Welcome to Scooby Doo Meets Batman

 Guys, I have fallen down a rabbit hole and I do not want to dig myself out. I recently learned that DC has been writing comic books and mid-grade level books featuring the Scooby Doo meeting Batman and helping him solve crimes.

These are everything my inner child needs right now.

Cross overs are nothing new, in fact Scooby Doo first met Batman and Robin in the 1972 episode “The Dynamic Scooby Affair” from the show “The New Scooby Doo Movies”. This Scooby Doo series was nothing but crossover episodes with some of my favorite guests being the Addams Family and the Harlem Globetrotters. There were two Batman crossover episodes, but the first one (Dynamic) was the one most often replayed. 

Scooby Doo and Batman are nostalgic for me. Scooby Doo was a popular rerun block on the newish Cartoon Network in the 90s before getting a reboot run in the early 2000s. “What’s New Scooby Doo” was my jam in the 2000s and it coincided with the live action movies that came out in 2002 and 2004 respectively. I’ve somewhat kept up with the more recent Scooby Doo series - “Mystery Inc.” being the standout - and enjoyed watching the characters evolve over time. 

Batman was also an animated series in the early to mid 90s that shaped my understanding of the character. It was released shortly after the 1989 Batman movie. “Batman the Animated Series” along with a few other animated DC superhero (known by fans as the DCAU or DC Animated Universe) shows eventually became “Justice League” and “Justice League Unlimited” (or JLU). The DCAU also had a few cross over episode with my favorites being anytime Static Shock showed up - another standout early 2000s show.

However, Scooby Doo never made it to the DCAU. Though Warner Brothers owned both franchises by the 2000s, it wasn’t until a “Batman Brave and the Bold” movie that Scooby and the gang meet Batman and his friends again. A crossover movie that was released in 2018. That’s almost 50 years of them not interacting.

You may be thinking, but does Scooby Doo fit into the Batman and DC universe. The latest portrayals of the Dark Knight have been dark and edgy - way different from the more lighthearted Scooby Doo universe. Brave and the Bold doesn’t count because that series was for little kids, while The Animated Series and JLU were a lot darker with older teens in mind.

To which I counter: have y’all seen “Zombie Island” or “Witch’s Curse”? Those Scooby Doo movies have a very similar aesthetic as The Animated Series. Yes, Scooby Doo tends to err on the lighter side, but they are still dealing with criminals who dress up in costumes to do crime. Kind of like how super villains dress up in ridiculous costumes and do crimes in the DC universe.

In fact , I would argue that Scooby Doo’s villains fit in well with the villains running around in spandex of the DC universe (particularly the Flash’s Rogue Gallery, but that is neither here nor there). Why wouldn’t greedy land developers try to scare people away in silly costumes, if really bad guys are already terrorizing the general public in silly costumes.

Therefore, Scooby Doo and the Mystery Gang are a logical addition to the DC universe. 

The Scooby gang just doesn’t need to dress up because they don’t have the same tragic backstory Batman does.

Anyway, I bought both volumes of the recently released Batman & Scooby Doo Mysteries along with a mid grade novel that is very easy to solve if you are even fair-weather fan of Batman. They’re a lot of fun and feature a lot of the Batfamily, including Red Hood, Spoiler, Bluewing, Nightwing, Batwoman, and Ace the Batdog. 

However, the timeline is a little confusing. I’m not certain which Robin is in most of the stories. If there’s pants on the Robin it’s Tim or Damian, no pants and it’s either Dick or Jason. I’m pretty sure Jason is the Robin at one point, but it’s hard to tell. Also, there’s a fun “Pup Named Scooby Doo” issue that establishes that the Scooby gang is about five years younger than Batman (even Red Herring gets a mention), but this timeline is tossed out the window because I totally spotted Duke in the Batfamily reunion. Bruce is around 40 when Duke shows up in the current DC timeline, which would make Scooby one really old dog (maybe he too took a dip in the Lazarus Pits or he learned the secret of immortality from Alfred). 

Maybe it doesn’t really matter. Scooby was already an old dog in “Zombie Island”, so I can’t really complain. He’s also a talking dog - magic has got to be involved somehow.

