So many words. So little time.
Category: reasons I’m not writing
This writing update won’t be quite so upbeat as the last four…
I did get my 750 words in on Tuesday. Everything flowed, and I enjoyed the process.
Thursday…my hard drive died. All my school stuff, personal stuff, and story draft just gone. Thursday was not a good day.
But…at least I only have to re-do 8,000 words. And it’s still fresh in my mind. So, starting that is on the agenda, but not until next weekend, as this will be a crazy week.
Title: Unmarriageable
Author: Soniah Kamal
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a girl can go from pauper to princess or princess to pauper in the mere seconds it takes for her to accept a proposal.”
This is the belief that Alys Binat, second of five daughters and a literature teacher, faces in her students, girls who will likely marry instead of finishing school. That’s just how things are in Pakistan in the early 2000s, but Alys hopes to influence some of her students, nonetheless. Then her family is invited to the society wedding of the year, and her mother sees it as the perfect opportunity to showcase her five daughters.
The eldest, sweet Jena, catches the eye of “Bungles” Bingla, a wealthy entrepreneur, and Mrs. Binat is convinced a proposal is imminent. Alys and her best friend, Sherry, who is determined to marry so she can escape her home life, watch in amusement—and horror—as Aly’s mom and other three sisters—uber-religious Mari, flighty Lady, and artistic Qitty—make a less than stellar impression on Bungles’ sisters and very rich Valentine Darsee, his best friend. Alys hears Darsee’s scathing remarks about her and writes him off as a jerk.
But fate—and Jena and Bungles’ romance—keep throwing Alys and Darsee back into proximity, and Alys discovers the haughty man might not be quite as horrible as she thought. When Lady’s antics destroy the Binat family’s chances of ever holding their heads up in public, no one can save them. Except, maybe, Mr. Darsee.
Fact: I love Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen had a phenomenal insight into people and portrayed them very well. Fact: I know basically nothing about Pakistani culture.
Unmarriageable is a close re-telling of Pride and Prejudice, but it’s still its own story. The characters’ names made me laugh—Bungles—but there’s enough of the original in them to make them feel like old friends. I found Mr. Binat much more ineffectual than Mr. Bennet, but everyone else I enjoyed. Even Lady, annoyingly oblivious as she was. Alys was much more of a feminist than Elizabeth Bennet, but I love how her mind worked, and how quick she was to grasp her own mistakes. I highly recommend this!
Soniah Kamal was born in Pakistan, but grew up in England and Saudi Arabia and now lives in the U.S. She is an award-winning author and a creative-writing teacher. Unmarriageable is her newest novel.
(Galley provided by Random House Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.)
…well, actually, Sunday is for talking about writing. As opposed to books and book reviews, as I do every other single time I post. I basically haven’t mentioned writing in like the past year. That’s because I haven’t really been writing—grad school and working full-time keeps me busy—much less have I felt like talking about this fact.
But not being creative makes me cranky and changes who I am, and I don’t want that to be my reality anymore. So, I’m getting back into writing. Baby steps, right now, but it is forward motion (in the words of Holly Lisle).
I’m doing some very basic work on a new story, and I’m hoping to get things ready to start writing very soon. I’ll be posting writing updates weekly to keep me motivated.
Onward and upward. Write on.
Yearly total: 192 out of a goal of 150 books.
January 2018. (15)
February 2018. (13)
March 2018. (13)
April 2018. (15)
May 2018. (16)
June 2018. (11)
July 2018. (17)
August 2018. (19)
September 2018. (14)
October 2018. (21)
Here’s a link to my Goodreads Challenge page.
Books Read in November: 22
Books Read for the Year: 175/150
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
Pride, by Ibi Zoboi. (Cultural.) I’m not sure how I ended up reading two Pride and Prejudice retellings simultaneously, but…I really loved this book! I loved the diversity and seeing how this particular culture came to life. Zure was a little much at first, but I ended up loving her attitude and her pride in herself, her culture, and her family.
AHA, by Kyle Idleman. (Spiritual.) I love Idleman’s voice and his brutally honest and down-to-earth style.
Unequal Affections, by Lara S. Ormiston. (From the TBR.) I loved this re-telling of Pride and Prejudice. I thought it was very well done, and stayed true to the characters and world of the original.
Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne. (Classic.) How have I never read this before? An enjoyable adventure tale!
For Review
Nightingale, by Amy Lukavics. This is about a girl in the 1950s who doesn’t want to be a perfect housewife, but wants to write stories about alien abduction. She ends up in an asylum, where she realizes it’s no ordinary hospital. When I finish a book and think WHAT did I just read?, it’s not generally a good thing. This book was odd and just didn’t make sense.
Love in Catalina Cove, by Brenda Jackson. A solid read by a good author, about a woman who goes back to her hometown and finds her past is not what she thought at all.
