Tag: Personal Page 3 of 13

I’ve decided to postpone today’s post…I’d finish a paragraph and think of two or three more I needed to write. Which I think will prove to make me happier about the end result, but I have to get some sleep. So…let’s take another look at this, with a quick update at the end.

Last week, I asked for some advice on where I should start with Discworld books, since my attempts with reading The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic didn’t really leave me wanting more.

I received some good input, and thought I’d pass some of it along (if only so there’s a central location for me to come back to later for reference).

The overall consensus was that I picked a couple of bad ones to start with. But beyond that,

bullet Mike Finn (you should read his blog, by the way), said (in part):

Here’s the best map I know of for showing the reading order of the various Discworld subgroups.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Discworld_Reading_Order_Guide_3.0_(cropped)

My favourites are the Watch novels and the Witches novels.
The Watch novels start with Guards! Guards!
The Witches novels start with Equal Rites.

If you read those two and still don’t like Pratchett then he’s probably not for you.

bullet K.R.R. Lockhaven (you should read his books, by the way) admitted:

I…um…have to admit that I haven’t actually read ALL of them. Most, though. I’m partial to the City Watch books, starting with Guards! Guards! Maybe Small Gods would be good, too. It’s a standalone.

bullet Lockhaven also pointed me to Fiction Fans podcast’s “Bonus Episode: Which Discworld Book Should You Read First?” It was an interesting chat–the episode notes include:

They… don’t really give a straight answer. But they DO know which book you should NOT read first. You’re welcome.

Possible First Reads:
Wyrd Sisters (if you like witches)
Reaper Man (if you like Death)
Small Gods (if you want a good standalone with religious satire)
Hogfather (if you like Christmas)
Monstrous Regiment (if you want a good standalone with scathing social commentary)
Going Postal (if you like con artists)

bullet wyrdsis (an account name that suggests they might know a thing or two about the series), chimed in with:

…I got really into it with the Witches (starting with Equal Rites), and Ankh Morpork City Watch (starting with Guards! Guards!), then Hogfather, Thief of Time, The Truth, the von Lipwig series….etc

bullet David Frew sent me to

A DISCWORLD PRIMER*

*or, why should I read this thing that everyone keeps going on about?

by Micah @rincewind.run (another account name that suggests they might know a thing or two about the series).
bullet Gary Hayenga chipped in:

The first two novels are very different than the subsequent novels. As the previous commenter mentioned there are several sub-series set on the Discworld. Based on the other things you’ve posted about liking here I would recommend that you start with The Watch series, starting with Guards! Guards!. The second book in that series is even better.

I’m about 1/3 of my way through Guards! Guards! and I think I might be seeing what everyone else sees in Pratchett. Or maybe I’m seeing something else, maybe I’m still learning. Regardless, I am having a blast. I’m re-reading passages just for fun, or because I think I might have missed a joke because I was distracted by another. I know that I’ve read the passage where Carrot’s father tells him he’s not a dwarf more times than is necessary. But I kind of want to go read it again now that I’ve mentioned it.

Thank you all for your help, I think it’s paying off!

Third Quarter Check-In: 2023 Plans and Challenges

By HCNewton

On November 29, 2023

In Books, Calendar Items, Miscellany, News/Misc.

So, you may ask your self, “Well, how did I get here?” And then you realize you’re not one of the Talking Heads and instead you want to ask me why I’m posting this Third Quarter Check-In now as we’re almost done with the Fourth Quarter. Well, yesterday, my eldest son and my de facto editor wondered if I wanted a blog post idea. I (foolishly?) said, sure. “Third Quarter Check in: 2023 Plans and Challenges” he replied with a smirk. I explained that I meant to do it, but got distracted with all the October stuff I had going on and forgot all about doing it. Besides—as you will see if you keep reading—it isn’t all that different than the previous check-in.

But it stuck in my craw, and the easiest way to dislodge it was to take a few moments to put this together.

My plans this year focused on the two series that I’ve started—Literary Locals and Grandpappy’s Corner—both of which are going okay (frequently in fits and starts, but making steady progress). Then there’s the perennial, “Cut down on my Goodreads Want-to-Read list and the unread books that I own.” How am I doing on that?

