Category: reading

A Promising Start

readingbythefire (2)2016 started in the best possible way – with time to read. The trick is giving everybody else books for Christmas and then making sure I set aside a block of time after the company leaves but before I have to go back to work.

This year the stars aligned and I had some uninterrupted reading time during the holidays. Having a fridge full of leftovers helped, as did having a relatively clean house. Aside from a few visits with friends (at their house!) and making sure Team Sheltie got out for their daily walks, I was able to relax in front of the fire with a few new books. I’ll be tracking the books I read again this year and tallying up the numbers every month or so. I read 79 books in 2015 which is up from 65 books in 2014 but nowhere close to my goal of reading two books a week.

However, I got off to a good start this year and that’s encouraging! Here’s what I’m reading this month:

On the Kindle: Find the Good by Heather Lende

At the gym: Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

Beside the bed: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Books read to date in 2016: 4

Book Buys for the Holidays

christmas-books-440x435At the request of my kids, I just handed off my Christmas wish list. The list gets smaller every year. That’s partly because I’m blessed with everything I could ever want (other than a spot on the NYT list and maybe a lottery win) and also because these last few years have taught me that the most important things in life truly are priceless: the loyalty of family & friends, good health, unconditional love.

That said, I was able to come up with a few suggestions for Teen Freud and Uptown Girl. Books were, to no one’s surprise, on the top of my list. I’m hoping to receive Jodi Picoult’s Leaving Time and a copy of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic.

Since I’ve tracked my reading again this year, I thought it might be helpful if I listed out a few of my favorite books to help you choose for the readers on your list.

For fiction lovers:

A Long Time Gone by Karen White.  A lyrical multi-generational novel set in the Mississippi Delta with themes of tradition, families, forgiveness and love. Multiple points of view from different time periods make this a contemporary as well as historical read.

In the Blood by Lisa Unger. For the suspense readers on your list. A twisted psychological thriller with secrets, lies and brisk plotting that will keep you reading late into the night.

The Late, Lamented Molly Marx by Sally Koslow. Molly is dead and watching from the hereafter as her loved ones try to discern if her death was murder, suicide or an accident. By turns hilarious and thought-provoking, this will appeal to anyone with an offbeat sense of humor and even a light interest in metaphysics.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. Women’s fiction with a touch of mystery, beautifully drawn characters and some laugh-out-loud scenes. A brilliant relationship read. Moriarty is becoming an auto buy for me.

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. A literary read dealing with a serious theme and delivering an ultimately uplifting message. Badly injured in a car accident, self-proclaimed over-achiever Sarah Nickerson suffers a brain injury in which she’s completely incapable of processing anything on her left side. She can’t see, feel or recognize anything on that side of her body. Her left is neglected. A clever title and a clever read.

I was on a metaphysical YA kick this year and these two books stood out for me:

Guardian by Natasha Deen. Seventeen-year-old Maggie sees the dead and helps them go from bewilderment to the beyond. But one spirit will not leave until she figures out who killed him. And finding the answer might be the death of her. Great characterization, well-paced and lots of twists and turns.

Best Friends Through Eternity by Sylvia McNicoll. Fourteen-year-old Paige is killed at a railway crossing while taking a detour to avoid school bullies. She is quickly transported to a nether world where she sees Kim, a friend who died seven years earlier. Gifted with the opportunity to return to earth and relive her last days, Paige is determined to fix past mistakes and prevent her death. A beautiful story about friendship and choices, this book was hard to put down.

Shameless self-promotion time. My title The Art of Getting Stared At is now available in paper and makes a terrific stocking stuffer!

Finally, four suggestions for non-fiction lovers:

Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace by Anne Lamott. A collection of essays on faith, family and community. Lamott writes with wit and wisdom, and while some of the passages touch on difficult subjects in every case Lamott leaves the reader feeling hopeful and uplifted. Highly recommended.

Seven Letters from Paris by Samantha Verant. For those who adore both a love story and the city of Paris. The log line for this book reads: twenty years, seven letters, and one long-lost love of a lifetime. Love letters and a happily ever after fairy tale. What could be better?

