august and everything after

summer! books and music, deadlines and demon hunters

Aug 06, 2025

I’ve always loved to read. Being a reader has always been a core of my identity. I was a library kid, always taking home as many as I was allowed to, despite everyone - my family, librarians - telling me that there was no way I could read that many books in two weeks. And though they were usually right, my response to this, since I was very small, was always CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

This has not changed. This was my recent library haul - though in this case, it was partially because so many loans came in at once.

so far i have only read Margo. But in my defense, I just picked these up Thursday.

And there’s always been something about summer reading. I mean, it’s a whole category of books. The beach read! The lake read! The vacation read! As a kid, I lived for the summer reading contests where you could log the books you read, and try and win a prize, and at the end, everyone got a pizza party. (This is a plot point in my new MG. There’s a fake summer reading contest as part of a revenge scheme. At least, this is the in the book right now. Lots and lots will change with future drafts!)

My very favorite thing in the summers is to be near a body of water (beach, lake, pool, I’m not picky), preferably in the shade, and devour a book. I love a day like this when I can nearly finish a book. And then it’s all blended together - the day and the sun and the snacks and the story.

I had this on the beach in Connecticut

and at the dog beach in Huntington

and this last weekend in Shaver Lake

me pictured because I forgot to take a picture of my book

I have been loving the books I’ve read this summer (highly rec Atmosphere, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Vera Wong #2, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, and Deep Cuts) and it’s made me resolve to be a little more intentional about my reading going forward.

I feel like I read less than I did even a few years ago (and WAY less than before smartphones and podcasts and so many digital distractions). I try and read 100 books a year, but I think I can do better than that. And maybe writing it in my substack will keep me accountable? I’m going to aim for 150 this year. I think I can do it. I WANT to do it. If I could do fiction audiobooks, that would really help with this, but alas. My brain is not wired that way.

In other news, K-Pop Demon Hunters has taken over my life?

It’s INCREDIBLE and if you haven’t seen it, I’m jealous of you. Prepare for it to be your whole personality. All the songs from it have taken over my summer playlists (as you can see on my spotify here) and I just keep watching it? (and my letterboxd here!) It’s just fantastic and even if I DIDN’T know the people who made it, I’d still be a giant fan.

also…I will have NEWS to ANNOUNCE soon! I’m just waiting for the all-clear. But…if you’re on my letterboxd, there might be some clues. Just saying!! 🕵🏼‍♀️

I am finishing up my second MG - or as my agent and editor are calling it, MMMG2. (Morgan Matson Middle Grade 2). I’m at that place I always get when finishing a book - where everything is clicking, I love the characters, the story is working - and I’m also so sick of everyone and done with making choices for all these people that I’ve invented. Hopefully I’ll be able to announce a summary and info about this book SOON. The reception to Firefly was so lovely, and everyone was so welcoming to invite me into this MG world, that I really want to do right by my follow up. (Also, if anyone has a title for me that would be REALLY appreciated. I don’t think I can put a book in the world called MMMG2.)

I hope you all have a great rest of the summer! I’m mostly spending it on the patio by my starbucks, drinking iced lattes and iced tea and writing as many words as I can. Murph always comes too.