I read: The Book of Spells

The Book of Spells by Michael Johnstone

I'm trying to cull down the list of books that I'm "currently reading" on Goodreads.  So this one has been sitting there for a while since I initially picked it up.   The Book of Spells: White Magic to Make Your Dreams Come True by Michael Johnstone.

It's a cute little book that begins with a history of magic, following with a description of spell-casting, and spell-casting essentials and finishing up with a number of simple but potentially highly useful spells, mostly focussing on love, relationships and success/money.

It's what could be considered non-fiction if you believe in that kind of thing, so I don't have any particular feelings to share, but I would say that if you're into the Wicca, spell-casting or witchcraft concepts, then this is a quick, but possibly useful read.

Just gonna leave this here

I read: Eleanor & Park

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Bear with me here because I'm not good with book reviews.  I like to savour the feelings of a book
rather than break it down into the pieces of why I enjoyed it (or didn't.) 

However, I feel that in order to improve my writing I need to understand what I think is well written, and why that piece is evoking whatever feelings it's brought forward in me. 

I likely won't talk much about plot points or structure or anything you would have discussed in a high school literature class.  I will tell you what I liked or didn't like because I think art is subjective, and writing is art so I'm not planning to critique so much as sharing my perspective.


So we embark on this new journey with a review of the novel I finished last night -- Eleanor & Park written by Rainbow Rowell.

It's a brand new day

It's July 25.  People might say it's Christmas in July.  I'm not sure why when June is really the 6-month mark to Christmas.  And nobody really celebrates Christmas in July.

But for me this is a monumental day purely because I say it is.  I'm beginning anew.  A new stage of my life, and a new habit, I hope, to go along with it.  This will become my place to share thoughts on what I read, and what I write.

I realized recently that I have developed a fear of sharing my thoughts and my writing publicly.  I think that's why I don't finish what I write.  Because without an ending, there's no reason to share it.  An audience can't be expected to provide their own ending.   I've signed up for a fiction writing course, that leads to a creative writing certificate.  My biggest qualm in signing up for the course is the requirement to share.  I have a lot of issues with the critics in my own head, and the idea that external judgement shouldn't really matter.  External judgement can be constructive.  Internal judgement makes me afraid of external judgement.  If I can't be kind of myself, why would anyone else be?  But old wisdom says we are always our own harshest critic.

So, I've registered for the class, hoping for constructive criticism as well as tips and tricks in the writing process that may spike my creativity and actually help me get past that internal critic.  And I re-start the blogging process, hoping that by sharing my thoughts on what I'm reading, as well as what I'm writing that I may get more used to sharing what I do.

I don't have any expectations regarding my audience.  I know that I don't have one as of yet, because I've only ever sporadically blogged before.  But if even one or two folks acknowledge my existence in any kind of positive way I can feel better about sharing, and potentially increase my confidence in doing so.

And, that then is the grand opening of the new Breathe, write, read.

Welcome. I hope I can provide some kind of entertainment for you.