King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village by Peggielene Bartels.  An American secretary learns she’s been chosen to lead 7,000 subjects in a tiny fishing village on Ghana’s central coast. Returning to her ancestral home, she must blend her American sensibilities with the traditions of her native Ghana as she works to improve the lot of her countrymen. A fascinating glimpse into tribal customs and village life in Ghana.

The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Anderson Brower. An intimate, behind-the-scenes look at life in the White House seen through the eyes of the staff who serve. Insightful anecdotes about presidential families from the Kennedys through to the Obamas are presented along with archival information. Well-written and entertaining, I was sorry when this book ended.

My November Reads

curtains-from-outside-at-nightA wicked storm blew through last week, downing trees and knocking out power to thousands of people both here on the island and on the mainland. Our lights stayed on, so we were lucky in that respect, but the pots on the back patio took a bad hit. A towering red canna lily fell over by the back door, smashing the beautiful blue grazing ball beside it. We had to clean up the glass so Team Sheltie could get outside to do their business. They weren’t thrilled to be out there in the first place. They were much happier when I closed the curtains, lit the fire and curled up on the couch with a book. It’s something I seem to be doing a lot of these days.

Here’s what I’m reading this month:

On the Kindle: That Night by Lisa McManus

Beside the fire: What We Hide by Marthe Jocelyn

Before Bed: Miracleville by Monique Polak

 

Books read to date in 2015: 75

My October Reads

foggyfallmorningThe leaves have pretty much fallen from the trees, our apples have been harvested (and turned into crisps and pies), and later this week we set our clocks back an hour to standard time. Many people don’t like the fact that it gets darker earlier, but I don’t mind. It means it’s lighter in the morning, which makes it easier to get up. Not only that, the darker evenings are a perfect time to curl up and read a book.

Here’s what I’m reading this month:

 

Beside the fire: The Precious One by Marisa de los Santos

 

At the Gym: Crazy Love You by Lisa Unger

 

On the Kindle: Hope in a Jar by Beth Harbison

 

Books read to date in 2015: 70

More Happy News

forest logo framedI’m delighted to have The Art of Getting Stared At included on the White Pine list for this year’s Forest of Reading in Ontario. Established and administered by the  Ontario Library Association, the program encourages children from kindergarten to grade 12 to pick up a book.

The White Pine is a teen reader’s choice award and thousands of teens in grades 9 – 12 read the books and vote for their favorites. And they have ten wonderful titles to choose from. To check out the shortlisted books, go here: https://www.accessola.org/web/OLAWEB/Forest_of_Reading/Awards_Nominees/White_Pine_Fiction_Nominees.aspx

On another note, I had a great time at last night’s Victoria Book Prize Society gala even though The Art of Getting Stared At didn’t win in the children’s category. That honor went to Chris Tougas who won for his delightful picture book Dojo Daycare. Chris had the audience laughing as he read his text. If you have preschoolers in your life, do pick up a copy of his funny story. They’ll love it! dojodaycare framed

 

My September Reads

movingofficedownload (2)As I write this, change is in the air. A late summer storm is knocking out power and bringing down trees, a reminder that even though it’s only the beginning of September, fall is on the way. The leaves on some of the trees are turning yellow and dropping early too. The hot, dry summer has stressed them; they don’t have the energy to hang on until the first frost. In the garden, the tomatoes are ripening at a frightening speed, the basil peaked weeks ago, and the raccoons wiped me out of figs a month before the fruit usually ripens.

Things are a little different inside the house this September too. After more than twenty years of having my office in the basement, I’m moving upstairs. Originally I chose the downstairs space so I’d have some privacy and a separate space when my kids were young. Now, Teen Freud wants the distance and he’d like to ‘relocate’ to what’s essentially a downstairs suite. While it makes good sense on a pile of levels, I have mixed feelings. I’m sad because my basement office is a cozy spot with a window seat full of pillows I love, funky purple trim on the walls, and a view of the garden. I’ve written over 20 books there! But I’m excited to paint and decorate a new space even if it won’t have my beloved window seat. I’ve been reading my stash of Feng Shui books to remind myself about the Chinese art of placement. And when I’m not reading up on placement tips, I’m dipping into these books:

