NaNoWriMo Take Two

A few years ago, I tried to do NaNoWriMo. And I failed. I definitely did not hit my 50,000-word mark. Instead, I got 23,911 and 61 pages, which really is a decent accomplishment. And being a person who does not like to fail, I decided to try it again - as a total whim.

So, last time, I had a plan. I had ideas for characters and a very brief outline. That made life a smidge easier. This time, I decided to start it a day into the month with absolutely no pre-planning at all. I had a basic idea, but for the most part - I'm flying by the seat of my pants.

I'll be posting on my Twitter what my daily word count is. So far, I've actually caught up to where I should be, and once a week I'll be doing a check in here.

So here's to finishing (or at least getting more words than last time!).

Long TIme No Write

I have been really bad about keeping this blog updated. But, I've been even worse at making sure I'm quick writing along with you guys. And, what I've done has mostly been ranting, which while it is good for my stress levels, I don't necessarily want to post it online for public consumption. However, I need to make sure that I'm writing more. I shouldn't expect you guys to write when I'm not following the same practice. So while I may not post everyday, I do want to post at least once a week and make sure I write when you guys are. I want you guys to keep me honest, so feel free to harass me if you don't see anything up. I'll post the links on Twitter, so you can easily see if I'm keeping up my part of the bargain.

Reading Week in Review - Lots of Reading

I apparently focused most of my free time on reading last week. But, I also only focused on one book at a time, which I usually don't do.

At school

Shooting Kabul - I got so caught up in the other books I was reading last week, I didn't touch this one. I'm determined to finish it this week.

At home

The Void by JD Horn - This is the third in a trilogy. It takes place in Savannah, GA, and is about a family of witches who have had several obstacles in the past year.

Finished

Fatal Puzzle by Catherine Shepherd - I got this book as a "Kindle First." Every month, if you are an Amazon Prime member, you get a choice of one of four free books for your Kindle. I chose poorly this month. This book goes between modern times in a German village and 500 years before. Both time periods are experiencing a rash of murders, and the ones in modern times look very similar to the previous ones. There were a lot of holes in the story, and a lot of things just didn't make sense. It was very rushed, and not well explained. Would not recommend this book AT ALL.

Althea & Oliver by Cristina Morchado - I LOVED this book. It's a lot like Eleanor & Park, but a little more "angry" in some ways. But I loved it even more than E&P; except the ending. I didn't get upset about the ending for E&P but this one is in the same vein. Unlike E&P, though, I was very unhappy with the ending. I don't think it ended with as much hope, and that never makes me happy. I really, really, really recommend this book!

Jackaby by William Ritter - This book's cover drew me in; it was definitely intriguing. It was also described as a cross between Sherlock and Doctor Who, and since I like both of those things - I thought this would be a good book to check out. I got the Sherlock right away because Jackaby is definitely a New England version of the eccentric, brilliant detective. But I'm not exactly sure where Doctor Who comes in. Yes, there's some supernatural/science-fictiony stuff in the quest to find out who has been committing gruesome crimes. It was great to see how Jackaby thought through the murders, although just like Sherlock - you aren't given all the clues or given all the facts that are floating through Jackaby's mind. But, just like Sherlock, it still gives you enough to keep working through it and wondering what will happen next. I do think the ending got drug on a little more past the solution to the case than needed be, but it wasn't fully horrible. Definitely would recommend.

Big Little Lies by Laine Moriarty - This was really interesting. It starts way before the major conflict and counts down to "Trivia Night." So, it keeps you wondering what happens that's so bad on trivia night that a lot of parents need to talk to the police and give testimony about the "incident." Jane is new to the Pirriwee area, and her son [Ziggy] is going to start at the local elementary school. She has no idea what drama awaits her. On orientation day, Ziggy - despite insisting that he did nothing - is accused of hitting/bullying a little girl. This builds and builds throughout the year, culminating in parents trying to get Ziggy expelled. And then you finally find out what happens on that ill-fated trivia night. Lots of drama. Lots of insanity. Lots of hidden problems behind closed doors in this town. Definitely keeps your interest.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - I didn't think I would like this book at all because it's a romance book. But, it's a GOOD story. It's well written and very realistic. In some ways, it reminded me of the love story between Eleanor and Park. I highly recommend reading this story of Anna who is forced to go to boarding school her senior year in Paris.

Sleepwalking by Meg Wolitzer - This was her first book, and from reading her later stuff, it is very evident she has built on her quality of work since then. This felt very incomplete, and I didn't connect to any of the characters. Not my favorite of hers. I just couldn't get behind the three girls who are obsessed with dead poets - so much so it takes over their lives. And the story only focuses on one of them, and it isn't always clear what she's doing.

