Category: Books

Friday Fifteen

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Happy Friday, guys! It’s the last Friday of 2016, and I am super glad to kiss this year goodbye. Let’s endeavor to stay strong, stay focused, stay positive, and stay supportive in 2017. In the meantime, let’s close out 2016 with a look at what I’ve been reading in fifteen words or fewer (because it’s winter break and I’m on vacation).

Essential Maps for the Lost by Deb Caletti
Caletti’s writing is beautiful, and Mads and Billy are heartbreaking.

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
A fun, British-fueled romp toward the apocalypse. I need a miniseries now.

26.2: Marathon Stories by Kathrine Switzer and Roger Robinson
I guess I’m the kind of person who reads sports writing now. Yay running!

Links Galore

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Lots of links I’ve been saving:

Friday Fifteen

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Happy Friday, guys–and happy holidays! This evening is going to be all above gift wrapping, dessert baking, and hopefully watching the Muppet Christmas Carol (the best of the Christmas Carol versions, obviously). In the meantime, here’s a look at what I’ve been reading, in fifteen words or fewer:

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
Finally finished this series! Now I’d like a Wolves of Mercy Falls miniseries adaptation.

Running with the Mind of Meditation: Lessons for Training Body and Mind by Sakyong Mipham
Interesting look at the connection of the mind and body, and the art of being mindful on the move.

And in case you need some media to get you in the holiday spirit, the latest episode of Crossover Appeal is live for your listening enjoyment.

Annie’s Non-Scientific List of Best of 2016 Books That Were Probably Not Published in 2016 but Are Best for Other Reasons

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I don’t read a lot of “best books of the year” lists. Most of the time, I’m catching up on books that were published prior to this year, and ‘best of’ is so subjective anyway. The best book for you might be one that’s about a particular topic that you read at a particular time. Maybe it’s not the best crafted or the most popular, but it’s the best book for you in that moment, and that should be celebrated, too.

With that in mind, here are some of my best books that I read in 2016–with some very specific categories.

Best Audiobook to Listen to on a Road Trip That Lasts 3.5 More Hours Than You Think It Will: Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Trust me. Amy and her friends are here to help.

Best Book for Making You Want to Scrape Your Emotions out with an Ice Cream Scoop: Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez
I’m still obsessed with this book. A tough read but so powerful.

Best Picture Book for Making You Wish You Were a Toddler Again: Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea
This book is adorable and hilarious and I don’t know why I can’t read it every night as an adult person.

Best Book for Helping You Put Things in Perspective: Life Without Envy: Ego Management for Creative People by Camille DeAngelis
I read this one immediately after buying it, which is rare for me. Get on this, fellow artists. (Also this one actually came out in 2016 so mwahaha, nailed it!)

Best Book for Making You Want to Run Everywhere: 26.2 Miles to Boston: A Journey into the Heart of the Boston Marathon by Michael Connelly
I never considered myself a sporty person but now I’m reading all these running books and having major feels.

Best Book for Making You Want to Spend a Summer in Maine: The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall
How does Birdsall craft stories that are so gentle and yet so real?

Best Book for Feeling Like Melina Marchetta Writes Specifically with You in Mind: The Piper’s Son by Melina Marchetta
Damnit, Marchetta, how are you so good?! Why do you want me to cry and have feelings?!

What’s on your specifically categorized ‘best of 2016 (or maybe not 2016)’ list? Share in the comments!

Friday Fifteen

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Happy Friday, guys! It’s been a little while since I’ve posted a Friday Fifteen, partly because November was a dumpster fire and partly because I was in a reading and writing slump (mostly related to the general dumpster fire-ness).

Reading: Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Fresh and funny and honest; I want to be friends with Amy and her friends.

Writing: …I know what to do if there’s a fire or earthquake or killer bee attack.
New MC is prepared for anything.

Translating Hagrid’s Accent

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I love this fascinating look at the complications of translating Harry Potter into an international bestseller and maintain its sense of British-ness and wordplay.

Also, I totally didn’t realize that that was how Quidditch got its name.

No matter where you may live and what languages you may speak, we can all feel part of the wizarding world.

Friday Fifteen

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So. It’s been a week. I haven’t felt particularly writer-y this week, and a lot of other, smarter people have already said smart things about the election and its results.

This week I was also reading 26.2 Miles to Boston: A Journey into the Heart of the Boston Marathon by Michael Connelly. I loved reading the history of the marathon and going step by step in the route and remembering all the excitement of last year. I remembered the emotions of the 2013 marathon and the bombing and how the week after felt then, too. But I remembered how even in hard times, good people prevail. We need to stay strong together and fight for each other.

So instead of a regular Friday Fifteen, here’s a (fifteen words or fewer) quote I particularly liked from 26.2 Miles to Boston. It’s from five-time wheelchair division champion Jim Knaub:

“Just concern yourself with what’s ahead–anything behind you doesn’t matter.”

Keep fighting. Keep moving forward.

Babbitt Everlasting

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I was so sad to learn that Natalie Babbitt, author of the beautiful Tuck Everlasting, died yesterday at 84 years old, after a battle with lung cancer. Publisher’s Weekly has a lovely obituary about Babbitt’s life and work. In the AP article about her passing, I love this quote by her husband:

“She once said that her ambition was just to leave a little scratch on the rock..I think she did that with ‘Tuck Everlasting.'”

My childhood copy of Tuck Everlasting.

My childhood copy of Tuck Everlasting.

I more than agree. Tuck Everlasting is a book I read over and over as a kid, and I got something new out of it every time. I reread it as an adult a few years ago, and I was blown away by the precision of her writing–her craft was on point. I also write about how Tuck Everlasting stays with me as an adult and the power of children’s literature a little while back for Ploughshares.

I got to meet Babbitt briefly about ten years ago, when I first moved to Boston. She was doing a panel with Lowis Lowry and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, and I got my copy of Tuck Everlasting signed. I don’t remember saying anything in particular to her (probably just “thank you for being here, I love your book”) or that she said anything in particular to me, but it was one of the first big writer experiences I had, and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to see her.

I’m so sorry that the world has lost Natalie Babbitt, but what a wonderful mark she’s made on the lives of so many readers. It seems appropriate to end with this quote from Tuck Everlasting:

“Don’t be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don’t have to live forever, you just have to live.”

Friday Fifteen

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Happy Friday, guys! It’s Halloween weekend, which means I’ve already had at least three mini Twix bars and have seen at least one person in costume. I’ve also had a head cold for the last week, so I’m going to act like Lupin and tell myself the chocolate is medicinal. Here’s to a weekend of more chocolate, rest, and reading! Let’s kick things off with a look at what I’ve been reading and writing in fifteen words or fewer.

Reading: The Distance To Home by Jenn Bishop
A heartfelt and thoughtful story of sisters, growing up, grief, and baseball.

Writing: …it feels like it’s going to start raining any second. Way to be, Sunshine State.
I feel like I could use a little more sunshine this week, to be honest.

Links Galore

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Some good links I’ve been saving: