tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27294544671942633922024-03-13T22:53:54.259-07:00Word StormRead more Adventures, Discover the Unexplored, Write the Fantastical, and Embrace the RainAzelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.comBlogger297125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-65030165482745552232023-12-31T10:00:00.000-08:002023-12-31T10:00:00.138-08:002023 Books in Review<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>Wow, what a year! Working a full-time job absolutely destroyed my reading
goals. While I didn’t read as many books as I would have liked, I did find a
newfound enjoyment for audiobooks during my long commute. Hoopla has so many
great options!</span
>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>Also, this year saw inflation in the prices of books.
<u>Now is the time to buy hardcovers that are already printed</u>. They
might just be cheaper than the paperback editions coming out next
year.</span
>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet; text-indent: 0in;"> </span>
</p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Goal Type: 700+ pages</span></b>
</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>Do I look like I have the time to read a 700-page novel when most of the
books I’ve read this year have been graphic novels? Hahahaha! Nope. Does
finishing <i>The Count of Monte Cristo</i> this year count? I know I listed
it as last year’s book, but technically I finished it this January, so I’m
counting it.<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span>
</p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">
<b
><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>Goal Type: Published in 2023 (aka the Year of Sanderson)</span
></b
>
</h3>
<p
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>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
><u
>If you think the names of the secret projects should be kept secret, feel
free to skip this section</u
>. I’ve been working my way through all of Sanderson’s secret projects, so
it’s difficult to say one is better than another. I finished
<i>The Lost Metal</i> this winter. Though it wasn’t my favorite
<i>Mistborn</i> book, it was a fitting end to Era 2. <o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p
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>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>I started on the secret projects shorty after they released.
<i>Tress of the Emerald Sea</i> was the only one I’ve read in printed form.
Having Hoid as the narrator was hilarious, but what I really enjoyed were
the characters.<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p
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>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>Then I started listening to
<i>The Frugal Wizard’s Guide to Surviving Medieval England</i> on audiobook.
I must say, I like the narrators! Five stars. Would listen to again, though
I’m still disappointed I can’t have a dimension full of talking bananas.
Sigh… While not everybody may agree with me about the book’s merit, it was
what I needed at the time I read it. I had a good laugh!<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p
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>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>Then I read <i>Yumi and the Nightmare Painter</i>. This. Book. Seriously,
this story was the one I needed while I was reading it. I was getting really
discouraged from one of the writers at my writing group who kept suggesting
AI could replace writers. But one of the main themes of
<i>Yumi and the Nightmare Painter</i> is that art is about intent, human
intent and expression. And I just— asdfghjkkl! Thank you, Sanderson. I
needed to hear that.<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p
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>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>Finally, during Christmas break, my sister and I listened to The Sunlit
Man, which was a roller-coaster of a book from start to finish. Seriously,
the plot did not let up and the entire story took place over the course of
two days. I needed a breather after that.<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p
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>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>No, I never did mention which of these books was the best. I liked them all
for different reasons.<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span>
</p>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span>
<p></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">
<b
><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>Goal Type: Recommended by a Friend</span
></b
>
</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>Throughout the year, I started but didn’t finish three recommendations.
Welp, I tried.<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span>
</p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Goal Type: Classics</span></b>
</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>Watch me count <i>The Count of Monte Cristo </i>twice! Started in 2022,
finished in 2023. Such a complex, dynamic story! Every chapter was necessary
to the plot, and I’d like to see this one adapted into a series rather than
a movie.<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>My sister got me into the <i>Epic: The Musical</i> by Jorge Rivera-Herrans,
so I had to went on an <i>Odyssey</i> spree. This one took me the longest
simply because the introduction was so long, and I kind of forgot to read it
because it opens with Telemachus instead of Odysseus. I’m still working my
way through it…<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span>
</p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Goal: Historical Fiction</span></b>
</h3>
<p
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style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0in;"
>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>Guys! I found another historical fiction writer! Meet June Hur. I’ve been
working my way through ALL of her books since I read and devoured her latest
release <i>The Red Palace</i>. Relatable, well-developed characters? Check.
Page-turning suspense? Check. A setting that isn’t worn out and overdone?
Check. A murder mystery set in Korea based on the story of an actual person?
Check.<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p
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>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>I later went on to read <i>The Forest of Stolen Girls</i>, and while I
didn’t enjoy it as much, I did appreciate the sister dynamic and the lack of
romance. Not every story needs it!<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p
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>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>As for middle grade books, I officially read
<i>The Witch of Blackbird Pond</i> three times this year alone. Once before
class, and once with two different classes. As far as historical merit and
good writing goes, this one takes the cake! There are still plenty of other
books I have read with my classes, but this one has been the one I enjoyed
most this year. I particularly like how it addresses confronting stereotypes
and the ways politics and religion can shape the way a person behaves.<o:p
></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p
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>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>Then I also started rereading one of my all-time favorite series:
<i>Anne of Green Gables</i>. <o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span>
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
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</div>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span>
<p></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
><b>Goal Type: English Translations</b></span
>
</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
><i>Journey to the West: The Monkey King’s Amazing Adventures </i>retold by
Timothy Richard—translated from Chinese. The writing style was rather bland,
but as a student of literature, I found the book to be fascinating.<o:p
></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
><i>How Do You Live?</i> by Genzaburo Yoshino—translated from Japanese by
Bruno Navasky. Absolutely delightful. Philosophical, entertaining, and
introspective. We’re going to get a Studio Ghibli film based on this book,
which I look forward to!<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span>
</p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Goal Type: Poetry</span></b>
</h3>
<p
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style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 0in;"
>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>I haven’t read as much poetry as I would have liked to, but that’s okay.
<i>The Select Poems of Tu Fu</i> helped me better understand classical
poetic tradition as well as a small portion of the history of China. It’s
amazing how many of the poems are relatable and how the imagery is so
vivid.<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p
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>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>I’m also <i>slowly</i> working my way through <i>The Odyssey</i>, which is
written in verse. I don’t care for the translations that turn it into prose.
Give me the originals, or as close to it as you can get with a
translation.<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span>
</p>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span>
<p></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Goal Type: Indie Published</span></b>
</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
><i>Blade of Ash</i> by C.F.E. Black—an enjoyable story, although I don’t
remember much of it. The characters were well-developed, but I wish there
could have been more development of the plot and the world.<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
><i>Legends & Lattes</i> by Travis Baldree—absolutely delightful! I
described this to my sister as a post-D&D story, and she devoured it as
soon as I finished. A former adventuring orc goes on a quest to open a
coffee shop. People come together. New recipes are discovered. A slice of
life in a fantasy setting, and I enjoyed every bit of it! Now I want to go
work in a coffee shop…<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span>
</p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">
<b
><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>Goal Type: Books with Movie Adaptations
</span></b
>
</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
><i>Nimona</i> by N.D. Stevenson—I reread this one twice this year, once
before the movie came out and again afterward to do some more thorough
comparison. The movie was a completely different story, and even some of the
characters were different. I still enjoy the book more, but the movie has
elements that I enjoyed that you don’t get in the book, like more of
Nimona’s motivation and backstory.<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
><i>Foundation</i> by Isaac Asimov—This one is often recommended as a sci-fi
read, and some of the concepts went over my
. Overall, it was
fascinating even if none of the characters were particularly likeable. I
have yet to watch the adaptation.<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span>
</p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">
<b
><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>Goal Type: Alphabet Challenge with a Friend</span
></b
>
</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>Did not happen. Whoops.<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span>
</p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">8/10 Book Types</span></b>
</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span>
</p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Other Notable Books</span></b>
</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
><i>The Castle School for Troubled Girls</i> by Alyssa B. Sheinmel<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
><i>Gallant</i> by V.E. Schwab<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
><i>System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)</i> by Martha Wells<o:p
></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
><i>Braking Day</i> by Adam Oyebanji<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p
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style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"
>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
</p>
<h4
style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"
>
<b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Other Bookish News…</span></b>
</h4>
<p
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style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"
>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"
>As I’m approaching the next stages in writing, I’m going to start looking
for critique partners and beta readers, so stay tuned if you’re looking for
a sneak peak at some sci-fi or fantasy!<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p
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style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"
>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Happy reading!<o:p></o:p></span>
</p>
<p
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>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;">***</span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"
>Let’s chat! Do we have any reads in common? Did you read any of Sanderson’s
secret projects? Have you read many of the books that served as the basis
for Studio Ghibli movies?<o:p></o:p
></span>
</p>
<p
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>
<span style="font-family: arial;"></span>
</p>
<p
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>
<span style="font-family: arial;"
><u><span face='"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif'>Similar posts</span></u
><span face='"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif'
>:
<a
href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2023/01/2023-reading-resolutions.html"
><span style="color: #2b00fe;">2023 Reading Resolutions</span></a
>,
<a
href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/11/8-books-i-bought-because-of-cover.html"
><span style="color: #2b00fe;"
>8 Books I Bought Because of the Cover</span
></a
>, and
<a
href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/10/7-more-of-my-go-to-authors.html"
><span style="color: #2b00fe;">7 More of my Go-To Authors</span></a
></span
></span
>
</p>
<p></p>
Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-65448012684617068102023-01-15T10:00:00.059-08:002023-01-15T10:00:00.151-08:002023 Reading Resolutions<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Last
year, I jokingly told one of my friends about my reading ambitions: “I like to
start off the year with a bunch of reading goals. Then I’ll spend the rest of
the year avoiding those goals.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">While
not entirely true, sometimes it feels like that. Each year, I like to challenge
myself, but I also like my goals achievable. This year, I’m changing it up a
bit. Instead of a certain number of books types, I’m just doing book types. We
shall see how many of each I’ll read.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Pe4Oo1BLNE9xHIS6i_j8hUskRfnYH-u7l0DEdZ5LwfODh3E5L2trD6aYJQPzQofrAv9Lv0NL135LQhk1DvA3ovVa15HEqXm0_qJ5e5llvgEaikNvjB0Bt9O_Q4yngMqHsaz1yVdaXqWFHIX2LnUggKHgwNMkj9wYfT0LLoFtw8_rR9i2zah_dEJnXQ/s1050/2023%20Reading%20Resolutions.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1050" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Pe4Oo1BLNE9xHIS6i_j8hUskRfnYH-u7l0DEdZ5LwfODh3E5L2trD6aYJQPzQofrAv9Lv0NL135LQhk1DvA3ovVa15HEqXm0_qJ5e5llvgEaikNvjB0Bt9O_Q4yngMqHsaz1yVdaXqWFHIX2LnUggKHgwNMkj9wYfT0LLoFtw8_rR9i2zah_dEJnXQ/w640-h640/2023%20Reading%20Resolutions.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Goal
Type: 700+ pages</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">One
year, I said I’d read a book 1,000 or more pages, and only made it to 700 pages.
Every year since then, I set my goal to 700 and I’ve made it past 1,000. I make
no sense.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><u>On my
list</u>:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The
Priory of the Orange Tree </i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">(still)
by Samantha Shannon</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Goal
Type: Published in 2023</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">New
releases! Aside from Brandon Sanderson’s secret projects, I’m not really sure
what’s coming out this year…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><u>On my
list</u>:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The
Stolen Heir</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> by
Holly Black</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The
Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill </i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">by
Rowenna Miller</span></span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Secret
Project #1 by Brandon Sanderson</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Goal
Type: Recommended by a Friend</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">A lot of
times, I seek out the same types of stories, and sometimes they can get
tedious. I don’t want to get stuck in a reading rut. At the end of last year, I
asked some of my friends for their recommendations, and here are a couple I
got!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><u>On my
list</u>:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Emma
</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">by Jane Austen,
recommended by Sarah</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A
Coal Miner’s Bride</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, recommended by Karina</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Cats of the Louvre</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> by Taiyo Matsumoto, recommended by
Faith</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Goal
Type: Classics</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">I
enjoyed so many last year without even meaning to! Now that I’m not in school don’t
<i>have</i> to read them, reading classics is more enjoyable.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><u>On my
list</u>:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Journey
to the Center of the Earth</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
by Jules Verne</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Goal:
Historical Fiction</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Especially
middle grade novels. I want to discover more gems to share with my students.
I’m sure there will be more than we can read in the classroom, but that’s all
right. I’ve already amassed a big list. Here are a few:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A
Thunderous Whisper</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
by Christina Diaz Gonzalez</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Closer
to Nowhere</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> by
Ellen Hopkins</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Under
the Broken Sky</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
by Mariko Nagai</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Blue
Birds</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> by
Caroline Starr Rose</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The
Bridge Home </i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">by Padma
Venkatraman</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Goal
Type: English Translations</b></span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Mostly
contemporary. I’ll put the classics in the above category. Also, I’m not
counting Manga here. If I happen across a good series, I’ll be sure to list it
in the notable mentions at the end of the year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><u>On my
list</u>:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The
Beast Warrior</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> by
Nahoko Uehashi</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Goal
Type: Poetry</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Novels
in verse, poetry collections, you name it! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><u>On my
list</u>:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">The Selected Poems of Tu Fu</span></i></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">In the Beautiful Country </i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">by Jane Kuo</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Goal
Type: Indie Published</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Last
year, I happened upon a book convention and got to meet some indie authors.
It’s about time I read the books I bought!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><u>On my
list</u>:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Blade
of Ash</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> by C.F.E
Black</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The
Case of the Dragon-Bone Engine</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
by Galadriel Coffeen</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Goal
Type: Books with Movie Adaptations </span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">There’re
actually a couple movies I have yet to see because I haven’t read the book yet.
Not that I can remember many of them… I want to watch all the Studio Ghibli
movies, but I haven’t read <i>A Wizard of Earthsea </i>yet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><u>On my
list</u>:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A
Wizard of Earthsea</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
by Ursula K. Le Guin</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Goal
Type: Alphabet Challenge with a Friend</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">I’ve
seen this challenge on Likewise, one of the book apps I use for reading
recommendations. I mentioned the challenge to my friend Faith, and we decided
to read some together so we can talk about them! We probably won’t get through
all 26 letters this year, but it will be a fun start. The following books may
change depending on what we decide on together:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The
Bear and the Nightingale</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
by Katherine Arden</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Destroyer
of Light</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> by Jennifer
Marie Brissett</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Forestborn
</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">by Elayne Audrey
Becker</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">10 Total
Book Types</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Shall I
read them all? It remains to be seen…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Let’s
chat! What kind of books are on your list this year? Do you make reading goals?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><u>Similar
posts</u>: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2022/12/2022-books-in-review.html">2022 Books in Review</a>, <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2022/01/2022-reading-resolutions.html">2022 Reading Resolutions</a>, <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/10/7-more-of-my-go-to-authors.html">7 More of my Go-To Authors</a></span></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-78056698145331285682022-12-18T10:00:00.060-08:002022-12-18T10:00:00.148-08:002022 Books in Review<p style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">What
a delightful year for books!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">I
found a great indie bookstore in my town that always carries a good stock of
poetry. Now the owner recognizes me and recommends poetry collections. Yay!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Once
I started working full time, I didn’t have as much time to read, so I’ve had to
adapt. That is, I stopped reading books if I wasn’t interested in. *gasp* I
have so many I didn’t finish… But that’s okay. Life’s too short to force myself
to read something I don’t enjoy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">As
for those I did enjoy—here they are!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwRiWL3kMwWousVuAAkr-9p6I8vxpCswQ5j_PZeHhEOMaVgVYEAoP9WGm43qX2VtFt6W4YV3ak3KMkHbDP-UfFb2tpMBV901LEmj4zqIaTan7De5GDCfdN1EDBze3wY4ZVm7UnUFepREgWvPN9UjT1HJfssti6R7uFafHafsCmDEqC3gZMjkfgd9PEg/s1125/2022%20Books%20in%20Review.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwRiWL3kMwWousVuAAkr-9p6I8vxpCswQ5j_PZeHhEOMaVgVYEAoP9WGm43qX2VtFt6W4YV3ak3KMkHbDP-UfFb2tpMBV901LEmj4zqIaTan7De5GDCfdN1EDBze3wY4ZVm7UnUFepREgWvPN9UjT1HJfssti6R7uFafHafsCmDEqC3gZMjkfgd9PEg/w640-h640/2022%20Books%20in%20Review.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Goal: 1 Book 700+ pages</span></b></h3>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk120445796;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
Well of Ascension</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
and <i>The Hero of Ages </i>by Brandon Sanderson—I didn’t realize how long
these books were until I started rereading them. They were delightful, of
course. There’s talk of one of Sanderson’s books getting a show or movie
adaptation, and I hope it’s this series! I’d like to share it with my
non-reader friends.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
Count of Monte Cristo</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Alexander Dumas—I found the longest book on my TBR and started listening it
to it because I was bored. No, seriously. Turns out, I really enjoyed it! Instead
of simply listening to during my commute to and from work, I listened to it a
bunch at home too. (Not done yet…)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Goal:
2 Writing Books</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
Emotional Craft of Fiction</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Donald Maass—I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a writing book this much before! Not
only is it instructional, but it has some great examples. Since I listened to
the audio book while I driving, I may have to reread it to actually apply it to
my own novels. Writing emotion into my stories is something I’ve struggled
with, but now I’m inspired! (Not done yet. I intend to finish before the end of
the year.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2022?ref=yyib_dec_22_yyib_sa"><img border="0" data-original-height="1263" data-original-width="1171" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7ccCx8NNkUz7fkchUsyl3sh4q_Z98J2SfsGI2w5WtI12G4kn5NtUXmNvtkQf9Y_GItvlGRlZa0jKz7cGYdf2WdbFFI88L46xPozcgDbLk1wnQGcTk6PxkqpHj-q0fKEpu7lL1VYlQwTcG49udJd4rDhRLsqM0nli9UU4Avr_z2n4BzSoeMCZxIj8pw/w594-h640/2022%20Books%20in%20Review%20(6).png" width="594" /></a></div>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Goal:
3 Books Published in 2022</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Squire</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia
Shammas—this graphic novel is gold. The cover drew me in at first. I thought the
story would be okay. I was wrong. It was great! I devoured it in one sitting,
then went out and bought a copy and have since reread it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">An
Arrow to the Moon</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Emily X. R. Pan—I was disappointed by this one, unfortunately. While I
enjoyed the magical-realism-contemporary-mix, the ending felt too confused and
rushed. It didn’t make sense to me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">I
Must Betray You</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Ruta Sepetys—I’ve found my new favorite historical fiction author!
