Glenna Turnbull
@writebrain.bsky.social
I'm an award winning Canadian short fiction writer and author. My debut novel is forthcoming (Breakwater Books). I'm also a photographer & stained glass artist. I prefer to be outdoors hiking, skiing, snowshoeing & camping. I have two dogs and love to knit
Super excited! My debut novel has arrived at the publisher's EARLY!!! They sent me this photo! I can't wait to hold it in my hands. Thank you @breakwaterbooksltd.bsky.social for being so great to work with & for creating such a beautiful cover! Release date March 10th. #booksky #debutnovel #CanLit
February 6, 2026 at 3:30 AM
Super excited! My debut novel has arrived at the publisher's EARLY!!! They sent me this photo! I can't wait to hold it in my hands. Thank you @breakwaterbooksltd.bsky.social for being so great to work with & for creating such a beautiful cover! Release date March 10th. #booksky #debutnovel #CanLit
Forgot to post this yesterday, but here's the books I read in January 2026. Favourite book was Sally Rooney's Normal People. Liked it so much I read a second one of hers. Both are literary fiction that plays upon the difference between what we say and what we wish we could say. #booksky #booksread
February 2, 2026 at 9:20 PM
Forgot to post this yesterday, but here's the books I read in January 2026. Favourite book was Sally Rooney's Normal People. Liked it so much I read a second one of hers. Both are literary fiction that plays upon the difference between what we say and what we wish we could say. #booksky #booksread
An author on Substack asked the question, what inspires you to keep writing when, as writers, we have to deal with so much rejection?
This was my response: open.substack.com/pub/glennatu...
#writingcommunity #booksky
This was my response: open.substack.com/pub/glennatu...
#writingcommunity #booksky
Finding Inspiration
Writing for yourself v. writing for publication
open.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 6:50 PM
An author on Substack asked the question, what inspires you to keep writing when, as writers, we have to deal with so much rejection?
This was my response: open.substack.com/pub/glennatu...
#writingcommunity #booksky
This was my response: open.substack.com/pub/glennatu...
#writingcommunity #booksky
It was not easy to narrow down from 70+, but here are my 15 favourite reads of 2025. Most of them are #CanLit - 3 of them by Emma Hooper! Still think Tiger should have won the #Gillerprize Had a hard time choosing which Zadie Smith book to include. #booksky #books #booksread2025 #booksread
January 14, 2026 at 9:47 PM
It was not easy to narrow down from 70+, but here are my 15 favourite reads of 2025. Most of them are #CanLit - 3 of them by Emma Hooper! Still think Tiger should have won the #Gillerprize Had a hard time choosing which Zadie Smith book to include. #booksky #books #booksread2025 #booksread
I use #Goodreads to keep track of the books I read. According to their round up, I read 80 books in 2025. If you're curious to read more than the limited characters here on BlueSky, you can find me here on Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/user/year_in... #booksky
Goodreads 2025 Year in Books
Check out My 2025 Year in Books on Goodreads!
