Zombies Vs. Unicorns

This is my last book post of the year and I'll keep it quick because of the craziness that has been my holidays (traveling, celebrating, bridal showering, bachelorette partying, cleaning for company, and more celebrating, followed up by some more travelling).  I've got a few more books read in 2010 that I'll post about next week, but it's good for me to get ahead because the next few weeks are crunch time for my screenplay.

But that is another post for another day.

Zombies Vs. Unicorns is a collection of short stories by some of the top YA writers.  I loved Geektastic (see this post) and had high hopes for ZVU.  I wasn't disappointed.  There were so many great stories that part of me wants to comment on them all, but I will refrain from doing that.  I will just highlight my favorite stories from two writers I already love and my two favorite stories from writers I'm totally new to.  

Carrie Ryan  wrote a story ("Bougainvillea") set in the same world as her zombie romance books, but this one is set much, much earlier.  The main character actually remembers the world before the Return.  This story was intriguing to me as a fan of the world, but was enough of a departure from Ryan's usual tortured romance that the ending was more satisfying that I would have expected from a short story.  Carrie Ryan showed a different side of her writing with this story even if it is set in the same world (and her writing is beautiful).

Meg Cabot was Team Unicorn and her story was just fun.  How could it not be with a name like "Princess Prettypants"?  Her unicorn did do prissy things like fart the smell of jasmine, but then Cabot turned it around at the end and made the unicorn more than that.  The way she handled writing about a unicorn was hilarious and, like most of her books (and the reason I love her), the story was feel good and empowering without losing authenticity or becoming sugar coated.

Naomi Novik wrote a story called "Purity Test" that played with the idea of unicorns being drawn to virgins throughout the history of their lore, but really asked the question: what does being pure really mean?  Plus it was hilarious.  I just bought Naomi Novik's first novel His Majesty's Dragon for my kindle, because this story blew me away and it has AMAZING amazon reviews.

Diana Peterfreund's "The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn" reimagined unicorns as dangerous animals that are endangered and yet feared.  There was tons of conflict, great characters, and a totally unexpected twist on unicorns.  I just checked out Diana Peterfeund's Rampant and discovered that this story is set in the same world as two of her novels.  Yes, I just bought the first one for my kindle even though I have way too many books on my TBR pile.  I am just blowing through my Christmas gift cards.

Some of the stories were more haunting and creepy (hello Libba Bray and Margo Lanagan), but I enjoyed them all and wish I had the time to comment on each story.  (This post is already too long, sorry!)

The book is set up as a debate for which is better: zombies or unicorns.  The stories alternate sides (and are clearly marked with the appropriate silhouette in the corner of each page) and each is introduced by Holly and Justine arguing.  It tied the book together, but also captured the fun of the whole thing.  Going in, I wasn't sure which side I supported, but was leaning toward Team Zombie.  But after reading the book I am now firmly team Unicorn.  All the stories were great, but the Unicorn stories seemed to have more fun and the themes explored in these stories tended to be more varied.

This is also my favorite cover of the year.  There is a 3/4 jacket with zombie and unicorn cut out over an inspired zombie/unicorn warzone.  Without the dusk jacket:

I especially like what I can only assume to be a zombified unicorn.

Two for the Dough

I'm writing this post early, but I expect when this is posted that I will be on my way to Atlantic City for a bachelorette party.  It seems fitting to write about Two for the Dough since it is set in New Jersey and even mentions Atlantic City (although Stephanie doesn't end up there in this book).

I've mentioned this before, but the Stephanie Plum books are my biggest new guilty pleasure.  I finished this book yesterday and all I can think about is how long until I get to read the next one.  I'm unhappy because I know it will be few weeks, since I have a few library books out with waiting lists that need to get read and returned before I go home for Christmas and the bachelorette party (two mentions... I'm excited!).  But I seriously love these books.  I gave my mom the first one with a pair of slippers of Christmas and considered them for several other people as well.

In Two For The Dough, Stephanie (I love that she has my name) once again is given a case that is out of her league.  I find that I care very little about the actually mystery or plot, because the characters and the way Stephanie goes about finding her bad guy is more than enough to keep me entertained.  Stephanie gets help from two skilled characters: Ranger, a bounty hunter of the strong and silent type and sexy, over-confident cop Joe Morelli, who was her target in One for the Money.  They step in from time to time to keep Stephanie alive, and the romance between Stephanie and Joe is fun and funny and everything I could want in a book relationship.