Seriously, I’ve read all her books now. I devoured this in a day. Sepetys’
writing style continues to be stunning. As a teacher I always appreciate her
perspective on often untold stories across Europe. This particular story was
heartbreaking.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Family
of Liars</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by E.
Lockhart—If you don’t mind a book that’s depressing and a story that revisits a
setting that you may have visited before, then this book is for you. Sequel to <i>We
Were Liars</i> (see below). I didn’t quite enjoy this one as much as the first
because it lacked the connection between the characters that I enjoyed in the
first.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2022?ref=yyib_dec_22_yyib_sa"><img border="0" data-original-height="839" data-original-width="1174" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6emhGM9lZSZPvZW8o92Z2Cw7aFy1imKrSe081KOJKvvlL0iBWQusLMx0NLesX2NAqmRN44Os1KowX6L3MuwKM6qz_cAYpAD2AxfcUGU8Nw5B_ftyM4cpzahAQx3VNtkyFXJiINDcWs2VKc9L-BHZANFrII5xE7z1zauyD1hASanFEWGT6tYqdd1HP2A/w640-h458/2022%20Books%20in%20Review%20(2).png" width="640" /></a></div>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Goal:
3 Rereads</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Light
at the Bottom of the World</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
(<i>Light of the Abyss</i>, book 1) by London Shah—Wow, I enjoyed this book
more the second time than the first! It hit differently than the first time too.
The first time I read it was pre-pandemic. After the pandemic, wow, this
society seems a lot like our own. I particularly enjoyed the underwater sci-fi
elements, and the themes are spectacular too! (See the sequel in the category
below.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
Mistborn Saga</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by
Brandon Sanderson—the final book of the second arc, came out this year, so of
course, I had to reread the entire series. I told myself I was going to wait
until June to start the books, but then I started in May. Whoops! The world
building, the magic system, the characters, the themes! Though I prefer the
first arc, I enjoyed the second arc as well. I’m still waiting for the final
book though. Right now, I’m fourth in the hold line at my library…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">We
Were Liars</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by E.
Lockhart—Picked this one up when I started getting tired of fantasy. This
contemporary was just what I needed. A beautiful yet heartbreaking read. Now I
want to write an inspirational quote on my hands to better remember it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Goal:
5 Books I Own (not rereads)</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">I
need to categorize these better next year. There’s quite a bit of overlap.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Journey
to the Heart of the Abyss</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
(<i>Light of the Abyss</i>, book 2) by London Shah—First of all, can we take a
moment to appreciate how Shah names the duology after both books instead of
just the first book. Thank you, Shah. Thank you! As for the story itself, I
didn’t care for the sequel as much as the first one. Oh, well.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">A
Silent Voice</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
(books 1-7) by Yoshitoki Ōima—Technically, I’ve read the first three books
before, but not the final four! Yes, I watched the anime first. I like both for
different reasons. Heartbreaking yet beautiful and powerful.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Twenty
Thousand Leagues Under the Sea</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Jules Verne—see category below.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Collected
Haiku of Yosa Buson</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">—see
category below.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Timely:
A Phoenix Fiction Writers Anthology</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">—see
final category.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">A
Christmas Carol</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Charles Dickens—see category below.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
Moon Before Morning</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by W.S. Merwin—another poetry collection. Not as much imagery or as enthralling
as the haiku collection but enjoyable nonetheless.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2022?ref=yyib_dec_22_yyib_sa"><img border="0" data-original-height="1285" data-original-width="1177" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzsTcZg5GlBaZTVYoXOsSY4SHxPTNvmni0pr4HEAQXgoq1H2_t_Z2FZbC6eXv2wp3NmLfln-qIhwAH-d3AImtooPBuSe_hlffGhZ_odOb1_1czjuPTv0VCbbGUWQaB9E1F7DDhxF2uyFsyaqjaSrgVVXJHIvcWF1dztbvTCWuF2VtmLyvuhPRKdtoMQ/w586-h640/2022%20Books%20in%20Review%20(5).png" width="586" /></a></div>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Goal:
5 Books by 5 Different Non-American Authors</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
Cat Who Saved Books</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Sōsuke Natsukawa—Translated from Japanese. This one was fun and the themes
were interesting, though the writing style was a little dull. I’m going to
blame it on translation. Would recommend if you like cats and labyrinths and
books.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Piranesi</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by Susanna Clarke—British
fiction. Hey, look! Another book about labyrinths! I’m sensing a theme… I really
enjoyed this one. It’s got a nice, meandering pace that certainly isn’t
everybody’s cup of tea, but it certainly was mine. A portal fantasy about another
world with an unreliable narrator who is incredibly smart but also a little
crazy. It’s got a similar feel as <i>The Slow Regard of Silent Things</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Daughter
of the Moon Goddess</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Sue Lynn Tan—Technically this one was also a 2022 release, but I put it here
because why not? This book is actually the second one I’ve read this year that
focuses on the Chinese legend of the moon goddess, and I definitely enjoyed
this one more! It was a little slow and meandering, so it took me a bit to
finish. Definitely worth the read.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Twenty
Thousand Leagues Under the Sea</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Jules Verne—Translated from French. A classic for a reason. I enjoyed this
one way more than I thought I would. I’ve heard Verne’s work described as
“boring” before, but I quite enjoyed this one. My eyes did glaze over a bit
during the paragraphs with <i>all the fish</i>, though. I was first introduced
to the story when I was a kid, but I’d never read the original before now.
Definitely recommend!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Collected
Haiku of Yosa Buson</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">—Translated
from Japanese with the original Japanese transcribed on the left. What a
delightful collection! I picked up this beauty during a book sale at a local
bookstore and enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. I think I might be a
haiku person. Some are complex, some are simple. All are short and quick reads.
The book is broken up into seasons, starting with spring, ending with winter.
What’s more, there’s even a whole mini-section on frogs. This is the kind of
content I’m here for!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">A
Christmas Carol</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Charles Dickens—British fiction. I actually read this one twice. Once for lesson
planning, and again with my class. While the language was a bit dense for my
lower-level readers, many of them enjoyed the story and getting the chance to
watch the movie at the end of the year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
Count of Monte Cristo</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Alexander Dumas—Unabridged and translated from French. See first category.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Goal:
1 Short Story Collection</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Timely:
A Phoenix Fiction Writers Anthology</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">—Another
enjoyable collection by the Phoenix Fiction Writers! I took my grand time with
this one, but that’s part of the fun of anthologies like this one. You don’t
have to read it all in one sitting. A story at a time will do. My favorites
were probably “Adamant” by Beth Wangler and “Daughter” by E.B. Dawson.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Total
books: 19/20</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2022?ref=yyib_dec_22_yyib_sa"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1144" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PvEYDsWgex3c9G9DmqtpPxnUKcr1N5BtvEGTtRn-SlecOlOeOGh1csmOvYFu0lh-Cer7svieTmAoc6y6U2esmTwWDLjAOY2iqSTqautGyU8ZxuY0NJaMlk4FW6e3FK1zL1xO_4deIxMlC-J_QfKX1nrfQBSGCFZOeDOQPtmCbTdj8XWuYIisAtmEVQ/w640-h474/2022%20Books%20in%20Review%20(4).png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Other
Notable Books</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Alone
</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">by Megan E.
Freeman<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
Way of the House</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
<i>Husband</i> by Kousuke Oono<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
Expanse</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> series
by James S.A. Cory<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Year
of the Reaper</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by
Makiia Lucier<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
Rithmatist</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by
Brandon Sanderson<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
Fountains of Silence</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Ruta Sepetys<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Squire</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia
Shammas<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">No
Beauties or Monsters</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Tara Goedjen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Himawari
House</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by Harmony
Becker<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Ahimsa</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by Supriya Kelkar<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Wai Chim<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Visual
Learning: Physics</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Kurt Baker<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif">You can check out the full list of books I read on my <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2022?ref=yyib_dec_22_yyib_sa"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Year in Books page on Goodreads</span></a>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">If
you’ve made it this far, I’m taking a step back from blogging. I still intend
to post my reading resolutions, end of the year reviews, and writing-news. But
for the most part, I’ll be positing on Instagram instead. Thank you for
following me along this crazy blogging journey.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Happy
reading!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Let’s
chat! Have you read any of these? What are some of your favorite books from
2022?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Similar
posts</span></u><span face="Arial, sans-serif">: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2022/01/2022-reading-resolutions.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">2022 Reading Resolutions</span></a>, <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/12/2021-books-in-review.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">2021 Books in Review</span></a>, and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/01/2021-reading-resolutions.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">2021 Reading Resolutions</span></a></span></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-3048015080934252322022-03-13T10:00:00.040-07:002022-03-13T10:00:00.158-07:00Writing Update: Four WIP's<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When I was in school, I told myself I was never going to
become a teacher. I had several motivations, but the main one was that someone once said when they became a teacher, they didn’t have the energy
to write. Ouch. Why would I want to do a job if it meant giving up writing?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Long story short, now I’m a teacher <i>and </i>a writer. Ha!
Not today, discouragement.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the last couple of years, I’ve changed jobs, schedules,
number of projects, you name it. Usually, I tend to write about two novels a
year. Whether I stick with that project or not is another matter entirely.
Lately, though, I have two projects in the editing phase, another I just
finished writing, and a <i>fourth</i> one that I’m outlining.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Four whole works in progress. So many!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7PT5st33xnhRNpuByW-BqMPcOJ1mh4jqb8O55Z4IJ33OBSN38J84Hks4i9QDN_IjziomOgbBaTH-uF0I9Q-ueEFyP7Feoyx4YO-QpUlTGaS9jeFl26Gw84jrxJ1O8B837h2dm6VMBGdmkrMaovm02RzKuBsLE68r0erngqjFy9C3LRz2-5TovlEtsWA=w640-h640" width="640" /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Novel 1: Edge of the Solar System</span></b></h3>
<u>Genre</u>: adult sci-fi, mystery <br /><u>Stage</u>: Draft 3
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></i></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cory Bailey is used to working alone. When the
Interspecies Investigation, a cross-cultural agency, offers her a position as a
linguist, she jumps at the chance to work in her field, even if it takes her
halfway across the Solar System. Now she has to figure out how to work as a
member of a team if she’s to survive. But meeting with the Tchotovoroc, an
alien species resident to the colony outside Neptune, isn’t quite what she
expects, and the greatest threat may just be the humans closer to home.</span></i></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oooooh! I’m so excited to share this one with you guys! I’ve
gotten some feedback from my critique partners and soon I’ll be looking for
beta readers and sensitivity readers. Then it’s off to querying literary
agents.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Novel 2: Water Sprite</span></b></h3>
<u>Genre</u>: YA contemporary fantasy, poetry <br /><u>Stage</u>: Draft 3
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></i></p><blockquote><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Astor Foster doesn’t plan on making any new friends
during her last year in Germany. Not since her best friend moved back to the
States last December, and not when she is going to move soon. Nobody is more
surprised than she is when a family outing leads her to hang out with a girl at
the local pool. But there’s more to her new friend than her strange name—Sturm.
There’s also her ability to breathe underwater, and Astor wants to know how.</span></i></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had a hard time settling on the plot for this story, but
once I turned it into a novel in verse, it really took form. I just need to
find some more critique partners… It’s a trickier to find people who are
willing to read a novel in verse.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Novel 3: Not-So-Secret</span></b></h3>
<u>Genre</u>: YA sci-fi <br /><u>Stage</u>: Draft 1
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I started using <a href="https://www.campfirewriting.com/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Campfire Writing</span></a> to outline my books, and had
a lot of fun developing the story even before the writing process. I
just finished the rough draft. Like any first draft, it’s a mess, but that’s a
good thing. I’ve got plenty to work with, and I get the feeling I’ll enjoy
rewriting it come summer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve been experimenting with style a lot lately, and it’s
been lots of fun!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Novel 4: Secret</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s a little early for me to share much about this one
because it’s so new. Even if I were to tell you about it, that info would
likely change by the time I get around to writing it. I’ll just say it’s a
fantasy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Blogging</h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Because I’m working on so many books, I’ve decided to step
back from my blog for a while, posting once a month instead of once a week. I
haven’t yet decided whether I’m going to share poems or book-related posts.
