Books, book memes, writing news and more
We’re talking about books this week, because it’s time for the monthly What’s on Your Bookshelf challenge, hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb. And of course this post is also part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Grab a treat, pull up a seat, and let’s chat!
Personal and Writing News
A few exciting (well, to me they’re exciting) news items in my world this week:
- Long-Suffering Husband and I celebrated our 31st anniversary! I still can’t wrap my head around that, because my brain is desperately clinging to the fantasy that I’m still 25, making our anniversary a temporal impossibility.
- One of my short stories was accepted! I can’t share details yet–acceptance is pending final edits–but I’m over-the-moon excited.
- We’re going on vacation! Well, we’re spending a long weekend in a cabin in Lakeside, Arizona, to celebrate our anniversary. We leave today. Lakeside is at almost 7000 feet elevation in a ponderosa pine forest. And as you probably guessed from the name, there are lakes. Water! Actual water! Bodies of water that contain actual water! (Note for the uninitiated: We have rivers in Tucson. They contain sand. Occasionally they contain small amounts of water for a few hours or days after a big monsoon storm. Whoever decided to call them rivers was just as delusional as I am about my age.)
Books, Books, Books!
I’m happy to report that my reading slump is over. I’ve been spending more time reading (instead of scrolling social media and the horror that is the news), and I’m happier as a result. I’m also having a blast reading some great books!
And I’ve made some progress in filling the new bookcases I risked my life to buy last month:
Yes, those empty shelves will be filled as soon as I get more time to organize–and go book-shopping.
Here’s what I’ve read since my last What’s on Your Bookshelf post:
- Misfire : The Kate Downey Medical Mystery Series, Book 2 – Tammy Euliano. Loved, loved, loved this one! It’s the perfect combination of medical thriller and cozy mystery. I have an advance reading copy from the author; I think it’s scheduled to be released in January. While you’re waiting, pick up her first book, Fatal Intent. Just be warned–you won’t want to put it down. It’s one of those ignore-your-family-unless-they’re-literally-on-fire kinds of books.
- Short stories and novellas free with my Audible subscription (I’m noticing lots more great free-with-subscription content on Audible, and I’m loving it.)
- Tell Her Story – Margot Hunt. The protagonist is a fired journalist who launches a true crime podcast to investigate a cold case in her hometown. I really enjoyed the way Hunt uses a podcast as a storytelling device.
- Buried Deep – Margot Hunt. James and Maggie Cabot are enjoying a happy marriage and comfortable middle-aged lives–until two detectives turn up to tell them the body of James’ former girlfriend has been found.
- The House on the Water – Margot Hunt. Another short thriller by Margot Hunt, this one about a group of friends vacationing together in Florida. All goes well till one of them turns up dead.
- My Evil Mother – Margaret Atwood. The protagonist is a teenage girl in the 1950s whose mother may or may not be a witch. It’s a little weird and a lot wonderful.
- The Harper Connelly Series – Charlaine Harris. Harris is most famous for her Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery Series, which was adapted into the TV show True Blood. Those are great, but I like Harper Connelly better. After being struck by lightning, she developed the ability to find the dead and see their last moments–a talent that pays her a decent living but regularly gets her into potentially lethal trouble. I reread this series every year or two. It’s short, only four books: Grave Sight, Grave Surprise, An Ice Cold Grave, and Grave Secret.
- Death of a Gossip – M.C. Beaton. The first in Beaton’s Hamish Macbeth mysteries, this one has been on my to-read list for years. Guess what? It’s now free with my Audible subscription! I enjoyed it, though some of it hasn’t aged well, like the constant comments about how fat one of the characters is.
- Knock, Knock, You’re Dead – M.C. Beaton. This short story was bundled with Death of a Gossip. Enjoyable – and without all the fat comments.
- Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence – Derald Wing Sue. This is the one I’ve been reading for months as part of a book group related to my day job. We finally finished! It’s an interesting and useful read, but I would have liked more practical examples in the last chapter.
