Jan

Happy 2013! A Message from BrewsAndBooks.com

Shipyard worker in for a "beer" after work. A bar just outside the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. 1944.

You may have noticed that it’s been a bit a little while some time about four months since the last update to Brews and Books. Sorry about that. Here’s what happened.

Back at the start of the year, I announced that I was working on a book about Maine beer and brewing, to be published in 2013 by The History Press. I also promised that I’d endeavor to stick with the steady updates to BrewsAndBooks.com that I’d been making for years. While I’m happy to report that the first part has gone swimmingly, I haven’t stuck to that second bit.

I wish I had a better excuse than “dude, I’ve been super busy,” but there it is. Between full-time bookselling, the book, and various other projects, I’ve let this site slip to the side. After years of regular updates to Brews and Books - often multiple 1,000+ word posts a week - I’ve committed the cardinal blogging sin of blogfading.

That said, I’m nearing the end of the tunnel now. My manuscript will be in the hands of my wonderful editors next month, and I’ve come out on the other side of a busy holiday season of bookselling. It will take some time to get back up to speed, but I’ll be getting back to writing about beer, books and comics here at BrewsAndBooks.com. Expect all the unbridled enthusiasm and hyperbole you’ve come to expect from me over the years.

In the meantime, I do have a bit of writing to share. Despite my neglect of this blog, I’ve had plenty of other non-book writing to keep me busy. This spring I wrote a feature (my first cover feature!) for The Portland Phoenix about the Maine Comics Arts Festival. I also contributed to a book called Read This! (my first published non-periodical work!), which came out this fall. I’ve kept up with my regular writing on iFanboy and for the Maine Sunday Telegram, and I’ve continued to co-host and co-produce the Bookrageous podcast with my pals Jenn and Rebecca.

Below, you’ll find links to the book, the feature, some of my favorite articles and columns of 2012, and the last few Bookrageous podcasts. It doesn’t make up for the lack of updates over the last few months, but hopefully the 10,000+ words and hours of audio provide at least a bit of entertainment.

Read This! Handpicked Favorites from America’s Indie Bookstores

Getting Ready for the Maine Comics Arts Festival

On Public Radio, talking about the best books of 2012

iFanboy

iFanboy’s Best of 2012: The Best Non-Fiction Comics

Comic Book Moonlighting

Comic Shots: The Rime of the Modern Mariner and Pilgrim’s Dole

Comic Shots: The Stereotypical Freaks and Brewdog’s Punk IPA

Comic Shots: One Dead Spy and a Stone Fence

Arcade Brewery Kickstarts Comics and Craft Beer

The Maine Sunday Telegram

Skiing in Maine: Just resolve to hit the slopes soon