Author Buzz | jeffjohns | Group Activity https://authorbuzz.co.uk/members/jeffjohns/activity/groups/ Public group activity feed of which jeffjohns is a member. Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:55:33 +0100 https://buddypress.org/?v= en-GB 30 hourly 2 1e3ada226886f9b07385d7a4aace75c1 Jason Latnar wrote a new blog post Why is it that whenever you are about to propose to her, there's a dragon attack? in the group Writing prompts and inspirations https://muse.authorbuzz.co.uk/prompts/why-is-it-that-whenever-you-are-about-to-propose-to-her-theres-a-dragon-attack/ Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0100 12eca7c8d9be505d245f05223d11456d Matthew Brown edited the blog post The spy and the author in the group Writing prompts and inspirations https://muse.authorbuzz.co.uk/prompts/him-and-her/the-spy-and-the-author/ Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:11:43 +0100 The spy and the author Him He’s a romance author searching for ideas for his next novel. His idea of a fun evening is a cup of hot chocolate, under a blanket with his […]

]]> a770f1ad1face7ca41b360ad59701b6e Jason Latnar edited the blog post The last year of your life was a dream in the group Writing prompts and inspirations https://muse.authorbuzz.co.uk/prompts/the-last-year-of-your-life-was-a-dream/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:58:36 +0100 The last year of your life was a dream Today you woke up to discover that it is one year ago. Maybe the last year was “only a dream”? You have doubts. What do you do next?

]]> 43b583e1fa23db77a5d00b69c20ab83f Matthew Brown replied to the topic My status is vanishing in the forum Help and Support https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/help-and-support/forum/topic/my-status-is-vanishing/#post-5273 Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:11:27 +0100 Something flagged it as spam. I’ve unspammed it.

]]> 0 186b70d6db78043b74ad995c009e19a8 Matthew Brown replied to the topic My status is vanishing in the forum Help and Support https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/help-and-support/forum/topic/my-status-is-vanishing/#post-5272 Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:04:56 +0100 It shouldn’t do that.

Leave it with me, I’ll try to figure out what went wrong.

]]> 0 cacea5ae25b42c364716770e37c39590 Sam Smith started the topic My status is vanishing in the forum Help and Support https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/help-and-support/forum/topic/my-status-is-vanishing/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:03:38 +0100 I’ve posted about my new book twice, and it is gone. Twice. Help!!

]]> 0 27eb8e4e1b17d4926b1e657e0cc65efe Matthew Brown edited the blog post Is my idea good enough? in the group Thanet Creative: Writers https://thanetcreative.co.uk/2026/08/is-my-idea-good-enough/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 10:58:11 +0100 Is my idea good enough? As you sit down to write that story that’s been burning in your mind, it is not unusual to ask, “Is this idea any good?” As questions go, few others […]

]]> fece87b3667de179b83f10ed4489cfa2 Matthew Brown edited the blog post Journaling prompt: The lie and the truth in the group Writing prompts and inspirations https://muse.authorbuzz.co.uk/prompts/non-fiction/journaling/journaling-prompt-the-lie-and-the-truth/ Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:31:46 +0100 Journaling prompt: The lie and the truthIdentify a lie you believe and the truth that must replace it. For example: “I’m an imposter” must be replaced with “My work is valid and I […]

]]> 27e1004865901720b42e85d96515e655 Charles Maxwell replied to the topic How's the weather where you are? in the forum General Chat https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/general-chat/forum/topic/hows-the-weather-where-you-are/#post-5265 Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:26:59 +0100 You can say that again.

]]> 0 2159baf8df56bfc1f35fd7645eff85a1 Charles Maxwell joined the group General Chat https://authorbuzz.co.uk/activity/p/18710/ Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:26:41 +0100 0 4582914c16b2c25c5207850c104f448e Blog: Guest Post: Sarah Johnson reflects on the IPA Congress 2026 from Seren in the group Seren Books https://www.serenbooks.com/2026/08/guest-post-sarah-johnson-reflects-on-the-ipa-congress-2026/ Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:52:00 +0100 Earlier this year, our Deputy CEO Sarah Johnson was selected to attend the International Publishers Association Congress in Kulala Lumpur with a group of delegates […]

]]> 0 15cfdb0999e078c4531c6c4b30234b36 Toni McHadden replied to the topic How's the weather where you are? in the forum General Chat https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/general-chat/forum/topic/hows-the-weather-where-you-are/#post-5264 Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:38:58 +0100 Far too hot here too

]]> 0 00bc5246e8d62efe2dd29879ed89d743 Matthew Brown posted an update in the group Author Buzz HQ: We've got a lot of forum groups with very little activity. I […] https://authorbuzz.co.uk/activity/p/18708/ Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:36:57 +0100 We’ve got a lot of forum groups with very little activity. I was thinking that I should maybe fold some forums into general chat for now. Thoughts?

