this is how we read it

Bye, Winter!

Apr 18, 2017 | Adventures in Bloggysitting, authors, book people, i heart the beach, IRL, middle grade, pairs well with a hammock, revising, The Last Grand Adventure, this is how we read it, wrap ups

Happy spring!

I spent most of my winter inside, staring out at the snow (or, more accurately where I live, slush-covered streets) while revising, and revising, and then revising The Last Grand Adventure. (Writing is editing, right?) I did take a break in between rounds to meet up with MG author and friend Lauren Magaziner and try out Dō, a new bakery that specializes in safe-to-eat raw cookie dough. It was delicious–and decadent–and worth the wait in line.

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After I put the finishing touches on The Last Grand Adventure, I got to do some adventuring of my own! I headed to the sunny Caribbean and visited the British Virgin Islands–getting the first stamp in my passport in a long time.

And I caught up on my reading. Nothing pairs better than the beach and a good book. Next on my to-read list is Erin Entrada Kelly’s Hello, Universe, which I’ve been eagerly awaiting since I heard Erin talk about it at a panel last fall.

I’m starting some new projects now–always an exciting and kinda scary part of the writing process–but taking lots of breaks to check out the spring flowers popping up around the city.

How are you celebrating spring?

Catching up

Feb 12, 2017 | Adventures in Bloggysitting, books, hello, IRL, revising, slightly incoherent due to revision brain, The Last Grand Adventure, this is how we read it

Even though the winter seems long, time is flying by. Have I really not posted since nErDcampLI? Here’s what I’ve been up to lately.

I made a quick trip to Wisconsin for the holidays, where I managed to bake gingerbread cookies:

And check out the new ice-skating rink on the beautiful, not-quite-frozen-solid Lake Mendota:

Back in New York, a cool new subway opened:

But I haven’t spent much time riding it–I spent January working on my revision of The Last Grand Adventure. It was a lot of work, and a lot of fun, to get back into Bea and Pidge’s story. I took occasional breaks to read:

In early February I turned it in to my editor and then hopped a plane back to Wisconsin to meet my new niece:

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I think she’s pretty adorable. 🙂 I made it back just before a snowstorm hit the city and gave us all a peaceful snow day:

What have you been up to in these cold, cozy months?

My 2016 in Books

Jan 1, 2017 | books, covers, goals, pretty pretty, slightly incoherent due to revision brain, this is how we read it, titles, What I'm Reading Right Now, wrap ups

Happy New Year! 2016 brought a lot of good–and some not-so-good–so I’m looking forward to starting fresh today. But one good thing about 2016 was the wonderful books I read. Thanks to Goodreads (which makes a great book log), here are the titles that enriched, engaged, and entertained me over the past year:

I read 28 kidlit titles, 7 nonfiction titles, and 31 grown-up fiction titles–for my personal reading. I didn’t track how much kidlit I read at my dayjob, but I’m guessing there’s another 30 or so there.

Here’s to a 2017 full of great books! What was your best read of last year?

End-of-Summer Adventures

Sep 10, 2016 | i heart the beach, IRL, pairs well with a hammock, rare Saturday post alert, summertime, The Last Grand Adventure, this is how we read it, wrap ups

Today it doesn’t feel like summer is over–it’s sunny, 87 degrees, and super humid. (Although, if you go by the calendar, we do have a couple of weeks left of the season.) But some of the leaves are starting to crisp, and kids and teachers are back in school. Believe it or not, even as a slightly fanatical summer-lover I’m glad. Fall is the time for fresh starts, and I’m ready to tackle The Last Grand Adventure edits with fresh eyes. I have a nightstand full of books to help me research a new project, too.

But I will miss my favorite time of year, especially:

Outdoor movies! I saw INSIDE OUT in the park, and it was delightful.

Fire Island sunsets. The hazier and moodier, the better.

Lake life in my hometown, Madison, WI.

