books

A Whirlwind of Books (Wouldn’t that be cool!)

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Since I’ve been in the process of moving the site for the past week or so, I haven’t had a chance to update you all on my latest literary conquests! So here they are:Unknown-1

Last week I read Wallbanger by Alice Clayton. If you like smut, especially funny smut, you really can’t get any better than Alice Clayton. I aspire to write smut this hilarious! Thank you, Alice Clayton for writing this book and then for writing four more in the series so I don’t have to say goodbye to your comedy genius just yet!
Of course, before I go on to read the rest of the series, I had to finish up some library books whose impending due dates and lack of renewal opportunities rushed them to the top of the list. One of thesUnknowne was You Are A Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero. It was transformative. Every time I read a passage I thought, that’s right, I am awesome, I can do this, I can be the best me I can be! Of course, as with most books, I’ve only retained about 30% of what I read. But that 30% is remarkably useful.

The section that really spoke to me was about money. I am someone who can get by on very little money. I am also someone who has lived my life up until now viewing money as the root of all evils. What Jen Sincero points out is that money isn’t an enemy or a friend, it isn’t anything really until we apply the emotional, cultural, and psychological aspects of our interactions with and surrounding it to the picture. Money is not the root of all evil. I don’t have to be afraid of making it or not making it. But I do need to accept that there is a certain amount of money that I need to  accomplish what I want (improving living situation, eating healthy, giving back, financing my writing, etc.). That amount is my goal. Not the bare minimum I can live on, not the money I’d make if I sold out my dreams, the amount I need to accomplish what I want to do. So I’m going to try out this new attitude and see what happens.

I am currently devouring Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari so look for that review coming up in a few days!

This Month I’ve Read…

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While trying to find a nearby apple orchard that also has a corn maze, I realized I haven’t posted about the Julie James series I am reading (those two things are related through a series of mental leaps I don’t expect you to follow). I have been devouring these books like pumpkin donuts all month, one right after the other, they are that good.

I met Julie James almost two years ago at the RWA Chicago-North Spring Fling conference. I got the fourth book in the series and had it signed by her. Though it took me a while to get to read it (my to-read shelf having expanded to an entire bookcase over the past year), I still remember what drew me to her books in the first place. It was the way she described the opening of book one, Something About You, in which the heroine is kept awake all night by a marathon booty call taking place in the next room – a booty call that ends in murder.

Obviously I had to read it. And the next one and the next. I’m now on the sixth and most recent book. I’m not sure what I’ll do when I finish it except hope that there’ll be another released soon!

Check out Julie’s books for yourself by following the link here!

Something About You by Julie JamesA Lot Like Love by Julie JamesAbout That Night by Julie JamesLove Irresistibly by Julie JamesIt Happened One Wedding by Julie JamesSuddenly One Summer by Julie James

There’s Some Weird Stuff Out There

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This is the beginning of another blog post series I’m embarking on. In this series I will fill you in on some of the strange and unusual sub-genres that exist within romance. You don’t have to be a romance reader to know the basic ones – contemporary, historical, chick lit, erotica, etc. Those aren’t what I’m talking about. I’m not even talking about the cross genres, YA paranormal romance for example, or stand alone books that don’t fit into any category. I’m talking about sub-genres that have multiple books within them, as in more than one author thought it was a good idea to write this type of romance novel.

The first category I’ll be exploring is one that, if you know me at all IRL, you’ll have heard me talk about because I cannot get over that fact that this is a thing: Dinosaur Erotica. As in books that feature a human-dinosaur relationship.

Let that sink in for a moment. Human-dinosaur romantic/sexual relationship.

Here are some of the books in this sub-genre:

Taken by the T-Rex by Christie Sims (she is actually dinosaur erotica’s most prolific author and has a whole range of books about a whole range of dinos)

Space Raptor Butt Invasion by Chuck Tingle (a series of dino/man erotica set in locations from outer space to a corporate boardroom)

Seized by the T-Rex by Roxy Stone (a dino horror erotica)

A Billionaire Dinosaur Forced Me Gay by Hunter Fox (the second book is set in space)

Jurassic Jane Eyre by Carrie Sessarego (this is exactly what you think it is, Jane Eyre travels back in time to the Jurassic period)

And many, many more. Most with ridiculous, overt, pun-filled titles. I can’t say I’d recommend any of these books but they do serve as a fun tidbit to share at parties when the conversation lulls.

