I’ve been busy. While I’ve been thinking about posts, and about getting back to social media for the last month, I’ve been keeping my head down and my fingers firmly planted on the keyboard, trying to get revisions on MANIAC finished and out to my critique partners. So, I can finally say it…I’m done! YAY! Now, on to other things.
So, what am I up to now? Reading, complaining about the snow that’s still here, and new ideas. But first, a few good books to talk about.
First, I’m scrambling to finish up DEAR LIFE by Alice Munro for tomorrow night’s Book Club at the library. I don’t really participate in our book club, but I’m covering for my boss who is lounging on a sunny beach in Jamaica right now. (Good for her!) This is a different book for me…CanLit at its best, really….and I’m surprised at how much I’m enjoying it. Short stories…these I can handle. I had so much to do these past few weeks in preparation for March Break, I feel like a kid who has left things to the last minute. As I write this post, I still have 30 hours to finish it before book club starts. Can I do it?
Last month, on my trip to Toronto for the Ontario Library Association Super Conference, I took along CREED by Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie. It’s about three teens who wander into what they think is an abandoned town after their truck runs out of gas. Okay, I swear, this book scared the HECK out of me! I couldn’t read it at night before bed, and yes, I’ll admit…I skimmed through a few pages because they were too scary. It’s a YA horror, so how scary could it be, right? S.C.A.R.Y. Listen to this… “He bled her.” He bled her, people! It’s exactly what you think. Don’t pick this book up if you’re looking for a light read. You’ll be thinking about it for weeks after.
So, to get away from all the heavy stuff, I chose WE ARE THE GOLDENS next, by Dana Reinhardt. A tale of two sisters and their bond. Yep, just something light and fluffy. NOT! This was a heavy book, even for one that appealed to me because of the moody cover and the fact that it was skinny. I kind of liked that it was written in the voice of one character talking to another. That made it unique. But it had a lot of dark moments as we find out what happened in their young lives to damage them both so much. Life isn’t ever what it appears to be, right?
And my favourite of the bunch? ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES by Jennifer Niven. I LOVED this cover…post it notes, cute colours. How could it be bad? And it wasn’t! I listened to the audiobook version, which was really great (even though I find it odd that two readers–male and female–don’t just read their own parts. It’s hard to listen seriously when a woman is reading the male part during “her” chapter etc. Why can’t they just read it like a play???? There’s two of them anyway……….Okay, don’t get me started.) But, this was a great book, along the lines of Rainbow Rowell’s ELEANOR & PARK, where two damaged teens come together to support each other in the most lovely ways. Finch and Violet were sweet, engaging, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, but always fascinating to piece together. I loved this book, and hope to share it with my new Teen Book Club at the library later this year. I think there could be a lot of discussion, and the characters are so likeable, it will appeal to both male and female readers. Loved it! Pick it up if you haven’t already.
So, now that I have my life back for a little while, I intend to post more, read more, and start thinking about what to write next. This is always my favourite time of year. If only it would stop snowing!!!
