Reading Archives | Lynn H. Blackburn

What I Learned in April and May

Lynn Blackburn — Tue, 31 May 2016 05:11:00 +0000

I missed the April version of this post because…well….you can read about that in a minute. So I’m squeezing two months into one.

Here goes…

Cancer Sucks. This isn’t new information, but it was brought home to our family when my Mom was diagnosed with Stage 3C Ovarian Cancer. In the past few weeks, she’s been through major surgery and two of a planned six chemo treatments and she is A.MAZ.ING. She is totally rocking the “no hair” look and hats may become a permanent part of her style going forward. She’s a fighter and she’s battling this cancer with everything she has.

Prayer Works. Again, not new information, but sometimes you get slapped between the eyes with prayers that you’d given up on ever being answered and then God does it in His own time and His own way and all you can do is stand back in astonishment and know in the core of your soul that “God did that.”

I have the World’s Greatest Friends. You may think you do, but, I’m very sorry, because you don’t. (Unless you are in the same circle of friends that I’m in, in which case, you’re as blessed as I am). My friends have performed the friendship equivalent of Cirque du Soleil acts over the past few months. Watching my kiddos, bringing food, calling, emailing, texting, praying . . . They have loved me so well.

I really do love knitting. I don’t do it nearly as often as I would like, but I do enjoy it. I need to spend more time with my knitting needles and a little less with Pinterest or Instagram while I’m watching TV.

It really is an honor to be nominated. You hear people say that all the time about the Oscars or the Emmys, and I have to admit I’ve often wondered if it is true. Well, it is. When I got the word the Covert Justice had been named a Selah finalist I couldn’t believe it. I never for minute believed I would win it, I was just thrilled to see my name in the same space as my mentor. (See this post for more info).

It’s fabulous to win. I had the closest thing to an out of body experience that I’ve ever had when Covert Justice actually WON the Selah award. I had one of those, “wait, was that MY name” moments and then one of those “I hope I didn’t hear that wrong and am making a huge fool out of myself” moments as I walked back to the stage. If there were bubbles over my head filled with my thoughts all anyone would have seen was, “What?” “Really?” “Did I hear that right?” “I wonder when they’ll realize they tallied the votes wrong?” “Is this really happening?” “I hope I don’t trip” “HOW did this happen?” and “I can’t believe it!” The best thing about the evening was that I didn’t have to make a speech because it would have been a disaster.

Reading outside my usual genre is something I need to do more often. I write romantic suspense and it is my favorite genre to read. I’ve never understood people who only read one genre, but over the years I’ve found my own reading frame narrowing, not by choice but necessity. There are only so many hours in the day! But over the past couple of months I’ve picked up a couple of fantstic books and while I certainly didn’t learn anything about how to better write a suspense novel, I hope the way the authors laid their stories on the page—with unique structures and prose so beautiful I often had to stop and savor the words—will inform my own writing in ways I can’t yet know.

Middle School isn’t so bad after all. I cannot begin to tell you how I dreaded making the transition to middle school with our daughter. A new school, new kids, new teachers. So.Much.New. But she has thrived. She loves it so much that we are all dreading the long days of summer ahead. She particularly enjoyed all her Special Olympics activities—especially cheerleading. That little bitty one in the front? That’s my girl.

Chalk Pastels are cool. I heard about chalk pastels on a podcast a few weeks ago and promptly ordered a small set. They are cheap and require nothing more than paper and some baby wipes for cleanup. I saved them for a day when we needed a new activity and my boys LOVED it. They drew apples, pumpkins, clouds, tornadoes, BB8 (from Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and then went wild creating their own masterpieces. I don’t consider myself an artist, but this is something we can do. Definitely worth checking out if you need a rainy day activity with your crew this summer.

I learned so much more, but this post is already ridiculously long. What did you learn this month?

Grace and peace,

Lynn

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Summer Reading

Lynn Blackburn — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I was the kind of kid who loved school. Loved it! I didn’t want to see it end and couldn’t wait for it to start again.

But, summer had one huge thing going for it.

