Adult Book Recommendation

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

This book is the reason my newsletter is a few days late this month. I started reading it and enjoyed it so much I wanted to include it here. A woman tries to commit suicide. Between life and death she finds herself in a library full of books that take her to alternate lives she’s led in parallel universes. She has the chance to see how making different choices along the way could have changed her world, and discovers sometimes it is the smallest decisions that have a surprising impact. Even though the premise of the book sounds dark, it is a book full of hope and a quick and compelling read.

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Children's Book Recommendation

Mascot by Antony John

Thanks in part to my sister and my niece, I’ve read a lot of middle grade novels that feature main characters overcoming physical challenges. Mascot is one of the best. Noah has been in a wheelchair for months since a car accident. While his physiotherapist thinks he might walk again, he isn’t interested in putting in the work. As he struggles with a bully on his former baseball team and anger at the way his life has changed, he’s helped by his quirky new friend, Double-Wide, and a faithful friend, Alyssa. The characters and relationships in this book are hilarious, touching, real and multi-faceted, and the story had me ripping through the pages to find out what would happen.

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Behind the Scenes

Jake Reynolds: Against The Tide

Yesterday I paddleboarded by the beach where much of this book takes place. I was inspired to write it after reading an article about a rare sighting of a Blue-Footed Booby off the BC coast. I also drew on experience from my childhood summers near Desolation Sound—the warnings we were constantly given to watch out for the current, the terror I felt when friends wanted to break the rules, and the thrill of discovering secret places.

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Professional Resource

Manuscript Academy website and podcast

https://manuscriptacademy.com/

The Manuscript Academy is an ongoing, online writer’s conference. For a monthly fee you get access to all their recorded videos on craft and publishing, as well as early access to 10-minute meetings with agents and editors (there is a further fee to do these meetings). They also hold live events each month with agents and host a free podcast. I thought the sessions on finding and querying agents were excellent.

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