Mass Market Books Are Disappearing!

I came across an interesting piece on NPR titled,  Mass-market books are disappearing from grocery store racks. It's an interesting piece, which I enjoyed listening to about the publishing industry and how book size has evolved.

As a youngster, I remember mass market books were the norm and trade paperback were definitely not a thing from what I recall.

Then things changed in the publishing industry when they flooded the market with trade paperbacks! 

I actually prefer mass market paperbacks to trade paperbacks as they are more portable to bring with you than trade paperbacks. So, what's your take? Which format do you prefer - mass market paperbacks to trade paperbacks?

Click on the above link to listen to the NPR story. It's roughly a 5 minutes listen.

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

I signed up to be a Social Media Ambassador for my Public Library!

I received an email from my county's public library recently asking for Social Media Ambassadors. Curious about what the role of a Social Media Ambassador entails, I looked into the program and have decided to become a Social Media Ambassador for my public library! 

Below is a description of what is being asked of Social Media Ambassadors for my public library entails.

Social Media Ambassadors

You can support public relations at the Library from the comfort of your home by volunteering as a Social Media Ambassador. You can help the Library extend its reach into the community and raise awareness of library collections, resources and programs at the same time.

No application is required. Simply sign up to receive Social Media Ambassador emails. They'll come once or twice a month. Each email will include information about library initiatives and topics. Ambassadors will be asked to post about the Library in their own words and to share stories about what they love about the Library – maybe an upcoming event, a recent blog post, a favorite branch or what they’re reading or watching. The Library is looking for ambassadors on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Nextdoor.

What Social Media Ambassadors Will Do

Add the Library on your favorite social media platforms and tag the Library in your posts
Share, like, and comment on Contra Costa County Library’s posts to help the library stay visible in the community
Tell your stories about the Library and use social media to tell the world what you love about the Library. Creativity is encouraged.

Participate as much or as little as you are able. Every post about the Library helps to grow a social media community.

Does your public library have a Social Media Ambassador program? If so, would you consider becoming a Social Media Ambassador?

Which Book Will Be Your First Read of 2026?

 

Last autumn, I received the free PDF version of The Green Baize Door by Eleanor Birney from BookSirens to read in exchange for an honest review. 

I need to have this novel read and reviewed towards the end of this month. So, this will be my first read for 2026.

The Shimmer by David Morrell

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of The Shimmer by David Morrell, which was nicely narrated by Phil Gigante. My only complaint is about the audio production for this novel. It is a tad difficult to hear the narrator reading this novel due to the audio quality. 

The Shimmer by David Morrell was my last read for 2025. I'd read Morrell's novel, Murder As Fine Art, in November 2024. I have been meaning to read more of his novels ever since then. In fact, Murder As Fine Art is the first novel in a series. I need to finish this series.

I like The Shimmer as it is different from what I normally would read or gravitate towards. David Morrell seems to do a lot of research for his novels, which I enjoy as it gives his books more depth due to both his research and his writing style. I especially enjoyed hearing David Morrell read the afterward he wrote for The Shimmer as he discussed how he came to write this novel.

If you are a fan of of thrillers and suspense novels, then you may enjoy The Shimmer as well. I enjoyed the writing, storytelling and the characters for this novel. There are so many layers to The Shimmer, which makes it an engaging read.

Below is the publisher's summary for The Shimmer by David Morrell from Chirp's website:

Creator of Rambo and co-founder of the International Thriller Writers organization, David Morrell has been called “the father of the modern action novel.” Now this award-winning, New York Times bestselling author delivers The Shimmer, a novel of chilling impact.

When police officer Dan Page’s wife disappears, her trail leads to Rostov, a remote Texas town where unexplained phenomena attract hundreds of spectators each night. Not merely curious, these onlookers are compelled to reach this tiny community and gaze at the mysterious Rostov Lights.

But more than the faithful are drawn there. A gunman begins shooting at the lights, screaming “Go back to hell where you came from!” then turns his rifle on the innocent bystanders. As more and more people are drawn to the scene of the massacre, the stage is set for even greater bloodshed.

To save his wife, Page must solve the mystery of the Rostov Lights. In the process, he uncovers a deadly government secret dating back to the First World War. The lights are more dangerous than anyone ever imagined, but even more deadly are those who try to exploit forces beyond their control.

