It's getting close to 4th of July and, in the US, that means it's time for the yearly summer celebration of Independence. Of course, it's not just a day. No, no. America sort of invented over-the-top, consumer-filled celebrations...It must be a whole weekend. A whole weekend in which you might find some time to read.
When people think of telling stories, typically they think of books. But, as I sat last weekend watching my daughter dance, I realized storytelling can actually take on forms beyond the written word and, in some cases, even beyond the spoken word.
Fun and books may be around any corner, if you pay attention. Or if you just follow someone into a strange place.
This is my new favorite regular blog topic - writing about my five favorite bookish stories of the week. Every week I find tons of stories about books and writing that are so compelling, it's hard to choose just five. And I know not everyone has time to read through all the news, let alone news about books...
Last weekend I went to my niece's high school graduation party. The youthful exuberance, the freedom to be weird, the optimism all felt exhilarating. However, in the air there was also a pinch of uncertainty, a drop of teenage arrogance and a refusal to accept that change was coming and coming swiftly....
Having books around just makes me happy. That's one of the reasons I enjoy when people show off their bookshelves (aka shelfies). Writing books is creative so why can't storing books be creative too? It can and here are some great ones.
It's summertime, which for many kids means hazy, lazy days diving into pools and bike rides until sunset. But, you don't want to just let those developing brains wither away in the hot sun! Learn how to get a book under those sunblock covered noses from someone who knows best - a teacher.
Whether you're a writer or not, you've heard people say "write what you know." The idea is that you should stick to topics with which you have experience. I think that this advice is garbage.
Ove. It's a name. If you are American, you'd probably think it's a strange name. Why am I thinking about this name? Because for my book club this month we read the darkly funny A Man Called Ove. And what is in a name after all?
K.L. Kranes 