Dang. I had to delete my comment - talk about slacker. I couldn't even form the first sentence without a GLARING BEYOND REPAIR sentence snafu.
Here's what I said, now fixed:
I have way too much in my TBR pile - but at least I'm ahead of schedule by two books according to my Goodreads challenge!
Currently reading OLIVE KITTEREDGE. I only read at night - and it's slow going at times. I only read one page last night b/c I was so tired!
I just finished WHERE ALL LIGHT TENDS TO GO, by David Joy, a new voice in southern noir. His writing reminded me of Larry Brown, Tom Franklin, and Wiley Cash. Not a happy story, but a damn good one.
Here's to a restful, peaceful Sunday for everyone!
I confess, I returned all the library books I had checked out. I'm still working on the cyberpunk diamond heist novel I began in July (when I'd intended to just write a novella).
Also, I found the first (only) draft of the novel I wrote for the '08 NaNoWriMo. It happened right as a lot of stuff was going on...we were buying a house, we were moving, and my dad died. I think I put a lot of stuff into writing that novel, and it kept me going. Just finding the file in my email (I was actually being a neurotic woodland creature at the time, looking up my rejections from a certain magazine to see who had signed them all. There was a reason for it, I'm sure) was a surprise; Google docs wasn't quite so stable in '08 you see, and had file size limits, and I just thought the full file was lost. But it wasn't. And I'd put a dedication right at the start. So it's been an emotionally interesting couple of days.
I probably won't reread that novel or rewrite it in any way. But I have a short story idea for it that I think will work, so maybe that will be the story I write in August, once I finish out what the cyberpunk novel needs.
Is the polar bear Janet's pet? Are there any apartment restrictions on those?
I'm reading (/working through) two writing books, Stephen King's memoir ON WRITING, and Strunk & E.B. White's THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE. The first is pushing my boundaries (on risk of being pelted with kale chips here, memoirs aren't my 'thing'), and the second is teaching me a lot. I might have to visit the library though, as neither is entirely entertaining. *ducks the kale*
Sad I missed the pet selfie window, but am looking forward to seeing the rest!!
WHAT?? No WiR??!! Now I'll never get answers to my questions!! I'll be forever in the dark!!! (what's new? mumbles the rest of the internet)... ;)
Lennon: Have you finished ON WRITING yet? If not, persevere. The first half is largely memoir, but the second half is a lot more about the craft. It's worth it--trust me. :)
Seriously, Janet, enjoy the break. We'll cope--somehow! ;)
Lennon: ELEMENTS of STYLE is simply a style guide - and a very elementary one. Not many people find such things exciting. (I am strange. I read style guides for fun.)
Thing is, I don't really like ELEMENTS OF STYLE. It's very prescriptive, simplistic, and sometimes not even right... yet some writers treat it like a bible. (Oh, man. I've had people read me pieces of ELEMENTS like Bible verses. And if you try to tell them that AP, CMOS, or other more important style guides say something different, you get cited for blasphemy.) Use it as a guide, not holy scripture, and you'll be fine.
It's 1st August here, so wasn't expecting a post. Cute bear. I see he's getting a lot of reading done too.
I normally have multiple books on the go, so here's my current reading list: - #2 of Kate Carlisle's Bibliophile mysteries "If Books Could Kill" (paperback) - #1 of Nancy Warren's Toni Diamond mysteries "Frosted Shadow" (kindle) - rereading Alexandra Sokoloff's "Screenwriting Tricks for Authors" (kindle) - Martha Stout's "The Sociopath Next Door" (paperback)
I finished The Scorpio Races two nights ago. I've been working through a lot of the YA fantasy best-sellers from the past 12 months, a lot of which is paranormal/urban fantasy. While I can see the craft/appeal of most of it, it isn't my favorite (and I've never been that into assassins, either). It's all I've been able to find at the library from my TBR list. (There are SO MANY books that my library system doesn't have). I've still enjoyed and learned a lot from most.
In other news, A Wrinkle in Time has been flying off the shelves ever since Chelsea Clinton said it was her favorite book as a child (outselling The Art of Deal, for anyone who cares about such comparisons). Nothing like reintroducing a classic to a new generation (coincidentally I just finished reading it to my 6 and 4 year old...).
