Category: reading

My May Reads

The irises are nearly finished blooming, the peonies are in full show-off mode and I picked the first few roses last night. On the food side of things, we’re already harvesting salad greens, onions and pea pods, though the rhubarb and strawberries are coming on a bit slowly. We had a hot spell in April and that threw my garden schedule completely off. The weeds had to wait while I rushed to get plants into the ground, only to have a cold spell hit in early May killing some of the seedlings I’d been nurturing since February. And then there was the creature that trampled through one of our raised beds a couple of weeks ago, leaving gaping holes and scattering my just-sprouted radishes and Tom Thumb lettuce. A deer? A racoon? An aggressive squirrel?  I never did figure it out.  Instead, I reseeded and soldiered on, as gardeners do.  And, at the end of the day, when I crawl into bed weary and satisfied, there’s always a book waiting. Here’s what I’m reading this month.

The Never Witch by J.P. McLean

The House of New Beginnings by Lucy Diamond

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn

Books read to date in 2026: 23

My March Reads

We’ve been getting a fair bit of rain lately. When I was out for my walk this morning, several municipal workers were checking the storm drains and catch basins to ensure they can direct or absorb what’s predicted to be even more rain falling over the next week.

I’ve learned to appreciate these wet days. Summers here are getting drier and bring the threat of forest fires. Spring rains fill our reservoirs, hydrate the earth and encourage plants to grow. The rain also allows me to put off outdoor chores without guilt, and concentrate instead on sowing seeds, working on my writing and my mosaic project, and it also gives me time to curl up with a book. Here’s what I’m reading this month.

The Genius of Trees by Harriet Rix

Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs

At the Stroke of Eternity by Amber Cavanagh

Books read to date in 2026: 14

Year of the Fire Horse

Happy Chinese New Year!

Today, February 17th, is the start of the Year of the Fire Horse. Across Asia and around the world, millions of people are welcoming in the Lunar New Year, a celebration marking not only the new calendar year but a time of renewal, reunion and hope.

Fire Horse years are associated with bold action, impulsivity and breakthroughs, and it favors those who are courageous, independent and take decisive action.

Horses have symbolized strength, endurance and freedom for centuries. Chinese legends tell stories of ‘thousand-mile horses’ used by emperors and believed to be so powerful they could travel vast distances in a single day. In books and movies, mythical horses sometimes possess the ability to speak or to travel down to the underworld or up to heaven, and mounting a horse is often seen as the starting point for adventure.

There are many novels and non-fiction books featuring horses. So many, in fact, that it’s hard to pick and choose when it comes to assembling a list. But for those who are looking, here are a few books – both classic and contemporary tales – to consider:

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

National Velvet by Enid Bagnold

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand

Chosen by a Horse by Susan Richards

The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans

My January Reads

One of the nice things about winter is that the birds are easier to spot. Without the camouflage of leaves on the deciduous trees, they really stand out. It’s been restful watching them go about their day – hunting worms and insects, eating winter berries, and then drinking from the pond before they flutter off to perch in a nearby tree. Since I kicked off the new year with a bad respiratory flu, I had a lot of time to stare out the window. In fact, for most of a week my concentration was so poor that I didn’t even feel like reading. Thank goodness that didn’t last long.

I read 53 books in 2025, about a book a week, which is roughly what I read in 2024 too. I’m not sure if this is a new normal for me or a bit of an aberration because it used to be that I’d easily read two books a week. I’ll be tracking my reading again this year and aiming to nudge that annual number back up a bit. Meanwhile, here’s what I’m reading this month.

Letters From Japan by Marie Kondo

Shadows in the Moonlight by Santa Montefiore

The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

Books read to date in 2026: 5

My August Reads

                                      


I think of August like this picture – sunny days at the beach with few commitments, morning beach strolls and afternoons spent lounging on the sand with a book in hand. When our kids were young, that picture was fairly accurate, at least for the few weeks we camped at the beach. These days I’m lucky enough to live within walking distance of the shoreline, but while I get down there for walks (and picnic dinners!) fairly often, I rarely take my book with me. I’m hoping to change that later this week when the weather improves. It’s been rainy and cooler the last few days, a relief with the nearby forest fires. But sunshine is in the forecast and a beach day is on my calendar. Here’s what I’m reading this month.