Forbidden and also Embolden, by Syrie James and Ryan St. James. Two more “meh” reads. I love the idea of angels and Nephilim, but the main character is so selfish and ridiculous that it completely detracted from the interesting idea.
The Ministry of Ordinary Places, by Shannan Martin. I don’t usually find nonfiction riveting, but this I did. Highly recommended.
Shadow of the Fox, by Julie Kagawa. I love the Japanese culture and mythology, and the Iron Fey series was fantastic, so I was excited to read this. But I found this a little predictable, despite my liking for the naive main character.
The Witch of Willow Hall, by Hester Fox . Family scandal, mystery, and secrets in this Gothic tale set in 1821. I enjoyed this a lot!
When the Lights Go Out, by Mary Kubica. After her mother dies, Jessie Sloane finds out she has the name and social security number of a dead girl. As she tries to figure out what that means, her lack of sleep stretches into days and she starts seeing things that aren’t there—or are they? I enjoyed this quite a bit, and I’ve never wanted a character to get some sleep so much!
The Lying Woods, by Ashley Elston. After Owen’s father disappears with millions of dollars, destroying the lives of most of the people who live in their small town, he moves back home to try to help his mother—and figure out if his dad really did take the money. What Owen finds is hatred, violence, and the truth about his father. This was a fantastic read!
Burning Fields, by Alli Sinclair. When Rosie returns home during World War II, she finds some things never change, no matter how badly you want them to, but maybe with the help of the Italian man next door, she can find out the truth about her family. A solid, enjoyable read.
A Marriage in Four Seasons, by Kathryn K. Abdul-Baki. This tale, which opens with a miscarriage, moves to an affair and a divorce, and through to a reconciliation, is a slow, emotional read that is at times painful to follow.
When Elephants Fly, by Nancy Richardson Fischer. This book was such a good read! Teenager Lily is trying to live a stress-free life to hopefully avoid the genetic curse of schizophrenia. When she was seven, her mother tried to kill her, but Lily has hopes of avoiding her mom’s fate. When she ends up covering the story of a baby elephant abandoned by its mother, she finds herself way too emotionally involved.
Little White Lies, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. It’s been a while since I read anything by this author, but I completely enjoyed this tale of Sawyer, from the wrong side of the track, who ends up living in high society for debutante season, as she tries to find out who her father is. The feel of this loosely reminded me of the Gallagher Girls series, except not as comic.
Love à la Mode, by Stephanie Kate Strohm. A cute read about two teens who get into an elite cooking school in Paris. This book made me hungry!
Second Chance at Two Love Lane, by Kieran Kramer (review forthcoming). I found this kind of underwhelming. There was too-much glossing over of things, so it seemed o skip around, and several of the characters were caricatures and not fully fleshed-out. And one of the sub-plots was basically pointless, with its resolution summed-up and not resolved.
Just Because
Fury, by Rachel Vincent. I was excited to read the conclusion to the Menagerie trilogy. This is a fascinating world, and I love the characters. Great read. I finished it in one sitting, but I was not a fan of the ending.
Girl, Wash Your Face, by Rachel Hollis. I had to stop myself from devouring the whole thing straight through. I want to be friends with Rachel!
Look Alive, Twenty-Five, by Janet Evanovich. I do love this series, but…this one was sadly lacking in humor, apart from Lula’s antics. I think this series is starting to get stale.
Title: Darkwater Secrets
Author: Robin Caroll
Genre: Southern fiction, suspense
Rating: 4 out of 5
Managing the Darkwater Inn in the heart of the French Quarter is a dream job for Adelaide Fountaine. The job is demanding and busy, but she loves the hectic pace. The owner, not so much. But the owner’s son, Dimitri, has become her friend, over late-night meals in the quiet kitchen.
Detective Beau Savoie has been friends with Adelaide since childhood, but when a murder in the Darkwater brings up secrets from her past and leaves Adelaide a suspect, Beau starts to wonder if he really knows her at all. With the murder investigation pushing her into Dimitri’s arms, Beau wants to be mad at Adelaide, but he’s hiding secrets of his own.
I love suspense novels, Southern fiction, and New Orleans, so I was eager to read this novel. And I was not disappointed. The author captures the feel of the French Quarter—and the boutique hotels found there—with style and charm. I was so caught up in the drama between the characters, I didn’t even really care who the murderer was!
Robin Caroll is the best-selling author of almost 30 novels. Darkwater Secrets has just been released in paperback.
(Galley provided by Gilead Publishing in exchange for an honest review.)
Books Read in July: 17
Books Read for the Year: 98/150
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
Without Rival, by Lisa Bevere (spiritual book). I didn’t get as much out of this as I’d hoped, but there were some gems.