The crossover comic series is a lot of fun and I can’t help but hear Adam West’s voice (despite my preference for Kevin Conroy) in Batman. The latest TV crossover did happen on the Scooby Doo series “Guess Who” in the episode: “What a Night for a Dark Knight” which was the final time Kevin Conroy would play my favorite version of Batman opposite my favorite Joker, Mark Hamel. Sadly, Mr. Conroy passed away in November 2022.

It was Mr. Conroy’s death that prompted me to return to the DC universe. Scoobytopia may have bought my attention to the latest Scooby Doo and Batman crossovers with his YouTube video “When Scooby Doo! Met Batman”, but it was Matt Baume’s video “The Gay Actor Who Bought Batman to Life: Remembering Kevin Conroy” that brought me back to Batman. 

For an entire generation of kids, myself included, Kevin Conroy was Batman. I still have a hard time accepting a different voice actor. We lost him too soon.

Scooby Doo and Batman are a part of American culture. Each decade seems to have a new series on TV or direct to consumer movies to watch. Both have their graphic novel universes and their live action movies. I’m happy that these s characters continue to grow and evolve for the next generation.

And most importantly, that a talking dog is still alive solving mysteries well past the point any dog should still be alive.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Welcome to Game Night Out

When I was a kid, once a week was family game night. One that designated night, the family would order out, pick a board game, and have fun for a few hours. This lasted until I was in middle school - a time when life got busier and more complicated.

Never the less, I found that I really enjoyed playing games with people and found that it was a good way to bond with friends and family. 

During the height of the Pandemic, some of my friends and I started to have virtual game nights. We used Zoom to connect and play Dungeons and Dragons or JackBox instead of the traditional board games. It was a way to stay connected and have some semi balance of normalcy during a very uncertain time.

Now that the world has opened back up and people are out and about, game nights have once again become infrequent. Though, I've still managed to find friend groups to play games like Uno or Exploding Kittens, most of my friends want to go out instead of have a night in.

And that's not a bad thing.

However, a third space has started popping up on my radar that combines the need to go out with the fun of a board game night.

These are known as bar-cades. 

I first came to know the term bar-cade in the mid-2010s. These were bars with arcade games, especially catered to people over the age of 21. These are not Dave And Busters. These are bars that allowed you to play skee-ball or Pac-Man while you get tipsy. These places were typically loud with low light, but a ton of club-like dancing energy (most had some kind of dance floor). I primarily went to these places in D.C. and New Jersey. 

The bar-cades I'm going to now are a little different. They still allow you to order alcoholic beverages, but they might also offer an array of board games for you and your friends to play. I spent a hilarious evening teaching one group of friends how to play Clue while enjoying a more traditional bar like atmosphere - no dance floors in sight. 

Praise to whomever designed this box art.

Most recently, I went to a place that was more of a café rather than a traditional bar-cade (even ones with just board games). This place was in Manassas, Virginia and offered an array of snakes, drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), and games to play. Some of the games are for sale, but there is an entire backwall dedicated to games people can play for an evening and then put back. 

The atmosphere was the most relaxed I'd been to and it was a lot more family and teen friendly than other "bar-cades" that I'd been to. It felt like a safe place for kids looking for a little independence as well as a fun nostalgic hangout for grownups (like me) who don't really like the bar scene. And though the 21+ drink list was comprehensive, there was also a fairly big mocktail menu. Snakes could be small shareables to full blown meals and there was a tiny dessert menu.

This was a fantastic space for a game night.

While I occasionally still want to go to the louder bar-cades with flashy arcade games and dancing, I'm really happy that these quieter spaces are popping up. It's especially nice that some are making an effort to include teenagers and families. I could have easily seen my high school (heck even college) friend groups going to a place like the one in Manassas to have a bit of independence from our parents or other adults. 

Game nights are still a lot of fun and I'm glad that I don't have to stay at home or invite people over to have them. Bar-cades are varied and can range from 21+ spaces to family friendly. I hope that more of these places (especially of the family friendly variety) keep popping up.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Welcome to the Age of AI

 I for one am annoyed by our new overlords.

This week, I watched in real time as the latest craze for tech bros caused serious problems for the Science Fiction publication Clarkesworld. I don't know who told all these people that they could make it big through the short story market (clearly they've never seen our pay scale), but someone said something and now Clarkesworld has had to close their submission portal and figure out a better way to screen for AI submissions without punishing human writers. 

No solution has yet to be found. At least for Clarkesworld.

