One of the many writing tips I received from my writing group was read, read, read—especially in the genre that you’re writing in. But finding a good bookstore these days is not as easy as it once was because many of the small diverse bookstores have gone out of business, and purchasing on line is not the same as holding that book in your hand.

 But what has replaced some of the stores are little lending libraries that seem to be appearing all over my part of the world. It’s suggested that a reader choose a book and replace it with another, but I doubt everyone does that. Sometimes there’s a gem or two when you browse through the used collection. 

What I also admire is the ingenuity of the person who built these cute little libraries. One just off Commercial Drive in East Vancouver was dedicated to someone whom the neighbourhood obviously missed. It said a lot about the caring people in the area.

• Writing tips