I do have to give a special shout-out of to Smart Bitches Trashy Books for first introducing me to dinosaur erotica. My life has never been the same.

 

This Week I Read…

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Welcome to the September 14th Edition of This Week I Read…

Since I started working at the public library, I have discovered so many new and interesting books (like A LOT of books!). I’ve mastered the inter-library loan system that allows me to get books from anywhere in Michigan. The only problem is, when five of these requests show up at the same time, I only have three weeks to read them. Challenge accepted.

One of those books was Adulting: How to be a Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown. Love the title. Love the format (a book long list!). Some of it was funny, some serious, some obvious, and some new. Overall I’d say, according to this book, I am about 33% of the way to being a grown-up. Not bad. Not bad at all.

It feels like something I should have written. If I had, it would be less useful and far more ridiculous. Since I didn’t it, I commend Kelly Williams Brown for writing a book that had some very funny moments in it and a lot of practical, useful ideas. I particularly recommend the section about friendships. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a good friend, how to break up with toxic friends, and what the appropriate boundaries are for what type of friend (I get SO much TMI!). Thanks for the tips Kelly!

Love a Good List

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This past Sunday I finished the first draft of my novel (yeah!). The moment I wrote those words “the end,” I felt sad, like losing my best friend sad. I love first drafts, that’s why I start and abandon so many of them. BUT, if there is ever to be a final draft or a published book, there will have to be a second draft (and probably a third, fourth, maybe fifth draft). I need something to help me get into this second draft business and what usually works best for my motivation is a good list. So here we go:

Things I Will Do Now I’ve Finished the First Draft

  1. Remind myself that the dirty dishes in the sink are not a sign that I’m failing at life.
  2. Ditto the pile of laundry.
  3. Clear and organize my desk – a clean desk means a clear mind (or some nonsense like that).
  4. Organize my notes because there are a lot of them – some on the computer, some on a legal pad, and the really good ones on the backs of old receipts.
  5. Get some moral support. Stat.
  6. Ditto a writing group. If these two things could co-exist as one (my writing group provides said moral support) that would be the ideal.
  7. Do NOT fall into the black hole of procrastination caused by work, television, the internet (particularly YouTube videos), toxic friends, guilt over the messiness of my apartment, food, and even, occasionally, books.
  8. Post inspirational collage over desk to remind me why I’m doing this (why am I doing this? Figure that out first).
  9. Perhaps some actual editing. In cupcake sized pieces. Otherwise I try to eat the whole cake at once, get sick, and never want to eat cake ever again.
  10. Find and eat some cake.

What It’s All About

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In an effort to improve my blogging, particularly my posting consistency, I have signed up for Blogging University‘s class “Blogging 101.” First assignment? Post who I am and why I’m here. Since I’ve had this blog going for a bit, I hope my stalwart followers (Anna) know that this blog is about writing, books, and life. As for the why:

I started this blog as a place for me to share my writing successes, stagnations, and failures. I’d created this website for my author self but I needed a way to connect it with my day to day progress. Thus the blog.

I started it as a place to share what I’ve been reading since I love nothing more than to talk about books!

I started it as a place to write down all the weird dreams and experiences that happen to me, both as a writer and as a human being moving through life.

I’m here to tell stories and share my experiences. I’m here to comment on life and society and the process of growing up. Mostly I’m here to talk about books. Lots of lots of books.

If You Can’t Keep Your Own Goals…

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I have a Sunday tradition. Every Sunday, around mid-afternoon or so, I sit down with my paper planner and I sketch out my week. All the appointments I scheduled and forgot, all the shifts from my two jobs, all the extras I took on months ago and also forgot.