]]> 0 3592cd78a14e0e0419bcac8fff01414b Matthew Brown started the topic You probably want THIS bit in the forum Writing prompts and inspirations https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/the-muse-of-last-resort/forum/topic/you-probably-wnt-this-bit/ Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:34:11 +0100 The forum here doesn’t get used all that often, you might want the prompts feed:

https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/the-muse-of-last-resort/home/

]]> 0 eee5d887e146a85765bd415f595b6057 Matthew Brown started the topic How's the weather where you are? in the forum General Chat https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/general-chat/forum/topic/hows-the-weather-where-you-are/ Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:31:59 +0100 I’m too hot.

How are you all doing?

]]> 0 f40118d76168cf0ffe30887731550640 Blog: Radiant Star, Ann Leckie from RogerBW's Blog: reading in the group Book Reviews by RogerBW feed https://blog.firedrake.org/archive/2026/08/Radiant_Star__Ann_Leckie.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:01:00 +0100 2026 SF, set in the same universe as the Imperial Radch series but not
part of the trilogy. The Temporal Location of the Radiant Star is a
pilgrimage site on the […]

]]> 0 fa14ad4c0a467ce21810104a511e0d67 Blog: You Won’t Get Free of It by Rachel Aviv review – a subtle study of the mother-daughter bond from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/11/you-wont-get-free-of-it-by-rachel-aviv-review-a-subtle-study-of-the-mother-daughter-bond Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:00:07 +0100 The most complex of female relationships is thrown into sharp relief in this moving series of essaysRachel Aviv has a profound interest in the vagaries of human […]

]]> 0 d4857e84d7e4387798cc17bf9b194e59 Matthew Brown posted an update in the group Author Buzz HQ: So, I streamlined the front page because it looked nasty on mobile. https://authorbuzz.co.uk/activity/p/18675/ Mon, 10 Aug 2026 22:17:25 +0100 So, I streamlined the front page because it looked nasty on mobile.

]]> 0 8c4cdebe915734533de02e57af4b6ae7 Blog: Barack Obama launches podcast about books that ‘shaped his worldview’ from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/10/barack-obama-launches-podcast-about-books-that-shaped-his-worldview Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:59:13 +0100 The former US president will host six episodes of A Great Book for Audible, discussing work from Toni Morrison and John le Carré to James BaldwinBarack Obama is […]

]]> 0 54fa6cd2594da2dda3a166802bee25d1 Blog: Maggie Harris wins Guyana Prize for Literature Poetry Award from Seren in the group Seren Books https://www.serenbooks.com/2026/08/maggie-harris-wins-guyana-prize-for-literature-poetry-award/ Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:46:52 +0100 Maggie Harris continues her winning streak having been announced as the winner of the 2025 Poetry Award in the Guyana Prize for Literature, announced during a […]

]]> 0 cb2dc44a01120fa09f2cb242184246b1 Blog: Sinking ships, dark humour and really good bad guys: Beryl Bainbridge – ranked! from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/aug/10/sinking-ships-dark-humour-and-really-good-bad-guys-beryl-bainbridge-ranked Mon, 10 Aug 2026 11:00:42 +0100 From the last days of the Titanic to desperate romantics, we rate the work of a British master of black comedyBainbridge’s novel of the last days on RMS Titanic w […]

]]> 0 8a1b256a79b363643bf77937ebd80116 Blog: Is Beauty Good by Rosalind Belben review – the literary equivalent of free jazz from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/10/is-beauty-good-by-rosalind-belben-review-the-literary-equivalent-of-free-jazz Mon, 10 Aug 2026 08:00:38 +0100 Combining hilarious detail with harsh observation, this rediscovered novel takes the reader on an exhilaratingly strange journey ‘But after all, writing is n […]

