Happy Sunday! Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at ReaderBuzz. Check out her post and the links to see what other bloggers have been up to in the last week.

How’s the weather?

We had dramatic storms on Thursday night, and it’s been cooler ever since. It got cold enough last night that gardeners covered their tender plants. We’ll get more April showers. We’re already seeing lots of flowers. I’m enjoying the smell of the neighbors’ lilacs on my walks. Someone gave me a tiny bouquet yesterday and it included lily-of-the-valley with its divine aroma.

What are you reading?

I reviewed Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir after enjoying a book club discussion about it. I don’t usually read science fiction, but this book (by the author of The Martian) worked well for me. I didn’t want it to end!

E-book. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. This is a re-read for me. I rarely re-read books, but now that I’m working to write a novel of my own, I wanted to figure out what made this one work so well for me. I thought of this book a lot during the pandemic and it’s just as interesting to read after experiencing it.

Audio e-book. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey. For someone who doesn’t read science fiction, I’m surprised that I’m already fully engaged in another story. I chose this one because it’s recommended by the novel-writing class that I’m taking as a helpful model and, also, because I found it on a list of stories that reference Don Quixote. I think the main character of my novel could be described as quixotic. Witnessing how Corey handles quixotic characters may help me write mine.

Print. The Golden Age Wonder Woman, Volume 1. My main character looks to Wonder Woman to help her navigate her contribution to World War II.

What are you watching?

I reviewed Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy for British Isles Friday. I enjoyed how this adaptation managed to include a much more diverse cast than the original material.

Currently, I’m watching the 13th season of Call the Midwife, using my PBS Passport. The BBC renewed the series for two more seasons. I watch (and sometimes re-watch) this show any time that I want to see strong women helping strong women.

What are you doing?

Some of you may remember that I started a challenge in the fall to write a first draft of my novel in 90 days. I got a couple of weeks in when I met with a writing coach who helpfully pointed out that my novel had no plot. That sent me back to the drawing board for several months. I recently restarted the challenge. Today is Day 12 and I’m working on Scene 10, approaching 10,000 words of my first draft.

How are you this fine Sunday?