My Valentine season celebration has commenced, and The Hating Game by Sally Thorne makes a great start to my romance reading. I look forward to reading and watching more love stories.
The Hating Game hit the spot for my first romance this Valentine season. It read like a classic romantic comedy movie. With the job promotion competition giving the story a strong plot structure, Lucy and Josh’s rivalry had a firm grounding to develop their attraction. They made me smile, and I laughed as I turned to the last page. Light blue now makes me think of Josh’s bedroom.
My weekend bookended with reader outings proved how a change of scene and activities that bring joy can refresh the mind and happen with little to no financial cost.
A few colleagues and I went to the Lexington campus of University of Kentucky for our college of medicine work, and we stopped at Joseph-Beth Booksellers on our way back. A fellow standardized patient educator and I had a great book chat as we browsed the shelves. This store had an impressive extensive young adult section, and we recommended selections for each other. I had the pleasure of introducing her to Kendare Blake’s Buffyverse series.
Of course I had to stroll the romance shelves and displays too. I found Gwenda Bond’s romance books; she is a Kentucky author doing a local event soon.
The weekend concluded with an author event featuring young adult historical fiction writer Sharon Cameron. She shared pictures from her research travels, including some from interviews with the people who inspired her characters. These true stories of hope and Cameron’s dedication to her craft prove we all can grab, nurture and pour into sparks. That sparkage can change the world like the seemingly unremarkable people featured in Cameron’s books.
For bonus fun, a friend sat by me in the middle of the sermon at church today and asked, “Do you like Pride and Prejudice?” I answered affirmatively with a smile, and she gave me a shirt. Coincidentally, this happened on the anniversary of the book’s publication. It suited me that it fit Valentine season too.
Regarding the Valentine season topic, I looked at the book on my desk during my creative writing class and realized that I matched the man on the cover of The Hating Game, the first romance novel and movie I’m featuring this holiday.
My weekend bookended with reader activities gave me a refreshing change of scene, engaging book talk and outright joy. It energized me for another week.
In The Wild Light by Jeff Zentner explores grief, family, both biological and found, and the importance of nurturing someone’s potential. I want to be a part of the prep school community where Cash and his best friend Delaney attend after Delaney makes a scientific discovery and receives a scholarship offer, which she only agrees to accept if Cash can go with her. Their friends show such kindness, and I appreciate how they share their languages, faith and stories with each other. The roles of teachers and academic opportunities made important facets of both personal and educational growth. Seeing Cash and Delaney fulfill more of their potential because of their classes and mentors increased my hope as both a teacher and a lifelong learner. Reading this felt like spending evenings studying and hanging out with Cash’s crew, and it felt bittersweet to turn the last page.
I will read more of Jeff Zentner’s books after my immense admiration of In The Wild Light and the pleasure of hearing him speak with David Arnold in December 2023.
My heart glows for I Loved You In Another Life. David Arnold’s teenage angst finally goes with a love story. Evan approaches a turning point as he finishes senior year of high school and decides what to do after graduation, weighing how he’ll maintain closeness to his mom and brother. His family, best friend and budding romance support him through new relationship dynamics, particularly with his sibling. Evan and his younger brother Will’s weekly E.T. viewing make a great backdrop for connection, making me want to enjoy it like I do my Sunday Ritual (painting my nails and watching a movie while they dry). This novel’s exploration of soulmates and enduring familial love gave me hope, leading me to consider the birdsong in my backyard a call to step toward love.
Last week I treated myself to a solo evening downtown to enjoy an author event with bestselling authors David Arnold and Jeff Zentner, both authors being local to me with Arnold also living in Kentucky and Zentner living in Nashville.
Bowling Green local author Court Stevens facilitated the discussion in a festively cozy bookstore setting at Capital Books.
David Arnold shared how he incorporates important people in his life into his characters to freeze them in time, highlighting how his son inspired the protagonist’s brother Will in his recent I Loved You In Another Life. That character added a sweetness to the story and how the others interacted with each other, including a weekly viewing of E.T. Now I may make my Christmas weekend movie theme sci-fi and feature Will’s E.T. choice, Arnold’s life changing story Arrival and my life changing novel adaptation The Martian.
Jeff Zentner discussed his upcoming book, a departure from his usual young adult audience, and his background in music. He shared his writing journey, including his decade long friendships with Arnold and Stevens.
