52 books in 52 weeks (2021 edition)

Anyone else find 2021 to be worse and more exhausting than the unprecedented trash year that was 2020? Because I sure as hell did. Thankfully I had books to help get me through. Let's cut to the chase because right now on the last day of 2021 I have no energy left to give.

This is my EIGHTH year of reading 52 books in 52 weeks. So for my maths friends out there, that's FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN books in the last eight years. Wow. That's quite impressive when you see it like that. Good job, me. That's a lot of reading. #NerdAlert or maybe just #UnemployedAlert.

Over the last eight years, two trends have evolved for me. Firstly, my very British goal of reading through every Agatha Christie book. This year I read a whopping TWO Christie books. And neither was that great. One was actually a stinker. My second (also very British) goal of reading through every Shakespeare play made glacial progress as I only read play this year (The Winter's Tale).

Another goal I had was to read more novels written by women and BIPOC. Out of the 52 books, I read 21 written by women, 31 written by men. It's something, but it's not great. For 2022, I want to increase that goal. Combined, I read 27 books by women and BIPOC, 25 books by white men. So that's... shite. In calculating how many books I read by purely BIPOC, it only amounted to 10. I need to do better in 2022. So here's to more books by women and BIPOC because I want to make sure I am ingesting a wide range of views, stories, and perspectives. No limiting oneself in the new year. And thank you excel sheets for helping me calculate all of this.

Now, onto lists because that's my favorite part of the year end wrap up: 

Least Favorite Book: Cherry. What to say? Misogynistic, terrible writing, no plot, awful characters?

Longest Book: The Secret Commonwealth. So long, and yet nothing happened? How?

Biggest Letdown: Ready Player Two. Literally a cookie-cutter copy of the original but with less stakes, less character development, and just... URGH.

Most Depressing Book: The Fifth Season. If you love apocalyptic, dystopian fiction, this is for you. Not an ounce of joy or happiness in this book about the broken earth and the people damned to try and survive on it. 

Least Favorite Character: Nico from Cherry. Alina from Shadow and Bone. Everyone in French Exit.

Most Batsh*t Character: Mary Katherine Blackwood from We Have Always Lived in the Castle.

Favorite Book: Obvisously Fleabag: The Scriptures. But in close competition behind it: Gossamer, Watchmen, The Midnight Library, and Sphere.

Shortest Book: UR. Kindle readers, BEWARE!

Favorite Character: Fleabag from Fleabag; Nora Seed from The Midnight Library; Kvothe from The Name in the Wind.

Most Surprising Character: Coriolanus Snow from the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes; Jerry from Sphere.

Favorite Author: Phoebe Waller-Bridge & Michael Crichton, 

And that's it for 2021. 2022, please be better. Maybe George R.R. Martin will save us all by completing The Winds of Winter. Time will tell. Everyone stay safe out there. Covid is that bitch. May we all have a healthy and happy new year. Until next time...