	Audio	E-book	Physical	Goodreads Want-to-Read
End of 2022	5	45	42	143
End of 1st Quarter	4	44	54	142
End of 2nd Quarter	5	50	56	145
End of 3rd Quarter	5	51	58	151

Let’s move right along to see how I’m doing with the rest of my plans and move on to the Reading Challenges…
2023 Book Challenges

Goodreads Challenge

Well, I can’t show you that graphic…but, it would’ve shown me around 230 out of 250.

12 Books
I got behind in March, and I haven’t managed to get any others read. I’m very frustrated by this—I was looking forward to these books. Don’t ask me what happened, or when I’m going to get to them. (well, probably not 2023 for all but one of these…don’t ask me which one).

Do I get any credit for having read and then a few months later listening to Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons?

2023 While I was Reading

I made zero progress on this in Quarter 3, but I do believe I’ll have it done by the end of December (I’ve already conquered a couple of categories).

A book with a protagonist over 40.: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
A book considered a classic.:
A graphic novel.:
A book that has been banned or challenged.:
A book set in a place on your bucket list.:
A book published before you were born.:
A book related to a goal you have for 2023.: Church History in Plain Language, Fifth Edition by Bruce Shelley, Revision Editor Marshall Shelley\
A book by an author of color.: The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian
A book with a clever title.: Kneading Journalism: Essays on Baking Bread and Breaking Down the News by Tony Ganzer
A book by a famous author you’ve never read:
A non-fiction book about a topic you love.: The Worst We Can Find: MST3K, RiffTrax, and the History of Heckling at the Movies by Dale Sherman
A novella: Bad Memory by Jim Cliff

Your TBR Reduction Book Challenge

I’m on-target for this one (as much as I can be), and have even got a couple of the Stretch Goals accomplished.
January – End to end temptation I give you permission to read the most recent book you have got on top of your TBR. For many this is one we only get to read eventually but for now I want you to pick up the newest book in Mount TBR and read it. Can you remember the last time you did that? It’s a good habit to get into and January is all about starting good habits: The Perception of Dolls by Anthony Croix, Edited by Russell Day
Stretch Goal – Read the oldest book in Mount TBR it has waited long enough: Bartleby and James: Edwardian Steampunk Chronicle by Michael Coorlim
February – Short steps For the shortest month of the year I want you to read 28 short stories. This can be a TBR collection, anthology or even backlog of magazines that you have. Life is fast but use this challenge to appreciate the skill of the short story writer. Play your skills right you may get more than one book read this way. eh…I get partial credit for this, Noirville contained every short story I had unread, but it’s only fifteen stories. I did read extra novellas for the Stretch Goal, though. So I’m calling this okay?
Stretch Goal – Read four novellas one for each week of the month. Bad Memory by Jim Cliff, Anna and the Vampire Prince by Jeanne C. Stein, and Broken by Don Winslow (which is six novellas).
March – Fresh Starts This time for the beginning of spring you need to start a series you have never read before. Release this work from Mount TBR! Justice Calling by Annie Belletstr
April – Open and Shut Case For the month named after the latin for ‘to open’ you need to read a standalone book with no sequel or links to any other book. Something new and something you can let go after reading it: The Winter of Frankie Machine by Don Winslow
May – Crowning Glory? the UK has a lot of bank holidays including a coronation this month so suitably let’s pick a book about revolution or a change of those in power. Questland by Carrie Vaughn
June – long reading days or longest nights Irrespective of your hemisphere you have time for reading either in the joys of summer or depths of winter. Your challenge here is to find the largest tale on Mount TBR and finish it. Let that monster get off your back: Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith
July – Holidays are coming! let’s go travelling find a book by the author who lives the furthest from you on the globe. I give you seven months to do the maths! Let’s explore the fiction of places very much not like our own: Eternity Fund by Liz Monument (Australia)
August – Holiday Treats reward time you get to choose the book in your TBR pile no Themes, clues of queries to ask. Just take one off the list!: Lemon Man by Ken Bruton
September – Seven Deadly Tempts read a book linked however you want to one of the seven deadly sins. Booktempting I stress is not one of them. Indulge yourselves: Cash Rules Everything Around Me by Rob Gittins. If that title doesn’t scream Greed, I don’t know what does (the other 6 show up as well in the book)

Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge;

I’ve got 16 of the 24 categories taken care of. So, I guess I’m okay-ish here. I’ll have a few others accomplished by the end of the year, but I think this is going to be an incomplete challenge.

five word title (only 5 words, count ’em up!) – The Winter of Frankie Machine by Don Winslow
won an award (the book won an award. any award!)
meant to read it last year (a book you planned to get to in 2022 and didn’t) – The Night Watch by Neil Lancaster
giving an author a second chance (an author (or specific book) you previously didn’t jive with )
an author writing under a pseudonym (the author(s) is not writing under their real name) – Cutthroat Cupcakes by Cate Lawley
2022 debut novel (an author’s first book that released in 2022) – Lemon Man by Ken Bruton
standalone (the book has no prequels/sequels) – Proxies by James T. Lambert
bought and forgot it (a book you bought (or borrowed) and forgot about it) – Cash Rules Everything Around Me by Rob Gittins
plants on the cover (any kind of plant on the cover is fair game) – The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
first in a trilogy (the book is the first of three) – The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh by Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris
name in the title (the title has a character name in it) – Klone’s Stronghold by Joyce Reynolds-Ward
set on a continent you don’t live on (the story is set on a continent (or heavily inspired by a place on a continent) you do NOT live on) – Anna and the Vampire Prince by Jeanne C. Stein

it’s a trope! (your favorite) (pick your favorite trope and read a book featuring it)
less than 170 pages (make sure it’s a short one!) – Bartleby and James: Edwardian Steampunk Chronicle by Michael Coorlim
released at least 23 years ago (that’s right, we’re taking it back to the 90’s (release dates in 1999 or before))
protagonist name starts with “M” (the main character has a name beginning with “M”) – Teaching Moments by Troy Lambert (Max)
graphic novel outside your fave genre (find a graphic novel that isn’t in one of your favorite genres)
recommended by a bookseller (ask your local bookseller for a recommendation! if you don’t have a local store, there are plenty with social media accounts to reach out to)
letter “z” in the title (the letter “z” appears somewhere in the title) – A Sh*tload of Crazy Powers by Jackson Ford
all about music or the arts (the story revolves around music or the arts in some way)
protagonist has a pet (any pet will do) – A Man Named Doll by Jonathan Ames
more than 450 pages (grab a tome and get reading!) – The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith
your favorite genre (a book that falls in your favorite genre) – Barking for Business by E. N. Crane
main cover color is your least favorite color (find a book prominently featuring your least favorite color on the cover)

I wrote this after the end of June, and it’s still true today (literally today, not the day it should’ve been had I posted this on time): Looking over this, it’s good that I take these on for fun, if I was serious about these things, I think I’d be getting a little worried. More than anything, the number of books I listed above that I don’t have linked to a particular post tells me how far behind I am on writing.
(Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay)

Thanksgiving 2023

By HCNewton

On November 23, 2023

In Calendar Items, News/Misc.

Happy Thanksgiving/Turkey Day/Thursday

(depending on your practice/preference/location)

On this day that has been set aside these U.S. for expressions of gratitude, it’s been my custom to take a moment or two and mention a few of the things that The Irresponsible Reader is thankful for. This is just about my favorite of my annual posts typically, but this year I feel even more grateful than usual.

So, this year, I’m thankful for:

The readers of this blog. If I knew your names, I’d thank you all personally.
The authors who’ve corresponded with me, encouraged me—even promoted this here project.
Those authors, publishers, and/or publicists provided books for me to read.
Books (print, electronic, or audio)—the stories, characters, and/or things I learn are what keep me sane, entertain, and inspire me.
Authors! If not for them, I wouldn’t have the above.
Talented narrators and illustrators—ditto
Coffee (and other beverages both caffeinated and adult)
All the authors who’ve stopped by for a Q&A or a Guest Post this year. I’ve really been blown away by the work you’ve put into making my patch of cyberspace better.
Time to read
The Nampa Public Library, The Caldwell Public Library, (and The LYNX! Consortium)
Rediscovered Bookshop and Libro.fm
My supportive, understanding, and encouraging wife and kids. They all do a pretty decent job pretending to care when this old man drones on and on about what he’s reading or what’s going on with the blog. They’ve also continued to step up on the brainstorming front lately.
Again, all of you who read this page, follow, like, tweet, comment, email, etc.—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. As for the rest of you, I hope you enjoy today and that you enjoy having the same pant size tomorrow as you do today.

