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My September reading wrap-up is smaller than usual because it excludes the two editing related books where I only read the parts that were useful to me Still, these two novels made a good accompaniment! 💙📚

A graphic of September reads, featuring the covers of Hunchback and The Grand Paloma Resort

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Disability Bookshelf @disabilitybooks.bsky.social · 20h

Our Featured Book page is now open for submissions. It's FREE until March. Books must relate to disability issues. For guidelines and to submit see: www.disabilitybookshelf.com/bookfeaturef... #DisabilityBookshelf #bookpromotionservices #writingcommunity #bookrecommandations #bookpromoter #booksky

Poster calling for writers to submit books to be featured on our website.

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 29/09/2026

I was a beta reader for this book. So excited to see that it's about to be published at last! 💙📚 www.youtube.com/shorts/WI5Lg...

youtube.com

Child of Earth and Air available where you get books starting Oct 1st, 2026 #books

YouTube video by elaine allen

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 26/09/2026

"some teachers were still telling students to insert punctuation wherever pauses would occur... While rhetorical punctuation—punctuation to show how words should be read aloud—has its place even today, it is confined to contexts in which structure neither requires nor proscribes punctuation."

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 26/09/2026

Day 6 of painting a stained glass dragon

A paint by number of a dragon. It has a purple body with blue and lilac wings. A moon is in the sky, and a stained glass style border surrounds

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 25/09/2026

Yet another way that AI is being used to trick people into believing lies while leeching off the honest work of others... If Amazon doesn't care enough to fix the problem, sadly we all need to do the work of spreading awareness

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 25/09/2026

I've finished reading The Grand Paloma Resort already! Fast paced with morally complex characters and a lot to say about the tourism industry in countries like the Dominican Republic. A great read for Hispanic Heritage Month or any other time! 💙📚

Cover of The Grand Paloma Resort, featuring beach chairs and red umbrellas partially submerged under water, with a streak of lightning overhead

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 25/09/2026

Day 5 of painting a stained glass dragon

A paint by number of a dragon. The wings and portions of the body are filled in, as well as the moon in the sky

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Bookshop.org @bookshop.org · 24/09/2026

Join us in celebrating Latine Heritage Month by purchasing a new book written by a Latine author! 📚 From now through September 30, use code LHM26 and get 15% off select titles. See the full list of recommendations from booksellers at Latine-owned bookstores: bookshop.org/info/latine-...

bookshop.org

Latine Heritage Month

Join Bookshop.org in celebrating Latine Heritage Month Sept. 15 to Sept. 30. Purchase a new book by a Hispanic or Latin American author and receive 20% off at checkout with code: LHM25

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 24/09/2026

Day 4 of painting a stained glass dragon Not much progress tonight, but every little bit counts!

A paint by number of a dragon. Portions of the wing and body are filled in, and a moon is taking shape in the sky

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 24/09/2026

I can already tell this is going to be a quick read. It's one of those books where, once you get started, you need to know how it all turns out! 💙📚

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 23/09/2026

Day 3 of painting a stained glass dragon Starting to fill things in!

A paint by number of a dragon, with the outline filled in and spots of color on the legs, wings, and face

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 23/09/2026

New library book! Not my usual genre, but the luxury resort setting from the perspective of the staff intrigues me 💙📚

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 21/09/2026

Day 2 of painting a stained glass dragon

A paint by number of a dragon. So far, only the outline is complete

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 20/09/2026

Part two of "Forget what you learned in school". I had a high school teacher who took points off if we ever started a sentence with "however". The author of this book read my mind that I was remembering exactly that as I read! #writing #editing

A photo of a book page saying, "Some teachers used to argue that a conjunctive however, since it stresses what it precedes, has no business coming first in the sentence. But Theodore Bernstein contends that an initial however points to a contrast between the two sentences it separates and that signaling the contrast at the outset has its advantages."

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 19/09/2026

I've finished reading Hunchback, and I have mixed feelings. It's very well-written and thought provoking, but some of it seems provocative for the sake of being provocative. As if the author believed it wouldn't sell any copies otherwise. Which, I suppose if true is thought-provoking in itself 🤔 💙📚

The cover of Hunchback, featuring abstract art formed of interconnected orange shapes, which somewhat resembles a figure with a curved back, looking to the left

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 19/09/2026

Day 1 of painting a stained glass dragon

A paint by number with the outline of a dragon partially completed. The details of the wing are sketched out fully, but the face has only a nostril and a faint smile

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 18/09/2026

I think there are some amateur critics out there who need to read this. And yes, I did just use a "to be" verb (Passage from Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing by Claire Kehrwald Cook) #writing

A photo of a book page with an example of removing "it is essential that" to reduce wordiness, followed by a caveat that you may not want to do this because "it is essential that" adds emphasis and you may be able to justify slowing the pace. It then goes on to say, "No one recommends that you banish the verb to be and all passive forms from your writing."

