Yesterday we went to see the brilliant movie adapted from the award-winning Jane Harper novel The Dry. It is inspiring to see a novel written by a woman and published recently made into a film. The cinema was as packed as it could be with social distancing and we had to drive to a different cinema because the first one was full! The movie was almost as good as the book 😉 but then I’d given the book 10/10 so the bar was set high.
I’ve had trouble focusing on reading this year but it seems I have turned that trend around with Matt Haig’s beautiful offering The Midnight Library. Dolly Parton famously described the story as charming and said it was on her bedside table alongside her bible. It is a charming story and I am really enjoying it. Reading it as a writer I can safely say Haig’s female character Nora feels real and satisfactorily female compared with an earlier read from this year that shall go unnamed. There is one boo-boo I have found so far. This is something all writers and many readers do – I call it boo-boo spotting and it helps to remind me that even the traditionally published books can make it through all their stringent edits with errors. As an inhabitant of the East Coast of Australia, I can safely say that someone driving ‘back to Byron Bay from Brisbane’ does not require one to drive through Coffs Harbour. Just saying…
The Midnight Library has also inspired me to be a little more creative with the interior design of my own paperbacks. I love the simplicity of the interior.
I am taking place in another promotion for independent authors. If you’re looking for something different to read as I have been all year, try some of these new reads.
We’ve all seen loads of posts about HOW TO SUPPORT AN INDIE AUTHOR but this is another one! I won’t beat around the bush!
1. First and foremost, you can buy their books. Most indie eBooks are cheap and cheerful and believe me, an indie writer gets a huge buzz from your 99cent purchase.
But there are great ways to support an indie author WITHOUT SPENDING ANY MONEY!
2. Ask your local library to include the book in their catalogue.
3. Follow, like and share their posts on social media.
4. Leave a positive review on Goodreads/Amazon. If you didn’t like the book see if you can find a way to contact the author and give them the feedback in a kind way.
5. Share a picture of their book on your social media if you liked it. Tell your reader friends if you think they’ll like the book.
6. Mention the book in your newsletter or blog. Write an #amreading post like this one, or even ask them to do a guest post/author interview if that’s your jam.
7. Ask your local indie bookstore to stock the book, {but that usually entails buying a copy so scratch that from this list…}
8. Add it to your Goodreads “To Read” list, then read it, then review it…
Sometimes a well timed kind word of encouragement can make all the difference. I am always so grateful to anyone who reads my work, takes the time to comment, or does any of the above.
I just ordered midnight library on Amazon. It will take almost a. month to come form the UK.
I’ll tell you what I think.
Happy 2021.
Interested to hear another take on it.
I’ve just started reading the classic Road Less Travelled. I’ve decided this year to read alternate fiction and non fiction books.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood…
I stumbled upon this poem in the library in Grad school. Didn’t know Frost. I read standing between two rows of management books. It’s played a great role in my life…
Happy reading.