Eclectic Reader Challenge

I read a lot. I always have.

What I don't always do is read in many different genres. Sure, occasionally there will be a book someone suggests or lends me which falls outside the parameters of fantasy and science fiction, and I'll give it a go. But those are few and far between. (Actually Lily/Rat has been force-feeding me Jodi Picoult books for a couple years now and I'm enjoying them just fine. As long as they have happy endings. I will not read the sad ones.)

So today, when I came across the "Eclectic Reader Challenge" while wasting time on the interwebs, it seemed like the perfect way to get me reading something new.

The challenge is to read one book in each specified genre. The categories are:

• Translated fiction
• Historical mystery
• Romantic suspense
• Made into a movie
• New Adult
• Urban Fantasy
• Dystopian
• Memoir
• LGBT
• Action Adventure
• Humour
• Published in 2013

 Join in, if you'd like and have the time. And suggestions are welcome, particularly in categories I don't usually read (LGBT, Action adventure, Romantic suspense) or anything I don't already have a book listed for.

I have some ideas already for what I will read, which I will share here. And I'll offer some comments, if not a full review, after each book.

• Translated fiction - THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS, ISABEL ALLENDE
• Historical mystery - A MURDEROUS PROCESSION, ARIANA FRANKLIN
• Romantic suspense
• Made into a movie - The Silver Linings Playbook, or Sense and Sensibility. Or both.
• New Adult
• Urban Fantasy - MAGIC BITES, ILONA ANDREWS
• Dystopian
• Memoir -MAO'S LAST DANCER, LI CUNXIN
• LGBT
• Action Adventure
• Humor- SHADES OF GREY, JASPER FFORDE
• Published in 2013

From the Archives: Small Monkeys

Judging by the handwriting, dated somewhere around 7th or 8th grade.

Kira scrambled up the anchor-tree, her rope trailing behind her. She leaped from branch to branch, as nimble as a monkey. 

"Kira!" Jo'sun called from below. "Tie that up quick and get down here! We're due back soon - and don't break your neck doing monkey acrobatics, you're my lightest and smallest. I need you!"

Kira's laugh rang out. "Don't worry, jhan," she teased, lovingly insulting Jo'sun in her native Sha'ta, a desert language, "I'll come back unbroke!"

Jo'sun growled, cursing all small monkeys masquerading as humans with wicked humor. "Before I grow old, miss!"

Kira laughed again, tying the kite to a sturdy branch. "Done! And don't tell me I wasn't fast enough - I've seen Aktor try it." Kira dropped, landing in a crouch by Jo'sun's feet. "Besides, he can't do devil's tongue knots - he can't even tie a monkey's tail - and I can. So don't threaten me!"

"Oh no, I know better than that. But you don't pay for the food, so let's not use that high-and-mighty tone with- " He was interrupted by the clang of the great bell.

"Race you," called Kira, off and running. Jo'sun leaped astride her horse, and set off after her.

Thoughts:

• Kites tied to anchor-trees are somehow significant, with children used as climbers. I'm not certain if anchor-trees are real trees or just something tree-shaped. Also not sure what the kites are supposed to do - maybe some kind of wind magic?
• The lack of information here means that this would not be a great opening - random unexplained jargon drop - unless a little more description was added. Mystery is fine, but the reader needs some grounding.
• There are a lot of exclamation points - partially forgivable because Kira is excitable and, at least for the first part of the conversation, twenty feet up a tree (speaking of which, she got down that tree awfully fast). Got to indicate shouting somehow, I suppose...
• Gratuitous apostrophes. Could be justified for either Jo'sun's name or the Sha'ta language, but probably not both because Jo'sun is implied to be a native of wherever they are now. My gut is telling me to leave it in Sha'ta.
• Another Kira. Not sure why I repeat names so much.
• I only skimmed this before typing it up. As I was transcribing, I was totally convinced Jo'sun was a guy until that last sentence. Not sure which version I like better. (Oh, and now I see I had "he" in the previous sentence...)
• Conclusion: worth continuing when I get a chance. I'm curious about these kites. 

Review: Hunting by Andrea Host

I'm still getting the hang of writing reviews, so this is less a proper review and more my ramblings on the book.

Also posted on Goodreads.

