Turing Hopper, is a sentient AI

grumblecakes. that riff is getting old.

I'm toying with the idea of finding a more public place for my reading diary next year. It's currently on my very low-traffic blog, but I have some connections at reasonably high-traffic Seattle blogs, and one of them suggested I try to get my reading diary on board.

Any thoughts on pros and cons? It wouldn't be a hard-hitting review blog, but something more conversational, with a name like "One Reader's Diary" or "That Bookworm on the 303" (my bus route, where I get in at least half my reading these days). I'd talk about the books I read and try to get in some general commentary of interest to readers, especially Seattle readers--things like what I spy the 303's other bookworms reading, how long it takes to get a popular new title from the Seattle library, why Ichiro is like Mr. Darcy, maybe a bit on genre perceptions based on my experiences starting out writing romance ("Someone as smart as you writes THOSE?") to writing military historicals ("You're a woman and you're writing WHAT?"), etc.

Does that sound interesting? Can you think of anything to give it a stronger hook?

The pros that I've thought of are getting to talk about books to a wider audience, a wider audience that might buy my books if/when I'm published, and generally building name recognition. The con is that it'd take more time and energy than my current bare-bones reading diary. Anything I'm missing?

Christmas gift suggestions sought: for my father in law. He is interested in mystery series.

Dick Francis? Bernard Cornwell? C. S. Forester? Patrick O'Brian? John le Carré? Kenneth Roberts?

Okay, so only the first one wrote mysteries, the others did historical fiction, but worth a try.

How about Jan Burke? (I can't tell what's cosy if it doesn't have a recipe or some shit in it somewhere.)

Bernard Cornwell wrote one mystery that's very good, IMHO, Gallows Thief, though it's not part of a series.

"That Bookworm on the 303"

I love that title. And, the idea of a reading diary appeals to me. Isn't it true that we gravitate toward things that come with recommendations, at the same time we tend to distrust popular critics (or, maybe more specifically, love to dispute them)? That's why Amazon reviews are so widely read.

I'd be happy to read such a blog...

It sounds like an interesting idea, Susan. I've been toying with the idea of something more bloggish myself, because I'd like to get more practice writing essays. You might also consider calling it "Reading on the 303."

Oh yes. That's a nice refinement. That way, your eventual, craxy fans won't be searching for a particular book-reader on the 303.

Plus, "Reading on the 303" deftly implies a community of people interested in literary...um...stuff. So, it brings the 'people like people who like what they like' instant legitimacy and persuasion.

That way, your eventual, craxy fans won't be searching for a particular book-reader on the 303.

Well, the home I have in mind for this thing runs headshots of its bloggers, so I might have craxy fans recognize me anyway, but I think Ginger's title is better just because I wouldn't want to imply I'm the only bookworm on the 303.

Any suggestions for mystery series that fit the bill?

Has Donna Leon come up, yet? I love her Commissario Guido Brunetti series that is set in Venice . . . probably because of the descriptions of the food.