What Are You Reading?

Earlier this year I had a revelation: I spend so much time writing and editing that I’d stopped reading. Occasionally, I’d read a book to review it, but I couldn’t remember the last time I picked up a novel just for the fun of it.

Whoa. How had that happened?

I started writing novels because I love getting lost in the characters and the complexity of their lives and circumstances, but I’d reduced fiction to nothing more than something to be studied and replicated.

Ew. Sounds like school work.

Speaking of school work, an important part of being a writer is learning how to write well. That means reading craft books.

Guess what else I stopped reading?

All of this to say that I’m jumping back into reading, and not just to write book reviews. I’m picking up books that attract me and authors I’ve heard good things about. I’m also getting back to reading craft books to keep my wits sharp and my writing crisp. My plan is to share what I’m reading and why I picked it up, and I hope you’ll do the same!

For Pleasure

Honeymoon for One in Christmas Falls by Jennifer Peel

I discovered Peel a few weeks ago, and I was immediately hooked. A clean, funny romance with flawed characters and a relatable plot pulled me in—I read the book in two days and dove right back in to re-read it. I’m also a big fan of Christmas (my tree is going up the first weekend in November!) so I was ready for a holiday story. Peel + Christmas = the perfect novel for this girl!

Homecoming in Christmas Falls by Ciara Knight

It turns out Peel’s book is the second book in a Christmas Falls series. Knight wrote book one. I know nothing about her, but she’s associated with Peel, so my hope is that I’ll enjoy Knight as much as I enjoy Peel. Stay tuned, and I’ll let you know!

For Self-Improvement

Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell & Candy Tan

I love romance novels (reading and writing them). It took me a while to admit to that because so many people have a negative and/or narrow opinion of romance, but as I’ve studied writing I realize romance writing is more difficult than people like to believe. That inspired a desire to better understand the genre. A few weeks ago, I found a blog post that listed the author’s favorite romance-related resources. Unfortunately, I can’t find that post now, but I did buy several books from the list! Beyond Heaving Bosoms is one of them. (NOTE: This book explores the entire romance genre, not just clean romance, so keep that in mind if you’re considering reading it.)

For Review

Catching Christmas by Terri Blackstock

It’s been many years since I read a book by Blackstock; I don’t even remember which book I read. I wanted to reintroduce her novels back into my library, and it’s a Christmas book. No brainer! I’m looking forward to reading and reviewing her latest novel.

That’s it’s for me.

What are you reading? Why did you decide to read it? What do you like about it so far?

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