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 15/09/2026

I didn't realize when I picked up this book that it hasn't been updated since 1985. 😬 Now that I look, reviews seem mixed between "this is an evergreen classic on editing" and "language has changed in the last forty years". I guess I'm about to see which camp I agree with as I dive in 💙📚

A photo of a book page detailing the exciting new concept of a word processing program that can identify various types of errors. "Not many students, so far, have worked with these teaching aids" it says

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 13/09/2026

"I believe he is of [my kind];—I am sure he is—I feel akin to him—I understand the language of his countenance and movements: though rank and wealth sever us widely, I have something in my brain and heart, in my blood and nerves, that assimilates me mentally to him." - Jane Eyre #SundaySentence

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 12/09/2026

Because my library system doesn't have a physical copy of this book, I put a hold on the audiobook. Almost five months later, it's finally available for me to borrow! 💙📚

A screenshot from a library site, showing the book Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa was put on hold on April 23rd and is now ready to borrow

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 12/09/2026

I love a book that you can read and reread and get something different out of it during different parts of your life 💙📚

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Jill McCabe Johnson @jillmccabejohnson.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

This one's directed at male writers: Just looked at a successful male writer's profile and the other writers he follows. With the exception of two, they're all male. Guys, this is how you edge women out of the industry and the conversation. Stop making us beg for a seat at the table.

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 10/09/2026

From Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë: 💙📚

A photo of a page with quote: "Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts, as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer."

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Mychal Threets @mychal3ts.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Ruby Bridges was 6-years-old when she stepped into the history books. Bravely accompanied by her mother, she was the first Black child to desegregate an all-white school in the South. It was not long ago… Today is her birthday. She is still with us. She is 72. Happy birthday, Ruby Bridges 💜

Young Ruby Bridges, photo in black and white

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 07/09/2026

I'm about a hundred pages into my reread of Jane Eyre, and I'm remembering why I love this book so much. I love Jane and Helen and Miss Temple! And the writing is so beautiful and so profound 💙📚

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 06/09/2026

Close up on the front and back cover of this special edition of Jane Eyre. It's not easy to tell from photos, but these are actually raised illustrations. The texture of them is delightful! 💙📚

The cover of Jane Eyre, depicting a man and a woman in a garden with flowers and a tree. If you look closely, you can see that the woman and the flowers are physically standing out from the background

The back cover of Jane Eyre, featuring a large Gothic style house with a figure looking out the uppermost window. The text is simply a quote from the book: "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me."

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 05/09/2026

Well, I was wrong. I had to enter all the information about the book to get it imported into StoryGraph, but once I did, the page for it was created right away! Great job, StoryGraph! If all self-published authors used it, everything would be perfect 💙📚 app.thestorygraph.com/books/68346c...

app.thestorygraph.com

The Seven by Stefan Kyosev

Three years ago, a chasm swallowed a whole forest rumoured to hold a wishing well.The event unea...

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 05/09/2026

The Seven: a D & D inspired fantasy novel set in a city where a chasm swallowed up a forest and the wishing well that it contained. Here, a group of adventurers crosses a nefarious cult. Want to know more? Read the full review on my blog! #bookblogger 💙📚 shannonfallon.com/2026/09/05/s...

shannonfallon.com

Should You Read The Seven by Stefan Kyosev?

“Snow. It could never linger in this city, and yet it kept falling: slow, heavy, all-covering. “Despite the altitude, despite the cold winds playing their freezing song through the narr…

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 01/09/2026

September TBR - What Editors Do edited by Peter Ginna - Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing by Claire Kehrwald Cook - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (reread, but my first read of the lovely special edition shown below!) 💙📚

The cover of What Editors Do: The Art, Craft, and Business of Book Editing, edited by Peter Ginna. It has a white background with the subtitle in a series of overlapping colored circles

The cover of Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing by Claire Kehrwald Cook, with the title on a blue background with dark blue stripes

The cover of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. This edition has a painted cover with a man and woman standing in a garden with flowers and a large tree

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 01/09/2026

It's actually 4 books read this month, since I just finished The Seven... but it hasn't been imported into StoryGraph yet. I'll probably have to request that myself, and it seems to take at least a couple days each time I do that But StoryGraph's still awesome for not being owned by Amazon! 💙📚

