I hope everyone had a great holiday! I'll be honest, I was asleep well before the ball dropped.
Have any of you made any New Year's Resolutions? If so, let me know what they are!
Are they book related?
Productivity related?
Fitness related?
Let me know!
I don't normally do resolutions (because I never keep them) but this year I'm making an effort to get into better shape. I'm not getting any younger afterall!
Also, I'm planning to write more. Not books, although I have a few I plan to release this year, but writing more by hand. I don't write by hand much so my goal is to... well track my goals, by keeping a handwritten journal.
We'll see how it goes!
Now on to the books!
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
FREE for a limited time! A young Justice Keeper named Anna Lenai stumbles upon humanity’s lost homeworld while tracking an alien fugitive into uncharted space. Anna’s mission to recover the escaped alien inadvertently leads her to Earth, a planet unfamiliar and hostile to her. Struggling to adapt, Anna uncovers a far-reaching conspiracy that threatens to upend the foundations of this rediscovered world. As secrets come to light, she is drawn deeper into the mystery, navigating both her mission and the turbulent dynamics of a world once thought lost.
FREE for a limited time! J.J. Graves, both a mortician and the coroner for King George County, Virginia, is no stranger to death. But when a grisly murder shakes the small town of Bloody Mary, she teams up with Detective Jack Lawson to solve the case and bring justice to the victim.
The mystery deepens when a renowned thriller author arrives at J.J.'s doorstep, claiming to be researching the Bloody Mary Serial Killer for his latest novel. As the investigation unfolds, J.J. begins to suspect that the writer may have a personal stake in the chilling events, raising questions about his intentions and the lengths he might go to craft his next bestseller.
FREE for a limited time! Sixteen-year-old Hamilton Dinger, a narcissistic teenager with a seemingly perfect life, finds his world upended after a meteor crashes into Apollo City, unleashing the Seven Deadly Sinisters and their leader, Orpheus. The event also awakens Hamilton’s dormant supernatural powers, throwing him into an unexpected battle to save his city.
Teaming up with Elysian, a changeling dragon, and Starry Knight, a mysterious warrior, Hamilton faces a steep learning curve as he transitions from self-absorbed teen to reluctant hero. Balancing his newfound responsibilities with his inclination to dodge destiny, he must grapple with hard truths and confront the potential loss of everything he values.
Slumbering is the first book in The Starlight Chronicles, blending action, humor, and Christian fantasy themes. It’s a story of growth, supernatural battles, and learning to rise to the occasion even when it’s the last thing you want to do. Perfect for fans of stories about reluctant heroes and moral challenges in the face of adversity.
In 2024, some of the most borrowed books from public libraries included popular fiction titles like Kristin Hannah's The Women, Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing, and Emily Henry's Happy Place. Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow was notably the most borrowed adult book in New York City and a top choice in Denver, where James McBride's The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store ranked as the most popular.
Other frequently checked-out titles across libraries included Ann Patchett's Tom Lake, Harlan Coben's Think Twice, and John Grisham's Camino Ghost. In non-fiction, Eric Larson's The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War stood out as a top pick.
The borrowing trends were compiled from 18 public libraries across the U.S., though not all libraries publicize their borrowing data, and no unified national list is released by the American Library Association. The lists also varied, with some libraries categorizing books by fiction, non-fiction, and children's literature.
PUBLIC DOMAIN POPEYE
I have a sudden craving for spinach.
On January 1, 2025, numerous iconic works entered the U.S. public domain, allowing anyone to use, share, and adapt them freely. These included Popeye, Tintin, Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, the Marx Brothers' first feature film The Cocoanuts, and Fats Waller's song Ain't Misbehavin'.
The works that entered public domain are from 1929, except for sound recordings (governed by different rules) from 1924. This marks the end of their 95-year U.S. copyright terms. Jennifer Jenkins of Duke University's Center for the Study of the Public Domain highlights how this expiration encourages new creative adaptations, as seen in public domain-inspired projects like remakes, spinoffs, and other adaptations.
While some projects generate buzz for their novelty—like recent horror-themed reinterpretations of public domain characters such as Winnie the Pooh—more enduring adaptations often take a nuanced approach. Examples include West Side Story (based on Romeo and Juliet), Wicked (a prequel to The Wizard of Oz), and Percival Everett's James (a retelling of Huckleberry Finn).
Beyond professional works, public domain materials empower artists, musicians, and educators to create and share freely. For example, musicians can now perform and post certain compositions that were previously restricted.
Public domain additions like these play a crucial role in fostering creativity and broadening access to cultural heritage.
BOOK TECH
CHEAP BRAILLE MACHINE
Yash Mehta, a 14-year-old ninth grader with a passion for engineering and helping others, has developed a digital braille reader that costs less than $50, addressing the significant price barrier of existing devices, which range from $2,000 to $20,000. His invention aims to make braille technology more accessible, particularly for students in developing nations.
During a visit to a blind school in Old Delhi, India, Mehta noticed that none of the students used digital braille readers, primarily due to their prohibitive costs and frequent mechanical issues. Determined to create an affordable alternative, he began working with teachers and students at the Blind Relief Association in New Delhi. His prototype, tested successfully with students, uses six rotating motors connected to an Arduino platform to simulate braille patterns. This innovative design enables users to read braille with 86% accuracy by resting their fingers above the motor outputs.
Despite finding the hardware aspects manageable, Mehta faced challenges in programming the device to convert input text into braille. To overcome this, he taught himself coding, a skill he now plans to apply to future projects. His efforts paid off when the device successfully enabled a student to identify braille characters during testing, an emotional milestone for the young inventor.
Mehta’s work gained recognition in October when he became a finalist in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, earning first place in the technology category and a $3,500 prize. While his current model costs $20 to produce and could retail for $35, Mehta aims to enhance the device with features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and optical character recognition by incorporating an ESP32 microcontroller.
In collaboration with two schools, Mehta is refining the design for production. He plans to partner with an ethical company to manufacture the device, ensuring a price under $50 while distributing 1,000 free units annually to blind individuals in developing countries. His innovation highlights the potential of low-cost technology to transform lives and bridge accessibility gaps.
BOOK BITS
Did You Know?: The first known author in history is Enheduanna, a high priestess in ancient Mesopotamia, who wrote hymns over 4,000 years ago.
Fun Fact: The word "novel" comes from the Italian novella, meaning "new" or "short story of something new."
Book Trivia: The most expensive comic book ever sold is Action Comics #1 (1938), which introduced Superman. It went for $3.2 million in 2014!
Literary Fact: Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind was the only book she ever published, yet it won her a Pulitzer Prize and international fame.
Interesting Tidbit: The famous opening line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, was almost cut from the final draft.
Whether you’re diving into a new book or working on your next big writing idea, remember that every page is progress. Keep nurturing your creativity, and never stop reading and learning. As always, thanks for being a part of MY journey as I continue to write books and work to build this newsletter into something that will hopefully help and inspire people. See you next week!
