Tag: books

New Year, New Mindset
If you didn’t notice, I took a month off from writing. The voices in my head that are usually full of stories and creative thinking, had turned into nagging naysayers full of judgements and soul-crushing opinions. December is the time of year that should be full of joy and hope not doubt and melancholy. So I stepped away and baked cookies, decorated a tree, and wrapped presents. Oh, and I read. For those who were wondering, I reached my goal of 100 books read in 2025. My top three in December were Overruled by Christy Wopat, Efren Divided by Ernesto Cisneros, and Mrs. Wilson’s Affair: A Great Gatsby Retelling by Allyson Reedy. They are all different and enjoyable for their distinct reasons. Two were middle grade books about separate issues children face and one was an adult book about a different character’s POV from a 100 year old classic. They all showed how life can be hard on so many different levels. Efren definitely was facing unbearable obstacles with deportation upending his family and needing to take on a role beyond what any child should ever have to think about. Cisneros’ book reminds us that immigration is more than politics. It’s about actual people – families, children, workers. Wopat’s story about Mac seemed easier until you really think about what it’s like for a fifth-grader going through school with everyone thinking the worst of him because he struggled as a kindergartner. A mock trial forces everyone – kids and adults- to reassess how they were evaluating each other. And finally, Mrs. Wilson was barely mentioned in the original Great Gatsby, but her character had an impactful role in the outcome for others. Reedy gives us the background that led to the fateful intertwining of two worlds that left some paying the ultimate price. Like I said, life is hard. Now that the calendar has been turned to a new year, it’s time to take what my reading has taught me and change my mindset. I am going to start writing again, even when there are obstacles. I’ll try new things and not be so judgmental of genres I’ve been afraid to work in. And I’ll definitely avoid strange men on trains to the city.
12/3

wonder of winter
shrouds everything on our walk
even tip of nose
12/13

took over dog’s bed
smallest girl in big boy’s bed
lounging in the warmth
12/15

wherever I am
my little friend stretches out
wanting to be close
12/24

off in the distance
beyond the chestnut terrain
hints of winter white
12/29

when life’s difficult
nice to have circle of friends
plunging in with you
12/31

always nice seeing
family togetherness
enjoying the view
January 3, 2026

books, change, haiga, haiku, reading
When Reading is Work
As a life-long reader, I’ve read across many genres and age categories. The feeling of slipping into another world and traveling alongside a character is magical. Unfortunately, my real life has lead me to Oz where the curtain has been pulled back to expose the truth behind the magic. Since leaving teaching a few years ago, my professional life has been devoted to writing. This journey of learning all I can about this craft and industry has impacted my reading. I don’t feel the enchantment of getting lost in a story the way I once did. I notice things authors do and think about their decisions in telling their stories. In my attempt to hold onto the magic of reading, I only write middle grade. Any ideas that drift my way for adult or even young adult stories are allowed to continue on their way. I want those types of books to stay behind the curtain allowing me to continue getting caught up in the storytelling. I only want to tarnish my middle grade reading – work reading. Writers are told to read like writers, but that means reading is now work. For me, I read for work and pleasure, and try hard to keep them separate. This does not mean I don’t like the middle grade books I read. I still love seeing these young characters navigate through their adventures, but part of my brain focuses on the techniques the authors use to create these escapades. Sometimes though, a middle grade book comes along that captivates me and lets me get lost again in the fun. Last week that happened twice. First, From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks had me fully invested in young Zoe who writes letters to her father in prison for murder. A father she hadn’t heard from until her twelfth birthday. She must figure out a way to prove if this man she’s never met is telling the truth about his innocence. I loved how this book introduces some heavy topics in authentic ways that came across as kid friendly and not preachy. The second book I devoured in two days was The Poetry of Car Mechanics by Heidi E.Y. Stemple. This story is about a boy trying to understand his mother’s absence, his place in the world, and how sometimes we don’t get to decide if others are broken or not. What was so amazing about this book is it was written in verse. I was in awe of Stemple’s ability to tell an entire story in this format. Thanks to these two books, I was reminded that work can be fun.
9/29

from the outer tips
fall pushes summer away
takes longer days with
10/2

a throne carved for me
resting spot hidden away
seat hard as timber
10/4

meander through trees
sheathed in all their autumn best
follow golden trail
10/8

last bit of color
before winter rushes in
blanketing with white
10/11

morning yoga time
not a fan of downward dog
prefers to just watch
October 12, 2025