]]> 0 ac708fb59a4a6d92bc9cc8a0aa18f168 Blog: John Berger: From Life by Tom Overton review – a vibrant biography of the pioneering critic from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/10/john-berger-from-life-by-tom-overton-review-a-vibrant-biography-of-the-pioneering-critic Mon, 10 Aug 2026 06:00:37 +0100 This multi-layered portrait is a fitting tribute to the man behind Ways of SeeingThe cultural critic John Berger was still alive and kicking when he donated his […]

]]> 0 50e9914351f1cf28c96d8d679d46fdd7 Blog: 58. Every Time a Bell Rings from Becky's Book Reviews in the group Book bloggers https://blbooks.blogspot.com/2026/08/58-every-time-bell-rings.html Sun, 09 Aug 2026 22:39:39 +0100 58. Every Time a Bell Rings: The Legacy of It’s a Wonderful Life, America’s Most Beloved Holiday Film. Emily St. James and Lauren Theisen. 2026. 304 pages. [Source: […]

]]> 0 2ba31502485165b2d1add71945bf0e50 Blog: We know sleep, exercise and diet are vital for health. But why? from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/09/we-know-sleep-exercise-and-diet-are-vital-for-health-but-why Sun, 09 Aug 2026 11:00:15 +0100 The benefits of all three come down to a crucial piece of cellular kitSleep. Exercise. Eat well. It’s the oldest recommendation in medicine, repeated so often i […]

]]> 0 cebe44d8286807b17c5ce9c472424b2c Blog: ‘Grief became my brand’: Freya Bromley on writing about personal tragedy from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/09/grief-became-my-brand-freya-bromley-on-writing-about-personal-tragedy Sun, 09 Aug 2026 11:00:13 +0100 Touring her memoir and talking to others helped the author come to terms with her brother’s death, but the book’s success left her feeling guilty. Had she com […]

]]> 0 6bde132023511c76e20bd69ce0e46408 Blog: Week in Review #33 from Becky's Book Reviews in the group Book bloggers https://blbooks.blogspot.com/2026/08/week-in-review-33.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 16:15:05 +0100 This week I read eleven books! 50. The Knife of Never Letting Go. (Chaos Walking #1) Patrick Ness. 2008. 512 pages. [Source: Library]51. Rash. Pete Hautman. 2006. […]

]]> 0 7beba1120f6d3cf4aa9f35a9fdb661aa Blog: Crisis on Infinite Earths from Dogwood Tales in the group Book Reviews by Dogwood Tales feed https://dogwoodtales.blogspot.com/2026/08/crisis-on-infinite-earths.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 11:30:56 +0100 Back in the day, comic books were straightforward things. Superman or Batman would fight crime, tie up the bad guys and finish the story in twenty or so colourful […]

]]> 0 c8c7939f96be815d35787bfb6ba0b829 Blog: The Cloak and Its Wizard, R. Z. Nicolet from RogerBW's Blog: reading in the group Book Reviews by RogerBW feed https://blog.firedrake.org/archive/2026/08/The_Cloak_and_Its_Wizard__R__Z__Nicolet.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 08:03:00 +0100 2025 fantasy. The Cloak of Sunset and Starlight is a major
artifact—meaning it has a mind of its own. It’s been sitting in the
vault of the Order of the Open Eye s […]

]]> 0 43e4805bc31dc99df2a0502eea5e3ac3 Blog: ‘I hate what AI is doing to the minds and happiness of the young’: Katherine Rundell on the view from the classroom from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2026/aug/08/i-hate-what-ai-is-doing-to-the-minds-and-happiness-of-the-young-katherine-rundell-on-the-view-from-the-classroom Sat, 08 Aug 2026 08:00:41 +0100 Education is at a crossroads, argues the author and academic. Should we embrace new technology in the name of efficiency, or is it time to fight back?If you set out […]

]]> 0 d7641f9ff4469e135d85d385d063adf8 Blog: 57. This is Christmas from Becky's Book Reviews in the group Book bloggers https://blbooks.blogspot.com/2026/08/57-this-is-christmas.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 22:00:00 +0100 57. This is Christmas: Song by Song: The Stories Behind 100 Holiday Hits. 2023. 224 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, Christmas, music appreciation]First sentence: […]