Maybe a bit of both. We shall see.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Until next time, happy reading!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Let’s chat! Fellow writers, what kind of projects are you
working on? What’s your favorite genre to write? Do you have a preferred
writing style?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Similar posts</u>: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2022/01/campfire-writing.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Campfire Writing</span></a>, <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/09/writing-update-to-sequel-or-not-to.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Writing Update: To Sequel or Not to Sequel?</span></a>, and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/04/my-latest-writing-desk.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Latest Writing Desk</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-47286193894908705712022-03-06T10:00:00.018-08:002022-03-06T10:00:00.170-08:00Book Review: Alone<blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“There is something about poetry</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">being nonfiction</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">but not factual.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“The most intimate personal thoughts</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">—things people would never dream</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">of saying out loud in middle school—</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">right there on the page in black and white.”</span></div></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I really enjoy novels in verse, and
this one hit at just the right time. Last year, I attended a novel in verse
writing session by Megan E. Freeman. I even turned one of my own stories into a
novel in verse. After hearing about her story, I eagerly awaited reading it. I
suggested my library purchase a copy a while back, so I was first in line for checking
it out. Freeman did not disappoint!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgD0TChQ4CFRAGDU4CsDgzjqoQV0Us6l7jGYa7CWnz5Iqjw22YyhAuLWHK23ZL-mVRAfkCQzaTnqaAUdlzgLFgw8ke5XDCtRY02PxDqtlRNrNDlsEipqQkf8-pxbOnpfpSZkmk7MQ3F9Tlp2IXUUiKD00wSp3aThodN0iedPfQhmxUoGxPRuTWyH_DAmg=w634-h640" width="634" /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><br /></u></span></p><u>Book</u>: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49202861-alone"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Alone by Megan E. Freeman</span></a> <br /><u>Genre</u>: MG, contemporary, survival, poetry <br /><u>My rating</u>: 4.5 stars <br /><u>Mini description</u>: isolation
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve
always enjoyed survival stories. This one feels like a mix of a survival story
with a smidge of dystopia. An entire city becomes devoid of people, and young
Maddie is left by herself, until she adopts the neighbor’s dog. Usually, I’m
not a big fan of dystopian stories, but maybe my taste is changing. Either way,
I really enjoyed the overarching survival elements, from Maddie’s storing up
wood for the winter to finding food and water.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Of
course, one can’t forget the poetry in regards to this story. Like a good novel
in verse, it’s not too heavy on the metaphors, but the imagery is enough to be
compelling, allowing a perfect comparison between the beauty and harsh
realities of nature.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another
element that I enjoyed was the coming-of-age element. Maddie becomes a teenager
all on her own. As time passes, she makes long-term plans, often speculating
whether it’s better to stay put or move on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
all, I gave <i>Alone</i> 4.5/5 stars, rounding up to 5 for a compelling story,
enchanting descriptions, and interesting themes. I’d recommend it to anybody
interested in survival stories and/or poetry. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have
to go buy a copy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Interested
in the book? Have you read it
yet? <u>You might also enjoy these novels in verse</u>: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22521938-audacity"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Audacity</span></a> </i>by Melanie
Crowder, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25310972-somewhere-among"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Somewhere Among</span></a> </i>by Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23617200-full-cicada-moon"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Full Cicada Moon</span></a></i> by Marilyn Hilton, and <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8537327-inside-out-back-again"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Inside Out & Back Again</span></a></i> by Thanhha
Lai<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Let’s
chat! Have you read <i>Alone </i>yet, or has it made it to your TBR? What are
your thoughts on poetry? Do you have any favorite novels in verse?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Similar
book reviews</u>: <i><a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2020/03/book-review-almost-american-girl.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Almost American Girl</span></a></i>, <i><a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2019/07/book-review-kids-like-us.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kids Like Us</span></a></i>, and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2018/02/book-review-audacity.html"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Audacity</span></i></a></span></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-70596771945770059092022-02-20T10:00:00.002-08:002022-02-20T10:00:00.158-08:00Do Your Characters Share Your Beliefs?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was chatting with one of my friends the other day, and she
asked a question that got me thinking, “Do your characters share your beliefs?”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Sometimes,” I said, “it depends on the story.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s a whole debate out there as to whether or not entertaining
stories should have a message or not. Personally, I lean toward a message, but
not necessarily a forced one. I like to slide it in-between the theme so that
those really looking for it can find it. These themes usually show up halfway
into draft one and get fully fleshed out in drafts two and three. I don’t
usually pick a theme in advance but let one develop naturally in my story.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The same applies to the characters. I don’t necessarily set
out going, “Okay, this is what you believe. Go. Act.” I prefer to discover what
my characters believe as the story goes on, then I’ll delve into those beliefs
a little more throughout the drafts. This process allows me to come up with
something naturally. It feels more genuine that way. I don’t like stories that try to shove a message
down a reader’s throat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are a couple of examples of my protagonists with different
beliefs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdU0uGV16121-geQil35YcVCq3V074ArkY1vbki05E884TT5ITq-Q8SQO-xOvqPvX8CRhGQ2CVPxFaMlUxNE5-x_ZNGLIfop_fM7NBZOC7e80sHDpYpVKmEuOwwzc75isLPuFRjrQ2KIkW4uInlt-ZlvsJqeWg7WZ28plEm6ZmWPI2MJ0fivpluuL0yg=w640-h640" width="640" /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Adult Sci-Fi: Edge of the Solar System</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cory, the protagonist of this story, is a
fresh-out-of-college graduate who’s starting a new job. I’ve been there, done
that not too long ago. But that’s about where the similarities end. She comes
from a different background than I do, and her personal goals are purely
career-driven. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She first sets foot in a religious building during the
narrative itself. Some of her coworkers are Christian, and some are atheist.
Cory herself is searching, still figuring out what she believes. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">YA Contemporary Fantasy: Water Sprite</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Astor is just starting high school, and she is being raised
in a Christian military family. I drew a lot from personal experience in this
particular story, but as a result, I worked hard to make her different from me
in other ways.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Personally, I don’t like it when a writer inserts themselves
into a story. Then, all they have to do is ask “What would I do?” in regards to
certain situations, which is kind of boring. It’s much more challenging to ask,
“What would this character do?” Besides, another danger of self-inserting is
wish fulfillment, where everything magically works out in the end for that character.
As a reader, I find this trope terribly annoying and unrealistic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So yes, Astor and I share similar background and beliefs but
our approaches to certain situations are different.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">More…</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In my latest story (where I just finished the rough draft!) my
main character is also raised in a Christian household, but there’s still plenty
that’s different about her life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As for my next project, who knows? My characters often
surprise me. I like to write with themes and a purpose, but starting out, I
just want to tell a story. Everything else develops as it goes along.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Let’s chat! Writers, what about you? Do your characters
share your beliefs? What’s your writing process for developing them?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">***</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Similar posts</u>: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2022/01/campfire-writing.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Campfire Writing</span></a>, <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/10/finding-best-writing-method.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Finding the Best Writing Method</span></a>, and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/09/writing-update-to-sequel-or-not-to.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Writing Update: To Sequel or Not to Sequel?</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-8369329511381488192022-02-13T10:00:00.037-08:002022-02-13T10:00:00.169-08:00Subgenres: Historical Fantasy<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My brother is an avid history buff. While I may not share
his enthusiasm for all things history, especially when it delves into the
politics of the past, *gags* I do enjoy historical fiction. I’ve already
written a post about this genre, and my opinions have only slightly changed, so
I’d like to jump into a blend of genres—historical fantasy.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Historical fiction can be a fun genre. Fantasy can also be
great. But what about when you have historical fantasy! Prepare for
historically inaccurate magic, everybody. Or maybe it’s real…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4oJQCwqu5kMcmFSa3Yiv6AGVjzr8G0RlL-labsTOqHQp7sYYMgcJw1eVGLPsn63d2jjnK7XpkFnd_bA0o6oU2K49EnwqeubsSpBLyl5VhLkx_PeFCOvlTWtuKQIWjUdwtj9K6oqX8m2_eGPT2ruH_CRGTEKlosc5z6W3YwUZpenxOVLsCOdEVlAcv4g=w640-h640" width="640" /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u></u></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Historical fantasy</u>: a subgenre of fantasy that takes
place in the real world in the past. The character(s) may be involved in
historical events, meet historical figures, or experience historical settings.
Magic is an element that puts a twist on events that we may be familiar with.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Suspension of Disbelief</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In historical fiction, writers might get flack if they
didn’t get that one date right. Or maybe that character was supposed to be
blonde. Hold up. What is this, a movie adaptation? *checks notes* Nope. It’s
about books. Okay, moving on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Historical fantasy is designed to be inaccurate. Or maybe a
more appropriate word would be <i>unexpected</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One thing I enjoy about fantasy is the suspension of
disbelief. Historical fantasy is one of those fantasy sub-genres that pushes
that boundary of disbelief. It puts characters real or made up and puts them in
situations that actually happened, then asks the readers to bear with them
while it throws in a touch of magic, in a similar manner to magical realism,
where it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A great example of book that suspends disbelief is Megan
Banne’s <i>The Bird and the Blade</i>. Though it leans more toward the
historical than the fantastical, there are fantastical elements that may leave
the audience wondering, “Hey, wait a second… Did I read that right?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Historical Events</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Many of us have heard about the Battle of Waterloo, and if
you’ve happened to read <i>Les Miserables </i>(not fantasy), you’ve probably
read more than you wanted to know about it. But, have you heard about time
during the Battle of Waterloo where the magician broke his moral code to create
zombie soldiers? Okay, when I put it that way, it sounds weird, but I suppose
weird applies to the entirety of <i>Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell </i>(Susanna
Clarke).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Historical Figures</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What’s historical fiction without historical figures? Okay,
so they don’t show up in every book. But historical fantasy sometimes includes
historical figures too. Just because it’s fantasy doesn’t mean it doesn’t try
to be true to the character(s), though. Nadine Brandes does a great job with
historical fantasy characters in <i>Romanov</i> (Anastasia Romanov) and <i>Fawkes</i>
(Guy Fawkes). Though I prefer the plot of <i>Fawkes</i>, both stories serve as
a great introduction to real figures and their tales.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another example that includes historical figures is Dante’s <i>Inferno</i>.
In the epic, Dante goes on to meet long-dead poets like Virgil, Homer, and Ovid.
It’s a common characteristic in classical fantasy where the main character
meets with a historical figure or somebody of prominence, who would now be
considered historical. Though those don’t <i>quite</i> qualify as historical
fantasy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiB8bTkcj3-gM9H-EOoGmLzcEpwPVYJxwaSACTyzGFrA6PHcWVW_yOudSN7H36C7M_aj11uApciKQfo5ncWbVXNYmpg6BEnl7frfTOU8ZX6bix_gp0fNkuV2umCATjrfT0ENf8_aCrDTxZNVglW5nNEx9KVKcfV-_jfhA8b8N-d0B17Eh-kl7fOwkJpnQ=w400-h266" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Historical Settings</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Not going to lie, this is one of my favorites because a lot
of these places, you can actually visit!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of my favorite examples is <i>The River of Time</i>
series by Lisa Tawn Bergren. Why stop at a fictional visit to Italy when you
can time travel to medieval Italy and fight with a broadsword or a bow. I
really want to take up broadsword fighting now. Thanks a lot. After reading
these books, my sister and I visited Siena, one of the cities where the story
takes place, and Firenze (Florence).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s been a while since I’ve read the stories, though.
Perhaps it’s time for a reread…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3452" data-original-width="3452" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdvj30jff4bZ6rwQUHJsRJcH2KpqkxsE8Svtk2KwRcn4bHlJn98tb1aHTl2PDxDb5mHpiZTvi4j8ii3zxv3cPoZN_Sq7CpC0YiOxWYhwOJ1m0JmkubFgZUFdbO7vfVGsRFU4BFCKpOf3Dh5DbueH9aX7fBZOUONJn5zhXBvbtycAuD6rc2etKbMXh6ZQ=w400-h400" width="400" /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There you have it! Just a few characteristics of historical
fantasy and some recommendations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Let’s chat! Do you enjoy historical fantasy? Have you read
any of the books listed? Any that I missed?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Similar posts</u>: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2022/01/subgenres-portal-fantasy.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Subgenres: Portal Fantasy</span></a>, <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2020/06/7-of-my-go-to-authors.html">7 of my Go-To Authors</a>, and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2017/08/7-reasons-i-enjoy-historical-ficiton.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">7 Reasons I Enjoy Historical Fiction</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-82388180598128938462022-01-23T10:00:00.001-08:002022-01-23T10:00:00.166-08:00Subgenres: Portal Fantasy<p style="text-align: justify;">Do you ever have those moments where you’re visiting in a
garden and see a stone archway or maybe you’re walking in the woods and come
across a peculiarly bent tree and think, “This looks like a portal to another
world”? Sometimes I do.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Today, I’m picking back up with blogging with a new
mini-series—subgenres! Every month for an undetermined time, I’m going to pick
a subgenre and recommend a couple books. I’m going start with one of my
favorites, and one of the more familiar ones—portal fantasy.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1qNUttSuuZ9k6HxEG0nR24oNtDOnmBi61QOw7DPlssV1GfxM8FvstlQkNNjmJW_MiIMgJfCfq6aQzI5zcIUliLOOV-Nege1G-kjFsOdol3gFSaYfOrfEt9HajFbvOX2Qy6HZ6Yki9Q_tntOHg04bqwL-V__ZIeB8JjEeOS6HdogIikHzK8TjHr4VN1A=w640-h640" width="640" /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></u></p><blockquote style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Portal fantasy</u>: a subgenre of fantasy that features
at least two different worlds. The character(s) often start in our world and
travel to another world via some magical method, often a portal, which often
takes the form of a door. </span></blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b>Coming-of-Age</b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Many, though not all, portal fantasy stories tend to include
some sort of coming-of-age protagonist, so it’s a great subgenre for young adult fiction. Part
of the charm of portal fantasy is experiencing the wonder of a place through
the perspective of a child.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Take C.S. Lewis’ <i>The Chronicles of Narnia </i>for
example. When the Pevensie children first discover Narnia, they may not want to
live there for the rest of theirs lives, but they soon come to love the talking
animals of the land. In later books though, some of the characters “age out” of
Narnia and are told it’s time to live in their own world from then on. While
this can be disheartening, it’s a part of the growing up process (or in some
cases, the re-growing up process) that the characters endure.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2647" data-original-width="2646" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaUZgrQ7nq3LeiiwDqvfl_rcEYZ5TabLKBVlnPfZRS6-5rOx2kMw9s57bGilq2fMmTlTRCKsfvmmApGdshefCF5bEz0CX94eb7Kqo3aTUkyzeyHkCvfRzcst-s7CR4ObQDIM3J3UB6JErW1lT_Javr288e-Osf_en1Oyk4FkgAY5ejWGewhwHuXJTXNw=w400-h400" width="400" /></div><br /><p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>The Journey</b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another feature includes one or more characters trying to
stay in the other world or trying to get back to ours. In this sense, portal
fantasy always features some sort of journey, from one world to another. Though
why anybody would want to leave these fantasy worlds, I don’t know. They tend
to be pretty awesome. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—if I happen to
find myself in a magic realm, please leave me there. I don’t want to come back.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A lot of traveling takes place in Neil Gaiman’s <i>Stardust</i>,
from a tiny little town in England called Wall across the realm of Faerie and
even into the clouds where ships sail the skies. Not to mention various methods of travel from a magical candle to a unicorn to a ship to just plain
walking. It’s a weird book. I like it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One might even put <i>Howl’s Moving Castle</i> by Diana
Wynne Jones in this subgenre because it features a character originally from our
world who ran away to another, and with a title like <i>Moving Castle</i>, yes
there’s lots of traveling. I’m talking about the book, here, not the movie.
England pops up once or twice, but it’s not the main setting. The castle also features
a portal door, which lets out in various cities. Maybe I’m stretching it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Magical Items and/or Abilities</b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal">Portal fantasy doesn’t just feature magically transporting
from one world to another, though. It also tends to feature some sort of
magical item or ability or both. Take the <i>Shades of Magic</i> trilogy by
V.E. Schwab. Some of the characters have the innate magical ability to world-hop,
and some characters (sometimes the same ones) have magical items like a multi-sided
cloak or an evil rock that will corrupt the heart of an entire realm.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The term world-hopping makes me think of Brandon Sanderson’s
<i>Cosmere</i> books, but they don’t feature our world, so it’s not exactly
portal fantasy… Oh, well.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Various Quests</b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>One of my favorite things about fantasy is the variety of
plots, and portal fantasy is no different. Some stories like Cornelia Funke’s <i>Inkworld</i>
series feature a quest to defeat tyranny and go home (or find a new one), and
others like Alix E. Harrow’s <i>The Ten Thousand Doors of January</i> feature one character’s
hunt for the truth while evading those trying to cover it up and uncovering many
Doors along the way. Some stories are about realm or kingdom saving, and others
have lower, more personal stakes. I enjoy them both.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3001" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCFqMQZAgGCFxe5IaKXwciSIOX8NRLvl-t-iqErfzaZO1Vqjhi4HlitwkrQudFGv5zBfAXRT5RnSldPVOL42q6dZijNOKSJ9mG9MROajvW6_AHAm3c85yM471WeIGk1v-SFW2-CA8tqziRTfJHlbBsrD8VMgkufLC1NwLbt9Z7JQO_Hw5fif-ZfS0vag=w320-h320" width="320" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="3774" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9EfnDq8C-_kwelXmDjC--Gk3ChI862oUmeysPptGFLHMmnfyNKZTDY7YsKzft4o5tzQxOdSJTpTRmczqnRZS80YoS14AqJh1ddXwJOp6wnFWPDg5f5etuIX8lgzAsZMUJx-FDyQEQjZvYat4XVBXqgpBTZighrPwYU2rvN1sHFW31TUk6K3MG78317Q=w254-h320" width="254" /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>I’m seeing a trend in author names. If you abbreviate one or
two of your first names, you might be a perfect fit for the portal fantasy
genre. L.A. Klein. What do you think, guys? Should I write a portal fantasy?<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One might also argue that multi-verse stories could be
portal fantasy, but I’m not actually a fan of most multi-verse stories or the
multi-verse theory, so I’m going to leave those books alone for now.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks for reading!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let’s chat! What are some of your favorite portal fantasy
novels? Have you read any that I listed? Are there any others that you’d
recommend?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">***<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Similar posts</u>: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2020/10/7-sci-fifantasy-book-to-movie.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">7 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book-to-Movie Adaptations I Enjoy</span></a>, <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2019/11/8-popular-fantasy-novels-i-enjoyed.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">8 Popular Fantasy Novels I Enjoy</span></a>,<span style="color: #2b00fe;"> <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2016/03/7-reasons-i-enjoy-fantasy-novels.html">7 Reasons I Enjoy Fantasy Novels</a></span></span></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-38360725866465884692022-01-09T10:00:00.079-08:002022-01-09T10:00:00.173-08:00Campfire Writing<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s an app for that. We’ve all heard that phrase before,
and honestly, it’s a little worn out. A couple of months ago, I was in between
projects and trying to figure out what I wanted to write next. When I finally
settled on a story idea—a fresh one that had zero development—I decided I
wanted to try something new with outlining.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And I. Hate. Outlining.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s probably my least favorite part of the writing process
because it’s like putting together a puzzle but you have to create the pieces
and you don’t even know what the picture is supposed to look like. I wanted to
try something similar to the notecard method again, where you write out a plot
point on a notecard and can rearrange them any which way until you find a story
you like.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, I try not to use paper, opting instead for all digital.