Other than Ranger and Joe, Stephanie blunders her way through her investigation with Grandma Mazur, who messes up quite a few funerals in this book, and a brief appearance from Lula, the overweight hooker Stephanie rescues in One for the Money.  There is also some fun commentary on New Jersey life that I enjoyed because that's where I grew up.  For example, Stephanie threatens the woman she caught sleeping with her husband by saying that she is now a bounty hunter and carries a gun.  The woman replies that it's New Jersey and everyone carries a gun.  Then, everyone in the beauty parlor opens her purse and pulls out guns that are all bigger than the one Stephanie doesn't even carry with her most of the time.

I keep telling myself I'm only reading these books to study the comedy, but the truth is I'm laughing too hard to think critically.  I'd also like to point out that I love the cover where the gun is shooting lipstick.  It captures the essence of the series so well!  I've got Three to Get Deadly requested at the library and I'm hoping to pick it up and get it read first thing in January.

Book Trailer: City of Fallen Angels

If you've followed my blog for any amount of time, you probably already know that I love Cassandra Clare.  The Mortal Instruments was originally a trilogy, but now there will be three additional books.  The first of these is City of Fallen Angels (which I pre-ordered as soon as Clare tweeted it was available on Amazon... because I am a nerd).  I'm excited for the full trailer, but for now, there is this:



This teaser trailer is simple, but it does exactly what it needs to.  The music sets the tone, promising action.  The questions suddenly make me worry, because I'm already invested in the characters.  Blood?  Betrayal?  I NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

For me, this is the perfect teaser, because I already know the world.  All they needed to do (and did so successfully) was to hint at major conflicts.  This was done while giving away nothing.  Total torture for a fan like me, but perfect for making me excited about the book.

In fact, I've been really excited about this book.  They released the cover just in time for holiday shopping, and because I'm so excited about it, I actually bought some of the earlier books for several people on my list. I need people who are going to be up all night reading City of Fallen Angels with me!

How Writing Is Like Falling In Love With the Wrong Person

1. I have butterflies.  My heart feels like it might fly away.  I've never had an idea like this and I can't wait to start writing and get to know the story better.  I hope things work out, I hope the idea is good to me.

2. It's getting quite serious.  I'm writing every day and I never get bored.  Every night when I finish it is only because I have to wake up for work in the morning and I can't sleep because I can't stop thinking about how much I love this story.  This is the best thing I've ever written.

3. I don't know if this is working out.  I mean, I still love my idea, but I'm getting tired working on it every day.  It's not as fun or as easy as it was in the beginning.  But I can't quit now, because I've already invested so much time.

4. It should have been obvious from the beginning that these characters are one dimensional and I have gaping plot holes.  How could I have missed all these flaws for so long?

5. I'm done.  We're taking some time apart, but I'm not sure I ever want to see this draft again.

Time passes...

6. What ever happened to that story I was writing?  We had some really good times.  It made me see the world as if for the first time.

7. Reread story.

8. Maybe I can make this work.

And rise and repeat.

holidays on ice

Merry Christmas for those that celebrate!  In honor of Christmas eve, I'm posting about holidays on ice, one of the books I received from my wonderful Secret Santa Jeanne (her blog is the cleverly titled: Necromancy Never Pays).

I love David Sedaris.  His books are hilarious, dark, smart, and insightful.  He's anything but politically correct and he has a fascination with the macabre.  If you can get past that, his essays are almost charming.  I thought the book would be essays about his life and childhood and for the most part it is, but there were a few stories thrown in as well.  A speech by a television producer made me laugh (I live in LA and know people like that!) and his story "Christmas Means Giving" is the perfect example of satire.  If I taught high school English (which I don't, so this probably doesn't mean much), I would teach it alongside Modest Proposal.

I especially enjoyed the holiday letter written by a woman who was in the news for legal troubles.  I don't want to give away the end, but it's a a perfect example of the use of a narrator with a specific viewpoint that forces the reader to try to sift through the facts and figure out what really happened.  The sense that the narrator might not be completely truthful was gradual and I loved the effect.  At first I was thinking "Wow, this woman is a little too honest for a holiday letter" and by the end I was trying to figure out the real story.  Brilliant.

