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 (2017 Edition)

Another year has gone by, another reading challenge has been completed, and another year without The Winds of Winter by George R.R. Martin. 2017 was at times a shitty year, but, come on George! We need GoT Book 6! We need it now more than ever!

Regardless, I am back to writing on this blog (exactly one year since I last wrote on it) to report that I have once again read 52 books in 52 weeks. It may not have been a good year for most things, but it was a good year for books. I re-read the first two books in the Harry Potter series because sometimes you just need them in your life. (Also, read a special Ravenclaw version of the Philosopher's Stone, because I'm going in on Ravenclaw this year. Thanks new Pottermore sorting quiz!)

Carrie Fisher passed away at the end of 2016, so I made sure to read everything I could that she had written. She was so wise, funny, and truthful. It hurts that someone like that is now gone.

I also continued to earn that Agatha Christie Fan Club badge as I make my way through every novel she has written.  Seven more this year. She certainly knew what she was doing, but did have some stinkers too (At Bertram's Hotel, you hot, hot mess!)

Reading has always been so fun for me and nothing is more fun in reading than LISTS. So here are some lists!

Favorite Book: S. - J.J. Abrams. ('Twas so rich, complex, and immersive! Also, this is not counting my re-readings of the first two HP novels)

Least Favorite Book: Crash and Burn - Michael Hassan. (Truly the worst!)

Longest Book: Our Mutual Friend - Charles Dickens (Bud needed an editor!)

Biggest Letdown: A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess (Maybe I just didn't get it.)

Favorite Character: Lisbeth Salander (The Girl in the Spider's Web), Dobby (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), Lady Edgware (Lord Edgware Dies)

Least Favorite Character: All of the characters from Crash and Burn. THE WORST.

Most Read Author: Agatha Christie. Love that old broad.

Most Read Genre: Mystery / Sci-Fi / Fantasy

Favorite Author: Well, besides J.K. Rowling, Agatha Christie, and Madeleine L'Engle (the OG ladies), I'd have to say Jeffrey Eugenides.

2017 was the beginning of the world changing. Glass ceilings were broken. Hard truths were learned. And the resistance is getting fueled up. Can't wait to see what 2018 has in store for us all.

- ben fleck

52 Books in 52 Weeks (2017 Edition)

1. S - J.J. Abrams
2. As You Like It - William Shakespeare
3. A Separate Peace - John Knowles
4. The Beatrice Letters - Lemony Snicket
5. Lord Edgware Dies - Agatha Christie
6. The Princess Diarist - Carrie Fisher
7. Wishful Drinking - Carrie Fisher
8. Who Could That Be at This Hour? - Lemony Snicket
9. When Did You See Her Last? - Lemony Snicket
10. Once Upon a Time in the North - Philip Pullman
11. Tulip Fever - Deborah Moggach
12. A Caribbean Mystery - Agatha Christie
13. Our Mutual Friend - Charles Dickens
14. Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography - Lemony Snicket
15. File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents - Lemony Snicket
16. A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula K. Le Guin
17. The Zookeeper's Wife - Diane Ackerman
18. Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie
19. The Lost City of Z - David Grann
20. Aenir - Garth Nix
21. Above the Veil - Garth Nix
22. The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank
23. Shouldn't You Be in School? - Lemony Snicket
24. Mortal Engines - Philip Reeve
25. At Bertram's Hotel - Agatha Christie
26. The Girl in the Spider's Web - David Lagercrantz
27. Castle in the Air - Diana Wynne Jones
28. Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights? - Lemony Snicket
29. Nemesis - Agatha Christie
30. My Cousin Rachel - Daphne du Maurier
31. Crash and Burn - Michael Hassan
32. Into Battle - Garth Nix
33. The Violet Keystone - Garth Nix
34. Postcards from the Edge - Carrie Fisher
35. A Ring of Endless Light - Madeleine L'Engle
36. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
37. The Taming of the Shrew - William Shakespeare
38. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling
39. Predator's Gold - Philip Reeve
40. The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
41. Three Act Tragedy - Agatha Christie
42. Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn
43. Troubling a Star - Madeleine L'Engle
44. Mr. Kiss and Tell - Rob Thomas
45. Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
46. Sleeping Murder - Agatha Christie
47. Call Me by Your Name - André Aciman
48. Altered Carbon - Richard K. Morgan
49. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë
50. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling
51. Orpheus Descending - Tennessee Williams
52. Suddenly Last Summer - Tennessee Williams

52 Books in 52 Weeks - 2016 Edition

Fucked up and accidentally deleted this blog post....

10 Reasons to watch The Family on ABC

TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT! The Family premieres at 9/8c on ABC. This is the show I've been working on for the past 8 months! If you are wondering why you (yes, YOU!) should watch this show, I'll give you TEN great reasons! 