An image of three book covers, including Defy by Dr. Sunita Sah, How to Be Your Own Best Editor by Barry Tarshis, and The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 31/08/2026

Here's a great example of a debut indie author giving credit to their cover artist/illustrator in a prominent way. Did it play into my decision to sign up for an ARC? Absolutely! And when the author emailed me that ARC? He even included a link to the artist's Instagram! Now that's giving credit

A screenshot of the copyright page of an e-book, which credits author Stefan Kyosev, with "cover art and interior illustrations" by Boris Stoyanov

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Matt Cohen @mattcohen.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Some authors say they didn’t *write* their books with AI, but they needed to use it for the *cover* because they couldn’t afford an artist. To prove that’s not true, I am offering authors FREE cover design by me, a former graphic designer. They probably won’t be great, but they’ll be better than AI.

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 30/08/2026

“Strength does not make one capable of rule; it makes one capable of service.” - The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson #SundaySentence

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 29/08/2026

Update: The ending was really good! Makes me want to pick up the next book when I get the chance 💙📚

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 29/08/2026

I'm really flying through the second half of The Way of Kings. I feel confident I'll finish the book by the end of the weekend! 💙📚

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 26/08/2026

LibraryThing's early reviewer program is great! I just won a copy of a new fantasy novel to read and review next month! The Seven: A standalone epic fantasy of found family, forged fates, and beautiful D&D chaos 💙📚

The cover of The Seven by Stefan Kyosev, featuring a black and white illustration of a trio of skulls embedded in tangled roots. One has a dagger sticking out of it

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 26/08/2026

Somebody tell my old grade school teachers: "You can too start a sentence with 'but'! Even this communications expert says so!" #writing

A book page saying, "and and but are two of the most versatile signposts you can use, especially at the beginning of a sentence"

A description of the author, a nationally known journalist, lecturer, and communications consultant with a long list of published works.

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 25/08/2026

I've been reading a book about editing, and one thing that's really striking to me is how much some of these techniques improve academic or professional writing. As a fiction writer, I've seen a lot of this advice before, but it's never made as much sense as it's making in this context. #writing

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 25/08/2026

I think I need to step up my hashtag game... I keep forgetting to use any at all, and that's probably not a thing a writer ought to do #writing

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 24/08/2026

A typo in a book about editing. The irony!

A photo of a page telling a story about Oscar Wilde spending hours on a single comma decision. It then says, "who's to say whether the results justified the effor."

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 24/08/2026

I didn't get much reading done this weekend, but I spent some time with family in my hometown. Lots of walking around, visiting old spots, bringing back memories

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 19/08/2026

I've definitely been enjoying this book more as it goes along. That being said, I'm only on page 309/1001 because of stressful things in life taking my focus. Renewed! 💙📚

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 17/08/2026

I sped right through this one! It makes a very compelling case for the importance of learning to stand up for your values and gives practical and easy-to-follow advice, no matter whether the situation you face is big or small. Definitely recommend! 💙📚

The cover of Defy, with a dark-colored crack running diagonally through an off-white background

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 17/08/2026

I wish I could say I was surprised by the culprit

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 16/08/2026

"one thing I have learned is that despite everything we believe about ourselves, we often go along with things even when we know we shouldn't, in situations both life-threatening and trivial." - Defy: The Power of No in a World that Demands Yes by Dr. Sunita Sah #SundaySentence

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 16/08/2026

I've updated the post where I list all the books I've read off the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list with links to any reviews of them I've posted. Even though very few actually use it to find reviews of these books, it's now up to date Please clap. 💙📚 shannonfallon.com/2023/04/08/1...

shannonfallon.com

1001 Books I’ve Read

Last week, I talked about the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. Here, for those who’d like to see, is the list of books from it that I’ve read so far. Also, a photo of my cat. Be…

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 15/08/2026

Went to the library to pick up the second book on my TBR for the month. After that, I've got my mind on editing

A stack of books about editing writing, plus Defy by Dr. Sunita Sah

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Stan Yan - Kidlit Graphic Novelist @zombicatures.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Honest Book Reviews: If bad book reviews were written honestly, how would they read? I hope my fellow authors will appreciate this as well as the #bookstagram, #booksky, and #booktok communities. Fight book banning legislation, write and call your elected representatives. @authorsabb

Honest Book Reviews by Stan Yan

Illustration of a book reviewing Karen typing out her book review on a laptop at the kitchen table.

Caption bubble from the computer: "I thought this book was awful because it represented people that exist in our world that I wish didn't exist."

Copyright StanYan.me

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Shannon Fallon @shannonfallon.com · 12/08/2026

Update: I got back into it yesterday and am now on page 202. Progress!

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