Most of all, I love the way Sedaris paints himself and his own life.  Stories here range from his time working as an elf at Macy's, convincing his six-year old sister to try to get hit by a car, and to when the family brought home a hooker for Christmas (that story was titled Dinah, the Christmas Whore... sounds like it should be a carol).  Most of the stories are Christmas themed, but other holidays are represented as well.

Sedaris travels a lot (according to his other book that I've read) and his take on other cultures is hilarious.  Sedaris had this to say upon learning that the French believe a bell flies in from Rome to deliver chocolates on Easter :
And why fly one in from Rome when they've got more bells than they know what to do with right here in Paris?  That's the most implausible aspect of the whole story, as there's no way the bells of France would allow a foreign worker to fly in and take their jobs.  That Roman bell would be lucky to get work cleaning up after a French bell's dog--and even then he'd need papers.  It just didn't add up.


Sedaris is not just funny, he's smart, and I can't wait to read another of his collections.

One More Challenge

I've decided to join one more challenge.... Where Are You Reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  You can check it out here, but basically, you use a map to pin down a book for each state (where the book takes place).  Very fun.  I've set up my map, but there's nothing on it yet.  I think this is the correct link for you to see it.

Last Dance

I read the first book in The Seer series for the 24-hour read-a-thon in October.  I think it goes without saying that I am more than looking forward to the next one in April (if I am very lucky, it may coincide with the release of City of Fallen Angels, but I think it will miss it by about a week).  Like the first one, Last Dance is a short, but fast-paced and entertaining story.  I read it in one weekday evening and made it to bed on time.  Because of this, it is the perfect book for the read-a-thon, so I'm going to have to make sure I save at least one of the books in the series for April to get me through the early morning hours.

In Don't Die Dragonfly, Sabine is trying to save an unknown person's life after having a premonition.  At the end of the book, Sabine's grandmother gives her a mission.  In Last Dance, all Sabine wants to do is work on her new mission, but she's being sent dreams that won't let her get anything done until she puts a spirit to rest.  Both of these stories are complicated by Sabine's melodramatic insistence that her psychic abilities be kept a secret.

It's a fun book, with a pretty straightforward mystery and steady pace.  All of the characters are individual--from Penny-Love the gossipy popular girl who for some reason craves Sabine's approval and attention, to Manny the high school journalist who helps Sabine gather clues, to Thorn the self-named goth girl with psychic powers of her own.  Sabine's boyfriend is a bit blah.  There's not much to him other than he's hot and a good guy.  Luckily, we have a forbidden (because she has a boyfriend) love in Dominic, the boy who Sabine is working with on her mission and who can communicate with animals.  They share quite the steamy kiss in Last Dance while Sabine is being possessed by a flirtatious ghost, but Dominic is unaware of the possession.  I sense bittersweet romance and hilariously awkward situations coming up in Witch Ball.

I would have liked to learn more about the series mystery in this book.  The books seem to be set up with individual mysteries in each book with an info dump for the series mystery at the end.  It's a bit unrealistic in that sense, but I'm not complaining.  I want answers and am looking forward to getting some more.

Book Trailer: The Scorch Trials

Last week I loved the trailer for The Maze Runner, and this week I'm going to look at the trailer for its sequel, The Scorch Trails.  Don't watch this trailer if you haven't read The Maze Runner, because my only problem with this trailer is that it seems to be a bit spoilery for the first book.



It's simple and effective.  It plays on the first book, which is what it needs to do.  It pulls clips from The Maze Runner trailer, tweaks them with the knowledge we have by the end of the book and gives us just a taste of the second book while promising just as much action and mystery as the first.  It made me want to read it.  As a trailer for fans of the first book, it's perfect.

Writing: Thinking as part of the process and using momentum

In the past few weeks, I've mentioned two things in passing.  One, that I have a habit of rushing from one project to the next without taking a break, and, two, sometimes rewrites (especially for screenplays) are harder for me and take longer than writing the first draft.  I've been thinking about both of these as I work on my current project, a family comedy screenplay rewrite.

The reason I have a tendency to rush from project to project is that I'm afraid of losing momentum.  If I write every day, it gets easier and easier to hit my goals, be it 2000 words a day for a novel or 5 or more pages a day for a screenplay.  I can't hit those goals right out of the gate.  I may write 800 words the first day and keep that up for a week, then start breaking 1000, and suddenly I find I'm hitting my goals.  For me, if I take one day off, I have to start back at the beginning.  Even one day and I'm suddenly 1200 words behind my goal.  This lasts for days until I work back up to it.

