January Recommendations - Best books of the year, caterpillars and sticky notes
Happy New Year!
I keep a notebook beside my bed with a running list of all the adult books I read. (For some reason this system has never worked for me for kids’ books.) On December 30th I realized I’d read 51 books. In order to make it an average of exactly one book per week, I picked up the very slim book of poetry that had been sitting on my bedside table for months and I’m glad I did, not just because it made for a nice even average. See below for the recommendation.
I star the books that stand out—ones I read quickly because I couldn’t wait to get back to reading them.
Here is the list of my starred books for 2022, many of which have made it into my recommendations in this newsletter. I'm trying something new with the links. If you click on them they will take you to IndieBound, a website that will link you to your local indie bookstore. Send me an email to let me know if this works for you. I don't receive any commissions from the links.
The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. Jonn Mandel
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarity
The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson
Our American Friend by Anna Pitoniak
The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson
A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
Nevertheless: Walking Poems by Gillian Jerome
Adult Book Recommendation
Nevertheless: Walking Poems by Gillian Jerome
I heard Gillian read at the Whistler Writers Festival and her poems really struck a chord. I usually prefer to listen to poetry rather than reading it, but Jerome’s poems are straightforward, visual and touching and I found myself reading them quickly and then dipping back in to appreciate them further. I especially liked her poems about her daughters.
Children’s Book Recommendation
Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn
Since her father’s death, Cat has been the glue that holds her family together. She keeps her brother, Chicken, safe from harm and protects him from the triggers that set off his tantrums while their mom works to keep the family afloat financially. When they unexpectedly have to stay with their estranged grandparents, Cat isn’t ready to trust anyone else with her brother’s care so she can be a child herself. This book is set on a small island on the coast of North Carolina and I loved the evocative descriptions of the ocean, the complicated relationships and heartwarming ending.
Behind the Scenes
Mapping out a manuscript through scenes
I’ve started on a new, longer project and I’m tackling it by doing writing sprints—short bursts of writing during which I try not to stop to think too much about what I’m typing. In order for that to work I need to know what scene I’m going to write in any given sprint. I’ve been keeping lists of scenes in a notebook, but today I decided to write out the scenes for two of my characters on sticky notes so I could play with the order. Just the process of writing down the scenes helped me come up with 10 more scenes I’ll need to write. When I sit down to start a sprint, I choose a sticky note and start typing.