LITERARY LOCALS: An Evening at Idahope

By HCNewton

On November 16, 2023

In Literary Locals, Non-Fiction

Literary Locals and ICW logos

One of the most rewarding—and most surprising things—about doing these Literary Locals interviews is seeing how many writers there are in the area, plugging away at the craft—and how many different groups there are of them working together in one way or another. I’m not alone in this, either, some of the authors/leaders of these groups are surprised to see how many others there are.

I can only assume if this is true for Southwest Idaho, there’s a decent chance that it’s similar wherever you are. Go look for them. Even if you’re not an author, aspiring author, possible aspiring author. I met someone this week who’s a board member of one of these groups who just wants to support the writers in her community while not being a writer—how cool is that?

I met—and had the beginning of a conversation that could’ve gone on for hours in another setting—her at the monthly meeting of Idahope (I interviewed the Secretary and President about their recent relaunch last month). I’d been invited/suckered into coming to talk to them about how to participate in an author interview—and, most importantly, how to come across as non-boring or generic in them. (hence my recent surveys about them—which I’m going to try to turn into something for the blog soon. So, maybe February)

My bit went okay (I think)—sure, I forgot a couple of the points that were in my mental outline for weeks (remembering them once I left the parking lot), and too many jokes fell flat (I’m sure it was the delivery. Or the material. Not the audience). But we had some good discussion and most of those in attendance didn’t seem to mind my blathering. Also…I somehow only talked for more than 10 minutes and only dropped in references to two books, which is a personal record.

But that’s not what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to talk about the meeting—we started out going around the table talking about our current projects and whether we were participating in NaNoWriMo. Only one person was doing a modified version of it, if you can believe that. I’m not 100% certain it’s allowed for a group of more than 6 independent writers to get together in November without multiple NaNo participants present—I kept waiting for some NaNo Agents to burst through the wall like the Vegan Police in Scott Pilgrim and start issuing fines and forcing Chris Baty material into our hands.*

* I guess the NaNo people could’ve been home getting their daily counts in. Maybe that’s why the authorities were lenient on us.

Once my prattling on was done, we all did a writing exercise—which resulted in some wonderful turns of phrase and the display of some…shall we say, interesting…imaginations. I really want to read some longer works by everyone around that table (even from the self-professed non-writer). This includes some novels and children’s books that are in various stages of creation mentioned throughout the night that I’d love to read when they’re done.

But for me, the best part was just seeing this group of people at various stages in their writing/creative careers come together to talk and share a little bit and support each other. It sounds good on paper, but I got a little buzz off of it in reality. It’s an infectious spirit and I can see me coming back for another hit or two of that, at least and maybe becoming another member just to support the work of the group.

Also, in the room next to us, an Improv Class was in session. Other than the fact that they were occasionally distractingly loud, I loved that. I don’t know how many there were in the class, but I think it’s safe to say that in that building there were at least 20 people out on a chilly Tuesday night to talk about and work on their art/craft/passion in one way or another. How great is that?

I don’t have a conclusion here, and I really should. I guess I’ll just encourage you all—your tribe is out there to help you on your creative way. Go find them.

Literary Locals logo

Some of the Guidance I Received on Giving Terry Pratchett Another Try

By HCNewton

On September 18, 2023

In Humor, Miscellany

I received some good input, and thought I’d pass some of it along (if only so there’s a central location for me to come back to later for reference).

The overall consensus was that I picked a couple of bad ones to start with. But beyond that,

bullet Mike Finn (you should read his blog, by the way), said (in part):

Here’s the best map I know of for showing the reading order of the various Discworld subgroups.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Discworld_Reading_Order_Guide_3.0_(cropped)

My favourites are the Watch novels and the Witches novels.
The Watch novels start with Guards! Guards!
The Witches novels start with Equal Rites.

If you read those two and still don’t like Pratchett then he’s probably not for you.

bullet K.R.R. Lockhaven (you should read his books, by the way) admitted:

I…um…have to admit that I haven’t actually read ALL of them. Most, though. I’m partial to the City Watch books, starting with Guards! Guards! Maybe Small Gods would be good, too. It’s a standalone.

bullet Lockhaven also pointed me to Fiction Fans podcast’s “Bonus Episode: Which Discworld Book Should You Read First?” It was an interesting chat–the episode notes include:

They… don’t really give a straight answer. But they DO know which book you should NOT read first. You’re welcome.

Possible First Reads:
Wyrd Sisters (if you like witches)
Reaper Man (if you like Death)
Small Gods (if you want a good standalone with religious satire)
Hogfather (if you like Christmas)
Monstrous Regiment (if you want a good standalone with scathing social commentary)
Going Postal (if you like con artists)

bullet wyrdsis (an account name that suggests they might know a thing or two about the series), chimed in with:

…I got really into it with the Witches (starting with Equal Rites), and Ankh Morpork City Watch (starting with Guards! Guards!), then Hogfather, Thief of Time, The Truth, the von Lipwig series….etc

bullet David Frew sent me to

A DISCWORLD PRIMER*

*or, why should I read this thing that everyone keeps going on about?

by Micah @rincewind.run (another account name that suggests they might know a thing or two about the series).
bullet Gary Hayenga chipped in:

The first two novels are very different than the subsequent novels. As the previous commenter mentioned there are several sub-series set on the Discworld. Based on the other things you’ve posted about liking here I would recommend that you start with The Watch series, starting with Guards! Guards!. The second book in that series is even better.

I’m Curious: I’d Like to Give Terry Pratchett Another Try and Could Use Some Guidance

By HCNewton

On September 11, 2023

In Humor, Miscellany

Ten years ago (and yes, it feels strange saying that), I posted this (there’s a question coming at the end, but bear with me so this isn’t a 3 sentence post).
Received this e-mail today from someone submitting a comment to the “Suggest a Book” form:

Do have reviews on ANY Terry Pratchett book. Would love to “hear” your thoughts…

Thanks for the question! Not just because I like getting suggestions/e-mails, but also because I had nothing else to post today, having opted for sleep and time with my family over finishing a book.*

Pratchett’s a legend — almost universally praised and adored. I read the first two Discworld novels back in 2011, and didn’t care for ’em. Which I assume is an indictment of me, my taste, and very likely my morality, patriotism and love for my wife. So, readers, is it just these first couple of books? Should I start with a different Pratchett book? I’d like to bask in his particular brand of genius, just need a hand.

Anyway, I wasn’t going to bother dusting these off as they’re so short, but since you asked, here are my 2-star reviews for the first two Discworld novels.

The Colour of Magic

by Terry Pratchett
Hardcover, 183 pg.
St. Martin’s Press, 1983

It was amusing enough–chuckle-inducing in more than one place–but I never connected with it, not the story, not the characters, not the world. Left me pretty durn blah.

Probably just me, eh?

The Light Fantastic

by Terry Pratchett
Hardcover, 189 pg
Colin Smythe, 1987

I liked this one better than The Colour of Magic — it was better constructed, the characters were a touch more believable as characters, and I certainly laughed more. But, I had the same issues with this as I had with the previous.

I just didn’t care about anything or anyone, and saw no reason why I should.

Funny, clever stuff, and I couldn’t wait to be done with it.

—–

* Not that I didn’t try for all three

Here’s My Question

I’ve been thinking lately that I really should try Terry Pratchett again. Given the above…where should I start? Give The Colour of Magic another try? Start with something else? As I understand it, Discworld novels need not be read sequentially, do I have that right? So where would be a good place to jump in? Or what would be a good stand-alone-ish novel to try?

I know I have Pratchett lovers out there, and I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I’m Curious: What Are Some of the Funniest Books You’ve Read?