]]> 0 ce65446cdc740678e0ba6a5961708f71 Blog: 56. Paperboy from Becky's Book Reviews in the group Book bloggers https://blbooks.blogspot.com/2026/08/56-paperboy.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 17:41:00 +0100 56. Paperboy. Vince Vawter. 2013. Random House. 240 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, MG fiction, coming of age, MG historical, based on true story]First sentence: […]

]]> 0 2267f0ee24400a446b746748a9fac650 Blog: The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror – review roundup from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/07/the-best-recent-science-fiction-fantasy-and-horror-review-roundup Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:00:17 +0100 The Salt King by Natasha Pulley; A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett; Netherwood by Jake Arnott; Fawn by CN VairThe Salt King by by Natasha Pulley (Gollancz, […]

]]> 0 e490187db51b1fb1d85e885833eb36d6 Blog: A House By Any Other Name, Jenny Schwartz from RogerBW's Blog: reading in the group Book Reviews by RogerBW feed https://blog.firedrake.org/archive/2026/08/A_House_By_Any_Other_Name__Jenny_Schwartz.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:02:00 +0100 2024 fantasy, linked to the Uncertain Sanctuary series. Raisa is a
lawyer who gets tapped as the advocate for a newly-discovered alien
species. By the time she gets […]

]]> 0 b2d5fbd96f51ddaa78d5974643087e8e Blog: What Happened to Liberal Democracy? by Daron Acemoglu review – how to fix the system from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/07/what-happened-to-liberal-democracy-by-daron-acemoglu-review-how-to-fix-the-system Fri, 07 Aug 2026 06:00:09 +0100 The Nobel-winning economist takes aim at elites for no longer meeting the needs of the massesIn 2009, the tech billionaire Peter Thiel published an essay with the […]

]]> 0 290d37706a62af3c81dc55540ba01dfc Blog: 55. The Future of Us from Becky's Book Reviews in the group Book bloggers https://blbooks.blogspot.com/2026/08/55-future-of-us.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 20:26:00 +0100 55. The Future of Us. Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. 2011. 356 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, YA fiction, YA science fiction, coming of age]First sentence: I […]

]]> 0 be5ec9dcdfa10a8ea6422a77d43f7e50 Blog: Thirst by John Robins audiobook review – an ex-drinker’s darkly funny journey from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/06/thirst-by-john-robins-audiobook-review-an-ex-drinkers-darkly-funny-journey Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:00:49 +0100 The comedian and broadcaster narrates the heartfelt and at times self-lacerating account of his relationship with alcoholA memoir chronicling the comic and […]

]]> 0 e4daff93fea45e59658b2083676d733f Blog: Jason Arday claimed he was paid ‘1.4 million’ by publisher for memoir from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/aug/06/jason-arday-claim-memoir-publisher-simon-and-schuster-cambridge Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:29:51 +0100 Simon & Schuster still plans to publish book by Cambridge academic who resigned this week amid plagiarism claimsJason Arday, the former Cambridge professor accused […]

]]> 0 28ccf8302ddc8292a6c5dc2f794786a1 Blog: The Chinese Shawl, Patricia Wentworth from RogerBW's Blog: reading in the group Book Reviews by RogerBW feed https://blog.firedrake.org/archive/2026/08/The_Chinese_Shawl__Patricia_Wentworth.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 08:05:00 +0100 1943 mystery/thriller, fifth in the Miss Silver series. Laura Fane
is newly of age, and in London to take charge of her inheritance. She
meets a smashing young man, […]

]]> 0 6dfd6197ba5eb5e655e89223670bd9af Blog: Sky City by Jacqueline Crooks review – an ambitious, lyrical portrait of trauma from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/06/sky-city-by-jacqueline-crooks-review-an-ambitious-lyrical-portrait-of-trauma Thu, 06 Aug 2026 06:00:41 +0100 A young woman is haunted by her childhood in this forcefully imaginative and unapologetically bleak novel from the author of Fire RushThe world of Sky City never […]