Why don't public figures get asked that more often? A lot of successful actors and musicians are very smart and well-read (as are many politicians), and one little question could inspire thousands.
I just read Great Heart: The Story of a Labrador Explorer. It's not something I'd usually pick up, but a friend loaned it to me and I quite enjoyed reading about hardships and relationships, and am grateful for a full stomach and minimal bugs.
Last night I finished an advance copy of The Life She Wants by Robyn Carr. I won it on Goodreads. Quite a good book. It starts out with a Cinderella story that went off the tracks and builds from there.
I've been writing a couple of short stories, catching up my blog, and generally puttering around rather than jumping into my main WIP. New month tomorrow - time to get back to work.
Rachel: Make sure that, if your library doesn't have a book you want to read, you request that they buy it. It helps the library know that they have people who want to read the book, and it helps the author get their book into your library.
I am an addict, I must admit that. Words in a row are a necessary part of me. Sometimes those words lead me all the way to the end of the story sometimes they don't.
If those words strike my addiction in the right way I might reread it. I do that to to take it apart and find out why it struck me so. Doing that has made me a stronger writer
It is not the only thing that has done that but it is a big part. So is this blog.
I wish to thank you, my Queen for all the energy you have expended for us. I hope your hiatus refreshes and renews you to continue that.
I don't have anything special on my read list at the moment. I tend to hit branch libraries often because I am serving an addiction so the books I pick up are hit or miss, a crapshoot, and publishing seems to be a lot of that anyway.
I completely misread Cynthia's comment at first, and was impressed she felt free to tell us that much. It seemed an odd combination but who cares?
_Wrinkle_ is a fave to this day. That and _Harriet the Spy_ were new and hot, so our fifth grade teacher read the class a chapter a day- the library was woefully unprepared for either book's popularity. They were life-changing experiences. My personal copies (bought in my early 20s) are well worn. And if you like _Wrinkle_, read the rest. In fact. read all the L'Engle you can.
My reading pile is huge. My movie backlog is annoying, too. But on the plus side: the first novel is *finally* close to ready in ebook; I have _Nemeses Unexpected_ in the hands of about ten early readers; I am half way through the edits on a collection of children's short stories I recently dusted off. Writing is the one of the few excuses I will accept for my not reading very much. That said, I need a reading weekend soon.
Do you ever manage to read your own work as if it were just another book? That happened to me on the way to Scotland a few weeks ago. I finished it, and thought how much I liked it, and wondered when the author would have the sequel ready. Then it hit me. That was a good feeling- to have liked my own work for itself, not as my work. A weird feeling, but a good one.
I'm re-reading Dragonfly In Amber simply because sometimes reading well jogs the brain. I'm also reading The Diary of Emma LeConte When the World Ended
Is it terrible that I've never read a Wrinkle in Time, though the name sounds familiar?
I'm currently reading Kate Elliot's Black Wolves, with Saladin Ahmed's Throne of the Crescent Moon next on the list after that. Oh, and Clare MacIntosh, who wrote my fav thriller of last year (I let you go) just released her new one, which I've got loaded up as well. I have Gillian Polack's Unlocking the Middle Ages on its way by post when I want some non-fiction, and I'm still kicking myself for stupidly preordering the Cursed Child months ago when I was shopping for something else on Booktopia and now, thanks to them only shipping it after the embargo lifted, I won't get it for days after everyone else!
I also couldn't decide on the cutest dog picture I had, or on which dog to favour, so missed out on Janet's pet month. Procrastination strikes again!
A Wrinkle in Time, I enjoyed that book. I'm 37 and I read it one or two years ago. There's so much good children's literature around that I enjoy reading as an adult. In fact, after being forced to read Literature (with a capital L) at school (and I'm Dutch, so I had the doubtful pleasure of being introduced to depressing, often vulgar, usually bizarre, post-WWII-trauma, Dutch literature), for years I only read children's and teens' books. So Anglophones, count yourself lucky with such a diversity of literary writers. If it hadn't been for the Brontë sisters and Oscar Wilde, I would never have touched anything literary again. The only thing more depressing and bizarre for teenage me than Dutch literature (as far as I know) was German literature. Kafka, I'm looking at you. I read Kafka in German. I think I deserve a medal.