And yes, the submission page has a little check box stating that the piece being submitted isn't AI generated work. These grifters don't care.

When I first heard about AI merging into the mainstream, it was through the art world. At first I was a bit middle of the road on my reaction. AI could be a cool new tool to make art depending on the programing and programmer. 

Yes, this is art. Mutt signed his name and everything.

I quickly changed my mind. 

A lot of what these AI programs are doing is stealing other people's art and awkwardly changing it. You might think that that's transformative art, people do stuff like that all the time. Except that some of these AI works are including the original artist's signatures and watermarks in their "art". The person behind the AI then tries to pass this new work off as their own original work without any recognition to the originator. The original artists in question are also not giving their permission for their art to be used. 

To make an easier art analogy, it would be like trying to pass off a famous painting like The Mona Lisa as your own work after taking the original canvas and splashing red paint across it. I don't think the Louvre will give you any credit. 

Art forgery has always been a problem and experts are often needed to confirm if a piece is real or not. Digital art is still fairly young (as far as art production goes), so the expertise on how to judge it's authenticity is a lot harder. And grifters are always out to make an easy buck.

That brings us to the latest AI target - literature. 

This is a space I am active in (not just passively like I am with art). Like creating quality art, writing any form of literary work takes a lot of skill honed over years of crafting. Writer's typically have a distinct voice that is consistent throughout their writing. This is something that is difficult for a computer to replicate and makes AI work stand out to a reader.

Recently, there's been a rush to self publish AI generated children's books. I'm not fully sure if this was a legit experiment or turned into an experiment when the creator started getting called out. Regardless, the children's book (called Alice and Sparkle) was a collaborative work by the human Ammaar Reshi and an AI. Both the art and writing were AI generated. It currently has three stars with reviews either raving about the author's innovation or completely bewildered by the lack of plot and strange art design.

It's currently the subject of a lot of mockery on many areas of the Internet. 

Though I haven't read the book, I have seen a few examples of the art work. All I can say is, it's bizarre - almost uncanny. And if that's the art, I shudder to think how off putting the writing is.

I am a writer, not because I think I'll make it big and end up as the next Hunger Games, but because I love telling stories. Even when my work doesn't go beyond my writing groups, I feel great sharing it with others. There also isn't that much money in short stories, self publishing, or even traditional publishing. The vast majority of writers have day jobs. 

Tech bros are trying to get rich quick by disrupting a market they barely understand with technology that can't replicate the creativity and voice that goes into these crafts. They have admitted that they don't care if they have to steal data to improve their technology and don't seem bothered by the real humans who are struggling to make their craft their full time jobs. Ten bucks says that we'll start seeing YouTube videos and expensive writing seminars on how to get rich writing stories and making art with AI in the next couple of months.

They are far more likely to just get themselves banned after trying to submit their AI nonsense. 

Until next week. 

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me. 

Note: this is a controversial topic and I reserve the right to delete anyone.

Welcome to Noir Falcons

 Please note that this blog post discusses a book that was written nearly a century ago and a movie that came out in the 40s. If you’re unfamiliar with the plot of The Maltese Falcon, you have been warned.

I recently picked up a used copy of The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. The same Dashiell Hammett who wrote The Thin Man which was an early movie mystery series that had its own fandom.

I could continue on with this tangent, as I am also a fan of the Thin Man movies and book. However, I am meant to be writing about The Maltese Falcon - famous on its own as the pinnacle of noir stories - which came out a few years earlier.

The Maltese Falcon was written in serialized form between 1929 and 1930. It was published as a book in 1930 - just as the Great Depression was kicking into high gear. The movie came out roughly a decade later, in the midst of World War II. Though it doesn’t seem like a long time, the US was a very culturally different place in those short ten years.

Between 1930 and 1941, the United States rebounded from an economic disaster, ended prohibition with the 21st Amendment, entered the Second World War, transitioned from silent films to “talkies”, and implemented the Hayes Code (I promise the last one is relevant). 

My copy of the book seemed to have been modified a bit to better align the narrative with the movie’s timeline. Spade makes a few references to cases in the 1930s that shouldn’t be in the text if it was formally published in 1930. Thus, I don’t know how many other changes may have been made to my copy of the text. 

However, if my copy of the book only has the date changes, then the 1941 movie adaptation is incredibly good (with a few difference that would never get past the censors).

