I’m Jay and I live in NYC. By profession, I work in technology. By passion, I work in writing. I’ve always been a reader. And now I’m a daily blogger. I decided to start my own version of the “365 Daily Challenge” where since March 13, 2017, I’ve posted a characteristic either I currently embody or one I’d like to embody in the future. 365 days of reflection to discover who I am and what I want out of life.
The goal: Knowledge. Acceptance. Understanding. Optimization. Happiness. Help. For myself. For others. And if all else fails, humor. When I’m finished in one year, I hope to have more answers about the future and what I will do with the remainder of my life. All aspects to be considered. It’s not just about a career, hobbies, residence, activities, efforts, et al. It’s meant to be a comprehensive study and reflection from an ordinary man. Not a doctor. Not a therapist. Not a friend. Not an encyclopedia full of prior research. Just pure thought, a blogged journal with true honesty.
Join the fun and read a new post each day, or check out my book reviews, TV/Film reviews or favorite vacation spots. And feel free to like, rate, comment or take the poll for each post. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
Many thanks to Patty @ Moohnshine’s Corner for including me on the Who am I? tag. I adore Patty, who has been one of my 365 Daily Challenge Recommended Bloggers, so you must already know her. But if by chance you didn’t see that post or haven’t connected with her, please go check it out now!
What does my name mean?
James is my given name, and I am the fourth in the male line with the name ‘James John’ which means it’s definitely a rooted family name. I’m not sure there will be a fifth.
For a bit of humor, I checked the ‘Urban Dictionary’ to see what my name meant. It said that I was a very attractive guy and women always love me. I’m not really sure what to do with this definition, so I’m just gonna ignore it. It said a few other things that although I’d love to copy/paste them here, I might offend a few people, so I’ll just leave the link:
I’ve always known the name as being Hebrew, coming from the Bible, and meaning “one who follows.” I’ve not ever thought of myself as a follower, so that’s unusual. One for the books, I suppose!
Pisces dislikes: Know-it-all, being criticized, the past coming back to haunt, cruelty of any kind
Pisces are very friendly, so they often find themselves in a company of very different people. Pisces are selfless, they are always willing to help others, without hoping to get anything back. Pisces is a Water sign and as such this zodiac sign is characterized by empathy and expressed emotional capacity. Their ruling planet is Neptune, so Pisces are more intuitive than others and have an artistic talent. Neptune is connected to music, so Pisces reveal music preferences in the earliest stages of life. They are generous, compassionate and extremely faithful and caring. People born under the Pisces sign have an intuitive understanding of the life cycle and thus achieve the best emotional relationship with other beings. Pisces-born are known by their wisdom, but under the influence of Uranus, Pisces sometimes can take the role of a martyr, in order to catch the attention. Pisces are never judgmental and always forgiving. They are also known to be most tolerant of all the zodiac signs.
I’m Jay and I live in NYC. By profession, I work in technology. By passion, I work in writing. Once you hit my site “ThisIsMyTruthNow” at https://thisismytruthnow.com, you can join the fun and see my blog and various site content. You’ll find book reviews, published and in-progress fiction, TV/Film reviews, favorite vacation spots and my own version of the “365 Daily Challenge.” Since March 13, 2017, I’ve posted a characteristic either I currently embody or one I’d like to embody in the future. 365 days of reflection to discover who I am and what I want out of life… see how you compare! Each month, I will post a summary of a trip I’ve taken somewhere in the world. I’ll cover the transportation, hotel, restaurants, activities, who, what, when, where and why… and let you decide for yourself if it’s a trip worth taking. Feel free to like, rate, comment or take the poll for each post. Tell me what you think. Note: All content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
Many thanks to Claire @ BrizzleLass Books for tagging me on this cool tag. She chose to torture me with this one, as I have no musical talent whatsoever, which means my answers will be an epic failure. But I don’t back away from challenges, so all I can say is… if you are reading this, as a favor, please torture Claire with tons of new follows that cause her hours of time learning about and meeting new people. 🙂 ‘Cause she deserves it for being a… really cool friend from the UK who I seem to share a lot in common with!
What is the name of your band, or if you are a solo artist, your stage name (example: Lady Ga Ga, Snoop Dog, Puddles the Clown, etc…)?
