what i'm reading: a guide to being born

I love short stories. I think they are completely underrated and everyone should read more of them. Short stories give authors a chance to stretch and show what they are capable of by capturing moments and events instead of the long struggles or journeys that novels give us. 

I was excited for this series of short stories by Ramona Ausubel because I had read a few good things about her writing in general. A Guide to Being Born* was a little bit of a disappointment to be honest. It's not that Ramona Ausubel is a bad writer, it's just that the voice in all of these stories was fairly consistent, even when the characters were supposed to be incredibly different. 

The voice she writes in is elegant and really lovely to read (I use lovely sparingly when describing writing but hers really is.) But the problem I had with this particular series of short stories was that even when the characters were extremely different and the stories focused on different people and events, the writing felt the same. What I usually love about reading a series of short stories is that you get to see the breadth of an author and in this series, that felt missing. 

But the series of stories was still beautifully written. It was unlike anything I have read in a long time. The characters were incredibly unique and many of the stories bordered somewhere between truly heartbreaking and beautiful. 

Next week I will be reviewing the YA Novel, Cinder*. So far it is a really fun light read and I am excited to see where this modern sci-fi take on Cinderella goes. Feel free to read along so you can join in the discussion next week.

Have you read A Guide To Being Born? What did you think?

xoxo,

kat

things i love: journals, coffee, and blogs

Lately, I have been waking up each morning to a big pot of coffee, my journal (see above), and some time reading blogs before getting ready for work. I used to read the news first thing but found it was getting me in the worst mood. Now, I listen to the news on my drive and read some articles during my lunch break instead. By using my morning time to write in my journal and read through my favorite blogs out there, I seem more inspired and focused throughout the day. It sets a more positive tone. Here are some of my favorite posts from recent weeks from just a few of the blogs I read.

I loved this book report from Lemon and Raspberry. There are so many books on my to read list and her list here gave me even more. It's also nice to see that someone else out there reads as wide a variety of genres as I do. While I know most people do, it's always nice to see a reminder of it.

This post from Campfire Chic about a blogger camping trip with SoCal Hiking/Adventure/Outdoor bloggers really inspired me. I keep telling myself that I am going to be more outgoing and social and try to meet people doing the activities I love, seeing this post from Kam gave me even more reasons why I need to stop being shy and afraid and just go out and do it!

I loved this post about writing from Scoutie Girl. It was such a sincere post and gave an intimate glimpse of her life as a writer (and so much more.)

And finally, a little bit of Spring inspiration from Selective Potential. I love this collection of her favorite Spring outfits. The polka dot dress at the end is my favorite! Especially with those shoes.

What is your morning routine? What are your favorite blogs to read?

xoxo,
kat