With The Shimmer, David Morrell takes readers on a brilliant, terrifying journey. Suspenseful, yet thought-provoking, it is the master at his very best.

I am giving The Shimmer by David Morrell a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse

I watched 'Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse' last night via Kanopy. I enjoyed watching this documentary a lot. This documentary was released earlier this year about the life of Art Spiegelman and his works, including Maus, which won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize. 

I highly recommend 'Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse" if you love comics/graphic memoirs.

I read Maus I and Maus II by Art Spiegelman in the mid 1990s for an English course in college.

I recently reacquired the hardback edition of this book, which contains both volumes of Maus. I look forward to rereading it in 2026.

Top Ten Tuesday - Most Recent Additions to My Bookshelf

  

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

I admit it!! I am a book lover and I acquire books like crazy. I have them in all formats; hardback, paperback, ebook, and audiobook. Honestly, I have know idea how many books I currently have in my 'to be read' stack... Let's just say that I have enough books for a mini library.

Below are my most recent acquisitions.

1. Biological Exuberance by Bruce Bagemihl PhD

2. Murder in the Forbidden City by Amanda Roberts

3. Toto A. J. Hackwith

4. The Bluest Eyes by Toni Morrison

5. Chained Birds by Carla Conti

6. Dark Wild Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

7. The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens

8. The Fear of Winter by S. C. Sterling

9. The River Knows Your Name by Kelly Mustian

10. Medusa by Nataly Gruender

Have you read any of the above books I've recently acquired?

I read The Bluest Eye back in college 30 + years ago for a Women In Literature course. Recently, I've wanted to reread it again. 

I also recently finished reading and reviewing Dark Wild Shore by Charlotte McConaghy.

Shrouded Memory by Krista Wagner

 

I snagged the unabridged audio version of Shrouded Memory by Krista Wagner, which is narrated by Leo Goodman, from Chirp for 99 cents. 

I'd never heard of the author before. However, based on the summary of Shrouded Memory and the 99 cent price tag, I decided to give this novel a try. I like thriller/suspense novels, so I figured I'd enjoy Shrouded Memory.

Shrouded Memory was definitely not to my liking! The premise behind this novel was sound, but the execution was not. It was very boring overall with only the last two chapters having anything exciting to read about.

The leading character, Rian Field, has a traumatic experience. She was attacked by two masked men in her own home. She suffers from PTSD from this event and by another follow up event that triggers her PTSD all over again two years after the first event.

I sympathize with Rian's circumstance, but the author essentially shows Rian having the same haunted thoughts and actions throughout most of the novel. This grows old and boring after a while. There needed to be other interesting plot developments and scenarios to keep this book more engaging for readers.

Below is the publisher's summary for Shrouded Memory by Krista Wagner from Chirp's website:

A gripping psychological thriller: Marine biologist Rian Field survives a shark attack — only to be haunted by fractured memories of masked men invading her home. As nightmares bleed into reality and a new break-in shatters her illusion of safety, she begins to suspect those closest to her. To survive, Rian must confront the past before it destroys her…

I am giving Shrouded Memory by Krista Wagner a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

SciManDan Science Book Club - A New Book Club For 2026 For Science Lovers!

 

Are you a lover of science and also an avid book reader? 

Then I have great news for you! Popular YouTuber, SciManDan, has created a new science based book club that starts next year in March 2026 called the SciManDan Book Club.

This will be a curated book club by SciManDan himself. Six science based books will be available for this book club in either a physical format or a digital format. The choice is yours!

There are plenty of perks that come with SciManDan's Book Club. Below are a few of the benefits:

* A thoughtfully curated science title chosen for depth and readability.
* An A6 card with personal notes, thoughts, or context about the book and a QR code to a Book Club ONLY video from Dan.
*Access to the private Book Club Discord server.

To learn more about the SciManDan Book Club, please watch the above eight minute YouTube video. Or click on the above link to read more about the SciManDan BookClub and join!

The Birthplace of the First Alphabet!

 

Without the alphabet, we wouldn't have a written language, nor books to read. I found this short video about the birthplace of the alphabet fascinating.