Knowing this, when I finish a project, I want to keep my momentum and I use it to throw myself into a new project.  This works out okay for first drafts.  When I get an idea I write it down, I sketch out my expected structure, story arcs, etc.  I start a folder where I throw ideas as they come.  With the exception of the fantasy project (that I didn't finish) where I neglected to world-build (working on it), this is more than enough for me to write a first draft.

The momentum keeps me writing, it keeps me productive.  This is good, because bad things happen when I don't write.  If I take too much time off, I start having identity crises.  I start asking myself how much I want to be a writer and tell myself that I can't want it that bad if I'm taking time off (Seriously, what are you doing with your life, Steph?).  I tell myself that I will never have something good enough to show an agent if I'm not fixing the last project or writing the next one.  I get grumpy, I buy frozen yogurt, and I watch DEXTER or CASTLE.  And it gets harder and harder to actually start the next project.

I try to avoid down time as much as possible.  And it's okay that I do that.... with first drafts.  Where it gets tricky is rewrites.  That "downtime" where I feel like I'm wasting my life, letting all my good writing hours slip away, is actually important thinking time that I need for my project to get into shape.  In a rewrite, I need to strengthen the foundations I laid in the first draft and often, especially with screenplays, I need to really examine my structure.  There are often major problems with solutions that elude me and since I'm past the stage of getting my ideas on paper, I need to be much more intentional when I approach the new draft.

I need to take time to reread what I've written, to think about it, to play with structure and brainstorm solutions.  I need the time to read the published and the produced to see how they dealt with similar problems.  I need the time to read books on writing that will help me become a better writer.  If I'm constantly rushing rushing rushing from one project to the next, I'm a hamster on a wheel.  I'm not taking the time I need to reflect on what I'm doing and grow as a writer.  Yes, you learn by writing and I learn and grow with every new draft and project.  BUT, I will keep making the same mistakes and learning the same lessons if I don't take the time to think about the process and think about the next step.

The past few weeks I've been thinking and reading.  I'm getting antsy because it feels like I'm not doing anything.  But I know that this time will make all the difference in the quality of this draft.  The time I'm spending now will be the deciding factor in if my characters are still unlikable and how many problems I can fix with this draft.  This time is the only tool I have to make sure that my structure is exactly what it needs to be.  Yes, it means this rewrite is taking longer than I want, but it also means I'm doing more with this draft than I could have if I rushed right in.

I Am Legend

I heard this was the most terrifying novel ever written.  Obviously, I had to read it.  It was obvious why people still talk about this book today: fifty year after it was written, it still resonates, it could still happen, and if it did, it wouldn't be much different at all.

It was a hard decision, but I won't give away the ending.  Sure, you've had over fifty years to read it and you probably saw the Will Smith movie, but I won't do it.  If you do want the ending ruined and are curious about the latest adaptation, check out this entertaining article.  I don't think I could have said it better and I don't think I'd want to.  I saw I Am Legend in the theater when it was out, left with a resounding feeling of "Meh", and never felt the need to watch it again.

But the book I could read again.  It is a book often cited as inspiring both films and books in the horror genre, but I think even someone squeamish could read I Am Legend.  It's not all blood and guts, it's the struggle to survive when you are the only one left.  There are some action scenes and some vampires get killed, but the novel doesn't feel violent.  That doesn't make it any less scary.  It's terrifying because more than physically surviving, the book is about mentally surviving--convincing yourself to go on living when you're in a situation that can never get better.

The book explores the idea of morality.  How is it defined?  Does being the only human left change anything?  But it does so in a thought provoking way that isn't preachy, but sticks with you.  There wasn't just a twist ending, there was a meaningful ending and I can already tell that this is one of those books that will haunt me long after this post is published.

Raised By Wolves

After watching the back and forth between Jennifer Lynn Barnes and several other YA authors (most notably Ally Carter), I was intrigued enough to pick up her latest book, Raised By Wolves.  I was surprised by how quickly I became invested in the story.  Barnes creates an entire culture for her werewolf pack, which captivated me from page one.  But it was more than that.  I have never before become so quickly attached to a character.  Almost immediately I wanted to protect Bryn and root for her.  The effect was doubly effective for this story because the need to protect is ingrained in werewolf culture.

