Tag: Book Blogger Hop Page 1 of 7

This prompt was submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer:

Which book pairs perfectly with a certain snack in your opinion?

I’ve talked about drinking while reading before, and attempted to come up with some pairings of drinks and books. But if I’ve done snacks/foods before, I’ve forgotten it.

There’s a danger in pairing some things with books. Silence of the Dead pretty much makes you want pie—having some handy would probably lead to overindulgence. Brownies/cookies with a Mercy Thompson book would lead to that, too. A Dresden Files novel could make you want Burger King. Spenser novels will make you want Dunkin’.

Really, I could go on like that. Maybe it’s just a reflection of my self-control (or lack thereof)—a good pairing between book and snack is going to lead to problems.

Which isn’t to say I’m not a fan of snacking while reading—in moderation, of course*—but you’ve got to be careful. You don’t want anything too greasy, buttery, sticky, or that will otherwise damage the cover/pages. It should be something that you don’t need both hands for (you need one to hold the book/eReader, right?). It probably should be pretty simple—nothing you have to focus on, just mindlessly grab and move mouth-ward, without losing focus/taking your eyes off the book.

* In case my physician is reading this, I have to say this.

Of course, I could be wrong, and I’m looking forward to seeing what others are thinking/saying.

This prompt was submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer:

Which genre are you eager to jump into more this year, and what draws you to it?

Well, I always feel like I should be reading more Non-Fiction than I do. Probably a hold-over from that “reading as self-improvement” model my teachers tried to drum into me. So maybe that?

I spent most of 2025 thinking it’s been too long since I read a good mystery/crime/detective novel. That’s pretty strange for me to say. But the stats I posted yesterday bear that out. So maybe that?

I have so, so many Fantasy books on my Bought and Unread Shelves that I’d love to tackle. I seem to really be getting into them lately, anyway. So maybe that?

I’ve been reading a lot of super-compelling SF books lately (and, yes, have a few of those on that same shelf) that it makes sense to try to keep that streak going. So maybe that?

I’ve nearly-unbelievably fallen behind on some of my favorite UF series (and just found a new one that I’m already behind on). So maybe that?

Cozy Fantasy would be good for my spirits to read more of (and I have more of those than I should on the too oft-mentioned Bought-and-Unread Shelf). So maybe that?

Classics? That’s a genre (of sorts) that I keep meaning to put more effort into—it wouldn’t take much, honestly, to make a huge impact on that front. So maybe that?

Similarly, there’s a reward of reading from the Non-Genre genre—“Contemporary” or “General” fiction (and it can often tap into the self-improvement thing I mentioned earlier). So maybe that?

I’ve been dabbling in Manga, too—and have more than one voice in my head suggesting other titles. So maybe that?

So, um…yeah. I really don’t know the answer to this question. Maybe I’m just eager to dive into everything?? Yeah, that sounds like an Irresponsible (or whim-based) Reader to say.

What about you? Is there a genre, topic, whatever that you’re looking to focus on in 2026?

This prompt was submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer:

Are you more of a plot-driven reader or a character-driven reader?

That’s an interesting question. I’m not completely certain that it’s something I considered until I joined Storygraph and they started asking. I resist the distinction—it takes characters to drive a plot, and it takes a plot (or three) to drive characters.

And yet…

And yet…

It’s Character-driven novels. By a mile. Yes, there are some books where the characters aren’t that important—just the machinations of the plot (I’d offer a couple of Reacher novels or other thrillers as nominees—but would we care as much without ol’ Jack at the center?). And sometimes, even books featuring characters one likes/loves will sacrifice them because of plot (there are dozen of examples on the metaphorical tip of my metaphorical tongue, but they’re not making it past that point). I’m not talking sacrifice in terms of death there, just “there’s no way that X would do something like Y in a million years.”

