Beth Overmyer's Blog: The Blog of Beth Overmyer, page 9

Books I Read in 2021

Happy New Year’s Eve — celebrate safely and responsibly. Me? I’ll be staying in and reading probably, thanks. Speaking of…

Here is a list of books I read this year:

The Midnight Library by Matt HaigAnxious People by Fredrik BackmanFull Time Author by Eileen CookBuild Better Characters by Eileen CookThe Queen’s Gambit by Walter TevisStrategic Series Author by Crystal HuntThe Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by V.E. SchwabWe Could Be Heroes by Mike ChenThe Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix...

Christmas Eve 2021

Hello!

I hope everyone here has a wonderful Christmas tomorrow. May you receive all the books you wanted, give all the love you’ve got, and spend your time with those who matter most in your life.

Keep your nose in a book,
Beth

7 Wintry Books

Seeing as it’s winter and the solstice is merely several days away, I thought it might be fun to compile a list, albeit a short one, of books set in the winter months. And so, without further ado…

WINTRY READS!

The Long Winter (Little House, #6) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
LIW tells the story of her very cold, very snowy winter as a young woman.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
This one needs no introduction, but…A cantankerous old miser sees the errors of his ways when he is visited by t...

November’s Book Signing

Last month on the 6th, I participated in a multi-author book signing at the Avon Lake Public Library in Northern Ohio. The AM shift had around twenty children’s authors, and the PM shift, comprised of adult’s authors, had closer to sixteen, I think. Here are a few pictures from the event:

As you can see, it was a well-lit room, lol. And am I squinting? Are my eyes even open? I don’t know.

Here’s another angle of the same table (and the same author, haha.) I think my eyes were close...

Goals for 2022

Well, the year is winding to close. 100 years ago, the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein were flocking to Paris France and living it up. Seems like a golden age, doesn’t it? I suggest you read When Paris Sizzled by Mary McAuliffe and watch Midnight in Paris. Both are great and will give you some insight into the life and art and people of the times.

With that introductory note out of the way — whew! — and yet having very little to do with this blog post — ahem — I’d like to talk a ...

10 Christmas Gift Ideas for Writers

It’s the day after Thanksgiving (hope you had a great one!), which means it’s time for the annual question: “What do I get my writer friend/family member for Christmas?” So, as usual, I’ve put together a list of ideas. Note that I have not tried all of the ideas, so you do so at your own risk. Ready?

A writer subscription box…like Scribbler.
This box can be paid for monthly, for three months, 6 months, or you can have one annual billing. Contents are a surprise each month, I believe, and are g...

Baking With Beth: Pumpkin Bread

In the mood for some hearty seasonal bread? Tuck in–or put on an apron–and read on!

3 1/2 C flour
1 T baking powder
1 t baking soda, salt, cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
4 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 C white sugar
1 C brown sugar
2 sticks butter, melted
1 15 or 16 ounce can of pure pumpkin

Grease and flour two standard (9-inch) loaf pans.

Combine the dry ingredients (minus the sugar.) In another bowl, combine eggs and sugars. Add melted butter and stir until incorporated fully. Add pumpkin and stir....

Top 11 Books I’ve Read in 2020 and 2021

I’ve read a lot of good books this decade so far. Here’s a look at my top eleven favorites thus far (I couldn’t narrow it down to ten!)

Ophelia by Lisa M. Klein – I read this one in 2020. It’s based on Shakespeare’s play Hamlet but from the perspective of Ophelia, Hamlet’s love interest. It has some nice twists and turns, and is a fresh take on the tragedy.

Sherwood by Meagan Spooner – I read this one in 2020. This YA novel is about Robin Hood…but with a nice twist: Robin’s really dead and...

6 Ways to Support Your Local Public Library

Libraries are awesome, aren’t they? As the meme going around says: it’s the one of the few places you can go and hang out without the expectation from anyone that you should buy something. Here are a few simple ways you can support this necessary public institution.

Vote YES on library levies.
The slight hike in taxes can make it possible for new buildings and much-needed renovations. Because libraries aren’t just places where you borrow books. More and more, with the changes in technology and...

You are Cordially Invited to Run – A short story

Here’s a flash fiction I wrote a while ago. Enjoy!

__

“You are cordially invited to run. I’ll give you a two-minute head start.”

I had found the note lying on the desk in the reading room at my library on All Hallows Eve. “It must have been someone’s bookmark,” I said, holding the paper to the light.

It was a cold, rainy day, and I had only run out for candy, but the library is my favorite haunt, so I’d braved the drops and was still slightly damp. That’s not why I shivered.

The...