My introduction to The Maltese Falcon and the noir genre in general was through parodies. “Rugrats”, “Animaniacs”, and “Tiny Toons” all had an episode dedicated to noir. The “Rugrats” episode “Radio Daze” even has a “dingus” like the falcon called The Malties Woodchuck (so called because it was hiding malted milk balls). Additionally, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” had a few episodes where Captain Picard role-played as a Detective on the holodeck.

Additionally, film noir heavily influenced the characters Jessica Rabbit (Who Framed Roger Rabbit) and Helga Sinclair (Atlantis). Those two characters helped shape my understanding of what a “femme fetales” was. 

All of these media influences shaped my understanding of film noir and (more importantly for this blog post) The Maltese Falcon. Did my expectations match my experience?

Kind of…

There was plenty of mystery and fast talking, shady characters. Sam Spade is certainly a man’s man of a detective, but he’s also a cad - stringing along his partner’s widow is only the tip of the iceberg. Gutman is the greedy leader of the thieves, but he’s also not as brilliant or violent as I expected. The gunman Wilmer Cook actually has a personality in the book and movie instead of being a nameless, faceless entity. Joel Cairo’s character I mostly new from stills and promotion for the movie. 

But it’s Brigid O’Shaughnessy’s character that surprised me most. She may be smart and devious, but she’s nowhere near as confident as the femme fetales I’d become used to. Honestly, I find her a bit pathetic - likely an act to get Sam on her side, but even her confession and reactions at the end aren’t very strong. She kind of just stands there, teary eyed and trembling as Sam explains how he know she set him up. It’s not the reaction Jessica or Helga would have, that’s for sure.

Despite these breaks in expectations, I do see why The Maltese Falcon is the iconic book and movie that it is and its influence on the noir genre. It’s a good story about very flawed, despicable people (including Sam Spade). Humphrey Bogart bring likability to Sam Spade, but he isn’t a good guy - not in the slightest. 

Honestly, all of the actors in the movie version make the characters a lot more likable than their book counterparts. 

Additionally, there are changes from the book to the movie adaptation. Some scenes are shorten or skipped entirely. A few characters don’t make an appearance at all such as Spade’s lawyer and Gutman’s daughter. There are also a few things that had to either be implied or cut out entirely due to the Hayes Code (I said it would come back).

In the book, there are a few scenes describing naked or semi naked women. At one point Spade forces O’Shaughnessy strip in a bathroom to see if she had palmed $1000 from him. In another short (and stomach turning) scene has Spade finding Gutman’s daughter drugged out of her mind with only a robe on in a hotel room. The Hayes Code wouldn’t have allowed any of that in an American cinema.

And though it’s only hinted at though 40s cinema language, Spade does indeed have sex with O’Shaughnessy in the book. The scene picks up while he’s getting dressed, but it’s obvious they hooked up.

Finally, I need to talk about the other coding in the movie. The Queer Coding.

In the movie, Peter Lorre expertly plays the queer coded character Joel Cairo. In the book, there is no coding. Joel Cairo is called out for being gay right from his introduction. It’s not a flattering portrayal of gay people - Spade is quite awful to Cairo even before he knows he’s a villain. However, it is openly stated.

Additionally, it’s heavily implied that Cairo is in a relationship with the gunman Wilmer Cook. Something that isn’t present at all in the movie.

We can thank the Hayes Code for that omission as well.  This wouldn’t be the first or last time that queer characters would be smoothed out for cinema - this is why we have the term Queer Coding. Nor is it the first or last time that queer characters are used as villains in a story. The Hayes Code helped solidify these tropes and prevented growth for LGBTQIA+ characters in film for nearly all the 20th century.

Overall, I understand the appeal and importance of The Maltese Falcon to American cinema, pop culture, and genre. It helped to establish tropes and characters that are still easily recognizable today. I also find it dated. 

The book is easy to read and follow. The characters leave a lot to be desired, but they are fully realized, complex characters.

It’s a story to be appreciated for its place and time in American culture. It certainly established Bogart as a leading man.

Could it be updated for modern audiences? No idea. There are apparently really bad adaptations (including a romantic comedy in 1935) and a very close 1931 adaptation that included scenes that couldn’t be shown at all to audiences (the strip search I mentioned above). There was also a parody sequel released in the 70s.

And even if it could be adapted for a modern audience, would we want it to be?

