day and keep enjoying for as long as possible.
Here were last week’s reviews:
A Companion to Men (Iskryne World #1) – Sarah Monette & Elizabeth Bear (Me Like)
Come Cuddle Me – Missy Welsh (So So)
Sin & Salvation – Laura Baumbach (Pretty Good)
Falls Chance Ranch, Book One – Rolf & Ranger (LOVE IT!)
Faithless – Missouri Dalton (So So)
The Machinist – Gryvon (Me Like)
A Recondite Matter – GS Wiley (So So)
Yesterday, I also reviewed the Dreamspinner time travel story Judgment by Mary Calmes at Brief Encounters Reviews, which I gave a C+ rating.
Winner of The Wish Giveaway
Last week, Eden Winters graciously offered to give away a copy of the second release of her book The Wish, which was published yesterday from Dreamspinner. Congrats to Trix, who won! The drawing was done last night using Random.org and numbers were assigned by order of comments (minus reply comments). Remember, winners are given 48 hours to respond to my email (already sent), or I will be forced to draw again for a new winner.
Dreamspinner is also currently offering a free copy of Valentine Wish, one of Eden’s sequel stories to The Wish.
Coming Up This Week – July 22-28
Blaine D Arden is stopping by next Friday, July 27, for the Aliens, Smith and Jones blog tour. She’s written up a really funny and quirky post that only makes me want to read this book more — which is really saying something considering I’ve been excited about this book for several months now! Don’t visit for that.
Aliens, Smith and Jones was released yesterday from Storm Moon Press!
I am reading a few books this weekend that I’ll hope to share with you next week, including the sequel to A Companion to Wolves that I reviewed this week, and hopefully finishing the second Falls Chance Ranch book, Three Traders. Here are some of the reviews to look forward to in the near future:
Contributor Announcement!!
I have a very, very special announcement to make! I started this blog as a primary review blog for m/m romance, but also as a personal place to talk about food, music, hot guys and knitting and other yarn crafts. Sadly, the last has been really lacking so far. I chalk it up to the fact that I just haven’t been knitting that much lately, but there is one person I can always count on to talk yarn, and she’s going to be starting a new column here at The Armchair Reader this week and every month following.
For all manner of yarn queries, funny tales and patterns, please welcome Josephine Myles! She’ll be posting a monthly column starting this Tuesday, July 24 and continuing on the the 4th Tuesday of every month. Her first column is tentatively titled “Confessions of a Shameless Yarn Slut”, which you have to know is going to be amazing 
This Week’s Releases
Some interesting books coming this week, including one that I simply must read because mentions Oklahoma. On top of that, the 4th Lost Gods book by Megan Derr, Poison, is out this week!!! In order of books in the series, for me they went, great, AWESOME, great… so by my reckoning this book is bound to be AWESOME!
Here’s the rest of what’s catching my eye this week:
Tam
Yay for having Jo on your blog. I CAN knit, if someone casts on for me. LOL I’ve never gotten the hang of that. But it’s been years. My Grandmother used to knit all the time so I understand it, although I was always bitched at because it was too tight.
Our humidity finally left although it’s supposed to come back next week. At least it’s been very cool at night and only in the 80′s during the day. I can live with that. Hope you get a break soon.
Cole
I’m super excited about Jo’s column, I seriously can’t wait to see it! I’m hoping she takes pictures of her yarn stash because I can’t wait to see what she’s got!
I love to knit but it makes my hands hurt so bad and I feel bad complaining about that because it makes me sound so old, but I do have a hard time knitting regularly because of it. I love knitting though. And I knit at a very tight gauge too and I have to continually remind myself to loosen up. I think it’s for the same reason I write hard (push hard with a pen on paper, or break pencils!) and how I have TMJ because of so much bruxism all my life. So I’m used to it. I just make sure if I’m seriously knitting to always do good swatches for gauge.
Next week it’s supposed to get down to a high of only 100-102. Can you believe that I’m ridiculously happy about that? Something’s wrong there!
Chris
Yay about Jo’s new column!
…and by the nature of that anonymity, I wouldn’t know what happened to some of you if you stopped showing up online.
Yes. This.