(Maybe that’s why I can’t read e-books? Because staring at a screen feels like
work?) My sister who’s also a writer suggested <a href="https://www.campfirewriting.com/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Campfire</span></a>, so I thought I’d give
it a try.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1246" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-7-pW9qw0x4ga_j-Qw1UdfTnKeoPr3yKuBVUl6wYZjM5fvy5-PLofVHq9fNt9W5QC2TjqpnyQaVKJKSJSy0PiC2c3Gux8FhowQh9UPPtZ62Cht9aX4SofkqNdXdjt7pOZMPQxBNAPNMvhAJhHEZiZJeCGWaEN2VKz0TFQ6lcGyFv9lXEcFRrnbG2IxQ=w578-h640" width="578" /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When I first started using the site, I got really excited
because you can set it to different themes according to the genre of your
story. I picked sci-fi for this particular project, but I also like the look of
fantasy. You can also use Campfire to outline other projects, not just stories.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Features</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are more options than what I list below, but I
included the ones I used for this particular story.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><u style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Characters</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Names. Nicknames. Age. Role.
Personality Type. Positive and negative character traits. Description. You name
it. There’s lots of options to choose from, and you can pick and choose what
you want to fill out. You only get 10 characters in the free version, which is
fine because not every story needs to have 100,000 characters, but still. When
it comes to named characters, I think my last novel had about 20-something.</span></li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -24px;"><br /></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Locations</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Like character descriptions
but with different attributes. In in the free version, you only get 5. Good
thing I wasn’t working on a travel story. Oh, wait… Any extra details I wanted
to include if I didn’t have room, I just crammed into the timeline. Mwuahahaha!</span></li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -24px;"><br /></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Maps</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Not to be confused with locations,
though you can link the items together. This particular option allows you to
upload a map, which is cool, but I wish they had the option to develop and edit
a map. That would be awesome, but I understand why they don’t. To make my own map, I used the
<a href="https://www.redblobgames.com/maps/mapgen2/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Polygon Map Generator by Red Blob Games</span></a>.</span></li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -24px;"><br /></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Timeline</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">My favorite part of the app,
and yes, you can rearrange the events! I only used the description section, but
you can link your characters to events. In the free version, you only get 20
events and 2 timelines. I was going to make a secondary timeline but decided to
focus on my main timeline and ended up combining a bunch of events. There’s no
limit to how much information each item you have access to can hold.</span></li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -24px;"><br /></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Encyclopedia</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Want to include a list of
stuff that doesn’t necessarily fit in anywhere else? Use this option! I
particularly enjoyed the statistics table and the description column. In the
free version, you can have 5 articles, but I only used 3.</li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Species</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Lifespan. Sleep cycle. Average
height. Average weight. Kingdom. Habitat. Descriptions. I actually used the
subtitles here to add made up Latin names. In the free version, you only get up
to 5 species. Sure, I only used 3 for this particular story, but I can come up
with dozens of others if I was writing a fantasy novel.</span></li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -24px;"><br /></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Other: Manuscript, Research, Relationships,
Magic, Cultures, and Items</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">The other options I might consider using for
future projects include Magic and Cultures. Normally, I would use them, but I
didn’t need them for this project.</span></li></ul></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pros</span></b></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Aesthetics</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">! </span></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">If you’re like me and you like to collect pretty things, then you might just
enjoy this site. Not only does it have genre-based themes, but you can also add
your own pictures. It’s almost like having an aesthetic board for your story on
Pinterest but not really. The theme option really helps set the mood for
creativity</span><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">.</b></li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -24px;"><u><br /></u></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Easily
accessed organization</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Once you figure out how to navigate the site, you
can link everything together. Or not. It’s up to you. But it’s really
convenient to find exactly the information you want without having to scroll a
bunch.</span></li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -24px;"><br /></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Plenty
of options</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Seriously, all the options! I didn’t even use them all, but
they helped me a bunch with things like character development, world building,
and my timeline.</span></li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -24px;"><br /></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><u style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">Fun
to use</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">.</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">I actually enjoyed outlining for a change. Maybe that’s because the
site is shiny and new to me, but I just might enjoy using it again in the
future.</span></li></ul></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><b><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></b></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cons</span></b></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Limited use with the free version</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">I
maxed out my characters and timeline events. I might have accidentally broken
the timeline and ended up with 21/20 events. Don’t know how that happened, but
I’m sticking with it.</span></li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -24px;"><br /></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Limited availability</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">I know the site
claims it works on mobile devices, but my sister and I couldn’t figure out how
to access it on both Android and Apple. So if I want to outline my story or
develop my characters, I have to use my computer, and I have to have internet.
It’s not difficult, but it’s not always convenient.</span></li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -24px;"><br /></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Slow processing</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">I’m not the fastest
typist, but I can get up to 90 words per minutes when I’m on a role, and Campfire
doesn’t always process typing that fast. Maybe it’s my computer? Also, the autocorrect suggestions are
not as helpful as Microsoft Word.</span></li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -24px;"><br /></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Characters are geared towards humans</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">This
one’s a little easier to work with considering you don’t have to include all
the character development options. For example, I usually skip over character
description, option for the bare minimum such as height.</span></li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -24px;"><br /></div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Timeline dates are limited to Earth eras, and
you can’t get rid of the date option</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span></li><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">If you’re like me and you’re writing
a sci-fi story that takes place in a new mythical era, or you’re writing
fantasy and yours don’t even use Earthen months, this bit can be frustrating.</span></li></ul></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Overall Review of Campfire Write</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Overall, I give the site 7/10 stars. To me, the pros
outweigh the cons. For the first time in a long while, I actually enjoyed outlining
and was ready to start my rough draft within two weeks. Which is great
considering it usually takes me two to three months. Thank you, <a href="https://www.campfirewriting.com/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Campfire</span></a>! I
will likely be using the site more in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let’s chat! Have you tried Campfire before? Do you use any
sites for your writing process? Which ones?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Similar posts</u>: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/02/5-reasons-to-attend-writeoncon.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">5 Reasons to Attend WriteOnCon</span></a>, <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2018/11/3-types-of-writers-you-should-know.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">3 Types of Writers You Should Know</span></a>, and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2017/05/3-methods-for-outlining-your-novel.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">3 Methods for Outlining Your Novel</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-62993692407555118592022-01-02T10:00:00.033-08:002022-01-02T10:00:00.180-08:002022 Reading Resolutions<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy
New Year! *eyes 2022 warily* I don’t really put my hope in the New Year, but it
is fun to evaluate my reading progress and make new goals. My aim this year is
to be more realistic, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsRFDoJmFVASPJzlUokrwcJxGxanHJq5qck0Toje6gQi1dBhRJTtM-6ODv0HmZ8qT30jpXpANqd2KXyVoXCMpw0_wCm0ntdG6EwHyPJJQCV9yxZ6Ua_5r53kWj7kHYHr1e3ef7gIzK5IW-t_enKwPKj1jojya0Zm0ElZVXJK0Len1J2Ef2_yyGbN-duQ=w640-h640" width="640" /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Goal:
1 Book 700+ pages</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Perhaps
I can finally find time for <i>The Priory of the Orange Tree</i>, which has
been on my list for… *checks calendar* …three years now?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Goal: 2 Writing Books</span></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m
a writer so this is a must, right?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
can’t remember the last time I read a book on writing. I’m a bit of a skeptic.
I don’t really believe in writing rules because what works well for one person
may not work well for another. Team prologue over here! My favorite dialogue
tag is “said.” And when I write what I know, I know about dragons, okay?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Plenty
of writing books can be helpful though. And it’s dangerous to assume you
already know everything. That’s when we stop learning.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>On
my list</u>:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The
Emotional Craft of Fiction</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
by Donal Maass</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Bird
by Bird </i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">by Anne
Lamott</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Goal:
3 Books Published in 2022</b></span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m
a little behind on recent releases. What’s a recent release? What year is it? Granted,
sometimes these books are a little harder to get your hands on when you rely on
the library, but hey! I try.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">On
my list:</span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The Undertaking of Hart and</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> Mercy by Megan Bannen</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The Lost Metal</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> (</span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mistborn</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> saga, book 7) by
Brandon Sanderson</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><b><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></b></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Goal: 3 Rereads</span></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
did this last year, but it wasn’t exactly purposeful. Besides, I’d like to get
back into some of my favorites that I considered worth buying. I don’t remember
all of their plots anymore!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>On
my list</u>:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Starfish</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> by Akemi Dawn Bowman</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The
Final Empire </i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">(</span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mistborn
</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">saga, book 1) by Brandon Sanderson</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Goal: 5 Books I Own</span></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Not
rereads. There, I said it. Now I can’t cheat! Right?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>On
my list</u>:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Inferno</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> by Dante</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Journey
to the Heart of the Abyss</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
by London Shah</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Twenty
Thousand Leagues Under the Sea </i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">by
Jules Verne</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Goal:
5 Books by 5 Different Non-American Authors</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m
going to go a step further and say I’m not going to count Manga. It’s really
cool, but I read 35+ graphic novels last year, so that’s not challenging
enough. That’s not to say I won’t read Manga, but rather that I won’t count it
toward this particular goal.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>On
my list</u>:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The
Beast Warrior</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> by
Nahoko Uehashi</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Goal:
1 Short Story Collection</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m
a little pickier when it comes to these. Usually, I’ll only finish it if
features a story or several by an author I’ve read before. But they can be a
lot of fun!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>On
my list</u>:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Timely: A Phoenix Fiction Writers
Anthology</span></i></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></b></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Total books: 20</span></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Is
it doable? Yes. Realistic? *shrugs* Happy reading, everyone!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Let’s
chat! What kind of books are on your list this year? Have you read or are
planning to read any of these? Are there any books I didn’t list that I should
consider reading?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Similar
posts</u>: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/12/2021-books-in-review.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">2021 Books in Review</span></a>, <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/01/2021-reading-resolutions.html">2021 Reading Resolutions</a>, and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2020/07/recommended-reading-disability.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Recommended Reading: Disability Representation</span></a></span></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-20769898424040462242021-12-26T10:00:00.095-08:002021-12-26T10:00:00.148-08:002021 Books in Review<p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">Hello!
I haven’t been very good with keeping up with blogging lately or my reading
goals it seems. My reading plans died a slow, miserable death. Who cares? 2021
was another crazy year, crazier than 2020 for me anyway, so I’m just happy that
I got to read some good books along the way. Here’s a brief overview from some
of goals and highlights for this year.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1224" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeEhzMtE7V_rvIYGUhPl3FhMnx7yNiYKNvv-XZauwlqSt-UIsQ2f3-BQ-QyfFjjjQy1pgk6fgfhxTx1bVSZNe-nGBnWPF687xosdCZFtktuzf_B-dprWpPAYo3pR5mMyxFzCehOxDaAWSYyc8RU1jhjrPUI0y9nMBh6aJ2nv-k5EsfBVyo_uRZp9q4Ow=w640-h588" width="640" /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><br /></span></b></p><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Goal:
1 Book 700+ pages</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Rhythm
of War</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by
Brandon Sanderson—AaaaAAAaaaaHHHH!!! The plot twists. I did NOT see them
coming! I also scrambled to finish this book in two weeks because somebody had
a hold on it, but as I was approaching the end, the hold vanished. I may have
finished all 1,200 pages in 2 weeks. A new record for me. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2828" data-original-width="2828" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyAvppD0NwMOp9FX2H5rk7UOPYIBdf6TfkIWIEzrqB_FtOObnUL17o0kMvNQZVIkASd7W69LplmOxH3APl1ZjqGPSNdj0Uctm-pcBMlYyQ73O2Ip1UKi4nch721H15eM5X48eEki-E_6xcD_Y-peBdVB72eqEC-gCYC0Ju3Y6-QiqfRuRHwDBeuhReYg=w400-h400" width="400" /></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">My eyes are bleeding
(but not really). Please excuse me while I dig out my reading glasses from the
abyss… 10/10 would recommend!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Goal:
2 Poetry Collections</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">When
the Stars Wrote Back </span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">by
Trista Mateer—A delightful read full of art and poetry.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">I
Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by Francesco Marciuliano—The book itself was
humorous, though not particularly memorable. The funniest bit though, was when
I was going to show the book to my sister, and her cat peed on her beanbag
chair. I’m not laughing. I don’t know what you’re talking about.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Goal:
3 Novels by Indie Authors I Haven’t Read</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Ahab</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by E.B. Dawson—After reaching
the end of the book, I realized I actually had read a book by Dawson before, so
this one might not count? Eh, who cares. I want to talk about it. An
interesting retelling with a great twist. <i>Moby-Dick</i>, but in space. Space
whales. I actually loved the way Dawson handled with the story. It had more
touches of classical literature than I would have expected for a sci-fi novel.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Child
of the Kaites</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by
Beth Wangler—Soooo, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I thought I would. If it
were pitched as a biblical-inspired book I might have enjoyed it more than a
biblical retelling. As a retelling, it fell flat for me, especially since it
focused less on the power of Aia (God) and more on the Aivenah (the devil).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Goal:
3 Classics by Non-American Authors</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Um…
I started reading Dante’s <i>Inferno</i> at one point…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZAUo6rBPestfc37aaO7TYCbiJMuZoy9HzSMQ-B8TWruU6StKwpbHIJWZGLzav1q9c3cscY-QzZDjrBOr1DA-9hCxWfNIveO8ZYn7sYB9omFtHDEZZu3U6E_JP7aFrwW_FmpWlh98pG6I5yW1m444rXTzfDfemJeKFvTSlL1GLgRMb6NInRjTSV6NBuA=w400-h400" width="400" /></div>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><br /></span></b></h3><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Goal:
5 Books from the Depths of my TBR </span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Dune</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by Frank Herbert—A sci-fi
classic. This one has been on my list for a while now, and I once stopped
reading it a couple years ago. Since a new film adaptation was coming out, I
thought I’d give it another try. Dense yet fascinating, though I didn’t care
for the way it ended. I did highly enjoy the latest movie adaptation though,
even if it did only cover half the book.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">Where
are the other four books? *shrugs*</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Goal:
5 Award Winners</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">New
Kid</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by Jerry
Craft—Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award. A delightful graphic
novel that showed a different perspective of what it means to be a new kid at
school. When I was younger, with my family moving around all the time, I was
also the new kid more often than not.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Long
Way Down</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by
Jason Reynolds— Newbery Medal, Printz Award, and the Coretta Scott King Award.
Heartbreaking book. I liked the style even if it was a little unconventional,
but I wish the ending had a little more clarity even if I understand why it was
vague.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Crossover</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by Kwame Alexander— Newbery
Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award. I really enjoyed the style of this one,
but the ending through me off guard. Still a great read.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3441" data-original-width="3019" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9TsbKoEriHpDUsZDK0vQS-SpnKsTAoAkgic3xiWYdAZgtGsLf_FK-v5-IShljKTtOI99hfa2RYgAA7wdBABmEFU-6F-KhFZLVNM72-l-eO_erqvVaA6d2M97sYE0-tW3FipCeqFxgKxHfJn1LhQNHiR_FIcS5zKao8qdOPs3IDkjq2tlX_M6sbCoh-g=w351-h400" width="351" /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><br /></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
Beast Player</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by Nahoko
Uehashi—Michael L. Printz Award nominee. Such a delightful book, I went out and
bought a copy as soon as I finished it. Translated from Japanese, <i>The Beast
Player </i>explores a world with of Toda (dragons!), Royal Beasts (Pterolycus,
a winged wolf), and the life of young Elin. It starts off seemingly simple and
gradually grows more and more complex. I’m eager to read the sequel.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Between
Shades of Gray</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Ruta Sepetys—SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Fiction and more. This one broke my
heart, but it was so informative. I didn’t enjoy this story as much as Sepetys’
<i>Salt to the Sea</i>, but I believe it’s equally important.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Pax</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by Sara Pennypacker--National
Book Award Nominee for Young People's Literature. Such a sweet little book but
still hard hitting. It looks innocent. It’s not. This is an animal book about
the cruelties of the wild and humankind but the beauty that can still be found
in both.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Goal:
1 Nonfiction Book about a Topic that Interests Me</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">I
started reading <i>Teach Like a Champion </i>and <i>The Emotional Craft of
Fiction</i>. Does those count?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Total
books: 11 out 20</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Ouch!
