5 Books and TV Shows I’ve Been Loving this Year So Far
Below is my quarterly roundup of the best of what I’ve been taking in so far this year. I’ve actually read twenty books so far, so this is a very abbreviated list - but a bunch of those are part of a course I’m taking, published by Gemma Media, a nonprofit publisher that focuses on books that help those on the path to English literacy, whether teens, adults, or speakers of English as a second language.
The Best Books I’ve Read September-December
With the Big Move, I haven’t had as much time to read as usual, but I’ve read some great books in the past few months. If you’re looking for last-minute gifts, these are some to consider!
The Best Books I’ve Read from April – June
We’re halfway through the year! I’ve read so many good books in the last three months (you can see my January-March reads here). It’s hard to pick just a few.
The Best Books I’ve Read So Far This Year
It’s the end of March, which means one quarter of the year is gone already. They weren’t kidding when they said time seems to move faster as you get older. I never feel like I have enough time in my day to do everything I need and want to do.
I do, however, make time for reading every day.
The Best Books I’ve Read in 2022
I’ve read 55 books so far this year. I’ll probably sneak a few more in before December 31, but these are the ones that made my top picks. I’ve also read a bunch of books on Buddhist practice, which I’ve excluded from the list since they’re only relevant if you’re Buddhist. This means I’ve read fewer nonfiction books overall, but I’m okay with that. There are always more books to read!
My Annual List of Gifts for Writers, 2022 Edition
This is my favorite post to compile every year – mainly because I see so many fun things *I’d* like.
10 Compelling Dystopian Novels for Adults
I’ve focused on classics here (or in some cases, recent-but-becoming-classics) although I know there are a million books out there that deal with some sort of dystopian reality now. If you haven’t read these, I suggest you pick them up and give them a try, because they are classics for a reason.
My Summer Reading Recommendations
In case anyone is looking for some books to wind down the last weeks of summer, here’s what I’ve been reading. Heavy on the Middle Grade, since one of my current project is a MG and I wanted to get a diverse idea of voice, tone, plot and character to see where mine fits. So, if you’re also looking for some great fiction for your kids (about ages 8-11) I can recommend all of the below.
Year End Book Roundup
It’s been a while since I’ve done a book roundup, so I decided to do one to cover what I read October –December. Hopefully there are a few here that might make it onto your reading list in 2022!
My Annual List of Gifts for Writers, 2021 Edition
Here we go! This is a list of some of the most fun and/or useful stuff I’ve found this year. Hopefully it will inspire some gift ideas – for a writer in your life, or for yourself!
7 Lessons for Writers from Dorothy Dunnett’s The Game of Kings
I just finished re-reading this book, the first in The Lymond Chronicles, a series of historical novels about, loosely speaking, the adventures of an extraordinary young Scottish nobleman, Francis Crawford of Lymond, in 16th-century Europe. I started my Lymond journey at age fourteen, when I foraged The Game of Kings from a used bookstore somewhere in Georgia while traveling with my father.
It’s National Book Month! What Are the Books that “Made” You as a Writer?
This week, write down at least ten of your favorite books of all time. Then think about why you love them. Don’t just list books you’ve enjoyed as an adult. Reach back into childhood and think about the books that influenced you, that made you want to become a writer.
September Book Roundup
I hit a bumper crop of books I enjoyed this month. A big dose of fantasy, a smidge of historical fiction/mythology, a book on how being more curious can help almost every aspect of your life, and why staying small = staying sane in business.
Books to Check Out for Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic (or Latine, or Latinx) Heritage Month is September 15-October 15. Below I’ve chosen some books to check out if you’re looking for reading material. I didn’t plan on making them all by women, but those are the ones I’ve been drawn to lately, so there you go. There is such a wonderful variety out there, it was hard to narrow it down.
Book Review: Blueprint for a Book
Full disclosure: I am a book coach trained by Jennie through her Author Accelerator book coach certification program. I use the Blueprint method specifically in one of my own coaching packages. And I use it to develop my own books. So, I didn’t exactly come to read this book from a fresh perspective.
August Book Roundup
I read fewer books this month, mainly because I was reading the nonfiction ones slowly, savoring the material and making notes. But the fiction I read I had real fun with. If you like twisty, character-driven mysteries, Lucy Foley is the author for you.
And two of the nonfiction books this month are outstanding: Rachel Rodgers’ We Should All Be Millionaires and Jennie Nash’s Blueprint for a Book. If you’re a woman interested in making serious money or a writer looking for a way to cut that first draft time in half, read on to find out more.
June-July Book Roundup
This month is a mega-post of books, since I didn’t do one for June after having several other book-related posts that month. If you’re looking for some reading material to round out your summer, there’s plenty here to choose from!
Book Coaching FAQ: What is a Book Coach and What Can One Do for You?
Since I’ve done quite a few book recommendations this month, I’m going to hold off on my usual monthly book roundup, and maybe post it next week or later in the summer.
Instead, I want to delve into the questions I’m often asked about book coaching, such as: What is a book coach, anyway? What does a book coach do? How is that different from an editor? And more. Read on for the answers.
Favorite Books for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month
Obviously, there are many, many books out there in this category, exploring so many different voices and experiences. I picked a few of the ones I’ve read and loved below but this is still a fairly random list. Let me know your faves in the comments!
May Book Roundup
This month was a fiction extravaganza! Which was lovely, to immerse myself in so many different worlds. This month’s list reminds us why it’s good to get out of any ruts we might be in, reading-wise, and be open to all kinds of stories. If you only read literary fiction, or subsist on a steady diet of cozy mysteries, or only read nonfiction, I invite you to pick a genre or an author you haven’t read before, and try it. You might even go to your library and ask them for suggestions (my local library is still not fully open for browsing, and they’ve been putting together “to-go” bags of books they pick off the shelves for you based on the criteria you give, which is a fun way to find new books and authors you might not have gone for otherwise).