Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

I'm posting today with t he fantastic Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays blog hop hosted by Greg Pattridge of Always in the Middle . Check out Greg's blog for a list of additional middle grade reviews. This was one of those library books I found by following the "if you liked that" suggestions. It kind of falls into the "issue books" category, but was an interesting read regardless.   Title: Asking For a Friend Author: Ronnie Riley Publication Info: Scholastic Press, 2024. 268 pages in Kindle Source: Library Publisher's Blurb (Goodreads) : Why go through the stress of making friends when you can just pretend? It works for Eden and their social anxiety... until their mom announces she's throwing them a birthday party and all their friends are invited. Eden's "friends," Duke, Ramona, and Tabitha, are all real kids from school... but Eden's never actually spoken to them before. Now Eden will do whatever it takes to convince them ...

September 6-10 this year, I hiked Iceland's famous "Volcano Trail," the Laugavegur track. I had mixed weather, but the first day combined amazing scenery with good weather, and as a result I have far too many photos to do more than the one day in this post (besides, I haven't finished editing the rest of the hike, let alone the following 2 weeks in Iceland). The excitement started with a 7:30 a.m. bus from Reykjavik. I arrived at the bus station as the sun was about to rise. It's a small city, so the bus depot was only a 15-minute walk from my hotel. It's a 3 1/2 hour ride to the start of the trail at Landmannalaugar, so we had a much-appreciated "comfort stop" partway.   The bus ride was definitely part of the excitement, as this was my first chance to see much of Iceland beyond the city. I managed to score a front seat (always my goal due to motion sickness issues), which allowed for some good photo ops. As far as I could tell, we drove around a...

 Okay, that's not *exactly* the question the IWSG is asking this month, but it might as well be? Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting! Be sure to link to the IWSG page and display the badge in your post. And please be sure your avatar links back to your blog! Otherwise, when you leave a comment, people can't find yo...

I'm posting today with t he fantastic Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays blog hop hosted by Greg Pattridge of Always in the Middle . Check out Greg's blog for a list of additional middle grade reviews.  IIRC I won today's book in a drawing from someone's web site. It then sat on my TBR pile (the real one, the one that might bury me in an earthquake) for so long that I don't remember from whom I got it. My thanks to you, whoever you are!   Title : Meg Goes to America Author: Katy Hammel Publication Info: 2020, 193 pages Source: won it in a giveaway  My Review: Meg Goes to America  is a fictionalized version of real-life events in the life of the author's mother. As a family story, it's pretty dramatic.  The book deals with some serious issues, and brings up a lot of good food for thought, but somehow it didn't grab me in the way that I think it might have done.  One reason for that might be the writing style. The reading level is probably a little more t...

I may go back to editing the photos from Montana before I continue with the Icelandic reports, but I do have some shots from Reykjavik, where I spent the first two days of my recent Iceland vacation (feels like a very long time ago, but it was, in fact, Sept. 4 & 5). I arrived at Keflavik airport at 7 a.m. on the 4th, after a lot of flying and no sleeping.  Just before landing we popped out of the clouds and I got my first look at Iceland.   The airport is about an hour from Reykjavik by direct shuttle bus; less when there's no traffic, a little longer as we got caught in the morning commute. I walked from the bus station to my hotel, where I was able to store my bags and head out for a tour of the city. One of my first stops was the tower of Hallgrimskirkja.  The Lutheran church was built over 40 years, from 1945 to 1986, and the exterior mimics the columns of basalt that are seen throughout the country. For a fee (one soon realizes in Iceland that *everything* is fo...