A new week means another new Blink Blog!! What are our author’s reading right now? And what are their goals for 2019? Keep reading to find out…<\/p>\n
What has been on your reading list so far this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n Alison Gervais:<\/strong>\u00a0So far my reading list has been comprised of mostly Blink authors, like:\u00a0No Place Like Here<\/em> by Christina June and\u00a0Within These Lines<\/em> by Stephanie Morrill. Sadly I don\u2019t have as much time for reading as I once did, so I hope that changes soon!<\/p>\n Annie Sullivan:\u00a0<\/strong>I finally read One of Us is Lying<\/em> and The Glittering Court<\/em>. And I just started Seafire<\/em>, so I\u2019m excited to see where that one leads! I\u2019m also excited about some novels like Warriors of the Wild<\/em> and Finale<\/em>! It\u2019s going to be a good year for books.<\/p>\n Carol Williams:\u00a0<\/strong>I’ve just finished The Martian<\/em> and Big Little Lies<\/em> (Books for adults! Who-da thunk it!). I’m rereading Catherine<\/em>, Called Birdy<\/em> and Walk Two Moons<\/em> and just finished Boxers<\/em>, American Born Chinese<\/em>, You May Already Be a Winner<\/em>, Calvin<\/em> and now I’m reading an arc of Scary Stories for Young Foxes<\/em> plus my very own signed copy of Hearts Unbroken<\/em>. For awhile there I wasn’t reading anything. But I’m trying to make up for lost time. And I’m loving every minute of it!<\/p>\n Christina June:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0I just finished the wonderful FRONT DESK<\/em> by Kelly Yang.\u00a0 I read it with my daughter and it sparked many thoughtful conversations about equity and racism and how we treat others.\u00a0 I loved YOU’D BE MINE<\/em> by Erin Hahn, coming out later this year, as well as the brilliant audiobook of BECOMING<\/em> by Michelle Obama.<\/p>\n Courtney Moulton:\u00a0<\/strong>So far, I\u2019ve devoured MIRAGE<\/em> by Somaiya Daud and THE SOURCE<\/em> by James A. Michener.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Heather Hepler:\u00a0<\/strong>Mostly I\u2019ve been catching up with some science fiction that I\u2019ve missed. Philip K. Dick and H.P. Lovecraft are at the top of the list.<\/p>\n Heather Maclean:\u00a0<\/strong>Whenever\u00a0I’m writing fiction, I can’t read it because it messes with me, so I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction lately. On my list (actually on my bedside table) right now: Girl, Wash Your Face<\/em>,\u00a0Molly’s Game<\/em>\u00a0and Like She Owns the Place<\/em>.<\/p>\n Jill Williamson:\u00a0<\/strong>So many books! I’ve read Stephanie Morrill’s Within These Lines<\/em>, Mary Weber’s To Best the Boys<\/em>, and Roshani Chokshi’s The Guilded Wolves<\/em>. I’ve also read a lot of middle grade fantasy. (I figured I need to read more if I’m going to teach readers in this age group!) I’ve enjoyed The Last Kids on Earth<\/em>, Wings of Fire<\/em>, The Girl Who Drank the Moon<\/em>, and A Snicker of Magic<\/em>. Oh! And The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street<\/em>, which wasn’t fantasy, but it was amazing. I highly recommend it!<\/p>\n Joan Lester:\u00a0<\/strong>Reading several books at once, as usual. Jacqueline Woodson\u2019s wonderful Harbor Me<\/em> (YA), Mary Pipher\u2019s inspiring Women Rowing North<\/em> (other end of the age spectrum), and the harrowing Lost Children Archive<\/em> by Valeria Luiselli. Quite a spread!<\/p>\n Kimberly Gabriel:\u00a0<\/strong>I\u2019m currently reading Katy Loutzenhiser\u2019s\u00a0If You\u2019re Out There,\u00a0<\/em>a YA thriller that releases in March, and I\u2019m listening to\u00a0American Panda<\/em>\u00a0by Gloria Chao on Audible. Because I love listening to books Audible, I\u2019m always reading two books at once. Other books I\u2019ve recently read and loved include\u00a0Pretty in Punxsutawney<\/em>\u00a0by Laurie Boyle Crompton and other debuts:\u00a0Just For Clicks<\/em>\u00a0by Kara McDowell,\u00a0The Art of Losing<\/em>\u00a0by Lizzie Mason, and\u00a0Four Dead Queens<\/em>\u00a0by Astrid Scholte. Next up on my list, I have Caleb Roehrig\u2019s\u00a0Death Prefers Blondes<\/em>\u00a0and Maureen McQuerry\u2019s\u00a0Between, Before, and After<\/em>.<\/p>\n Lauren Mansy:\u00a0<\/strong>I’ve been re-reading The Chronicles of Narnia<\/em> series and loving it just as much as when I was a kid!\u00a0 A book coming out later this spring that I’m so looking forward to reading is Finale<\/em> by Stephanie Garber. I really enjoyed Caraval<\/em> and Legendary<\/em>, and I can’t wait to see how this magical series will wrap up!