I just finished The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. It strongly reminded me of The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen, which I adored, except that there's a lot more happening in The False Prince. (Nielsen is IMO a fantastic storyteller) Still, The Thief got the Newbery Honor Medal, so obviously other people do love it. Just not my cup of tea. Before that I read a novella by John Boyne, the author of the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. I love John Boyne... there's so much feeling and compassion in his books, and it's genuine. I can't remember who said it.. some famous author (paraphrased): "A writer's job is not to judge but to understand." That's what John Boyne does, he understands. If I could choose which authors I'd like to influence my own writing, it would be him, Ursula Le Guin, Alison Croggon (if you haven't heard of her and you like YA fantasy with memorable characters, check out her Pellinor books! - sorry for the advertising, I'm a big fan of hers and I think she deserves more attention), Toni Morrison, and W.B. Yeats.
Right.. rambling on a bit here, sorry about that. I just love talking about books.
Julie I've just started Dragonfly in Amber too! Although it's the first time for me. All your posts inspired me to move the Outlander series to the top of my TBR pile, and I started it (Outlander #1) a couple of weeks back. Devoured it; and am now several chapters in to the sequel. And I have to ration myself (write some of my WIP; read a chapter) because otherwise I wouldn't get ANY writing done! And although I missed the window to submit pics this time, I'll need to be on top of my game for next. I've got a photo of my neighbour's camels that I'd love y'all to see :D
I write MG novels, so I mostly concentrate on those and YAs. One YA I highly recommend is Learning to Swear in America by Katie Kennedy. It's a humorous SF novel about a Russian teenage astrophysicist prodigy who is sent to the U.S. to help NASA deflect an asteroid headed straight for California.
23 comments:
Reading Eat, Pray, Love in my bubble bath.
What are y'all reading?
Have a great blog holiday, Janet! Rest well, read some good books, and enjoy life for awhile.
Dang. I had to delete my comment - talk about slacker. I couldn't even form the first sentence without a GLARING BEYOND REPAIR sentence snafu.
Here's what I said, now fixed:
I have way too much in my TBR pile - but at least I'm ahead of schedule by two books according to my Goodreads challenge!
Currently reading OLIVE KITTEREDGE. I only read at night - and it's slow going at times. I only read one page last night b/c I was so tired!
I just finished WHERE ALL LIGHT TENDS TO GO, by David Joy, a new voice in southern noir. His writing reminded me of Larry Brown, Tom Franklin, and Wiley Cash. Not a happy story, but a damn good one.
Here's to a restful, peaceful Sunday for everyone!
I confess, I returned all the library books I had checked out. I'm still working on the cyberpunk diamond heist novel I began in July (when I'd intended to just write a novella).
Also, I found the first (only) draft of the novel I wrote for the '08 NaNoWriMo. It happened right as a lot of stuff was going on...we were buying a house, we were moving, and my dad died. I think I put a lot of stuff into writing that novel, and it kept me going. Just finding the file in my email (I was actually being a neurotic woodland creature at the time, looking up my rejections from a certain magazine to see who had signed them all. There was a reason for it, I'm sure) was a surprise; Google docs wasn't quite so stable in '08 you see, and had file size limits, and I just thought the full file was lost. But it wasn't. And I'd put a dedication right at the start. So it's been an emotionally interesting couple of days.
I probably won't reread that novel or rewrite it in any way. But I have a short story idea for it that I think will work, so maybe that will be the story I write in August, once I finish out what the cyberpunk novel needs.
Is the polar bear Janet's pet? Are there any apartment restrictions on those?
I'm reading (/working through) two writing books, Stephen King's memoir ON WRITING, and Strunk & E.B. White's THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE. The first is pushing my boundaries (on risk of being pelted with kale chips here, memoirs aren't my 'thing'), and the second is teaching me a lot. I might have to visit the library though, as neither is entirely entertaining. *ducks the kale*
Sad I missed the pet selfie window, but am looking forward to seeing the rest!!