The culture itself was interesting.  I am still torn between being fascinated by the werewolves and being horrified by seeing the parallels between werewolf culture, cults, and abusive situations.  At first, Bryn is complicit with werewolf culture.  She accepts her fate as a human (and thus inferior) and a woman (and thus with the need to be protected) even if she doesn't like it.  When she breaks the rules she blames only herself for the severe beating she receives.  Ultimately the book is about her overcoming what she has been raised to believe about how the world works, but I never got over how unsettled the entire world made me feel.

I read the book in about two days (and not a weekend!) and the only thing that really bothered me was the immediate attraction between Bryn and Chase.  I was sort of rooting for Bryn to end up with her werewolf best friend, even though Barnes made efforts from the very beginning to show that their relationship was strictly platonic.  When Chase shows up, there seems to be a mystery about their attraction that never pays off in the end.  Maybe I read too much into their early conversations or maybe it is something that will be revisited in a sequel.  Either way, this type of romance seems to be acceptable in paranormal romances, so it works here even though I wouldn't consider Raised by Wolves a romance.  A large part of the story is influenced by Bryn's relationship with Chase, but the focus is on Bryn's growth as a person.

I'll definitely be checking out Barnes's other novels and am excited to learn that Barnes is working on a sequel called Trial By Fire.  The excerpt on her blog made me laugh: "For a two hundred and twenty pound werewolf, Devon Macalister had a wicked falsetto."  I can't wait to read the whole thing.

Book Trailer: The Maze Runner

I've decided that I'll never be happy.  I'll always be able to find something I would like to see improved; striving for unattainable perfection is the only way to get better.  I'm not a pessimist: the glass can never be only half-full or half-empty, there is always air.  Unless you're in outer space, but then I would assume you have bigger problems to worry about.



The Maze Runner trailer is great.  The beginning is perfect... I wouldn't change a thing.  Then we get into exactly what I say trailers always need: quick cuts between the rising action.  And this trailer does that, but it doesn't work because there is not enough context for these clips.  I think the only reason I could follow it was because I had read the book.

When Thomas says he wants to be a runner, that doesn't mean anything because unless you've read the book (and then the trailer really isn't for you) you don't know that it is A) dangerous and B) an elite job that is NOT for newbies like Thomas.

We also need to know about the beasts out in the maze, otherwise we have no idea why Thomas is so scared when he is hiding and hears the growling (a GREAT addition to the trailer... if only we had the context!).  Likewise, seeing a kid chained and screaming is more of a WTF moment if we don't have a little bit more information.

There were plenty of seconds I would be happy to trim off and replace with this context.  The whole bit of dialog about Where am I? Nowhere good. can go.  Welcome to the Glade is enough.  We can also lose a number of seconds where there are just looks exchanged by the boys.  These can be replaced with short snippets where we learn that Thomas is expected to help by working his way up from the bottom.  After he says he wants to be a runner, someone should say no and clue us in about the beasts.  Then we need to see Thomas running into the maze followed by all those quick cuts that now make sense.

Still, this is probably the best book trailer I've seen so far.

Writing Book: Save The Cat Goes To The Movies

If you liked the first Save the Cat (and who doesn't), then you'll probably be interested in Save the Cat Goes to the Movies.  It follows up on the movie categories introduced in the first book.  Each category is briefly discussed before Blake analyzes the story structure of five successful movies from that category.  I took it out of the library, but it probably would have worked better as a permanent fixture on my reference shelf.  I wouldn't sit down and read it cover to cover again (that was exhausting), but it might be helpful to reread a specific section before sitting down to work on a story.  Definitely, a great resource.

Challenges for 2011

In 2011 I'm going to participate in two challenges.  I'm really looking forward to both of them.

The first is Read Me Baby One More Time, hosted by Midnight Book Girl.