- ben fleck

1. I Am Malala - Malala Yousafzai

2. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - August Wilson

3. The Name of the Wind- Patrick Rothfuss

4. French Exit - Patrick deWitt

5. Cherry - Nico Walker

6. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - Suzanne Collins

7. The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. Le Guin

8. Firefly Lane - Kristin Hannah

9. Fleabag: The Scriptures - Phoebe Waller-Bridge

10. The Ancient Evil - Christopher Pike

11. The Girl Who Lived Twice - David Lagercrantz

12. Foundation - Isaac Asimov

13. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

14. Nomadland - Jessica Bruder

15. Behind Her Eyes - Sarah Pinborough

16. A Promised Land - Barack Obama

17. The Three-Body Problem - Cixin Liu

18. Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro

19. Emma - Jane Austen

20. Exhalation: And Other Stories - Ted Chiang

21. The Final Empire - Brandon Sanderson

22. The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

23. Watchmen - Alan Moore

24. The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman

25. Nine Perfect Strangers - Liane Moriarty

26. Diamonds Are Forever - Ian Fleming

27. Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert

28. Gossamer - Lois Lowry

29. Beloved - Toni Morrison

30. Ready Player Two - Ernest Cline

31. The Word for World is Forest - Ursula K. Le Guin

32. We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson

33. Sphere- Michael Crichton

34. The Midnight Library - Matt Haig

35. The Disaster Tourist - Ko-eun Yun

36. The Testaments - Margaret Atwood

37. Election - Tom Perrotta

38. The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan

39. The Secret of Chimneys - Agatha Christie

40. Appointment with Death - Agatha Christie

41. Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo

42. The Rules of Attraction - Bret Easton Ellis

43. The Leftovers - Tom Perrotta

44. The House of Gucci - Sara Gay Forden

45. Utopia - Thomas More

46. Veronika Decides to Die - Paulo Coelho

47. The Secret Commonwealth - Philip Pullman

48. UR - Stephen King

49. The Winter's Tale - William Shakespeare

50. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon

51. The Fifth Season - N.K. Jemisin

52. The Silmarillion - J.R.R. Tolkien

52 Books in 52 Weeks (2019 Edition)

The world may be a trash fire that is gonna end, if not today, then in the next ten years unless we FIX THE CLIMATE. But, one thing that is consistent (for now): books! Another year has gone by, which means it is time for me to use this blog to write a post about the 52 books I read. This year, I cut it super close to the deadline. I had to read about 6 books in that last stretch of 2019 and it was hard (especially because my three year-old nephew kept stealing my copy of The Invisible Man). 

Some key things to note this year: firstly, George R.R. Martin did... NOT... give us The Winds of Winter, even though the show, Game of Thrones, bumpily ended. So, let us hope we get it in this new decade. 2019 was a stressful year. Lots going on personally and in the world, so at times I found it hard to take a moment to escape and read, but somehow I managed to do it.

Reading remains a favorite pastime of mine. This year, I had to read some books for some projects I worked on, particularly two podcasts for Parcast.com. One dealt with a Nazi Spy, the other with a deadly natural disaster. So... same thing.
For my Agatha Christie stans, I continued to make my way through her arsenal. reading 5 of her books this year. Though I must say, I am NOT a fan of her Tommy & Tuppence Series. I find those two just dreadful. For my William Shakespeare stans, I am still trying to get through his body of work, but only managed two of his plays this year.
I spent a lot of time re-reading the last three Harry Potter novels and I gotta say, they still stand up. Such beautiful world building and character growth! 
Out of the 41 authors, 15 were women and I plan to increase that number next year. I also want to read more books by a variety of different authors from different backgrounds. It's all about widening the scope and taking it all in.
Also, I had a dystopian face-off between Brave New World and 1984. In my opinion, 1984 seemed like a more feasible, terrible reality. And with the way the world is going now... we might be headed to the likes of Big Brother. 
But without further ado, it is time to get to listing stuff. WHO DOESN'T LOVE A LIST?!
Least Favorite Book: Partners in Crime - Agatha Christie (Sorry Dame Ags!)
Longest Book: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (featuring angsty Harry!) - JK Rowling
Biggest Letdown: The Secret Adversary - Agatha Christie (annoying characters); The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness (too much running around!)
Most Depressing Book: Frankenstein - Mary Shelley (poor lil monster)
Least Favorite Character: Everyone in The Lies of Locke Lamora; Tommy & Tuppence (The Secret Adversary; Partners in Crime)
Most Batsh*t Character: Annie Wilkes (Misery) -- truly the most terrifying character of all time!
Favorite Book: Too hard to choose!! Tied between Fleabag - Phoebe Waller-Bridge; Stardust - Neil Gaiman; and HPs 5-7 - JK Rowling; Misery - Stephen King
Shortest Book: The 1928 Lake Okeechobee Hurricane - Charles River Editors
Favorite Character: Michelle Obama, duh (Becoming); Fleabag, duh (Fleabag); Hedwig (HPs 5-7); Phoebe Winterbottom (Walk Two Moons)
Most Surprising Character: Esther Greenwood (The Bell Jar) -- so much depth & vulnerability revealed
Favorite Author: Pheebs Walls Bridges, Agatha, JK -- guess I like British dames.