Duality of Conflict, as I am two people inside of one, trying to merge them into someone sane that others find interesting and amusing. Is it working? La La La, La La LAAAAA
What genre or style of music are you known for?
Nothing. I am quite eclectic in my music taste. In a matter of 30 minutes, I’ll listen to Dolly Parton’s Hard Candy Christmas, Lady Gaga’s Alejandro, Chicago, Usher, Pink, Les Mis, and Snoop Dogg. I tend to listen to lots of varied artists!
What instrument do you play or are you the lead singer?
I play this really cool instrument called silence. I am amazing at this particular one. Very few people can play it as well as I can. So much so, I’m actually famous for being able to play silence better than anyone. Let’s test that out right now. 3, 2, 1…
<< Oh, are you still there? This is me playing my instrument…. La La La, La La La… >>
If you could be the opening act for any band currently touring who would it be?
Hmmm… I’d like to meet Adam Levine from Maroon 5, so I suppose that would be a good opportunity. Who wouldn’t? There’s nothing wrong in the picture below. The open shirt. The tattoos. The facial hair. The chain. The low-slung jeans. The flawless skin. The ripples. The dark expression. Oh… I can’t. Just can’t.
I mean seriously… I have to stop looking at this right now so I can finish the post.
Who would you name as your musical inspiration? This person can be currently breathing, or not.
I am tone deaf, so I have a feeling anyone I chose would sound offensive. I’ll bow out of this question and say “Isn’t (s)he so cool?”
What special item do you ask for in your dressing room on a tour contract rider?
Air conditioning. Everywhere. Even if the temperature is under 60 degrees. Being cold is better than hot anytime!
What item from home do you pack in your suitcase to take on tour?
Laptop. Must be able to write. And I’ll follow Claire’s lead and select a second item: Dark Chocolate. I’ll do anything for it. ANYTHING. Do you hear me, Adam?
What does your stage attire look like?
If I had to answer this question honestly… if that were my profession… I’d be in the gym a bit more… and I’d be shirtless and in a pair of gym shorts. No shoes. Totally comfy and relaxed. Just chillin’ on stage as though the entire world was having fun. Except me, cause I’d be singing, and I can’t do that, so bad that people run.
What backstage nickname have the roadies given you based on your personality?
Mystery Man
Every successful rockstar has a special charity. What’s yours?
Pet Care — want to take care of them all!
What is the title of your memoir going to be?
No One Ever Knew (he was so awesome)
Note: I’m being funny here. I really do not have an ego at all.
Nominations
I have nominated thee below but this isn’t book related and I haven’t a clue if all of you are into music so please don’t feel obligated!
I’m Jay and I live in NYC. By profession, I work in technology. By passion, I work in writing. I’ve always been a reader. And now I’m a daily blogger. I decided to start my own version of the “365 Daily Challenge” where since March 13, 2017, I’ve posted a characteristic either I currently embody or one I’d like to embody in the future. 365 days of reflection to discover who I am and what I want out of life.
The goal: Knowledge. Acceptance. Understanding. Optimization. Happiness. Help. For myself. For others. And if all else fails, humor. When I’m finished in one year, I hope to have more answers about the future and what I will do with the remainder of my life. All aspects to be considered. It’s not just about a career, hobbies, residence, activities, efforts, et al. It’s meant to be a comprehensive study and reflection from an ordinary man. Not a doctor. Not a therapist. Not a friend. Not an encyclopedia full of prior research. Just pure thought, a blogged journal with true honesty.
Join the fun and read a new post each day, or check out my book reviews, TV/Film reviews or favorite vacation spots. And feel free to like, rate, comment or take the poll for each post. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
Many thanks to The Orangutan Library for tagging me on this cool Dreamy Book Covers tag. You must check out the site, as it’s absolutely fantastic. It was even one of my 365 Daily Challenge Recommended Bloggers to Know last week. If you missed in then, here’s your second opportunity / reminder to find a great blog to follow!!!
I’m Jay and I live in NYC. By profession, I work in technology. By passion, I work in writing. I’ve always been a reader. And now I’m a daily blogger. I decided to start my own version of the “365 Daily Challenge” where since March 13, 2017, I’ve posted a characteristic either I currently embody or one I’d like to embody in the future. 365 days of reflection to discover who I am and what I want out of life.