I was already planning on rereading quite a few books this year.  Hopefully I'll get to them all, but in no particular order, here's what I'm hoping to get to:

Heist Society
All The Mortal Instruments
The Great Gatsby
The Westing Game
A Wrinkle In Time
The Politics
On Writing
On Writing Well
The Scarlet Letter
Gone With the Wind

The second is Show Me The Free, hosted by The Unread Reader.  I'm excited to get to a lot of the free books that I have on my kindle and a lot of them will count towards both challenges.  :)  Some of the books I'm hoping to get to:

Several Shakespeare Plays (some reread)

This Side of Paradise

Oliver Twist

The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights 

Captains Courageous (reread)

The Prince

The Art of War

The Count of Monte Cristo

The Man In the Iron Mask

The Scarlet Letter (reread)

Emma

Pride and Predjudice

There are so many great challenges out there and I want to do them all, but unfortunately, if I want to keep my current job and get any writing done, then I have to limit myself.  These two fit in with the direction I was planning for 2011 and they look like fun. 

And check out the Weekly Geeks post about this, too!

Weekly Geeks - Guilty Pleasures

This week, the Weekly Geeks are asking book bloggers the following:

The Books that you Love but are Embarrassed to be Seen Reading

Tell us WHY you love them

And (just for fun) tell us your favorite guilty snack that goes perfectly with all that guilty reading

As this is one of my favorite topics, I had to participate.  So here, I go!  All the books I'm a little embarrassed to enjoy so much...

Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys--This book is first, because it is my go-to when I need some cheering up.  I may not be 14 anymore, but I still remember begging my parents to send me to an all boys boarding school (they said no) and Megan suddenly living in a house full of boys is the kind of conflict and tension I adore.  Plus the characters are great, with lots and lots of drama, humor, and romance.  I giggle the entire time I read.

Stephanie Plum--This is my newest guilty pleasure and, okay, I've only read one so far, but you can't have a super hot cop/escaped criminal handcuff the main character naked to her shower while he ransacks her apartment for what she stole from him without fits of laughter.  This book was exciting and funny and I have never related more to a character.  I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

The Great Gatsby--An unlikely addition to this list, but it belongs here, because of my reluctance to say it is my favorite book.  It is, it gets better every time I read it, and I've reread it after the multiple papers for multiple classes.  But, the truth is that when people say that their favorite book is a classic, I tend to roll my eyes.  Somehow, I don't believe them.  It always seems far too likely that they want to appear smart and are afraid of admitting their twilight obsession.

And my favorite guilty snack for my guilty readings.... hands down Ben & Jerry's Half-Baked (but I get the froyo instead of the ice cream to ease the guilt).

Half vanilla, half chocolate, with cookie dough and brownie bites?  No wonder it's my favorite... although most of the time I try to stick with fruit and yogurt smoothies.

What are your guilty pleasures?

Schooling

I don't remember where I read the article that mentioned Schooling, but it was something similar to this.  I've never trusted the experts and it's always good to go back to the original sources.  If I have an opinion, I want to have an informed opinion, not be a paraphrased version of someone else.

Schooling is not the sort of book I usually read.  Not at all.  And I didn't know it was stream of consciousness until I opened to the first page three days before it was due back at the library.  I immediately closed it, terrified, before convincing myself that I needed to try twenty pages and if I didn't like it, I didn't have to read more.  I didn't need twenty pages to know that I would finish this book.

But it's hard to read.  Half the time I didn't know whose head we were in, what characters were there, or even what was happening at all.  But it worked.  Catrine is an American, abandoned by her Welsh father at an English boarding school after the death of her mother.  Add to her grief and sense of displacement the guilt she feels at causing the death of a motorcyclist.  The way this book is written is the only way to really experience what Catrine is experiencing.

It's also a hard story to tell.  What exactly causes a 13-year-old to love her 32 year old teacher?  To trust him and to let him take advantage of her?  That is not to say that she is at fault for what happens to her.  Certainly, she walked into situations that made me cringe with her stupidity, but she is young and naive and lost.  That is what the story explores.  And the clearest part of the book, the part that reads most like a traditional novel and is easiest to follow, is when that teacher is being condemned and held responsible, because she is young and naive and lost and he should have known better (plus she's not the first).  But the way the story is told also allows the question to be raised about when a girl stops being a child and starts being a woman.

It's still hard to explain what happened, but I experienced the book.  I didn't read it, I felt it.  It's not a story I remember reading, but a memory.  As a woman I was easily able to relate (I would be curious to hear a man's point of view), and as a writer, I loved the way McGowan played with the concepts of structure and character.  She had fun with them in a way not possible in a traditional narrative.  I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book since it is so different from anything I've ever read before.  I'm going to have to push myself and my reading in new directions so that I'm not missing amazing books.

