I’m forcing myself to get through Project Hail Mary. There, I said it. This book, now a top selling book and movie. Yes, I remain grateful we can all (hopefully access) and enjoy different books. And yes, millions of books for all to choose. I try to expose myself regularly to different genres and authors. That being said, my favorite genre remains literary fiction: depth of character pulsing through a story, even if sometimes the plot inches along. Project Hail Mary might be a read I would not finish ordinarily (it is long!), but it is a book selection for a group I recently joined. And to be fair, now that I am two-thirds in, I am curious to see how it ends, even if I don’t always appreciate the narrator’s humor. Forcing myself to look on the bright side, early spring allergies are making me (reluctantly) reduce my outdoor time, making couch slumping with a book a prime weekend activity. Counting down the days I have Golden Theo for its library restricted fourteen day limit further sweetens my page turning.

Yes, I most enjoy realistic literary fiction. Recent reads I loved include The Correspondent (Virginia Evans) and The Illusion of Separateness (Simon Van Booy). I too recently read Beware the Tall Grass (Ellen Birkett Morris) and although I found myself pushing back on certain (to me unrealistic) details, I reminded myself it was fiction. That being said, I also was looking for a book that would take me away from other things and it was hard to put this book down, which I appreciated. Also, I did like the author’s attempt to tie in the way people are related to their past trauma, even if I’m not sure experientially it all lined up for me. Yes, I appreciate reading books and genre that may not be my “go to” because it opens up my own experience to other styles and stories.

Yesterday I listened to Robert Reich’s Coffee Klatch podcast while on a walk. While most of the show was a discussion about No Kings messages for DT with guests Heather and Michael, I also appreciated Reich sharing his favorite recent books at the show’s end. He mentioned how he reads fiction these days; I get it. I jotted down two books he recommended: This is Happiness and The Time of the Child, both by Irish Author Niall Williams. Can’t wait to get to those even though my “to read” list is getting quite long!

In regards to my own writing, I felt fortunate to be invited to discuss my writing journey and books at Vancouver’s Historic Covington House over the weekend. The Covington House was built in 1848, and is one of the oldest remaining historic homes in the region. And yes, the event was well attended (and I did sell some books)! When I give talks like this that also focus on history, I re-remember how much my writing – even my fiction – is informed by what I know about the history of Northwest places. This talk was particularly relevant as the director of the Clark County Historical Society, the event’s sponsor, was the author of the thesis that first sparked my idea to write Emma’s character in A Map of Her Own. For after all, it was when I read about the all female strike at Camas’s paper bag factory that I knew I needed to create Emma. (The thesis is The Forgotten Front: Gender, Labor, and Politics in Camas, Washington, and the Northwest Paper Industry, 1913-1918.) My family history, too, adds a bit of an Easter egg for anyone who knows bits of it, as J.K. Gill had been invited by Henry Pittock to be one of three incorporators of the Columbia River Paper Company at Camas.

Covington House, Vancouver, WA, March 28, 2026.

So, what’s next? On my personal book reading list is

• Theo of Golden (Allen Levi)
• More Than Enough (Anna Quindlen)
• Couch (local author Benjamin Parzybok)
• Bitter Cry (local author S.L. Stoner)
• Loaners: The Making of a Street Library (local authors Ben Hodgson and Laura Moulton)

In terms of events, I’ll be signing and selling books at Chapters Books and Coffee during Newberg, Oregon’s First Friday next Friday, April 3 from 5-8 pm. (Yep, that’s the fictional location where Annie launches her bottle with the note into the Willamette River in my book Beyond the Ripples.)

What about you? I’ve got an idea! If you haven’t yet read A Map of Her Own: now is the time! Find it in all the usual places. And let me know what you think either through a review, email or phone call! The feedback, take-aways and questions I get are meaningful.

And while our world feels like some unbelievable dystopic novel, it continues to be a time to be authentic, show up, and be compassionate to yourself and others.