books, haiga, haiku, Heidi E. Y. Stemple, Janae Marks, middle grade, reading
Bring Back Reading
Everywhere I look these days I see reports about the decline in reading for fun. Just today the paper reported that data from 2003 to 2023 found a 40% decline in people who read daily for pleasure. Only about 16% of people read! When I read the news, I see the results of this decline with every headline. We live in a society that lacks empathy, imagination, reasoning, and cognitive skills. Reading helps people develop all of these skills. Another benefit of reading is its influence on mental health. I don’t think there is a study out there that claims reading has a negative impact on anyone’s brain development the way social media does. We live in a time where connecting with stories is so easy: books, e-books, audio books. A library card and a device can get you an electronic book or audio book without even leaving your home. With Bookshop.org you can order a book delivered to your mailbox and still support independent bookstores. I wish we could hope for an improvement with the next generation, but sadly, only about 2% of people with children under 9 years old read to those kids. As a writer of middle grade books, all I hear is this market is dead. That means the ones who have developing brains are using video games and technology rather than books to prepare for their future. According to my book tracker, I have read 70 books so far this year. That covers everything from children’s book through adult, audio and traditional. Yes, it is more than most people can expect, but writers need to read a lot for their craft. (It’s my favorite part of what I do.) All that reading helps build my imagination and I like to imagine a world where people read just a book a month, even a book every other month. That world would be a better place full of people who care about one another and have the skills needed to solve problems that creates a more desirable society. So, please do your part to bring reading back. (My statistics came from an article in the New York Times by Maggie Astor.)

Some of my favorites this year: (very hard to take 70 down to 10)
- By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult
- My Friends by Fredrick Backman
- The Names by Florence Knapp
- Bug Hollow by Michelle Huneven
- She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Mike
- Water, Water: Poems by Billy Collins
- The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road by E.A. Hanks
- Wish by Barbara O’Connor
- I, Cosmo by Carlie Sorosiak
- Away by Megan E. Freeman
9/18

watching from a perch
above the people and dogs
hidden in plain sight
9/20

silent rock watching
resting amongst the flowers
greeter at the beach
9/23

new season arrived
summer days made way for fall
golden hues enchant
9/25

leafy fall backdrop
yellow with a tinge of green
highlights true beauty
9/27

looming from afar
snow frosted mountains remind
seasons always change
September 28, 2025

books, haiga, haiku, reading
Hanging with Friends
I love going to a friend’s place and talking about books. It’s even better when friends share books with me. I get the same feeling when I go to an independent bookstore. Denver almost lost a beloved indie this summer, but happily The Bookies was able to find a new owner and stay open. Sue Lubeck opened this literary treasure in 1972 and ownership transferred to Nicole Sullivan in 2021 after Lubeck died. The newest owner, Kirstin Gulling, is living out a dream many of us have of giving up “grown-up” work – for her being a lawyer – to opening a little bookstore. Go ahead a sigh, you know you want to. I had been to The Bookies at its current location under previous ownership and knew how the furniture was arranged and where the different genres were located. When I went this time it was like going into the neighbor’s house with new neighbors. The layout of the furniture was different, but I still knew we were going to be friends. The books may not be in the same places, but they are still there. When you get a new book from an indie, it feels like you’re getting a book from a friend. An independent bookstore is the best place to go when you are feeling tired and overwhelmed with corporate America and everything in the news. It represents hope for the future. A place where people want to be helpful, kind, and well-read. I can’t remember ever walking into an indie and not being met with a smile from someone ready to welcome me. On this particular visit it was even better because a debut author was there to share her new book. Being at an author event is the ultimate friendship ritual. Everyone gathers around to hear from someone who is sharing something so personal (writing a book is being willing to put your heart out there for everyone to see). The smiles are contagious. I hope Abby White’s new book D.J. Rosenbaum Becomes the G.O.A.T. finds many new friends and leads to many more books from Abby. When it was time to leave the store, something difficult for me to do, I had Abby’s new book tucked under my arm and happy to have made a new friend. I’ll be back soon, The Bookies.
8/6

setting sun’s waning light
still pushing through smoky clouds
scorching day closing
8/9

lookout on duty
keeping eye out for danger
bright spot of color
8/13

mornings together
devoted friend by my side
there’s nothing better
8/14

day is winding down
soft hues lighten evening walk
last gift from above
8/16

just waiting to play
me and my ball will be here
ready when you are
August 16, 2025

