No real time for an introduction today (“No blather,” you all cheer) for what feels like a very miscellany list. Hope you enjoy and have a good long* weekend!

* From what I can tell this applies to almost every reader that stops by location, if not by current vocation. If this doesn’t apply to you, I hope you have a good regular-sized weekend, or at least one day off.

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet Independent bookselling expanded again in 2022, with new and diverse stores opening nationwide—groovy news.
bullet I’ve read almost 50 books so far and the year is not halfway over. Here’s how.
bullet The State Of Being A Published Writer In 2023 Is Really Weird, And A Little Worrisome—Chuck Wendig has a few things to say (and do keep reading through the end)
bullet The big idea: why you should embrace your inner fan—Not about reading per se, but it applies
bullet How do You Write Compelling Characters? Find the Source of Their Pain—I’ve read a few books by Copperman, and “pain” isn’t the first word I’d associate with his material. But reading this, it makes a lot of sense.
bullet Do You Know Who Illustrated This Classic Wrinkle in Time Cover?—I don’t know how I’d managed to forget this cover (I likely spent as much time looking at this cover as I did reading the book the umpteen times I did read it as a kid).
bullet Dos and Don’ts for Reading Outside—the last “Don’t” is where I always failed until I got a backyard, and, well…
bullet Place and Tome: On Two Kinds of Unforgettable Reading Experiences
bullet CrimeBookJunkie turned 8 this week!—Congrats to Noelle Holten for hitting this landmark! Hope it’s just the beginning.
bullet I missed this last week, but Beth Tabler has assembled a great list of 100 Fantastic Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories Written by Women #100 – 70, #69 – 34, and #33 – 1
bullet Hanna’s Holy Grail or White Whale—a bookseller’s hunt for a beloved childhood novel
bullet Book Confessions: I’ll Never Outgrow YA Books
bullet This worked out so well last week, I’ll just repeat it. Check out the Week 3 Wyrd and Wonder Quest Logs at Dear Geek Place and The Book Nook
bullet The Fantasy Hero Blues—Peat Long’s latest contribution to Wyrd & Wonder

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon (I have the impression that I’m forgetting one or two…):
bullet The Moonshine Messiah by William Johnson—this looks too good. A woman sheriff in WV has to tangle with an anti-government militia led by her brother.

Think not of the books you've bought as a 'to be read' pile. Instead, think of your bookcase as a wine cellar. you collect books to be read at the right time, the right place, and the right mood. -Luc van Donkersgoed