Tag Archives: Lesley-Anne McLeod

I’m still reading.

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I’m away from home and between adventures and savouring life in and around Cannes, I’ve been reading.

I completed Canadian author, Linda O’Connor’s  book Perfectly Reasonable. Besides a romance with characters who grow indivually and together, O’Connor gives the reader an insight into applying for med school and a glimpse into a doctor’s life.

I finished both of Ellie MacDonald‘s (another Canadian author) books, Claire and Bonnie from the Governess Club Series. Both books are Historical but with a light shone on women who might have been able to be independent at the time.

I started Lesley-Anne McLeod‘s Regency novel, The Possibilty of Scandle, while I waited for a late train on platform #2 at the Biot SNCF. Station. Lesley-Anne is also a Canadian author. I’m only a couple of chapters in but I’m curious to know what will happen to twin brother and sister who are wanting a summer free of being recognized as “ton.”

Last evening after winning a game of cribbage against the iPad, I started a book which I had purchased months ago but wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it, because the main character in Linda Bradley‘s contemporary romance Maggie’s Way is recovering from breast cancer. As a breast cancer survivor I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to revisit the experience. This romance is unusual because it is written from Maggie’s viewpoint and therefore in first person. I’m curious to see how Bradley carries this difficult point of view throughout the book.

On another note, my Fitbit tells me that I’ve completed my goal of 12,000 steps a day and so many more.

Books I’ve read and enjoyed

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I lose track of the wonderful books I’ve read. I always learn or reinforce things I’ve discovered through my reading.
I don’t want to rate books because both you and I learn very different things because of the life we’ve experienced. We bring ourselves to the pages, whether we are flipping pages or just swiping electronic pages.
These books cannot be in chronological order or even alphabetical because I don’t recall exactly when I read them, and I just want to record the hours I’ve spent with authors and characters. They will be recent, unless, I delve back into my past for a memory.

The Gifted, A Joanne Kilbourn Mystery, by Gail Bowen. http://www.amazon.com/Gifted-Joanne-Kilbourn-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00BH0VUE2/
I attended classes with Gail as my professor at the University of Regina. We have become friends in the Saskatchewan writing community. She graciously shares her thoughts about having and enjoying a writing career and she reads my books. http://gailbowen.com/

Dollybird by Anne Lazurko. http://www.amazon.com/Dollybird-ebook/dp/B00E5LCL9S/
Anne and I were in the same writing group for a few years. I read early versions of some of the scenes. I’m proud of Anne for accomplishing this dream of her first novel. http://annelazurko.com/

Perish Twice by Robert B. Parker. http://www.amazon.com/Perish-Twice-Randall-Mystery-ebook/dp/B000PC0S2S
No, I haven’t met Robert B. Parker by we are friends through his books. My friend Shelley Banks, http://shelleybanks.ca/ introduced me to Robert Parker years ago when we were discussing authors who wrote in a sparse and concise way. I enjoy Robert Parker’s books because of his writing technique. I am intrigued with his style as he writes Sunny Randall, his female protagonist.

The Regency Story book by Lesley-Anne McLeod. http://www.lesleyannemcleod.com/ Illustrations by Sba Koriel. http://www.amazon.com/The-Regency-Storybook-ebook/dp/B00F66PKTE/
Lesley-Anne and I are members of the Saskatchewan Romance Writers. Lesley-Anne has e published many regency romance novels. She was the lead behind the Saskatchewan Romance Writers anthology, Love, Loss and Other Oddities. http://www.amazon.com/Love-Loss-Other-Oddities-ebook/dp/B006D224F8/

Thats all for today. But of course not nearly all the books I’ve read in the last months.

Today is another day to add more books. I will open my library in my iPad book shelf.
To the Edge of the Sea by Anne McDonald http://totheedgeofthesea.blogspot.ca/p/anne-mcdonald.html
http://www.amazon.com/Edge-Sea-ebook/dp/B00CF2LV9K/
Anne McDonald facilitates Improv workshops. I have attended these workshops and found them extremely helpful in thinking about characters and their positions in the world. She also has a suggestion of “Just say yes.” When I have done this in my daily life, I usually have grand experiences.

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. http://www.amazon.com/Left-Neglected-ebook/dp/B003UYUP26/ .
She is also the author of Still Alice. Genova is a neuroscientist. I enjoy her books because of my nursing background.

Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan http://www.amazon.com/Half-Blood-Blues-A-Novel-ebook/dp/B00EKOLPE2/ . No not a friend or even an acquaintance, however I did hear her interview on CBC and was intrigued.

Stray Love by Kyo Maclear. http://www.amazon.com/Stray-Love-ebook/dp/B007HC3S7G/ Another book I heard about on CBC and again intrigued.

I also find inspiration in non-fiction.
The Normal One: Life with a Difficult or Damaged Sibling by Jeanne Safer, Ph.D. http://www.amazon.com/The-Normal-One-Difficult-Damaged/dp/0385337566/
I found this book insightful and was amazed how the experts in the field had not thought about siblings in their lives and how they affect personality.

The End of Men and the Rise of Women by Hanna Rosin. http://www.amazon.com/End-Men-Rise-Women/dp/B00D9TA4VY/
I am always interested in research about where women are placed in the world for my self knowledge as well as my characters.