Sara’s Favorite Reads of 2016, Plus Two Times the Giveaway Fun!

January 5, 2017January 22, 2017 / saraletourneau / 52 Comments

Since it’s still the first week of 2017, it’s still a good time to look back on the year that was, right? 😉 On Tuesday I shared my annual reflection on writing, personal life, the blog, and goals for the new year. Today, it’s time to share my list of favorite reads of 2016!

Last year I split my year-end list into two posts: brand new books, and previously published books. But this year, I decided to “condense” and put it all in a single post. So, which books ended up as my favorite reads of 2016? You’ll find a few hints if you look closely at the banner image. Otherwise, let’s head on in and see the full list – and maybe a chance for you to win one of the honored books!

Continue reading →

Stacking The Shelves, Vol. 21: Christmas-January Haul, Plus My Reading Plan for 2016

January 16, 2016January 12, 2016 / saraletourneau / 44 Comments

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly event hosted by Tynga’s Reviews that shares the books (both physical and virtual) that you recently purchased, borrowed from a fellow reader or the library, won from a giveaway, or received as gifts. Stacking The Shelves will post on Saturdays as new books are added to my shelves.

It’s been a while since the last Stacking The Shelves post! I always try to be good (i.e., not buy any books) in the weeks leading up to Christmas, and I did pretty well with my ban again this year. Of course, I put books on my Christmas list instead, just to make up for it. 😉

Today’s post will be a mix of gifted books and other additions to my (overflowing) bookshelves. And, since last year’s reading plan worked out amazingly well, I have a new one for 2016 and will share that, too.

Finally, this is the first post using photos taken with my new camera. I’m still learning some of its functions, but for the most part the pics came out pretty well!

Continue reading →

Stacking The Shelves, Vol. 17: The Birthday Haul, Part 1

September 12, 2015September 9, 2015 / saraletourneau / 25 Comments

Some of you know my birthday was last weekend; and apart from other presents I was happy to receive (bed linens, an indoor-outdoor thermometer, a beach umbrella), I got MORE BOOKS. 😀 A couple more arrived after I finished preparing this post, so that’s why this is Part 1. (Part 2 could be up as early as next Saturday.) In the meantime, here’s what I’ve got so far:

Continue reading →

Stacking The Shelves, Vol. 16: Oh Chatham, How I Love Your Indie Bookstores

August 29, 2015August 29, 2015 / saraletourneau / 16 Comments

Located on the “elbow” of Cape Cod, Chatham feels like a second home to me. If I don’t go there once each year, my soul throws a tantrum. 😉 And whenever I’m in Chatham, I always visit the two indie bookstores in the center of town: Yellow Umbrella Books, which highlights used books and Cape Cod-centric novels alongside bestsellers and new releases; and Where The Sidewalk Ends, a two-floor “barn-style” shop with a children’s annex that also hosts a Literary Luncheon series during the summer at the Wequassett Resort. If you’re ever on Cape Cod, make sure you visit both of these gems!

As for the books I bought between both stores… Ohhhhhhhhh am I psyched to share this batch with you!

Continue reading →

Stacking The Shelves, Vol. 14: Writer’s Digest Conference Haul

August 8, 2015August 2, 2015 / saraletourneau / 33 Comments

Round #1 of #WDC15 coverage begins today! In addition to my articles-in-progress for DIY MFA, I knew I was going to do a Stacking The Shelves piece here. I mean, how can a writer go to a literary conference and not come home with more books? That would have been shameful, wouldn’t it? *lol*

So, here’s my haul from the event:

Continue reading →

Stacking The Shelves, Vol. 7: The Lucky Number Seven

January 24, 2015January 21, 2015 / saraletourneau / 24 Comments

First of all, a quick apology for the recent inactivity here. Life offline has been hectic lately, so I’ve had to re-prioritize things to focus on the WIP, a couple outside articles that have deadlines, and necessary relaxation. Posts for this blog have slipped as a result. I hope to catch up over the next couple weeks, so bear with me for a little bit.

Now – more books. Yes, I’ve gotten heaps of books for Christmas and from Barnes & Noble recently, but certain titles I was looking for at B&N weren’t in stock. *gasps* So, I promptly decided not to wait to get them. *lol* Today’s Stacking The Shelves therefore includes my latest Amazon haul, as well as a book gifted by its author. And if you noticed the title, this blog’s seventh edition of STS will feature seven books! How about that? Continue reading →

Stacking The Shelves, Vol. 6: Post-Christmas Barnes & Noble Bonanza

January 10, 2015January 9, 2015 / saraletourneau / 18 Comments

I don’t normally go shopping right after Christmas, but with a Barnes & Noble gift card in my wallet and a wishlist that was still quite long, I decided, “Why not?” So, here are the books I bought the day after Christmas, with a “cameo” appearance by one of my tea mugs. *lol*
Continue reading →

Stacking The Shelves Vol. 4: Tea with Tris and Four (Sort Of)

December 6, 2014December 5, 2014 / saraletourneau / 12 Comments

Welcome to the latest volume of Stacking The Shelves! This meme is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may those books be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in a physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and e-books.

Volume 4 of Stacking The Shelves features a book I recently borrowed from a friend and my first Christmas gift of the year. Here they are! Continue reading →

Chronicling The Craft: 25,000 Words

October 18, 2013October 18, 2013 / saraletourneau / 14 Comments

The First Reveal – The Protagonist’s Race

Chapters In Progress: 8

Chapters Completed: 5

Part of me wishes I could have achieved the “5,000 Words In One Week” feat again this time around. That was a special case because of my writing vacation, however. Now, with a full-time job and other commitments taking priority over novel-writing on most days, a 5-week turnaround is pretty darn good. Today’s Chronicle is a special one, too – because, as I’ve promised, I’ll reveal one major aspect of the novel: the protagonist’s race! Continue reading →

Chronicling The Craft: 20,000 Words

September 8, 2013 / saraletourneau / 10 Comments

Textbooks + Statistics = Back To School?

Chapters In Progress: 5

Chapters Completed: 4

The writing vacation was a huge success! Instead of taking almost 2 months to reach the next milestone (as it did last time), it took less than one week to go from 15,000 words to 20,000 (or 21,000+, to be accurate). Honestly, it felt more like shooting from one benchmark to the next, because of the shorter span of time. I guess that’s what happens when you a) plan to spend a large amount of time concentrating on your work-in-progress, and b) are “in the flow” during each sit-down. And even though I purposely set no concrete goals for this week, I can’t explain how proud and excited I am with what I accomplished in a few days. Continue reading →