The Tenth Island, by Diana Marcum (cultural book). I actually really enjoyed this narrative non-fiction about a journalist who visits the Azores and discovers beauty and love. The descriptions of the people, the islands, and the culture were wonderful, and I would now love to visit.
Many Waters, by Madeline L’Engle (classic book). Loved this one! The whole Noah’s Ark world was so interesting.
Dread Nation, by Justina Ireland (from the TBR pile). The Civil War with zombies!!! This was a fantastic read with a great MC. I did not enjoy the racist aspects, but the story was riveting and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
For Review
The Melody, by Jim Crace. To be honest, this book disappointed me. It’s set up to include the main character getting attacked in the night by a strange creature/Neanderthal…and that’s pretty much the end of that plot point. Very slow-paced and lyrical.
The Museum of Us, by Tara Wilson Redd. This was quite an intriguing read. The main character, a teenager, has a friend that she goes on extraordinary adventures with…except he’s imaginary and she knows it. When she’s in a car wreck and ends up in a psych ward, she has to decide which reality to embrace. I thought this was a wonderful book, and I enjoyed it a lot.
All We Ever Wanted, by Emily Griffin. This is about a wealthy couple whose teenage son is accused of taking a compromising picture of a female classmate and putting it on social media without her knowledge. The mother is horrified and reminded of her own experiences, the father just wants to sweep it under the rug, but when the girl’s father lodges a complaint, the entire school gets involved. This was a great book that explores a weighty topic.
Olympian Challenger, by Astrid Arditi. About a girl picked to compete in front if the gods on Mount Olympus. I got really tired of seeing comments that this was similar to The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson. Yes, there are some similarities, but…”There’s nothing new under the sun.” This was a light, enjoyable read. Yes, there are aspects of other books here, but it’s its own book. Please judge it by that, not by how different or similar it is to others.
The Last Cruise, by Kate Christensen. This slow-paced tale of a cruise that goes wrong was languorous, but the low-level dread built with every chapter. Quirky characters made it very intriguing, although I wasn’t a fan of the ending.
Baby Teeth, by Zoje Stage. This is about a 7-year-old girl who adores her father, but hates her mother and wants her dead. Like, for real. Hanna is a perfect angel who doesn’t speak in front of her doting father. With her mother, it’s threats, obscenities, and a pretended possession as she schemes on how to get rid of her mother forever, so she can have her father all to herself. This was a little bit disturbing, but engrossing all the same.
Fawkes, by Nadine Brandes. The title caught my attention, and I was vaguely familiar with the history surrounding Guy Fawkes. This is about his son, Thomas, who has the Stone Plague that’s ravaging England and who gets kicked out of the place he’s studying color magic because his father doesn’t show up to give him his mask. So, he goes to London and ends up embroiled in a plot to kill the king with his father. Two different color magic classes are at play, and I thought the concept was very unique.
Cottage by the Sea, by Debbie Macomber. This is maybe the only romance writer I read consistently. It’s just not my favorite genre. I really enjoyed this tale of Annie, who is trying to heal from her grief and moves to the ocean in search of space. I want to move to Oceanside! The secondary characters are fantastic here.
Do Something Beautiful, by R. York Moore. I really enjoyed this read about finding the beautiful things from God in the midst of the everyday.
Fruit of the Drunken Tree, by Ingrid Rojas Contreras This started out a bit slow, but I ended up really enjoying the story, set in 1990s-era Bogota, about two girls and the maid their mother hires. The youngest becomes friends with the maid, who’s hiding secrets amid the dangerous city, plagued by drugs and guerillas.
Darkwater Secrets, by Robin Caroll (review forthcoming). Set in a hotel in New Orleans, so of course I wanted to read the murder mystery that brings a man from her past into Adelaide Fountaine’s present as the police search for a killer.
The Late Bloomer’s Club, by Lousie Miller (review forthcoming). Loved this! Nora is content to work in a diner until she and her sister are named in a neighbor’s will. Now she has to make a decision that affects the entire town. This community was so believable to me, and I really wanted to visit and see the fall leaves…and I don’t even like fall.
The Impossibility of Us, by Katy Upperman (review forthcoming). Upperman is a good author who always brings characters I love and a big obstacle to the table. This is no exception. Elise, whose brother was killed in Afghanistan, meets Mati, who’s from Kabul. She manages to overcome her grief over her brother’s death, but as the two grow closer, both of their families stand in the way.
Linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy for Quick Lit.
Title: Fawkes
Author: Nadine Brandes
Genre: YA, fantasy
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The Stone Plague has tormented England for years. There is no cure. In most cases, it means death. For a lucky few, it means a life of despair and being shunned and beaten. Thomas Fawkes has the plague, but it’s dormant, hidden behind his eye patch, and almost no one knows.
