Writings, Wanderings

My newsletter takes a look at books where August plays a role either as Part of the title Name of author or character Time of the story actions After researching traditionally-published books that fit one of these criteria, I thought it would be fun to reach out to the indie writing community and see what books they had to offer. Take a look below and maybe you'll discover a new read for the month! Dog Days of August (Twelve Months of Romance-August) by Margaret Lake is 8th book in a women contemporary's fiction novella series (this length book is perfect for a lazy afternoon!). All Jan wants to do is get her mother a puppy to help her get over her grief at the loss of her husband, Jan’s father. But when she gets to the shelter to pick up the girl puppy she had her heart set on, Kevin, a freak with a Mohawk and earring, is getting ready to walk away with her dog. Jan is still fuming when she gets to work the next morning, and it doesn’t help that she’s expe...

Going on summer break from school has been good to me. Although I had a good school year, I had a lot going on and as my last month's blog entry stated, my reading suffered. For June I took the time to rejuvenate by focusing on reading what I felt like when I felt like it as well as writing in my next novella (maybe short novel?? it's turning out longer than I anticipated but I think editing will keep it under 40K). I finally read the Grisha trilogy ( Shadow & Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin & Rising ) by Leigh Bardugo. I have seen others gushing about on Instagram for months now! This fantasy series is definitely more young adult than adult, but I wanted to keep reading and plan on reading the other stories in the Grishaverse. I found her system of magic interesting and was invested in the characters. Loved Nikolai! Yes, there was the over-used love triangle (or was it a pyramid at one point?), but it did not overwhelm the other elements. Recommended read for tee...

Three more children's books with activities to share!  If I Had a Gryphon by Vikki Vansickle was a delightful read that I highly recommend for any mid-elementary kid. It has a nice pattern to the words, and I love how it hits on so many mythological creatures across the world. Make sure to turn to the last page for a fun surprise. This book lends itself to a variety of activities including more in-depth research on lesser-known creatures mentioned or brainstorming other problems to go along with a specific mythological pet. (Could you imagine taking a unicorn to the veterinarian for a check-up?) A Song in Bethlehem took a unique look at the night of the Christ Child's birth. It had lovely illustrations that mixed the ethereal and the realistic. This book would work well for a read-together in early elementary or even a read-alone if the child has good reading skills. The story connects to music, so an extension activity could be to sing favorite Christmas carols o...