And that's it for 2019. Onto 2020. Let's hope we make it. A new year, a new decade, but the same ol' desire to read 52 books in 52 weeks. Maybe next year is the year I conquer Shakespeare and/or Christie. Time will tell. CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL.

- ben fleck

1. The Talented Mr. Ripley - Patricia Highsmith
2. Authority - Jeff VanderMeer
3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - JK Rowling
4. The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch
5. Golden Son - Pierce Brown
6. The Dispossessed - Ursula K. Le Guin
7. The Secret Adversary - Agatha Christie
8. The Ninth Life of Louis Drax - Liz Jensen
9. The Grownup - Gillian Flynn
10. House of Many Ways - Diana Wynne Jones
11. The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness
12. Moonraker - Ian Fleming
13. Fleabag - Phoebe Waller-Bridge
14. The A.B.C. Murders - Agatha Christie
15. The Sun Is Also a Star - Nicola Yoon
16. Misery - Stephen King
17. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch - Terry Pratchett/Neil Gaiman
18. Murder in Mesopotamia - Agatha Christie
19. Stardust - Neil Gaiman
20. Dune - Frank Herbert
21. Strangers on a Train - Patricia Highsmith
22. Partners in Crime - Agatha Christie
23. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
24. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
25. Tales of the City - Armistead Maupin
26. The Comedy of Errors - William Shakespeare
27. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - JK Rowling
28. Pygmalion - George Bernard Shaw
29. Antony and Cleopatra - William Shakespeare
30. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - JK Rowling
31. The Ruby in the Smoke - Philip Pullman
32. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling
33. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
34. The 39 Steps - John Buchan
35. Walter Schellenberg: The Memoirs of Hitler's Spymaster - Walter Schellenberg
36. Becoming - Michelle Obama
37. The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
38. Wayside School if Falling Down - Louis Sachar
39. Origin - Dan Brown
40. The Witness for the Prosecution - Agatha Christie
41. The Great Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928 - Wayne Neely
42. The 1928 Lake Okeechobee Hurricane - Charles River Editors
43. Walk Two Moons - Sharon Creech
44. Killer 'cane: The Deadly Hurricane of 1928 - Robert Mykle
45. And Both Were Young - Madeleine L'Engle
46. The Library Book - Susan Orlean
47. Travels with Charley: In Search for America - John Steinbeck
48. Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes
49. The Invisible Man - H.G. Wells
50. Maniac Magee - Jerry Spinelli
51. The Tales of the Beedle and the Bard - JK Rowling
52. 1984 - George Orwell

52 Books in 52 Weeks (2018 Edition)

Another year has gone by which means it's time for my annual update to this mostly defunct blog to list the 52 books I read in these last 52 weeks. Before I get into any listicle fun, let me just say that another year has gone by without The Winds of Winter by Mr. George R.R. Martin. GEORGE! SRSLY?! I am respecting your process, but come on... the show is ending in 2019 and we still haven't gotten book 6!

Anyways sidestepping that rage, I continued the tradition of reading my way through ol' Dame Agatha Christie's collection of mysteries, but only 3 this year. I'm still not done because she wrote a hell of a lot of mystery novels and I can't just keep Jessica Fletchering myself all day, e'ryday. But I did get to visit London and watch one of her plays LIVE (Unfortunately, The Mousetrap wasn't one of her bests).

Also, re-read a Harry Potter because DUH.

ALAS, I am also taking a trip down the old William Shakespeare train, trying to get through as many of his works as I can. So far, comedies > tragedies. His wit and hijinks far outweigh the death, gore, and drama.

