Book #30

out of 24 for 2026 (125% of goal).

'Running the Books: the Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian' by Avi Steinberg

I have an interview

at Blackburn Correctional Complex tomorrow morning for a librarian position, so today I decided to check out and read Jill Grunewald's book 'Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian'. That is #29 out of the goal of 24 books this year. Yay! And it was written by a fellow graduate of the University of Kentucky School of Library Science.

A very weird but entertaining book

I started it back in May and picked it up here and there, but really got going tonight and finished it at 2:45 AM.

Finished book #28 out of a goal of 24 for the year. It's the first fiction one I've read this year. One other was a book of poetry. Everything else has been non-fiction. My friend lent this one to me after bringing it back from his trip to New York. Something reminded him of me. I suspect it's because the main character tends to please everyone but himself, never pursues his own dreams, and instead sticks close to his wacky family while trying to maintain a sense of normalcy. Years ago, my friend's crazy mother gave me a jar of Pace mild picante sauce as a commentary on my personality. Yes. Did I mention she was crazy? Somewhat subtle, I'll admit. So we've always described my personality as mild picante sauce. But I don't want to be like that. I want to be a little more adventurous without being too out there. In the book, the main character realises it's time to live a little. I'm 59; I think it's past time. I really need to make the time. Which, I believe, is the reason my friend lent me the book. 😊 I know him well; if he can do two or three things with one action, he will.

Exceeding expectations

 

27 Books

Added:

I made it, or, two more books and a challenge completed!

Granted, they were both short, but still...

#24 Food Journal Magic: A Daily Food and Fitness Diary to Create Lasting Weight Loss That Stays Off Without a Diet by Alegra Loewenstein

This is not actually a food journal, but how to set up one and what to include, and how best to execute it. I was a little disappointed for that reason. I was able to find a food journal that allows me to write directly on it for the Kindle Scribe, which, of course, I am not including in the reading challenge, though. That is: Food Journal and Weight Tracker by No Yellow Snow Media, and it allows you to export the data via email so you can just erase the information and reuse the pages as needed.

THIS BOOK COMPLETED THE Goodreads 2026 READING CHALLENGE!!!!!

# 25 My Novel Work Book: A step by step guide for novice writers by Roger Alderman

This one basically shows you how to outline a novel in 12 chapters using classical format along the lines of Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey. Some spelling errors could have used an editor's eye (it's self-published), but otherwise, the book is adequate. It got me thinking. I have wanted to be an author since I was a child. Granted, I've published over 30 pieces of writing, from book chapters, book reviews, articles, etc., and I mean went-through-a-committee-and-editor published in a book or journal, but I never feel like a published author. I would like to write a novel. Not the Great American novel, but still. Something people would enjoy reading. Seeing my name in print, or at least in digital form. 😉

#23 of 24

I am, by the way, on Bluesky. I got on it back when it was invitation-only in 2024, I think (hence the simple handle, just like I had on Twitter). I hadn't used it hardly at all, though. I'd like to, though, as I deleted X (Twitter) last year and Bluesky is better than Threads in some respects. So I read this book. I'm just starting out, though. If you're interested in following me, or if you'd like me to follow you, I'm at: https://bsky.app/profile/eilir.bsky.social.

Two more

22 out of the total of 24, 10 books ahead for the year. It helps to be unemployed.

#20 of goal of 24 for 2026

Cody Cook-Parrot. The Practice of Attention: Cultivating Presence in a Distracted World. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2026. 239 pp. I actually didn't get a chance to pick it up to read till today, but finished in one sitting.  Not the best  I've read, not the worst; I'd say the Goodreads rating is about on par.

. 

2026 Reading Challenge Update

I'm pretty happy with how things are going. My aim was to read 24 books this year. I've read 19; I'm seven ahead of schedule, and I'm working on another three or so. I've read each month, so Goodreads has given me an 'achievement' bookmark for each one. There are 174 days left. Here is what I've read so far, in reverse order:

1. Supervisor, Manager, Leader: The Basics of Being a Boss by Mike Kraus
2. Knock 'Em Dead 2016: The Ultimate Job Search Guide by Martin Yate
3. 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions by Ron Fry
4. Can I Recycle That? A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics by Jennie Romer
5. The Inspired Houseplant: Transform Your Home with Indoor Plants from Kokedama to Terrariums and Water Gardens to Edibles by Jen Sterarns
6. House Plants for Every Space: A Concise Guide to Selecting, Designing and Maintaining Plants in Any Indoor Space by Green Interior
7. The Lifelong Gardener: Garden with Ease and Joy at Any Age by Toni Gattone
8. The Official We Do Not Care Club Handbook by Melani Sanders
9. Painting in Watercolour: Practical Techniques and Projects for Beginners by Wendy Jelbert
10. All These Ghosts by Silas House
11. I Need a Job!: Be Noticed. Land the Interview. Get Hired. by Gary Burnison
12. CV Handbook: A Curriculum Vitae Owners Manual by Will Coghill Behrends and Rebecca Antony
13. The Everything Guide to GLP-1s: Lose Weight, Build Healthy Eating Habits, and Achieve Lifelong Weight Management by Kayley George
14. What Color is Your Parachute Guide to Rethinking Interviews: Ace the Interview and Land Your Dream Job by Richard Nelseon Bolles
15. A Good Apology: Four Steps to Make Things Right by Molly Howes
16. On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World by Danya Ruttenberg
17. Why Your Resume Isn't Working: And How You Can Fix It Now by Wendy D. Steele
18. Unmasking Adult Autism: Embrace Your Autistic Identity, Overcome Executive Dysfunction, and Empower Your Neurodivergent Self by Neuro Nurture
19. Camouflage: The Hidden Lives of Autistic Women by Sarah Bargiela

Five more to go. Let's see if I can go beyond that. Hopefully! I've got two works of fiction I'm working my way through (these are almost all non-fiction). One is The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown. The other is Mrs. Lilienblum's Cloud Factory by Iddo Gefen. I'll be happy to add those to the list, as I do non-fiction much more easily than fiction these days, alas. I don't know why.

#1 for 2026

Camouflage: The Hidden Lives of Autistic Women by Sarah Bargiela, illustrated by Sophie Standing. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2019.

This is an introduction to autism presentation in women in graphic novel format, aimed at young adults aged 11-18, so it was a quick read as I was making coffee this morning. I found it informative, but I especially found the bits about how autistic women are often the victims of abuse in relationships because they fail to form a network of female friends in their adolescence to help them navigate dating and sexual relations. This is my experience. In her book, Sarah Bargiels described how they were forced to learn to be assertive on their own and how it finally empowered them. I never did. I got stuck, so I just shut down in this area and stopped dating. I divorced in 1991 and stopped dating about 1994. Period. It wasn't worth it, I told myself. Maybe this diagnosis will change this--I don't know.  But it could, now that I know what's going on, it's definitely a part of my life I should talk with my therapist about.