Plowing through books like plowing through snow

Only five days into 2013 & I'm already busy reading books, writing reviews and trying to find time to squeeze in some writing.

Like I mentioned yesterday, just finished Kevin E. Lake's e-book, "Off Switch." (If you missed the review, check it out on my new Review section on theodorewebb.com.)

Today I read another chapter of Jason Jack Miller's "The Devil and Preston Black," which I picked up a hard copy of in December. Music is a huge theme in the book, and I'm loving all the musical references. It has very short, intriguing beginning chapter. It's the following chapter that fully draws you in. Reading the second chapter, you feel like you're part of the band along for the ride, but at the same time, you also get an uneasy feeling like something nefarious may be going on with one of the characters and things aren't what they seem. Excited to finish Mr. Miller's book soon, so I can see where all the mystery at the beginning leads to.

Definitely looking forward to the next Morgantown Poets, 7 p.m. Thursday, January 17, at Monongalia Arts Center on High Street in Morgantown. The January event features author Joey Madia, and I hope he brings copies of "Minor Confessions of an Angel Falling Upward" so I can get my hands on a copy. Been interested in this book for a few months now & want to start on it this month.

There are a few other books I'm also reading simultaneously right now, including "The Feynman Processor : Quantum Entanglement and the Computing Revolution" by Gerard J. Milburn and "A Beautiful Mind: A Biography of John Forbes Nash, Jr., Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics" by Sylvia Nasar. Having seen the film, "A Beautiful Mind," a few years ago, let's just say there is so much more information in the book. Actually, it's an incredible piece of work, one of the best written and researched biographies I've ever read. Not only does it go in-depth about Nash's life (yes, he was from West Virginia, but wasn't "Buck Wild" exactly) but the book also has extensive chapters on the mathematics/research, RAND and game theory, something I've gotten more and more interested in the past few years.

I have some other book goals this year. Hoping to make a big dent in the shelves and shelves that are taking over my place. I also want to dive into a genre I don't read much, the murder-mystery (let me confess I'm very behind the curve on this genre.) I have several untouched James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell books, both wildly popular authors. That said, my focus and priorty in 2013 will be on regional authors, folks who've been through Morgantown or are coming to Morgantown or others who are active in our area.

Here's to a new year's worth of words, new genres and much happy reading during the next 12 months!