Tag: Miscellany Page 96 of 175

Book Blogger Hop: My Book Blogger Origin Story

On December 3, 2021

This prompt was submitted by Julie @ JadeSky:

Why did you start a book blog?

Well, one day I was taking a tour of a lab and was bitten by a radioactive pilcrow…

No? Not buying that?

Okay, there was a period, slightly over a decade ago, when I was just reading too quickly, without any reflection, or really thinking about it. I was practically binging non-stop. I’d end up checking out the same book from the library multiple times and wouldn’t understand why it felt so familiar (that’s when I started keeping a log). I didn’t like that. Authors deserved a reader who would take a beat and think about the book, who’d really appreciate their work. Also, what was the point of reading like I was just going through them like Pringles? What was the benefit to me (other than keeping me occupied)?

So I plunged into Goodreads, resolving to post something about every book I read, as a way to force myself to ruminate at least a little on what I was consuming. I wanted to soak it all in. But I largely didn’t have any Friends or Followers there and wasn’t good about finding people to interact with, so it was easy to take breaks from it and fall into old habits.

I’d been blogging for over a decade in a few places—some related to theology and whatnot, and I had a personal blog about everything—I thought about putting my Goodreads reviews there, but no one seemed to read/care about any blog post I had about books. So why go to the trouble?

But I’d heard about book bloggers. It’s important for me to say this—I had never read a book blog at this point. But I liked the idea. If I’m just one voice in thousands on Goodreads, who notices if I don’t say anything. But if I’m the voice on a blog (even if only 3 people see it), it’ll be noticed that I stop.

I played around with a few templates, copied over a handful of my most recent Goodreads posts, and dug in. After posting pretty regularly for a month or so, I started to tell people that I’d done it. But not many—I think I was up and running for about three months before I showed my wife! I just wanted to make sure I could do it regularly.

8 1/2 years and 3,500+ posts later, here we are.

WWW Wednesday, December 1, 2021

By HCNewton

On December 1, 2021

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc., WWW Wednesday

Time for WWW Wednesday!

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Easy enough, right?

What are you currently reading?

I’m reading aptly named The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. As the new month kicks off it’s time for the next Jane Yellowrock—Cold Reign by Faith Hunter, Khristine Hvam (Narrator) on audiobook.

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What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished the heartbreaking and heartwarming wonder that is Mike Gayle’s All the Lonely People and I finished my tour revisiting the Alex Verus series with Forged by Benedict Jacka, Gildart Jackson (Narrator) on audio.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be The Last Time She Died by Zoë Sharp and my next audiobook should be We Had a Little Real Estate Problem: The Unheralded Story of Native Americans & Comedy by Kliph Nesteroff.

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You reading anything good in the midst of the seasonal busy-ness?

Commenting on The Irresponsible Reader

By HCNewton

On November 29, 2021

In Miscellany, News/Misc.

My comments section has never been the most happening of places–but I love every single one, and try to reply to them all. But once I stopped paying for the WordPress site and went to another host, it’s apparently been a bit harder to comment—and for days it became impossible. But it got better, mostly.

For one regular commenter—historically, the most prolific and reliable—it’s become a real hassle. For the rest of you who comment regularly/frequently/ever–do you find it to be cumbersome? Is there a way that you’ve found to have the blog/WP/something to retain your information so it doesn’t have to be entered every time? I want to facilitate conversation, not throw up roadblocks. I don’t want to have to spend a chunk of time every day to kill spam comments, either. I need some middle ground.

I’ve tried to test it a little myself, but shockingly, I can’t get my site to not recognize me.

For other people who self-host—what do you use for comments?

Saturday Miscellany—11/27/22

By HCNewton

On November 27, 2021

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

Anyone else spending too much time fretting about the end of the year approaching? (and by too much time, I mean a stray thought here or there, not hours sitting in a corner rocking and chewing nails). There are a handful of books (and other things) that I promised myself I would read in 2021 and I’m not sure I’m going to get to them–especially as it seems that every library hold I’ve placed this fall is arriving at once. Library due dates trump just about every other plan that I have.

On the other hand, if in 2021 these are my most pressing woes? I’m going pretty good.