Maybe I need to make my goals for 2022 more realistic… But hey! <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2021?ref=yyib21_strip"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Year in Books according to Goodreads</span></a> looks pretty cool. Look at all the pretty covers!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1309" data-original-width="1308" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4uufByUWCmj-H2XvWqWSfWbR0y9bRr_udKyTgJOS5DVUaS5jfyuRm_PkTGgjicN24KILzvzE-ZtzHSqRJgP62Uxr7vCDnfvJVW-KmudO8ifwxKjIQBBkx-Kjkef_8uhVgJoUU-c9aomJGV0D9jH_GQVt1PSgnQIPdnWDyDXyosw5DsnqebFFfGlJgXA=w640-h640" width="640" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><p></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Bonus:
Novels in Verse</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">After
attending <a href="https://www.writeoncon.org/about/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">WriteOnCon</span></a> in Februrary, I resolved to read 3-5 novels in
verse a week for poetry month in April!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Like
Water on Stone </span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">by
Dana Walrath—A heartbreaking account of the Armenian genocide. Part magical
realism, part historical fiction, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Clap
When You Land</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by
Elizabeth Acevedo—Now I’m angry. I definitely enjoyed this book more than her
first one, <i>The Poet X</i>. But a lot of the characters in this story just
made me incredibly angry. I suppose that’s part of the point, but still. I
liked the dual perspective, although once the character’s names disappeared
from the top of the chapters, I had no idea who was who.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Planet
Middle School </span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">by
Niki Grimes—Honestly wish this one were longer and more fleshed out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Long
Way Down</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by
Jason Reynolds—see Award Winners above.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2843" data-original-width="4019" height="453" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_jcdmQVuNVbpKIrJFjcN2c7tHg1tpj9eutpFaigiXTyn2k4cOw8m6YLMjix84aN7xiLeR187TJk98ud5Ivzh1x5zh0wbuhf7uIA92Va96PtmPgmRPVbumvKGH_-j4OB8nonORYmOws_F8_DZjh0A5Zbqi05LjN9x1gS3UucCg4-pYRQ_2iW15svSMkA=w640-h453" width="640" /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Other
Notable Books (guess my go-to author)</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
Singing </span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">(<i>The
Books of Pellinor</i>, book 4) by Alison Croggon<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
Enigma Game</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by
Elizabeth Wein<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Elantris</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by Brandon Sanderson<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Break
the Fall</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by
Jennifer Iacopelli<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Network
Effect </span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">(<i>The
Murderbot Diaries</i>, book 5) by Martha Wells<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Elatsoe
</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">by Darcie Little
Badger (<a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/03/book-review-elatsoe.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">see book review</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Avatar:
The Last Airbender, The Promise</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by Gene Luen Yang<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Warbreaker</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by Brandon Sanderson<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Descender</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> (vols. 1-6) by Jeff Lemire<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Raybearer
</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">by Jordan Ifueko
(<a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/10/book-review-raybearer.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">see book review</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">A
Thousand Perfect Notes</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">
by C. G. Drews (<a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2018/08/book-review-thousand-perfect-notes.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">see book review</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Small
Favors</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by Erin
A. Craig <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Arcanum
Unbounded</span></i><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> by
Brandon Sanderson<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif"><i>Wolf Children: Ame & Yuki </i>by Mamoru Hosoda</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Let’s
chat! What were some of your favorite books from this year? Have you read any
of the ones I did? Did you meet your reading goals?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Similar
posts</span></u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/12/7-books-i-bought-despite-cover.html">7 Books I Bought Despite the Cover</a>, <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/11/8-books-i-bought-because-of-cover.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">8 Books I Bought Because of the Cover</span></a>, and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/01/2021-reading-resolutions.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">2021 Reading Resolutions</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-60871194939210369592021-12-12T10:00:00.065-08:002021-12-12T10:00:00.173-08:007 Books I Bought Despite the Cover<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Last month I wrote about books I
bought because their cover caught my eye. This month, it’s time for the
opposite. Brace yourself! Here are 7 books I gave a chance despite the
injustice done to their covers.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsz86tp2JrhBocy6wsJJ92C0BvvzVC3Rseujwfl36LXvmjSlC2qeM_JAQznju97yXuEQrvQjOQ0INfXPr0gEAx0xABQAqDgx9oO01dNgmiD5U5U3NvVd-wHW4bDkPoD9gk5Ot2OQk8ieNLVm7h0ZGJboAkpF_DGLhqvpAijh-oY6yhj80ao6vhFP6qAw=w640-h640" width="640" /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i>1)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></i></b><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i>Flatland:
A Romance of Many Dimensions</i></b><b style="text-indent: 0in;">
by Edwin A. Abbot</b></span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Can this poor book not get a
decent cover design? The library copy I read was so colorful, and I bought this
particular copy online. What’s with the format of this particular copy being so
flat? Wait… hold on. I get it. Ha!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A fascinating story based in
mathematics and religion. Though it’s not exactly a compelling story, it’s a
fascinating discussion on multiple dimensions and the doubt often accompanied
by new discoveries because they don’t follow the way things have always been
done. Now that I teach math, I have an even greater appreciation for this book.
<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg13wVHbIUp_ACr-fP67M2McJJkHh-ootUxQ9m0H5PfiRNoEk2K6dAl0_TUCFl4EqVpy9qyGv1zhMpwESwVKjDol_yYV2dHZD_Yg2MkK2Kifm1gCzksEjWvj9inUS8UbrXtKUUncyYvMkvuC8fxlt_PrKoK2a52ocxeG182diZ4Zi4Als8J62kXwJ15YQ=s320" width="320" /></i></b></div><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i>2)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></i></b><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i>The
Outsiders</i></b><b style="text-indent: 0in;">
by S. E. Hinton</b></span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another book that can’t get a
decent cover. I mean, the 50<sup>th</sup> anniversary edition is decent but
nothing to write home about. The copy I borrowed in college had me cringing,
and my current edition is just… why? Who thought this was a good idea?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If the book hadn’t been assigned
reading in one of my classes, I definitely wouldn’t have picked it up. Now I
recommend it all the time. Maybe this book can get a break because it’s so
popular?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWecGuNZ9CiK16ixetoKoLSDYJTw9y18qZeb5gbqi6eUQF_E4OZvszMAZztYBXdlVQNWP6Bl0dH8w4uxhdWUnoOLkHHDjbcmkLBP3XOa4ui7sZn-x8GMRQNs3XCStiHC2NsTQkL5rr-GspELO9idqnDXwsCELrVo6Hm-jE8b1DgeTOSXjm457lB4mVjQ=s320" width="320" /></i></b></div><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i>3)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></i></b><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i>Forward
Me Back to You</i></b><b style="text-indent: 0in;">
by Mitali Perkins</b></span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This one was actually a gift from
a friend, and if it wasn’t, I probably never would have picked it up. But I’m
so glad I did! I love this story. It’s a powerful one about empowerment, found
families, and the fight against human trafficking.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But the cover hurts my eyes. I
also remember when I was reading it, my dad got a glimpse of the book and asked
if it was about communism. Which it’s not, but I can see where he got that idea
from. Maybe I’m missing some cultural significance in the cover design and its
color scheme?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEic0T54fmNLjhOkmuXqJObgbsvKcKXwvr8u-TjV9e4AURFJ5oVHfTx3c8CGGYsUtR-c8Lsl1q9EPELPw9hktZP2F1z0HHvB1SfiruJRw8HtbQqJthr_hKxTdIGXdt0NAWZ5JE_VzdsUt6jPCLBuUy4IUDkFb-4rjDZw54AyV5nmhX8WR7usD24Tz27vTg=w320-h320" width="320" /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i>4)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></i></b><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i>Elantris </i></b><b style="text-indent: 0in;">by Brandon Sanderson</b></span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This cover never intrigued me,
but I ended up buying it without reading it first because it’s by Brandon Sanderson!
There are very few authors I’ll do that with.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When I was reading the book, I
would glance back at the cover to get a better feel for the setting. But for whatever
reason, this cover isn’t very memorable to me. The characters are though. I
wish I could meet Raoden and Sarene!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjItSPcSGY2q7z86FJRTOLDRUW_aKU9izzgEBj0bE8un-GJap_LaMA-G3rbITENOBnhyjGpOSg4ZnNVHoNJ5TPFSge4hId67nunvedjM8xbS7svK1LudVX-zD6YFnCTYv_JHEDmA0Zkp4mE4QcLd85SHPdlrivOLDEW3aSQ4jBGYrkIa9gCRgnnibJKTA=w320-h320" width="320" /></i></b></div><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i>5)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></i></b><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i>Code Name Verity</i></b><b style="text-indent: 0in;"> by Elizabeth Wein</b></span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This book actually has some
pretty covers. Do you think the bookstore would have one? Haha! Nope. You get a
bicycle. Anybody who hasn’t read this book want to tell me it’s about? I’ve
read it, so I’ll go first. Spies. Intrigue. Female pilots who make me want to
get my pilot’s license because the book was written by a female pilot! And we
get a bicycle. *sigh* Forget the cover. Check out the first lines.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I AM A COWARD.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I wanted to be heroic and I
pretended I was. I have always been good at pretending.”</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfVyCDfU7nFhkkFCK9gWCYeH0TBqI5RGqu0REVXCLmilcNBZI0q4C9ytyzMzXrl2YvjrJhRENoC3t_Fg-6tm-gSv30XCnDGhlD19UPsZZwwqqBf3f2h2H0uGIq8uYU95B8O2H3AMsmyTgrTSR8FwRyKObrtqvEopZl6DG4famMgneXqQDYOpbBJlf1sA=w320-h320" width="320" /></i></b></div><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i>6)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></i></b><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i>H. G. Wells: Collector’s Book of
Science Fiction</i></b></span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yeah, this cover is just awful.
But the book was cheap, and it has a lot of classic science fiction stories, so
I couldn’t pass it up.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I used to love looking at the
pictures for <i>War of the Worlds</i> when I was a kid. I didn’t bother reading
the story back then, but the idea fascinated me. Now, I’ve read the book a
couple times, and it’s still the only one in the collection I’ve read, but I’ll
get around to the others… someday…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2027" data-original-width="2027" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTZzvEEhvibbSPnQVG5byV1QsqGcYu9FCBXb9mCxM7yRMoeNqDmhOvfXjrQOOh8cycQrUT1k_QnCeYTXhyslUeu4-py-CwDLftKKm7x9M3sIBMAqIgc-7ZOakdzGCheQ-iaaVZAIzyRNE6HPFZFE6vQTtpLoMugd6xQK45FHnf5LvZh2jZw5RUj9hq0w=w320-h320" width="320" /></i></b></div><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i>7)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></i></b><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i>The
Book Thief</i></b><b style="text-indent: 0in;">
by Markus Zusak</b></span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This one is another book that
actually has a decent cover, but I didn’t get one of those copies because I
wanted to support an indie bookstore. #shoplocal Unfortunately, my current city
of residence doesn’t have many indie bookstores, so I tend to buy from Barnes
& Noble. It’s not ideal, but at least it beats buying from Amazon.</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There you have it! Seven good
reminders not to always judge a book by its cover.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Let’s chat! Have you read any of
these? What are some books you own that aren’t the prettiest but you enjoy
anyway?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Similar posts</u>: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/11/8-books-i-bought-because-of-cover.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">8 Books I Bought Because of the Cover</span></a>; <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/09/dont-judge-book-by-its-author-or-should.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Don’t Judge a Book By Its Author, Or Should You?</span></a>; and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2016/06/dont-judge-book-by-its-cover.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover</span></a></span></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-81973750585158761052021-12-05T10:00:00.037-08:002021-12-05T10:00:00.157-08:00Poem: Home<p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">I haven’t
been keeping up with my blog lately. I guess that comes with taking the entire
summer off. Getting back into the swing of things is hard.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Anyway,
poetry is still dear to my heart, so I just had to share another one with you
today. I borrowed the prompt from Julia Garcia at <a href="http://dropsofinspira.blogspot.com/2021/11/poetry-15th-2021.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Drops of Inspira</span></a>. This
one explores the concept of home. What is home?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">For an army brat, home isn’t
necessarily one place. It’s not where my parents are from—I never lived there.
It’s not the last place I lived because that would ignore all the others. It’s
not even my favorite places because that would leave out all the others that
made me who I am today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Home is…
well, I think I’ll let the poem explain.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Don't forget to vote on <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/226ZCD8"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">your favorite poem from 2021</span></a>!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1128" height="638" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8cvIKa7jRKI/YauviHmkWpI/AAAAAAAAD98/cNraM0dxUsMb8wuAV1pT4pygfOh0BXUrACNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h638/Poem.Home.png" width="640" /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Home<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<span style="font-family: arial;">she sits in the attic collecting dust <br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>and spiders <br />while my feet are itching without these callouses <br /><br />how do people do it year after year? <br />watch the leaves turn <br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> <span> </span> <span> </span></span> </span>and drop <br />to stare at the bare wood <br />that blossoms with green <br />rich, entrancing full of cicada song <br />only for the leaves to turn <br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span> </span>and drop again <br /><br />all the world’s a clock— <br />the month striking twelve, <br />and I’m still here <br />strapping on my boots, <br />knotting the laces while the dog tries to eat them <br />stay <br />—she pants— <br />bleib* <br /><br />but my heart is yearning to bound up the stairs two at a time <br />dust off the suitcase <br />and go</span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">***<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">*<i>bleib</i>—German for “stay.” Since our German
Shepherd, Pfeffer, I’ve been teaching our dogs German and English commands.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Let’s chat! What did you think of the poem? What makes
home for you?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><u><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Similar poems</span></u><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/04/poem-blue.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Blue</span></a>, <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2020/02/poem-pronunciation.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Pronunciation</span></a>,
and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2020/01/poem-homesick.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Homesick</span></a></span></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-51541807506789363992021-11-14T10:00:00.000-08:002021-11-14T10:00:00.152-08:008 Books I Bought Because of the Cover<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m not one for impulse buys. I don’t just find a pretty
book off the bookstore shelf, snatch it up, and bring it home. Experience has
taught me that doesn’t usually end well.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But there have been times when I’ve been browsing the
bookstore, the library, or my Goodreads feed, found a pretty cover, and read
the blurb as a result. Then, I’ll check it out at the library. Sometimes the
library doesn’t have it. Indie books, for example, are hard to come by. But for most books, two
out of three times, the library has it. Then, if I really enjoy the story, I’ll buy the
book.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="956" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j6xo8l64EQQ/YY21dc51QPI/AAAAAAAAD8g/q5smkKBOnaorHOmfbzJQk60qbCffsHjJQCLcBGAsYHQ/w544-h640/8%2BBooks%2BI%2BBought%2BBecause%2Bof%2Bthe%2BCover.png" width="544" /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>Here are just a few pretty books that made their way to my
shelves because the cover caught my eye. Books are organized by the authors’
last names.</span><div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oufP9hSqom0/YY_9djaUzpI/AAAAAAAAD9M/txxgbV7q6SgSzYDuuGgo5G5xs8uAsr-6gCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/8%2BBooks_Starfish.jpg" width="400" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40611543-starfish">Starfish</a> </span></i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">by Akemi Dawn Bowman</span></span></h3><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You know how there isn’t a starfish on the cover except for
the word itself? Yeah, that intrigued me, and I wanted to figure out why. Not
to mention that font, the purple, galaxy-like backdrop, and the sketch of a
jellyfish!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I ended up reading the book at my library, then bought the
book a couple years later when I had access to an English bookstore again. I
don’t remember the plot very well anymore, so it’s probably time for a reread.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VHBjrtxVcZA/YY_9xrIH1TI/AAAAAAAAD9U/I01BQs-coZQPS9yhethRX2Ure9RJxOjAwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/8%2BBooks_Fawkes.jpg" width="400" /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36576048-fawkes">Fawkes</a> </span></i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">by Nadine Brandes</span></span></h3><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Take a breath, Thomas. There has always been fear. There will
always be fear. It’s up to us to stand tall, even when the fear demands we bow
to it.”</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’d seen Brandes’ books on Goodreads before but was never
interested in them until <i>Fawkes </i>came out. I particularly enjoy stories
that feature masks that hide identities (not necessarily ones that cover one’s
mouth), even though masquerade balls are always a bad idea for characters. It’s
like they’re asking for trouble! Even though there are no masquerades in this story,
the plot is even better than the cover.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I listened to the audiobook from my library first, and then
a dear friend bought me the book (thanks again, Faith!). But it totally counts for this list.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vwNzvlED6JI/YY_96SrW9UI/AAAAAAAAD9Y/BYSRxUS6hbc-G65f8r9uXNzfiBHUK5AHwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/8%2BBooks_A%2BConspiracy%2Bof%2BStars.jpg" width="400" /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34848207-a-conspiracy-of-stars"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">
</span></a></span></span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34848207-a-conspiracy-of-stars"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A Conspiracy of Stars</span></a></i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> by Olivia A. Cole</span></span></h3><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Look at that pretty little plant on the cover! It’s a sci-fi
book, so it left me wondering if it was a flower or just some sort of spore.
