I did it. I wrote a novel! I have no idea if it’s any good or if it will ever be published, but it feels pretty great to be able to say that I wrote a book. These are some of my thoughts on the fact that I finished the first draft of my novel and how my first go at revisions has been progressing so far.
I recently read two Christina Lauren romances back to back: her newest, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, and one of her bestsellers, Dating You/Hating You. After reading both, I certainly understand the hype. Lauren’s books are fun, breezy, modern romances. I flew through both and really enjoyed them. Continue reading
One and Only by Jenny Holiday is the first book in her Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series. I flew through this book—it was a fun, funny contemporary romance, perfect for a weekend getaway or just if you’re looking for a light and breezy read. Continue reading
I love books about books. Books about authors, about writing, about bookstores. I guess it’s because it creates a sense of camaraderie between me, the author and the characters in the story—I love books enough to read them, the author loves books enough to write about them and the characters love books enough to make them their life’s work. Terri-Lynne DeFino’s new novel The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers (And Their Muses) fell into this category, and it made for a joyful read.
I recently expanded my reading interests into a new genre: romance. At first, this was purely because I was going on a trip, was almost finished with the novel I was reading, I’d received a couple romance novels in the mail from publishers and the books themselves are very small. So I tossed one in my bag. And I’ll admit, by the end I was hooked. So I started to do a little more research into the genre (more on why will be coming soon), and decided that my next foray should be into contemporary romance (the first one was historical). So I again went into the stash of novels I had on hand, and selected Alisha Rai’s Hurts to Love You. Continue reading
I adored Jojo Moyes’ Me Before You. When I read it, it was the first time in recent history that I actually went back and reread specific passages after I finished the book—for those of you familiar with the story, it was the “dancing” scene at the wedding. Sure, I understood why certain people thought that the outcome of the story was problematic, but I took it for what it was: an incredibly romantic, incredibly tragic, dynamically written story. Continue reading
Lyss on Life 