2016 Book Reports (Issue #4)

This is my view, most mornings, from the kitchen table, where I like to sit with my coffee and my laptop and do this fun thing we call writing. When it's warm enough I open the windows a crack and enjoy the birdsong (and occasionally the dogbark). I have a study, but right now the place is in desperate need of some general housekeeping, i.e., there is stuff everywhere that needs to be sorted, organized, and either put or thrown away. One of these days I may get up the gumption to do just that. For now, I'm sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying the view, and posting my 2016 "A list".

2016 Book Reports (Issue #3)

Oh, so close. Or, you liked me; you really, really liked me! I was fortunate enough in 2016 to read a LOT of books that I really, really liked. Hence the A- category description. Of course, when you get into the top tier (A-, A, A+) there are so many fine-line distinctions between what makes a book "really good" and what makes it "fantastic" that sometimes it's a little difficult for me to decide which side of the line I'm falling on. I will say that the A+ books (for which you will have to be patient for only two posts longer) really did stand out for me, even as I read them, but we'll talk about that more in detail soon.

2016 Book Reports (Issue #2)

The B+ ("liked it a lot") lot. When I was introduced to BookBub I was pretty sure I'd found book lovers' paradise. I could get a bazillion ebooks if I wanted them, for pennies. A bazillion is a lot of books. Most of the treasures I found last year were parts of various and sundry series. Several of these series feature on today's report, the 12 books I awarded my B+ LIKED IT A LOT grade.

2016 Book Reports (Issue #1)

Disclaimer: A quick note about my "grading scale" (see right). I try to be as objective as possible when I read. But I am a writer, and sometimes I can't help but critique just a little bit. My grading scale is based on my own personal opinion of the book itself, including the writing, story, flow, and even presentation - I mean, really, don't we all agree that an inordinate amount of typos might possibly suggest the book could have used at least one more once-over? I also try not to up-mark a book just because I know or have met the author. I want anyone who reads my books to be honest about what they think, positive or negative. Constructive criticism is a good thing. It makes us better writers. It makes us better, period.

So, as I mentioned in my most recent post, I read 72 books in 2016. In this series of reports, I'll list the books I read and the grades I gave them. You know, in case you're interested.

New Year / New Goals

Seasons of change. Since my last post in 2015, there have been a few major changes in my personal life which, in turn, affected my writing life. In June that year, the WGH made a job/career change that forced us to take a step back and re-evaluate our household budget. We addressed the possibility of leaving what we thought was going to be our forever home. I accepted the idea that I might have to return to work full-time. On the heels of that upheaval, my mother was diagnosed with stage IV adenocarcinoma of the lung and passed away less than two weeks later.

As you can imagine - and I hope understand - I shut down. For quite some time.

Fortunately, by the grace of God, things worked out