I don’t think I would.

Let me know in the comments what your favorite noir (played straight or parody) is. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is probably mine.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to a Love of B Horror Movies

Here’s a not so secret about me, I un-ironically love bad horror movies. My favorites are campy horror movies from the 50s and 60s, typically star Vincent Price or Christopher Lee, and are overacted by a factor of 10,000. Whether these movies are actually good can be debatable. I don’t think I’d call The Blog a good movie (let alone a good horror movie), but I would call it an entertaining one.

When I’m having a tough time and need a good laugh, I like put on one of these movie. There’s no denying the VelociPaster is a mess of a movie, but I will laugh my butt off when there are explosions being heard and the screen just says “VFX: Car on Fire”. Leprechaun (the 1993 version with pre-famous Jennifer Aniston) has some actual scary moments, even if it is hard to take Warwick Davis’s character seriously when he’s laughing like a Saturday morning cartoon villain.

Recently, I was able to watch Killer Klowns from Outer Space, which is a classic B Horror movie from the late 1980s. It is a glorious example of a so bad it’s good kind of horror movie. There were some genuinely horrifying moments between the campy acting and costumes. It was a clear throw back to the creature features of the 1950s (30 something teenagers et. all). However, I was actually disturbed by the clown klown that was luring a little girl away from her family, or the klown pretending to be a statue outside of a pharmacy, or the ending where it’s implied that pretty much everyone but the final characters die in the town.

Also the costumes are by far the creepiest clown costumes - beating out all three It movies  by a landslide.

Old B horror movies might be my go to, but sometimes a gem of a B horror movie comes out now. However, these movies typically aren’t shown in theaters. 

Thanks to the streaming wars and Internet critics, B horror movies have had a bit of a renaissance. Some are actually pretty good, others are so bad they’re good (VelociPaster on Amazon Prime falls here), and then you have the so boring I can’t watch this anymore. That last category is the worst. I watch B horror movies for a cheap thrill and a hearty laugh, not because I want to fall asleep.

Willy’s Wonderland, starting a completely mute Nick Cage, is one of those so bad it’s good. I love this movie. Did it scare me? Not really. I may have jumped a couple of times because of a loud noise or jump scare. I did laugh my butt off and did care about the characters (even if I knew most were gonna die). My cat, however, did find the movie scary and didn’t like the humans dying (she’s a sensitive kitty).

It was because I’d watched Willy’s Wonderland that a new horror movie popped up on my recommendations. 

Haunt (2019) is a legit intense B horror movie. It’s not the most amazing horror movie I’ve ever seen - it is very much a B horror movie and was made with a shoe-string budget. However, what it lacks in effects it makes up for solid performances and seriously creepy moments. This movie doesn’t rely on jump scares. There’s only one that I can think of and it’s deserved for all of its dumbness. Instead, this movie uses voyeuristic techniques, long stretches of silence, and effective theming to create a fantastic horror experience. There are still a few funny moments - the movie takes place in an extreme haunted house experience and knows how to have fun with the setting. 

It’s not The House October Built, but Haunt knows what it’s doing.

B horror movies walk a fine line. They still need to be scary on some level, while still being fun. There might be a wink at the camera and some self awareness, but the best also take the material they are working with seriously. There’s a reason Killer Klowns from Outer Space and Leprechaun are considered cult classics. Heck, I’d argue Poltergeist is a classic B movie with an A list director to give it credibility.

But the overarching message of this post is a simply silly one: horror movies can be comfort movies, especially the campy, overacted ones with 30 somethings playing teenagers.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Welcome to Dealing with Anxiety

 My anxiety spiked this week (for reasons that will not be detailed in this blog). Though I’ve been dealing with anxiety for sometime now, it can still be very difficult to get out of the spiral of negativity and worse case scenarios. And it’s not just the mental side that can be difficult to deal with, there can also be a physical side. 

Here are something’s I do when my anxiety meter is off the charts:

This photo I took in Iceland of some street art is a good representation of my anxiety.

