Writing Blog
August reads
In summer, my reading always picks up. And during holidays, I had the chance to read quite a few books, some of which I really enjoyed. Now that I am back to the daily grind, I decided to take a look back at my August reads and (hopefully) somehow feel as if I’m back on…
Read MoreI completed my Goodreads Challenge 2016
2016 is not yet over, but a recent burst of enthusiastic summer reading means I’ve wrapped up my Goodreads Reading challenge early. Even if it’s only for fun, always nice to get things in before deadlines. I know some people criticize the Reading challenge, calling it a useless check-list, but I enjoy participating each year. I’ve…
Read MoreBack to school … err.. writing!
‘Tis that time of year. New notebooks and pencils, giving up the freedom of long summer days of unscheduled time and getting that derriere back in the chair to concentrate on putting pen to paper and working once again. Sounds like back to school season, doesn’t it? And, not so strangely, it’s also back-to-writing season for…
Read MoreBook Review: Fall of Poppies
This series of short stories set during World War I, Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War was bound to be right up my alley. I love short stories and I love historical fiction, and I have a particular weakness for stories set during this time period, an era of marked upheaval as…
Read MoreThe origins of greatness
“Everything important always begins from something trivial.” – Donald Hall A great quote from the American poet Donald Hall. As any student of history knows, many of the greatest wars and tragedies in history were sparked by events that, with the benefit of hindsight, appear trivial and easy to avoid. Likewise for authors. Howard’s End…
Read MoreAre all writers hopeless liars?
“Is the artist a liar, or simply one for whom even a fact is not a fact? ” -Ned Rorem I love this quote by American composer Ned Rorem in The Paris Review. What do you think, writers? Are we merely liars when we make up an entire world and populate it with invented characters story after…
Read MoreBook Review: After You
Like many readers, I had read and enjoyed Jojo Moyes Me Before You. I didn’t think a sequel was really necessary, as I generally like endings that leave things open for the readers’ imaginations. Nevertheless, I still picked this up when it came out and enjoyed this novel – although perhaps not as much as…
Read MoreBook review: Paris Time Capsule
In Paris Time Capsule, by Ella Carey, New-York photographer Cat Jordan is stunned to learn she has inherited an apartment in Paris from Isabelle de Florian, a woman she’s never heard of. She leaves behind her society boyfriend and travels to France to handle the practicalities. There she learns that Isabelle de Florian and her…
Read MoreHolidays as creative writing time?
I’m not sure how I feel about this. Sometimes as I leave for holidays I have big plans for what I want to accomplish writing-wise. Other departures, I realize that there is very little point in hoping I’ll accomplish anything beyond normal vacation recharging. This year I have writing goals, but I’m not sure how…
Read MoreBook Review: The Improbability of Love
I didn’t know anything about this novel until I saw it shortlisted for the Bailey’s Prize – always a source of inspiration for my reading – and loved its premise. I wasn’t disappointed at all. This was a fabulous find, and its interesting plot and cast of whimsical characters kept up a quick pace throughout…
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