But I’m far more willing to put up with an aimless, unfocused, or otherwise meandering novel if I like the characters than I am putting up with an intricate and well-paced plot with dull, flat, or unlikeable characters. I’ve read them both, I’ve enjoyed both. But the former will get me to come back to the author more eagerly.

Do you have a preference for what drives a book?

This prompt was submitted by Snapdragon @ Snapdragon Alcove:

Have you ever read a book with a character with the same name as you?

Yes. Which isn’t easy. I grew up as one of those kids who never found their name on the license plate souvenir, bracelet, Coke bottle, etc., etc. So, that I can think of three books that have a character with my name in it is pretty surprising (I want to say that I’ve read four, but I can’t think of the other one).

Except it appears that I’m mistaken. I was sure that Thomas Rockwell’s How to Eat Fried Worms featured a kid with my childhood nickname, but I can’t find proof of that (and don’t want to re-read the book for a passing reference just for this post). It must’ve been a book I read about the same time. And now it’s bugging me that I can’t think of it.

Sometime between writing that paragraph and scheduling this post, I remembered I had access to this thing called “The Internet”—perhaps you’ve heard of it? Typing “hobie juvenile books 1980s” into DuckDuckGo led me to Thirteen Ways to Sink a Sub, which is obviously it—and was the first of the Hobie Hanson series, of which I was previously unaware. I do think I remember reading 4B Goes Wild, the sequel. But there are 7 books in this series (most published after I was too old to read them, but not yet old enough to not care). I’d completely forgotten about this book’s existence—and while my memories of it aren’t full. I do have warm, fuzzy associations with it. I don’t remember Hobie being an incredibly great kid, but he had potential—and wasn’t as much of a snot as some of his classmates.

Last year, for our Science Fiction Book Club, we took on Robert R. Heinlein’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. If I didn’t know better*, I’d have assumed the leader, George picked the book to needle me, because it features a former Federated Nations Senator, Mortimer Hobart. Also known as “the Warden” and “Mort the Wort.” I’m just glad that the colonists didn’t use his surname as the source of their juvenile nickname (having survived Junior High School, it’s an easy mark). While I can’t say that the Warden is the worst villain in the novel—but he’s sure a convenient figurehead for everything wrong on the colony—and is one of the first targets of the revolution.

* And I really don’t.

The best is from Jeff Noon’s book Vurt. At a summer job while in college, a co-worker got a strange look on his face when we met. Once he found out I was a reader, too, he wanted to know if I’d read Vurt—I hadn’t, but it was absolutely up my alley. Turns out he reacted to my name because he remembered this passage:

Everybody knew about Hobart, but nobody knew anything. Just the hundreds of rumours that surrounded the name: Hobart invented Vurt. Hobart is alive, Hobart is dead. Hobart is a man, a woman, a child, an alien. Some have called her Queen Hobart, and they have worshipped her. To others Hobart is a dream or a myth, or just a good story that somebody made up, so good that it stuck around, became truth. Nobody knew anything.

Sure, the more you read in the book, the less you want to be associated with Hobart. But…c’mon, how often do you get to (mis-)appropriate a quote like this? “Hobart is a dream or a myth, or just a good story that somebody made up, so good that it stuck around, became truth.”

I still can’t remember if there is a fourth book—and that’s okay. Three is enough.

What about you, reader? Do you have a literary namesake or two? Are they more flattering than mine?

Book Blogger Hop

This prompt was submitted by Page @ Pages of Perfiction:

How do you strike a balance between providing enough information to pique readers’ interest without giving away too many spoilers in your reviews?

I’ll let you know as soon as I find the balance.

What, you want more? Yeah, I guess I should elaborate a bit since you took the time to click the link.

Okay, my approach has essentially always been: what would I tell a friend to get them to pick up the book? Sure, for many of them–like me–all I need to say is an author’s name, or maybe the series, and they’re sold. But sometimes they want a little more–and I have a friend or two in mind for each genre. I’m literally writing to them–what would I say to Paul/Nicole/Tony (there are others, I don’t want to give an exhaustive list, or I’ll leave someone off) to get them to bite?

