Something about Rowell’s writing style feels like nothing I’ve read before, and I love it! I mean. This ending is iconic for a reason. The movie kind of captured it, but not . . . quite. All of them are nonstop, brutal action, TBH. I think I caught up on all of Tessa Dare’s backlist in two months, and then I couldn’t wait for this second book in the Girl Meets Duke series to come out. All. The. Feels.…
Sometimes a long book, like a really long one, can be the most satisfying read. Short stories have their own charms, regular size books are satisfying, but when a good author has you in hand a thousand page book just feels like dropping into a new world and staying there. You really get to know the characters, the setting, the rules of the world…let’s face it, the author has basically teleported you straight there. When it comes to worldbuilding, size really…
Top Ten Tuesdays was created by The Broke and the Bookish and recently moved over to That Artsy Reader Girl. It’s all about a love of books, and a love of lists about books. Let’s all remember that I’m super introverted, though. So I don’t know about “meet“. Meet involves talking and thinking up something to say while your brain is a candyfloss mess of pink panic. Instead, picture these ten sitting around a dinner table after a good meal, comparing…
This is a TTT post. On Tuesdays we make lists, we love books, and we makes lists about how much we love books. Wednesdays are for wearing pink. This week’s list is broadly on the topic of learning, since most of us are either going back to school, know someone who is, or are hauling our own offspring in. So here are ten of the nonfiction books I’ve read and really learned from. 1. Having Faith, Sandra Steingraber. Nowhere else have…
Watching a book get smeared all over popular culture is a bit anxiety-inducing for me. When a book has legions of adoring fans, I want to trust them. I really do. They must like it for a reason, right? It’s popular and everyone seems to love it. But will I love it? Is it too hyped? Does it deserve all the praise? Wait, did yet another person just rate it five stars on Goodreads? Every bookworm knows this feeling. It’s anticipation, mixed…
I recently attended my very first convention, the Romantic Times Convention in Reno, Nevada. As an introduction to a SUPER new scene, this was nice and gentle. I’ll do my best to give you the pros and cons and lead up to my answer to the question: was it worth it? Pros for going: Discount option available with the FANtastic day pass. The RT convention includes this wonderful option for a one day fan pass that was steeply discounted at 55$ (USD). I’m not…
In this day and age we authors have to put ourselves out there, hanging weightless in cyberspace with multiple tentacles dangling into the ether. We need a “platform”. We’ve got to have an “online presence”. It’s necessary to “network”. Because this day and age is “cruel”. No? Just me thinking that? Anyways. *nervous cough* There are websites, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, podcasts, all asking for online participation. There are writer’s associations, critique groups, pitch fests, conferences, panels, needing your physical…
Wait, what? Did I seriously just tell you to sit down and waste time watching a form of media that has nothing to do with meeting your word count goals? . . . yes. With some caveats. I don’t mean “watch a movie every day” or “ignore your writing to watch your favorite film” or “binge that Netflix show ’cause some random writing advice on the Internet said to”. Don’t do that. Media responsibly, and etc. etc. No, what I…
I accept the concept of a muse wholeheartedly. However old-fashioned it might be, it’s a theory I like. My muse, however, does not resemble a lovely Greek statue. My muse is more like a kaleidoscope of butterflies, constantly circling my head. Only these delicate beauties carry ten pound cannonballs, which they like to release on me at random times. Me: *trying to get to sleep* My muse: WHAM!! *drops cannonball* My muse: This would make a good story. Me *buries…
*And no, “Ban” is not an up-cycled traditional French men’s name. I literally mean “ban” as in “refuse access” New self-hosted website, new world, brave new problems. So far I have been extremely lucky in the troll department *knocks on wood*. Mostly because my site is very small, possibly because the tiny niche of aspiring writer is a hard one to have a big old troll issue with? For whatever reason, I mostly got useful, legit comments on the old…