]]> 0 9a5cc38cbd56172a64fa105a4ee4b63d Blog: 54. The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins from Becky's Book Reviews in the group Book bloggers https://blbooks.blogspot.com/2026/08/54-good-fortune-of-miss-robbins.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 19:08:00 +0100 54. The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins. Melanie Dickerson. 320 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, clean romance, historical romance, Jane Eyre wannabe]First sentence: […]

]]> 0 c09bb5ab2ee637a3a1d99785df6dbc1c Blog: ‘Getting old is no fun’: Game of Thrones author George RR Martin speaks out about depression amid further book delays from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/05/getting-old-is-no-fun-game-of-thrones-author-george-rr-martin-speaks-out-about-depression-amid-further-book-delays Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:41:40 +0100 A new blog post by the fantasy writer has outlined his recent difficulties, as fans continue to speculate on the elusive sixth book in his A Song of Ice and Fire […]

]]> 0 bcc2a3f2f3afe1b4b79df5a3e79f5901 Blog: A Sense of Occasion by Brodie Crellin review – a surprising and darkly funny debut from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/05/a-sense-of-occasion-by-brodie-crellin-review-a-surprising-and-darkly-funny-debut Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:00:13 +0100 A dysfunctional family comes together for a funeral in this heartfelt, keenly observed novel Most of us come upon our family’s dysfunctions gradually, like a door t […]

]]> 0 4990ec94f241a810a3a1874cf6002798 Blog: The Ghost of the Mountains by Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi review – the secrets of the snow leopard from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/05/the-ghost-of-the-mountains-by-kulbhushansingh-suryawanshi-review-the-secrets-of-the-snow-leopard Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:00:10 +0100 An Indian mountaineer follows in the footsteps of explorers and conservationists in search of an enigmatic animalWhen bored, try the following game – I call it “ […]

]]> 0 b2aa435d6311c968314a85983794bb4a Blog: 53. The Best Bear in All the World from Becky's Book Reviews in the group Book bloggers https://blbooks.blogspot.com/2026/08/53-best-bear-in-all-world.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 18:37:00 +0100 53. The Best Bear in All the World. Paul Bright, Brian Sibley, Jeanne Willis, Kate Saunders. 2016. 115 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, audio book, Winnie the […]

]]> 0 3e62912190d207d320b8c2756f3397c7 Blog: Children of the Wild by Kevin Powers review – gripping tale of a friendship forged in war from Books | The Guardian in the group The Guardian book reviews https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/04/children-of-the-wild-by-kevin-powers-review-gripping-tale-of-a-friendship-forged-in-war Tue, 04 Aug 2026 09:00:54 +0100 Written by a US army veteran, this novel of courage and cruelty during the first world war is filled with unsettlingly authoritative depictions of violence – but i […]

]]> 0 3c28111dd6aa65a9394e7806adeaf160 Blog: A Drop of Corruption, Robert Jackson Bennett from RogerBW's Blog: reading in the group Book Reviews by RogerBW feed https://blog.firedrake.org/archive/2026/08/A_Drop_of_Corruption__Robert_Jackson_Bennett.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 08:03:00 +0100 2025 fantasy mystery, second in the series. On the border of the
Empire, a new member of the mission negotiating with a petty kingdom
has disappeared from his room […]

]]> 0 4abaf744c29b0fcebedc696bd49b0ebf Blog: 52. Prey from Becky's Book Reviews in the group Book bloggers https://blbooks.blogspot.com/2026/08/52-prey.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 13:30:00 +0100 52. Prey. Michael Crichton. 2002. 507 pages. [Source: Library] First sentence: Things never turn out the way you think they will. Premise/plot: Jack Forman, our […]

]]> 0 cbf6c1419dd60b991ed314be8e8cab8e Blog: 51. Rash from Becky's Book Reviews in the group Book bloggers https://blbooks.blogspot.com/2026/08/51-rash.html Sun, 02 Aug 2026 22:35:00 +0100 51. Rash. Pete Hautman. 2006. 256 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, YA dystopia, YA fiction, YA futuristic; YA Sports]First sentence: Gramps, who was born in 1990, […]

]]> 0 2136c809a0793c602be9120a533e3480 Blog: A 20-second movie about time travel from Soft SciFi in the group Soft Sci-Fi is Brill https://soft-scifi.isbrill.com/films/2026/a-20-second-movie-about-time-travel/ Sun, 02 Aug 2026 11:35:00 +0100 0