On the Kindle: If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins

At the Gym: The Residence: Inside the World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower

Before Bed: The Sweetness of a Simple Life by Diana Beresford-Kroeger

Books read to date in 2015: 59

My July Reads

peaches 001We’ve had a stellar peach crop this year. The fruits are so thick on our tree they’re crowding each other out. We’ve had to thin the crop to allow some of the fruit to ripen. I’m facing a similar problem with One Good Deed, the YA I recently finished. I have lots of good stuff on the page. But too much of a good thing is, well, too much. The words are so thick in places they’re crowding out clarity. I need to do some thinning there too.

In the kitchen, the peaches are being cut for the freezer so we can enjoy them in smoothies and fruit cups all winter. In the office, One Good Deed is being cut and shaped so readers can hopefully enjoy the story down the road too. And when I get a chance to take a breath, I pick up a book. Here’s what I’m reading this month:

At the gym:  What Came Next and How to Like It by Abigail Thomas

Beside the pond: The Sound of Glass by Karen White

Before bed: The Hand on the Mirror by Janis Heaphy Durham

 

Books Read to date in 2015: 46

My June Reads

june 2015 151We’ve had an amazing spring with lots of sun and temperatures up where they usually are in mid-July instead of mid-June. The garden’s growing like crazy, the potted plants are happy and we are too. Although there are drawbacks. We generally get rain in June but to date we’ve had almost none. That means water in the reservoir is low. Many creeks and streams are at a trickle. Some are drying up. They’re talking significant water restrictions sooner rather than later. That’s not good. The other drawback is much less serious – the warmer weather leaves me less time to read than I’d like because I’m busy enjoying the garden when I’m not writing. With a little luck, I’ll fit in a reading break sometime in the next month. In the meantime, here’s what I’m reading right now:

At the Gym:  Left Neglected by Lisa Genova

Beside the Pond: Shockwave by Lea Tassie

Before Bed:  Guardian by Natasha Deen

Books Read to Date in 2015: 41

 

 

Support Your Favorite Author

toomanybooksAs authors, we love it when people buy our books. But from a personal point of view, I can’t buy every book I want. It’s not practical or possible. For one thing, my house won’t hold many more bookshelves and, for another, my Kindle is quickly reaching capacity. I know I’m not alone. But even if you can’t buy an author’s book, there are a number of other things you can do to support them.

Write a review. Leaving a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads is a huge help to authors and other readers too. There’s nothing like a recommendation to encourage someone to pick up a book. And, honestly, having someone read our book is almost as good as having them buy it.

Tell others. If you loved a book, spread the word. Tell your friends. Let librarians know. If it’s not in circulation, ask them to order it. Make a point of telling booksellers if you enjoyed a book too. It’ll help them when they need a recommendation for a customer.

Use social media. Mention a book you liked on your blog. If you’re on Facebook, share the title in your status update. If you’re on Twitter, send out a tweet about how much you enjoyed it.

Contact the author. Authors love hearing from readers and most of us are pretty easy to find. Drop us a note through our website or via Twitter.  Let us know you enjoyed our work. That kind of feedback is literally priceless. And it’s appreciated far more than you could ever know.

Happy reading!

 

My April Reads

suitcase-full-of-books-shutterstockI can’t say I’m a huge Kindle devotee. I probably pick up physical books twice as much as I power up my Kindle. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate having it. I do. With its back lighting and relative weightlessness, it’s great for reading in bed at night. It’s also wonderful and indispensable when I travel (No more trying to cram a week or two of reading material into a suitcase). So I’ll be loading the Kindle with books for this Sunday’s departure to Ontario. Although, given my schedule, I suspect I’ll be too busy (and too tired at the end of the day) to do much reading. But I can’t imagine traveling without something to read.

In the meantime, here’s what I’m reading before I leave:

On the Kindle: Best Friends Through Eternity by Sylvia McNicoll

At the Gym: The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

Beside the bed: Seven Letters from Paris: A Memoir by Samantha Verant

 

Books read to date 2015: 31