I will tell you about the cookie, but first the books:
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See: According to Confucius, "an educated woman is a worthless woman,” but Tan Yunxian was raised to be of use. Based on the true story of the first female physician in China during the 15th century, Tan learns the ways of medicinal herbs and the “Four Examinations” (looking, listening, touching, and asking) that men can never do with a female patient. This is an absorbing, fascinating and inspiring history (though the arranged marriages and foot bindings will haunt me…)
What Happened to Rachel Riley by Claire Swinarski? An unputdownable middle grade suspense novel! When podcast enthusiast Anna, moves to a new school in the eighth grade, she can’t figure out why no one will talk to Rachel Riley, formerly the most popular girl in the seventh grade. Something happened, but no one will talk. When they do, stories keep changing. This wasn’t just a “cozy” mystery either. There are some really good questions in this book, like when we should let things go, and when we should speak up and stop being complicit…I’m still thinking about it…
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto: There has been a murder, and Vera Wong Zhuzhu, age 60, has found her calling in life: to solve it! Vera can’t remember the last time she had so much fun. People always say that your wedding day is the happiest day of your life, but honestly, people should try solving murders more often. It’s fun, compulsively readable, suspenseful, and has lots of “heart.” Really good (and recently acquired by Warner Bros, Oprah and Mindy Kaling producing…!) I love Vera’s voice.
Big by Vashti Harrison: In the author’s note for this superb picture book, Harrison writes, “In childhood, big is good. Big is impressive, aspirational. But somewhere along the way, the world begins to tell us something different: That big is bad. That being big is undesirable.” Don’t we all need to read more picture books? Winner of the 2024 Caldecott Award, Harrison is both author and illustrator!
Authors
and recently wrote a post about how to read 50 (or more) books a year. I’d love to read more, but I don’t take the time until it’s bedtime and I’m nearly passed out. I’ve always viewed reading during the day as a luxury, but maybe that’s not true…I’d like to change my ways.Two questions:
How do you make time for reading and what did you read in February?!
Amy
Writing News and Publishing Update:
I wrote a fast first draft of my next novel in November and December (boarding school mystery!), then put it away for a few weeks while my literary agent read it. She gave it back to me in January with some suggestions (pacing!). I’ve been working hard on it and hope it’s almost ready to *pitch it to my editor…fingers crossed.
My mom and I wrote a middle grade “Halloween Witches Land on Children’s Lawn; Summer Adventures and Mishaps Ensue” book, but it has not (yet) been acquired. I continue to mull what to do with this story that has taken YEARS to write.
I *pitched a picture book the other day. It’s the story of my brother-in-law coming to America on three small fishing boats when he escaped the Vietnam War as a child.
What else in Rejection Land? Well, I just want you to know that I’m in the trenches with you. Write on.
*when I say “pitch” that means sending my manuscript and most convincing email to an acquiring editor (with a big dose of hope and touch of desperation. yay.)
World Read Aloud Day…
…was super fun! Here’s one of the pictures a class sent me from Texas.
I also spoke to a group of second and third graders. When I told them The McNifficents was a story told from the point of view of the dog, a little girl became extremely excited and said “my mom is reading a story and the dog is the…” narrator? the teacher asked. “Yes!” and we finally figured out it was Lessons in Chemistry. Made my day. I would not have thought to pair the two…speaking of…
And:
Watched: Lessons in Chemistry. You must read the book, but I enjoyed the adaption, esp the early episodes. Brie Larson as Elizabeth Zott is sensational; I love her brain and her composure.
Eating while reading: Okay, I made King Arthur Flour’s Recipe of the Year: Supersized Super Soft Chocolate Chip Cookie…and was NOT disappointed. YUM.
Eating while writing: I’m a little sick of my go-to nuts and dried fruit snack. Chips and chocolate are not serving me well. Send suggestions, PLEASE!su
PhD: Enough of you know my daughter, Cope, so I’ll share her big news…she was accepted into the PhD program at Cambridge. She’s waiting for news on funding so she can continue studying the dead queens (it’s actually Anglo-Saxon, Celtic Norse). Congrats!!! Confucius was so wrong. An educated woman is a very useful woman.
Congratulations to your daughter - so exciting. Of course, I can’t possibly endorse my rival college but Cambridge is okay, I guess 😉. I sometimes eat a whole punnet of blueberries while I write as a small picky thing that’s healthier than other small picky things. 🤍
First, good luck with the edits and future pitching! Second, thanks for the MG rec, sounds like something my daughter might like. And third, congrats to your daughter! Amazing.