That and the backdrop is black, so it really stands out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I read the book at my library first, and while the story
wasn’t so much about plants as it was about nature and animals, it was really fascinating.
So much so, I ordered the book online rather than wait to find an English
bookstore.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oDC6z6sV9AI/YY_6t3lYexI/AAAAAAAAD8o/e04EUkvmQwIDK2DromHa_GLUtIEvUc2jACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/8%2BBooks_The%2BTen%2BThousand%2BDoors%2Bof%2BJanuary.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43521657-the-ten-thousand-doors-of-january"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span></a></span></span></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43521657-the-ten-thousand-doors-of-january"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><!--[endif]--><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The Ten Thousand Doors of January</i></span></a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> by Alix E. Harrow</span></span></h3><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I hope you will find the cracks in the world and wedge them
wider, so the light of other suns shines through; I hope you will keep the
world unruly, messy, full of strange magics; I hope you will run through every
open Door and tell stories when you return.”</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Look at all those different fonts! Is the cover busy? Yes.
Is it pretty? You bet. Did I enjoy the book even more? Absolutely! The cover
actually reflects how there’s a lot going on in the book and all the different
worlds featured within, and I enjoyed every page.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I read this one at my local library than bought it at the
bookstore within the next week.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qt0SloIMnLs/YY_63__onqI/AAAAAAAAD8s/SJjlts6n1KoPr18KthEEza1jBYEeOx-AQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/8%2BBooks_All%2Bthe%2BBright%2BPlaces.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18460392-all-the-bright-places"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">All the Bright Places</span></a></i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> by Jennifer Niven</span></span></h3><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I bought this one on a whim when I was visiting London with
a friend. It had been on my list for a bit, and the cover looked intriguing.
You know, light, fluffy. Yeah, no, the book isn’t fluffy at all. It ripped my
heart out. Thanks a lot. It’s one of those sad contemporary ones, but it’s
still so, so good.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When the Netflix adaptation came out, I forced my family to
watch it with me. They cried.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L11MpkLPIyQ/YY_7AQPZ9UI/AAAAAAAAD80/wlcaD-25oY8iR963tYp6fCbSUk24TM-KACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/8%2BBooks_The%2BAstonishing%2BColor%2Bof%2BAfter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35604686-the-astonishing-color-of-after"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Astonishing Color of After</span></a></i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> by Emily X. R. Pan</span></span></h3><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Once upon a time we were the standard colors of a rainbow,
cheery and certain of ourselves. At some point, we all began to stumble into
the in-betweens, the murky colors made dark and complicated by resentment and
quiet anger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At some point, my mother
slid so off track she sank into hues of gray, a world drawn only in shadows.”</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The colors on the cover are both striking and beautiful,
quite like the story itself. I also like the way the text bends with the shape
of the bird. That and the story itself is enchanting yet heartbreaking. I read
it at the library, then bought the book. Now it’s probably time for a reread.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pJx_o4Ztps8/YY_7OBkl1lI/AAAAAAAAD88/9ri6JhOY5X8v_UaM0fVUNA8ccBe9Qx4qwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/8%2BBooks_Nimona.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19351043-nimona"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Nimona</span></a> </i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">by Noelle Stevenson</span></span></h3><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I’m not a kid. I'M A SHARK!”</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I first saw this one at my library and picked it up on a
whim. The story is just as fun as the art. It follows some of my favorite
tropes and one of my favorite themes, “What makes a monster or a
villain?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course, I bought the book as soon as I could, and now
it’s one of my go-to books when I want something particularly fun.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8wkqP8u1y34/YY_-C0_z7lI/AAAAAAAAD9g/iBOABw8Tsh8tdYgoWHLxNoiuIE8qTE9SACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/8%2BBooks_The%2BBeast%2BPlayer.jpg" width="400" /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37754798-the-beast-player"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Beast Player</span></a></i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> by Nahoko Uehashi</span></span></h3><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;">“A good teacher is not one who never doubts, but rather one
who strives to keep on learning despite the doubts in her mind.”</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Look at that cover! Isn’t it pretty?! The font is classical
fantasy, the colors are pleasing, and I particularly like the way the Royal
Beast portrayed on the cover includes natural elements, adding to their
mysterious nature. And let’s not forget Elin standing there with her harp.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To be more accurate, I spotted its sequel <i>The Beast
Warrior </i>first. The booksellers had the cover turned to face browsers like
myself, and long story short, the method worked. I’m waiting until <i>The Beast
Warrior</i> comes out in paperback before I get my copy. It should be out by
now! *stares longingly at bookshelf*<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There you have it! Just a few books I’d recommend having
read them and admired their covers.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Let’s chat! What are some books with pretty covers that you
enjoy? Do you impulse buy books? Why/why not?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Similar posts</u>: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/10/7-more-of-my-go-to-authors.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">7 More of my Go-To Authors</span></a>; <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/09/dont-judge-book-by-its-author-or-should.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Don’t Judge a Book by Its Author, or Should You?</span></a>; and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/01/5-books-with-surprising-plot-twists.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">5 Books with Surprising Plot Twists</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-61577343515092696642021-11-07T10:00:00.000-08:002021-11-07T10:00:00.164-08:00Poem: Circuit Board Quilt<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Talking about one’s thought process is always interesting. Some
people process ideas by talking through them, others by quiet contemplation. Sometimes
I’m a little bit of both. I’ll talk through a plot point when I’m stuck, but
more often, I’ll mull it over to myself.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">People often refer to me as a quiet person. I remember back
in my undergrad, during my senior year, I gave a presentation to a class, and
afterward my professor told me that was the most she had heard me speak during
my entire time at college. Oh yeah, she was also my advisor. It surprised me
because I saw my thoughts as being incredibly <i>loud</i> and had forgotten
that I’m the only one who processes them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I didn’t really discuss things in class, until I went on to
study my masters. Now I’m a teacher, and I have quiet students who don’t want
to break out of their shell. Here’s to the quiet thinkers.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1128" height="319" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PaAr0c8EHBE/YYW-9FbaV4I/AAAAAAAAD8E/7Wtr294M2ak2Rdocdntnr2cECpbreonZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Poem.Circuit%2BBoard%2BQuilt.png" width="320" /></div><o:p> </o:p> <p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Circuit
Board Quilt</span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">stop<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">i can’t get it to
stop<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">these pulses that
go on<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">and on like a
circuit board<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">that’s never
switched off<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">how do all the
wires work?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">amazing that
somebody came up with them<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">and could store
ideas on something so small,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">the accumulation
of technology<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">built up over
time<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">history<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">that reminds me i
need to remember to make a lesson plan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">and maybe eat
lunch before 3pm<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">for a change<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">change—it’s
easier to do the math in my head<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">when i’m thinking
of money,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">but honestly i
miss european currency<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">where it wasn’t
all quarters<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">and they actually
had a twenty-cent piece,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">and another coin
for a pound or two euro<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">or maybe my mind<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">is more like a
quilt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">with threads
intertwined<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">one on top of
another<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> on top of another<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">until I can’t see
the pattern<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">but it’s as if
everything is connected<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">it’s been a while
since i made my first and only quilt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">maybe i should
pick up sewing again<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">i’ve heard it
said<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">that a man’s mind
holds compartments,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">boxes if you
will,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">one of which
contains nothing—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">the nothing box—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">where they simply
exist<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">a man’s mind, who
am I kidding?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">my sister says
she has one, a nothing box<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">but in my mind,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">where would all
the energy go?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">i’ve learned to
deal<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">with long
stretches of no activity<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">boredom some
might call it—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">i’d be lying if I
didn’t agree—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">but i’ve found a
way to dream up stories<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">while sorting
shelves,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">listening to
music and humming along,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">all the while
ready to shuffle the cards<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">mid-song to have
a conversation instead<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">i can pick up
where i left off<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> later<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">halfway through a
stich<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">or maybe i’ll use
my stitch remover—humility tool—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">and start
something altogether new</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let’s chat! What did you think of the poem? What’s your
thought process like?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Similar posts</u>: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/02/poem-do-not-dissect-this-poem.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Do Not Dissect This Poem</span></a>, <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2020/07/poem-writing-poem.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Writing a Poem</span></a>, and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2019/02/poem-thoughts-of-place-audio.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Thoughts of Place</span></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><br />Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-58301728201733870752021-10-31T10:00:00.011-07:002021-10-31T10:00:00.164-07:00Book Review: Raybearer<p></p><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">“</span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">‘Uniformity is not unity.
Silence is not peace.’</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">”</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">Wow, just smack society in the
face, why don’t you? Too often we see globalism’s attempt to erase culture in
the name of peace. I think we need to read that again: “</span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">‘Uniformity is not
unity. Silence is not peace.’</i><span style="text-align: justify;">”</span><div><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1128" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RnfkPKwWx6M/YX6sxv5JE2I/AAAAAAAAD78/s0j4lJqTDPoeGJnppQw5Vw_3xxzrt2HnACLcBGAsYHQ/w602-h640/Raybearer.png" width="602" /><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"> </span></div></i><u style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">Book</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">:
</span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50158128-raybearer"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Raybearer</span></a><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">by
Jordan Ifueko</span><br /><u style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">Genre</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">:
Young adult fantasy</span><br /><u style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">My
rating</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">: 4/5 stars</span><br /><u style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">Mini
description</u><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">: courage in the face of confusion</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">For someone who has often
struggled to get into young adult fantasy, I really enjoyed this one! The main
reason I struggle with YA fantasy is because it’s often lackluster in
comparison to the epic worlds and characters you see in adult fantasy. Not so
with this book.</span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">I also finished the story in
about a week, which is refreshing since I didn’t had a lot of time to read at
the time I was reading the book, but I didn’t want to put this one down!</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">Though there were a couple of
times where I had a hard time connecting with Tarisai, the main character, the
writing style was really good. The details were spectacular without being
overwhelming, as is common with adult fantasy.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">The writing style takes an
untraditional approach, though the trend is becoming more common, and covers
several different years of Tarisai’s life. It really showed how she grew over time,
going from being naïve and wanting to please those around her to being well
researched and determined to stand up for what she believes is right, even when
it's not always clear.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">Also, can we talk about the
emphasis on culture and the dangers of continent-wide conformity? Throughout
the story, readers get a taste of the disunity in an empire, but the emperor
and his council keep trying to fix it in all the wrong ways, which is
frustrating but typical of governments.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">I enjoyed the book so much, I
went out and bought a copy of my own. Now I have a wait a whole year before the
sequel’s paperback edition comes out… But that doesn’t stop me from borrowing
the sequel from the library!</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">In all, I gave </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">Raybearer </i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">4/5
stars for excellent themes and character development albeit some reader
disconnect. I would recommend the story to anybody interested in YA fantasy. I
was still in the beginning of the story when I noticed that there's going to be
a sequel, and I got really excited. Even once I reached the end, I have similar
sentiments.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">Interested in </span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">the book</span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">? Have you read it yet? </span><u style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">You
might also enjoy these fantasy novels</u><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">: </span><i style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49089632-elatsoe">Elatsoe</a> </span></i><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">by Darcie Little
Badger, </span><i style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36576048-fawkes">Fawkes</a> </i><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">by Nadine Brandes, </span><i style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43521657-the-ten-thousand-doors-of-january"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Ten Thousand Doors of January</span></a></i><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
by Alix E. Harrowand, and <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37754798-the-beast-player"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Beast Player</span></a></i> by Nahoko Uehashi.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">Let’s chat! Have you read </span><i style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">Raybearer </i><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">yet,
or has it made it to your TBR? What are some of your favorite YA fantasies?</span><br /><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"> </span><br /><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">***</span><br /><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"> </span><br />
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Similar book reviews</u>: <i><a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/03/book-review-elatsoe.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Elatsoe</span></a></i>, <i><a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2020/10/book-review-ten-thousand-doors-of.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Ten Thousand Doors of January</span></a></i>, and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2019/06/book-review-fawkes.html"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Fawkes</span></i></a></span></p></div><br /></div>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-26752194956123364022021-10-17T10:00:00.052-07:002021-10-17T10:00:00.232-07:00Finding the Best Writing Method<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The word <i>writing</i> itself is a little outdated. Or
shall I say generalized? Yeah, that sounds better. After all, many different
forms of writing don’t involve the physical act itself. Sometimes it’s typing.
Sometimes it’s speaking aloud and allowing a device to type for you. Sometimes,
yes, it <i>is</i> writing by hand.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In other words, writing refers not so much to the act of
putting pen to paper but the creation of words, whether it be an essay, blog
post, or story. But which is the best method of creating?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1129" height="638" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oW7a27NuGJc/YWW5RXRuNhI/AAAAAAAAD7c/wNM49g9GGlMSEZPpV5o9BW0f1clv4v-9wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h638/Finding%2Bthe%2BBest%2BWriting%2BMethod.png" width="640" /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p>
<h4 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Handwriting</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once upon a time, I read somewhere that the best way to
write a novel is to write it all out by hand, then type it up and make
corrections from there. So I tried and failed. Miserably. I got halfway through
the book before I couldn’t take it anymore. My brain works faster than my hand, and I need all ten fingers to type. What’s more, the story stunk, so I
ended up scrapping the whole thing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Besides, there’s no <i>Ctrl + f</i> (find) in something
that’s handwritten! How am I supposed to find a certain scene or name if I
can’t remember where it is? At least I don’t need to worry about <i>Ctrl + s </i>(save)…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I also keep one of those little notebooks in my purse
because somebody said you should write down ideas as they come to you. I never
do. Sure, I may pull it out sometimes when I’m bored, but I don’t really use it
to outline or keep track of quotes or anything useful.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Every now and then, if I’m out and feel the urge to write, I
may use a scrap of paper to start a scene, but that’s no longer my primary
method anymore. I like to keep a journal in a physical book, but that’s about
it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Google docs</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Whenever I have a scene that I want to jot down really quick,
I prefer to use Google docs on my phone. That way I can access it anywhere, and
I don’t have to worry about tracking down a random piece of paper. Besides,
it’s a little easier to copy and paste words than it is to type each and every
one.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The last time I was traveling, I had a lot of fun writing on
a Google doc because I didn’t bring my computer. Besides, I was writing poetry,
so I didn’t have to worry about the paragraphs looking <i>huge</i> on my
screen.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="812" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hLVsKqmYlII/YWW6FqpcKPI/AAAAAAAAD7k/8FMvtnhlveUYKWTF7pjHZMOS3P0OArnrQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/Finding%2Bthe%2BBest%2BWriting%2BMethod_Keyboard.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Microsoft Word</span></h4><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ah, my favorite method of all! Complete with the ability to
type with all ten fingers. <i>Ctrl+f</i> and <i>Ctrl+s</i>. The ability to
create chapters and manipulate fonts. Copy and paste. Word counts. Pages. <i>Italics</i>.