I would rate it 4.5 stars if I could, but I enjoyed myself so much reading this book that I'm rounding up instead of down.

I bought Hunting on sale ($0.99) and it was more than worth the money. The world is inventive and feels fresh, the characters are generally well written, and the dialogue is funny.

I have a few quibbles with the book, one being that the motivations of the antagonists feel a bit murky to me, even after finishing. I don't quite follow the logic - and that's even more frustrating because I feel like it could all make sense if there was just a little more book to explore it. The ultimate antagonist was never really defeated, and if that avenue was just explored a little more...

The romance between the two main characters felt a bit rushed, again, something that could easily have been fixed with just a couple more chapters of angst.

Because the world/political system/religion was complex and unique I wanted a little bit more explanation. I muddled through and mostly got it by the end, but I would have liked to be clearer from the beginning.

It also just felt too short to me.  I finished the book wanting more.

Having said all that, I thoroughly enjoyed Hunting and will certainly seek out more of Ms. Host's work

In which I venture slightly into publishing and purchase some empty boxes

Greetings. Gosh it's been a while, hasn't it? Thanks to Bill for the poking.

A lot is going on in my life right now, most of it terribly mundane. I am cleaning and reorganizing my room (hence the empty boxes - a trip to the Container Store is on the list for today). I am starting not one but two summer jobs, both of which require obscene amounts of paperwork to be completed. And blood tests. I am trying new things to get my skin to clear up (the great bane of my college years. Seriously, I made it through all of high school with no problems and now acne armageddon). I am walking the dog, and making my bed, and dusting the living room, and reading books.

And I am writing.

Not too long ago I joined one of the most lovely writing groups around. I am fortunate enough to get to participate in their latest short story anthology and we are currently coming up on the end of the first critiquing period. I'm gearing up for revisions, as it's looking like a pretty significant restructuring. Eventually the anthology will be self-pubbed and I'll put up a link when it is.

I haven't forgotten about Princess, either - I'm still hashing out plot points for the middle of the book and working up my courage to begin writing in earnest. This novel, I will finish.

Dangnabbit, Bria!

I've been away for a while, and it's for two reasons, primarily.

1. I've been furiously outlining the novel.

Yes, outlining! Postit flags! Scribbles! Rearrangements! Reworkings of plot! It's super exciting.

2. I've been furiously studying for midterms.

This one is not as fun. But unfortunately necessary in order to not fail at life.

So while outlining, I've discovered a couple of things. The most significant is that I have a whole bunch of characters who are in the first quarter of the book and the last quarter of the book and completely disappear in the middle.

Also, while there's a lot that has to happen in Kel's journey, there still is not enough to carry the entire center of the book on its own. There are two many slower-paced plot points, lots of internal conflict. and it would be good to have something a bit more actiony to contrast it. Also, I think if I show the effects of separation on the sisters from both sides it will make the [spoiler alert] eventual reunion more impactful. The readers will care about Bria just as much as they care about Kel...hopefully. Especially because eventually there will be a second book and Bria will have a much bigger part.

[I'm going to interrupt this blog post to make a note to myself because I just realized something - if I continue as planned I will have the girls apart for two books...I should probably then keep them together during the third book, maybe even a good chunk of the second. Ooh, and then I can show how all that time apart, especially for Bria, has changed them and they can fight and grow apart and have to repair their relationship...oh this is excellent]

Showing more of the Hound means we lose the shock of the "twist", but he's an interesting, complex character and I think the trade off is worth it.

Also Bria is quite insistent that she wants a bigger role. She's a very vivacious little girl and refuses to disappear for half a book. I might add that originally she was supposed to have an even smaller role than she does not. She's gone from very much a peripheral character to a viewpoint character!

The World is a Funny Place

The other day in Archeology class, the guest lecturer was presenting his research around Taos in the Rio Grande gorge. Many of the slides were pictures of students in cowboy hats but there were also lots of images of rock art.

One of  the rock art panels had an image on it: a small circle inside a larger circle, with squiggly lines radiating between them.

It looks exactly like something I sketched for Princess.

It gave me some ideas for how to reveal important magic-system information in the second book.

In the meantime, I should get back to the first book, since I haven't written that one yet (but I'm starting soon!!)...

The End

And that, my friends, is the story of Marvin the Caterpillar and his one true love, Luna the butterfly.