So many words. So little time.
Category: reasons I’m not writing
What I didn’t do this week was write. At all. Except for three book reviews (two for June, one a last-minute commitment for May). I’m tired. I’m burned out on my current WIP—but planning my next one. My mom is in town to meet my new nephew. I’m just not in a writing mood.
Better luck next week, maybe.
Well, this will be a short update. I did exactly zero fiction-writing this week, and only three book reviews. I’m not very happy with my current WIP—stalled out—and I feel like pushing through is just creating words without quality. Hopefully, I’ll feel up to writing next week. On the positive side, I have been re-reading a draft that I really want to polish and send out into the world before the end of the year.
I had four fiction-writing sessions planned this week, but I only did three.
However…I wrote eleven book reviews this week, too. I finished reading all the books I’m reviewing in May during April…and all the reviews are written, too. And my sister-in-law went into labor and I have a new nephew, so I’m fine with that level of productivity!
I hope everyone had a good week! I had four fiction-writing sessions planned this week, but I only did three. Trying to give myself a break this week and not feel guilty over things like this…and not working out at all this week.
I did write seven book reviews this week, though!
This week, I managed to get in all but one planned writing session, and a handful of book reviews. There’s been a lot going on with my family this week, and I’ve been a bit distracted with that.
I got in two fiction-writing sessions this week, instead of my planned five. 😦 Some weeks are just like that…
This was not a great writing week. I planned five sessions…and only did one. I’m making some changes to my schedule to see how that improves things, though. I also wrote two book reviews, which is also fewer than normal for me.
There’s obviously room for improvement!
Title: The Little Bookshop on the Seine
Author: Rebecca Raisin
Genre: Women’s fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5
Sarah Smith loves her little bookstore in tiny Ashford, Connecticut. She swears her books talk to her, and she’s happy with her life, her tight-knit group of friends—and their pastries—and her boyfriend, globe-trotting journalist Ridge. Except he’s gone so much, and Sarah is a little bit bored. So, when her Parisian friend Sophie offers a six-month bookshop exchange, Sarah finds herself flying to Paris to take care of Once Upon a Time, a famous, and popular, bookstore on the Seine.
But Sarah’s dreams of quiet time spent reading, forays to explore Paris, and getting to see Ridge as he travels the world fade quickly once she arrives in Paris. The staff at the bookshop are suspicious and uncooperative. The customers are rude. There’s barely time to breathe, much less read. And instead of spending time with Ridge, their relationship is reduced to occasional quick phone calls. But Sarah has had enough. Christmas is coming and she is determined to get things sorted out, no matter what.
I loved this book! I didn’t realize until I finished it that Rebecca Raisin also wrote Rosie’s Traveling Tea Shop, which was also a lovely read…but it all makes sense now. The Little Bookshop on the Seine made me want to visit Paris, which has never been on my Places to Go list, but I’d pack right up for a chance to work in Once Upon a Time, and Sarah, with her love of books and reading contrasting with her desire to experience life is so me that I related to every page. I highly recommend this!
Rebecca Raisin loves books. The Little Bookshop on the Seine is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/HQN in exchange for an honest review.)
My reading goal for 2019 was officially 175 books. Privately, I was hoping to read 200 books. I actually read 225 books! Tracking my reading the past few years—digitally and in a reading journal—has been great.
My last book finished in 2019—and the decade—was Gone with the Wind, which is my favorite book ever! I’ve read it probably at least 20 times, and I still get made every time, cry, and want to slap Scarlett.
I feel like I should say: the last book I finished this year—and therefore this decade—was my all-time favorite book, Gone with the Wind.
Books Read in December: 15
Books Read for the Year: 225/175
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
I changed it up a bit this month.
Take the Day Off, by Robert Morris (spiritual). This has so much truth in it!
Higher Power has a Name, by James Cavanaugh (spiritual). This was quite the interesting read, Christianity from a Millennial point-of-view.
Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell (classic). This is my all-time favorite book, and I used to read it every December, but it’s been a couple of years. Scarlett is such a not self-aware person that it’s mind-boggling. And Rhett, well, he’s Rhett. I still love this book, and I still cry every single time…and I’ve probably read it 20 times at least. And Ashley? No, thank you.
For Review:
Cast in Wisdom, by Michelle Sagara (review forthcoming). I LOVE this series. Enough said.
Trace of Evil, by Alice Blanchard. Why on earth did no adults think it even the tiniest bit odd that every single teenager was in a coven? Seriously? I never figured out who the killer was, either.
The Weight of a Soul by Elizabeth Tammi. I really love Vikings and Norse mythology, so I thought I’d love this, but the MC was so unlikable that it seriously detracted from my enjoyment of the setting.
All That’s Bright and Gone, by Eliza Nellums. I’ve never read an murder investigation by a six-year-old, so this was an interesting read.
The Dating Charade, by Melissa Ferguson. This was a sweet, fun romance about two people who are hiding a big secret from each other: the sudden arrival of three children in their life.
Starborn, by Katie MacAlister. The second book in the Born Prophecy series. while I enjoyed the snark, this felt a bit rushed to me.
Husband Material, by Emily Belden. I enjoyed this surprisingly-lighthearted tale of a young widow—who practically no one knows was even married—and how she deals when the ashes of her dead husband show up at her door.
Shamus Dust, by Janet Roger. I prefer my detective noir stories in movie form, but this was a solid, atmospheric read.
Smoke Screen, by Terri Blackstock. Fourteen years ago, Nate and Brenna were teenagers in love when his father was convicted of killing her father. Now she’s fighting a nasty custody battle and he’s recovering from burns when questions arise from the murder so many years ago. They must work together to uncover the truth. A solid, enjoyable read.
The Heart of the Rebellion, by Sian Ann Bessey. Thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction set during the Welsh rebellion against English rule. And the cover is gorgeous!
Good Girls Lie, by J.T. Ellison. I’m still not sure who the bad guy was in this book. Seriously. Was it the one girl…or the other girl?
Just Don’t Mention It, by Estelle Maskame. This is the first book in the Did I Mention I Love You trilogy…told from Tyler’s POV, which was an interesting switch.
Tomorrow Is Another Day 