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What Does Community Mean for You? #IWSG

blog posts I've missed!

Blogging is about community, and despite the proliferation of social media, it still holds its own. We interact, we share, we support each other (which is what the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is all about. The question this month is about the genre we love to read, and I’ll answer that in a roundabout fashion).

Last week I was on Jungle Red, a wonderful blog run by seven bestselling authors. It was lovely to meet a new audience and speak about my newfound twin loves: reading and walking, at the same time. It was affirming to see so many bloggers from all over the world united in their love for books, and walking. We spoke about walking in snow  and rain, walking despite health setbacks, and walking for sanity. Here’s the post, if you’d like to take a gander at it.

My walks these days, as well as all my chores, are far more enjoyable because of audiobooks. I get all my audiobooks from the Singapore National Library, so I experiment with various genre. The latest book on my phone was Yangsze Choo’s wonderful literary ghost story, The Night Tiger. It’s been on my TBR pile for months, and I’m so glad I got to it.

I keep missing good blog posts, because I often can’t find time for more than one weekly visit to all the blogs I follow.Yangsze has narrated the book herself, and has a soothing voice with lovely inflections, and it didn’t hurt at all that the book contained luscious descriptions of all my favorite Malaysian dishes! I fell immediately in love with the protagonists. An evocative interweaving of all the legends made the story unfold like a beautiful dream.
 
I read a fair bit of true crime, thrillers and literary crime novels, but there are also the literary reads ( I’m reading Cat and Mouse by Günter Grass), a smattering of romance  (Helen Hoang is a favourite), some fantasy (reading the Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson).

Amid all the reading and the huge work-and-life-load, I keep missing good blog posts, because I often can’t find time for more than one weekly visit to all the blogs I follow. When I do visit, I sometimes hop away after a quick ‘Like’ , meaning to come back and write a comment, but don’t always manage.

I’m writing and editing a fair bit these days, so February has been a sort of lean month, blog-visits-wise.

In short, I thought I’d add a Linky list, open for a week, till the 10th of March, and invite you all to add your old posts  that I haven’t commented on. I’ll delete spam and keep the list tidy, so if you want to browse through the list and visit other blogs and make friends, you’re most welcome. The link will remain up, till further notice.

CLICK HERE to enter your link, and check out posts by other bloggers.

In the linky, please do the following:

  1. Link to the Blog Post you want read, and not to your blog. I’ll delete links that lead to home pages and websites.
  2. In the Blog Title part of the Link form, add your Blog Post Title. If your post title is intriguing, others might want to click through as well.

Do NOT do the following:

  1. Do not add spam links.
  2. Do not add homepage links to Websites/ Blogs.
  3. Do not add more than one post.
  4. Do not ask me to edit/ make changes to the list. (I edit typos without being prompted, don’t worry).

 

So which one of your posts have I missed that you think deserves more reads?  What books have you read recently? What does blogging and the blog community mean to you? Are you part of the Insecure Writers Support Group?
 

Today is the first Wednesday of the month for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

Founded by the Ninja Cap’n Alex J. Cavanaugh, the purpose of the group is to offer a safe space where writers can share their fears and insecurities without being judged. The wonderful co-hosts this time are Sarah – The Faux Fountain PenJacqui Murray,Chemist Ken,Victoria Marie Lees,Natalie Aguirre, and JQ Rose!.

 


Are you part of nay online or offline book groups? Founded any? What is the experience like? Do you think online book groups are similar to those offline?My debut literary crime novel,”You Beneath Your Skin,” published by the fab team at Simon and Schuster IN is optioned to be a TV series by Endemol Shine.

It is available in India here.

Worldwide, here.

Reviews are appreciated–please get in touch if you’d like a review copy.

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Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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29 Comments

  • Lisa says:

    Congratulations on your book! I’m not great at responding back to comments on my blog. I know I should do better, but life gets in the way and I forget. However, I do try to visit the blogs of commenters, whether on IWSG day or other days. I love your header on your blog. Eye catching.

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      Thanks, Lisa. Always a pleasure to have you visit. I’m not great at visits either, so I totally get it.

  • soniadogra says:

    I’ve been away from reading blogs too on account of my personal commitments. I do see another month of this but I’ve decided to make most of whatever little time I manage in between. Today is one such day. I’ve been listening to ‘Becoming’ on Audible. Not quite impressed but I never leave a book midway unless I don’t understand it at all. Almost through with it. Audio books have been a great discovery for me in 2021, considering my present state at home. I am also cruising through ‘Maya’s Revenge’ by Deepika Ahlawat. It’s a thriller with palaces and a lot of ancientness. The plot is a little muffled but I am liking the tone and the language and the detailing. It’s not my preferred genre but it’s decent. I missed posting at IWSG this month but it’s a great place to be in. I value blogging communities although I struggle to keep pace with the amount of writing that keeps coming up.