This week when I sat down to write it all out, I found my book draft is supposed to be done by this Sunday, the 6th. A few months ago I laid out my goals over the next year, milestones for how I would finish not just this draft but all the editing, more editing, and still more editing. I gave myself 10 weeks to write the rest of the draft. 10 weeks seemed like forever to me. At the rate I’m going, I thought to myself, I’ll be done in 5.

Then work happened and vacations and family events and summer. And then I was down from 10 weeks to 1. There was no way I could have it done in time. Not with my schedule.Absolutely no way!

Then I thought, if I can’t keep my own goals what was the point of making them? What good am I when I can’t keep a promise to myself?

It came out harsh but the idea, the nugget of inspiration if you will, was good. If I am going to have this book done by next spring, it had to start with keeping my first goal to myself. So I re-arranged some stuff and decided the dishes in the sink could wait a bit more. I wrote Tuesday evening when I got out of work and this morning before I left. I have one scene left to write Sunday. One scene. A couple thousand words at most. The goal is so close I can smell the printer ink.

Before the End

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I started reading this book and I can already tell it’s gonna be a life changer. I can’t wait until the end to review it, I have to talk about it now. It’s called One Person/Multiple Careers: A New Model for Work/Life Success by Marci Alboher. The book was mentioned in Brene Brown’s The Gifts of Imperfection (also a must read) and the idea of it stuck with me all the way to the library.

What is this revolutionary piece of work, you ask? It is a collection of experiences, of people, of ideas about how to create a slash lifestyle, how to live in the slash. This is not about having multiple jobs, it’s about having multiple careers that each engage us in different ways. She talks about a scientist/poet, a computer programmer/theater director, a journalist/house painter, and many many more.

I am already living the slash lifestyle (writer/wedding coordinator/library substitute) but what I find so engaging about this book is the idea of balance and intention with each of the slashes. It’s not about becoming a workaholic or making each slash a full time career. It’s about creating a balance of work that feeds your interests, passions, personality, and strengths in different ways to create a complete, happy you.

I have a few slash “jobs” that are hovering at the edges. Now, as I read this, I’m already thinking about how to let those go so I can focus my time and energy on my writer, wedding coordinator, and library substitute slashes.

This Week I Read…

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I completely spaced out and forgot to post this Tuesday. I was sitting on imgresthe couch, thinking there was something I needed to do. I decided it was take a nap. So now here I am, posting my this week’s reads on Thursday (don’t even ask about yesterday, I have no excuse).

I finished the Princess Diaries! The last two books were so good I couldn’t stop reading. I spent all of July 4th with my face buried in book 10.

First up there was Princess Diaries IX: Princess Mia, then Princess Diaries X: Forever Princess.

imgres-1And finally, the one I’d been waiting to read for months, the reason I started this reading adventure – The Princess Diaries XI: Royal Wedding.

I was curious to see if, years after the last book was released, Meg Cabot could keep the story alive. And you know what? She did. It was like visiting an old friend you have  n’t seen in a while and picking up as though no time at all imgres-2had passed. I loved seeing what happens to Mia (and everyone else) after high school. It was fun and funny with just a hint of the very ridiculous.

This Week I Read…June 30th Edition

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Welcome back to another edition of “This Week I Read.” Firstimages up was, surprise, The Princess Diaries Volume VII: Party Princess by Meg Cabot. I’m moving into the books I don’t remember as well, which only adds to the adventure. I mean, how did I forget Grandmere’s play?! It is a triumph my dear, a triumph.

I did take a break from the Princess Diaries this week because I watched the movie The Duff. I read the book, The Duff by Kody Keplinger, a few months ago soimgres-1 I was excited about the film. It did not live up to my expectations at all. See, the brilliant thing about the book is it deals with real issues, not issues adults think are appropriate for teenagers. The book is full of swearing, sex, alcoholism, bullying and more. The movie takes on some of that, well the bullying part, but makes it a cliche commentary on high school hierarchies that is disappointing and ineptly dealt with. The controversial material that makes the book one of the best contemporary YA novels I’ve ever read is dumbed down and ignored. No one is going to argue that cyberbullying is ok. But seventeen year olds who hate each other having meaningless sex and hiding it from their friends? Things just got interesting. So, obviously, I had to reread the book .