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August Book Reviews

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It was a very satisfying month in my literary world! I read five books: three non-fiction, two fiction; two audiobooks, three paperbacks, and I loved all of them! Speaking of reading... have you read my Substack updates lately? If not, you can subscribe for free with your email address (no need to download the app) and it will come directly to your email inbox! The next update will include a very special recipe, too, so you don't want to miss it! Ok, but for here and now, I want to highlight the beautiful work of other brilliant authors who have inspired and influenced me in August.  Sacred Margins: On the Spiritual Life of a Writer, Steve Laube My friend, Mary, from one of my writers' groups, gave me this book after we attended the Taylor Professional Writers Conference together. I actually submitted my manuscript to the Steve Laube literary agency in the spring (and got a rejection), but I was still interested in reading his work. It's a small book, and easy to read, an...
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July Book Reviews

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 I'm a couple of days behind, but here are the three lovely books I managed to read in the course of a very busy July! Two nonfiction: a memoir and a biography, and one fiction: the next volume of my latest favorite series; one audiobook and two hard copies.  Before I get into them, two life updates to share:  1) I've started an author's newsletter . I attended a professional writers' conference last month, and one piece of advice I received was to do this thing and try to get at least 400 subscribers, as a sort of good-faith indicator of the audience who might buy, read, and promote my first novel. (Apparently, publishers like for authors to find these people themselves.) Oh, did you know I have written a novel, and I am working on getting it published? Well, if you would like to learn more about it, then please sign up to receive my newsletter! It is free and will come directly to your email twice a month. 2) I started a new job! I am working part-time/remote on th...
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June Book Reviews

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Well, friends, my list for this month is woefully short. Three books: one classic, one modern fiction, and one historical fiction; two via audiobook and one hard copy. I could give you all sorts of excuses for my lax reading habits, including taking naps in the summer sun, taking long walks to talk with God, going on a road trip, coordinating a concert, revising my novel, being a maid of honor, listening to lots of music, and staying up way past my bedtime. Though all are true and potentially valid (it's been a busy month, ya'll), I choose to blame... Ivanhoe. Ivanhoe, Sir Walter Scott Why this book? I'm glad you asked. 1) I've never read it before and knew nothing about it, and it felt like an important one to add to my literary experience. 2) I had two friends talk about it last month, and I felt left out. Though not as long as Bleak House, this was a doozy of a read because it was really slow-paced and was just a hard style for me to follow and stay focused on. It to...
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