Standing on the Cusp by Wendy H. Jones

Here we are in another year, standing on the cusp of...

What?

The thing about a New Year is we never know what it will bring. Life has a habit of changing what we want or expect into reality. Sometimes, that can be sadness but often it can be joy and excitement and a completely unexpected twist in the road. What we do know is, it will bring many ups and downs. However, as Christians, we know that God is always there with us, a constant in every situation. 

As writers and readers there will also be ups and downs. One thing which can help us grow as writers is to read more widely. Broadening our reading can help us broaden and deepen our writing. Last year I did a reading challenge and I am doing a different one this year. There are thirty different types of books to read as follows: 

1. With Christmas in the title

2. A classic you haven’t read previously

3. In a genre you have never read previously

4. With a Purple cover 

5. An author with the same first name as you

6. An author with the same surname as you

7. Poetry

8. By an author who is dead

9. With a colour in the title 

10. Has been translated from another language

11. With a teenage protagonist

12. Set on or beside the sea

13. Set in two cities

14. Set in Alaska

15. A non-fiction book 

16. Takes place in the winter

17. Written by a debut author

18. That talks about the military 

19. Is over 600 pages long

20. By an author under the age of twenty

21. By a new to you author 

22. Set in India

23. Which takes place during the Crimean war 

24. That has been made into a television series 

25. With a two word title

26. That has the word bicycle or bike in the title 

27. That is set in the world of music. 

28. Biography

29. A Golden Age of Crime Novel

30. With a number in the title

I am doing this with others and we have set up a group on Facebook to discuss the books we are reading. The chat, discussion and recommendations are phenomenal and I have read many different books. My recommendation is that you try it. Either on your own or with a group of friends. If you would like to join us search for Wendy’s Reading Challenge 2020 on Facebook. 

Have a great reading and writing year and may you be blessed beyond measure. 

About the Author

Award winning author Wendy H. Jones, lives in the beautiful Scottish City of Dundee, where her books are set. She writes adult crime books, young adult mysteries and children’s picture books. She is the President of the Scottish Association of Writers, the Webmaster for the Association of Christian Writers and the Secretary of the Society of Authors in Scotland.