Hard to believe it’s been a year since I invented Hippie Bookworm and started this little blog called hippiebookworm.com. The idea actually grew out of the fact that I couldn’t find a decent book club in the Naples, FL area. Either the groups were full and didn’t want additional members or the meeting times interfered with my work and school schedule so I wouldn’t be able to attend. I remember sitting on my couch reading a John Jakes book saying “Man, I wish there was a way for me to share with other avid readers and learn about new books and authors.”
One year later, here we are. And it’s been great! Sure sometimes I feel as if Hippie has taken over all my free time, but the things I’ve been introduced to over the years and the privilege of being able to share with you all has made every late night or busy lunch hour worth it.
Below are just a few milestones we’ve celebrated together over the past year:
Authors we’ve grown to know and love
Mike Wells – First introduced to me through his Twitter feed at @MikeWellsAuthor, I took advantage of a free e-book giveaway to his trilogy Lust, Money & Murder and was hooked ever since. I actually read all three books within a month’s time and did my review on the whole trilogy itself. Other avid fans have tweeted about his other publications and I’ve been dying to read more of what he’s written.
S.L. Pierce – Another Twitter fellow that I follow is e-book author S.L. Pierce (@Piercebooks). So far I’ve had the privilege to read two of her book, The Devil’s Game and Treasure Hunt, both of which took me on a wild ride of twists and turns until it was left at the very end to find out who the bad guy really was.
Benjamin X. Wretlind – Promoted by a fellow author on Twitter I had to check out @bxwretlind’s new novel Castles because I was so intrigued by the way it was described online. I was not disappointed. This twisted, enthralling, sometimes sadistic story will have you questioning your own moral standings by the end.
So many more – There have been so many more authors that I have found via Twitter, Facebook or through recommendations by publishers, friends and family. Each one I read and do a review of at least one of their books so feel free to scour my “Book Review” category for even more authors.
Movies we’ve been privileged to witness
When the Harry Potter Series finally ended in theatres I thought the world would end. I had spent so many years (maybe 10?) both reading the books and watching the movies as they premiered in theatres. But these new movies adaptations have kept my seat warm in the theatre over the past year.
The Hunger Games – There could be no better Katniss Everdeen than Jennifer Lawrence in this apocalyptic trilogy based on the YA books by author Suzanne Collins. In 2013 we’ll see the premiere of Catching Fire and the legacy will continue from there.
Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 – Can it be true that we’re no longer going to be witness to the on-screen vampire/human/werewolf love triangle? Breaking Dawn Part 2, the last in Twilight Saga did not disappoint as Stephenie Meyer added her own twists to the storyline to satisfy both her readers and her film fans.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Our beloved Bilbo Baggins from Lord of the Rings has returned, this time as a young man in the more whimsical The Hobbit. How Director Peter Jackson will take this 300-page children’s book and make three 3-hour movies out of them has yet to be seen. But if the first movie is any indication, LOTR fans will not be disappointed by this Middle Earth journey.
Inspiring Information about books and authors alike
Jumping Genres – I recently read up on the critiques of J.K. Rowling’s latest book, The Casual Vacancy, and wasn’t surprised to see that many fans were disappointed by her lack of magical elements, depth in characters and mundane scenery of a small English town. But while researching, I did come across the fact that Stephen King, James Patterson, Stephenie Meyer and even Anne Rice have all traveled outside the realm of what they’re know for with varying degrees of success. Learn more.
Author Cameos – While Stephen King is clearly the king of cameos, I was fascinated to learn that V.C. Andrews, author of Flowers in the Attic, performed a short cameo in her movie adaptation, but never lived long enough to see the final film premiere to audiences. See more cameo facts.
The Brits are Proud of Their Children’s Lit – From modern successes like J.K. Rowling to classic authors such as P.L. Tavers and J.M. Barrie, the British showed their enthusiasm for Children’s Literature (and universal healthcare) at the 2012 Summer Olympics held in London, UK. The opening ceremonies included everything from a giant Lord Voldemort to a sea of Mary Poppins falling from the sky. Check out who else was celebrated this summer.
More to come
Fear not. This past year has done nothing to squelch my thirst for sharing about what I read and hearing from fellow bookworms as well. In fact, there are a few more plans I have for the next year to come:
Bookstore – I’ve been researching how to open an online bookstore for fellow bookworms such as me who cannot be satisfied by what they already have on their shelves and in their e-reader clouds. It’s taking some time, but once ready, it will launch on the website so stay tuned.
A book of my own? – Over the past two years, between hosting hippiebookworm.com and earning my MBA, I’ve been writing and writing and writing. I’m about 80% through with a first draft of one story and have been writing a second story and gathering ideas for a third. If I can ever find a way to focus for more than an hour at a time, you may actually find me on the new e-book author list in the coming year. So stay tuned.
More appreciation – As I learn more about blogging, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook I’ll be looking for new ways to show even more appreciation to the authors, bloggers, publishers and readers who tune in every week to see what Hippie might have read over the weekend. Again, stay tuned.
When were you introduced to Hippie Bookworm? How has she helped you over the past year?