What books have you read that have totally taken you by surprise?  That you didn't expect to like, but ended up loving?

Incarceron

Before I read Incarceron, I knew it was about a prison and a boys efforts to escape.  Still, the story was nothing like I expected.  I thought it would be a classic escape story, but it's not.  It is told from two points of view.  One is Finn, who is trapped inside the all-knowing Incarceron, convinced that he was born free even though the prison is self-contained and so old that all the people inside were born there.  Then we meet Claudia, outside of the prison and by all accounts free.  Except that society has stopped time and she is trapped in a world of manners, a world that does not allow out of era technology, and most of all does not allow change.

This story sucked me in from page one.  It was exciting, there was a constant threat of danger--both from physical attack within the prison and more subtle threats without--and there was a mystery to unravel.  I don't want to give too much away, but my inner conspiracy theorist was delighted.  I guessed pretty early on what was happening, but it didn't take away from reading.  There were still quite a few things I didn't see coming (the location of the prison for one) and there is an ever lurking doubt that what appears to be the truth may not actually be so.

Not only was the story and writing great, but the characters were constantly defying my expectations.  Finn is tormented and you get the feeling that he should be a stronger person than he is.  You want him to be noble and brave and smart.  He is, but he also makes bad decisions, questions himself, and betrays promises.  Claudia is the daughter of Incarceron's Warden and  betrothed to to the man who is to become King.  She could easily have become a cliche heroine dreading her married life when all she wants is love.  But Claudia is every bit as--if not more--cunning and powerful as her father.  She is capable of controlling the soon-to-be King and well prepared for the game of power at Court.  The characters surrounding Finn and Claudia all have their own lives and motivations.  I was constantly left to wonder who would come through for our heroes in the end.

I read Incarceron on my Kindle.  This ended up being a great decision because there were more than a few times I had to use the handy pop-up-dictionary to look up words.  This was mostly period words like "livery".  Even though the book is set in the future, society is rooted in the past, and the vocabulary Fisher uses adds to the feeling of being frozen in time.

My current reading plan is to get through my too-large stack of library books, then move on to the growing pile I've acquired in the last few months (first up Little Brother, Matched, The Lost Hero, Paranormalcy, and Souless).  I could probably take a week off work (but I won't since the busy season is coming up and my boss would literally kill me and dance on my grave) and still not catch up with my reading list.  But I am definitely going to squeeze Sapphique in soon.

Book Trailer: The Dead Tossed Waves

The trailer first, then my thoughts:



The Dead Tossed Waves is what I always say I want from a book trailer, but it just doesn't seem to work for me.  What I love is that it's like a real (movie) trailer, with fully realized scenes instead of glimpses of photos mixed with words and animations.  They actually tried to make a trailer and I would love to see more attempts at this.

What stuck out to me the most as not working were the scenes where Gabry is running through the snow.  Sure, it sets the tone, but it gives the whole thing this weird student film vibe.  And they spent too much time focusing on the wrong parts (that kiss was way too long), which made the whole trailer feel slow when the book definitely isn't.

The voice over about the roller coaster and the walls sets up the world perfectly.  That's a great place to start, but then I would cut to the kiss and the Mudo running toward them.  This is the set up of the story and shouldn't take more than 10 seconds.  It should definitely not be the whole trailer.  After that we need a scene or at least a voiceover of maybe five seconds where we learn that Catcher is immune to the Mudo... he has been bitten, but he is not turned.  That's the most important part of this story and absolutely needs to be in the trailer.  The rest of the trailer should be very quick cuts: Gabry's friends in cages being punished by the mayor, the cult that worships the Mudo, the marching army (If cost is too prohibitive, I would settle for a shot of Gabry running next to a fence with the sound of the marching over), the sexy soldier that befriends Gabry, and yes, maybe one quick shot of Gabry running for her life through the snow.  I would love it if a Shakespeare quote or two was incorporated, but that might be asking too much.

This trailer misses the mark, but it's headed in the right direction.  I hope to see more trailers like it.

NaNoWriMo Wrap up

I didn't hit my 50,000 word goal and I'm okay with that.  Failure is an inevitable result if we're truly pushing ourselves.  It is the quickest way to learn.

