Beach Read by Emily Henry was an instant New York Times bestseller. Emily Henry is an American author and a creative writing student. The book follows January Andrews and Augustus Everett who are polar opposites, rivals, and authors. The book is simply wonderful, it filled my little heart with so much joy and love. If you are in a reading slump or you simply want a fluffy read while being tucked in your bed this is the book for you! I honestly loved every bit of this book and could not put it down. Here’s why you should check out Beach Read if you are a writer yourself.
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Being a writer, it was great to have insights about writing and what to do if you are in writer’s block. Both January and Augustus experienced writer’s block in this book. They could not seem to get the word out on paper. Being a writer, this aspect of the book is very relatable.
Imagine every time you open a Word document and you just stare blankly at the screen. You may even have ideas brewing in your head but you cannot find the right words to express them. This is exactly what writer’s block is.
January Andrews writes romances and women’s fiction. After her father’s tragic death, she discovers that she has inherited a lakehouse in Michigan and that her dad was having an affair. Her boyfriend also breaks up with her because he cannot deal with her emotional fallout and vulnerability. So, January is single and kind of homeless with no motivation to write because she feels that her world has fallen apart.
January meets Augustus (they are next-door neighbors). They hated each other in college and were sort of academic rivals. Augustus does not recognize January at first but he finally remembers who she is. Things start to unravel and January confides in Augustus about her writer’s block. Similarly, Augustus also admits that he has been having a hard time writing his novels.
They come up with a challenge for each other. This is where the real fun starts. Augustus will try to write a happily-ever-after novel and January will try to write more serious literary fiction.
Sometimes as a writer, it is great to step out of your comfort zone and write. It is important to challenge yourself and discover new genres and writing styles. The book also urges writers to research and write from real-life experiences as they are more believable and meaningful.
As a writer, it is very important to know how other people who may be different from us see the world and this book does exactly that for you. January and Augustus come to terms with each other and start to understand each other better because of this.
So, if you are a writer or you would want to be one in the future do check out this book as it dives into the reality of writer’s block and what you should do when you are writing. For more content like this keep following Retrology.