<\/p>\n Lorie Ann Grover:\u00a0<\/strong>Along with Kwame Alexander\u2019s\u00a0Swing<\/em>, I\u2019ve read Tomi Adeyemi\u2019s\u00a0Children of Blood and Bone<\/em>, Margaret Atwood\u2019s\u00a0Cat\u2019s Eye<\/em>\u00a0is in my stack, and I\u2019m reading through\u00a0The Beauty Myth<\/em>\u00a0by Naomi Wolf. Karen Armstrong\u2019s\u00a0The History of God\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Peace is Every Step<\/em>\u00a0by Thich Nhat Hanh rounds out my non-fiction reading.<\/p>\n Lorie Langdon:\u00a0<\/strong>What has been on your reading list so far this year? A lot of fantasy! I\u2019m writing fantasy and reading is the best inspiration. I just finished The Wicked King<\/em>, by Holly Black, and ordered Enchant\u00e9e<\/em> by Gita Trelease. But my most anticipated read this year is Finale!\u00a0 The Caraval Series<\/em> by Stephanie Garber is my absolutely favorite series right now.<\/p>\n MarcyKate Connolly:\u00a0<\/strong>So many things! I\u2019ve got\u00a0Pretty in Punxsutawney\u00a0<\/em>by Laurie Boyle Crompton and\u00a0The Bone Garden<\/em>\u00a0by Heather Kassner on the top of my list, and after watching (and loving!) the new\u00a0A Discovery of Witches<\/em>\u00a0series on Sundance, I must re-read the books. I haven\u2019t had time to read much yet, but I am determined that this year I will read more books than last year (all of 3 \u2013 the adjustment to life with a baby was\u2026quite a shock to my normal reading habits to say the least!).<\/p>\n Maureen McQuerry:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0First I’m a sucker for beautiful writing and atmospheric books. My taste skews literary, so fair warning. I just finished \u00a0The Light Between the Worlds<\/em> by Laura Weymouth. TLBW explores what happens to kids who return from magical worlds like Narnia as they grow into teens in our every day world. Can they really leave the magical world behind? It isn’t as easy as you might imagine. The book has some very dark moments, but it is hopeful in the end. I wouldn’t recommend it for younger readers. In honor of Mary Oliver’s passing, I’ve been reading her poetry collection Evidence<\/em>. I’m a big Mary Oliver fan. I read Stephanie Morrell’s Within These Lines and was captivated by the story of two teens, a budding romance and \u00a0lives upended when Japanese American citizens were sent to internment camps.<\/p>\n McCall Hoyle:<\/strong>\u00a0I\u2019ve been reading lots of middle grade and adult fiction and lots of animal books, especially dog books. Think:\u00a0A Dog\u2019s Purpose, A Dog\u2019s Journey<\/em>,\u00a0The One and Only Ivan<\/em>,\u00a0The Art of Racing in the Rain<\/em>. And guess what? My family just adopted the sweetest golden retriever. His name is Gordon, and he\u2019s dying to make an appearance in a future book.<\/p>\n Stephanie Morrill:\u00a0<\/strong>The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society<\/em>, which was FANTASTIC and lived up to all the good things I’ve heard about it over the years.\u00a0Before We Were Yours\u00a0<\/em>by Lisa Wingate, a beautifully written story about a time in history that I knew nothing about.\u00a0The Lilac Girls<\/em>, which is an unflinchingly honest look at WWII through the eyes of a New York City socialite, a female doctor at Ravensbruck concentration camp, and a female prisoner at Ravensbruck. The book is beautiful, but hard to read at times.<\/p>\n It’s still early in the year. What do you hope the accomplish through the rest of 2019?<\/strong><\/p>\n Alison Gervais:\u00a0<\/strong>I hope to accomplish a lot of things throughout 2019, but the main thing would have to be getting back into writing. It\u2019s been far too long since I\u2019ve been able to get lost in the words of a project of mine, and I can\u2019t wait for that. I\u2019d also like to focus on improving my mental health too. Moving halfway across the country away from my family has been an extremely big change for me, and one more difficult than I anticipated. It\u2019s been tough, so I\u2019m making plans to return to counseling. Everyone needs a little extra help now and then, and counseling is great!<\/p>\n Annie Sullivan:\u00a0<\/strong>I\u2019m wrapping up writing the sequel to A Touch of Gold, so that is my biggest priority right now. I can\u2019t wait for readers to see where Kora ends up on her next adventure. There may not be pirates, but there might be satyrs, and sirens, and mysterious islands. Oh my!<\/p>\n Carol Williams:\u00a0<\/strong>More writing. More reading. More laughing. Necessary weeping. And lots of good eating.<\/p>\n ‘<\/strong><\/p>\n Christina June:<\/strong>\u00a0I want to continue seeking joy in my writing.\u00a0 I’d like to survive my book launch.\u00a0 And I’m looking forward to a fair bit of travel over the year, including taking my daughter on her first international trip this summer.