Virtually unlimited reading time! And a steady supply of books thanks to a mom who took me to the library – a lot! (Thanks mom!)

Of course, the grown-up version of summer doesn’t have quite the same amount of free time. But it just wouldn’t feel like summer if I didn’t have a crazy assortment of books ready and waiting.

I’ve always been an avid reader. While I have favorite genres and authors, depending on my mood I’ll read anything (except horror and erotica). Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Romance, Suspense, Thriller, Biography, Women’s Fiction, Chick-Lit, Political Thrillers, Memoirs, Non-Fiction, YA, Dystopian, Classics and any combination of the above!

So just for fun, I thought I’d share with you a few of the books on my summer reading list. Maybe you’ll discover a few gems you’ve never heard of. And if you want to share your TBR (to-be-read) list in the comments, I’d love to see what worlds you are planning to explore over the next few weeks!

Non-Fiction

Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas. This baby has been in-progress for, um, a while. It’s good. It’s just not easy to toss in a diaper bag. I’m determined to finish it!
Praying God’s Word for Your Husband by Kathi Lipp. I’m writing a review of this one in the next week or so.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. Not a light read (a memoir of the deadliest season on Mt. Everest), but my husband really enjoyed this and it’s been in my TBR stack for too long!

Fiction

Hood by Stephen Lawhead. A retelling of the Robin Hood legend.
Saint by Ted Dekker. Don’t anyone pass out, but I haven’t read anything by Ted Dekker. Ever.
Intervention by Terri Blackstock. I love Terri Blackstock but haven’t read anything of hers in a while. Can’t wait!
First the Dead by Tim Downs. Another author I’ve never read. But this book sounds so good!
So Not Happening by Jenny B. Jones. Because sometimes a good YA read is exactly what I need.
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. Just for fun!

Have you read any of these books? Got a favorite author you want to share? Tell us in the comments!

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Nooks and Kindles and E-readers – Oh my!

Lynn Blackburn — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 23:06:00 +0000

Bibliophile – a person who collects or has a great love of books.

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, then you know that I love to read. What you may not know is how much I love books. I love the weight of a book in my hand, the crisp feel of a new hardback and the musty smell of a hundred year old classic.

I have friends who love to read, but have no attachment to their books. They read them, then sell or donate them.

I don’t get that.

I don’t hold it against them, but secretly (until now), I think it’s weird.

Because I can’t bear to part with my books. I moved recently and now have twenty-one boxes of books waiting for the bookshelf that will become their home. A bookshelf I intend to be large enough to hold many more books as the years go by.

All of this should explain why I’ve been reluctant to jump on the Kindle/Nook bandwagon.

Until recently, my general take on e-readers was that they were fabulous for some people but please, just hand me a book.

I haven’t entirely given up on that notion.

But never one to pass up a good deal, I downloaded the free Kindle/Nook apps to my iTouch and started downloading all the free books that looked interesting.

To my surprise, I’ve grown rather fond of the convenience of reading on my tiny little iTouch. It slides into my purse or diaper bag with ease. It even fits in my pocket.

Of course, I’ve been reading free books. So it’s felt more like a digital trip to the library.

And then Saturday, I crossed over.

I paid $9.99 for a book.

I’m still not exactly sure how it happened. I have plenty of free books to read. But they weren’t what I wanted to read. And it was late. The library was closed. I could have gone to the bookstore, but that would have meant a thirty minute round trip, plus several dollars in gas.

I thought about it off and on for a good hour. What was I thinking? Spending $9.99 on digital media with no book to sit on my shelf?

But…I pay $10 to get into a two-hour movie. Not often, but I’m obviously willing to spend that much for a brief amount of entertainment. It will take me at least twenty hours to read this book.

That’s only fifty cents an hour!

Before I knew it, I had downloaded the book and in the process, I think I figured out how the e-reader fits in my book-loving hand.

My love of books has not diminished. My first choice will always be a book. My second choice will be to download the freebies.

But every now and then, I’ll pay $9.99 for twenty hours of entertainment.

And if the book is good enough, I’ll pay even more later on for it to sit on my shelf.

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