The Warwick Children’s Book Festival was a great day! This was my first(!) in-person event since the start of the pandemic–and the only in-person event I’ve done since Alone in the Woods was released last fall. It was so great to be back with a fantastic group of children’s authors and to have a chance to meet and chat with readers. Here are a few favorite pictures from the day:
Me, with all my books. Not pictured–the bees that inexplicably loved my sweater and stalked me throughout the day.
I got a fun surprise in the mail the other day–a big box of books. Not just any books, though–advance reader copies of Alone in the Woods!
Of course I had to take them out to the park for a proper photo:
According to my Instagram, these nine photos sum up my 2019:
I see a lot of books (launching The Disaster Days and receiving an honor for The Last Grand Adventure), writing (I took my 2020 release from blank page to revised, final manuscript in 11 months!), and one throwback to my very delicious wedding cake from several years ago. Cakes and books: that seems like the best of a year to me!
Hope you had a happy year, with plenty of opportunities for joy, creativity, and growth.
Thanks to Goodreads (which I tend to use as a booklog, pretty much just for this purpose), I’m taking a look back at my reading stats for 2018:
These books took me from Cameroon to Moscow to Fiji to Antarctica to Topsea, and from Ancient Greece to outer space. (Can I get airline miles for this?!)
In terms of category, I read 18 middle grade books, 4 YA, 4 nonfiction, and the rest were adult fiction. And I seem to have a thing for blue covers.
In 2019, I’m switching from reading goals to a reading thesis: read to discover, read diversely, read without time pressure, read joyfully. I’m debating whether to keep tracking online–it is handy for the year-end page and book count (although I cannot figure out why Goodreads insists these 59 books are 60), but it also adds a little pressure to add, add, add books. We’ll see what I decide . . .
What were your favorite books of the year, and what do you hope to read in 2019?
It’s no secret that I love history and I love the beach (I mean, it’s right there in my bio, along with doughnuts and laughing). Last week my husband and I explored Bermuda, and I got to combine the two in one fun, relaxing, and inspiring vacation. Here’s a little of what we saw:
The town of St. George, which is the oldest continually inhabited English settlement in the Americas. (It’s also a UNESCO world heritage site.) It was founded after ships on their way to rescue the starving colonists at Jamestown (the colony that followed Roanoke) wrecked offshore. The statue of George Somers reminded me of Prospero in The Tempest–turns out Shakespeare may have been inspired by those “current events” while writing the play! The ship is the Deliverance, called the ship that “saved America” by sucessfully resupplying the colonists at Jamestown. Learning about the colonial history and relationship with American colonists reminded me a lot of Roanoke, and made me think about Summer of Lost and Found. If the Roanoke colony had survived, would it have eventually looked like this?
We also checked out the Crystal Cave, which two twelve-year-old boys discovered in 1907. They were playing cricket when their ball disappeared down an unfamiliar hole in the yard. After getting a rope and a lantern, the boys descended to find a beautiful cave with a 55-foot-deep underground lake. While they explored, the lantern went out–and they were lost in the darkness for hours. They found the rope and made it out–the rest is history. (Let this be a lesson in the bravery of middle-graders!) The stalactites and stalagmites were so cool.
And at the Royal Naval Dockyard, we checked out the Victualling Yard, where crews prepared all the food and drink needed to keep sailors well fed on their long voyages. It was kept guarded, to prevent any pilfering. It was a hot day (no surprise), so we stopped in a pub with lots of books.
And, of course, here’s the beach. I spent a lot of hours reading on it, under a peppermint-candy-looking umbrella and with lots of SPF.
What have your adventures been this summer?
I was reading a craft book recently in which Hemingway lamented how he struggled to write in summer–the hot, sleepy weather just didn’t work for him. For me, it’s the cold, dark days of winter when I feel blocked. Summer inspires me, and so far this one has been no exception. Here’s some of what I’ve been soaking up (when I haven’t been busy copyediting The Last Grand Adventure, or working away on a shiny new project):
Moonlight in Manhattan
A beautiful Madison sunset
Farmer’s market berries, part 1
Farmer’s market berries, part 2 (homemade ice cream is the best!)
Skyline views in the park
Secret gardens in the country
What does your summer look like so far?
*Want more photos of cityscapes, berries, and books? I’m now on Instagram, and I’m loving the glimpses into other readers’ and writers’ lives.
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?
Summer of Lost and Found is out in the world, so I’ve started catching up on some of my favorite summer activities. Like chasing the ice cream truck. They’re not hard to chase in NYC because Mister Softee is ubiquitous, but an old-fashioned Good Humor truck is harder to find.
And sneaking out to the country, where I can read and write in a backyard cottage. Tiny house = big word count. Who knew?
In other news, I signed the contracts for The Last Grand Adventure; hooray! I’m excited to dig into this story.
Coming up in July: I have two bookstore panels scheduled. On July 21, I’ll be in Arlington, VA, at One More Page with author friends Tara Dairman and Jen Swann Downey. Then on July 28, I’ll be in Larchmont, NY, at The Voracious Reader with a bunch of fantastic MG authors: Tara Dairman, Laura Marx Fitzgerald, Lauren Magaziner, and Michelle Schusterman. Check out my Events page for updated info.
Happy summer!
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!
You may have heard that the East Coast was walloped with a snowstorm this weekend. As a Wisconsinite, the sound of snowplows scraping the pavement and snowblowers bustling down the blocks made me feel happily at home. I had a great time watching the snow from indoors, while writing and reading and making cookies. But I did venture outside–I had to see the record-breaking snow for myself! Here are some scenes from the city during and after the snow:
Half-buried car on an empty avenue
Sledders heading to the park, during the storm
More sledders in the street
Silent night
The snowy streets were magical
Another quiet street
The next morning: Do you want to build a snowman?
Frozen Citibikes
Sledding!
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?
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!