<\/p>\n Courtney Moulton:\u00a0<\/strong>My number goal for 2019 is to finish my next book, which I am so in love with and can\u2019t wait to share with the world!<\/p>\n Heather Hepler:\u00a0<\/strong>I\u2019d like to start seriously fostering dogs. I can\u2019t have too many animals around, but for the sanity of my family, I have to keep the permanent members to two or three.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Heather Maclean:\u00a0<\/strong>I hope to travel to Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, France to research and finish writing the sequel for\u00a0Toward a Secret Sky<\/em>!<\/p>\n Jill Williamson:\u00a0<\/strong>Well, as I mentioned, I’m hoping to attend grad school. The program starts in May and runs for eighteen months. Also on my To Do list for this year is to finish my new YA fantasy novel and get it to my agent (hopefully before school starts). I’m also hoping to plan a writing retreat with authors Stephanie Morrill and Shannon Dittemore to write a companion book to Go Teen Writers: Edit Your Book–this one would be on writing the first draft.<\/p>\n Joan Lester:\u00a0<\/strong>I hope to sell a memoir I\u2019ve worked on for five years, and then get back to a YA novel for which I have a contract. Will be another real change of pace.<\/p>\n Kimberly Gabriel:\u00a0<\/strong>I\u2019m looking forward to releasing\u00a0Every Stolen Breath<\/em>\u00a0later this fall, and I hope to have a fun and successful launch. I\u2019d also love to finish my current WIP, another YA thriller that starts with a dead girl, a gamer, and a bus stop bench. From there it spirals out of control\u00a0with secrets, revenge, social media, regret, denial, and, of course, murder.<\/p>\n Lauren Mansy:<\/strong>\u00a0I’m so excited for 2019! I’m absolutely thrilled that my debut novel The Memory Thief will be coming out this fall, and finishing up those edits is definitely at the top of my list! I’d also love to spend as much time as I can with my nephews in California, and I’m hoping to pick up a few new hobbies…if I can bullet journal and bake a perfect batch of biscotti by the end of 2019, I’ll consider this year to be a winner \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n Lorie Ann Grover:\u00a0<\/strong>I\u2019m practicing being present, being kind to myself and others, and working to support the restoration of justice when I have opportunity. I hope to continue to share encouragement through board books and novels. My board book series, Wonderful Me launches in September. Here\u2019s to 2019!<\/p>\n Lorie Langdon:\u00a0<\/strong>It’s still early in the year. What do you hope the accomplish through the rest of 2019? Professionally, my goals are to finish writing my current portal fantasy novel. Then I have two other novels, a time-travel set during the Revolutionary War, and a spin-off of Olivia Twist, that I plan to revise. On a personal level, I\u2019d like to start a writer\u2019s group at my church and spend more time with family and friends!<\/p>\n MarcyKate Connolly:\u00a0<\/strong>Write ALL the books! I have books to edit and sequels I\u2019m very excited to draft. I always have lots of projects in the works in addition to my contracted ones, and I\u2019m hoping to get a couple of those polished up this year, too.<\/p>\n Maureen McQuerry:<\/strong>\u00a0So much! I have two more novels buzzing to get out into the world, another I’m itching\u00a0to start writing that involves time travel, and a special, secret\u00a0 project for younger kids I’m working on with my son-in-law. And I miss poetry. I’ve neglected it for too long and those poetry muscles are weak. I want to strengthen them again. I’d also like to go to Patagonia. A friend just went and the photos are amazing. And maybe taking a calligraphy class?<\/p>\n McCall Hoyle:\u00a0<\/strong>The last couple of years have been busy with book travels. This year I hope to focus on fun family travels to some of our favorite spots: the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Asheville, North Carolina, St. Augustine, Florida, maybe even Disney.<\/p>\n Stephanie Morrill:\u00a0<\/strong>I have a huge list, including a couple new book ideas that I’m eager to write, but the hardest item to cross off this year will likely be potty-training my three-year-old! He’s convinced that he should be in diapers forever.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A new week means another new Blink Blog!! What are our author’s reading right now? And what are their goals for 2019? Keep reading to find out… What has been on your reading list so far this year? Alison Gervais:\u00a0So far my reading list has been comprised of mostly Blink authors, like:\u00a0No Place Like Here […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-notes"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n