An illustrated synopsis of the next few weeks

Dear Friends,

I have

...for writers, that is,
at week-long intensive workshop.
Wish me luck that I discover some great new talent while I'm there!

And then I will be ON VACATION.

Where there will be lots of this:

and a view that, no lie, looks like this:

Right now, I am planning to come back, I think,
but with a view like that, well, one never quite knows for sure!

In the interim, I leave the internets in your capable hands.
However, I'm a classic middle child who hates getting left out of things, so please don't let anything too exciting happen while I'm gone, okay? And if it does, leave a note in the comments to tell me what I missed!

Just a brief thought

Just popping in to say...you know what I love about this business? That passion bubbles over from everyone who's a part of it. I talked/emailed with multiple people today who got me excited all over again, for a whole slew of reasons, about the work of making and loving books. And now I'm bubbling over, too, and it's a grand exchange. May you all be similarly inspired!

Summer (Vacation) Reading List

I'm going on a vacation soon (although first I'll be here...will I meet any of you there?) and have already mentally begun packing. Packing the books, that is. There are few things I despise as much as the actual packing-packing. Planning out which books will accompany me is far more pleasant than checking weather.com and worrying if I've chosen the right shoes. So here's what's going in my bookbag--and yes, I'm being WILDLY optimistic about how much reading I'll actually do over the course of a week, but it's important to have options, right? (That said, all items below are subject to last-minute, suitcase-too-heavy fits of purging.)



Some grown-up books for a change for heaven's sake!

*So Many Ways to Begin - Jon McGregor's first book, If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things, is one of my favorite adult books. I'm several years behind reading his next book, but am hoping I'll love it just as much.
*Good Things I Wish You - A. Manette Ansay was one of my professors in college, and her writing is gorgeous! I've been looking forward to this, her newest novel, for a long, long time.
*The Best of Everything - A bookseller pal on Twitter (@bookavore) raved about this one, and told me that every gal in publishing should read this book. I'm nothing if not obedient.




In case I need to revert to my comfort zone/native language of YA/MG:

*This Lullaby - I'm on a Sarah Dessen kick (I've only read two of her books so far, but am speeding to catch up) and when I asked the collective brain of Twitter which of her books should be next, this got the vote.
*That Summer - One summery Sarah Dessen book might not be enough (especially if all the adult books above end up disappointing as grown-up books sometimes do), so I thought I'd read her very first and see how it compares to her more recent books.
*The Kind of Friends We Used to Be - this is the companion/sequel to one of my favorite middle grades, The Secret Language of Girls. I've wanted to read it for awhile, and am looking very forward, despite the non-summery cover art!



For soaking up inspiration alongside the ocean air:

*Walking on Water - my favorite, well-worn copy of all Madeleine L'Engle's books on the intersection of faith and creativity and art. I find new revelations every time I re-read it.
*At the Corner of the Eye - a poetry collection by Pat Hooper, who I discovered in an anthology earlier this year and quite liked.
*My trusty moleskine travel notebook (I like these ones b/c they're nice and thin and take up next-to-no-space) to catch all the thoughts that fall out of my head while I remember what it means to relax!

Book reports on at least some of the above to follow! In the meanwhile, tell me...what's in YOUR vacation bag and/or on your summer pleasure reading list?

Favorite Things

On my current list of favorite things: 3-day weekends, and Thursdays masquerading as Fridays! Happy 4th, everyone--enjoy the long weekend!