- Write for Your Life – Anna Quindlan. I learned about this book from another participant in the What’s on Your Bookshelf Challenge. It’s a short collection of essays on journaling and other personal writing, and it’s lovely.
- Newsletter Ninja: How to Become an Author Mailing List Expert – Tammi Labrecque. This book is a great resource for authors like me who are creating their first newsletter (Shameless self-promotion alert! Did I mention I have a newsletter? I don’t think I have… this week. If you want me in your inbox, type your email in the subscription box on the righthand side of this site.) There’s also some good information for authors with existing newsletters who want to up their game and their subscriber list.
And now it’s time for the moment you’ve all been waiting for:
Book Memes!
Back when brachiosauruses grazed the swamps of Earth, and I was an English teacher, I taught Lord of the Flies. I wish I’d tried this. I’d have gotten fired, but it would have been hilarious. My students would have trashed the room faster than Stripe and his crew of gremlins can trash a living room.
Digression alert! Speaking of dinosaurs:
OK, back to the books:
Also:
As long as we’re talking about monsters:
I liked Twilight (yes, I’ll admit it), and I still think that’s hilarious.
The academic librarian version of the Refusal of the Call trope:
Colleague: You have been chosen… to chair this committee.
Me: [cracks blood capsule with teeth, pretends to vomit blood all over the office] I… [vomit] can’t. I have… [gag] ebola.
Colleague: Walk it off. The kickoff meeting is scheduled for Monday.
And finally:
I now have a new career aspiration: bounty hunter librarian. Oh, and librarians are not people. We are spawned fully-formed from the head of the mighty god Libros, whereupon we are issued the magical tools of our trade–bun, glasses, cardigan, and cat–and assigned to our first committee.
Time for me to pack the glasses and cardigan and head up the mountain for a few days of forest therapy–and water. Did I mention water? OMG there will be water! And no committees.
How about you? What’s your favorite place to get away for a few days? Or, if you’re an academic like me: What’s the worst committee assignment you ever received?
30 Comments
Gary A Wilson
Hi Janet.
Congrats on having your story picked.
Looking forward to details.
Re: memes – even more LOLOLOLOL
esp. the Lord of the Flies.
my wife didn’t get it – has not read the book.
-sigh-
Re: water
Calif = the new Arizona – only dumber and less free
You’ve not even had a glimpse of how bad this is going to get.
enjoy it while you can
Re: Librarians – I took Library science in college
I know fully well who you people are and what you’re capable of.
Re: Committees – I – Don’t – Join – Them any more – ever!
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! I’m from Northern California, and you’ll probably think I’m insane, but I’d love to move back. The fires give me pause, but I love my home state and have missed it since the day I left–both times that I left.
Re: the committees, I’m an academic. I have no choice. I do try to be selective though.
Now go buy your wife a copy of Lord of the Flies.
rawsonjl
Bounty Hunter Librarians?! OMG I love that. What an image! LOL. Enjoy your trip and all the beautiful water views!!
Janet Alcorn
Right?! I’m not a fan of charging library fines, but the image is so wonderful. Maybe we could have a TV show with bounty hunter librarians tracking down stolen rare books. I’d watch the hell out of that.
Lydia C. Lee
Congratulations on getting published. There’s nothing more satisfying than when one of our babies finds it’s home….well done!! #Whatsonmybookshelf
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! One of the reasons I write short stories (which distract me from progress on my novel) is that with shorts, that satisfaction happens a lot sooner and is a lot more likely.
Jo
Firstly, congratulations on your short story. As always I loved your memes. It’s funny what you say re something not ageing well (Hamish Macbeth) – sometimes I find myself having to remind myself that whatever it is I’m reading or watching was written/created in another time.