By HCNewton

On August 30, 2023

In Humor, Miscellany

I know, I know, this can be a moving target (and should be, depending on where you are in life)…

But I’m still going to ask: What is the funniest, or what books are amongst the funniest, you’ve read? I’m looking over the books I have coming up for the rest of the year, and by and large, we’re talking about some dark reading. I could use some laughs…so help me find an idea or three, will you?

Here’s my rather incomplete answer (that I ripped off from something I told K.R.R. Lockhaven last year). I should probably tweak this list before I publish, but I don’t have the time…

Off the top of my head…
bullet The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (well, everything Adams wrote)
bullet Mechanical Failure by Joe Zieja
bullet The Fran Lebowitz Reader
bullet The Android’s Dream by John Scalzi
bullet Heartburn by Nora Ephron
bullet Dave Barry Slept Here by Dave Barry
bullet The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
bullet White House Mess by Christopher Buckley
bullet Sir Apropos of Nothing by Peter David
bullet Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
bullet High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
bullet You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism by Amber Ruffin,
Lacey Lamar
bullet The Tales of Pell by Delilah S. Dawson, Kevin Hearne

Incidentally, you should read the entire series of interviews Lockhaven did about humor in fiction–some great things were said, and then there was my entry, too.

I look forward to your recommendations!

Second Quarter Check-In: 2023 Plans and Challenges

By HCNewton

On July 4, 2023

In Books, Calendar Items, Miscellany, News/Misc.

This is not as promising as I wanted it to be.

My plans this year focused on the two series that I’ve started—Literary Locals and Grandpappy’s Corner–both of which are going okay (frequently in fits and starts, but making steady progress). Then there’s the perennial, “Cut down on my Goodreads Want-to-Read list and the unread books that I own.” How am I doing on that?

	Audio	E-book	Physical	Goodreads Want-to-Read
End of 2022	5	45	42	143
End of 1st Quarter	4	44	54	142
End of 2nd Quarter	5	50	56	145

Let’s see how I’m doing with the rest of my plans and move on to the Reading Challenges…
2023 Book Challenges

Goodreads Challenge

At the end of June, I was at:

12 Books
I got behind in March, and I haven’t been able to get back on track. But I really want to read these, I’m not too worried about it. But it’s not looking good.

2023 While I was Reading

I could be doing a little better on this—as usual, I’m not really planning the books for this challenge. I do have a few picked out that will fit the categories. When October hits, if I haven’t read everything on the list, I’ll get serious about hunting.

A book with a protagonist over 40.: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
A book considered a classic.:
A graphic novel.:
A book that has been banned or challenged.:
A book set in a place on your bucket list.:
A book published before you were born.:
A book related to a goal you have for 2023.: Church History in Plain Language, Fifth Edition by Bruce Shelley, Revision Editor Marshall Shelley\
A book by an author of color.: The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian
A book with a clever title.: Kneading Journalism: Essays on Baking Bread and Breaking Down the News by Tony Ganzer
A book by a famous author you’ve never read:
A non-fiction book about a topic you love.: The Worst We Can Find: MST3K, RiffTrax, and the History of Heckling at the Movies by Dale Sherman
A novella: Bad Memory by Jim Cliff

Your TBR Reduction Book Challenge

Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge;

I’ve got 2 of the 24 categories taken care of. So, I guess I’m behind–but I do have many of the rest picked out. I just need to set some time aside to knock those out.

five word title (only 5 words, count ’em up!)
won an award (the book won an award. any award!)
meant to read it last year (a book you planned to get to in 2022 and didn’t) The Night Watch by Neil Lancaster
giving an author a second chance (an author (or specific book) you previously didn’t jive with )
an author writing under a pseudonym (the author(s) is not writing under their real name) Cutthroat Cupcakes by Cate Lawley
2022 debut novel (an author’s first book that released in 2022)
standalone (the book has no prequels/sequels)
bought and forgot it (a book you bought (or borrowed) and forgot about it)
plants on the cover (any kind of plant on the cover is fair game) The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
first in a trilogy (the book is the first of three)
name in the title (the title has a character name in it)
set on a continent you don’t live on (the story is set on a continent (or heavily inspired by a place on a continent) you do NOT live on)