Enjoy your blog free month. I love the polar bear. A book and a nap would be heavenly this afternoon. Think I might do that
WHAT?? No WiR??!! Now I'll never get answers to my questions!! I'll be forever in the dark!!! (what's new? mumbles the rest of the internet)... ;)
Lennon: Have you finished ON WRITING yet? If not, persevere. The first half is largely memoir, but the second half is a lot more about the craft. It's worth it--trust me. :)
Seriously, Janet, enjoy the break. We'll cope--somehow! ;)
Lennon: ELEMENTS of STYLE is simply a style guide - and a very elementary one. Not many people find such things exciting. (I am strange. I read style guides for fun.)
Thing is, I don't really like ELEMENTS OF STYLE. It's very prescriptive, simplistic, and sometimes not even right... yet some writers treat it like a bible. (Oh, man. I've had people read me pieces of ELEMENTS like Bible verses. And if you try to tell them that AP, CMOS, or other more important style guides say something different, you get cited for blasphemy.) Use it as a guide, not holy scripture, and you'll be fine.
It's 1st August here, so wasn't expecting a post. Cute bear. I see he's getting a lot of reading done too.
I normally have multiple books on the go, so here's my current reading list:
- #2 of Kate Carlisle's Bibliophile mysteries "If Books Could Kill" (paperback)
- #1 of Nancy Warren's Toni Diamond mysteries "Frosted Shadow" (kindle)
- rereading Alexandra Sokoloff's "Screenwriting Tricks for Authors" (kindle)
- Martha Stout's "The Sociopath Next Door" (paperback)
I finished The Scorpio Races two nights ago. I've been working through a lot of the YA fantasy best-sellers from the past 12 months, a lot of which is paranormal/urban fantasy. While I can see the craft/appeal of most of it, it isn't my favorite (and I've never been that into assassins, either). It's all I've been able to find at the library from my TBR list. (There are SO MANY books that my library system doesn't have). I've still enjoyed and learned a lot from most.
In other news, A Wrinkle in Time has been flying off the shelves ever since Chelsea Clinton said it was her favorite book as a child (outselling The Art of Deal, for anyone who cares about such comparisons). Nothing like reintroducing a classic to a new generation (coincidentally I just finished reading it to my 6 and 4 year old...).
Why don't public figures get asked that more often? A lot of successful actors and musicians are very smart and well-read (as are many politicians), and one little question could inspire thousands.
Just purchased and finished HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD. It was wonderfully nostalgic. I may have teared up a little.
Ooo, I loved A Wrinkle in Time.
I just read Great Heart: The Story of a Labrador Explorer. It's not something I'd usually pick up, but a friend loaned it to me and I quite enjoyed reading about hardships and relationships, and am grateful for a full stomach and minimal bugs.
Last night I finished an advance copy of The Life She Wants by Robyn Carr. I won it on Goodreads. Quite a good book. It starts out with a Cinderella story that went off the tracks and builds from there.
I've been writing a couple of short stories, catching up my blog, and generally puttering around rather than jumping into my main WIP. New month tomorrow - time to get back to work.
Rachel: Make sure that, if your library doesn't have a book you want to read, you request that they buy it. It helps the library know that they have people who want to read the book, and it helps the author get their book into your library.
I'm re-reading House Flies and How They Spread Disease - C. G. Hewitt, it's an excellent historical document, I recommend it for period reference.
I am an addict, I must admit that. Words in a row are a necessary part of me. Sometimes those words lead me all the way to the end of the story sometimes they don't.
If those words strike my addiction in the right way I might reread it. I do that to to take it apart and find out why it struck me so. Doing that has made me a stronger writer
It is not the only thing that has done that but it is a big part. So is this blog.
I wish to thank you, my Queen for all the energy you have expended for us. I hope your hiatus refreshes and renews you to continue that.
I don't have anything special on my read list at the moment. I tend to hit branch libraries often because I am serving an addiction so the books I pick up are hit or miss, a crapshoot, and publishing seems to be a lot of that anyway.
I completely misread Cynthia's comment at first, and was impressed she felt free to tell us that much. It seemed an odd combination but who cares?
_Wrinkle_ is a fave to this day. That and _Harriet the Spy_ were new and hot, so our fifth grade teacher read the class a chapter a day- the library was woefully unprepared for either book's popularity. They were life-changing experiences. My personal copies (bought in my early 20s) are well worn. And if you like _Wrinkle_, read the rest. In fact. read all the L'Engle you can.