Let me implore you, devoted blog reader: reading fiction for fun is fun! It's nice to escape from the hellscape of reality and dip into another world for a few hours. I mostly read fiction, sci-fi, mystery, and fantasy -- but more power to all those who read whatever book brings them joy. READ PEOPLE, COME ON. Also, check out my Goodreads page for more in-depth reviews: https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2018/23079812

Without further ado, it is time to get to listing stuff. Because lists are fun. Almost as fun as reading.

Favorite Book: It's a tie: Kindred - Octavia Butler & The Princess Bride - William Goldman.

Least Favorite Book: Less Than Zero - Bret Easton Ellis. HATED.

Longest Book: A Column of Fire - Ken Follett.

Shortest Book: Oleanna - David Mamet (Also, the most explosive & thought-provoking!)

Biggest Letdown: Mortal Engines Sequels (Infernal Devices, A Darkling Plain). They just weren't as good as the first novel.

Most Depressing Book: A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara.

Favorite Character: Starr Carter (The Hate U Give), Professor Trelawney (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), every character in The Princess Bride.

Least Favorite Character: Every single character in Less Than Zero. THEY ALL TRASH! Also, Joe Goldberg from You was not great.

Most Misogynistic/Racist Character: James Bond (from Casino Royale & Live and Let Die). He's pretty terrible.

Most Surprising Character: Mary Poppins was quite the asshole.

Most Read Author: William Shakespeare. Sorry, Dame Agatha!

Favorite Author: Octavia Butler, William Goldman, JK Rowling (duh).

Okay, y'all that's it for 2018. See ya next year. 2018 was hard and at times awful, but here's to hoping 2019 is better. Vive la resistance! Happy reading.

- ben fleck

52 Books in 52 Week (2018 Edition)
1. The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides
2. The Ice Dragon - George R.R. Martin
3. The Book of Dust - Philip Pullman
4. Endless Night - Agatha Christie
5. Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood
6. Oleanna - David Mamet
7. A Streetcar Named Desire - Tennessee Williams
8. The Glass Menagerie - Tennessee Williams
9. Equus - Peter Shaffer
10. Casino Royale - Ian Fleming
11. Nightflyers - George R.R. Martin
12. Red Sparrow - Jason Matthews
13. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli
14. A Column of Fire - Ken Follett
15. Less Than Zero - Bret Easton Ellis
16. The Man in the Brown Suit - Agatha Christie
17. Mary Poppins - P.L. Travers
18. The Marriage Plot - Jeffrey Eugenides
19. Timekeeper - Tara Sim
20. The Maltese Falcon - Dashiell Hammett
21. Infernal Devices - Philip Reeve
22. The Shape of Things to Come - H.G. Wells
23. A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara
24. Speed the Plow - David Mamet
25. Jamaica Inn - Daphne Du Maurier
26. You - Caroline Kepnes
27. The Merry Wives of Windsor - William Shakespeare
28. Bioshock: Rapture - John Shirley
29. Atonement - Ian McEwan
30. A Simple Favor - Darcey Bell
31. The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick
32. Death in the Clouds - Agatha Christie
33. The Girl who takes an Eye for an Eye - David Lagercrantz
34. Othello - William Shakespeare
35. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer
36. The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas
37. All's Well that Ends Well - William Shakespeare
38. Lethal White - Robert Galbraith
39. A Darkling Plain - Philip Reeve
40. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling
41. A Midsummer Night's Dream - William Shakespeare
42. Kindred - Octavia Butler
43. Where'd You Go, Bernadette? - Maria Semple
44. The Merchant of Venice - William Shakespeare
45. The Princess Bride - William Goldman
46. Love's Labour's Lost - William Shakespeare
47. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
48. Live and Let Die - Ian Fleming
49. If Beale Street Could Talk - James Baldwin
50. The Time Machine - H.G. Wells
51. The Essex Serpent - Sarah Perry
52. The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah

52 books in 52 weeks - 2015 Edition!

