What Are You Reading?

There is something horrifying happening with our culture. Maybe you've heard and maybe you haven't, but young people - I'm talking everyone from their early 20s and younger - just aren't reading anymore.

Now I don't mean 100% of these age groups never pick up a book. Certainly there are a few avid readers out there. But the majority of young people don't read unless they're made to do so as an assignment in school or college, and even then, they frequently try to get by reading only the summary of a book. Most of the kids between elementary and high school age are reading several years behind where they should be.

What do we do about this? And should we even care?

When I was young, I discovered comics and Stephen King books at right around the same time. I couldn't get enough of either... but then, there was no TikTok or YouTube back then. It was the dark ages of entertainment. You could only eat what you hunted, so to speak.

I don't think reading is ever going to die off, but I do think that as we get closer and closer to Idiocracy, it's going to become increasingly important to get reading material into the hands of kids at an early age.

Right now, I'm reading Watership Down by Richard Adams, and it's a lot better than I expected it to be. I recently read Game of Thrones, having never watched the show, and it was a lot worse than I anticipated. Maybe I'll start posting full reviews. Maybe I should review some comics here too, but only indie comics. I don't want to give woke Marvel a dime, and while I have no ax to grind with DC or Image, I have zero interest in multiverses.

Come find me at Goodreads. I will accept all friend requests. Let's make reading great again. I think we can all agree that it should be.

-Ellis Novak

2025-03-28

What Are You Listening To?

I don't know what other people feel, but it's hard for me to work without some music in the background. Here are a few of my favorite songs of all time. They are very different. Give these a listen and see if you discover something interesting. Ashes In Your Mouth - Megadeth, 1992

• From their amazing album Countdown to Extinction. My #1 favorite song from my #1 favorite band.

Destroying Angels - Bohren & Der Club of Gore, 2016

• The first jazz band I ever really liked. This album, Black Earth, is simply amazing.

Kate McCannon - Colter Wall, 2017

• This is real country music, not pop or hip hop or whatever else passes for country these days. Colter Wall born in 1995. Unreal.

La Blanche Traversée - Jocelyn Pook, 1999

• This album is crazy good; one of the songs, Masked Ball, appears in Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, but this song tops that one.

Helvegen (live version) - Wardruna with Aurora, 2019

• Very cool version of a very cool song. This definitely puts me in a mood to write dramatic, ethereal scenes.

Quarter 1 Updates

Well, 2025 has started off strong, but there's no reason to slow down just because I got some stuff done.

After the 2023 publication of my first book, Your Love, The Night (And Other Dark Tales), I spent basically all of 2024 writing and worldbuilding.

Now that my second book, Aric Hunter: Starcatcher is available, things have really started to pick up the pace. Here's what I'm up to recently.

First, I'm working on two books right now. The first one is the second in the Aric Hunter series, titled Aric Hunter: Darkness. Narrated by Finn, it explores the meaning of family and expands on the friendship forged in the first book. If you want a hint as to what happens in book 2, there's a clue hidden on the cover of book 1.

Second, I'm working on the first book in a new series which I'm tentatively calling The Hunter Brothers. These will be shorter chapter books for younger readers with some colorful art throughout, sort of similar to what might be called a "light novel" by manga fans. This series will explore the relationship between Aric's father Jim, and Aric's uncles Jesse and Jack, as the young trio are being raised by their Aunt Gracie. There will be a tremendous worldbuilding theme in these books. Currently looking for an art team for the cover and interior art.

Third, I'm opening up my notebook on a project I stepped away from a while ago called Alex Callaghan in the Machine Age. This is a full-on graphic novel using an idea I pitched long ago to a major comic company who declined to buy the story from me, then used it (and ruined it) anyhow without giving me credit. This one is definitely not for the kids. I think I have an art team ready to go, but it's been a long time and they may be on other projects now.

Finally, I'm building this website all by my lonesome. What are these dynamic pages you speak of? So, please be patient. I'm an author and an occasional artist, not a web designer. Ain't nobody got time for that.

Let's go 2025. Mission awaits. Time to execute.

Ellis Novak

2025-03-25