BOOK LOVERS & BEYOND HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: 2019

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Although there are only six hours of daylight this time of year and darkness blankets Stockholm around 3:00 pm, I’m so excited for the holidays. Glimmering lights and sparkly decorations cast a festive glow around the city, rousing everyone in the Yuletide spirit. My daughter will be home from college in a few weeks and we are counting the days until the four of us can gather in the countryside for a very Swedish Christmas. Per custom, the celebration begins on December 24th and we will eat a smorgasbord of traditional delicacies, watch classic television shows, and then open presents. I’m in the midst of choosing gifts for family and friends but have been keeping an eye out for things that would interest book lovers–writers, readers, and enthusiasts alike. However, I do think these goodies could appeal to anyone, so please check them out and tell me what you think!

Tech items consistently top wish lists and the new iPhone is on mine. It’s pricey but I’ve begrudgingly accepted these devices also function as cameras, computers, e-book readers, and video screens, so maybe, in the end, I’m getting more bang for the buck? If an iPhone is not in the cards, how about a monogrammed AirPods case? I think it would make a great stocking stuffer. There are so many cool gadgets available and my favorites are high-tech with a retro look. Click on pictures for more details.

I love coffee table books and these colorful tomes from Assouline, featuring some of the most glamorous vacation spots in the world, would definitely cure the winter blues!

Comfort is key when writing or reading. Cozy slippers keep your toes warm and Ugg has some of the best on the market. With soft cashmere socks and a snuggly throw, no one will want to leave the house. And why not spoil somebody with silk feathery pajamas? They’re just as elegant in bed or at a party.

Tequila Mockingbird is one of the cleverest books out there; the names of the drinks alone are enough to make a writer drunk with envy.  It’s a good thing The Writer’s Toolbox will get them back on track.

I disagree with the notion that giving candles for the holidays is overdone. Who wouldn’t love a scented jewel like this one from Diptyque? Mood enhancing and decadent when lit by these book-themed matches. Candles are always perfect to give and get!

Warm drinks in the wintertime are a balm for the soul. Keep coffee warm with this temperature-controlled mug from Ember and boil water for tea in a stylish Smeg kettle. A true bibliophile would appreciate the old-school library card mug and coasters from Out of Print.

The New York Public Library Shop is a treasure trove of items and gift ideas, especially for children. The library card socks and Little Golden Books tote would be ideal for a baby and the pop-up edition of The Nutcracker is a work of art. I’d give my daughter the Knowledge is Power desk plate and my son the library stamp tee-shirt. This NYPL thousand-piece puzzle is also a fun present, especially as a challenging project to do between Christmas and New Year’s.

Gifts for the home are always a good idea for a host/hostess, colleague or friend. The Skultuna mini brass vase would sit prettily atop A Book Lover’s Guide to New York for a chic shelfie. Anything from the Museum of Modern Art Design Store makes a statement and these bookends boast a timeless modern touch.

Either of these Christmas-themed novels by Sophie Kinsella and Jasmine Guillory would be a lovely Secret Santa gift at a girls’ luncheon. Add this leather bookmark for extra flair.

Prince was a musical genius and icon. My husband is a huge fan, so he’ll be getting this memoir Prince began writing before his tragic death. Debbie Harry aka Blondie is a living legend and I’m intrigued by her recollections on the New York music, cultural and social scene in the 70s and 80s. Both would be appreciated by music aficionados.

Goodbye, 2019! We’re headed into a new decade and what better way to celebrate than with a trivia game testing one’s knowledge of the 2000s and 2010s? This is an excellent gift for a couple or family and I promise you things will get heated! You can also download a free quiz by Trivia Champ and get into the competitive spirit yourself over a glass of champagne or mug of hot chocolate.

In essence, the holidays are really about slowing down and spending time with loved ones. Gifts don’t matter–but it is fun to go virtual shopping :). Wishing everyone a healthy, happy and peaceful festive season!