it’s a trope! (your favorite) (pick your favorite trope and read a book featuring it)
less than 170 pages (make sure it’s a short one!) – Bartleby and James: Edwardian Steampunk Chronicle by Michael Coorlim
released at least 23 years ago (that’s right, we’re taking it back to the 90’s (release dates in 1999 or before))
protagonist name starts with “M” (the main character has a name beginning with “M”)
graphic novel outside your fave genre (find a graphic novel that isn’t in one of your favorite genres)
recommended by a bookseller (ask your local bookseller for a recommendation! if you don’t have a local store, there are plenty with social media accounts to reach out to)
letter “z” in the title (the letter “z” appears somewhere in the title)
all about music or the arts (the story revolves around music or the arts in some way)
protagonist has a pet (any pet will do) A Man Named Doll by Jonathan Ames
more than 450 pages (grab a tome and get reading!)
your favorite genre (a book that falls in your favorite genre)
main cover color is your least favorite color (find a book prominently featuring your least favorite color on the cover)

Looking over this, it’s good that I take these on for fun, if I was serious about these things, I think I’d be getting a little worried. More than anything, the number of books I listed above that I don’t have linked to a particular post tells me how far behind I am on writing.
(Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay)

I Was On a Thing: Let Me Tell You a Story – Episode 140

By HCNewton

On June 13, 2023

In News/Misc.

Let Me Tell You a Story Podcast
Once again, I have Podcasted—I’m still not sure if that’s the right conjugation?—I have Podcast? I have committed Podcast? I have appeared on a podcast, I guess is the way to put it.

A while ago, Friend of the Blog, Becky Lyles who took part in A Q&A About Writing in Idaho earlier this year—and will appear here at least once more this summer, invited me onto the podcast she does with her husband. It’s called Let Me Tell You a Story, and you should check it out. I’ve listened to a dozen or so episodes, and they’re all very pleasant chats. It seemed strange to me to get the invitation—they typically interview authors or people who have done/are doing something interesting with their lives—usually a combination of those. And I…well, am not that.

But whatever, I went for it.

The official description of the episode is:

We often invite authors to talk with us on this podcast, but today we’re speaking with one of the many people authors value the most—readers! H.C. Newton is not only an avid, and I mean avid reader, he hosts a blog and a website called The Irresponsible Reader that’s all about books and their authors.

They had me over to their home and we spent a little less than an hour chatting about my reading habits, the blog, and whatnot. And then (unless it was cut because they wanted something more coherent), I monologued a bit at the end. In that monologue, you can see why I tank most job interviews (I left off about half of my mental outline—outlining while talking is a bad idea).

Regardless, I had a great time doing it and I hope most of their subscribers don’t spend too much time wondering why Steve and Becky inflicted me on their ears. Give it a listen and maybe subscribe to Let Me Tell You a Story. And while you’re at it, give it an extra listen for me, because I just cannot do that.

How Has Book Blogging Changed the Way I Read? (Blogiversary ruminations)

By HCNewton

On May 29, 2023

In Books, Calendar Items, News/Misc.

This was originally published for my 8th Blogiversary, and I liked it enough that I figured it was worth reposting today. There’s some unfortunate overlap with other posts from today, but I’m feeling self-indulgent enough to do it anyway.

I started this thing on May 29, 2013, with no real idea of what I was doing—or getting myself into. At this point, I’m still not sure what I’m doing. But, I’m apparently doing it for a while.

A few months ago, one of the blogger prompt/meme things asked “How has book blogging changed the way you read?” As per my norm, I over-thought it and didn’t get around to writing anything for that particular day/week’s prompt. But that question has lingered in the back of my mind. So here are some thoughts about it—I’d have preferred to polish this some more. But I’m pretty sure if I polished/reworked this to the extend I want, there’s no way it’d go up today. It might be ready for my 9th Blogiversary (almost certainly my 10th).

How Has Book Blogging Changed the Way I Read?

I think about what I’m going to read more

I decide to read a book largely by whim (or I picked a book in a series or by an author months/years/decades ago by whim and have to keep going), but the question of when is given thought. But it’s kind of the same thing—did I just read something in a similar genre? Do I have time due to library due dates, blog tour, publication date?