In the middle of all my summer adventures, I managed to read eighteen books. I love summer reading–I try to make it all about discovery and pleasure, making sure that the books I pick from May-September I pulled from the shelf purely because of fun and curiosity. That makes reading a vacation itself. I look forward to this kind of reading all year–in fact, I’ve already started my book list for next year.

What adventures did you have this summer, on and off the page?

My Summer Island

Jul 24, 2016 | i heart the beach, IRL, pairs well with a hammock, sensory overload, Summer of Lost and Found, summertime, this is how we read it, treat this post as evidence of procrastination, WIPspiration

The earliest drafts of Summer of Lost and Found had the book start with Nell anticipating summer fun on a New York barrier island–but those Fire Island sections were cut because “killing your darlings” is a task us authors really have to do. Can you blame me for wanting to sneak a few darlings about my favorite summer place into the book, though? Fire Island is just an hour and change from Manhattan, but a world away. No cars, no chain stores, no tall buildings: just a necklace of friendly communities strung along miles of white sand. I was lucky enough to spend some time on the island earlier this month.

Fire Island architecture

Welcome to the Atlantic

The iconic lighthouse

Stunning sunset

All winter I dream about being back on the beach, where I can dig my toes in the sand while digging into a good book.

What’s your favorite place to read when the days are long and hot?

Around the Web

Mar 31, 2016 | Adventures in Bloggysitting, blog touring, contests and giveaways, guest posts, middle grade, MMGM, news, social media for the shy, Summer of Lost and Found, talking about writing, this is how we read it, treat this post as evidence of procrastination

March is Reading Month, and I am really excited to share in The Hiding Spot‘s Growing a Reader series to celebrate it. I wrote about three of my formative reading experiences–which made me the reader and writer that I am today. You check out my post here, and find out more about this wonderful and thoughtful series here!

For Word Spelunking’s March MG Madness, I shared my top ten MG titles about real people and real places. (Did I miss some of your favorites? Let me know!) There’s also a giveaway for a pre-order of Summer of Lost and Found, along with personalized swag. It runs until 4/3, so hurry over to the post and entry form!

And finally, I’m so excited that The Rumpus is sending out my Letter for Kids this month. I wrote about one of my favorite things when I was a middle-grader–manatees–and how the things I loved as a kid are still part of my life today, as a grown-up. Letters for Kids is such a cool program; information about subscribing is at the link!

Recent Reading

Feb 23, 2016 | ALA, ARCs, books, conferences, feel the love, middle grade, slightly incoherent due to revision brain, this is how we read it, Uncategorized

I spent January and February speeding through the stack of MG/YA ARCs I picked up at ALA Midwinter. And if these ten books are any indication, 2016 is going to be an amazing year for kid lit. Here’s what I read, and in one(ish) sentence, I’ll tell you why I loved it:

Ravenous: I raced through this adventure-ful fairy tale reimagining–and I adored Greta, who is one brave, determined sister.

The Key to Extraordinary: Every word of this book is beautiful, and my heart felt so full after the pages I spent in Blackbird Hollow.

Up to This Pointe: A story that seamlessly blends ballet, Antarctica, and grief–it’s utterly original, the voice is perfect, and I loved it.

I Woke Up Dead at the Mall: Quirky, dry-witted, and poignant–and points for an awesomely unique title.

The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary: Diverse and in verse!

Makoons: The latest in The Birchbark House series, this was an engaging and informative story of family life on the Great Plains.

Tru & Nelle: Harper Lee and Truman Capote as kid detectives: Yes.

The Darkest Corners: Compulsively readable, and the ending–DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!

Counting Thyme: Thyme and her family–and all the wonderfully drawn characters–will stay with you for a long time.

Wanderlost: Sweet and swoony story of the power of travel to change you.

Which books are you looking forward to this year?

My Year in Books!

Dec 31, 2015 | balancing act, books, don't you mean voracious, goals, Goodreads, this is how we read it, treat this post as evidence of procrastination, wrap ups

Thanks to Goodreads, it’s easy to step back and look at your year in reading. Here’s mine:

So many great books, and I kept up with my personal reading goal of a book a week.