Confessions of a NaNoWriMo Novice

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I spent November participating in National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo, an annual writing marathon of banging out 50,000 words in thirty days, which breaks down to roughly 1,667 words per day. The primary goal of NaNoWriMo is to generate a messy first draft, but the deeper purpose is to develop a writing habit and unleash your creativity. Discipline and silencing your inner critic are crucial to getting the most out of this challenge. Since it took me ten years to write my second book, I needed this boot camp like nobody’s business. Completing half a novel in a month? Sign me up!

But as a NaNoWriMo novice, I can humbly confess–drumroll, please–that I was among the 85% who did not reach 50,000 words. I wrote nearly every day for hours on end but discovered I’m one of those people who can’t write with abandon and put thoughts and words on a page without editing as I go along. Working towards a daily word count was nerve-racking and there were many times I—and my manuscript—felt like a hot mess. In my defense, I had to rethink main character names (a seemingly simple yet complicated task!) and reconstruct a critical detail in the fictionalized world I’m building. I was stuck; mentally incapable of moving forward until I had sorted out those two problems.

Despite a less than stellar outcome, I don’t regret the time and effort I spent on NaNoWriMo. It’s a fantastic initiative and enabled me to connect with a virtual community of writers. After months of running around and feeling scattered, I established a daily writing routine and am much farther along than I would have been without NaNoWriMo. Most importantly, I never wanted to give up. Even though I fell behind–and it would be cosmically impossible for me to get back on track–I never considered throwing in the towel.

But to maintain this momentum, I have to put my writing at the top of my to-do list. Participating in this 30-day challenge required prioritizing it over everything that wasn’t essential. I define “essential” as my family and author-related work, so trying a new exercise class, coffee mornings, and other interesting activities that fuel my imagination had to take a back seat to even contemplate reaching that 1,667 daily word count. My biennial mammogram? Essential. Checking out a new restaurant? Not so much. Once-in-a-lifetime events like my 20th Wedding Anniversary and birthdays were celebrated, but there was no room for extraneous pursuits. NaNoWriMo provides a checklist on how to prep and suggests ways your family and friends can help you reach the 50,000 words goal. My husband and kids were super-supportive and pepped me up when I was losing steam.

Even with an outline and strict time management, I still fell short of 50K and didn’t win my NaNoWriMo badge. My husband joked that whatever the deadline is, just double it! The most frustrating part of this challenge was sitting for eight hours to only write 500 words. NaNoWriMo has motivated me to find strategies to accelerate my thought process and improve my writing flow. Moving forward, I need to focus on a rough first draft and throw perfection to the wind.

I would definitely take part in NaNoWriMo again and thank the organization for creating such an inspiring writing platform and laying out a program for success. It was liberating to hunker down and concentrate exclusively on my new book. It rejiggered my mindset and expanded my creative bandwidth. It also confirmed that I need structure and space to gather my thoughts. In the spirit of NaNoWriMo, my current goal is one chapter a week. It’s a good number for my approach to writing and I’ll apply the NaNoWriMo mentality to stay the course. In the mean time, maybe NaNoWriMo would consider giving me an honorable mention…

READER’S BLOCK RESCUE

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As a child, I was a voracious reader. I made weekly trips to the library, checked out as many books I could, and consumed them like a junkie. My fifth-grade teacher worried whenever I stayed indoors for recess, nose buried in one of Judy Blume’s masterpieces, and didn’t join the other kids out on the playground. I was confused: how could being a bookworm be a negative? I ignored her concerns and kept reading. My habit continued through adulthood. I read on subways and airplanes and always packed a half-dozen novels whenever I went on vacation. I even perfected balancing a book while nursing my children.

The intensity of my reading varied over the years, depending on whether I was working on my own manuscripts. I never wanted to be unintentionally influenced by someone else’s work—particularly if it was in a similar genre—and would take self-imposed reading breaks. These breaks stretched on and on and when I finally had the time and space to pick up a book again, I had difficulty getting into it. Coupled with the prevalence of smartphones, with their easy access to articles, blogs, and social media, and the allure of high-quality TV-series, my reading stalled. Quite simply, my attention span couldn’t handle a full-length novel. Scrolling rather than deep reading had become my default form of consumption. I’d start something and then give up if it didn’t catch my interest in the first twenty or thirty pages. This was highly unusual for me. As a writer and avid reader, I know all too well styles differ. Many novels are a slow burn and it can take several chapters for a story to reveal itself.