www.goodreads.com
January 6, 2026 at 5:49 PM
I use #Goodreads to keep track of the books I read. According to their round up, I read 80 books in 2025. If you're curious to read more than the limited characters here on BlueSky, you can find me here on Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/user/year_in... #booksky
I forgot to post my #booksread in December 2025! Loved the honesty and vulnerability of Toews, the plot in Bent's novel and the characters in Quinn's. #booksky
January 6, 2026 at 5:47 PM
I forgot to post my #booksread in December 2025! Loved the honesty and vulnerability of Toews, the plot in Bent's novel and the characters in Quinn's. #booksky
A strange month of reading. Reread The Scarlet Letter then Hester in Sunlight--more like a prose poem, about Hawthorne's book; a very dense read. Adored Zadie Smith's novel Swing Time, really liked Other Worlds and had a good laugh with The Heart Goes Last. #booksky #booksread #booksreadNovember
December 5, 2025 at 6:30 AM
A strange month of reading. Reread The Scarlet Letter then Hester in Sunlight--more like a prose poem, about Hawthorne's book; a very dense read. Adored Zadie Smith's novel Swing Time, really liked Other Worlds and had a good laugh with The Heart Goes Last. #booksky #booksread #booksreadNovember
Another great month of readings, with two crossed off my TBR list, four from the Giller long list and others that were recommended. Only one DNF: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and Other Tales from the Crematory. Got to the section on cremating babies and couldn't get take it. #booksky #booksread
November 2, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Another great month of readings, with two crossed off my TBR list, four from the Giller long list and others that were recommended. Only one DNF: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and Other Tales from the Crematory. Got to the section on cremating babies and couldn't get take it. #booksky #booksread
I'm super excited to announce, my novel, The Art of Getting Lost and Found is now available for pre-order from most book retailers, release date March 10/26. This means I can finally share the beautiful cover. #debutnovel #booksky #fiction #CanLit #breakwaterbooks #domesticviolence #mentalhealth
October 31, 2025 at 4:20 PM
I'm super excited to announce, my novel, The Art of Getting Lost and Found is now available for pre-order from most book retailers, release date March 10/26. This means I can finally share the beautiful cover. #debutnovel #booksky #fiction #CanLit #breakwaterbooks #domesticviolence #mentalhealth
My 2nd on the Giller shortlist, this novel picks up steam like, well, like a runaway train that you cannot put down when you're told right at the start that someone with a bomb is boarding the train. Full 5/5 The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue #booksky #writingcommunity #GillerPrize #books #CanLit
October 11, 2025 at 7:46 PM
My 2nd on the Giller shortlist, this novel picks up steam like, well, like a runaway train that you cannot put down when you're told right at the start that someone with a bomb is boarding the train. Full 5/5 The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue #booksky #writingcommunity #GillerPrize #books #CanLit
Wow, my first read of this year's Giller long list. Tan captivated me right from the start with his beautiful prose, excellent pacing & recurring use of space/star/constellation metaphors. One brother in a tiger costume, the other a cosmonaut, a starlit bedroom sky...full 5/5 #booksky #gillerprize
October 5, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Wow, my first read of this year's Giller long list. Tan captivated me right from the start with his beautiful prose, excellent pacing & recurring use of space/star/constellation metaphors. One brother in a tiger costume, the other a cosmonaut, a starlit bedroom sky...full 5/5 #booksky #gillerprize
#booksread in September. Full 5+/5 for Cloud Cuckoo Land and loved The Sisters Brothers. My first Louise Penny book despite not being a mystery fan. Fourteen Days had so much potential but never meshed and I hated the ending. Barkskins @700+ pages was a slog and Sisters of Belfast rated 2/5.
October 4, 2025 at 7:16 PM
#booksread in September. Full 5+/5 for Cloud Cuckoo Land and loved The Sisters Brothers. My first Louise Penny book despite not being a mystery fan. Fourteen Days had so much potential but never meshed and I hated the ending. Barkskins @700+ pages was a slog and Sisters of Belfast rated 2/5.
I am a true "pantser" and fly by the seat of my pants all the way, from short stories to novels. Once I set my characters into motion, it's a wild ride to try and keep up with them and roping them in trying to redirect them only results in forced scenes. I envy those who can do it the other way!
Do you outline like a planner, or do you follow the chaos?
#5amwritersclub #AuthorsofTwitter #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #WIP #IndieAuthor #HIP #OnceUponAQuestion #AmWriting #WritingCommunity
#5amwritersclub #AuthorsofTwitter #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #WIP #IndieAuthor #HIP #OnceUponAQuestion #AmWriting #WritingCommunity
September 18, 2025 at 6:58 PM
I am a true "pantser" and fly by the seat of my pants all the way, from short stories to novels. Once I set my characters into motion, it's a wild ride to try and keep up with them and roping them in trying to redirect them only results in forced scenes. I envy those who can do it the other way!
20 authors you'd recommend to a friend, 1 per day in no particular order:
Day 9: Kate Atkinson
Initially hooked on her short story collection, love her quirky sense of humour and adored her latest, Shrines of Gaiety.
