shh, refilling of the creative well in progress

I’ve been very quiet recently. Those who follow me on social media may have noticed (or not, and that’s okay, too :D). I also haven’t been writing much, either, but I’m not too worried about that.

My creative well had run dry and I’ve been refilling it.

So, I’ve spent a lot of time resting (mmm, sleep!) and reading for fun! It’s been great. I feel recharged and ready to get back to words and social media (consider this the first step).

What have I been reading? Glad you asked! Here you go:

A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage. This was a random library find, a book that caught my eye as I was browsing the history shelves. Standage explores the cultural, economic, and historical significance of six beverages, from beer to cola. A quick and fascinating read, with plenty of grist for the worldbuilding mill.

The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher. Full of action and adventure, this book hit a lot of my sweet spots, from heroes with a Past to a world of air ships, tall towers, and humanity confined to small spaces in an inhospitable environment.  The airship battles made me think I’d stepped into a steampunk, planet-bound alternate Honor-verse. I tore through the novel in just over a day.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. Miss M. picked this book for me to choose a dictation passage out of, and I realized just how long it had been since I’d read it. So I spent a few hours re-reading it and was charmed by it all over again.

Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon. There was nothing new and revolutionary in this book (for me, at least), but this pithy and attractively-packaged book has some good reminders and encouragement for artists. Older Son is doing NaNo (with a lower personal goal), so I suggested he read it for motivation.

Delia’s Shadow by Jaime Lee Moyer. A woman cursed with the gift of seeing ghosts returns to early twentieth-century San Francisco when a particularly determined one starts haunting her. At the same time, a serial killer who last operated thirty years resurfaces. Coincidence? Of course not. Not perhaps the best book to read late at night when everyone else is asleep, but it was gripping, despite occasional clunkiness.

I also introduced my children to their very first Studio Ghibli movie! I’ll talk about that in another post, though. 🙂

How about you? What have you been reading?