I’m getting married

Published on July 23, 2010 in reading is delicious Tags: , , , , , . ______________________________________

…err. Well, I’m already married. But I mean BOOK married.

Like I found a faithful, trustworthy friend who knows about magic and romance and laughs and charm and delight and green slime and weed killer and PLOT TWISTS.

And you know I like all those things.

sigh.

Allow me to introduce you (I think many of you have already met):

THANK YOU SO MUCH to Sandy Shin and Kari, who were genius enough to recommend this amazing book that I can’t believe I never read before.

It is now on my shelf of ABSOLUTE FAVORITES.

So clever, so witty, so unexpected…I could go on and on.

I hope you add it to your TBR list.

Also, look at this cover that doesn’t do the book any justice:

Seriously, just stick with the cover at the top of the post. That one’s more like the story. (But the story’s even better.)

Have a great weekend!

-M♥lly

5 Comments

Seriously, pay me to do this…please.

Published on July 21, 2010 in reading is delicious and Writing Tags: , , , . ______________________________________

I’m working on my new beginning for my manuscript. This means lots of  bike rides and showers are in order, since those are the only activities that seem to get my brain in super-hyperdrive-creative mode.

Otherwise, I’ve been reading.

Have I told you how much I love reading?

Ahhhhh…reading. 

Reading at stoplights.
Reading in the drive-thru.
Reading when you're waiting on a train.
Reading while someone else is driving.
Reading when I should be sleeping.

I wish my job was to wake up every morning, make some tea, sit on my porch and READ.

If you would like to hire me to do this, I have an extensive reading resume. lol. I seriously drive to work thinking, “How can I earn a living by reading in my pajamas?”

You could do it, too. We could form a Readers Union, requiring benefits and chocolate and tea.

We could go to lunch at bistros and cafes and read! And then we wouldn’t look silly for sitting at a table by ourselves! And maybe the waiter wouldn’t feel sorry for us and ask us what we’re reading and then we could avoid an awkward situation!

See how great it could be???

I think we should make it happen.

Okay–well, I have to get to work…so, uh, see ya around.

Have a great day!

-M♥lly

9 Comments

Mistwood Review

Published on July 19, 2010 in reading is delicious Tags: , , , . ______________________________________

I’m on a role: two great books I LOVED in one week! The first was THE BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE: THE SHADOWS, and you can read my review here.

The second book is MISTWOOD by Leah Cypess. This was recommended by author Heather McCorkle, and something about her recommendation made me just go buy the book rather than get it from the library. I’m so glad I did.

MISTWOOD is a book for people who like Fantasy, you know the whole otherworld/special powers/heroic characters thing, without the 600 pages of world building.

That’s one of my favorite things about this book–it gets to the point. You totally know exactly what this story’s world looks like and who the characters are–without pages dripping with detail. Leah Cypess is supposedly a debut author, but as I was reading, I felt like the text had been crafted by a confident storyteller.

You’ve got: Misty woods (hence the title), constant mystery, a rambling castle, mistaken identity, a shape changer, courtly manipulations and intrigue, evil magicians, good magicians, oh-my-gosh-which-side-are-you-on characters, a strong female protagonist, and PLOT TWISTS.

Plenty of plot twists–which I like.

And, because I’m a nerd, I have to admit that there is this cool font they use for the title and chapters and page numbers that is like something out of a fairy tale mixed with something sci-fi-ish. I really liked it.

*clears throat* anyway…

I read on some other reviews that people felt constantly confused by this book. I disagree.
Sure, you don’t know exactly where things are going, because you’re experiencing the story as the characters do, BUT you still know what’s going on when you get there. It’s not like the descriptions or events are confusing. You’re just constantly trying to unravel the mystery surrounding the shape shifter aka the Shifter.

I give it 5 hearts out of 5. Go read it!

♥♥♥♥♥

Hope you had a great weekend.

-M♥lly

5 Comments

Please tell me you do this…

Published on July 16, 2010 in Writing Tags: , , . ______________________________________

So I went on an adventure last night:

A six mile bike ride through the wilderness of suburbia. All by myself.

Maybe I got lost. Maybe I have a good sense of direction, but maybe that doesn’t help anything if the streets curve back on themselves like an evil labyrinth.

Maybe I started singing to myself unconsciously, because I like to sing, and then I realized that people were outside in their yards and on their porches and they could hear me. Maybe that was a bit embarrassing.

Regardless, it was fun.

But I noticed that when I’m not writing or reading or singing, particularly when my brain is in the zone (like during activities such as BIKING), I catch myself narrating stories in my head.

Usually my own story. I think, If a fictional tale loosely based off of my life were written starting from this moment, how would I word the beginning? And then I start narrating it in my head.

Other times, I see people and make up their story, or a random character pops in my head and I make up a story for them.

Do you catch yourself doing this as well? It was pretty fun narrating to my own brain on the bike ride last night, but it also made me wonder if I’m just a liiitttle crazy.

nah.

