On this episode of the Women With Books podcast, I tell you all about the best thing I published in 2020…
Women With Books - Amy Harmon - A Pioneering Book for a Stay at Home World
A new episode of the Women With Books podcast is up!
Women With Books Podcast featuring bestselling author Amy Harmon.
Amy and I recorded our conversation in two parts. The first time we talked, we had extensive internet issues probably due to the earthquake in Utah that had just happened. So we paused, rescheduled and then came back for round two. And I decided to keep that in – the break is around minute 18– because I wanted to show our pioneer spirit and show future historians what it was like trying to do podcasts during the Covid-19 quarantine era.
In this interview, you will hear what’s been on my mind a lot recently – a new kind of survival, homesteading, etc. and reading Amy’s book, which is about a family on the wagon trail in the 1850s, was so impactful. Not only is it a great book (I couldn’t put it down), but for me it was a great book at the right time, which is such a gift. And I’m so glad I get to share the book and this fascinating conversation with a thoughtful, talented author with you.
Press play to listen or download from your favorite podcast app.
Amy Harmon and I discuss the pioneering spirit, classic books that we enjoyed and whether my children would have survived the wagon trail.
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What I Learned About What I Read in 2019
What I Learned From What I Read in 2019
It will surprise no one who has followed me on Instagram to learn that I kept track of the books I read and the books I did not finish (DNF) last year. Of course, a lot of the books I read I talked about on my Best Books to Read Now blogs. Some of them I didn’t. This isn’t because they were bad, really. It was usually because I didn’t think you, my blog audience, would be that interested. Or because I ran out of room/ time (I publish these blogs in the middle of the month and sometimes books fall in the cracks in between.)
And in 2019, for the first time ever, I started including my DNFs in my Inner Circle Newsletter. Now, I didn’t give people too many details about them. It would be unprofessional for me to identify the authors or titles of these books, especially when, like I said, there’s probably nothing intrinsically bad about the book. It’s usually just something that I, as a reader, don’t care for. Okay, sometimes it’s something that I, as an author, don’t care for. At this point, I can’t separate Reader-Me and Author-Me. It is what it is.
I kept track of all of this because I was curious. Were there any trends in my reading/ writing? Were there any glaring holes that could give me insight into my personality or writing? What reader wheels could I identify and would this be something that would be useful?
I’m not a super analytical person, but I think starting with some numbers could be interesting.
Books FINISHED: 53 (obviously this does not include the ones I DNF’d, in some cases, a significant way through.)
Genres:
Mystery: 2
Paranormal/ Some Type of Fantasy/ Speculative: 5
Memoir/ Non Fiction: 8
Contemporary Romance: 15
Historical Romance: 15
Historical Fiction / Women’s Fiction: 8
Random Observations About The Books I Finished:
There is a LOT of bleeding from the Contemporary Romance genre to the Women’s Fiction genre and vice versa. A lot of books could be classified as both and I made the decision based on how many friends and families I could remember from the plot. If all I could remember was a love story, I classified it as a contemporary romance, even though it might have been packaged as a women’s fiction / contemporary fiction. If I could mostly remember a story about sisters, or a job or a murder or something, I classified it as a not-contemporary romance.
It felt like I read a LOT more mysteries this year but I think this is because so many of the other books have a strong mystery subplot. I was getting my mystery fix in books of other genres.
My most recommended books this year were in all the genres.
Top DNF Reasons:
Headhopping - this is when the story skips between different points of view without a clear designation of whose “head” we’re in
Didn’t Connect with Voice - the “Voice” is the author’s voice. It can be simplistic, overly complicated, casual, formal, etc.
1st Person Present - my least favorite POV. I CAN and HAVE enjoyed books with this, but if it’s done poorly and I start noticing it, it starts to drive me crazy. #sorrynotsorry
Dragging Plot - self-explanatory
No Conflict – I know a lot of people are all about the cozy, snuggly feel-good reads right now and in theory, so am I. But in reality? I need some sizzle and crackle to keep me turning the pages.
Didn’t FEEL IT.
That last one is one that I didn’t talk a lot about in my newsletters. Because this, again, doesn’t mean that the book is bad. Or was written poorly. Or that I wouldn’t recommend it to someone, somewhere, out there. A lot of times I put books aside because I’m writing my own and for whatever reasons, I don’t want to read that book while I’m writing. I don’t even count that as a DNF. It’s just me saving it for another time. This is the hardest thing for me to explain to myself, let alone my Inner Circle, but it’s definitely a THING and it’s something I’d love to understand about myself.
What do I like to read while I’m working? And why? At the beginning of my career, I avoided certain “strong voice” authors while I was writing because I didn’t want their voice/ humor infiltrating my manuscript. But that’s not always the case anymore and I’m looking forward to keeping my records in 2020 and seeing if I can identify what kind of input I need and when. (I’m a #6 input on the Clifton Gallup Strengthsfinder - I talked about that a little bit here.)
What’s Going to Change in 2020…
Nothing… and maybe everything.
Because I have a new phrase of the year: Hell Yes. (Read about it HERE)
And if I’m going to live with it, it should apply to the books I’m reading, too. Meaning, I need to ask myself do I really want to read this book in my TBR pile? And if the answer isn’t HELL YES, then I’m not going to waste my precious hours on it.
