Writing Blog
I wrapped up my 2019 Goodreads Reading Challenge
Every year I sign up for the Goodreads Reading Challenge, and as the year comes to a close it’s always nice to feel I’ve “ticked the box”. It goes without saying that reaching the self-imposed goal of reading 45 novels in 2019 is far more enjoyable than, say, ticking off my dental cleaning or the…
Read MoreReaders rule the (literary) world
“The writer does not and should not have the last word. That belongs to the reader.” —Tobias Wolff Love this quote from author Tobias Wolff. Although I always enjoy reading about authors’ writing process, I do tend to be skeptical when they are too insistent on overall themes and interpretations. Although those may be the…
Read MoreBook review: The Masterpiece
This is the third Fiona Davis novel I’ve read. Her novels are ideal for someone like me, who enjoys dual storylines: one historical, one contemporary. It’s a plus that Davis’ novels always include a New York landmark that serves as an additional story protagonist. In her first novel, it was the Barbizon – housing for…
Read MoreWriters in a perpetual dream state
“The good thing about writing books is that you can dream while you are awake.” —Haruki Murakami Love these wise words from brilliant Japanese author Haruki Murakami. After all, a writer will go nowhere without an active imagination. And yes, chances are your favorite author has a tendency to daydream at various points throughout the…
Read MoreTaking time to spot the gnomes
Friday musings during a grey and rainy month in Rome. I saw this photo and thought of when I took it – during a hiking trip I took with my younger son during a hot September weekend. This was out in Ovindoli, in the mountains of Abruzzo – about 1.5 hours east of Rome. We…
Read MoreBook review: The Summer We Lost Her
I did not know this author or this novel. I picked it up mostly for its cover, and the storyline set in New York’s Adirondack Mountains – an area I know well. I enjoyed this dual storyline of an imploding marriage, set mostly in a grand but rustic cabin along the shores of Lake Placid.…
Read MoreOn your mark, get set, GO all you NaNoers!
It’s November 1st. Do you know what that means to writers? It’s the start of the crazy, marathon challenge known as National Novel Writing Month. Each year, writers around the world accept the challenge to write a novel in a month. More precisely, throughout the month of November, writers challenge themselves to write every day,…
Read MoreIn writing as in life, learn from your mistakes
“When it’s finally in print, you’re delivered—you don’t ever have to look at it again. It’s too late to worry about its failings. I’ll have to apply any lessons this book has taught me toward writing the next one.” —Eudora Welty I only just wrote about another brilliant Eudora Welty quote a couple of weeks…
Read MoreBook review: Bear Town
Set in a small hamlet in Sweden, surrounded by wild forest land, Bear Town is a fast, enjoyable read examining various facets of this fading town and the odd assortment of residents who populate it. Bear Town has seen better days. Once a reasonably prosperous small town, Bear Town boasted factories and blue collar jobs…
Read MoreA tale of two lakes: #Amreading lake-set novels
It was a pleasant coincidence. I finished a novel I really enjoyed, The Summer We Lost Her, by Tish Cohen, which tells the story of a slowly crumbling marriage strained further by the disappearance of the couple’s young daughter. The setting plays a big role in the novel – the Adirondack Mountains lake town of…
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