This made the third event where I got to talk to David Arnold this year, and it made me feel special he remembered me and approached me to chat after the main discussion. We had a nice conversation about glowing hearts and the movie Arrival.
Someone made these neat decorations with Arnold’s and Zentner’s new novels. It looked like a small pile of gem treasures, and I picked the heart shaped one (of course) when offered one.
After David Arnold signed my book and took another picture with me, I strolled through the lit up square.
I enjoyed the magic of the glowing lights and the peace of my own company after basking in bookish goodness.
My solo evening downtown provided me with inspiration, hope and peace. Surrounding myself with readers, writers and holiday lights lifted my spirits to continue down a difficult path this season.
Hope Gibbs’s debut novel Where The Grass Grows Blue has enough Kentucky charm to make me see my old home in a brighter light. The second chance romance explores forgiveness as the main character Penny returns home for the first time in twenty years to prepare her recently deceased grandmother’s home for sale. Once there, she finds not much in the small town has changed since she left for college.
Penny’s reunion with her high school sweetheart Bradley enchants from their (re)meet cute. The small town southern quirks bring the setting to life, making it feel familiar to this (for now) Kentuckian. Drama and romance balance well for an immersive and hopeful read. It feels like if only I changed churches I might find and befriend Penny. I’ll settle for forgiveness and a chance at love instead.
Prince Harry’s memoir Spare invites readers into the inner workings of royal life. Paparazzi haunt the pages no matter the life stage explored. Despite seemingly having access to anything, the cameras tended to get more stories (often untrue) than Harry got support. I can empathize with the sad reality that sometimes distance from family members makes a healthier option. Spare demonstrates that grief, trauma and difficult circumstances spare no one.
While the book feels a little long, I appreciate seeing the scope of the repeated slights and their long lasting effects. The military sections I might prefer to skin for personal reasons, but the love story with Meghan Markle give the memoir and me hope. May they have a happy ever after outside the scope of the paparazzi lens. May the rest of us be kind in our scrutiny of other people’s lives.
On Saturday morning, I ventured to Nashville for Southern Festival of Books. Women’s National Book Association’s Nashville chapter hosted Coffee With Authors, and I enjoyed the panel discussion with Patti Callahan Henry, Sharon Cameron, David Arnold and Jennifer Lynn Alvarez with moderator Ami McConnell. I also got to chat with some friends, meet fellow WNBA members and invite new people to join.
I felt like a local rock star when I walked into the author hospitality room and David Arnold smiled at me and said, “Hey! I know you.” Then we all made our way to the conference room together.
The authors told us about their new novels, their writing journeys and siblings on and off the pages. I wanted to snag I Loved You In Another Life by David Arnold at the book tent, but I showed restraint and made no purchases.
David Arnold kindly posed for a picture with me when we had a quick chat after the discussion. He went with the other panelists to the signing tent, and I went to the WNBA Nashville booth.
Hope Gibbs had a pretty setup for signing books at the WNBA Nashville booth. She grew up in Kentucky and lived in Bowling Green during her college years. Our paths cross there again the last weekend of October when she does an event for Warren County Public Library.
I got a signed copy of Where The Grass Grows Blue by Hope Gibbs, and she posed for a picture with me. I told her I’d read what I could before her Bowling Green event.
I met a wild thing and posed for a bookish monster photo op, figuring that may be as spooky as I get for the season.
On my way home, I paused for lunch. I treated it like a date with myself and enjoyed some coffee and the first chapter of my new book.
After reading three other delightful Abby Jimenez books, I’ve gone back to read The Friend Zone, her first romance. Her debut has all the qualities I know I can anticipate enjoying in one of her novels: fun flirting, hopeful pining, characters with relatable fears and flaws, and attention to an issue that could use more real world awareness. Kristen and Josh demonstrate what real friendship and romantic relationship support looks like, giving me a comforting reminder that some people don’t run at the sign of potential difficulties, particularly regarding health complications. Their chemistry had me yearning for them to get together as much as they did.
Now I want to continue reading the series because the next one, The Happy Ever After Playlist, is my favorite. Maybe I can have an Abby Jimenez romantic weekend leading into Halloween since we all know how I feel about Valentine’s Day.
Jamie Ford takes family legacy to a new level in The Many Daughters Of Afong Moy, a novel that spans the past and the future. Inspired by the historical Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to come to the United States, it explores generational trauma through mother-daughter relationships. These women discover and use strength in a powerful reminder of resilience. Readers can flip the final page confidence of hope for a better future.