It was HOT in New York this week!

I hosted a virtual summer retreat for instructional coaches, spent some time by the pool with an amazing book and started tracking my writing, too. I

I’ve got two books to share, a habit tracker for writing, a meal planning request and some interesting news about author reality shows and an author wanted for questioning.

What I'm Reading:

I love when I balance my reading life throughout the week and that’s exactly what I did: one adult novel and one middle grade book. Both were completely immersive and I highly recommend them.

Be Real, Macy Weaver by Lakita Wilson

This book has my heart. Macy, an eleven year old girl fresh off yet another friendship breakup finds herself in a new school in a new state for a fresh start….without her mother. Macy has always tried to fit in by losing herself. She spends hours researching and stressing over the kind of person she should be in order to feel friendship and love. But when her mom leaves her to attend school and her father works overtime to pay the bills, Macy is left to figure out life on her own. This may be a middle grade novel, but it has all sorts of life lessons for adults from working too much, the fallout of emotional shopping, showing up for those who love us and being enough just the way you are.

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

This book, this book, this book. I originally borrowed it from the library and then I HAD to purchase it so I could read it again and again. It’s that good. Readers are transported to Positano, Italy as they follow Katy, a daughter who has lost her way after her mother’s death. Katy takes the vacation originally planned for two on her own to sort out her loss, her marriage and her life. She stays where her mother stayed, eats where her mother ate and takes in all the sights her mother spoke of before she passed. But she’s not alone. She unseemingly has reconnected with a younger version of her mother and she’s not wasting a second. This book not only gave me an escape to a magical town, it reminded me that second chances matter and every second of life is worth living and living well.  

What I'm Writing:

This week I spent more time tracking my writing than actually writing…and that’s ok. 

We had a quarterly planning party inside my Get Lit(erate) community and spent some time reflecting on our reading and writing lives and what we wanted them to look like for the next 90 days. 

As I prepared for this session, I realized something very important: I track my reading life so I can celebrate it and keep it growing, but I do NOT do the same for my writing life.

And I have no idea why I never considered that.

I shared this with the group and together, we brainstormed ways to do just that. A fellow member, Amy, shared how she reflects on her writing every Sunday and I was inspired. Do you track your writing, too? Share how in the comments!

So now, I have a habit tracker that lists all of my different notebooks down the side and each day I write in each, I shade the box to celebrate. And no, I do not plan to write in every notebook every day, but I do want to write in at least one of them every day and this will hold me accountable to that goal.

I cannot wait to see what I learn about my writing life in the next 90 days. 

What I'm Learning:

This month I’m tackling meal planning and I’m learning it really is an art.

I found this adorable meal-planning pad to make the process feel more fun and have plotted out my weekly meals for the coming week. I have dietary restrictions and my kids are incredibly picky, so it can be challenging to pull meals together, but I‘m giving it a try this week to make summer nights a bit less stressful and a lot more healthy. 

Tell me all your meal-planning tips and tricks!

What I'm Loving:

Kwame Alexander is hosting a writing reality show? Yes! Yes! Yes!

Where the Crawdads Sing author is wanted for questioning about a murder strikingly similar to the plot of her book. This makes me want to read the book again and then head to the theaters to watch it, too. 

Do you need a beautiful reminder on why writing is so important in our lives? Here you go.

There you have it! I hope this inspires you to make space for more reading and writing in your own life. What are the highlights from your literate life this week?