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! I remind myself of the same thing when reading older stuff. I don’t think I’m overly sensitive, just more aware of how groups of people have been portrayed and how hurtful that can be. I can still enjoy older stories, but sometimes the descriptions and character behaviors pull me out of the story and remind me that we’ve come a long way in the last couple of decades.
Natalie
Congratulations on your writing achievements and happy anniversary! Enjoy your lakeside vacation. Thank you for your weekend coffee share.
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! So far the vacation is a winner–and I have a bunch of pics for future coffee shares, and they don’t contain a single cactus! I know, I’m shocked too.
Jennifer Jones
Congratulations and we’ll done on your short story. I’ve read a few of the Hamish MacBeth books but not the first. I’m very interested to read read the Write For Your Life, so off to search for it now. Love the memes
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! Write for Your Life is lovely, the perfect book to read on an autumn morning with your favorite hot beverage.
Debbie
The memes made me laugh Janet and a great selection of books too. Congrats on your anniversary and hope you enjoy your trip away :). Thanks for joining us for WOYBS it’s always good to see what everyone is reading.
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! I’m currently writing this from our cabin in Lakeside–it’s gorgeous up here, and the getaway was just what I needed. Have a great week!
leannelc
Hi Janet – congrats on 31 years – and I struggle with the same dilemma of being married longer than the age I feel I am! Loved the Twilight Tinkerbell meme (it took me a moment to get it – but gave me a smile when it clicked!)
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! And yay–someone got the Twilight meme! Twilight is old now, which is not quite as weird as being married 31 years but is still plenty weird.
trent
So those big white areas on the bookshelf are what they call “Empty Shelves”? I have heard the term, but have never actually seen it. I hope you cure your bookshelf soon!
I had an anniversary last week. It was one of “those” numbers (25), but we ignored it and just did a few gifts and ate out.
So, Achilleus (he’s Greek, not Roman, I hate using the Roman name 😉 ) was “The Chosen One” and tried to escape fate several times, but Fate always caught up to him in the end, usually aided by Odysseus (why do we always use the Greek version of this name? Except, of course James Joyce). So I guess the Refusal of the Call trope has been around some 2800 years or so.
Anyway, enjoy your little trip away! Enjoy seeing actual standing water!
Janet Alcorn
Yeah, those shelves won’t stay empty for long. In addition to books, I have a gazillion knick-knacks and framed photos that need a home. Just need to find the time to gather stuff up and decide where to put it.
And yes, I imagine people have been refusing the call for as long as humans have existed. “Grog, lead us on hunt for saber-toothed cat.” Grog, the long-lost ancestor of Bartleby the Scrivener: “I would prefer not to.”
Happy anniversary! I hope it was wonderful.
Sue from Women Living Well After 50
Hi Janet, congratulations on your anniversary and also having your short story accepted. I loved your opening meme about yoga and reading – it made me smile. I’m glad you are out of your reading slump so enjoy more books and see you at the link up next month. x
Janet Alcorn
Thanks!
Writing Sparkle
Happy anniversary to your and your husband.
Congrats on the short story, Janet.
Have a great vacation.
Thanks for the virtual coffee.
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! Have a wonderful week!
Nortina S.
Congrats on your anniversary! Also, I think I’ve found a few books to add to my empty bookshelf 😉
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! Good luck filling those shelves!
kirstin troyer
Happy Anniversary. We celebrate 30 years on October 10th. Enjoy your time away!
Janet Alcorn
Thanks–and congrats on the big 3-0! That’s wonderful!
Retirement Reflections
Hi, Janet – Huge congratulations on having one of your short stories selected for publication. That is terrific news! Thank you for being a regular contributor to What’s On Your Bookshelf. I always look forward to your posts.
Janet Alcorn
Thanks so much! I always look forward to participating and end up adding at least a couple of books to my ballooning to read list.
Julie
That “Lord of the Flies” meme made me laugh so hard!
Janet Alcorn
Right? My favorite bit is the conch shell in the chalk tray.