a lifestyle blog for book lovers

We’re anticipating a crisp and bright fall weekend here in Louisville and I’m looking forward to getting outside to hike and rake leaves. I hope you have something to look forward to these next few days.

I have a good news/bad news situation to share. The TL;DR version is this: if you want my new book journal My Reading Life for yourself this season, to give as holiday gifts, or to have ready and waiting to kick off your new reading year on January 1, PLEASE get your copies now.

The longer version: many of you are well aware of this year’s supply chain issues and their impact on publishing and book availability. My publisher worked hard to steer clear of these issues impacting My Reading Life, but unfortunately, that is where we are.

I was delighted to walk into Franklin IN’s charming Wild Geese Bookshop last weekend and see My Reading Life displayed front and center. They have copies! (Click the link to their FAQ page to order online.)

My publisher is out of stock on My Reading Life. Thankfully, the retail pipeline is full: retailers nationwide (and beyond!) are well-stocked at the moment, but once those copies are gone, they are gone. Even though a second printing was ordered last summer before the first printing even arrived, those copies won’t come in until well after the new year. (My publisher says they’ve never seen anything like this in their long publishing history.)

If there’s a specific book you’re after for this holiday season or your New Year’s reading—whether that’s My Reading Life or any book at all—pick it up now. There is no guarantee you’ll be able to find the book later. If you want it, get it now!

That all sounds pretty grim, but the scads of great books available to readers this holiday season are anything but! Thanks for all you do to support the books, authors, and bookstores you love this season. We appreciate you so much.

My favorite finds from around the web:

  • How to Write 100,000 Words Per Day, Every Day. Simple advice, McSweeney’s style, for the NaNoWriMo writers out there. “Life is about decisions. Either you write 100,000 words a day or you meet people and develop ties of affection. You can’t do both.”
  • The Pandemic Is Still Making Us Feel Terrible. “This past summer’s false start of hope has given way to a nasty sense of whiplash and unease, particularly as winter approaches. Humans generally do not like ambiguity, experts warned me, and we’re deep in it right now.”

Don’t miss these posts:

  • 20 giftable books for every reader. Book gifts make the best gifts! A mix of crowd-pleasing, perennially popular, and under-the-radar books to help you find the right gifts for your literary friends and family.

Upcoming Events:

  • November 30: Live chat with author Amy Jo Burns: Time for our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club discussion of Shiner with author Amy Jo Burns! (Events are available as replays for members who cannot attend live.)

You can find more upcoming events here.

Have a great weekend!

13 comments

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  1. Annette Silveira says:

    We’ve decided to stop having turkey on Thanksgiving. We had tri-tip last year and it was fantastic. We have family in town on the 21st so we’re doing tri-tip, beans, potato salad and Hawaiian rolls. On actual Thanksgiving I’m making a family favorite spaghetti recipe.

  2. Patti says:

    Read the article on the blob book covers. Many of the books I pick to read are because of their designed covers. I hope this new style goes away fast as I find I don’t even glance through the book. I also find the garishly black block boxy type lettering very off putting. What is unusual about this, is that I do like modern impressionistic art in paintings. But I feel a book cover should give a hint or image of what is inside. Paintings are open to interpretation but most books tell a particular story, the interpretation is do I like it or not.

  3. Carla Murphy says:

    Between the “Book Blob” and the “Woman facing away” trends it feels like there is a LOT of repetition in book cover design right now.

  4. Lisa Z says:

    Yes, I’ve noticed these awful “blob” covers, and I hate them. I don’t have a single book with a cover like that, with the exception of the Audible version of Glennon Doyle’s Untamed because, well, Glennon Doyle. But I truly hope this trend dies soon! It’s just ugly. (Though the article did help me understand it a bit.)

  5. Kelli Roberts says:

    The Book Blob article was really interesting. I have to admit – until I just opened the article to read it, I never noticed the faces on the cover of The Vanishing Half! I really thought it was just blobs. And the trendy stock photos – I remember going to Borders several years ago (before they closed!) and seeing the same photo of women holding hands walking across a meadow on two different books within 5 minutes of each other. 🙂

  6. Tara Swiger says:

    I just finished Sutton Foster’s memoir and it was so good! She really worked through her difficult childhood and was kind and honest about her own not-great decisions. I loved it!

  7. LIlyaneB says:

    Yes, I have noticed the book blob covers – they’re everywhere! I find that I can’t tell one from another and I can’t recall which of them I’ve read: as a result, I avoid them completely. Likely I’m missing out on some excellent fiction, but I’m really anxious for this trend to be over and done.

  8. Tym says:

    The Book Blob! What a great descriptor. I don’t understand why publishers don’t think readers will notice the glaring similarities in book covers. This trend, along with the faceless small figures on rom coms book cover trend of the last 3-4 years, has me not bothering to even pick up a book to see what it’s about. If the publishers don’t think the novel interesting enough to come up with a unique cover, why should I bother?

  9. Carol says:

    Re: the Book Blobs. I agree with most of the posters here. I find the blobs off-putting. Books covers don’t have to be hyper-realistic to be interesting, but some detail would help. I really like the book cover style on the Maisie Dobbs’ books—it’s distinctive and shows something about the story.

  10. Adrienne says:

    I too am not a fan of the book blob covers, for reasons similar to those shared in other comments, and I find I have no desire to pick up a book with a blobby cover. I think a book cover should give a glimpse of the story, and draw me in, and blobs don’t do that for me. Here’s hoping this trend fades quickly!

  11. Pat says:

    Thank you for including the article, “The Pandemic is Still Making Us Feel Terrible”. This is a time when it is very comforting to know you are not alone in your feelings. I look forward to every one of your posts. This really reassured me.

  12. Suzy says:

    Your E-book deals newsletter mentions that amazon is kicking off a 3 for 2 book sale, but when I went there, amazon says the promotion is over. ??

  13. I feel like this round-up was written for me specifically 😅 New dictionary words! Daylight savings! Pandemic blues! And that 100k-a-day piece from McSweenys had me CACKLING! Sorry to hear about the impact the supply chain issues are having on getting your book into eager hands, but I reckon it’s pretty great that you’ve given everyone the heads up in this way 😉👍 Keep on keepin’ on!

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