It’s the first Friday in December, friends, and you know what that means… let’s talk about what we’re reading!
I have an essential recommendation today for a book I read earlier in the year that is releasing on Tuesday, Ariel Lawhon’s THE FROZEN RIVER.
This book, people. It’s received just about every accolade there is already, and I’m sure there are more to come. On the surface, it’s a story about a midwife in 1789 Maine who’s never lost a mother. That’s how Ariel pitched it to me a decade ago. It is so much more. Martha Ballard is a bonafide badass, and Ariel has created a heroine as compelling as Claire Fraser from Outlander. You will love it. Trust me and grab your copy when it goes on sale Tuesday!
It is the first of December, and that means many things are happening. I got home from the family trip to Italy last night, and I am ready to jump into the creation of #HLN with both feet. I was shockingly uncreative on the trip, which is very rare for me. These trips are always meant for research, but there wasn’t a lot of downtime to simply sit and think. I took a lot of pictures and videos so I will revisit many spots in my mind to pull things together for the next couple of books, as I visited a few areas I’d not been to before. But the point of the trip was to get my dad together with his uncle, and visit with my cousins, and that was accomplished with verve. We had a lot of fun with the family, and I’m so grateful we were all able to make this trip. The highlights are on my Instagram.
I didn’t read much, as I found out the hard way reading horror when staying alone in a very old Italian villa is not conducive to pleasant dreams (thanks, Finley), but I watched a lot of movies. A sampling…
Skyfall
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Pride & Prejudice (the Kiera Knightly version)
Emma (the Anna Taylor-Joy version)
Clueless
Legally Blond
Ford vs Ferrari
Barbie
Mamma Mia
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
And I listened to a bit of Case 63, which I will now be returning to, because I loved the premise—the dialogue grabbed me immediately.
Slow Read of the Hilary Mantel Wolf Hall books. I’ve always wanted to read them, and I love the idea of doing it with a group. He’s also doing War and Peace, but there’s only so much time in this life.
That’s it from me this week. How about you? What’s on your reading plate this weekend?
I have just finish the Mel Brooks Autobiography All About Me and the Reagan Biography by Bob Spitz both were wonderful now I need to find something completely different.
I’m looking forward to Ariel’s new book! And that was quite a list of movies I love that you watched on vacay. The trip looked fantastic.
I’m just about done with Ballad and pumped for the movie Sunday!
I realized yesterday how sloooooow November was for me, reading-wise, but I logged a lot of writing time in comparison to my usual output, so I’ll take it!
I read The Inheritance by Nora Roberts. I've been reading Nora for over 30 years and she never disappoints. The cliffhanger.. waiting a year for book 2 in the trilogy.
Just finished The Patis Apartment last night by Lucy Foley. First time author for me but I'd heard people talking about it and it popped up on sale, do I decided to try it. I have to say it was a slow start for me and I was tempted to abandon it...but I kept going and I'm glad I did. The pace really picked up and it was a really good book. I took French in high school and remembered next to nothing but it was fun...who doesn't want to go to Paris?
I’m feverishly writing my next novel so my reading time is a bit tapped but I’m reading The Wild Dark by Katherine Silva and several Kindle Vellas from fellow dark fiction authors.
A Dirty Guide to a Clean Home: Housekeeping Hacks You Can't Live Without by Melissa Dilkes Pateras
A Light Most Hateful by Hailey Piper
The Fury by Alex Michaelides
Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes
Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck
The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life by A.J. Jacobs
Opinions by Roxane Gay
The Hunter by Tana French
I have just finish the Mel Brooks Autobiography All About Me and the Reagan Biography by Bob Spitz both were wonderful now I need to find something completely different.
I’m looking forward to Ariel’s new book! And that was quite a list of movies I love that you watched on vacay. The trip looked fantastic.
I’m just about done with Ballad and pumped for the movie Sunday!
I realized yesterday how sloooooow November was for me, reading-wise, but I logged a lot of writing time in comparison to my usual output, so I’ll take it!
Finishing Ariel’s book today and it is brilliant.
I read The Inheritance by Nora Roberts. I've been reading Nora for over 30 years and she never disappoints. The cliffhanger.. waiting a year for book 2 in the trilogy.
Just finished The Patis Apartment last night by Lucy Foley. First time author for me but I'd heard people talking about it and it popped up on sale, do I decided to try it. I have to say it was a slow start for me and I was tempted to abandon it...but I kept going and I'm glad I did. The pace really picked up and it was a really good book. I took French in high school and remembered next to nothing but it was fun...who doesn't want to go to Paris?
The Frozen River sounds amazing! 🤩 👏👏
I’m feverishly writing my next novel so my reading time is a bit tapped but I’m reading The Wild Dark by Katherine Silva and several Kindle Vellas from fellow dark fiction authors.