Books and Binges – Help Me Out

“The time has come,” the walrus said, “to talk of many things: Of shoes and ships – and sealing wax – of cabbages and kings”

Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass

Don’t expect any profound commentary on the works of Lewis Carroll. I chose the quote because it felt similar to the title of this post.

As I mentioned yesterday, today is my project review day. I’ll settle down with my assortment of notebooks for the year. What? You don’t have an assortment of notebooks? Here’s what I have.

A Moleskine to record the day. It has the to-do list, thoughts, and often memorabilia or funny memes that I find to paste within the pages.

A sketchbook because I’ve told myself I should never be without the opportunity to draw when the mood does or doesn’t strike.

A project book that, as of the end of today, will have an outline of the projects I hope to address in 2023. It’s a book of dreams, and I approach it knowing that I’ll never finish everything I’m listing.

Finally, a writing journal. I have a beautiful notebook given to me by a Kings Dominion cast member as part of our Secret Santa exchange. It will serve for those times of writing when I’m way from a keyboard or are just feeling creative.

But this post is not supposed to be about notebooks. I need your help.

One of my Three Words for 2022 was Read. I did a lot of reading. I did not however make my Goodreads goal of reading 25 books. Still, I reset the goal to do so in 2023.

Which comes to my need for your assistance. What should I be reading?

Here’s what is currently on the list.

In my morning quiet time I am reading through the New Testament and the Psalms. That will take me through the course of the year.

As a companion to that I’m reading A Year of Days with the Book of Common Prayer by Edmond Lee Browning.

For other books, I’m once again working my way through Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft because it’s good to read that every couple of years or so.

And, I’m reading James Clear’s Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones.

My challenge to you then, is what to add to that list. Give me your recommendations in the comments.

While you’re doing so, give me some good recommendations for binge-watching. I don’t tend to watch television on a regular schedule.

In 2022, I worked my way through all of the Marvel movies, the Harry Potter Movies, the Lord of the Rings Movies (which should be viewed annually), and the Hobbit Movies, which…well, let’s not go there.

I did a couple of series as well, most recently concluding with Wednesday. And of course, I did all of the Christmas movies. Although sadly, I did miss viewing Rudolph this year…mainly because I’m too cheap to pay to watch it and I missed it when it was aired.

I do my viewing while working on art projects. So, inspire me with your suggested viewing lists.

On a side note, while I currently have a record of posting every day in 2023 (insert rimshot here), I’m not quite sure where the blog is going, or staying this year. You can subscribe in the side bar to be emailed when I’ve got new post.

Let’s get going on 2023. “Regular” work returns tomorrow and that’s all I’ll say about that.

I’ll be looking for your reading and viewing suggestions.


 

5 comments

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    • Jeanne Erzinger on January 2, 2023 at 11:57 pm

    Binge watch The Chosen! It’s a crowd funded TV series of the Gospels, told from the point of view of the disciples. You can download the app, or watch on the Angel Studios app on your smart TV. The acting is excellent, the history of the period is well-researched, and it wonderful getting to know all the disciples and other NT characters and their very plausible back stories. They are currently on Season 3, Episode 4. You can start on Season 1 and binge watch to catch up. Be sure to have a box of Kleenex handy.
    BTW, I ordered your children’s books for the Erzinger great grandchildren for Christmas. (The only ones I bought gifts for)

    • Mike on January 3, 2023 at 6:51 am
      Author

    Thanks. I love The Chosen. I should have mention it in the post. And thanks for ordering the books!

    • Nick on January 3, 2023 at 7:41 am

    Have you read One Long River of Song by Brian Doyle? I’m going to reread that one this year. I really like his style and his appreciation of the little things.

    • Amy S. on January 4, 2023 at 9:40 pm

    I don’t know whether it would be of interest to you, but one of the books I always recommend to friends is Blackout, by sci-fi author Connie Willis. It’s a time-travel novel about the London Blitz that goes into such exquisite and heart-rending detail that I would put money on the author having actually invented a time machine. It’s the first of two books on the same theme, the sequel being All Clear, but I think Blackout is far superior for historical immersion.

    • Mike on January 5, 2023 at 7:23 pm
      Author

    Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll check those out.

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