Abby White, books, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, independent bookstores, reading, The Bookies
If I’d Only Made the Light
Sometimes when I’m approaching an intersection and the light suddenly changes, for or against me, I wonder what would have happened if it hadn’t changed. Would I have gotten in an accident? Did I avoid an accident? Did the change for me ripple out and change something for someone else? You can see when you start down this rabbit hole, you can be here for a while. The idea of a parallel life where subtle changes could lead you someplace completely different intrigues me. I’ve seen movies (Sliding Doors) and musicals (If/Then) about this, but now I’ve read a book that shows three completely different lives if one change is made. The Names by Florence Knapp is the perfect book if you ever get stuck down the hole wondering ‘what if.’ It starts out with a woman registering the name of her new born son and what happens to the boy and his family based on the name he is given. I was worried going in that the story would be rather flat and just the name itself would change everything, but it isn’t. Rather than focusing on the what, it’s about the why. That always makes a more interesting discussion. Cora has to decide if she is going to follow her husband’s expectation that the child be named after him, her daughter’s desire to give her baby brother a name that describes him, or a name that she likes that offers her son hope for a better future. The reader needs to be warned the husband is abusive to Cora. This puts additional pressure on her decision. The book is told in sections that jump every seven years. Each section has three chapters told from the storyline of each name. The reader gets to see how Cora’s decision plays out over 35 years. That one moment impacted the lives of so many characters. I hope you can find a copy of this book and get lost in the what ifs Knapp has so brilliantly created. I’m going to be happy with my decision and not wonder what I’d be thinking about if I had picked up a different book to read.
7/23

someone has their ducks
all in a row on the dash
directing the ride
7/26

peeking around trees
morning light beckons me
through the wispy clouds
8/1

giant wish waiting
to take flight with secret hopes
carried in the breeze
8/2

devoted to change
hard work combined with sharp teeth
shifting river’s flow
August 3, 2025

books, Florence Knapp, haiga, haiku, TBR, wondering
Annotating Life
I’m reading a book. That in itself is not newsworthy. I read a lot of books. But this book is different. This book came out last November and I had planned on reading it right away but life got in the way. Ann Patchett, one of my favorites, went back to a book she had published in 2001, Bel Canto, and annotated it. Her handwritten notes are in the margins and words are crossed out or underlined throughout. It’s like being in a critique group with Ann Patchett herself. She points out times when she overwrote and less would have been better, when she used the same word too many times in a short period, when sentences should have been reworked, and when she made mistakes with the topic. I especially love the added personal notes when she loved something or used her own life to add elements to the storytelling. I have already learned from her mistakes in my own writing and find myself cutting out words when fewer will suffice. But writing aside, what I love most about reading this is the idea of looking back on our lives and being able to critique ourselves. How often would less words have served a situation better? When did we repeat ourselves, in action or words, and not for the better? How did we feel when we misunderstood something and only learned the truth later? Everyone is guilty of indiscretions like these, but Patchett also reminds us to take notice of the things we not only got right, but did so amazingly well. Really look at the times when we added something positive to a situation. The missteps are easy to see, but take the time to accept the victories. They are there, too.
7/10

under speckled sky
stuffing shaken from dog toy
splendid summer day
7/12

hidden behind clouds
concealed sunlight staying strong
still seeks to shine down
7/15

