Tag: Writing

30x30, Personal Project

30 x 30: #18 – Participate in NaNoWriMo

Geoff W

2014 12-01 NaNoWriMo TotalI knew when I made this list that there was no way I would be able to do 50,000 words in a month and boy was I right. However, that’s why I said PARTICIPATE in NaNoWriMo instead of complete! (I’m wicked smaht, right?)

It wasn’t for lack of time after I made it through the 15th, so much as lack of desire to sit in front of a computer and write and even though I came in just under 20,000 words I’m still really proud I got that much done. I was shocked at how easy it was to write the story I chose and am excited to finish it. Looking at the graph, you can see I wrote the what I did in three quick spurts with the final one being where I wrote nearly 12,000 words in one go.

Click here to continue reading.

ARC, Books

Book 307: First Impressions – Charlie Lovett

Geoff W

If you’ve ever read this blog before you know I really love two things: books and Jane Austen. So when I found out Charlie Lovett, author of The Bookman’s Tale wrote an Austen fan-fiction novel (my label) I was super excited! I requested a copy from the publisher and received no compensation for my opinion.

Many authors have tried to write novels featuring Jane Austen at the time she wrote her stories and try to connect her novels to her life. However, few have done it as well as Lovett has in First Impressions. The author worked around many of the issues other authors face (mirroring Austen’s language and getting the time period and personality of Austen and her characters correct) by immediately jumping into Jane Austen’s life. The book opens in the late 1700s with Austen on a walk through the countryside (hello Lizzie Bennet) and as the reader gets to an interesting point Lovett jumps to modern-day London. This could be confusing, but Lovett does it effortlessly.

Click here to continue reading.

Updates

September Recap 2014

Geoff W

2014 09-14 Sherman's Book Store Bar HarborThis was a crazy month. I completed five of my 30×30 list AND read five books. Most of the month surrounded my trip to Acadia. I know I did other stuff too, but my brain is absolutely drained.

The photo to the right, was an awesome snapshot I took while visiting Bar Harbor, Maine. I think what I was most impressed with is that there are no people other than the driver and it could really be any time period (except for the pram/stroller). It wasn’t my favorite book shop we visited, that was Mystery Cove and I didn’t get the chance to visit the Big Chicken Barn but I will go back up at some point!

Click here to continue reading.

30x30, Personal Project

30 x 30: #16 – Reach 525 blog posts

Geoff W

2014 10-01 525 PostsWith my last blog post (back-dated to Monday), I’ve officially surpassed 50% of my 30×30 list! I may only be at 53%, but dammit I’m over 50% and that’s what matters!

I added this post to my list as I knew I would reach 500 not long after I kicked off my 30×30 list, but I also knew I wouldn’t make it to 1000 by December 21st and I wanted something blog related that wasn’t reading. Honestly, I’m still shocked I’ve reached 525 posts (over 550 if you include my posts on Now Entering Adulthood) and I’m really proud of it. As proud as I am about the post count, I’m more proud of what I’ve written about.

In the 525 posts I’ve written about over 300 books (304) and apparently 225 posts about random stuff including my 30×30 List, a couple of personal projects, Culture Corners, Workout Wednesdays and myriad other subjects I’m sure. Seriously, there’s no telling what I wrote about back in the days… Want to have fun, click this link and it will bring up a random post I’ve written since this blog started.

Books

Book 304: The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike #2) – Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)

Geoff W

I don’t care what people say. I love J.K. Rowling.

She is a skilled story-teller and talented writer. With the two types of reactions most people have when they hear her name, it’s easy to see why she wanted her name kept far from her works as Robert Galbraith. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen, but this was a bonus for those of us who would never have discovered them.

On one side, you have those with visceral negative reactions to her and her writing. (A lot of the time by those who’ve never read her books.) And on the other side, you have the people who adore them solely because it’s J.K. Rowling; Obviously. Thankfully, I’m somewhere in the middle. I can both appreciate her as an evolving writer and find fault in her skills as a story-teller, especially in her post Harry Potter novels. (I’m still waiting for the, hmm Harry Potter isn’t as wondrous as I first thought it was moment, but it still hasn’t happened.)

Click here to continue reading.