Friday Reads 6.21.24
A little break is good for the soul
Happy Friday, all! Blessed solstice! 🌅
I’m afraid I have very little to report in terms of reading progress this week because I went to Chicago with my honey for a writing retreat. Well, he had a conference, so I tagged along, knowing I’d have long swathes of time to work in solitude, with nothing but my laptop, my notebooks, a pot of tea, and a view.
And there was a spider, but that’s a future post.
I wrote a lot. And thought a lot. And ate a lot of shrimp.
I am at a crucial point in the book’s development—the time in the writing when I usually find a huge, glaring issue that necessitates blowing up the book. I don’t have a glaring error this time, but I do have a larger overall…situation that I am pondering. The change would necessitate blowing up the book, yes, but if I do it right, it would be a small, controlled explosion rather than some of my past nuclear detonations (see: HER DARK LIES.)
I worked on it at length yesterday, and I know in my gut it’s the right thing to do. So controlled explosion it is. It’s also sort of heartening to know that my process is alive and well. One of my friends predicted this was coming… and she was right. Almost to the day!
I’m still reading Mary Kubica’s SHE’S NOT SORRY, and I have a slew of books lined up, but for now, I’m deep into this new book. The only things I’m going to be able to read over the next few weeks are three older Taylor Jackson titles, which I am preparing to get back into print! After I finish this book. And after I finish editing Jayne #5.
Sigh. I’ve hit a weird point in the year where there’s a lot of work looming. It’s going to be a busy fall. But nothing happens until I finish the new book. Deadline, activated!
Congrats to the following awesome people on their new releases this week! Have you read any of these? They are ALL on my TBR…
Riley Sager - MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
Wanda Morris - WHAT YOU LEAVE BEHIND
Liv Constantine - THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH
That’s it from me. How about you? How has it been going? I’d love to hear what you’re reading this weekend! Any recommendations?
I also took a break this week…but the other way around. My TBR list has been gnawing at me—now I own too many books I haven’t read. Between that and feeling down on my own writing, I decided to take majority of this week as a reading week. I’ve done some writing here and there - will reach my writing goal for the week by tomorrow, but it was a low goal specifically for this reason.
So far this week I’ve read:
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME by Alex Finlay
IN A DARK DARK WOOD by Ruth Ware
STILL SEE YOU EVERYWHERE by Lisa Gardner
A STEP PAST DARKNESS by Vera Kurian
Today I will finish
BURN THE NEGATIVE by Josh Winning
This weekend I’m hoping to get to:
GAME OF LIES by Clare Mackintosh
A LOVELY LIE by Jaime Lynn Hendricks
BAD MEN by Julie Mae Cohen
It’s been nice to be reminded that I actually really enjoy reading stories and that it’s okay to take a break from the gas pedal and enjoy the scenery.
Oooh. What nuclear detonation was in “Her Dark Lies”?!? That was such an unputdownable book.
I just finished “Summer Romance” by Annabel Monaghan, which was such a straightforward delight. I finished “Ink and Bone” by Lisa Unger right before that and loved it (of course). My Libby hold for “The Midnight Feast” by Lucy Foley just came through. I’m super excited for the next Riley Sager—I’m a big fan.