Tag: books

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2017 Resolutions

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I heard Dr. Henry Cloud speak last night and he said something I really appreciated:

If you want your life to be different, it’s a good idea to sit down and figure out what you want that different to look like. You need vision.

Such a simple statement, but I think this is something that can easily be forgotten at the beginning of the year when we’re all setting our resolutions. It has to be more than just, “I want to have x accomplished,” it’s about clarifying your ultimate goals and then identifying the small/attainable steps you can make in the short, medium, and long term to get there. To use an example: Losing weight can’t be the goal—that’s a step toward an ultimate goal of something else and you need to be able to identify what that ultimate goal is or you’ll lose motivation.

And so that’s why goal casting is always a really big deal to me. I don’t just randomly make goals and throw them into the air hoping something sticks. I’m purposeful about what I want, what I need, and realistically what I can accomplish in a given set of time. So that being said, I have 7 goals this year:

  1. Hike 5 Texas State Parks with my family
  2. Finish revising TSBTS
  3. Draft/Revise historical adventure
  4. Write “Lyric’s story” (a MG novella for my daughter)
  5. Read one published book a week
  6. Finish getting out of debt (so close!)
  7. At least 4 family meals around the table a week

Things that aren’t goals, but are lifestyle changes I would like to see happen include becoming more disciplined about my writing time and drinking more water.

Things that I am putting into the universe that I would LOVE to have happen (but of which I have no control): selling a manuscript (or more!) and getting a promotion at work.

Let’s do this 2017!

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My 2016 Books in Review

I’m joining in on Jamie’s End of the Year Survey! 

There are few things in life more important to a writer than reading amazing books from other writers. It was Stephen King who said, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time to write.” How true this is!

Reading is fuel and I’m happy to say that in addition to all the incredible unpublished manuscripts I read this year, I also hit my goal of reading at least 1 published book a week. Go me!

 

Number Of Books You Read: 54
Number of Re-Reads: 9
Genre You Read The Most From: YA Fantasy

 

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1. Best Book You Read In 2016?

 

A COURT OF MIST AND FURY BY SARAH J. MAAS

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

STAR WARS: CATALYST (TOO SLOW)

 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?  

SIX OF CROWS

 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

A COURT OF MIST AND FURY – I TOTALLY HAVE SEVERAL “RELUCTANT READER” FRIENDS OBSESSED WITH THE SERIES NOW.

 5. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?

BEST SERIES I STARTED: WINNER’S CURSE TRILOGY

BEST SEQUEL: A COURT OF MIST AND FURY

BEST SERIES ENDER: MORNING STAR

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?

JENNIFER LYNN BARNES

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

THE COMPLETE PERSEPOLIS BY MARJANE SATRAPI

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

ILLUMINAE AND GEMINA

 9. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

A COURT OF MIST AND FURY OR EMPIRE OF STORMS

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?

MADNESS SO DISCREET

11. Most memorable character of 2016?

SEFIA FROM THE READER BY TRACI CHEE

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?

MADNESS SO DISCREET

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016?

SALT TO THE SEA

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read? 

SIX OF CROWS

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2016? 

THAT’S EASY, IT’S FROM THE READER: “Once there was, and one day there will be. This is the beginning of every story.” ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2016?

SHORTEST: FAIREST (LUNAR CHRONICLES)

LONGEST: EMPIRE OF STORMS

 

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

 

COURT OF MIST AND FURY

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)

RHYSAND AND FEYRE FOOOORRRRREEEEEVVVVEEEERRRRRR

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

MANON AND AELIN

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

MADNESS SO DISCREET BY MINDY MCGINNIS

21. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

FALLING KINGDOMS

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2016?

RHYSAND

23. Best 2016 debut you read?

THE READER OR SUFFER LOVE

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

BLOOD ROSE REBELLION

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

OUR LADY JANE

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?

BETWEEN SHADES OF GREY

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

THE FIXER

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

SALT TO THE SEA OR BETWEEN SHADES OF GREY (DANG YOU RUTA!)

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2016?

ILLUMINATE AND GEMINA

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

EMPIRE OF STORMS

 

looking-ahead-books-2015

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017?

THE BRIDGE BY JILL COX IS NEXT UP ON MY READING LIST!

 

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2017 (non-debut)?

A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN

3. 2017 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

THE HATE YOU GIVE

 4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2017?

ILLUMINAE #3 OR A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN (WILL COMPLETE THE TRILOGY)

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2017?

STAY UP WITH READING ONE PUBLISHED BOOK A WEEK!

6. A 2017 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

BLOOD ROSE REBELLION

 

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Book Recommendation: Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry

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Hardcover, 336 pages Expected publication: March 14th 2017 by Feiwel & Friends

Summary:

A girl with Tourette syndrome starts a new school and tries to hide her quirks in this debut middle-grade novel in verse.

Calliope June has Tourette syndrome. Sometimes she can’t control the noises that come out of her mouth, or even her body language. When she and her mother move yet again, she tries to hide her TS. But soon the kids in her class realize she’s different. Only her neighbor, who is also the class president, sees her as she truly is—a quirky kid, and a good friend. But is he brave enough to take their friendship public?

As Callie navigates school, she must also face her mother’s new relationship and the fact that she might be moving again—just as she’s starting to make friends and finally accept her differences. This story of being true to yourself will speak to a wide audience.

My Thoughts:

I’ve never read a novel in verse before and now I want to read more! This was beautiful, witty, emotional and with a voice that sucks you in from page one! LOVED this book!

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Book Recommendation: Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves

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Hardcover, 416 pages Expected publication: March 28th 2017 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister’s debutante spell—an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic—Anna finds herself exiled to her family’s once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary.

Her life might well be over.

In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noémi to the fierce and handsome Romani Gábor. Not the society she’s known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can’t seem to stop herself from breaking spells.

As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna’s unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and Romanies, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she’s always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever.

My Thoughts:

I got this book on an ARC tour and let me tell you, it is AMAZING!

It has all you can want from a YA fantasy. A rich and detailed setting, a slow burning yet sizzling romance, a magical system that is intricate yet understandable, a fast-paced plot that will keep you up into the wee hours of the night (trust me, it happened), and characters you just completely fall in love with. More than that, it tackles issues of prejudice and bias in such a thoughtful and powerful way. It did not feel like a debut book on any level. This series is going to be a classic in the years to come! I can’t wait to read and I 10000000% will recommend this book to anyone! Definitely one of my favorite reads this year!