little thin on top
even the trees have to ask
time for leaf implants?
7/17

sunshine from above
is all it takes to flourish
no matter the base
7/19

lounging together
in the coolness of the shade
best buds united
July 19, 2025

Ann Patchett, books, change, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, Parnassus Books, reading, scbwi, wondering
Living With Purpose
Lately I’ve been feeling like I’m constantly fighting against the current of society rather than embracing life and really living in this world. This restless feeling got me to pick up a book off my TBR (to be read) pile that had been waiting for the perfect moment to be read. Now was that moment. The book by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde is called How We Learn to Be Brave – Decisive Moments in Life and Faith. I am still reading so can’t give you a review of the whole book, but the first three chapters shared great messages. Chapter one is about deciding to go. In this chapter Budde reminds the reader that taking a leap into the unknown is often scary, but when done with purpose when we feel summoned to go, can lead to amazing things. She referenced something called a “Lifequake.” This is something so big it changes our meaning, direction, or purpose. I experienced a Lifequake when I made the difficult decision to leave teaching. I knew I was giving up something I had worked hard for and had poured my whole self into, but I also knew education had changed so much and wasn’t something I wanted to continue making my family sacrifice for. It took a couple of years to really feel like I had an identity separate from that of teacher. The second chapter is about deciding to stay. This decision is often seen as no action, but sometimes staying can be harder than going. This can refer to relationships (friends, family, and romantic), location, jobs, etc. Staying is capable of providing stability when that is what is needed. Budde wrote that “choosing stability in an area can give those who depend on us opportunity to thrive and grow.” She did not mean we are expected to sacrifice ourselves for someone else’s happiness, but when we make the choice to stay for ourselves, we might find we are the ones thriving and growing, When we stay we have to commit; we have to be all in, even if just for a set amount of time. When I left teaching, I made the decision only a few months after the year started. I considered leaving mid-year because it was such a bad situation for me. My children told me to consider the entire class and if my being there helped just a couple kids, then I should stay for the rest of the school year. I could immediately picture the faces of the students that relied on me to continue their personal education journey and knew staying was the right thing. That meant I had to be all in though. I know some of the adults will say I wasn’t all in, but for the kids I was. I set the end date and then buckled down to finish the year with them. The third chapter is about deciding to start. For me, this chapter was about putting the first two chapters together. Sometimes we need to stay and get ready for going. As I ended one part of my life by leaving education, I had to start preparing for the next step. I used the rest of the year to think about how I wanted the next part of living to look like. It’s been three years now that I can’t call myself a teacher anymore, and that took some adjustment. In this quieter phase of my life, I now call myself a writer. I made that decision to start and have been learning and practicing and working on my craft. And for anyone else who is walking this path as well, it does not take finding an agent or editor and getting a book deal to call yourself a writer, it just takes putting ideas down on paper (or screen). For me, I’ve made the decision to start living with purpose.
4/24

raised for confinement
like animals at the zoo
flowers in a vase
4/26

books divided by type
sign of too many waiting
yet drawn back for more
4/27

sneaks across the path
wrapping soft arms around us
foggy morning walk
5/2

winter’s last holdout
defiantly standing tall
waving bare branches
5/3

after snowy months
before sweltering season
perfect lilac days
May 3, 2025

books, change, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, Walks with Zephyr
A True Love Story
I just finished a book and would love to tell you what I thought about it, but I am still deciding. I started out reading This Is a Love Story by Jessica Soffer thinking it would be just that, a love story. I knew it would have a sad ending because the wife is dying. It was described as a celebration of great love at the end of the fifty years Abe and Jane spent together going to Central Park first as young lovers, then as exhausted parents, and now to remember a life together. The story is told from multiple points of view, including the park itself. I think I went into it thinking it would be a sweet story about a long marriage and the difficulties of saying goodbye. I was wrong, This book showed how messy life and marriage is and how it’s not even the same for everybody involved, including the children. Jane was an artist and carried her own baggage into motherhood after losing her mother at a young age. Abe is conflicted between fulfilling his parents’ desires for him and his own longing to be an author. Max, their son, struggles with his own identity after being raised by a mother who couldn’t find her way as a new mother weighed down with depression and a father who didn’t really know how to help her. By the time I finished the book I felt the exhaustion of the characters. This was anything but a simple love story. Life is messy, so so messy. There is no such thing as happily ever after. People say and do the wrong thing all the time, and it usually has nothing to do with you. Everyday is just a new chance to try to figure it all out and do the right thing. But everyday is a new day with new opportunities to make mistakes. It really is amazing that people latch on to each other and try to get through life together. When you add children to the mix, that just adds more parts to the mess. But really, for most people, isn’t it nice to have these people to anchor to? Even though they will say or do the wrong thing on their own journey, when it comes right down to it, these are the people that will also help dig you out when life gets hard and lift you up when they can. Blunders and all, I’m happy to have my people helping me through my love story, and I think I liked the book after all.
4/9

sunny company
two friends walking together
dog and his shadow
4/12

oh, to be a tree
exfoliate what is old
and start fresh again
4/13

with every new bloom
I feel my soul burst free
shedding winter’s weight
4/18

there’s always that one
willing to be different
secretly revered
4/19

spring has sprung a leak
leftover winter seeped in
sun fixing problem
April 20, 2025