Speaking of pretty good–I hope you’ll find at least something “pretty good” below. Maybe even better:

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 NPR Unveils: “Books We Love,” an Interactive Reading Guide—I think I could fall down this rabbit hole for a while (thankfully with 360 books, I’d eventually hit bottom–unlike a YouTube hole)
bullet A Scientific Explanation for Your Urge to Sniff Old Books: Jude Stewart Breaks Down the Chemical Reactions Behind Olfactory Bibliomania
bullet The Hare and the Tortoise—a profile of author Ian Robinson
bullet The Dresden Files Destroyed My TBR! (Spoiler Free Series Overview)—Honestly, I’ve only watched a couple of minutes of this–I have a hard time finding 20+ minutes for a YouTube video, but they were a good couple of minutes. I will finish this soon.
bullet The #R3COMM3ND3D2021 series over at Damp Pebbles, had some great recommendations this week. Check out the contributions from:
bullet BookBlogger Sue Bavey
bullet BookBlogger Nicki Mags
bullet Yours Truly
bullet BookBlogger Veronika Jordan
bullet BookBlogger Nicki
bullet Reviewer Angi Plant
bullet Author and BookBlogger Zoé O’Farrell
bullet Five Books I’ve Read about Readers—a list of books about people most of us can really identify with
bullet my favourite bookish travels of 2021—I like the approach to this best-of list
bullet My Faves So Far: 2 Years of Reviews—a good way to commemorate the anniversary
bullet Book Reviews: Star Rating Systems for Books
bullet Captivating First Lines

Lastly I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to EmmabBooks.com who followed the blog this week.

The Friday 56 for 11/26/21: All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle

By HCNewton

On November 26, 2021

In Currently Reading, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, News/Misc., Quotations, The Friday 56

This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice.

RULES:
The Friday 56 Grab a book, any book.
Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
Find a snippet, short and sweet.
Post it

from Page 56 of:
All the Lonely People

All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle

The sense of relief Hubert felt when he saw Joyce walking toward him as he waited outside the entrance to the Regal was enormous. Her desire to go to the pictures with him hadn’t been an elaborate dream, a figment of his imagination, or a practical joke. She was here, she was really here, and the sight of her made him grin from ear to ear. She was, he thought, even more beautiful freed from the confines of her Hamilton’s uniform of demure black dress with dainty white bow and lacy collar. Sporting a navy-blue duster coat over a flowery lemon dress with green heels, she was a vision of spring and Hubert told her so.

“Thank you,” she replied. “The dress is new. I made it myself from a pattern in Vogue. Mum wasn’t sure about the color but I think it’s cheerful, don’t you?”

Hubert smiled.

“It’s like a piece of sunshine on a dull gray day.”

Joyce gave him an admiring glance.

Thanksgiving 2021

By HCNewton

On November 25, 2021

In Calendar Items, News/Misc.

On this day that has been set aside for us in the U.S. for expressions of gratitude, it’s been my custom take a moment and mention a few of the things that The Irresponsible Reader is thankful for.

The readers of this blog, the authors who’ve corresponded with me/provided books for me to read/encouraged me—even promoted this here project.
Books—the stories, characters, and/or things I’ve learned are what keep me sane, entertain, and inspire me.
Authors! If not for them, I wouldn’t have the above.
Audiobooks and talented narrators—ditto
Coffee (and other beverages both caffeinated and adult)
Time to read
The Nampa Public Library (and The LYNX! Consortium)
Rediscovered Bookshop, Rediscovered Bookshop – Caldwell, and Libro.fm
My supportive, understanding, and encouraging wife and kids. They all do a pretty decent job pretending to care when their old man drones on and on about what he’s reading or what’s going on with the blog. They’ve also done a good job on the brainstorming front lately.
Again, all of you who read, follow, like, tweet, comment, email, etc. this page—you have no idea how much every little bit is appreciated.

For my fellow Americans, I hope you have a pleasant day with your friends and/or family. Non-US types, I hope you enjoy today and that you enjoy having the same pant size tomorrow as you do today.

WWW Wednesday, November 24, 2021

By HCNewton

On November 24, 2021

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc., WWW Wednesday

It’s Thanksgiving Eve, time to take a break from thinking about too much food and glance at what I’ve been up to the last week with a WWW Wednesday.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Easy enough, right?

What are you currently reading?

I’m reading the ARC for The Twelve Monotasks: Do One Thing at a Time to Do Everything Better by Thatcher Wine and am listening to Super Powereds: Year 1 by Drew Hayes, Kyle McCarley (Narrator) on audiobook.

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What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Rick Riordan’s Daughter of the Deep (which was exactly what I needed to keep me reading his stuff) and The Astonishing Mistakes of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone, Lauren Fortgang (Narrator) on audio (a different narrator for this book, and maybe a better one).

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What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle—it’s been over a decade since I’ve read Gayle, and am eager to see how he’s developed. Wrapping up my Alex Verus revisit just in time for the finale coming out in December, my next audiobook should be Forged by Benedict Jacka, Gildart Jackson (Narrator).

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How are you spending this holiday week (if you’re in the U.S.)? I’m curious about the rest of the world, too, but it feels awkward to ask how you’re spending a perfectly generic week…

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I’d Love An Update On

By HCNewton

On November 23, 2021

In News/Misc.

Yes, I’m posting two separate Top X Lists today—just the way it worked out. I haven’t done either a Top 5 Tuesday or a Top Ten Tuesday in a long time, but today’s prompt from both sounded fun…so, why not?)

The topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesdays is the Characters I’d Love An Update On (Where are they now that the book is over?).

This was a fun exercise, and one I could repeat—I could easily do two or three more of these.

Top Ten Characters I’d Love An Update On

In no particular order, just as they occurred to me:

	Leroy Brown (from the Encyclopedia Brown books by Donald J. Sobol) I’m curious what he’s like as a grown-up. What did he do with his life? Join the police, the FBI? Become a professor? Go on Jeopardy! and clean up? Go live a quiet life as an accounant somewhere and just read a lot of true-crime? Now that I’ve started thinking about it, I haven’t been able to stop. I seriously need to know this.
	Tabitha-Ruth “Turtle” Wexler (from The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin) We got a good look at grown-up T.R. in the closing pages of the novel, but I’d like to see more of her in action as an adult. Turtle was one of my favorite characters as a kid (and I still have a soft-spot for her), I’d love to see more of her.
	Patrick Kenzie/Angie Gennaro (from Dennis Lehane’s series) Yeah, it’s technically two characters. But since they were both titular protagonists, I figure they qualify as one entry (also, getting an update on one would involve an update on the other anyway). I realize that Moonlight Mile served as one given the 11 year gap between it and Prayers for Rain. But it’s been 10 years, and I’d like another update.
	Albert (from A Key, an Egg, an Unfortunate Remark by Harry Connolly) I don’t remember his last name and haven’t had time to look it up, his aunt’s last name was Jacobs, maybe that’s it. The novel didn’t demand a sequel—and Connolly’s flat-out said he doesn’t have one in mind—but I would enjoy one—at least a novella-length thing. I liked the guy (eventually) and am curious how things worked out for him after these events.
	Clay Jannon (from Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan) Really, anyone from that book, but I figure there are more stories to tell with Clay (and we spend more time with him than anyone else, so, gimme more)
	Rae Spellman (from The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz From the instant we meet her in the first book, Rae felt like someone who could carry her own series—and she just got more interesting from there. I’d love to know what happened to her from her mid-20s on.
	Doug Parker (from How to Talk to a Widower by Jonathan Tropper) I could probably go for an update from just about any Tropper characters (anything to get him back to novels!), but Doug’s always been my favorite and I’d like to see that life worked out for him.
	Carol Starkey (from Demolition Angel, and then a couple of the Elvis Cole novels by Robert Crais) It really looked like Crais was going to do something with Starkey in the Cole novels, and he either abandonded that idea or just hasn’t gotten around to following through yet. Even when she showed up in the Cole books, I thought that Crais under-used her. She deserves better.
	Tres Navarre (from Rick Riordan’s adult series) I don’t know that there were many more stories to tell with Tres, but I thought there was a little more gas in the tank before Riordan realized he could make a lot more money by being the USA’s answer to J. K. Rowling.
	Jane Eyre (from, well, duh) I’d love to see what Jane’s like given a loving and supportive environment, a mission in life, and a stable place to live—just any kind of stability in her life, really.

Top 5 Tuesday – Top 5 books I haven’t read yet in 2021

By HCNewton

On November 23, 2021

In Books, News/Misc.