Undo It by Dean Ornish

Spain: A Lonely Planet Guide

Advika and the Hollywood Wives by Kirthana Ramisetti

Books read to date in 2025: 40

My July Reads

Summer is in full swing and that means less time at my desk and more time for fun. We’ve been doing day trips out of town, meeting friends for picnic dinners on the beach, and harvesting masses of raspberries and vegetables from the garden. At the end of the day, once watering is complete and the slugs have been beaten back, we sit on the patio and stargaze. We’re lucky enough to be surrounded by greenspace and on a clear night, if we turn out the patio lights, the stars are particularly vivid. Stargazing doesn’t always leave me much time for reading, but I am dipping into a few books now and then. Here’s what I’m reading this month.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

The Spanish Promise by Karen Swan

A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci

Books read to date in 2025: 36

My June Reads

Summer officially arrives this Friday, though we’ve been in summer mode around here for weeks. We had one round of house guests at the beginning of June and we’re expecting two more groups at the end of the month.  It’s busy! Thankfully, the weather has warmed so we can have dinners on the patio and enjoy the sight (and scent!) of the climbing roses. In spite of the holiday vibes, I am getting some writing done, but my attention to the business side of things, including this blog, will probably be a little sporadic over the next few months. And that’s okay. We all need time to kick back, just like we all need time to read a good book.  Here’s what I’m reading this month.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston

How We Learn to be Brave by Mariann Edgar Budde

Watch Out for Her by Samantha Bailey

Books read to date in 2025: 32

My May Reads

The weeds are growing and so is my ‘to do’ list. I’d rather stare out the window at my blooming rhododendron and contemplate beauty, but, alas, spring leaves little time for contemplation. There’s not much time for reading these days either, though I always manage a little time before bed. Here’s what I’m reading this month.

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

The Traitor’s Daughter by Roxana Spicer

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

Books read to date in 2025: 29

Overheard This Week

                         

I popped into the bakery to pick up a baguette the other day and two women ahead of me in line were chatting. I couldn’t help overhearing them. Well, technically, I probably could have shut them out, but eavesdropping is not against the law and one could even argue that it’s in the job description of writers everywhere. 

I gather one of the women was an artist of some kind (I’m guessing fabric art) and her creations were beautiful enough to elicit raves from her companion. “I could never make wall hangings like yours,” said one women to the other. “I can’t make anything,” she added. “I’m not at all creative.”

That’s not the first time I’ve heard someone claim they lack creativity. It’s probably not the first time you’ve heard it either. But the thing is, we are all creative. Every single one of us.

Just ask author Lois Peterson who launched her latest book a few weeks ago. Titled Creatively Human: Why We Imagine, Make and Innovate, the book is targeted at young readers, though I think it deserves a spot on everyone’s bookshelf, regardless of age. It’s an engaging and informative read showcasing the fact that we’re hardwired to make and create, and that the drive to do it is as old as humanity itself.

Our ancestors were weaving 12,000 years ago and using pigment to make paintings 17,000 years ago. Creativity is everywhere, Lois says, from graffiti to logos to flash mobs to splashy stage productions. In her book, young readers are encouraged to look at the world with an imaginative eye as they explore the origins and impact of ideas and inventions, arts and technology.  I loved the A-to-Z list of creative activities sprinkled throughout the text. It was also great fun to read some real-life examples of creativity too, like Ben Wilson who is known as the Pavement Picasso in London, England where he converts discarded gum into sidewalk masterpieces. . .  and a young girl name Mayhem who reproduces Oscar Award winners’ gowns out of common things like construction paper, gift wrap, tissue paper and foil.  

Lois came up with the book idea after going into schools and libraries to speak to children about writing and the creative process. During those sessions, someone would almost always say ‘I’m not creative.’ So, Lois decided to try a little exercise. She asked all of them to stand up. Then she began listing creative activities, asking them to sit down if they’d ever done them. She started with the obvious ones: who likes to draw, to dance, to sing? Who likes to build things or cook or garden? To paint? To collect and display treasures? To tell jokes and make people laugh? Inevitably, as she went down the list, one or two people would always be left standing. To those last holdouts, Lois would ask: did you choose your own clothes and dress yourself this morning? Because that is another creative act. And if anyone was still standing after that, she would ask them ‘have you ever told a lie?’ By then, the kids were all sitting down and most were probably laughing too.

But Lois had made her point that creativity is everywhere and everyone is creative.

Creatively Human: Why We Imagine, Make and Innovate by Lois Peterson is published by Orca Book Publishers and is available through your local independent bookstore.

My March Reads

This Thursday is the first day of spring. The ancients called it Ostara and believed it was a time to celebrate new beginnings, balance, and renewal. We usually think of it as the Spring Equinox, a time when the sun and earth are in balance, and the days and nights are equal.

Whatever you call it, and whether or not you mark it at all, spring is almost always welcome, at least here in the Western Hemisphere. Signs of growth are everywhere! In my garden, the heather and crocuses are in bloom, the daffodils are just about to pop, and the blossoms on the cherry and plum trees are too.

I love this time of year, though I’ll admit that as the garden comes alive, it’s sometimes challenging to balance cerebral pursuits with outdoor activities. For now, though, there’s still plenty of time for both. And that makes me happy because I have a lot of reading and writing to do. Here’s what I’m reading this month.

The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche

The Spirited Kitchen by Carmen Spagnola

Elegant Simplicity: The Art of Living Well by Satish Kumar

Books Read to Date in 2025: 21