books, haiga, haiku, reading, Walks with Zephyr
To All the Women
So I finished a book this week. Nothing new there. But this one really had me thinking because it’s about an issue that still isn’t solved. Not only is it not solved, but has taken steps backwards with the new political scene. The book is By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult and is told in dual POV and timeline. One character is a woman who lived during Shakespeare’s time. She wants to write plays but is forbidden because she is a woman. Throughout the course of the story, and it’s a long one, she experiences highs and lows, all at the whims of the men who are in control. The second storyline is also about a woman but is told in modern times. She also wants to write plays but has found women writers are not produced as often, or even close, as men writers. She is even told at one point that women stories are not as believable to the audience. If you have read a Picoult story, you already know she can write and her stories are believable. My issue is not with her. My issue is with the silencing of women. We are seeing this with our government right now as it erases references to anything to do with our accomplishments throughout history, our medical needs, our contributions to society. This is a giant step backwards. I find myself closing my circle of people because I take it personally that someone would rather vote for a corrupt man than a qualified woman. We should not need a month to acknowledge women because our worth and value should be a given. Rather than sink with despair over the state of things, I choose to sing my praise for all the women in my life. I hear you and hope you continue making the world a better place. I’m sorry this was more political than normal, but sometimes the timing of a book stirs up some emotions. I think I’ll read one of my fluff books on my TBR shelf next.
3/12

water flowing by
around the icy snow banks
captures attention
3/15

ready for action
morning stretches completed
waiting for play time
3/18

oh thief of my heart
looks so sweet and innocent
till the claws come out
3/20

something is wrong here
even I know trees grow up
score one for the wind
3/22

greetings all around
birds calling out as we pass
spring songs brighten mood
March 22, 2025

books, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, reading, women
Buckle up for Some Reading
I think I found the perfect reading spot. Imagine sitting in your chair, slightly leaning back, the lights are dim except for the little reading light above your head, somebody coming to you to offer a drink and snack, a tray to place your refreshments, the hum of an engine to drown out any chatter that may be happening near by, and you crack open a new book. You can pretend there isn’t a crying baby three rows behind you or the person next to you isn’t hogging the arm rest. But starting a book at the beginning of a trip while trapped on a plane so nothing else can pull you away is the best. I came prepared with two new books. Picking those two was difficult, but now I can just sit back and relax. The start of a trip is like the start of a book. You are still filled with all the hope and excitement of what may happen over the next several days. Your things are still neatly organized in your bags, clothes are fresh and clean, snacks have not been overeaten. In other words, things are still perfect. Whatever happens later is not your problem right now. You can just sit back and read to your hearts content. The plane provides a reading cocoon. There will be time to read during the trip, hopefully, but other things will be pulling for your attention. It could be family or friends, interesting sights, business obligations, the waves of the ocean, or any number of things that stand between you and your book. But these few hours stuck in one place are a treat worth savoring. When the plane touches down at your destination and you stow your book away again, just remember you still get to fly back home. If you’re lucky, your book might even bring back the aroma of a day at the beach.

What I brought to read: Ban This Book by Alan Gratz. This is a topic close to my heart. Books should be shared, read, discussed, written, but never banned. The kids in this fiction book make be believe their should be a kid advisory group helping those in charge. I think everyone has forgotten to ask the people they are trying to protect how they feel and think. There are far worse things kids are being exposed to that nobody seems to care about.

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. This author is a favorite of mine, both her fiction and nonfiction, but I definitely was happy to be traveling someplace I didn’t need to take shots and a regimen of medication just to stay alive. Patchett writes slow stories that give you time to reflect and imagine yourself right in the middle of things. I really don’t think I’m cut out for the insect-invested Amazon, but I love seeing what happens next for Dr. Marina Singh.

What I bought and read there: The Beach House on Amelia Island by Hope Holloway. I saw this book at an indie book store on Amelia Island and thought it sounded like a fun, fluff read at the beach, and it was. It reminded me of some of the lighter stuff on Netflix. Some family drama, some romance, and a little bit of mystery. Nothing too heavy. I love finding something local to read while away from home.
2/5

asking sun for help
basking in the warmth it gives
on frosty mornings
2/8

with each crashing wave
breaking against sandy beach
sun raises me up
2/11

resting on a log
time for some turtle yoga
stretching out those toes
2/15

all is right again
those who traveled far away
back where they belong
February 15, 2025

beach, books, haiga, haiku Saturday, joyful, reading