Happy October, readers!

Autumn is well on its way in New Brunswick: the colours are out, the weather has finally settled, and the scent of pumpkin spice is in the air!

This month, I'm planning to read just the one book, as it's for research purposes for an upcoming novella in the Aoife O'Reilly series: 

"The Lost Child of Philomena Lee" by Martin Sixsmith

If you haven't watched the film version of this yet, I highly recommend it!

Happy September!

There's something wonderful about the month of September.  The air is cooler, the heat and humidity of summer have finally gone away, and it's the start of the school year (which, for me, has always seemed like more a start to a new year than January).  

September is one of my favourite months of the year, so I'm very happy to bring you my TBR list for the month: 

Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar - Daniel B. Klein
The Island - Alistair MacLeod

Like the rest of the world (I imagine), I've been captivated by the release of Hamilton ​on Disney+, and that's reflected in this month's reading list.  So without further ado, here are the two books I've chosen to read this month: 

"Alexander Hamilton" - Ron Chernow
"Gmorning/Gnight!: Little Pep Talks For Me & You" - Lin-Manuel Miranda

Happy July, everyone!

It only took me seven months, but I'm finally on time with my Reading List post! (well, mostly, considering yesterday was Canada Day and I took the day off from writing work).  

I made some good progress on my Goodreads Challenge last month and am now only two books behind schedule, which I'm hoping to catch up on this month. 

I added in a third book last month that I didn't plan on reading which I thought I would just mention quickly before I get to my July Reading List.  After finishing the two Diana Gabaldon short stories, I also read the first book in Mike Wells' "Lust, Money & Murder" series.  I wasn't a massive fan of it.  It was a quick read and the plot (mostly) moved along, but I felt that the majority of the book could have been condensed into a few chapters, and the whole series could probably have been condensed into one really interesting book.  However, if you're interested in the crime thriller genre, you might give it a try. 

This month, I'm going back to my classics roots and reading both Madeline Miller books: "The Song of Achilles" and "Circe."  I don't often see good historical fiction books set in Ancient Greece or Rome, so I'm really excited for these two.  

Still a bit behind schedule this month (I think I'm getting worse at posting these things on time, instead of better, for which I apologize). 

I'm still in catch-up mode with my reading list, so I'm only adding two new short stories this month: 

A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows by Diana Gabaldon
(It was nice to read some of the spin-offs from the main Outlander series, especially the short stories as they enhance the main story I love so well, but are quick reads)

The Space Between by Diana Gabaldon
(It's been nice to dive into Diana's work again.  The world she creates with the main Outlander series is so rich and detailed, even in her short stories.  I'm really enjoying reading these side stories while I wait for Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone). 

So, I'm a little (ok, a LOT) late in getting this out, since it's already practically halfway through the month.  But, I got a little side-tracked with trying to get my next book ready for publishing.  

Because I'm a little behind on last month's reading list, I'm only going to add one more title for May in order to get myself back on track with my Goodreads challenge.  The honour of this month's book goes to: 

SPQR by Mary Beard
 - I've wanted to read this now for quite some time as Prof. Beard is a classicist I greatly admire, so I cannot wait to finish my other readings so I can dive into this one. 

Hi all!

Thanks for joining me here to see what I'm reading in 2020.  The lists are quite short, given that I work a 9-5 job on top of trying to write and somehow fit in a social life as well.  I've intentionally kept my lists down to 2-3 books a month max, which is in keeping with my Goodreads Challenge of reading 24 books this year.  I want to keep my Goodreads Challenge goals manageable as I try to get back into reading for fun again, so that's why the lists are a little short.  Hopefully, if all goes well, the lists will get longer each year!

If you have an interest in seeing how I've rated the books I've read so far, head on over to my Goodreads page where you can see my starred reviews: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/84805418 
(for the moment, I am not adding written reviews, which comes down simply to a time factor). 

Hope you all enjoy!  If you want to share your reading lists with me, feel free to add them to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and tag me: @AuthorErinBowlen (Facebook), @erinbowlen (Twitter) @erin.bowlen (Instagram) 
I'd love the recommendations!

Cheers,

 - Erin

"Orphan Train" - Christina Baker Kline
​(I stumbled upon this one through my Kobo account, and I'm glad I did.  I've never really studied anything about the orphan trains that ran through the American midwest before, so this gave me a whole new insight on a part of history I kn​ew nothing about). 

"Soucouyant" - David Chariandry (I joined a book club in 2019, but February was the first month I was actually able to participate and boy did I love their choice for the month!  "Soucouyant" is a brilliant and masterful read).

"Split Tooth" - Tanya Tagaq (This was my book club's read for January.  It's a difficult read because of the subject matter, but the way it's told through poetry and first person perspective was quite unlike any other book I've read before).