Hopefully it will be a good weekend to focus on two of the most important parts of my life, my husband and my writing. Last year when I attended it was wonderful for my writing, and motivated me to get back in and finish a book I'd been working on for a couple years now. It wasn't a great time for focusing on my husband however, as I was there, and he was flying up to Spokane Washington with the choir students who had qualified for All-Northwest. For Valentine's Day we sent a few texts and a picture of the view from each Motel, and mine won hands down. But even with a gorgeous hot tub deck on the beach was still me, alone. I did write a lot that weekend.
and blogged about it here http://duffybarkley.blogspot.com/2015/02/20th-annual-south-coast-writers.html
As always, I have been reading a lot, and as it is January, I completed my book a week reading challenge on Goodreads with 64 books read. Looking back at my list, I see that I am a very unfocused reader. I do read a lot of young adult and middle grade fiction, fantasy, stamping, Science Fiction and try to read a lot of books by other Indie Authors because I have found that there is much gold in that pile, often overlooked. I try to write reviews because reviews of my books matter a lot to me, but I refuse to write a 1 or 2 star review. My reasoning there is that if the book isn't for me, I'm going to stop reading once I figure that out. There are too many wonderful books which I will never be able to read, for me to give even one day to one that doesn't entertain or educate me. Lately I have been getting emails asking me to read and review specific books, sometimes I say yes, but I'm not usually willing to take the time unless I am fascinated by the book description, and if I don't read it completely all I give is an email explaining why the book isn't for me.
I have also read mysteries, biographies, and children's books. My favorite books this year are probably the following ten. Not in any specific Order
The Mancy Martial Artist (my Chocolate, the addicting series I can't begin to explain why I love) by Richard Raley
Hi, Pizza Man (Picture book with my granddaughter is so much fun) by Virginia Walter
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind by William Kamkwamba
Floor 21by Jason Luthor
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
The Severed Earth by Chris Presta-Valachovic
Grave Beginnings by R.R. Virdi
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Division by Lee S. Hawke
and then the books I read by Tana French, John Scalzi,
and my kid's picture books
