Hello, dear readers! Welcome to my monthly newsletter, book(ish). This month, I’ll share what I’ve been up to, answer your questions, and update you with any news I have!
what i’ve been up to
A whole lot of nothing. March, this year, meant rest for me. I had spring break at the end of the month, and took a much-needed trip to Florida with my little one to visit her grandparents. I also cleaned my house, decluttered my office, visited with friends, and took care of me.
I’ll be honest – I’m not very good at resting. I don’t think any of us are, really – our modern culture is set up to serve the gods of capitalism, and hustle hustle hustle is our constant refrain. But I’m wary of burnout (it’s happened before) and, as I’m expecting my edit letter on A MODERN GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER mid-April, I made the conscious choice to slow down while I could. Even so, I had a little voice in the back of my head reminding me that I should really be writing, that my next project (A YA romantasy) isn’t going to write itself. That if I stop, I’ll never start again. That the words will slip through my fingers like grains of sand, never to return.
That little voice is a liar.
I know some of you are creatives as well – writers or artists of all sorts of stripes – and I want to assure you that the words and the art will be there (and be there, better than ever!) after a break. Now that it’s April, I might let myself open up my work-in-progress draft and start pecking away, but I want to give myself grace before the coming seasons of stress and deadlines and 5AM writing sessions. I want you to give yourself grace, too–it’s okay to put down the work and sit in the sunshine, to read a book or play games or take a long walk. I’m giving you permission right now!
A few highlights from this month: Jenna Miller’s OUT OF CHARACTER event at Little District Books (pictured above). Swimming in the Gulf of Mexico (also pictured above). Long, lazy days reading the newest book in the Veronica Speedwell series.
what i’ve been reading
I read a lot this month. These were my top choices in MG, YA, and Adult:
MG: THE TRYOUT by Christina Soontornvat. I’m usually not a big graphic novel reader, but my students love them, and I’m always a sucker for a cheerleading book! This was such a sweet story of belonging, believing in yourself, and following your dreams.
YA: FLOWERHEART by Catherine Bakewell. I was a big fan of Cat’s MG debut, WE ARE THE SONG, and I was eagerly awaiting her YA debut! Flowerheart is a cozy cottagecore fantasy with a swoony romance, a strong sense of humor, and utterly delicious writing. Clara’s magic is chaotic and her struggle to understand herself is so relatable.
Adult: A SINISTER REVENGE by Deanna Raybourn. I’m a big fan of the Veronica Speedwell mysteries, and the latest installment is my favorite yet! A decades-old crime, revenge, and a dinner party inside a giant model of a dinosaur? Murder? Mayhem? Veronica dealing with her – gasp – feelings? I can’t get enough!!
anything else?
That’s all I’ve got for you this month! As always, feel free to leave a comment – I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.