1. THE PLOT: 10 years ago, their youngest son disappeared. Now he's back...or is he? This show will have you on the edge of your seat every damn night. It's mysterious, scary, and heartbreaking, yet also thrilling, intense, and heartwarming (at times)! Secrets are everywhere. You will find yourself guessing over and over about what is really going on. By episode 6, you will know the truth!

2. LADY POWER: This show was created by a woman (the incredibly amazing Jenna Bans). A majority of the writers on this show are women. The show readily embraces and features strong female characters. The women on this show are badass, complex, and in CHARGE! If you like shows about strong women, this the show for you!

3. JOAN motherfucking ALLEN: Not gonna lie, Joan Allen absolutely KILLS it in the role of matriarch Claire Warren. She will tear your heart to shreds, leaving you to pick up the pieces. This Oscar nominee brings such gravitas and emotion to this role, it is almost unbelievable. If you liked her in the Contender, or The Bourne Series, or even Pleasantville, you will love her here!

4. RUPERT GRAVES: This beloved British actor plays P.I. Lestrade on BBC's Sherlock, but on this show, he brings a depth and raw emotion to the role of John Warren that is fascinatingly heartbreaking to watch. What happens after your child gets kidnapped and disappears for 10 years? In John, we all see our worst fears come true. 

5. ALISON PILL: If you weren't already blown away by her past performances in The Newsroom or Snowpiercer or any of her other roles, this will be the role to do it. Alison plays the ambitious Willa Warren, superbly peeling apart the many layers inch by inch. She is a stunning actress who you won't be able to take your eyes off of in this role.

6. The CREEP Factor: "I want the frosting. I want a big piece!" If that instantly iconic line doesn't make you shiver in fear (or separately crave a piece of cake), then I don't know what to tell you. Is Adam really Adam? What is really going on?! Every episode will leave you feeling disturbed but instantly craving more.

7. BADASS WOMEN: Oh did I already mention this? Well, let me take another moment to mention it again: BADASS LADIES!~! Outside of the Warren Family, we have the hard-nosed police detective played by Margot Bingham and the cunning and manipulative reporter played by Floriana Lima. Both of these ladies are determined to get what they want and no one will stand in their way! Step aside, haters!

8. BLAINE, er wait, ANDREW MCCARTHY: Your 80's heartthrob from Pretty in Pink is back and boy is he in trouble. He plays the complex and mysterious neighbor, Hank, who was put in jail 10 years ago for Adam's murder -- but now Adam is back. Soooo, uh sorry bro? Watch as Andrew brings depth and character to a man who lost it all.

9. ZACH GILFORD: AKA Matt Saracen aka "CLEAR EYES, FULL HEARTS, CAN'T LOSE!" He was our QB1 from Friday Night Lights, but now he plays the troubled older brother, Danny, who doubts Adam is really Adam. His life is falling apart, but the returned Adam gives him new reason to strive towards something. 

10. FAMILY: At it's core, this show is about a family. What happens to a family when tragedy strikes. How to live with the guilt and blame. How to cope and eventually move on. How to live with yourselves knowing one thing could've changed it all. It's hard stuff to see. It's emotional. It's necessary. In the face of such hardship, how does a family stick together or fall apart. You'll have to watch to see.

BONUS REASON: I worked on it. So, actually, that should be reason enough.  . 

BONUS REASON 2: Not since Jessica Fletcher's adventures on Murder, She Wrote has a TV show prominently been set in Maine. Let's all raise a glass to the easternmost state!

I hope that convinced you.

SO YEAH, WATCH TONIGHT. 9/8central. ABC. 

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

Oh, Hello There!

I haven't forgotten about you, beloved blog. Well, er, maybe I have! But now I'm back. Cue studio applause.

No, I'm not hearing anything either...

Well, the past 7 months have been insane. I got an amazing new job with shiny new responsibilities, which has led to a major lackage of bloggage. Those are words, trust me. But if anything can get me back to blogging & writing, it's my favorite month of the year: November! Thanksgiving, fall weather, wispy winds, darker days, and, of course, NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month -- duh!).

So, because November is in two days time, I gotta get on that - like, now. And for the last (hopefully, Lord Jesus) time I will FINALLY BE FINISHING MY NOVEL, Buoyancy. The idea for this novel came to me in 2011. Cut to five years later and I'm still working on it. It has been fleshed out and changes constantly, but still I keep chugging along on it. Even though I am way more busy this November than ever before, I shall finish it once and for all! YAR!

So, stick with me as I embark on a month of no TV (I'll miss you Netflix, Hulu, HBOgo, and more...), a month of writing every day, and a month of pure, unadulterated JOY (ha!).

Together we can finish our books...

I'm gonna bring the Alabama Shakes along this year. They're my writing squad rn. Currently listening to Sound & Color. Please give your ears a happy gift and listen too.

HAPPY WRITING.
 (aka pray for me!)