Oh, yes, I'm still blogging! It's 2016. Can everyone believe it? Because I can't. This post is more of a mini-update. I'm on the last chapter of my novel and I once again finished reading 52 books in just 52 weeks! Which means I've read 104 books in the last 2 years, which hurts my head. But, alas, it is time to update thee ol' blog again!

The first half of the year was going strong, but then in June, I got a new job and my daily readership spiked downward heavily. However, I managed to do it with only 5 hours to spare til the clock struck midnight on December 31st! Hooray! It was an interesting year for books and I didn't get to read everything I wanted. But there were some great books I read this year. Maaaan, I love reading. #NerdWinner2015.

Lists! Are! Fun! So here's some catorgorized facts about the 52 books I read this year.

Favorite Book: 

THREE WAY TIE:

1. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie

2. Son - Lois Lowry

3. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

Least Favorite Book: Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

 

Longest Book: World Without End - Ken Follett

 

Shortest Book: Burn Lake - Carrie Fountain

Biggest Letdown: The Color of Magic - Terry Pratchett

Favorite Character: James Sheppard (The Murder of Roger Ackroyd) and Agatha Trunchbull (Matilda)

Least Favorite Character: Celeste Price (Tampa) or anyone in Catch 22.

Most Read Author: Agatha Christie, love that old broad!

Most Read Genre: Mystery & Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Favorite Author: Margaret Atwood, Roald Dahl, and, of course, Agatha Christie!

2016 should be an interesting year and I'm once again on to 52 more new exciting books. Let us all hope that The Winds of Winter is among them. COME ON, GEORGE R.R. MARTIN, we are counting on you! Cheers!

- ben 

52 books in 52 weeks (2015 Edition)

1. The Silkworm - Robert Galbraith

2. The Last Command - Timothy Zahn

3. The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie

4. The Murder on the Links - Agatha Christie

5. Messenger - Lois Lowry

6. The 13 Problems - Agatha Christie

7. Poirot Investigates - Agatha Christie

8. The Body in the Library - Agatha Christie

9. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie

10. Son - Lois Lowry

11. The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett

12. A House Like a Lotus - Madeleine L'Engle

13. The Moving Finger - Agatha Christie

14. The Turn of the Screw - Henry James

15. Sabriel - Garth Nix

16. Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut

17. Red Rising - Pierce Brown

18. This Side of Paradise - F. Scott Fitzgerald

19. The Man in the High Castle - Philip K. Dick

20. The Color of Magic - Terry Pratchett

21. World Without End - Ken Follett

22. Every Secret Thing - Laura Lippman

23. Paper Towns - John Green

24. A Murder is Announced - Agatha Christie

25. Meet the Austins - Madeleine L'Engle

26. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

27. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

28. Dark Places - Gillian Flynn

29. Leviathan Wakes - James S. Corey

30. The Steel Remains - Richard K. Morgan

31. Tampa - Alissa Nutting

32. The Big Four - Agatha Christie

33. The Mystery of the Blue Train - Agatha Christie

34. The Martian - Andy Weir

35. Room - Emma Donoghue

36. Fantastic Mr. Fox - Roald Dahl

37. The Princess, The Scoundrel, & The Farm Boy - Alexandra Bracken

38. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Tennessee Williams

39. The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

40. The Witches - Roald Dahl

41. The Moon by Night - Madeleine L'Engle

42. The Pearl - John Steinbeck

43. Castle - Garth Nix

44. The BFG - Roald Dahl

45. Aenir - Garth Nix

46. Burn Lake - Carrie Fountain

47. Look Back in Anger - John Osborn

48. The Stranger - Albert Camus

49. The Death Cure - James Dashner

50. Matilda - Roald Dahl

51. The Hedge Knight - George R.R. Martin

52. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

31 Days til NaNoWriMo 2014: SteamPUNKed

Just announced: NaNoWriMo's 2014 Theme: Steampunk!!! Okay, I am nerding out because my novel (ya know, the one three years in the making now) is steampunk themed! So, this must be a sign that I will finish it this year and everything will be great? Right? Right.