The goal: Knowledge. Acceptance. Understanding. Optimization. Happiness. Help. For myself. For others. And if all else fails, humor. When I’m finished in one year, I hope to have more answers about the future and what I will do with the remainder of my life. All aspects to be considered. It’s not just about a career, hobbies, residence, activities, efforts, et al. It’s meant to be a comprehensive study and reflection from an ordinary man. Not a doctor. Not a therapist. Not a friend. Not an encyclopedia full of prior research. Just pure thought, a blogged journal with true honesty.
Join the fun and read a new post each day, or check out my book reviews, TV/Film reviews or favorite vacation spots. And feel free to like, rate, comment or take the poll for each post. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
Many thanks to Noriko @ BookfiendSite for tagging me on the To Be Read (TBR) Books tag. It’s been a lot of fun, but her site is so much more fun than this tag. So click the link and check out all the marvelous book reviews she’s posted!
Questions:
How do you keep track of your TBR pile?
I don’t. I’d go crazy if I tried. I add books to it all the time. I limit myself to a few outstanding books on NetGalley at any one time, so I can stay focused on those. I get at least an ARC a week from publishers, so I have to read those. And any new releases from my favorite authors get shifted to the top. Otherwise, it’s whatever I can get free or whichever book my friends push the hardest for me to read!
I know I’ll never get to everything on my TBR, so I created my Book Bucket List. It’s a list of the top 12 books I want to read, and I must pick one a month from it. After I read the book, I am allowed to add a new one. I keep track here.
Is your TBR mostly print or e-book?
Mostly print books. I will find a few e-books, but it’s rare I search for those. I think most items on my TBR come from Goodreads Giveaways, NetGalley or friends’ recommendations.
How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?
I read about 10 books per month these days, given I’m also building my blog and working on my own novels I’ve either written or about to publish. It gets divided usually as follows:
2 NetGalley
2 Publisher ARCs
1 Favorite Author
1 Goodreads Giveaway
1 Book Bucket List
3 Whatever My Friends Push on Me the Most
A book that’s been on your TBR the longest.
The first book I added to my Goodreads TBR was Memoirs of a Geisha, on January 7, 2012. I still haven’t read it, though I’ve seen parts of the movie. It wasn’t high on my list, which is why it’s probably been there for the longest period.
A book that you recently added to your TBR.
I added Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker just this week. I’ve seen so many good reviews, I had to give it a shot. I might check NetGalley to see if it’s available.
A book on your TBR strictly because of its beautiful cover.
The Revenge by Jayne Hannah. I love the title but especially all the angles and shadows in the photo.
A book on your TBR that you NEVER plan on actually reading.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Only because I saw the movie, and while it was good, I think the book would lose the suspense factor, which is my favorite part. There are tons of other ones I want to read.
An unpublished book on your TBR that you’re excited for.
A Column of Fire by Ken Follett. It’s the third in the Kingsbridge Series and he’s my favorite author. How could I say no?
A book on your TBR that basically everyone has read except you.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas. At least everyone who reads this genre has read it but me.
A book on your TBR that everyone recommends to you.
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. There are so many and they are so long. I’ll never get thru my TBR if I pick huge books.
A book on your TBR that you’re just dying to read.
Citadel by Kate Mosse. It’s the third in a trilogy, and I loved the first two. I didn’t even know until last year she wrote a third several years ago.
I’m Jay and I live in NYC. By profession, I work in technology. By passion, I work in writing. I’ve always been a reader. And now I’m a daily blogger. I decided to start my own version of the “365 Daily Challenge” where since March 13, 2017, I’ve posted a characteristic either I currently embody or one I’d like to embody in the future. 365 days of reflection to discover who I am and what I want out of life.
The goal: Knowledge. Acceptance. Understanding. Optimization. Happiness. Help. For myself. For others. And if all else fails, humor. When I’m finished in one year, I hope to have more answers about the future and what I will do with the remainder of my life. All aspects to be considered. It’s not just about a career, hobbies, residence, activities, efforts, et al. It’s meant to be a comprehensive study and reflection from an ordinary man. Not a doctor. Not a therapist. Not a friend. Not an encyclopedia full of prior research. Just pure thought, a blogged journal with true honesty.