Per the handwritten book log I keep in my planner, it looks like I read 20 MG books, 9 YA, and the rest were adult. Only 5 were nonfiction–although I may have read a few more titles as research that didn’t make it into my Goodreads/booklog.

Goals for 2016? Keep trying to read more diverse books, more books in genres I don’t usually gravitate toward (like fantasy), and a little more nonfiction. I’m also planning to read the Elena Ferrante novels because I haven’t met a single reader who hasn’t gushed about them.

And I’d always love to read more, in general. But considering I revised Summer of Lost and Found twice, finally sent a shiny new manuscript to my agent, presented at a conference, and worked hard at my day job–I’m proud of how many titles I still read!

How was your year in books?

WAMA on sale!

Dec 4, 2015 | books, eReading, news, social media for the shy, Sourcebooks, this is how we read it, treat this post as evidence of procrastination, White House

One of the ways I discover new books is the “Weekly Bestsellers under $4.99” section on my iPad. The vast majority of books I read are print, but I still love to browse that section and find titles I might not take a chance on otherwise. Recent sale books I’ve loved? INTO THE FOREST, HAMLET’S BLACKBERRY, BIG LITTLE LIES, and THE ISLE OF YOUTH.

So it’s exciting to think about other readers being introduced to Audrey and Alice through this discount. Here are links to the e-books at B&N and Amazon, if you know a reader who wants to take a chance on a new MG!

Nook

Kindle

Mother-Daughter Book Club Guide

May 16, 2015 | audrey and alice, book clubs, rare Saturday post alert, Sourcebooks, this is how we read it

My mom and I have been discussing books since I was a kid–not surprising, considering I have always been a reader and she is a former English/Language Arts teacher. Over the years, reading together has helped us understand our own relationship better, see each other as individuals, and find things to talk about other than the piles of dirty clothes on my floor. Now that I live a thousand miles away, we are still using books to connect. We mail each other books after reading and talk about them over the phone. (Some recent shared reads are: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, Gone Girl, A Death-Struck Year, and Wish You Were Italian. She has a copy of All The Light We Cannot See waiting for me.) The fun my mom and I have discussing books inspired me to write a mother-daughter book club discussion guide for When Audrey Met Alice. Sourcebooks made it into a pretty PDF, and you can find it on my Resources page.

Who do you love to talk books with?

What I Read in 2014

Dec 31, 2014 | ARCs, books, covers, read free or die, this is how we read it, treat this post as evidence of procrastination, wrap ups

I had a most excellent year in books:

What about you?

October Update

Oct 1, 2014 | audrey and alice, busting up rocks, eventful, i heart the beach, IRL, this is how we read it, treat this post as evidence of procrastination, Uncategorized, White House, WIP

It’s October! How did that happen? And, more importantly, what am I going to be for Halloween?!

September was a busy month, but I still managed to sneak in a late-season beach day (and I have the Fire Island mosquito bites to prove it).

I also read seven(!) books and wrote 15,000 words of my new project. Oh, and changed day jobs.

Now I’m still writing, anticipating edits for Summer of Lost & Found, and getting ready for some upcoming When Audrey Met Alice events. On October 20, I’m doing a panel with four fantastic MG authors—Tara Dairman, Lauren Magaziner, Laura Marx Fitzgerald, and Michelle Schusterman—at the Voracious Reader in Larchmont, NY. Later that week, I’m teaching a writing workshop for young readers at the New York Society Library. And I’m working on my school-visit presentations for some upcoming visits, too! (Check out my Events page for the details, if you’d like to know more!)

I’m also following a lot of FiDo-related news, good and not as good: the scary security breaches at the White House (although kudos to the off-duty officer on the First Daughters’ detail for stopping an intruder) and the happy arrival of former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton’ new baby, Charlotte. And, of course, I’m slowly making my way through The Roosevelts, the excellent 14-hour Roosevelt documentary on PBS. (Watching an hour is my reward for getting new words on paper.)

What have you been up to?

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Author of award-winning, adventurous realistic and historical fiction