I still purchased books but my lack of commitment to actually read them symbolized my descent into literary No Man’s Land. How could I call myself a writer, if I had developed such a complicated relationship with reading? It’s been well-documented that reading is good for our intellect and mental well-being. It’s an active process, requiring us to employ several different parts of the brain at the same time, unlike television which is typically consumed in a passive manner. Developing a reading habit increases our vocabulary, improves our spelling, expands our knowledge, and reduces the risk of memory loss. We become smarter, more engaged individuals by reading. Reading is a proven stress reducer. It demands we slow down and escape into a quiet space internally, blocking the influence of fast-paced stimuli like the noise and images from buzzing screens. Reading also exposes us to a variety of experiences and broadens our perspectives. It nurtures our imagination, creativity, and sense of empathy.

However, with two children and a laundry list of responsibilities, my patience to pick up a book and stick with it was tested. Things culminated a couple of years ago when I realized I had only read a handful of books over a twelve-month period. What had happened to Book Junkie Jenn? The young girl whose idea of bliss was escaping into imaginary worlds and reading 2-4 books a week? As a writer, I’d certainly experienced writer’s block. But reader’s block? That was sacrilege! Plus, my vocation would surely go out of business if more people developed this condition. Turns out I wasn’t alone. Other writers have also revealed they’ve experienced this phenomenon. British author Lisa Jewell (whose thrillers I’ve been devouring of late) confessed to a reading block in an Instagram post. I felt her pain! But all is not lost. Here are five of my tips to rescue you from this ailment:

1. Start with less challenging books. We all have fantasies of finishing War and Peace, but unless you’re a student or stranded on a deserted island with no interruptions, it may be difficult to get through 1,225 pages in the real world of jobs, kids, and mental fatigue. Sometimes in order to reconnect with reading, one has to choose something on the menu that’s more easily digested. Read whatever interests you. I’m not a book snob. Pay no attention to whether it’s considered high or low brow. As long as you’re reading and want to keep turning the pages, you’ve already scored a victory.

2. Read a book in a different format. The growing popularity of audiobooks is proof that the reading audience is hungry for a good story but in a different medium. In our busy world, we don’t always have the luxury to hunker down with a physical book. Audiobooks allow us to listen to novels–often narrated by the authors themselves or by award-winning voices–while we exercise, commute, or do chores. I don’t think it diminishes the experience since one must still concentrate on the words and mood being conveyed. Our imagination must still paint a picture of the story. I’ve also become a big fan of e-books for their user-friendliness and lower price point. I downloaded the Kindle app on my smartphone last year and wonder why it had taken me so long. Instead of reading blogs or articles, I can now swipe through an e-book as I stand in line or sit in my car waiting for my son at soccer practice. Downloading e-books assures that I will always have reading material close at hand.

3. Mix it up. If you’re experiencing reading fatigue, it may be because you’re reading books that are too similar to each other, which may also explain why you no longer feel that sense of wonder and satisfaction. Instead of taking a reading break, try something in a different genre. For example, I used to only read fiction, but in recent years, I’ve added more non-fiction and memoirs to my repertoire and many of those narratives have left a more powerful impression on me.

4. Schedule time for reading just as you would pencil in time for working out or coffee with a friend. Better yet, have a weekly date with a book, preferably outside of your house. It goes without saying that a reading ritual necessitates a tech-timeout. Immerse yourself in the simple pleasure of reading; just you and the book.

5. Binge read a book like you would a Netflix series says novelist Ben Dolnick. Get into the zone, the same way you did for The Crown, Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards. Clear your calendar, settle in on your couch, and dig in. If you approach reading as entertainment rather than a high-brow burden, I promise you will enjoy it as much as the latest program on Netflix!

What are some of your tips for beating the reader’s block blues?