• Go hiking and be out in nature - getting outside and physically active helps to slow down my racing thoughts rather than speed them up. Being around nature is grounding. My worries seem further away when I’m in on a forest or mountain path. Note: it might be difficult or impossible for some people to go out for a hike or out into nature. Going to a local park or just around the block of your neighborhood can be beneficial.
• Cleaning - you might be surprised how much better a person can feel after tidying up. I spent much of the weekend finally putting away Christmas decorations, vacuuming, and getting rid of things that no longer "brought me joy" (to quote Marie Kondo - who has admitted to throwing in the towel for some of her advice after kid number three - it's still good advice for decluttering though).
• Take a hot bubble bath - I don't know about the rest of you guys, but anxiety tends to take a physical toll along with the mental. When my muscles are tense, my shoulders extremely tense, and I can't relax the best thing for my body is a soak in the tub. Finding the right products to add to the bath can also be helpful. Some lavender essential oil or a soothing bath bomb can really add to the relaxing atmosphere or just some good old fashion bubbles. Note: once again, not everyone may have access to a bath tub or be physically able to use one. In these cases a hot shower will work too.
• Watch a comfort movie or TV show - make sure it's something you don't have to pay attention to, but have positive feelings for. It doesn't matter if it's a guilty pleasure or something really silly. I personally love watching "Alvin and the Chipmunk Meet the Wolfman" or an older Disney Channel Original Halloween Movie like "Phantom of the Megaplex".
• Use a calming breathing technique - Using a meditative breathing technique or simply counting my breaths are known to help my nerves settle. I'm currently working on a walking meditation tutorial and have found that the method used (breathing from the heart and out with a focus on the forehead) is very relaxing - and lets me go into a deeper meditation.

Though my troubles aren't going away anytime soon, the things listed above can help me reset my nervous system. Once that happens, I can tackle the problem and come up with solutions.

Do you guys ever struggle with anxiety. Do you have techniques you use to settle down. Share your experiences. 

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to an Unexpected Accomplishment in 2022

Over the past few years - at least since I joined GoodReads - I’ve included a blog post about my reading habits over the course of the previous year. Typically, I included a review of a few of the books and a bunch of recommendations. I would try to read one book or more than the previous year.

2022 started similar. I set a goal to read one more book than 2021 on January 1st, 2022. I was so excited, that I picked up my first book of the year (well downloaded it - it was a digital book) and started reading. The book was on self publishing by a friend in one of my writer’s groups (Hank Quense’s Self Publish a Book in 10 Steps). He had asked a few of us to read the recently released book and provide feedback - which I did.

I quickly finished the first book and dove right into the second, followed closely by a third and forth. Occasionally, I would be reading 2-3 books at a time (I do this to give myself a “break” from books I find emotionally draining or difficult to read).

Now I am not a fast reader. The stack of books in my “to read” pile continues to grow and outpace my reading ability. I envy the TikTok posters and YouTubers who can post a new book review a week. 

I just can’t do that.

What I did end up doing through 2022, was read from one book (print, digital, graph, comic, poetry, and short story collection) every day. Sometimes I was only able to read a page or two. A couple of days I could breeze through an entire poetry collection in one sitting (it helped that I was on a plane and had nothing better to do).

I didn’t even do this on purpose at first. I only noticed at some point in April that I had read every day in 2022. I thought to myself that it was an unusual thing for me to do. Which lead me to wanting to see how long I could keep up reading every single day. By September, I was determined to keep up the pace to December 31st.

New Years Eve came. I didn’t go out, staying home with my cat and finishing my annual reread of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. As I closed the 41st book of 2022, I felt a huge wave of accomplishment. I’d read every single day in 2022.

This was big for me. I was never a big reader as a kid - it was a difficult activity for me to do. I think I actually read more as an adult than I did as a child. Maybe it’s because I’m reading for my own pleasure than for some boring assignment for school. However, 2022 was the first year that I had actively dedicate so much time to reading.

Though I may have occasionally stayed up reading a little too late, I think this unexpected accomplishment was really good for me. I learned a lot, enjoyed some new adventures, and bonded with friends over what we were currently reading. The ritual (usually right before bed) was calming and may have given me some interesting dreams.

Overall, I recommend fitting in 10-15 minutes a day to read a little. It doesn’t matter what kind of book you’re reading (you saw my eclectic list) or if it’s in print or a digital download. What matters is that you enjoy yourself.

I am currently still taking the time to read a little each day, though I don’t know if I’ll do another year of reading each day. I don’t want to commit and put pressure on myself that could add stress. Instead I want this to become a part of my nightly routine to help me get ready for bed. I could always use better quality sleep.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.