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish
Day 9: Kate Atkinson
Initially hooked on her short story collection, love her quirky sense of humour and adored her latest, Shrines of Gaiety.
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish
September 18, 2025 at 6:55 PM
20 authors you'd recommend to a friend, 1 per day in no particular order:
Day 9: Kate Atkinson
Initially hooked on her short story collection, love her quirky sense of humour and adored her latest, Shrines of Gaiety.
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish
Day 9: Kate Atkinson
Initially hooked on her short story collection, love her quirky sense of humour and adored her latest, Shrines of Gaiety.
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish
First Colbert. Now Kimmel. Threatening broadcasting licenses to networks not spewing #MAGA propaganda is scary. There's only one way to make America great again, and silencing the truth is NOT it! American, you're becoming as censored as North Korea and China. #Trump needs to go #censorship #Kimmel
September 18, 2025 at 6:52 PM
First Colbert. Now Kimmel. Threatening broadcasting licenses to networks not spewing #MAGA propaganda is scary. There's only one way to make America great again, and silencing the truth is NOT it! American, you're becoming as censored as North Korea and China. #Trump needs to go #censorship #Kimmel
August reads included 2 from my longtime TBR pile. Very hard to pick a favourite. Most were Canadian authors. Shrines of Gaiety had me laughing out loud; Help Me Jacques Cousteau, The Beekeeper of Aleppo and The Shipping News had me hugging the books at the end. #booksky #books #reading
September 1, 2025 at 4:30 PM
I am so saddened that once again, greed has won out over the safety of our planet. This from the David Suzuki Foundation: davidsuzuki.org/story/plasti... #plasticpollution
Plastics treaty failure reveals a broken system
Plastic negotiations failed largely because curtailing this industry threatens a system designed to give a small minority a disproportionately large share of money and influence.
davidsuzuki.org
August 29, 2025 at 5:46 PM
I am so saddened that once again, greed has won out over the safety of our planet. This from the David Suzuki Foundation: davidsuzuki.org/story/plasti... #plasticpollution
20 authors you'd recommend to a friend, 1 per day in no particular order:
Day 8: Caroline Anderson 🇨🇦
Absolutely loved Ellen in Pieces and her short story collection, A Way to Be Happy
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit
Day 8: Caroline Anderson 🇨🇦
Absolutely loved Ellen in Pieces and her short story collection, A Way to Be Happy
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit
August 1, 2025 at 9:57 PM
20 authors you'd recommend to a friend, 1 per day in no particular order:
Day 8: Caroline Anderson 🇨🇦
Absolutely loved Ellen in Pieces and her short story collection, A Way to Be Happy
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit
Day 8: Caroline Anderson 🇨🇦
Absolutely loved Ellen in Pieces and her short story collection, A Way to Be Happy
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit
Read some new, some classics, some short stories and some connected short stories. One off my bucket list of classics that could have stayed here... not a huge James Joyce fan, I guess. #booksky #booksread #writingcommunity #readreadread
August 1, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Read some new, some classics, some short stories and some connected short stories. One off my bucket list of classics that could have stayed here... not a huge James Joyce fan, I guess. #booksky #booksread #writingcommunity #readreadread
Really enjoyed the last one on endings and hope I can find enough cell service to jump in to this one.
For those who don't know about these, it's a great chance to discuss the craft of writing with Simon Fraser University's writing program. #amwriting #WritingCommunity
For those who don't know about these, it's a great chance to discuss the craft of writing with Simon Fraser University's writing program. #amwriting #WritingCommunity
Put this date in your calendar to hold yourself accountable by getting/receiving some writing advice or ask questions on a Sunday, August 10th at 10:30am PDT for the next #TWSOchat! The upcoming topic is, Technology and Science. #WritingCommunity #WritingLife
July 28, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Really enjoyed the last one on endings and hope I can find enough cell service to jump in to this one.