I’ll need to ask myself, “Am I really enjoying this genre/ book / author?” And… you guessed it… if the answer isn’t HELL YES, then it’s going to be a DNF for me. And I’ll have to talk about why in the Inner Circle Newsletter secret posts.
It will be interesting to see if my DNFs go up in 2020. Or if they go down?
Also, as I’ve mentioned it on Instagram lately, I made a quarterly resolution to NOT BUY ANY MORE BOOKS.
I’ll explain more in my newsletter, but the main reason for this is that I have SO MANY good books in my TBR pile and I really wanted to focus on reading and enjoying those for a few months.
Why Does This Matter, Lindsay?
I don’t know, maybe it doesn’t. Except if you’re here, you might love books and reading as much as I do. And you might also be interested in how to maximize what you love. How to find great books and how to find them on sale. How to spend your precious reading hours immersed in exactly what you want to read. And if we want more of what we love, we might have to make sure we’re throwing the stuff out that we don’t love. If these things sound great to you, then you’re my people. Welcome to my journey.
I’d love to hear how you keep track of your reading journey, too! Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to chat about books and whatever and also make sure you’re in the Inner Circle for the secret posts about books that I won’t share publicly…
Best Books to Read Now - April 2018
Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!
Because I skipped last month, I’m going to cover five books this month! Are you ready? These are good books, y’all. I think I’ve got something for everyone.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins Reid
I really can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t like this. There’s old Hollywood gossip, glamour, love and drama. This is one that would be perfect for vacations and multi-generation book clubs. And I’m probably going to re-read it again at some point, like a classic movie.
The Trouble with Twelfth Grave – Darynda Jones
The penultimate book of the Charley Davidson series has got me feeling… a little emotional, to be honest. The series is coming to a close … next year? (I just checked. It looks like this was moved out from October ’18). There are very few series that I’ve read twelve books of and have been still this invested. Between this and the Kate Daniels series ending, I’m going to be jonesing for a new paranormal series to adopt. Y’all hit a girl up with some suggestions!
A mail order bride in Wyoming who greets her husband to be by shooting him. With that premise you know you can’t go wrong, especially with Beverly Jenkins’ expert hand guiding you through a passionate love story rich in amazing historical details. As always, I was swept away and I learned so much! My favorite blend.
Next Year in Havana – Chanel Cleeton
Much in the vein of Tempest, above, this is another fantastic historical story with strong romance story threads and fascinating glimpses of Cuba during revolutionary times and today. Even I, a former Latin American studies major, found so much to sink my teeth into and I can’t wait for the sequel next year!!
The Secret to Southern Charm - Kristy Woodson Harvey
I fell in love with the first book in the Peachtree Bluff series last year and knew I had to not only read the second book but invite Kristy Woodson Harvey onto my WOMEN WITH BOOKS podcast. Listen to the episode and you’ll hear ALL MY THOUGHTS on this book (which is out today! Congratulations Kristy Woodson Harvey!!)
OH! And the first book in the series, SLIGHTLY SOUTH OF SIMPLE, which i featured on the blog last year is on sale for $1.99!! Grab it because you'll want to read both together!
What have you been reading lately? I can’t wait to tell you about what I’m currently reading… NEXT MONTH! *evil laugh *
Best Books to Read Now - April 2017
Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!
I'm not even going to apologize. I am a Level A1 Ilona Andrews fan girl, as I've stated before. Magic Binds is Book 9 of the Kate Daniels series and one of the best. I can't even explain why, it just had everything I love about the best of Ilona Andrews, crazy yet loyal friends and families, strong women and the strong men that love them and completely unique world building.
And while we're talking about THE BEST of Ilona Andrews.... The first book in their new series, Burn For Me is on sale for $.99. It originally came out in 2014 and I have read it, no lie, at least four or five times since. So yes, you can say I recommend it. Read it now and then you'll be able to read the next two with me when they're released this summer.
This was book 4 of the Lady Julia Gray series and this time Julia and her family take the trip to India to solve crimes in their oh-so-English way. I've read books about colonial India since a very young age (I'm not making that up. That would be a weird thing to make up.) and this story felt lovely and familiar.
I almost picked Belgravia to be my book club selection. I picked Big Little Lies instead but grabbed this one for Spring Break reading. As the cover says, the author is the author of Downton Abbey so if you were a Lady Cora fan...
I mean, a Dowager Countess fan, you'll be quite happy with this Upstairs/Downstairs tale of scandal and family in the early Victorian era.
If you haven't read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks yet, do yourself a favor and read it now before the HBO series starts this month. If you loved Hidden Figures, this book will also tell you a story of science and the amazing contribution of an African-American woman who never got the acknowledgment she deserved. I first read this with a prior book club. We were a diverse group and this book kept us talking for hours about science, ethics, and American history.
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So… as always, I’d love to hear what you’ve read or are reading. Throw those suggestions at me down below or keep in touch on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook. And are you subscribed to my newsletter?
If not, WHY NOT? My newsletter subscribers get all the news about new books, sales and contests, FIRST – sign up here and keep in touch! There will be some awesome stuff coming up soon!
Until next month, Happy Reading!!!