Up next

Not sure, honestly. I'm just trying to carve down those to-be-read piles. Unfortunately, since the English department is going to the Scholastic Warehouse sale on Thursday, I'm afraid they'll only get bigger.

Poem - metaphor (an extended version)

It's worse than the green-eyed monster
But, there's no term for it.
No metaphor.
No nothing.
It just lives.
And grows.

It just eats away at you.
Slowly but surely, it's trying to kill you.
Trying to take away your desire.
Your fight.
Your will.

It makes everything seem like it is pointless.
Everything is too hard to overcome.
Everything is daunting.

Time goes on.
It gets worse.
It builds.
and Builds.
and BUilds
and BUIlds
and BUILds
and BUILDs
and finally BUILDS
until you SCREAM.

You can't take it anymore.
Something has to give

But what?

Everything is too precious
 -in its own right-
in its own way

So how do you determine what goes away?
What takes precedence?

Time for a list.
It makes me scream again.
Makes me anxious

How will it ever get done?
Nothing will get done.
I'm going to fail.
Let someone down.

Worse - let myself down.

poem - 20 questions

The Journey

Is it time yet? Are we almost there?
Why does it always seem to drag? And why,
when it gets here, do I not want it to end?
 But why do I still crave that fresh start?
Am I the only one? Or do the other bodies
in the room - in the building - desire the same thing?
Why do we always look to the "end"?
Why can't we enjoy the ride?
Isn't that the main goal? To enjoy the ride?
Isn't that what we really learn from?
Why do we rush? Why do we not slow down
and take everything in? Wouldn't that make it
more enjoyable? Wouldn't we be more at peace?
If we always just rush to the end, what are we missing out on?
The real lesson? The real point?
Is anyone listening, thinking about this?

Poem example - simile

Bleak World

The world seems like death
Just a lot of little (and sometimes big) sticks
That's all you see dotting the landscape

They mock me
It's like I can hear Nelson's laugh
"Ha, ha."
Or the Soup Nazi
"No green for you."

It seems to drag on and on
It never wants to end
Just lasts forever
     Much longer than the warmth

But eventually it will lose the battle
Little green will start popping up
No more brown will carpet the ground

And then I can mock it
I can laugh like Nelson
"Ha, ha, winter. You've lost again!"

Reading Week in Review - Lackluster break

I started off break reading quite a bit. Then it kinda ground to a halt. I'm blaming decorating for Christmas. Still got some good books read, though, so at least I made a dent in my pile. And I didn't buy any new books, so the piles are actually smaller!

At school

Because of break, I'm still working on Shooting Kabul. Not much farther than I was last week.

At home

Althea & Oliver by Christina Morchado - Absolutely love this book. The two title characters have been best friends since they were little kids. Althea has stronger feelings for Oliver, but Oliver refuses to have her act on them. And then things become very difficult. Suddenly, Oliver will go to sleep for weeks at a time - and not remember anything that happens during that time (he is "awake" for very brief periods during that time). Powerful writing

Finished

No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale - Craziness ensues when there's a murder in a small Wisconsin town. Secrets - because we all know small towns have them - are revealed. If you like dark comedy - this book would be a great choice.

Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson - Patterson's mysteries are my brain candy/brain break books. Just a quick read that keeps me entertained. I'll never say these are great works but they keep me interested. And, I can't deny that he does a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat while you're reading.

Up Next

Honestly, I'm not sure. I think How to Build a Girl will be next at home, and then maybe Girl Stolen at work.  As long as it is out of my "to-read" pile, I'll be fine :)

Week in Review - Clearing Out the Reading Pile

I made myself stick to books this week and got some that had been sitting around read. It's a huge accomplishment. Now I'm ready for break so I can plow through even more of my stack.

At school

Shooting Kabul by NH Senzai - Just started this today during reading class. Fadi and his family have just escaped Taliban controlled Afghanistan, but his six-year-old sister got lost in the shuffle and doesn't get to go on the move with them to California. Fadi is trying to figure out how to get Miriam back to her family.

At home

I just finished one last night before I went to bed, so I'm not working on anything yet. I did pull one out of my TBR pile, though.

Finished

The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman - This book takes place over the course of a year and is divided by seasons. Fall: Boy and girl meet. Winter: Boy and girl fall in love. Spring: Girl moves away; boy does some boneheaded things. Summer: Boy and girl hope to reunite. Good if you liked Eleanor & Park.

Tape by Steven Camden - This one is really hard to explain. Amelia has to live with her grandma after her parents die in 2013. She finds a box of old cassette tapes and is inexplicably drawn to them. In 1993, Ryan is dealing with his father getting remarried and a new stepbrother after his mom died. He makes some mixtapes and then records a note to his mom. To throw another twist into his life, he's inexplicably drawn to the new girl who is staying with her grandmother. Not sure how I feel about this one yet. It would be good if you liked The Future of Us.