For those who don't know about these, it's a great chance to discuss the craft of writing with Simon Fraser University's writing program. #amwriting #WritingCommunity
For those who don't know about these, it's a great chance to discuss the craft of writing with Simon Fraser University's writing program. #amwriting #WritingCommunity
20 authors you'd recommend to a friend, 1 per day in no particular order:
Day 7: Lawrence Hill 🇨🇦
My favourites of his novels: Book of Negroes and The Illegal--I could not put either of them down!
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit #LawrenceHill
Day 7: Lawrence Hill 🇨🇦
My favourites of his novels: Book of Negroes and The Illegal--I could not put either of them down!
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit #LawrenceHill
July 28, 2025 at 6:39 PM
20 authors you'd recommend to a friend, 1 per day in no particular order:
Day 7: Lawrence Hill 🇨🇦
My favourites of his novels: Book of Negroes and The Illegal--I could not put either of them down!
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit #LawrenceHill
Day 7: Lawrence Hill 🇨🇦
My favourites of his novels: Book of Negroes and The Illegal--I could not put either of them down!
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit #LawrenceHill
20 authors you'd recommend to a friend, 1 per day in no particular order:
Day 6: Michael Crummey🇨🇦
My favourites of his novels: Sweetland, The Wreckage and The Adversary but loved them all.
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit #MichaelCrummey
Day 6: Michael Crummey🇨🇦
My favourites of his novels: Sweetland, The Wreckage and The Adversary but loved them all.
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit #MichaelCrummey
July 24, 2025 at 5:32 PM
20 authors you'd recommend to a friend, 1 per day in no particular order:
Day 6: Michael Crummey🇨🇦
My favourites of his novels: Sweetland, The Wreckage and The Adversary but loved them all.
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit #MichaelCrummey
Day 6: Michael Crummey🇨🇦
My favourites of his novels: Sweetland, The Wreckage and The Adversary but loved them all.
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit #MichaelCrummey
20 authors you'd recommend to a friend, 1 per day in no particular order:
Day 5: Richard Wagamese🇨🇦
My favourites of his novels: Ragged Company, Medicine Walk, Indian Horse, brilliant writer!
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit
Day 5: Richard Wagamese🇨🇦
My favourites of his novels: Ragged Company, Medicine Walk, Indian Horse, brilliant writer!
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit
July 21, 2025 at 7:02 PM
20 authors you'd recommend to a friend, 1 per day in no particular order:
Day 5: Richard Wagamese🇨🇦
My favourites of his novels: Ragged Company, Medicine Walk, Indian Horse, brilliant writer!
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit
Day 5: Richard Wagamese🇨🇦
My favourites of his novels: Ragged Company, Medicine Walk, Indian Horse, brilliant writer!
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit
You know it's Mercury retrograde when Sirius stops working in your car, your Apple TV drops your streaming app and your car windows start going up instead of down. Yep, Mercury's at it again. #mercuryretrograde #glitches
July 20, 2025 at 1:33 AM
You know it's Mercury retrograde when Sirius stops working in your car, your Apple TV drops your streaming app and your car windows start going up instead of down. Yep, Mercury's at it again. #mercuryretrograde #glitches
20 authors you'd recommend to a friend, 1 per day in no particular order:
Day 4 Waubgeshig Rice🇨🇦
His Novels: Moon of the Turning Leaves and Moon of the Crusted Snow
Dystopian page-turner novels
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit
Day 4 Waubgeshig Rice🇨🇦
His Novels: Moon of the Turning Leaves and Moon of the Crusted Snow
Dystopian page-turner novels
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit
July 20, 2025 at 1:24 AM
20 authors you'd recommend to a friend, 1 per day in no particular order:
Day 4 Waubgeshig Rice🇨🇦
His Novels: Moon of the Turning Leaves and Moon of the Crusted Snow
Dystopian page-turner novels
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit
Day 4 Waubgeshig Rice🇨🇦
His Novels: Moon of the Turning Leaves and Moon of the Crusted Snow
Dystopian page-turner novels
#readingchallenge #books #booksky #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #CanLit