The Trajectory of Today’s Topics

• Hot off the press, November must be memoir month

• Re-revisiting Dungeon Crawler Carl

• Milestone Managed, We’re Doing a Drawing!

Hot Off The Press

The Memoir Also Rises

November seems to be the month of memoirs. Actors, authors, activists, and bears oh my! Have been churning out a slew of personal journeys for us to dive into. There are too many to cover right now, so here are a few that have caught my attention, and I hope yours too. Maybe some will show up on your Christmas list? 

Future Boy by Michael J. Fox. Since his departure from acting, Michael J Fox has stayed busy writing books. Well, he’s probably done a lot of other important things, but I didn’t take the time to cyber stalk his instagram to find out. What I do know is that he’s busted out six books, three of which are memoirs. The latest, Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum, chronicles his time crafting two of his most iconic characters. 

“Hello, hello. Anybody home? Hey, think McFly, think.” While Fox was still crafting his ambitious, intelligent, business loving character Alex Keaton on Family Ties, he was working on another project that took the 80s by electrical storm. And he filmed both of these characters on the same day, same week, back to back. After Family Ties, he would swap the business attire for loose hightop sneakers, faded jeans, and the “life preserver” jacket vest of Marty McFly and film Back to the Future. He did this while working 20 hours a day! (Was this the 1880s or the 1980s? Labor laws? Where we’re going, we don’t need labor laws) This is a look into his life we see in his latest memoir. No wonder he was always late for school, come on Mr. Strickland, give him a pass, Michael J. was no slacker.

“Hello Clarice.” Even though there were so many quotable lines in Silence of the Lambs; ahem, “It puts the lotion on its skin or it gets the hose again.” Chills… Apparently that opening line never appeared in the movie. Mandela Effect strikes again! But we weren’t wrong, that chipper cannibal DID say it… in the sequel, Hannibal. Ah, the sweet taste of vindication. 

Speaking of the charming liver, fava bean and chianti lover, Dr. Hannibal, Anthony Hopkins’ autobiography “We Did OK, Kid: A Memoir” highlights the award winning, legendary actor's battles with alcohol abuse, a strained relationship with his father, and how he started out as a struggling actor. I know. I can’t believe that either, especially when we find out that he was mentored by Laurence Olivier. But I digress, I’ll admit this is another memoir I’m really interested in, though if we’re being honest… I wouldn’t be adverse to reading an autobiography by Hannibal Lecter, though I will have to pass on his cookbook. I have a feeling some of his ingredients might be a little troublesome to obtain. 

From punk goddess, to homemaker, to pop icon. Next up in the lineup is a punk and rock legend, Patti Smith. Bread of Angels: A Memoir spans the highlights of the iconic singer. We get a glimpse into her life from her childhood to her working class background, and on to her artistic awakening. After releasing a few albums with hits such as Dancing Barefoot, Gloria, and Because the Night, she disappeared to raise her family until her return in the 90s. Now at 78, Smith still maintains the same level of energy, and new music! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to jam out to Because the Night! 

The TBR Files

The Dynamic Duo Does It Again

I’m here for all the hype. Okay, hear me out. If you’ve heard just an inkling of the hype for this series, believe it! Forget the grain of salt, it’s seasoned enough, grab your fork and knife and devour this series! I don’t often go for things that are overly popular. Twilight, nah. 50 Shades, tried it… pass. Pickleball? I’d rather play racquetball. But Dungeon Crawler Carl? I cannot get enough, and this accolade, Audible’s Best of the Year in Sci-Fi and Fantasy, is well deserved!

I could write a thesis on these books. If you haven’t heard of DCC (Dungeon Crawler Carl) here’s a quick synopsis that will never do this series justice: Ahem. A somewhat boring “everyman” gets thrown into an alien dungeon gameshow after every structure in earth is literally flattened. Everything in the dungeon is trying to kill him, but all he wants is to survive and get the hell out. Oh yeah, and there’s a talking cat, Princess Donut who absolutely steals the show! 

Layers upon layers upon layers upon… I know, doesn’t sound all that interesting, but trust me, this series has so many layers! It’s dark, it’s funny, it’s heartfelt, yes… there have even been a few times I’ve sniffled. (don’t tell anyone!) The story line gets deeper and more convoluted the farther (further?) you go. Each book hits new highs, adds more characters, and a Challenger Deep plot that will keep you hooked! Despite the amazing books, where this series shines like a supernova in the night, is the Audible edition. The narrator, Jeff Hayes, is a master of voices. I was absolutely convinced he had a voice changer or some kind of AI app to make some of the voices. And there are some robotic, echo-y, altered voices that he has help with, but I was sure there was a female voice actor, or computerized help for Princess Donut, Katia, and other females, but I’ve seen him switch his voice on YT videos and more. He can emulate a female voice very well and with so much emotion and conviction. 😲

I don’t want to close my eyes, I don’t want to fall asleep ‘cause I’d miss you babe, and I don’t want to miss a thing… (you should really click this link! It’s my ballad to Carl) So far there are seven books in the series—with a possible ten books in total—This Inevitable Ruin is number 7. When they’re all finished, I’ll probably crawl into a dark cave and bawl my eyes out. Who knows if I’ll be able to face a world where there is no more DCC. If you have extra Audible credits and you don’t know what else to read, or if you need to purchase more, go and get the first book, Dungeon Crawler Carl, and give it a listen. You won’t be disappointed. Oh, and yeah, I give this entire series, every single book ☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕ All the coffees! I have literally re-read (listened to) every book multiple times! They are that good. 

…And Then This Happened

Hitting a Major Milestone!

You all did it! We have surpassed 100 newsletter subscribers this month! Now we need to keep on going and growing and hit the 500 mark. Think we can do it? I think so. In such a saturated market, and with email space commanding a high premium, it’s hard to get people to sign up for yet another email notification. I’ve been blasting these newsletters on all the socials, telling nearly everyone I know, and pestering customers who visit my stall during craft events, but I can’t do it alone. You, dear reader, can help spread the word too. All you have to do is tell your bookwyrm friends and family about this incredibly fun newsletter you get every couple of weeks! You can even share these emails on your socials or through email or text. 

Try it out, it doesn’t cost you anything! Okay, shameless sales pitch over. The real reason you’re still reading is because of that wonderful drawing I mentioned several weeks ago isn’t it? Hey, um, you have a little something right there on the corner of your mouth. I won’t tell anyone you’ve started drooling; it’ll go with me to the grave. I promise! 

So yes, it is time to do a drawing. One subscriber will get signed copies of Plight of the Familiar, Virtual Nightmare, and Storm of Echoes, along with a resin dragon egg, a 3D printed dragon egg, a piece of obsidian, artwork, and a packet of tea! I would add all that up and tell you how much of a retail prize that is ($97) but my bank account might disown me. (not including shipping fees) I have to find a randomizer app or something that will randomly spit out a winner’s name (seriously, that’s a lot of freebies) for me and then I will contact you via (not including all the time involved) email to get the prizes out.

I plan on doing this on December 2, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.