Hi there!
I love how a great book with an evocative setting transports me to another time and place. I haven’t traveled much over the last few years (busy having kids, and all that), so I’ve loved visiting the world through books.
But! In my opinion, one of life’s loveliest little pleasures is to read a story that takes place in the place where I’m going. It enhances the story and deepens my travel experience. I finished two great books in London: Wives Like Us, by Plum Sykes and Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan (author of Crazy Rich Asians). They’re both sparkling rom coms, with tender hearts and strong muscles. Now that I’m back, I’m reading Summer Romance, by Annabel Monaghan, which takes place in a small fictional commuter town north of Manhattan on the Long Island Sound. Close enough to home for me to perfectly picture the setting in my mind, but also far enough to take me away from the sizzling sidewalks of the city. Monaghan wrote Nora Goes off Script and Same Time Next Summer, and I would describe all of her books as middle-aged(ish) rom coms. Kind of like me, now (!) - a little bit grown-up, but still a little bit naive. Or maybe hopeful is the better word.
Reading is just the best. My son has been discovering this over the last few months, and he’s entered the world of reading through graphic novels. Dog Man by Dav Pilkey, to be specific. I was obsessed with the Archie comics when I was a kid (my mom used to buy them for me from flea markets - what a treasure!), and it makes my heart swell to see him reading in the back seat on the way to hockey. Making sure he has a book packed when we leave the house. Asking for more books in a series as a celebration for finishing first grade.
Books are magic! (Which, incidentally, is the name of a bookstore in Brooklyn owned by renowned author, Emma Straub, whose newsletter is also delightful.)
I’m still working on my own book, trying to make magic. I edited another two chapters on the plane (the very best place to write, and read) and am getting close to the end (I think!?). Hopefully, the sixth time is the charm. If you’d be interested in being a beta reader, let me know! The book takes place in the winter in Jackson Hole, so it’s not exactly a beach read, but maybe it can cool you off as you explore the sunny, sweaty, sandy places you find yourself in this summer.
As always, thank you, dear reader.
x Lindsay
I would LOVE to be a Beta Reader!!!!!