Summer Reflections
This summer was more of the relaxing, stay-at-home variety. It was not without drama, however, with the appearance of Lady Aurora in all her magical glory and the most breathtaking display What a brilliant display for the middle of the city. A celestial wonder to be sure and I am truly grateful.
Without the distraction of travel, there was a lot of time to contemplate where I’m going next with my writing. With one project out of my hands for the time being, I wanted to take a break from my more complex WIP (work in progress) and and try my hand at shorter works like a novella and a short story. These require different skills than the longer fiction and worth the effort, I decided. None of this beating around the bush. You have to get straight to the point. It’s the perfect way to practice the “every word counts” bit of advice. Who knows? Maybe I will enter a contest when I can demonstrate more mastery of the short form.
I reacquainted myself with the beauty of poetry, finding expression in verse as well as prose. Highly recommended, especially if you find yourself in a writing slump or if you feel your growth as a writer beginning to drag. Perhaps I felt as though there was room for expanding my creativity and not closing myself into a box. Either way, it was all blissfully inspiring and has given me energy for moving into the fall schedule.
Cozy Reading Corner
There is nothing better than having extra time for reading and listening to audio books! Here is a sample:
My Oxford Year is written by one of my favourite Audible narrators and she narrated this one as well. Win. Win. This was an enjoyable story, although I admit it took me a bit to get into it. It was a bit of a leap to see the character as a political superstar and a Rhodes Scholar, but I enjoyed watching the relationship between Ella and Jamie unfold and overall it was a touching. heartwarming story.
Katherine Center is one of my favourite authors. Her books are must-reads for me and The Rom-Commers did not disappoint. What’s not to love about a story with two writers for main characters? So much fun! I loved the witty banter and swoony romance that accompanied this beautiful story. Not just fluff.
This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune caught my attention because the author is Canadian and the story takes place both in Toronto and in PEI, two of my favourite places. Having spent my teen years in the Maritimes, I was excited to read this story. The pace gets a little slow in parts, but Fortune does a brilliant job of depicting the setting and her characters are relatable and likeable. It was a fun read.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach is a brilliant story, with stellar writing and despite some difficult topics is a thoroughly enjoyable read. The characters are hilarious and relatable. I can’t remember exactly how I stumbled on this book, but I’m so glad I did. It is a story that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming and will give you much pause for thought. I loved it.
As for summer, that’s a wrap! Fall is already upon us.
Happy writing! Happy reading!