That’s basically it–I don’t want to give away too much–sometimes I think the jacket copy does, and I just don’t get it. Sometimes I can’t figure out a way to talk about about it without ruining something, so I’ll just copy the jacket copy. I’m really sensitive to this–while I know you can appreciate some books while knowing parts of the plot ahead of time, for me, there’s nothing like discovery. So I try to preserve that.

One time an author labeled one of my posts as containing mild spoilers on their website–when I had gone out of my way to not give any. And frankly, anyone who picked up the book and didn’t assume the thing I think the author was alluding to was going to happen has never read a book before. (and yes, it’s still on their website saying that)

That said, I’m not sure how well I strike that balance, and I’m always trying to do better.

What about you, reader? How much do you want a blogger like me to say?

This prompt was submitted by Nicole @ The Christian Fiction Girl:

What are some of your favorite books to re-read?

I really don’t have–rather, don’t make–much time to re-read anymore. This is one of the biggest complaints I have about my reading, honestly. It’s also the thing I keep telling myself I’ll do better at, and then I’ll go months without re-reading a single thing. As great as it is to find a “new friend” or be blown away by a story you hadn’t imagined before, going back to an old favorite has a kind of comfort and familiarity that can’t be beat (and you get to know them so much better). Before I got into blogging–I’d re-read all the time. Especially when I was a kid, I’d usually come home from the library with a book I’d read before along with the new-to-me reads. Now, I might force myself to do some, but not that often. So these lists are not incredibly current, but they kind of are. And you’re not going to find something more current from me.

Non-Fiction

(there should be more here, but I’m drawing a blank)
The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

Standalones

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
The Commitments by Roddy Doyle
The Snapper by Roddy Doyle (this is technically the second in a series, but it works better as a standalone)
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand (I’ve told myself to read this “next month” at least 35 times since I finished Tom Jones in 2021)

Series

(sometimes I’d read them in order as a set, sometimes I’ll just pick up an individual installment)
Everyone’s favorite 5-part Trilogy, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams (Towel Day is this weekend, readers beware)
Most Robert Crais books (nothing against the others, I just haven’t found the time for them yet)
The Fletch and Flynn series by Gregory Mcdonald–at least those written in the 1970s & 80s
The Spenser novels by Robert B. Parker–especially the first 20, but I’ve re-read them all.
Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin books by Rex  Stout (I’ve probably re-read portions of this series more than anything else on this list, actually, the whole response to this prompt should be about me talking about this series)

How about you, reader? Do you have favorites to revisit?

Book Blogger Hop

This prompt was submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer:

Do you have enough shelves for all your books?

This is one of those very important questions that any book hoarder collector has to ask themselves regularly. Possibly frequently. As the meme says, it’s not a matter of too many books, it’s not enough shelves.

We have shelves in almost every room of the house–and one hallway. Some of these shelves could be replaced by taller versions. Some could be filled more efficiently/to greater capacity. Nevertheless, we’re running out of places for shelves. This is going to be a problem–possibly as soon as 2026.

But right now? I do happen to have enough space for my books and a little room to grow. This is not a phenomenon that I’m all that familiar with, honestly. But I’m enjoying it. There’s a bookcase that serves as my physical TBR stack (with a shelf of “you need to write about these soon”), a few Non-Fiction cases, more Fiction cases, a couple that are for my wife’s books, a little bench/shelf unit for the grandchildren’s books. The TBR unit is overflowing (sadly), the Non-Fiction has a little room for growth, the Fiction cases are really close to filling, but my wife’s cases are in real danger of hitting the limit. Oh, I’ve got a couple of those corner shelf units, too. They’re not bad, but not particularly large or helpful–I think I could fit a handful onto one of them. The grandchildren’s shelves are about half full–so that’s promising.

Okay, thinking about it in those terms make me think I have less breathing-room than I initially thought. 2026-me definitely has a problem, and had better start coming up with some solutions.