  • DutchIl says:

    Thank you for sharing!!… I try to keep and open mind browse near everything… if what I see peaks my interest, I may return, if not I move on to something else…. 🙂

    Until we meet again…
    May the sun shine all day long
    Everything go right, nothing go wrong
    May those you love bring love back to you
    And may all the wishes you wish come true
    (Irish Saying)

  • Damyanti – you are the most prolific writer and blogger – and also the most generous. May your Karma reward you!

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      Thanks for the kind words, Cinda. I hope to get back to being prolific. 2020 has kicked my butt, sadly.

  • Blogging has been such a rewarding journey for me, these last four years. It’s been such fun to meet friends, like you, Damyanti, from all over the world. I can’t even think how small my writing and reading circles would have become during this pandemic year without blogging!

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      It’s been a privilege knowing you, too, Rebecca. I realy appreciate you and your support. Love your blog!

  • hilarymb says:

    Hi Damyanti – I can believe your up to your ears in reading and writing … and trying not to miss posts out is very difficult. I’ll have a quick look and see – and perhaps post a short one – not to say I do that often. Good to see you – blog friends are bloggers within this community we seem to co-habit. Stay safe – Hilary

    • hilarymb says:

      Good heavens above … you’re (not your!) … cheers H …

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      Hugs, Hilary.Yes, all of us seem to be up to our eyes. Staying off social media helps, I find, but I miss my friends!

  • Pam Lazos says:

    I love audiobooks and read almost exclusively that way since covid and my usual reading on the treadmill at the gym has been interrupted. Right now I am listening to “A Thousand Splendid Suns” and it’s lovely.

  • 3mpodcast says:

    What a great idea! While I’m not going to add a post (I really haven’t been posting much), I’ll certainly check out the links others post. (Shannon @ The Warrior Muse)

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      Thanks, Shannon. I find my attention span greatly reduced, but I try and keep up with all my longtime blog friends.

  • jlennidorner says:

    I left you a link to my post from last month because the post mentions you.

    The blogging community gives me a chance to belong and connect with people I probably would never meet otherwise. It’s a chance to stretch the creative writing muscle in another way.

    I love reading a wide variety of genres. I posted for IWSG day today. My post includes a new book by a friend, a note about a free book next week, a tweet about a query contest (LGBTQ romance this round), and a quick message about April Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

    J Lenni Dorner~ Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge, Debut Author Interviewer, Reference& Speculative Fiction Author

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      Thanks so much for always being such a huge support! Lovely to see you’re hosting the AZ challenge now–that’s how we met, back in the day.

  • I’m reading The Library of Legends by Janie Chang. Read her first two books, all sumptuous!

  • ahtdoucette says:

    Damyanti,
    Love this shout-out to audiobooks AND libraries, two of my favorite things! Hope you have a great and productive March.

  • tidalscribe says:

    I have been walking all my life, I used to cry to be let out of my pram apparently, but I don’t mean I go on marathon treks, just walking to get places as I don’t drive, just walking for exercise and fresh air and thinking what I am going to write next.

  • I can understand you not being able to keep up with blogs while writing and editing. Everything takes more time than we think it will, doesn’t it?

  • Jemi Fraser says:

    Fun idea!
    I’m not able to keep up with the blogging either. It’s a challenge to find the time for everything and actual writing tasks take up most of the time 🙂
    My brain doesn’t do well with audio books – wish it did!

  • bikerchick57 says:

    Damyanti, I saw the Jungle Red article you wrote via Hank Phillipi Ryan (it was either FB or Twitter). I was so excited for the recognition and high praise you received from Ms. Ryan. She is an exceptional author, so it is saying a lot about your own writing and novel.

    I don’t listen to audio books when I’m walking or biking. I prefer the sounds of nature when outside, but that’s a personal preference. There is something peaceful about listening to birds, the wind, and sometimes the stillness. Audio books would have been great 28 years ago when I was commuting to work, but they weren’t available then.

  • I too am falling in love with walking. At first it was for my dog. Now, it’s for me. I’ll have to try the audiobooks. Right now, I do podcasts.

  • rxena77 says:

    If it were not for audiobooks, I would not read at all since my days as a rare blood courier are hectic, leaving me drained at the end of the long day. I just got through listening to TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY, John Steinbeck’s truck journey across 1960 America with his giant poodle, Charley. A riveting journal from the man who wrote THE GRAPES OF WRATH. I’ve sent you one of my audio books, A SAMPLER OF SHADOWS, a collection of short stories (most of them told through the eyes of women. I hope you like it. May your March hold only happy surprises.

  • Walking and reading are two of my fave activities too. I’ve read one book by Helen Hoang which I really enjoyed. I’ll have to seek out others by her.

  • Glad you’re doing a lot of walking. Good for the mind and body.
    You can just visit my post today.