Chapter formatting. You name it!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, I have incorporated some methods from other pieces of
unhelpful advice. Like that type up the second draft bit? Yep, I rewrite
everything when transitioning from draft 1 to draft 2 instead of simply copy
and pasting it so that I can catch more mistakes while typing everything out
rather than reading over it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Blogging is slightly different, though. I’ll type everything
up on a Word doc, copy and paste it on Blogger, then proofread it from there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Other methods</span></b></h4>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4theWords/Wattpad/Scrivener</span></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s plenty of online resources for writers, I’m just
cheap and never invest in any of the paid options. 4theWords is a fun one where
you can level up your character by defeating monsters by typing a certain
number of words in a certain amount of time. I enjoyed using it during
NaNoWriMo. The only thing is, I’m that kind of person who would rather study
and tame a monster rather than kill it. What is it with our world and killing
things?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wattpad and Scrivener are also options I’ve heard of, but
I’ve never tried writing on those sites.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dictation</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are also options where you can say the story aloud and
allow a computer program to type it up for you. My sister uses an app on her
phone for that method, though I’ve never tried it myself.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Typewriter</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You know that stereotype where the writer is so obsessed
with the aesthetic of writing that they go out and buy a typewriter? Yeah, no,
I couldn’t do that. I like my backspace key, thank you very much, and used it
maybe 500 times writing this stupid paragraph.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Best Method</span></b></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You may ask, <i>What is the best method?</i> I would say, <i>The
one that works best for you at the time.</i> That method may change from story
to story or even from time to time within the same story, and that’s where
trial and error come into play. For me, it’s Word, but that may change.</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Let’s chat! What’s your favorite writing method? Am I
missing any? Does your writing process change, or do you have a tried and true method?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Similar posts</u>: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/02/5-reasons-to-attend-writeoncon.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">5 Reasons to Attend WriteOnCon</span></a>, <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/01/how-to-balance-multiple-writing-projects.html">How to Balance Multiple Writing Projects</a>, and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2020/06/my-process-for-writing-poetry.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Process for Writing Poetry</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-72889203288409081412021-10-10T10:00:00.001-07:002021-10-10T10:00:00.293-07:007 More of my Go-To Authors<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do
you ever have a certain mood you want to read a book in, so you pick a
particular author? I know I do. For example, if I want to read a story with a
curios twist on a common trope, I’ll pick Neil Gaiman. Or maybe I’m looking for
compelling characters and unpredictable plot twists: Brandon Sanderson. This
method has also led me to know which authors I avoid, but today I’d like to
focus on the ones whose works I enjoy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Authors
are organized by last name.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1129" height="638" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UcO3RaRri_I/YUoGF072TVI/AAAAAAAAD6E/ugUzTKxuoNEejiMnwXGsq6j5qQEzy8YRwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h638/7%2BMore%2Bof%2Bmy%2BGo-To%2BAuthors.png" width="640" /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1818" data-original-width="1818" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--32L28kLjz4/YWHkbZNsZMI/AAAAAAAAD6c/Br4e3k8WovQr-HP8TnbQIX6_Szu5MPq7QCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/7%2BMore%2BGo-To_Bannen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h3>1. Megan Bannen</h3></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></h3><span style="font-family: inherit;">Does
it count if you’ve only read one of their books but you liked it so much you
can’t wait to read the next one even though it’s not a sequel? Eh, who cares.
It’s my blog post. I particularly enjoyed her debut, <i>The Bird and the Blade</i>,
so much so, that I eagerly awaited her latest book <i>Soulswift</i>. My library
finally bought a copy, and I’m currently reading it!<br /><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PMXGP98LKB8/YWHkxtE0XaI/AAAAAAAAD6k/D9iLoLsVCKgdTyJ9bxsP0hB6p9ZeCamgQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/7%2BMore%2BGo-To_Clarke.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Susanna Clarke</b></span></h3></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She
only has three books out. Who am I kidding? Only three books?! That’s so
cool!!! I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve read so far. I read her beast-of-a-book <i>Jonathan
Strange & Mr Norrell </i>back when I was living in England, and I
particularly liked the way Clarke connected the fantasy elements with the
British culture. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The
Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories</i> was also quite entertaining, especially the one
that took place in the world of Neil Gaiman’s <i>Stardust</i>. Crossovers,
anybody? Yes, please! I haven’t seen many crossovers outside of graphic novels,
so this was a pleasant surprise.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
look forward to reading her latest book, <i>Piranse</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bFjpPIGmgPk/YWHlLTchO-I/AAAAAAAAD6s/o9jfadnkb9oPU5dTBr19zzohAHMMnZqjgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/7%2BMore%2BGo-To_Drews.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">C. G. Drews</b></span></h3></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"></b></div><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
first started following Drews <a href="https://paperfury.com/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">on her blog where she writes as Paper Fury</span></a>. One
of the ways I like to determine if a book is worth reading is by reading her
reviews. They’re great.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So
are her books, of course! <i>A Thousand Perfect Notes </i>stole my heart with
its characters, and her second book <i>The Boy Who Steals Houses</i> was even
better. Though they took a while to release in the US (they’re finally here!),
I liked to buy them online at Book Depository.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When
will the publishing industry give us another one of her books? I know she’s
written some! I know you can’t rush publishing, but I can dream.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"></b></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wO8QwPx5hYY/YWHlZjtP8jI/AAAAAAAAD6w/uO61BFZbLxgz4CH7PISNPB1yk5cjSw5sACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/7%2BMore%2BGo-To_Gaiman.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Neil Gaiman</b></span></h3></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"></b></div><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
know, I know. I’ve only read three of his books. How could I possibly say he’s
one of my go-to authors? I highly recommend his speech <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikAb-NYkseI"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">“Make Good Art.”</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Though
I wasn’t a particular fan of <i>The Ocean at the End of the Lane</i>, I found <i>Norse
Mythology </i>to be quite fascinating. Of course, I’m slightly obsessed with <i>Stardust</i>,
especially when it’s the audiobook read by the author.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e9oeg9fzpxg/YWHlmdg2Z1I/AAAAAAAAD60/dL7bAt-j_P8O9xZT6yKjOHl3IGFb96E1gCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/7%2BMore%2BGo-To_Heath.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Hannah Heath</b></span></h3></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"></b></div><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s
not a proper list if I don’t list an indie author. Heath is one of my go-to
indie authors because she always includes some sort of disability
representation in her stories. That and she writes fantasy and sci-fi, so of
course that’s a plus! Her story “Vengence Hunter” made me hate vampire stories
less because she puts an interesting twist on the trope. Her story <a href="https://www.wattpad.com/story/217816208-so-i-accidentally-killed-the-chosen-one"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">“So I Accidentally Killed the Chosen One”</span></a> on Wattpad is quite comical. So far, I think “This Pain Inside” from the anthology <i>Strange Waters</i>,
is one of my favorites. I look forward to her next piece.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qVZIryYgsgc/YWHlvrIU11I/AAAAAAAAD68/O_ZHaie7EtQbOLWNqYO92CY-YLalI13UgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/7%2BMore%2BGo-To_London.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Jack London</b></span></h3></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"></b></div><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As
a kid, I used to pick up a lot of animal stories, and I used to listen to the
audiobook of <i>White Fang </i>a lot. When I reread the book as an adult, I
remembered why I enjoyed the story so much. Of course, his others books and
stories can be good too, though I’ve never particularly cared for <i>Call of
the Wild</i>. It has been a while since I’ve read it, though.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
particularly like how his stories include the beauties and wonder of nature and
humankind contrasted with its deadly nature. No romanticism here.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2-sKLT1plIg/YWHl8PVEgfI/AAAAAAAAD7A/x9NNzYg05Sw0yX5uj7RwNEc2wznpvyHQQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/7%2BMore%2BGo-To_Tolkien.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h3><b style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">J. R. R. Tolkien</b></b></h3></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When
I was a kid, my dad once read <i>The Hobbit </i>to my brother and me. Of
course, I loved it! I can’t say I’ve read everything by Tolkien, but I grew up
enjoying <i>Lord of the Rings</i> movie marathons, and I later dove into the
books.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The last time I attempted to read <i>The Silmarillion </i>was when I was
studying English lit. So yeah, it’s been a while. I’ll have to give the book
another try at some point.</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Let’s
chat! Who are some of your go-to authors? Have you read any books by the ones
I’ve mentioned?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">***</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: arial;">Similar
posts</u><span style="font-family: arial;">: </span><a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/09/dont-judge-book-by-its-author-or-should.html" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Don’t Judge a Book by its Author, or Should You?</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;">; </span><a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2020/06/7-of-my-go-to-authors.html" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">7 of my Go-To Authors</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;">; and </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2019/03/lets-agree-to-disagree-reader-vs-author.html">Let’s Agree to Disagree: Reader vs. Author Opinion</a></span></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-4257778212686798732021-10-03T10:00:00.003-07:002021-10-03T10:00:00.166-07:00Poem: Reading Glasses<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Since I haven’t had a lot of time
to write lately, I’ll be sharing an older poem.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="text-indent: 0in;">Yes, my style may change over time, but I like to think that even the
older ones can be fun sometimes. Here’s one of my favorites from a creative
writing course in college. I was once a proud
reader who didn’t need glasses to read. That is until I read too much…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1130" data-original-width="1128" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K8ZeTGF_Q10/YSEz7dRGaoI/AAAAAAAAD4s/nBtKCKy28Ao2gcBT6pVTZqV7Ec-Y-rvlgCLcBGAsYHQ/w638-h640/Poem.Reading%2BGlasses.png" width="638" /><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Reading
Glasses<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="text-indent: 0in;">Two owlets perch on a wing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Hooked beaks on plump fools<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">stuffed with heaps of mice.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Two boxes crammed<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">with clocks and calendars<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">and leaves to the brim.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Two attic windows side by side,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">overlooking an owl’s nest,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">boxes stacked to the sills. Here<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">until the house burns.*<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Let’s chat! What did you think of
the poem? Any fellow readers out there who wear glasses?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="text-indent: 0in;">*The final sentence sometimes
gets left out because it changes the entire mood of the poem. Personally, I
like it because it adds a touch of mortality to what would otherwise be a
lasting building.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><u style="text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Similar posts</span></u><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="text-indent: 0in;">: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/02/poem-do-not-dissect-this-poem.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Do Not Dissect This Poem</span></a>,
<a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2019/09/poem-origins.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Origins</span></a>, and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2018/12/poem-pine-trees.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Pine Trees</span></a></span></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-38409273554341683472021-09-26T10:00:00.002-07:002021-09-26T10:00:00.231-07:00Writing Update: To Sequel or Not to Sequel?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="text-indent: 0in;">Hey, guys! It’s been a while
since I posted a writing update, so here I am to talk about some of my latest
projects. I’ll try not to get too in depth, especially since some of my
projects with great aspirations never made it past the querying stage… *looks
longingly at two novels I set aside*</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">That being said—stories! I love
‘em. The fun thing about being a writer is that you don’t have to stick with
one story. Once you’re past the proofreading stage, it’s time to move on to the
next project. The main question then becomes, what next? And of course, should
I write a sequel or not?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1133" data-original-width="1154" height="628" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mx1q9--mf3c/YSpePLT9otI/AAAAAAAAD5U/TUrUgbOlLs4vno8CodVUl6gu0OzAtPx4wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h628/Writing%2BUpdate_To%2BSequel%2Bor%2BNot%2Bto%2BSequel.png" width="640" /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;"> </span></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">WATER SPRITE: Definitely a Sequel</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The title is <i>not </i>going to
stay, guys. It’s just the best I have right now. I decided to rewrite this book
as a novel in verse and completely fell in love with the style. I hope my
critique partners like it as much as I do. Speaking of critique partners, if
anybody’s interested in helping me tear this novel apart, I’m looking for
readers (see <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2017/12/7-facts-about-critique-partners-for.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">7 Facts about Critique Partners</span></a> and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/p/building-storms-stories-in-process.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Current Stories</span></a> for more
info).<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qzkcj3HNOPY/YSpbAqM17BI/AAAAAAAAD5E/C91MVlAdvrMD2ee8CLCTR2WnSyJJ2cx-ACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/To%2BSequel%2Bor%2BNot%2Bto%2BSequel_Mountain%2BLake.jpeg" width="400" /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">As for the plans for a sequel, it
won’t be so much a sequel as much as a companion novel. Technically, if you
look at it chronologically, it would be a prequel. Why would I be writing this
one second? I’m not. I once tried my hand at this companion novel before, and
it was a complete flop (I tried writing the novel by hand and hated every
second of it). So I set it aside, wrote a different story, and now I’m coming
back with a completely different approach.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Even though my current writing
order is book 2, book 1, book 3, I particularly like these stories because each
one has standalone potential. It’s not so much a trilogy as a collection of
books with some crossover.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">EDGE OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM:
Probably a Sequel</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">I still hate this title.
Especially since it’s something that carried over from draft one but no longer applies
to the latest draft. *shrugs* Titles are hard.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MaQHPWGvRO8/YSpbJz-GhJI/AAAAAAAAD5I/PL-dFs0wcfozua4hBGp-XNo4XR4H-vOcQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h225/To%2BSequel%2Bor%2BNot%2Bto%2BSequel_Stars.jpeg" width="400" /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Anyway, whether or not I write a
sequel depends on two factors: 1) how I end the book and 2) whether or not I
can find a literary agent to represent it. Now you might be wondering, you
already sent it off to your critique partners, shouldn’t you already know how
you’re ending the book? Hahahaha! No. These things change.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Also, yes, I can totally write a
sequel without a literary agent, but from a career standpoint, I don’t want to
spend 2-3 years on a project that will never see the light of day when I could
be working on something else that might have better success at getting
published. Besides, even if the first story does get picked up for publication,
it will probably undergo even more changes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">But how do I know what will
happen? I don’t. That’s why I want to wait and see.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">THE CHOSEN ONES: A Sequel?</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Hey, wait a second, I’ve never
talked about this story before. It’s still in the writing process. Keep it
secret! Quick! *cue screaming*<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uY8TqBMwbok/YSpbVpEgoQI/AAAAAAAAD5M/ZRiPracRrEwXWKGST2lgWdZGV8QfzKfXQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/To%2BSequel%2Bor%2BNot%2Bto%2BSequel_Bridge.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uY8TqBMwbok/YSpbVpEgoQI/AAAAAAAAD5M/ZRiPracRrEwXWKGST2lgWdZGV8QfzKfXQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/To%2BSequel%2Bor%2BNot%2Bto%2BSequel_Bridge.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="text-indent: 0in;">Since this spring, I’ve been
trudging my way through a short story with a twist on one of my least favorite
tropes: the chosen one. Can I pull it off? We can only wait and see…</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">There you have it! A glimpse at
what I’ve been working on and what I plan to be doing in the future. Some of it
depends upon the publishing process, but not all of it. I always look forward
to future stories. There are so many plot bunnies out there just waiting to be
written.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Let’s chat! Readers, do you prefer
standalones or series? Writers, which do you like to write? What’s your least
favorite trope?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Similar posts</span></u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/03/would-you-rather-writer-tag.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">“Would You Rather?” Writing Tag</span></a>, <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/01/how-to-balance-multiple-writing-projects.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">How to Balance Multiple Writing Projects</span></a>, and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2019/10/writing-update-between-publications.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Writing Update: Between Publications</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-68738754175291502362021-09-19T10:00:00.043-07:002021-09-19T10:00:00.238-07:00Don't Judge a Book by its Author, Or Should You?<p style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="text-indent: 0in;">Hello, dear readers. I’m baaaaack!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="text-indent: 0in;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="text-indent: 0in;">Boy, I’m glad I took a summer hiatus. Having two jobs has kept me incredibly busy, especially since as summer came to a close. That and I</span>’<span style="text-indent: 0in;">ve been dealing with some family stuff. I haven’t had the time to write. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="text-indent: 0in;">I feel like the world is more
political now than when I was growing up. Or maybe as a kid, I just didn’t
notice the political atmosphere. *blech* Either way, it seems that everybody
has an opinion on just about everything.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Readers’ opinions of authors are
no exception. Some authors are likened to heroes while others are despised.