And I learned.

I learned not to burn myself out.  I did two complete rewrites (a screenplay and a novel manuscript) back to back and then immediately started writing the first draft of my Nano project.  I was already tired.  I needed to escape the stories in my head, have some social interaction, enjoy a book.  I needed to get some sleep.  Subconsciously, I think I knew this, because I chose to read all of the Harry Potters last month.  I could have finished my novel if I put Harry down, but I didn't.  Because last month, I needed to read.

Another thing I learned is that first drafts are just as hard as rewrites.  Hard in completely different ways, but hard none the less.  I had been rewriting and thinking about rewriting for so long (okay, only a few months, but it felt like years) that I had forgotten what it was like to write a first draft.  Yes, sometimes it's brilliant, I feel smart and witty, the words come and the story is going places.  But sometimes I have to push for fifty more words, then a hundred, never mind seventeen hundred.

I'm starting another rewrite this month.  I'm taking this week off to do nothing but read.  Of course, I'll be doing some prep.  I can't just turn off the writer in me.  I'll be reading Writing For Emotional Impact, going over my script notes, and reading my screenplay for the first time in over six months.  But that will definitely be taking it easy.  I'll be able to go to my project fresh, because I allowed myself the time to really think about where I'm going with this rewrite.

And I'll be going in excited, because I reminded myself what first drafts are really like.  Before Nano I had this false memory of happy easy writing and was resentful of all the rewriting I had to do when I had all these brilliant ideas that would just fall onto the page if I could only find the time for them.  Oh, how quickly I forget.  One day I will carve out time for them, but they won't fall onto the page.  They will be forcibly thrown there and in major need of rewriting.

For now, I'm happy.  I push myself and it constantly makes me a better writer and a better person.  I like the story I started in November.  I have a rewrite to do (it's time sensitive, not just me getting bored and switching), but I do plan to go back and finish my Nano project.  Happy writing!

Secret Santa

This year I participated in a Book Blogger Holiday Swap!  The person who had me is totally on top of things and I arrived home after my Thanksgiving travels to find a neat little Amazon package with two books that I've been really wanting to read!

Holidays On Ice by David Sedaris and Little Brother by Cory Doctorow.  I think both of these books have great covers and I 'm so excited to dive in.  I wanted to share a link to her blog, but, like an idiot, I threw out the paper with her name on it!  I'm sorry, but thank you, thank you, thank you.  (EDIT: It's Jeanne at Necromancy Never Pays.)  Nothing makes me happier than coming home to an Amazon box on my doorstep (or more often thrown over onto my "patio").

You can check out my santee at at her blog.  It was really fun looking at her blog and checking out the books on her wishlist.  I won't tell you what I sent, because that could ruin the surprise (and let's be honest, that's the best part), but I now have quite a few more books to add to my list.  Checking out new authors and books is probably one of my favorite things.  I don't think I'll ever get even with the piles of owned books and library books, never mind the totally want but don't yet physically have piles that exist only in my brain.

Happy holidays!

Rock Paper Tiger

Rock Paper Tiger. I love the cover and love the title, but I'm still not sure how the title relates to the narrative.  It follows Ellie Cooper, an American in Beijing, suffering from PTSD and going through a divorce.  She goes on a journey across China in an attempt to help her artist lover and in the process deals with a lot of the pain she is suffering due to witnessing human rights violations while serving in Iraq.

Before I start, I want to reiterate that this blog isn't really about reviews.  I'm not looking to write about the same aspects of every book I read.  This blog is my encounter with reading and writing.  I think I sometimes have a tendency to come off as negative, because the things that don't quite sit with me are the things I want to discuss.

I want to say that I really, really enjoyed this book.  It was beautifully written.  The main character was engaging even before we learned the back story that turned her into a raging bitch.  It was set in China and felt like home, instead of some place I have never visited.  That's hard to do, but I think it worked for Brackman, because she would mention unique details in a way that assumed the reader already knew them.

But I didn't get it.  The story seemed so much larger and Ellie's emotional transformation didn't seem poignant enough for her small part to seem satisfying.  Maybe it's a Chinese thing that I'm missing, but I couldn't understand why the Chinese government and the independent American security companies were so interested in Ellie's artist boyfriend.  The answers given in the novel didn't feel like answers.

Still, I'll be picking up Brackman's next novel.