Have a beautiful weekend!!

-M♥lly

8 Comments

The Books of Elsewhere–The Shadows

Published on July 14, 2010 in reading is delicious Tags: , , , , , , . ______________________________________

Okay, so I really am in love today.

Really this time!

Last night I finished up THE BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE: THE SHADOWS, and ohmigosh it was good.

It’s one of those books where the adult in me thinks, (cue high-pitched nasally adult voice)  “Oh, I really like this story. What nice atmosphere. How unique,” and the kid in me is like, (cue my real voice) “Ahhh! That’s scary. Wow—cool. I want to do that! She did what? The end? Where’s the next book!?!?”

I was lucky enough to interview the author, Jacqueline West, HERE.


THE SHADOWS is a fast paced read set in Olive Dunwoody’s new home—a crumbling Victorian house brimming with rooms to explore and curiosities to discover. Her slightly absent minded, but brilliantly (and hilariously) mathematical parents have no clue what kinds of secrets their home holds. Olive, however, finds herself unraveling a dark and deadly mystery, aided only by three cats and a bratty boy.

Atmosphere: Really old house with hidden rooms, paintings you can travel through, cool old spectacles, creepy basements, that prickle at the back of your neck when you know something’s not right, overgrown backyards, nosey neighbors, and cats with attitude. In a word: awesome.

Language: Jacqueline West is also an award winning poet, and she has this beautiful knack for clear, concise, and completely unique description. There’s also lots of witty dialogue that kept me smiling and laughing throughout the book.

If you’re looking for a fun Middle Grade read, you should seriously check this book out. There’s also a pretty cool website for the book that includes sample chapters and clips from the audiobook: www.thebooksofelsewhere.com

Definitely 5 out of 5 hearts for this book:

♥♥♥♥♥

Have a great day!

-M♥lly

6 Comments

so maybe I overreacted…

Published on July 12, 2010 in reading is delicious Tags: , . ______________________________________

Yesterday this was me:

(Girl sits on porch during thunderstorm, her feet propped up on the iron railing. She has a book in her hand and three tears running down her cheek.)

*closes book*

*sighs*

*reopens book and rereads last three pages*

*sighs*

(Boy has been sitting in chair next to her, asleep. He hears book close and tries to pretend like he was awake the whole time.)

Boy: So was the book good?

Girl: It was…hmmm. *brushes away tears*

Boy: It was sad?

Girl: Well, it ended happy. I guess.