Except his father, the legendary Guy Fawkes, known for his bravery and courage. But he abandoned Thomas after his son got the plague, and all Thomas wants from him is his own mask—so he can graduate and make his way in the world using his color power as a Keeper, one who bonds with a single color power. Keepers are beaten and killed now that an Igniter king is on the throne, so Thomas trusts no one.
When his father doesn’t show up, Thomas is kicked out and abandoned. Angry, he makes his way to London, and finds his father embroiled in a plot to kill the king and Parliament, destroying Igniter power forever and putting a Keeper on the throne. But Thomas starts to see that things aren’t as his father believes, and with the help of a classmate, an Igniter girl with more power than he’s ever seen, he learns the truth. Now Thomas must decide between his father and the girl he loves—and his choice is a death sentence for one.
I found the magic system in Fawkes fascinating and unique. Thomas is a troubled character searching for the truth amid many obstacles. His relationship with his father—the notorious Guy Fawkes—is complex and nuanced, and the exploration of English culture is vivid and probably uncomfortably accurate. I highly enjoyed reading this adventure.
Nadine Brandes loves Harry Potter and Oreos. Fawkes is her newest novel.
(Galley provided by Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: The Stars at Oktober Bend
Author: Glenda Millard
Genre: YA
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Alice is fifteen but to everyone else, she is forever twelve: she has acquired brain injury as the result of an assault she can’t remember, and now her electrics don’t work. She can speak, but her words don’t always come out right. Instead, she writes poetry; beautiful, haunting, anonymous poetry that she leaves all over town, hoping that someday, someone will read her words.
Alice lives with her brother, Joey, and her grandmother, in a house that’s mostly hidden from the rest of the world. Alice doesn’t go to school. Instead, she writes, ties fishing flies, and takes care of her grandmother. Her family is her world, and she wants things to stay the same forever.
Then Alice meets Manny, a boy who reads her poems and wants to hear her speak. Manny was forced to become a boy soldier, and he still suffers from PTSD. In Alice he finds comfort. But not everyone in town wants Alice, her family, or Manny to be happy, and as Alice finds out more of the truth surrounding her life, she will be faced with her greatest fears.
I’m not a fan of stream-of-consciousness writing, nor with lack of proper punctuation or capitalization. The parts of this novel from Alice’s point-of-view employed this, and I initially considered not finishing this. However, I got so drawn into Alice’s tale that I stopped noticing these things—they absolutely made sense for Alice, and by the end of the book, I had forgotten they existed.
This is a book with a lot of sadness, but there is joy and hope as well. I found this very lyrical and compelling, and Alice and her family broke my heart, as did Manny and his story. The other people in town were infuriating, but typical for society, making this a highly believable book to read (even if it made me angry). A very good read, and one I highly recommend.
Glenda Millard is an award-winning author from Australia. The Stars at Oktober Bend is her newest novel.
(Galley provided by Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: Song of Blood and Stone
Author: L. Penelope
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5
Jasminda lives in an isolated cabin in Elsira, where her Earthsong, though weak, makes her an outcast—as does her being half Elsiran and half Lagrimaran. She has no one, and she prefers it that way, as too many people have always treated her like trash. When a dangerous group of soldiers from nearby Lagrimar invade her home to escape a storm, she must convince them she’s not a danger—and that she’s one of them.
Their prisoner, Jack, captures her attention. His mission to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagrimar is about to fall at the hands of the True Father almost cost him his life. Only Jasminda’s power kept him alive, and now he needs her help to escape, and to save all Elsira.
As the power of the True Father grows stronger, Jasminda and Jack must uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps if they are to stop his despotic power from overwhelming their land. But the enemies they face are not just outsiders, and they must choose between what they want and what they must do if they are to survive.
Because I choose to read books on whether the plot is appealing to me (okay, and depending on how much I like the cover), I didn’t realize going in that this book is, as the author says, “a fantasy romance about brown people.” I also didn’t really pay attention to this fact while reading it, and only noticed while reading some of the publicity surrounding it, and the author’s site. However, the truth of what it is lent the story some incredible nuances and layers that brought the entire world to vibrant, shimmering life.
I was hooked from the very first page. Jasminda is a strong character, but she’s hiding her hurts behind many protective layers because society just isn’t receptive to her existence. So, she lives alone, survives on her own, and is determined to continue living life the way she sees fit. Until fate steps in and turns her world upside down, when she meets—and saves—Jack, a soldier on an undercover mission, pursued by enemy soldiers, who turns himself in to keep Jasminda safe.
The worldbuilding is complex, and I love how the history is layered in with flashbacks. This helps to give a very real feel to the setting. I loved the diverse cast of characters and read this straight through in one sitting. Can’t wait for the second book!
Leslye (L.) Penelope is an award-winning writer. Song of Blood and Stone is her debut novel.
(Galley provided by St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)
Tomorrow Is Another Day 