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson - Noah and Jude are twins who are inseparable at 13. They think the same things even though Noah is a bit timid and Jude is a daredevil. Then something happens that tears them apart. Noah narrates their 13-year-old life, and Jude narrates their 16-year-old life. As 16 year olds, they also have to deal with their mom's death. Noah changes a lot, and Jude is struggling with her fancy art school and her new mentor.

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson - Loved this book so much. The idea of not making superheroes into heroes but villains instead is completely intriguing. Sanderson's writing is beautiful and does a great job of really putting you into the series. Good if you liked Gone. Can't wait for the second one in the series.

Up Next

No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale: This is has been in my "I need to buy this" list for quite a while. But who wouldn't want to check out a book with a cover like this:

It's about a murder that happens in a small town. I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Here's some others I'm going to try to read over break:

Althea & Oliver

The Prince Lestat 

Reading Week in Review - Reading Hangover

It's been an odd week for reading for me. Reading The Bell Jar put me into a funk. Not in a bad way - but when I REALLY like a book and really enjoy the writing - everything I try to read after it for a while falls very short and leaves me wanting something better. Finding books like that is fabulous - and honestly probably doesn't happen enough, but man is the "comedown" horrible. I've been slowly trying to read a few pages at night, and all I can think is "This is nothing like The Bell Jar. I want something better!" It's a horrible feeling. Especially when I'm pretty sure the books I'm reading are good; they just aren't AS good, so I judge them for that. Totally not fair to the book or the author.

At school

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson - My husband has been trying to get me to read this since it came out. It was at the book fair, so I decided to grab it. I finally started it last week, and despite my book funk, this is a really good book. People have become "epics" (basically superheroes) but most are using their powers for bad and trying to control the normal people. This reminds me a lot of the TV series Heroes. Good if you liked the Gone series.

At home

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson - I loved Jandy's The Sky Is Everywhere, and a lot of bloggers have been bragging about how great this book was. I have to admit that it looked interesting - twins that were practically inseparable and then three years later have nothing do with each other? Sure, why not. Nelson writes this in a different format, too. She has one twin the story from when they were inseparable, and then the next chapter is three years later from the other's point of view. You have no idea why they aren't talking anymore. It's been an interesting puzzle to piece together.

Finished

Enclave by Ann Aguirre - This was very high paced and high action. It was a great blend of zombie (which I don't typically like) and post-apocalyptic. Consider it a mash up of The Hunger Games and The Enemy series. 

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - I'm going to do a separate post about this book because it was so good. I'm still kicking myself for waiting for so many years to read it because it definitely is now one of my favorite books. And mostly for the writing in it because it was so beautiful.

Up next

I'm really not sure yet. I think it is time to randomly pick something from my to-be read piles. Goodness knows they are tall enough...

Reading Week in Review - Feeling Accomplished

I forgot I had some reading for work last week (very exciting stuff on grading and how to adapt it), so I didn't get as much free reading done as I want. And, even though I was home sick one day last week, I didn't feel like reading much that day. But, I still finally finished a book I've been taking too long on, so that made me feel rather accomplished. Didn't even buy new books this week - that is a rarity.

At work

Enclave by Ann Aguirre - This is the first in a trilogy. It would be good for you if you liked The Hunger Games or The Maze Runner series. It's dystopian and takes place underground. The world has been taken over by "freaks" (zombies), and everyone who is underground is very controlled (their job is picked for them, they don't get to chose who they marry, etc.). It's very fast paced, and very much a story of survival.

At home

Just finished Belzhar last night, so I haven't really started anything else yet.

Finished

The Program by Suzanne Young

I still can't decide whether I liked this book. It takes place in the present future, and suicide is now considered a sickness among teenagers. It's become such an epidemic that states have developed a "cure." The cure is drugging teens enough that they feel nothing. And remember much less than they did when they went in to the treatment. And that's what really bothers me. I don't like the idea of messing with memories. Good or bad - they're there for a reason. They give us an opportunity to remember and learn from our previous experiences. I don't like that they make everyone into "sheeple" and that they take away feelings. True, teenagers are a bit dramatic, but you shouldn't make them into non-beings, which is what these drugs do. Perhaps this book could be used a little more as a warning about all the drugs/treatments we pump into our bodies?

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

This was Wolitzer's first foray into YA lit. It was OK. Some of her ideas weren't as flushed out as in her previous books. It almost seemed like she thought she had to write less because she was writing for a younger audience, and I think the book suffered a bit because of that. Still, it's an interesting look into 

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

So much to say about this book that I honestly don't know where to begin - and I don't want to give it away. The easiest way to explain it is that it is an adult version of a mash-up of Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia. I highly recommend this. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the trilogy. 

Up Next

Thanks to Belzhar, I'm going to push off Prince Lestat and go ahead and read The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.