My reading pile is huge. My movie backlog is annoying, too. But on the plus side: the first novel is *finally* close to ready in ebook; I have _Nemeses Unexpected_ in the hands of about ten early readers; I am half way through the edits on a collection of children's short stories I recently dusted off. Writing is the one of the few excuses I will accept for my not reading very much. That said, I need a reading weekend soon.
Do you ever manage to read your own work as if it were just another book? That happened to me on the way to Scotland a few weeks ago. I finished it, and thought how much I liked it, and wondered when the author would have the sequel ready. Then it hit me. That was a good feeling- to have liked my own work for itself, not as my work. A weird feeling, but a good one.
I'm re-reading Dragonfly In Amber simply because sometimes reading well jogs the brain. I'm also reading The Diary of Emma LeConte When the World Ended
I'm so boring.
Is it terrible that I've never read a Wrinkle in Time, though the name sounds familiar?
I'm currently reading Kate Elliot's Black Wolves, with Saladin Ahmed's Throne of the Crescent Moon next on the list after that. Oh, and Clare MacIntosh, who wrote my fav thriller of last year (I let you go) just released her new one, which I've got loaded up as well. I have Gillian Polack's Unlocking the Middle Ages on its way by post when I want some non-fiction, and I'm still kicking myself for stupidly preordering the Cursed Child months ago when I was shopping for something else on Booktopia and now, thanks to them only shipping it after the embargo lifted, I won't get it for days after everyone else!
I also couldn't decide on the cutest dog picture I had, or on which dog to favour, so missed out on Janet's pet month. Procrastination strikes again!
Looking forward to the animal parade!
A Wrinkle in Time, I enjoyed that book. I'm 37 and I read it one or two years ago. There's so much good children's literature around that I enjoy reading as an adult. In fact, after being forced to read Literature (with a capital L) at school (and I'm Dutch, so I had the doubtful pleasure of being introduced to depressing, often vulgar, usually bizarre, post-WWII-trauma, Dutch literature), for years I only read children's and teens' books. So Anglophones, count yourself lucky with such a diversity of literary writers. If it hadn't been for the Brontë sisters and Oscar Wilde, I would never have touched anything literary again. The only thing more depressing and bizarre for teenage me than Dutch literature (as far as I know) was German literature. Kafka, I'm looking at you. I read Kafka in German. I think I deserve a medal.
I just finished The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. It strongly reminded me of The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen, which I adored, except that there's a lot more happening in The False Prince. (Nielsen is IMO a fantastic storyteller) Still, The Thief got the Newbery Honor Medal, so obviously other people do love it. Just not my cup of tea.
Before that I read a novella by John Boyne, the author of the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. I love John Boyne... there's so much feeling and compassion in his books, and it's genuine. I can't remember who said it.. some famous author (paraphrased): "A writer's job is not to judge but to understand." That's what John Boyne does, he understands. If I could choose which authors I'd like to influence my own writing, it would be him, Ursula Le Guin, Alison Croggon (if you haven't heard of her and you like YA fantasy with memorable characters, check out her Pellinor books! - sorry for the advertising, I'm a big fan of hers and I think she deserves more attention), Toni Morrison, and W.B. Yeats.
Right.. rambling on a bit here, sorry about that. I just love talking about books.
Julie I've just started Dragonfly in Amber too! Although it's the first time for me. All your posts inspired me to move the Outlander series to the top of my TBR pile, and I started it (Outlander #1) a couple of weeks back. Devoured it; and am now several chapters in to the sequel. And I have to ration myself (write some of my WIP; read a chapter) because otherwise I wouldn't get ANY writing done!
And although I missed the window to submit pics this time, I'll need to be on top of my game for next. I've got a photo of my neighbour's camels that I'd love y'all to see :D
SLACKER? Janet is NOT a slacker!
I write MG novels, so I mostly concentrate on those and YAs. One YA I highly recommend is Learning to Swear in America by Katie Kennedy. It's a humorous SF novel about a Russian teenage astrophysicist prodigy who is sent to the U.S. to help NASA deflect an asteroid headed straight for California.
I am reading 'It" by Stephen King. On a bit of a King jag really. He's pretty brilliant.
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