This holiday season, with travel plans put on hold and cancelled family gatherings, most of us have a little extra time on our hands to read. Books have always been a comfort to me, and this year more than ever before, I’ve been grateful for stories. While beach reads will always be my favorite to pick up, holiday books are a close second. You can count on most to deliver a bit of Christmas magic, wonderful wintry descriptions, romance, and a good dose of laughter—which I know we all could . . .
Beach Read Book Recommendations for Summer 2020
Summer 2020 might look different than we all expected, but one thing remains the same, beach read books are back and in my opinion, this year, they're better than ever. At the top of my list is, The Lies that Bind, the latest from Emily Giffin. Emily has always been one of favorite authors. I love her writing style, how real her characters are, and the way she explores complicated matters of the heart. The Lies that Bind is now my favorite of hers to date and is a page-turning love story . . .
My Most Anticipated Fall Reads
With crisp fall days just around the corner, I’ve been compiling my reading list for the cozy season ahead as I continue to work on my next novel. While I tend to gravitate towards reading books that are in my genre, I also like to be sure to read a handful of books each year that are outside of it. As a writer, I think there’s a lot to be learned from books that aren’t like yours. For instance, women’s fiction doesn’t typically have plot twists but I love psychological thrillers and after . . .
Easter Dresses & An Island Egg Hunt For Waiting at Hayden’s
Over the weekend I hid several signed copies of Waiting at Hayden’s in the free little libraries on Balboa Island. I’m always borrowing books from these little libraries to take to the beach. I love finding new reads here that I wouldn’t have picked out at the bookstore and sharing my favorites with others on the island as well. A while back I did a post about creative ways to use your books for home décor, but sharing, re-gifting, and donating books is my favorite use for them—especially . . .
My Favorite Beach Reads of All Time
This past week, with my family being in town and lots of evenings after work spent at the beach, I got to read several books in the sand. I’ve been working so much on my next novel, Map of Us, and the future of shopfiction™ that it’s been a while since I’ve gotten to really enjoy the books that made me want to be a writer in the first place. I honestly haven’t felt this great in such a long time and I really do credit the beach reads. I know they are frequently criticized for being too . . .
Rainy Day Reads and Clothes To Curl Up In
With the exception of one seventy-five degree weekend, we've been having an unusually rainy February in Orange County. Although I moved from Oregon to California to escape the rain, I do love any excuse to get cozy! I've been living in this cable knit sweater all winter long and throwing on a pair of jeans and Hunter Boots with it when I go out, then pairing it with these leggings and my favorite slippers when I'm home. My cottage on Balboa Island is an old historic house that . . .