Cole
I know! I’ve been so excited for it and I’m really glad that Jo will be bringing the crafty to the blog because I have definitely dropped the ball in that regard — I just haven’t been being crafty myself lately. It’s the same think with cooking. I haven’t been doing that much lately either so I can only share past recipes instead of fun kitchen experiences
I’ve thought about this a lot, actually but in the last day or so I have even more. It makes you realize how removed we are from one another for relationships that feel so close, and a reason that I really like going to GRL, to get that face time. It also made me realize that I need to be more accountable to friends online because I’ve had a tendency to disappear in the past for a month or so… probably just because I’m naturally a bit of a recluse. That’s part of the reason I wanted to start the blog. It’s my tether to the online community.
Suze
Great news about your new columnist! I really like her blog and love her stories. Its that quirky British humour I think – looking forward to them
Cole
I know, I do too. She’s one of the coolest people I know and I love her blog too! Yeah, she and JL Merrow together really hold the standard for m/m contemporary romance writers with Awesome Britspeak, I think. It is always a pleasure for me to read either of their stories! I’m super excited about both of their books coming this autumn, The Hot Floor and Pressure Head!
Snowtulip
Cole, I am in awe of the pic you have up with that post, completely my dream guy…I almost couldn’t read the post because I had to keep scrolling back up to him…sigh
Cole
I know!!! Me too! I saw him on SJ Frost’s blog and I had to steal him so I could stare at him whenever I wanted
That’s what you want to see peeking out of your bedroom on a Saturday morning!!
Sadonna
Can’t wait to see Jo’s column – should be a lot of fun! It’s supposed to be 100 again here on Monday. It has stayed below 90 for two days now (barely – but hey, 89 is below 90), so we’re not complaining. We finally got a little rain this week, but the crops are still close to ruined.
Looks like a lot of great books coming soon so I’ll be interested to read the reviews. I’m still trying to read about 23 authors before GRL – those are ones I own books from already. Sadly there are 15 that are on the list that I own no books and I don’t think I’ll make those before October!
If I don’t see you online or hear from you my friend, I have ways of finding you
I do worry though when somebody disappears for a while. I’m was trying to figure out what’s happening with Diane Adams since she basically was gone from her website for 3 months, but the good news is she’s back and book 5 of The Making of a Man series has been accepted and hopefully we won’t have to wait much longer for a release date!
Have a great week everyone and try to stay cool!
Cole
I know, I looked at the temperatures today in Chicago and I was totally jealous
It’s funny how 89 or 90 is usually hot but it would feel almost cool if it dipped that low here right now. That would be so nice — enjoy it!!
I can’t believe you’re doing that again, reading all those authors before this fall? I couldn’t have done it last year and this year there are even more authors! I only ever read the first book of that series by Diane Adams. I admit that I didn’t really get what all the hype was about, but perhaps I need to read more of them
That’s what everybody keeps telling me anyway!
orannia
What I’m loving so much about the western serial is the fact that it has become a refuge and real treat for me to read.
I for one love this series to pieces! So glad you’re enjoying it
Cole
I am! Thank you for bringing it to my attention
Well, by proxy anyway!
Shelagh Garside
I’m looking forwards to Jo’s column. I haven’t done any knitting for years, but have been feeling the urge lately! I have the opposite problem to you, my tension is always too loose, although that’s easily solved by using smaller needles.
I’ve just finished the 1st Falls Chance Ranch book and just loved it. I can’t wait to get started on the next book.
Cole
Yes that’s something I’ve tried as well to train myself, using larger needles to get the gauge right, or I’ll just have to rework the entire pattern if I’m too off the guage. It doesn’t help me much honestly!
I’m so glad you’re liking these books! I liked Three Traders even more than the first book by the end, and I’m really enjoying Mustang Hill now!
eyrereads
I keep hearing good things about Falls Chance Ranch. I’ll have to read the stories soon.
I wish I could be crafty. Years ago, my aunt tried to teach me how to knit. It didn’t go well.
Cole
I hope you enjoy them! I think that the choice to not include sex and make that aspect of the books very private and distanced from the reader works very well for the story, and the books certainly wouldn’t have been able to explore the level of power transference if sex games were included, so it makes the relationships a lot more meaningful.
I’m just naturally crafty, I seem to pick up things like that very well. I mean, I taught myself how to knit and I was always trying to do more than I was ready for, like complicated color work and cables, so it kept me learning quickly