Remember, as the meme/tshirt/poster says:

How about you, reader? Do you have enough shelf space?

Book Blogger Hop

This prompt was submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer:

How much time does blogging take out of your life weekly?

Sure, I know technically that Billy is asking something else, but I can’t help but read that as, “How bad is my time management?”

First, I’m not counting reading time. That’s a related, but separate, hobby. At least for the purposes of this post–also, it’ll help the hours stay low.

Secondly–I’m not sure if I should count time sharing, re-posting, and other social media-type interactions to promote this blog and others. That’s kind-of blogging time. But also, not really. I’ve also been bad about that lately. Ideally, I’d say I spend 30-45 minutes each weekday on that. I’d be happy if I spent a half hour a week on it over the last couple of months.

So, now, to the blog. Thirty minutes a day minimum (even when I don’t actually hit “Publish” or “Schedule.”). Three hours a day maximum. That’s 180 minutes-1080 minutes a week. That’s almost part-time job territory on the fuller weeks.

I’m really wishing I hadn’t done this math now, he types, shaking a metaphorical and resentful fist in the direction of Coffee Addicted Writer.

Fellow bloggers, what’s your weekly time look like? Any tips for me? (other than mainlining more caffeine or writing less)

Book Blogger Hop

This prompt was submitted by Idea-ist @ Get Lost in Literature:

Do you prefer to read series one book after another, or can you read other books in between?

Once upon a time, I used to binge-read series. One after another after another like Lays potato chips. But I don’t let myself do that anymore–there are two reasons for this,

1. I kept losing track of which novel was which, they just ran together into one huge book. Which doesn’t sound all that bad, but it took away from appreciating each novel as its own thing. (some TV critics have said the same thing about releasing/watching an entire season of a show at once instead of the week-by-week approach).
2. Burnout. Part of this is spill-over from the one-giant novel effect. But really, just too much of a series voice at once just cuts the effectiveness of it.

If we’re talking series with several volumes released, I typically like to do one book a month or so. Enough time to soak in the details, ruminate on each book (hopefully write a post on it), and then get into the next book.

Huh. I thought I had more to say on this than that.

What about you, are you a binger or do you stretch things out?

Whoa…it’s been 2 months since I’ve done one of these?

Book Blogger Hop

This prompt was submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer:

Do you like to annotate your books or leave them untouched?

I’m not sure what kind of monster you take me for. Write in a book? I’d just as soon dog-ear a page. Yeah, yeah, yeah…history is replete with examples of marginalia (and it’s proved to be a helpful resource for scholars), and if you own a book, you should be able to write in it–some people insist on it. But every book in the H.C. Newton Not-Yet-Memorial Library is untouched by pen, pencil, highlighter, or (shudder) Sharpie (outside a handful of autographs, which is totally different*).

There are (at least) two reasons for this–I don’t want to ruin a book with my lousy handwriting, or inability to use a highlighter or pen to draw a straight line. Let’s keep these pretty. But more importantly, I don’t like to be trapped by what I thought was interesting, important, noteworthy, and so on last time I read a book–I want to get impressions this time. (if for no other reason than I don’t want to be disappointed in previous-me). Does this hamper going back to find that one quotation, that killer argument, that metaphor that rocked my thinking? Yes. And that has been a problem. Still…books that please my eyes are worth a little effort/memory-straining.

I’m apparently so well-known for this in my social circles that friends and acquaintances will apologize to me before showing a marked-up book. Which is unnecessary, if a little nice. I bear no ill will towards people who choose to riddle their books with graffiti, sure, I wonder about their priorities, but I know they do the same for mine 🙂 I actually used to know someone who’d borrow books from me and then end up buying me a new copy of whatever book they borrowed because they just had to write in something they read. That actually worked out pretty nicely for me.

* Or is it an inconsistency that frees me from Emersonian hobgoblins?

What about you, do you deface or keep ’em clean?