This week’s topic is, “What are some of the books you wanted to read this year, but just haven’t quite gotten to yet? And tell us if you think you’ll be able to cram them into your December TBR!!” There are many more than five that qualify for this list, but I think these are the five that are bugging me the most that I haven’t read yet. When 2022 starts, at least four will likely still be on this list (don’t ask me which four, though).

	Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames There is no good reason at all that I haven’t read this yet. None. Even if it’s not as good as Kings of the Wyld, it’s still probably better than a lot of what I have read this year—and sure to be a lot of fun regardless.
	Return of the Paladin by Layton Green I really liked the first three books in The Blackwood Saga (and am pretty sure I pre-ordered this fourth book), but a full 2+ years later, haven’t managed to get around to this (nor, the fifth and final book). Shame on me.
	AMORALMAN: A True Story and Other Lies by Derek DelGaudio Sure, it’s not going to live up to the film version, but there’s enough different material (just based on the length of the book), that it’s going to give me something to chew on. No reason for me to have not at least started it.
	The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, translated by Flora Thomson-DeVeaux The age of this book is probably what’s keeping me from it, it’s been a long time since I read something new to me that’s from pre-20th Century. I’m feeling intimidated, as good as it looks. I just need to get over it.
	The Border by Don Winslow The Power of the Dog and The Cartel both blew me away, and I anticipated diving into The Border as soon as I could. But the size and likely emotional weight of it has kept me from even opening it. I need to get over that.

Saturday Miscellany—11/20/21

By HCNewton

On November 20, 2021

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

We start off with some grim stuff this week, and then transition into what feels more hodgepodge-y and eclectic than usual. Which is pretty cool. I like it when this list feels as scattered as my mind at rest. If only because it feels like it raises the chances of you (yes, you) finding something you’d like to read…

Hope you all had a good week!

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 Librarians, Educators Warn of ‘Organized’ Book Banning Efforts—(is it really an organized effort, or are people just lazily copying what they see on social media? Both?)
bullet ‘We’re Preparing For a Long Battle.’ Librarians Grapple With Conservatives’ Latest Efforts to Ban Books—you know, in case the PW piece wasn’t depressing enough.
bullet Lawmakers Expand Inquiry into Library E-book Market
bullet Spotify’s latest purchase is about becoming the place you listen to everything: Why it bought an audiobook company
bullet How the MFA swallowed literature: On the total world-domination of workshopped fiction
bullet The Strange History of the Worst Sentence in English Literature—About Bulwer-Lytton’s famous opening
bullet Speaking of sentences…Simplicity or style: what makes a sentence a masterpiece?
bullet I used to spend hours arranging my books until I realised it was a colossal waste of time and changed my ways—sure, she sounds reasonable, but…what?
bullet The 12 Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books That You, an Adult, Should Absolutely Read—there’s some good stuff on this list, but that headline makes my blood boil. Haven’t we grown past the idea that SF/F isn’t for adults yet?
bullet Getting It Wrong: How Thomas Perry Learned to Live With His Books’ Errors—this was a lot of fun
bullet The Fantastical Food of Fantasy Fiction—I’m pretty sure this is a re-run, but I don’t care. It’s worth a re-read.
bullet The tortuous literary puzzle Cain’s Jawbone has been solved for the first time since 1934—this book was recommended to me a few months back, frankly I think it’d drive me insane. Hats off to the latest victor.
bullet The #R3COMM3ND3D2021 series over at Damp Pebbles offered up another good looking batch of recommendations this week (including one that may have made my list if I’d read it by the time I wrote mine). Check out the contributions from:
bullet BookBlogger Els Ebraert
bullet BookBlogger Joanne
bullet BookBlogger Jo B
bullet BookBlogger Emily Quinn
bullet BookBlogger Yvonne – Me and My Books
bullet Emma Kuyateh – Primary Teacher Bookshelf
bullet Blogger, Reviewer, and Crime Fiction Commentator Ayo Onatade
bullet Balancing Reading For Your Blog and Other Hobbies—Am tempted to ask, “What is this Earth thing you call, ‘Balance’?”
bullet Why my reads are no longer 5 stars?—I get this…I’m not there, but I get this.

This Week's New Releases That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Dead Mercy by Noelle Holten—the latest gripping read in the the DC Maggie Jamieson series is out now. It can be read alone, too. I enthused about it recently
bullet The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffman—Fahrenheit Press steps away from their particular brand of noir to put out a new edition of the holiday classic. I love that cover.