When did art become about writers and not the books themselves?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Sure, buying an author’s books or
checking them out from the library supports the author. As an indie author, I
get it and often enjoy supporting fellow writers by buying their books. But
where do we as readers draw the line? In short: it’s complicated. Here’s why.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><u><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Side note</span></u><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">: I’m <i>not</i> going about to
write about politics. Personally, I like to keep my political opinions separate
from my author profile. I will occasionally write about controversial topics,
but this post is not one of them. As a result, I will be writing about some
real examples and some hypothetical ones.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="1128" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pg4t98lGiD4/YSpVHxCm3VI/AAAAAAAAD48/sdWM056DP3sYFb0uCayLHG6uJD8sVyeoACLcBGAsYHQ/w636-h640/Don%2527t%2BJudge%2Ba%2BBook%2Bby%2Bits%2BAuthor.png" width="636" /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="text-indent: 0in;"> </span></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The Dangers of Hero Worship</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">You may have heard the adage,
“never meet your heroes.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Now, I haven’t met many authors,
so I can’t say I’ve had negative experiences meeting them. Actually, the
authors I’ve met have been inspirational. (Hi, Lisa!)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">At the same time, though, I’ve
seen the dangers of hero worship. People, even those you admire, will at one
point or other let you down. That’s not to say that you can’t admire certain
authors, just that it’s not wise to put them on a pedestal. Authors are people
too.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Authors with Different Beliefs
from their Readers</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Here’s a tricky one. What do you
do if you believe one thing and you come across a book by an author who
believes something different? As a Christian, I come across this situation
quite often, from authors who are atheists to others who are Mormon. I don’t
read much Christian speculative fiction because I tend to find the genre rather
limiting (see Controversy in Fiction: Christian Fiction).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">I don’t take my beliefs from
fiction, either, though there are times when reading will challenge me. Without
reading other perspectives, how would we grow?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">“It is the mark of an educated
mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” –Unknown (often
mistakenly attributed to Aristotle)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Amazing Writing, Terrible
Lifestyle</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">I remember one time I was sitting
in a book club, and some of the other readers were talking about one author (I
can’t remember which one) who was an absolute dirtbag, but they liked his
books. For that very reason, I respected my fellow readers for their
discernment and their ability to acknowledge that even though they didn’t like
the writer’s lifestyle, they could appreciate his work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">I know there are several painters
whom I’ve shared a similar opinion, but I can’t think of any writers off the
top of my head.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Separating the Author from the
Book</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">I like reading the
acknowledgements in a book and the author’s bio, but that’s generally where I
stop. I read so many books that reading about each and every author would take
up a lot of time. If I’m really into a book or another, I may look up more info
about the author, but it’s rare.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Generally speaking, I try to
focus on judging the book for what it is, not for who wrote it. Yes, an
author’s beliefs can influence their writing, but I also take on the idea that
once a book is published, it doesn’t wholly belong to the writer anymore but to
the reader.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Let’s chat! What’s your take on judging
a book by its author? Have you ever met any of your favorite authors in person?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Similar posts</span></u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2020/06/7-of-my-go-to-authors.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">7 of my Go-To Authors</span></a>; <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2019/03/lets-agree-to-disagree-reader-vs-author.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Let’s Agree to Disagree: Reader vs. Author Opinion</span></a>; and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2016/12/controversy-in-fiction-christian-fiction.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Controversy in Fiction: Christian Fiction</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-77255202254448798322021-05-09T10:00:00.005-07:002021-05-09T10:00:00.264-07:00Poem: bricks<p><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Hello,
dear readers!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I
know I’ve been neglecting my blog lately, but I have been writing a lot. Just
not here. I’m recently finished rewriting the climax to one novel, and I’m
trying to finish the second draft of another before the end of May. Oh yeah, and
I’m also thinking about submitting some poems for publication, and I’m developing
a short story which may or may not turn into a series. *cue distant screaming*<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Soooo</span></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">, I’m taking the summer off from
blogging, maybe longer, until further notice. In the mean time, here’s a poem I
wrote during a writing sprint with friends.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1128" height="638" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dWxjNi2m9Uc/YJa1shxht8I/AAAAAAAAD1Q/8sqGzS3Okkk9JMp5R7Z8YU2ezi2ARMvlgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h638/Poem.bricks.png" width="640" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; text-align: left;"> </span></div>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">bricks<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">brick-red,
the russet hue<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">that
clung to calloused hands<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">and
corroded like crumbs,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">coated
fingers like chalk<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">brick-yellow,
the sunburnt shade<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">that
smelled of asphalt and wind<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">on
a summer’s day—petrol<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">and
the singe of a magnifying glass<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">brick-gray,
the mind’s matter<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">that
can’t quite recall<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">the
thrill of the path i carved<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">when
i scaled these walls<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">brick-white,
the bleached blanket<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">that
coated the face like foundation,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">but
didn’t quite belong where the dirt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">stained
its skirts brick-red<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Let’s
chat! What did you think of the poem? Do you have any writing friends you can
do writing sprints with?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Similar
poems</span></u><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2020/11/poem-smell-of-earth.html" style="color: #2b00fe;">The Smell of Earth</a>; <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2020/03/poem-seeking-song-of-time.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Seeking the Song of Time</span></a>; and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2019/07/poem-concrete-forest-paper-meadows.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Concrete Forest, Paper Meadows</span></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Looking for more reading material until I’m back from my hiatus? Check out my books:</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54924213-dandelion-symphony"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Dandelion Symphony</span></a></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">and</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36295417-last-of-the-memory-keepers"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Last of the Memory Keepers</span></a></i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54924213-dandelion-symphony" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1408" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cl3kIjh8occ/X003xfO0HOI/AAAAAAAADgk/nOKy2DDcCD4jUwJhT33E8HvV3SGHbsfLACPcBGAYYCw/s320/eBOOK%2Bready.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36295417-last-of-the-memory-keepers"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1378" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ymScaaXX2k/XRFb5NEalxI/AAAAAAAAC44/trilk96yYIAxdv7nEWqs3StyJel69F1kwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/LMK.Print%2BEdition.jpg" /></a></div><p></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-5087739964047531912021-04-18T10:00:00.115-07:002021-04-18T10:00:00.219-07:00My Latest Writing Desk<p style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">I’ve
written a post about my writing desk before, but that was three years ago, and I have moved
since then. (Am I running out of blogging ideas? Never! Yes, actually I am.
Send help!) Not only that, but I actually bought a new desk, this one with
plenty of shelves for </span><s style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">books</s><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif"> plants. The plants are taking over!</span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F7ixhXH3v_4/YHSgZ2IIzkI/AAAAAAAADz8/VIeN56OsTm4Gz7YzACdRf7fGrV8CeOsQACLcBGAsYHQ/s1149/My%2BLatest%2BWriting%2BDesk.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1149" height="626" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F7ixhXH3v_4/YHSgZ2IIzkI/AAAAAAAADz8/VIeN56OsTm4Gz7YzACdRf7fGrV8CeOsQACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h626/My%2BLatest%2BWriting%2BDesk.png" width="640" /></a><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> </span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XFxZym0QKkc/YHSghEJCloI/AAAAAAAAD0M/1ysoiehe0HQVaHgD2_g7SvhUSKrI-uFbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Writing%2BDesk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1818" data-original-width="2048" height="568" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XFxZym0QKkc/YHSghEJCloI/AAAAAAAAD0M/1ysoiehe0HQVaHgD2_g7SvhUSKrI-uFbgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h568/Writing%2BDesk.jpg" width="640" /></a></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><br /></span></b></h3><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Laptop</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Where
all the writing happens! Well… most of it. Sometimes I use my phone or scraps
of paper when I’m on break at work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Once
upon a time, I owned the world’s worst laptop that would crash every time I
used it. Not so with my latest one! I did a ton of research and got a touch
screen with a detachable keyboard, so it also acts as a tablet when I feel like
having watching a movie online with friends. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Not
to mention, it has a high-definition screen for when I’m working on things like
drawing (I’m not so good at this bit, but I’m learning!), internal book art,
and cover designs.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QlVDccvp4c4/YHSgfsgPRHI/AAAAAAAAD0I/z8AKFCasQTogtf7bp9eygX65jNXcpLUxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Writing%2BDesk%2BCloseup.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QlVDccvp4c4/YHSgfsgPRHI/AAAAAAAAD0I/z8AKFCasQTogtf7bp9eygX65jNXcpLUxQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/Writing%2BDesk%2BCloseup.jpg" width="640" /></a></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><br /></span></b></h3><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
Essentials: Hydration, Light, and Pens</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Sure,
I have an overhead light in the sunroom, aka my study. But I like the lamp for
the aesthetic. That and I used to keep Thorin in this room, so when their lamp
went out, I didn’t want to wake them up, so I used a lamp. Even after I moved
the tank for Xephyr, I never moved the lamp.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">As
for the pens, 50% of them may be decorative, but they’re fun!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Plants
</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Even
writers need oxygen, and it if can be aesthetically pleasing too, why not? ALL
THE PLANTS!!! With spring in the air, gardening season has picked up again, so
of course, I’m excited!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WnEF2VfsS30/YHSgfS3yByI/AAAAAAAAD0A/wyyvVVZFYK0OK1yMqJrsjMw6_GDqMlnuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/Writing%2BDesk%2BShelf.jpg" width="640" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></h3><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shelves for Books, Projects, and MORE Plants</span></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">First,
I have my TBR shelf (above), which is made up of some books I own and some from the
library. My latest reads have been novels in verse for poetry month! I’ve
already read <i>Like Water on Stone</i>, <i>Clap When You Land</i>, and <i>Planet
Middle School</i>. Next up: <i>Long Way Down</i> and <i>The Crossover</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dS93-JFJnUA/YHWpbp71-YI/AAAAAAAAD0o/pUZwsrygfFAs5QJbWy1m4VowXZ5um9YAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Sunroom%2BBookshelf.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1769" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dS93-JFJnUA/YHWpbp71-YI/AAAAAAAAD0o/pUZwsrygfFAs5QJbWy1m4VowXZ5um9YAQCLcBGAsYHQ/w552-h640/Sunroom%2BBookshelf.jpg" width="552" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">Then
there’s books on writing, poetry, and those random astronomy books that don’t
fit anywhere else.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8vZa5-p9c-Q/YHWpbsupe0I/AAAAAAAAD0s/eXrakjL9iRMl-7Txq53Er1WX2u20M58CQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Sunroom%2BPlant%2BShelf.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8vZa5-p9c-Q/YHWpbsupe0I/AAAAAAAAD0s/eXrakjL9iRMl-7Txq53Er1WX2u20M58CQCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/Sunroom%2BPlant%2BShelf.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Last
but not least is the latest addition of shelves, which is why it looks so bare.
Featuring my books, a couple shade-loving succulents and flowers, and Xephyr’s
feeding tank. Cleaning is <i>sooo</i> much easier when I keep all the bugs in a
separate tank from his living space.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AfNmWaYcYNg/YHSghmrSJEI/AAAAAAAAD0Q/g1MFm10bfT01m3VnWLnsM1-lDSwsLPMZACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Writing%2BDesk%2BView.jpg" width="640" /></p>
<h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><br /></span></b></h3><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
View</span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Over
the winter, I brought my ferns inside and hung them in the windows, and they
shed leaves <i>everywhere</i>. Never again. Not in my workspace anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Since
spring has hit, I have enjoyed watching everything green up. We don’t trim our
lawn very often to allow the wildflowers to grow. Right now, the daisies are blooming,
and the bees are happy. There’s even a strip of fields across the river that is
blossoming with yellow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Let’s
chat! Spring is an inspirational time for me. How about you? What does your
writing space look like? What’s on your TBR shelf?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Similar
posts</span></u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/03/would-you-rather-writer-tag.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">“Would You Rather?” Writer Tag</span></a>, <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2021/03/recommended-reading-novels-in-verse.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Recommended Reading: Novels in Verse</span></a>, and <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2019/02/my-current-writing-desk.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My <s>Current</s>
Writing Desk</span></a></span></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-8395410988432893512021-04-11T10:00:00.049-07:002021-04-11T10:00:00.231-07:00Poem: Blue<p style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="text-indent: 0in;">Many
people don’t like the idea of “jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.” But,
as my dad once said in reference to his paratrooper days, “There’s no such
thing as a perfectly good airplane.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Personally,
I have a fear of heights, but I’m also a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I enjoy high
ropes courses and rock climbing, and I’ve even been parasailing and paragliding. Perhaps
one day, I’ll get the chance to go skydiving. But it is not this day!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Once
again, I borrowed this prompt from Julia Garcia’s blog <a href="http://dropsofinspira.blogspot.com/2021/02/poetry-15th-february-2021.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Drops of Inspira</span></a>.</span><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"> This time, I borrowed the
prompt “the color blue” from February.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1128" height="638" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x4Zy-ioTH8s/YGxuYPT-8wI/AAAAAAAADzk/G8-19wpIuuMw9OAmvjOSv2YA3_aTyyvUQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h638/Poem.Blue.png" width="640" /></div><p></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Blue</div><br />I’d almost forgotten <br />the sky was that color <br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>once <br /><br />back when I was a child <br />somersaulting in the grass <br />wondering what it would be like <br /><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span> </span>to fall up <br /><br />until I couldn’t take the thought anymore <br />and wandered to where <br />a servicemember stood <br /><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span> </span>in his uniform <br /><br /><i>Do you know which one <br />is my dad? </i><br />I asked, watching the parachutes <br />drift down <br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>like helicopter seeds <br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Kid, I wear glasses,</i></div><i><div style="text-align: right;"><i>not binoculars.<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></i></div></i><br />He had a point. <br />I shuffled back to the <br />bleachers and sat by Mom <br />until the last of the parachutes <br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>deflated <br /><br />now I wonder <br />if we’ll ever get a break <br />from this popcorn ceiling of gray <br />and what it must be like <br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>to touch the blue <br /><br />one day, perhaps, <br />I’ll find a clear day <br />to strap on a chute and board <br />a plane with the sole purpose <br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>to find out</span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Let’s
chat! What did you think of the poem? If you had the chance to go skydiving,
would you?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><u><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Similar
poems</span></u><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">: <a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2020/12/poem-gold.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Gold</span></a>, </span><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif"><a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2018/12/poem-pine-trees.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Pine Trees</span></a>, and </span><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif"><a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2018/11/poem-goodbye-again.html">Goodbye Again</a></span></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2729454467194263392.post-53430429187820231252021-03-28T10:00:00.041-07:002021-03-28T10:00:06.448-07:00Book Review: Elatsoe<p style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif">In
the last couple months, I made a wonderful discovery. Audiobooks! More
specifically, I discovered <a href="https://www.hoopladigital.com/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Hoopla</span></a>, an app available at my local library, which has
a plethora of audiobooks. With work picking up again (I’m exhausted
but enjoying it), audiobooks have been particularly nice.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">My
only warning, if you’re like me and want to read all the books at once, watch
your number of checkouts. Hoopla only lets you use five checkouts a month.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">That
being said, <i>Elatsoe</i> was a delight to listen to! I’m particularly glad I
listened to this one so that I could learn how to pronounce the name,
eh-lat-SOE-ay. Though apparently the book contains illustrations, and I missed them!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pibKUc-6Eag/YF-JV6MSkaI/AAAAAAAADzI/eYywn0PrHpok89rHhkEndNw_oj22klCqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1128/Elatsoe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1128" height="638" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pibKUc-6Eag/YF-JV6MSkaI/AAAAAAAADzI/eYywn0PrHpok89rHhkEndNw_oj22klCqwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h638/Elatsoe.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit;">Book</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: </span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49089632-elatsoe"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Elatsoe</span></a> </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">by Darcie Little Badger</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: underline;">Genre</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Young Adult, fantasy, mystery, contemporary</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: underline;">My rating</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: 4.5/5 stars</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: underline;">Mini description</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: ghosts versus vampires</span></div></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
dog doesn’t die in the end because the dog is already dead. Kirby is Ely’s
ghost dog, whom she brought back after he died of old age. I’m not going to
lie, I want a ghost dog, or even a ghost beardie! I’ve lost pets over the
years, and it would be a delight to see them again, even if I couldn’t pet
them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Yet
there are still limitations in this fantasy world. Animals may make great ghost
companions, but human ghosts, as the story often reminds us, are terrible
things. And the vampire curse, as it’s called, may have its advantages for the
young but grows more difficult with age.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">I
particularly liked the way the story wove Native American mythology, particular
Lipan Apache, with what is to me, familiar fantasy elements. The cultural
aspects were also quite fascinating, and I appreciated reading about a
perspective I don’t normally hear from.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Then
there were the mystery elements to the story. Early on, readers get the <i>who </i>in the <i>who-done-it</i>.
It’s the <i>why </i>that kept me guessing, and I hadn’t figured it out by the
big reveal. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">I
also enjoyed the way the narrative contained stories within the main story.
They weren’t just flashbacks but stories within themselves. I was incredibly
pleased with the book as a whole.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">In
all, I gave <i>Elatsoe</i> 4.5/5 stars for an excellent narrative and
characters. I only wish it were a little longer. I’d recommend the book to anybody
interested in creative contemporary fantasy. I look forward to reading more of
Darcie Little Badger’s work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Interested
in <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">the book</span>? Have you read it
yet? <u>You might also enjoy these fantasy novels</u>: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38226384-the-cruel-prince"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Cruel Prince</span></a></i>
by Holly Black, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14201.Jonathan_Strange_Mr_Norrell"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell</span></a> </i>by Susanna Clarke, and
<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43521657-the-ten-thousand-doors-of-january"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Ten Thousand Doors of January</span></a></i> by Alix E. Harrow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Let’s
chat! Have you read <i>Elatsoe </i>yet, or has it made it to your TBR? What are
some of your favorite contemporary fantasies?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Similar
book reviews</span></u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">: <i><a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2020/10/book-review-ten-thousand-doors-of.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Ten Thousand Doors of January</span></a></i>, <i><a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2019/06/book-review-fawkes.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Fawkes</span></a></i>, and <i><a href="https://www.azelynklein.com/2018/04/book-review-snow-child.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Snow Child</span></a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>Azelyn Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07891028060806411511noreply@blogger.com0