State of the Blog: Three Years Later

So here we are at year three of the blog. Still feels crazy that we've lasted so far and yet we're still going strong with a lot of stuff still on tap for the next year. But before we can look to the future, let's look back once again at the year we've had because I think it might be my best year if I can be honest about that. Is that true, or am I being facetious? Only one way to find out. Let's see what the state of the blog is three years into its lifespan. 

2022-2023 was pretty much a continuation year for the most part. Continuing on certain projects while finishing up a few others. As such, it's not as hectic a year, not as "blog a day" as it was early on. Still got a ton done this year so I didn't slouch either. July started the first ever "(Woo!) Party Summer" month, which allowed for more stuff from Fear Street, Point, Ghosts of Fear Street and more. This included highs like Camp Fear Ghouls and One Evil Summer, to the middling like Beach Party, to Beach House, honestly one of Stine's weirdest books and that's saying a lot. I think it came out great. A project with a lot of content, yet not feeling like it took everything away from doing another. Great stuff.

The rest of the year was business as usual. But my focus became more on The Nightmare Room and finally completing the remaining books that I needed to finish to finally catch up on Goosebumps. We had more Slappy antics, and a bird-brained book earlier in the year. So Goosebumps got what it needed this year. And yes, that's a conundrum to not have any more singular narrative books to cover for Goosebumps. Thankfully I managed to remedy that with more focus on A Case of the Bumps: A fun commentary column talking about certain books and characters. They're fun to make and usually drum up some interest, so I want to make many more.

Fear Street petered out lately, but that's not out of a lack of interest in wanting to do them. We're on the cusp of finishing the main books at this point with only a few left. A couple that I still can't find affordable ways to cover like Cat for example. Gee, a title like that and I can already tell Stine went to town on the animal gore. No spoilers, please, I'd love to be wrong on that. Which means eventually we'll get into stuff like the other mini-series books, the Fear Street Sagas books, New Fear Street, Fear Street Nights, Fear Street Seniors and more. To say we're still good on Fear Street content is an understatement. 

Back to the Nightmare Room. Initially I intended a two-month window for each book, but ultimately moved to a one book a week format around April to finish up the series. And while I was shaky on it first, it grew on me by the end. It's a strange yet interesting post-Goosebumps project for Stine that I do feel bad only lasted fifteen books. Though Stine's said that was mostly because he felt he was just doing Goosebumps again and wanted to try something else. Stine with self-realization? What sorcery is this? I also read more of his Point stuff and found what might be the book I hated most of all so far in Halloween Night II. I nearly wrote a frigging novel in that conclusion for just how absolutely vile that book was. When your protagonist is worse than Reva Dalby then, woof!

As for other projects, we got the Tales for the Midnight Hour books covered and they were interesting. Good, bad, bizarre and gorilla on the boat. Tons of Goosebumps-likes covered as well, retaining their wide array of interesting. Baby-Sitter's Club took a backseat and I swear Animorphs will be back eventually and maybe this will be the year I finally finish the Coville Alien Quadrilogy. What about the show recaps? It's coming soon, I promise. In fact, hopefully a lot sooner than I normally do these things. It's still a project I could get a lot of legs out of.

Status on other things I still want to do eventually. 

The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew: Not as high a priority, but I do want to cover them.

Bailey School Kids: Soon, I promise.

The Babysitters Club: NOT a dead project! Still in the works, just have to put more effort in. 

Sweet Valley: Still high in consideration.

Wayside: Still being considered. 

Post-Animorphs Applegate (EverWorld/Remnants): If I ever finish Animorphs first.

More adult works (King for example): Not as high a probability of happening right now, but not a no either.

Older works (The Oz or Tolkien books for example): Still thinking about doing something when it comes to adaptations. My blog on the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids novelization was a proof concept, so who knows? Ball rolling?

Books based on stuff like Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who: Still not opposed, but I really need to get into more sci-fi first.

The books with the boy wizard: Fuck that noise.

Overall, I feel it's been a really good year for the blog. Not as insanely busy as the years prior, but still strong. And I feel with so much left to cover, that 2023-2024 is going to be another fun ride, and once again, I hope you come along with me.