Boy: Hmmm. Want to ride bikes?

~~~

So then I went on a rainy bike ride and thought about the book and lived happily ever after (or something like that).

I guess I was a little disappointed.
I mean, I liked the book.
I liked the characters (for the most part).
I even dragged reading the book out, so it wouldn’t end.

But I just didn’t feel it all the way.

It’s like that date with your dream guy, only to find out he has chronic bad breath and he’s kinda mean to his dog. A lot of people would look over stuff like that because he’s hott, but I just didn’t feel like settling for anything less than I hoped for.

So I take back Wednesday’s post about being in love. I was almost in love.

I had a good time, book. It’s me, not you.

But it was a good book. Just not AH-MAY-ZING.

So, thanks to the great advice of agent Mary Kole, I will not reveal this book’s title, since I’m not saying the nicest things about it. But I will ask you if you’ve ever been really moved by a book that then let you down, resulting in you almost crying. (Well, maybe crying a little.) Or am I just too emotionally invested in the books I read? (Probably.) And I know I got your hopes up on Wednesday that I was going to reveal this super-amazing wonder-book, so I’m sorry–I will never again assume I’m in love until a book is good and over.

Anyways, I’m so over it. Hope you had an amazing weekend!!! Let me know if you found the one book…

-M♥lly

7 Comments

Beautiful Creatures

Published on July 8, 2010 in reading is delicious Tags: , , , , . ______________________________________

Why am I rocking the super-dark nail polish, you ask?

Easy. It’s a tribute to this book I read and liked. You may have heard of it:

*First off, this is not the book I was raving about Wednesday. I’m still not finished with that one. However, this is the book I read before I started reading Wednesday’s book. And I enjoyed it quite a lot. So much so that I painted my nails, as stated above.

The Bulgarian cover, which definitely captures some of that juicy atmosphere. I LOVE it.

This book is fresh–

I loved the narrator–a boy. He has this quiet strength and passion that seriously makes my heart flutter.

I REALLY liked a paranormal romance coming from the guy’s perspective. AND! Bonus! It really sounds like a guy, not a girl’s version of a guy. A real guy. Granted, a rare guy, but a real one.

This book has enough atmosphere to fill the hole in the ozone layer and then some–

Seriously. I think I am more in love with the atmosphere (steamy Carolinian humidity, mysterious and gorgeous plantation mansions, unique and crazy relatives, magic, mythology, underground libraries, etc.) than I am with Ethan (the guy narrator).

I have to admit that I wasn’t as impressed with the girl as I would have wished, but I’m holding out hope for her and I will definitely be checking out the next book: BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS. That was really the only thing that bothered me.
I loved the tension, I loved the hero, I loved the mystery.

A necklace from the story. One that reminds me a LOT of one I had in middle school. Maybe it’s time to revive it bc it’s just soooo cool.

Thanks to everyone who recommended this cool book. And double thanks to Tessa Gratton, who created a fantabulous contest that included BEAUTIFUL CREATURES as one of the prizes. (Which I won. Yay!)

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***I HOPE to review another inspiring book on Monday. See ya soon!

.

-M♥lly

7 Comments

caught me

Published on July 7, 2010 in reading is delicious Tags: , , . ______________________________________

LUNCH, ANYONE??? Take me here. Please. Photo by Thor Dekov Buur

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.

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FINALLY,

one of those books I can’t put down!!

So I’m reading this book. It’s an original spin on something old, possibly something overdone. But it’s so fresh. The characters are so untypical. The prose is so entrancing at times. I seriously already teared up, just because I like it so much. Not cause it’s sad.

Right now I’m in love. I’m counting down the hours until my lunch break. Until I get to dive in and savor some more.

I’ve been here before. I’ve been let down because a book doesn’t follow through with the characters or the the theme or the mood. But I have faith in this book. If it is still just as tasty by the end, I will let you know on Friday.

Thanks for all of your recommendations. I’ve gotten some really fun, interesting, amazing books by taking your advice.

I can’t wait to read them all!!!

Seriously, if I could get paid to sit/lay/walk around and read–well, I’d probably be dreaming.

What about you–any amazing reads lately?

-M♥lly

10 Comments

reviseitis

Published on July 5, 2010 in Writing Tags: , , , , . ______________________________________

hmmm…
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.
*yawns* *stretches*
.

*hums “O What a Beautiful Morning…”*

.

Oops

Image by Maurizio Polese. Somewhere I would like to go to recuperate.

It’s Monday, isn’t it?

Huh.

Well, it doesn’t feel like one. Maybe that’s why I forgot to blog.

But I remembered!!! yay!

So, briefly, here’s my revision recuperation:


let me know if you’ve come up with anything better–

  • read Hex Hall
  • eat food at Grandparents’ (A LOT OF FOOD)
  • go tubing on the lake– I AM THE BEST AT TUBING. NO ONE CAN FLIP ME OFF THAT THING!!! YOU SHOULD GO WITH  ME NEXT TIME!!!
  • go canoeing– let’s just say I sat in the front and enjoyed the scenery while Kissyface steered from the back and it was WONDERFUL.
  • read Beautiful Creatures
  • work on crit buddy’s critique
  • sit on the porch and maybe read Shiver (if there’s time)

and I allllllmost feel ready to start re-revising. Which I will tomorrow.

I highly recommend the above activities or similar ones to anyone recuperating from reviseitis (inflammation of the revision).

If you have successfully found a cure/balm/respite from reviseitis, please do share.

-M♥lly

8 Comments

Okay, so I said I wouldn’t blog–

Published on June 30, 2010 in Writing Tags: . ______________________________________

BUT I’M DONE!! 12:10 BAYbay!!!

Yes, another revision is on the near horizon (I don’t think there is such a thing as a near horizon, but it’s 12:11 now and whatnot) and my beginning and ending must be reworked, which means my middle will need some adjusting…but. This was a pretty darn big revision, so I’m releived/proud/ready to vege and read/ready to keep working/ready to sllllleeeepppp.

Oh, speaking of which, let me tell you about my experience tonight:

I knew I was already tired.

I didn’t want to nod off in my revisions and not hit my goal.

I begged Kissy face to run to the gas station and buy me a 5 hour energy shot,

which I have never tried, but always wondered about.

Drank half of said energy shot.

Gagged.

Tried to swallow.

Gagged.

Got it down.

10:30 pm — Stomach starts spasming and cramping!!!! Change to present tense for dramatic effect.

10:35 pm — Decide to type in the bathroom. Just in case.

11:00 pm — I’m getting close to being done with my revision. Hurrah!!! Why do I feel so funny???

11:30 pm — Notice I’m drooling while typing. Try to regain control of my mouth muscles.

11:45 pm — Start to shake reeeeealllllly bad. Pet my own hair and promise myself that we’ll never drink those evil energy shots ever again, will we precioussssss???

12:10 am — YAY! Revision pretty much done.

12:10.5 am — Sadly realize that my brain doesn’t feel like sleeping, despite my eyelid’s protests.

12:11 am — Decide to write stupid blog post I will probably regret.

12:18 am — Finish blog post. Say “screw revision,” submit unrevised blog post, and swallow benadryll (sp???) to counteract HORRIBLE AWFUL SHOULD BE ILLEGAL energy shot.

I love you all. SSSSSeriously. ♥

9 Comments