Pros: Thinking about reading is almost as good as actually reading, and I generally enjoy the thinking.
Cons: I feel a little silly when I think about how much effort I put into this. Also, I can slip into spending too much time on this to the neglect of other things—like a youtube hole. I’m not talking about hours or anything. But I can spend a ridiculous amount of time on it. Deciding what to put for the “What are You Going to Read Next” part of a WWW Wednesday post can easily take 3-5x longer than assembling the post itself.

I’m better informed about selecting what I read

I almost never go into a book blind anymore—I know something about the book, the author, or the publisher. Someone—not an algorithm—has done something to bring it to my attention.

Pros: Forewarned is forearmed, right?
Cons: Even before the pandemic eliminated this possibility, it’s been forever since I just browsed my library’s New Release shelf (or any other shelf) just to see if something caught my eye. I’ve stumbled onto real gems that way.

I think about what I read more

The origin story of this blog focuses on this point. I used to just read constantly, one book from the next, and would barely give what I read any thought. Just put one book down and pick up the next. It bugged me, but I couldn’t do much about it. My family would only put up with so much book talk from me—my eldest was a young teen when I started this and my youngest was in early elementary school, just not the right ages to talk about most of what I read, and my wife did/does listen to me prattle on, but even her eyes glaze over at a point. So writing about every (or almost every) book I read helped me stop, think about, consider, evaluate, and spend more time in each book.

I should note that there are now four people in “Real Life” I can chat with about books—which is nice. Thanks, Paul, Nicole, Tony, and Adrianne.

Pros: I stopped feeling like I was short-changing myself and the effort the authors put into what I read. Sure, I’d think about what I read a little, but not much—at least not enough to satisfy myself. I know I’m getting a lot more out of what I read.

I read more widely

Sure, if you look at my genre breakdowns, it may not look like it. But from my point of view, I’m reading a greater variety of things than I think I would’ve. For example, I can’t imagine I’d have heard of, much less purchased from, 95% of the indie presses/authors I follow now. That goes for a lot of non-indie authors, too. This goes along with the being better informed—I’m reading other readers’ blogs/tweets and whatnot, and people I’ve never heard of are asking me to read their stuff (I’m still getting used to this idea, and that’s been happening for 7 years). Sub-genres, perspectives, settings, you name it—there’s a greater variety to my menu. (even bigger if I throw in the “I should get into that one day” list)

I re-read less

I have a hard time spending time with a book unless I can think of something to do with it for the blog. Which means fewer re-reads. No one wants to read bi-annual posts about Some Buried Caesar by Rex Stout—and I probably can’t find things to say about it every few months.

Pros: I’m sure there are some.
Cons: I miss re-reading. I’d do it because I love the world, the characters, the author, whatever. And I like revisiting them. I like getting to know them better, understanding more, finding details I’d missed and/or forgotten. It used to be when I got sick, I’d grab a random Nero Wolfe book for some comfort to go along with the chicken soup, but I haven’t done that in, well at least 6 years (hmmm, that’s 2 Wolfe references on this point, I think my subconscious is trying to tell me something).

The best part

When I actually get to the reading. When I get the couple of minutes-a few hours to read, all of the above stops mattering. I don’t think about blogging, I don’t think about my reading schedule, or any of the other paraphernalia. I’m just lost in a book, I’m really no different than the seven-year-old kid on his first out-of-state road trip with his parents who didn’t realize how mind-numbingly dull riding in a car would be so didn’t bring anything to read. He ended up complaining so much that his parents stopped, bought a couple of books at a grocery store, and shut him up for the next week or so as he read the two books—Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective and Sugar Creek Gang: Screams in the Night*—multiple times, perfectly content to be lost in the worlds created by Donald J. Sobol and Paul Hutchens**, while his family was having fun in this one***.

At the end of the day, that’s what counts, right?

* More than four decades later I still have both of those books.
** Mysteries and a thriller. Pretty easy to see the effect of that on me, isn’t it?
*** Make no mistake, when we got to Disneyland, Universal Studios, etc.—I put the books down and had fun. Even I’m not that strange.