exhausted?

CHECK

Brain stuffed with good books?

CHECK

Brain also stuffed with bad books, but knowing full well what they did and how to avoid it. Or maybe, also, um…good books with just a few awkward moments that can probably be avoided now that you know why they were awkward?

CHECK YEAH

Committed to two week book-fast, wherein ABSOLUTELY NO FICTION READING IS ALLOWED because you’ll be busy writing something worth reading?!!

*sigh*

check.

OKAY, now go write write write, little bird. And fly fly fly. Share your dreams with the world. Be bold. Be brave.

Or don’t. I don’t care as long as you WRITE.

-M♥lly

1. I LOVE the library.

2. I LOVE my new home even though it’s constantly a disaster area from all the remodeling and stuff, but I have a back deck and I planted pots of flowers on it and it is the best place to read and write ever!

3. There may be a skydiving trip in the works this summer. One of my goals is going to get ticked off the list.

Hope everyone is doing awesome.

-M♥lly

So I’m at one of those terrible yet blessed moments at work where the accounting program that I practically live out of has completely crashed. We’ve been running tests for hours trying to make sure our data is all intact. I’ve run out of papers to push in the meantime, and so I started daydreaming about you, blog-world.

We haven’t spoken in so long!

I do lurk around some of my favorite blogs sometimes, but I’ve pretty much had to extinguish my blogging for now because I wanted to get my perspective back and not live on a computer any more than I had to for work and writing.

While I’ve been gone, I’ve bought a house, started remodeling it, brainstormed another story, read a million books (mayhaps a slight exaggeration) , finally figured out how to read Dickensian sentence-paragraphs without getting lost, and grown up a lot. (Still so far to go!!!)

I still absolutely dream about being a writer, and I’m pretty sure it will happen–I guess I’ve just been soaking up a little more life to put in my fiction.

So, as if you asked, here is my new to-do list for 2011:

1. Outline my new story like I’ve never outlined before

2. Write my new story

3. Go skydiving

4. Decorate my house

5. Take lessons at something, perhaps guitar (self taught and not that good) or Spanish

6. Sell something I made. Maybe a painting, maybe some jewlery, maybe some refurb’d furniture, but something

7. Focus on putting others first and spend more time getting to know my Creator. (My favorite way to do this is to be OUTDOORS!!!)

There, perfect 7. And now it’s out there, on the internet, so I can’t take it back.

Thanks for listening, blog-world.

♥

MOCKINJAY by (do I really have to say it…you already know) Suzanne Collins

Can I be honest here? I’ve had this book for like a week and I totally haven’t touched it. I did the same thing with the last Harry Potter book. I don’t want it to end.

MATCHED by Ally Condie

For some reason this book has me so interested — a society where your choices are predicted and controlled and there’s a love triangle somehow?? It doesn’t come out until November, but I really want to see how the plot turns out. Such an intriguing concept.

PARANORMALCY by Kiersten White

LOOOOOVE the concept of this book. Working for the International Paranormal Containment Agengcy???  I’m in. And I’m ordering it from Amazon on payday–which is tomorrow! Can’t wait.

And since my dear kARi always does that fun “What’s in my mailbox” post, I figured I’d share my most recent deliveries:

INCARERON by Catherine Fisher

Okay, so I’m halfway through this book and I’m really liking the plot. It’s like you know what’s coming, but that’s much too simple–so what’s around the next corner?? Plus the imagery and setting is soooooo cooooool. Dystopian Victorian???

THE WOLVES OF WILLOUGHBY CHASE by Joan Aiken

I haven’t read this one yet, but the Joan Aiken books I have read have stuck with me for their clarity and plot and interesting characters. This book is older, but I had to get it! Cruel governesses and wolves–need I say more??

THE DEATH (AND FURTHER ADVENTURES) OF SILAS WINTERBOTTOM: THE BODY THIEF by Stephen M. Giles

Oh, don’t try to act like that title didn’t intrigue you. Be honest. I can’t wait to start this book and it looks like a short fun read.

And I’m currently listening to:

FAIREST by Gail Carson Levine

Wow–this story is magnetic. I’m about 5/8ths through and I’m so wrapped up in the plot! Love the characters and the setting–kingdoms and magic mirrors and an ugly protagonist that you root for!!

I haven’t heard many full-cast audio books (every character has an actor doing their voice vs just one actor doing all the voices) so it takes some getting used to. That and there’s singing. Lots of singing. I’m starting to love it.

Oh yes, reviews are coming!!

-M♥lly

err…

The library put my account on hold! I was doing so good! Checking out books! Reading them quickly! Placing holds and returning them for the next person in line!

But now I’ve been lazy/greedy/busy/indifferent/criminal and piled up this gigantic mound of library materials to be returned!!!!

The horror!

Anyways, the library thinks I lost some stuff and they say it costs a lot of money. Thank goodness I know right where it is. Except for that one book…

How can I show my face there?

Oh well.

I’ll fix that TODAY! I’ll make the walk of shame up to the circulation desk and pay my dues. Yes sir, the check is in the mail. Wait, that’s Big Trouble in Little China. Once my contribution to the librarians’ paycheck has been made, I shall check out some more books, which potentially means more reviews. And I have some good books in mind…

So, this week I read Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation, the debut novel by Matt Myklusch.

You’ve got: Comic book-like fighting between good and evil, zombie robots, moving islands, superpowers, hence the superheroes, also bad guys that aren’t all bad, good guys that aren’t all good (which makes any story wonderful), and of course, our MC: a 12 yr old boy trying to figure out where he fits in with all of this.

Yep, I loved it. I think it’s a great book for kids who have a hard time getting into reading, because the story telling is really clear and simple–but the plot is full of wonderful fantasy and action elements, plus–a plot twist.

Oh, I love plots twists.

Also, the book looks thick, but thanks to plenty of white space, you move through it quickly, so reluctant readers can feel like, “Wow, I read all that?” and adults can enjoy it as a fast, fun, original read.

Check it out!

and have a great day,

-M♥lly

I’m reading.

Review coming this Wednesday, August 18th.

Isn’t the year going by fast?????

-M♥lly

summer 2010:::

work
bike rides
work
walks
work
reading
work
revising
work
work
work
sleep

Hope you’re having an amazing summer!!! Please let me know. I miss you.

Meanwhile, here’s something the cat drew during a meeting::

-me♥w

source: www.dangerousuniverse.com

Have you seen that movie?

It’s like my old pal, Jack Burton used to say…

Yes, sir, the check is in the mail…

Son of a b*tch must pay…

When I was younger, I loved that movie. It had this crazy antihero, girls with green eyes, a subterranean mansion/world, magic, and monsters. What’s not to like…?

Well, after Kissyface and I spent weeks convincing my family that it was the best movie ever, we decided to bring it over for some fun family entertainment.

I was embarassed.

I mean, it’s still cool. Kinda.

I didn’t like the characters so much. The special effects were cheesy. I didn’t understand half the motivations in the plot.

This brought me to three conclusions:

1. I must strive to flesh out my story so it never feels like a hollow, good idea that never got fully developed.
2. I must keep my story innovative and fresh, so people don’t read it twenty years from now and think, that’s so cheesy.
3. Sometimes you just have to love bad movies even though you secretly know they’re really bad.

Your thoughts?

-M♥lly

Only for a week!

I have to get some serious WRITING and READING done, and it’s not happening, so I’m changing my schedule up.

Feel free to leave me some funny jokes in the comments, I will probably need a good laugh.

Hope you’re all doing awesome.

-M♥lly