Join the fun and read a new post each day, or check out my book reviews, TV/Film reviews or favorite vacation spots. And feel free to like, rate, comment or take the poll for each post. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
Many thanks to Princess Mandy @ Book Princess Reviews for tagging me on this new one! Mandy’s site is full of great book reviews and other book-related fun. Go check it out!
Celtic punk: Favourite Obscure Book/ A Book with a Non-Western Setting
It’s not that obscure, but I’d never heard of the author or book
Classical: Favourite Classic/ Book that Should Become a Classic
So many messages in this one, everyone needs to read it
I’m Jay and I live in NYC. By profession, I work in technology. By passion, I work in writing. I’ve always been a reader. And now I’m a daily blogger. I decided to start my own version of the “365 Daily Challenge” where since March 13, 2017, I’ve posted a characteristic either I currently embody or one I’d like to embody in the future. 365 days of reflection to discover who I am and what I want out of life.
The goal: Knowledge. Acceptance. Understanding. Optimization. Happiness. Help. For myself. For others. And if all else fails, humor. When I’m finished in one year, I hope to have more answers about the future and what I will do with the remainder of my life. All aspects to be considered. It’s not just about a career, hobbies, residence, activities, efforts, et al. It’s meant to be a comprehensive study and reflection from an ordinary man. Not a doctor. Not a therapist. Not a friend. Not an encyclopedia full of prior research. Just pure thought, a blogged journal with true honesty.
Join the fun and read a new post each day, or check out my book reviews, TV/Film reviews or favorite vacation spots. And feel free to like, rate, comment or take the poll for each post. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
Many thanks to Sophie @ Blame It On Chocolate for tagging me in this fun tag. If you haven’t checked out her site, please go visit it now, then come back and read this tag post. Thank you for playing along.
WHY DO WE HAVE SO MANY CHEESE STORES IN ONE STREET? — A CHEESY READ
Murder on the Oceania: Thought it would be a fun way to have a mystery, but they solved it in two chapters… it was supposed to be an intro to a new series, but at over 125 pages, it needed more substance
CANAL PARADE — A BOOK THAT CELEBRATES THE LGBT-COMMUNITY
Will & Patrick Wake Up Married: It seems I don’t read a lot of books that out-and-out celebrate LGBT… mental note to fix that… but this was the last book I read that prominently displayed gay characters. I had one other to pick, but the character who comes out in the book is a surprise, and I don’t want to spoil the read for anyone.
ANNE FRANK HOUSE — A BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY
The Mother’s Promise: I felt her pain of wanting a child of her own, but never being blessed.
MUSEUM SQUARE — AN ARTSY BOOK
A Trip to the Hardware Store: Made me laugh with all the fun stories…
PIGEONS, PIGEONS EVERYWHERE — AN ANNOYING CHARACTER
The White Feather Murders: I couldn’t get into these two detectives. I’m good with historical fiction, but they seemed so unable to listen to anyone other than themselves…
RED WHITE BLUE — RECREATE THE DUTCH FLAG USING BOOKS
I’m Jay and I live in NYC. By profession, I work in technology. By passion, I work in writing. Once you hit my site “ThisIsMyTruthNow” at https://thisismytruthnow.com, you can join the fun and see my blog and various site content. You’ll find book reviews, published and in-progress fiction, TV/Film reviews, favorite vacation spots and my own version of the “365 Daily Challenge.” Since March 13, 2017, I’ve posted a characteristic either I currently embody or one I’d like to embody in the future. 365 days of reflection to discover who I am and what I want out of life… see how you compare! Feel free to like, rate, comment or take the poll for each post. Tell me what you think. Note: All content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
It’s not that obscure, but I’d never heard of the author or book
So many messages in this one, everyone needs to read it
A sad but beautiful story about how precious life is
It may not be a full-on re-telling, but it does tell the story of a real person in a different manner!
One of my all-time favorite movies
Crazy serial killer with all new ways to murder
I didn’t care much for the setting or the main character. Not bad, just not my cup of tea. Though the cover is adorable.
Not my ultimate favorite, but one I read in the last year
It was OK, but I thought it would have more charm. It didn’t, but still a decent read.