It's about to be the month of October, the month of spirits and fall. That means only 31 days left to prepare for the forthcoming NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, for the plebeians). As I have been working on my novel all year, I just need to further crack my knuckles and prepare to devote ALL my time to it, not just moments here and there.

Life has been going well so far. Instead of moving in November like I did last year, my girlfriend and I jumped the gun and will be moving in October! Aha! Still in Los Angeles, just to a completely different part of the City of Angels. Excited for the change.

 

Also, I fixed my broken phone, fixed my broken car, finished up other issues. I don't want any distractions when it comes to NaNoWriMo. The cruel apple red face of Netflix stares me down and I can't look away, but I must, I MUST. Be gone, Netflix! I banish you from my sights. After binging three seasons of Scandal, I just can't. But, what is that...more shows, more movies. WHY!?

 Excuse that mental break above, I will find a way to disable my Netflix during NaNo, or else doom will fall. In my spare time, I've also been writing for this great site called Whedonopolis.com. If you can't guess from the title they are lovers of all things Joss Whedon. Ya know the guy. He did Buffy, The Avengers... I could go on, but I shan't.

Anyways, I've been writing reviews for them including, Bates Motel, Salem, Under the Dome, Gotham, and Once Upon A Time. So if any of those shows interest you, take a look: www.whedonopolis.com. Also check out my book reviews on Goodreads! I'm doing the "52 book in 52 weeks challenge." 34 books down, so I'm a little behind schedule. Don't worry though, reader. Reading is fun!

Welp, that's about it. Let the countdown begin. 31 days. I already feel it. This is the year I finish my book. #Steampunk 4 EVAR!

-ben josé

LeNoWriHo! (Or how I am spending the next 40 days. Also, acronyms are fun!)

I've deactivated my Facebook, I've thrown myself into my novel, I'm writing book and TV show reviews, I'm reading more and more, and social life is taking a backseat. Why you ask? Because it is LeNoWriHo!

Why, what could LeNoWriHo possibly mean, Ben?? Let me tell you! It means: Lent Novel Writing Holiday. Yes, I came up with that all by myself. I consider myself somewhat of an acronym connoisseur.

I've got my thinking hard hat on! (No, I'm not a construction worker).

For the next forty days and forty nights, I shall write, read, blog, review, and more! My last blog post was all about seizing the moment and realizing that both good and bad moments are never permanent. So in the spirit of Catholic guilt, I shall give up the addiction to Facebook, the addiction to stress and worry, the addiction to cronuts... (er, actually, I won't be giving up cronuts, who am I kidding with that one!).

Heaven never tasted so good.

So, 

Follow me as I continue to write my novel. Things are heating up in this fake world inside my head. Only the fluorescent screen of my computer shares in the exciting drama of my novel. Soon, world, soon...

"A mind needs books, like a sword needs a whetstone."

Follow me as I compete in my first ever "52 books in 52 weeks" challenge. I kept seeing my former roommate compete in this challenge year after year and I kept telling myself I was going to do it. 2014 is the year. Check out my goodreads page and be my friend to see the stats! I'm already 10 books in. 42 more to go.

Follow me as I also compete in a "Reading Bingo" with my girlfriend. Basically, you have to read a specific book in order to cross it off the bingo sheet, such as the "second book in a series," "a forgotten classic," etc. It's a fun way to read and learn. Nerd Alert!

I'm the green one. Mel is red. She clearly needs to catch up :)

Follow me as I write book and television reviews for the website Whedonopolis.com. They write about all thing Joss Whedon and all things geek. One of the shows I review is Bates Motel, which is in its second season. If you haven't seen the first season yet, please watch it on Netflix. The show is quirky and creepy and altogether a bit psychotic!

Now... LeNoWriHo shall commence! I promise* I will stop using these obnoxious acronyms.

*by promise, I mean I don't promise. Not at all.

- ben josé