For Funsies

Whee, it's Friday! Except my Friday hasn't exactly been stellar. :( Hopefully the evening portion goes better...
Moving on, I've been tagged by Mel Fowler, which means that you all get 10 random facts about me now. Then I spread my cooties to tag 5 other people, who you can learn 10 random things about later. So...here we go!

1. When pumping my gas, I cannot leave the pump until the dollar amount ends in a 5 or 0. My fiance purposely ends it on a different number just to screw with me.

2. My favorite color is green, except of the olive variety. Blech.

3. I have 30G of music on my computer, and it encompasses everything from Beethoven to Bob Marley (genre-wise, not alphabetically, because goodness that would be limiting).

4. I enjoy being alone, but with company (each person working independently, but in the same room). I blame my dad.

5. I'm probably one of the only women alive who wouldn't kill for chocolate. In fact, I think chocolate would probably kill me. The only time I'll eat it is when there's peanut butter involved.

6. I've recently become addicted to Project Runway. It's completely unexplainable, because I'm fashion-challenged and would never wear the outfits from the show, but I love it anyway.

7. I prefer swimming to any other form of exercise.

8. E.T. freaks me out. I haven't been able to sit through that movie since I was 7.

9. I enjoy watching nature documentaries. The Earth is a fascinating place, and the plants and animals that populate it never cease to amaze me.

10. This was a heck of a lot harder than I thought it would be.

Do you feel like you've known me for years? ;) I think I'm going to break the rules on this a little (gasp!), since a lot of my blogging friends are either a) uber-busy or b) have already done this before. So...I'm not tagging anyone! However, I would be incredibly happy if you decided to leave a random fact about yourself in the comments. :)

Happy Friday!

J

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

Holy wow, this book was amazing! I honestly didn't think I was going to enjoy it as much as I did. I finished it yesterday (yes, it took me less than 2 full days...what of it? :P) and was pleasantly surprised. I think the best part about this book is that even though there is a sequel, everything was tied up nicely at the end, and I don't have to spend the next 2 years cursing Ransom Riggs for leaving me hanging. :)

Miss Peregrine's has a lot going for it. The writing is absolutely beautiful, for one thing. I found myself stopping and rereading phrases and passages, the way I do when something resonates with me and I want to remember it later. One such sentence: "Sometimes you just have to go through a door." Jacob was making a stormy exit after an argument, and even though he had to face the person moments later, he just needed to "go through a door" to feel better. I can so identify with that, and I thought it was wonderful. You'll have to hunt down other nuggets of gold yourself!

The photography aspect was awesome as well. Fun fact: if a book has pictures, I look at all of them before I start reading. I have no idea why, but it's a habit of mine. When I first received this book in the mail, I looked at all the photos several times. Sure, they were weird, but they didn't really have an effect on me at all. However, once I started reading, they got creepier and creepier, to the point where not only could I not read the book at night, I couldn't even have it sitting on my bedside table while I slept (I'm a bit of a wimp, and totally not ashamed to admit it). The haunting prose combined with these strange images made for one creeptastic story, and I ate it up.

I definitely recommend Miss Peregrine's to anyone who enjoys a good spook story. It's not about ghosts at all, but the atmosphere of the novel made me feel like it was. I enjoyed it immensely, and hope you will too.

For those who have read it, what did you think? And if you haven't picked it up yet, will you?

J

PS If you haven't had the chance to read my flash fiction, you can find it here. If you'd like to vote for me, I'm number 221. :)

Road Trip Wednesday: I Was a Teenage Villain

Road Trip Wednesday is a blog carnival hosted by YA Highway. This week they've asked:

What non-YA character would you like to see star in a YA book as themselves?

It took me a while to think of an answer for this question, since (if I'm being honest) I don't really read too many grown-up books. Even though I'm 24, I've found that it's a lot easier for me to identify with and lose myself in YA or middle grade stories. Adult fiction is just so...dull, for the most part. That's not to say that I never read it; I'm just very picky about it.

Anyway, when I did finally come to a conclusion about the adult character I'm most interested in seeing in their teen years, I knew it had to be a villain. Sure, the nice guys have great stories too, and some of them come from very fascinating backgrounds. That being said, as a psychology major, I'm far more interested in the paths that brought the villains to their villainy. After some careful thought, I think the character I'd most like to see in a YA novel is Captain Hook.

Peter Pan has always been one of my favorites. I mentioned it in this post (which was also birthday related), and I'm sure I'll discuss it again. Captain Hook is quite a character, and one of the main reasons I loved that book so much. For one thing, he's a pirate, which is the ultimate in cool when you're 8. Now that I think about it, pirates are still pretty cool...

Also, he's a very angry man, and harbors a very intense hatred for Peter Pan. I'm curious to know what exactly happened to Hook that made him so angry. I mean, there's the whole chopping-off-his-hand-and-feeding-it-to-a-crocodile thing, but there had to be a reason they were fighting in the first place. What was Hook's childhood like? How did he get to Neverland? Is he really such an evil villain, or is he more like Snape and was just horribly misunderstood? If only Jim Barrie were alive to answer all these questions!

So what about you? Which adult character would YOU like to see in a YA novel? Leave your answers in the comments! :)

J

You Guys Are the Best!

I leave the internet for a few days, and I come back to find 50 followers! :D *happy dances yet again* I've already started putting together a 100-follower-giveaway-extraveganza, since (with any luck) that will be coming up very soon. Spread the love and send your friends my way, and it'll come even sooner. There are books involved, people! :) Thanks again for all your support...I love all of you already!

J

I'm ba-aaack!

I'm back from vacation! Hello to those of you who have just joined the party. :) It's so wonderful to have you here!

The bridal shower was a success, just in case you were curious. It was a tea party, complete with outrageous hats, and I promise I'll post photos as soon as I have them. My mom was running the camera, and I didn't have time to load anything onto my laptop before I left, so.....you'll get them when I do. :P It was a blast though, and it was wonderful to see my family and friends, even if the trip was a VERY short one.

I finished The Unwanteds (by Lisa McMann) on the plane, which was incredible. I highly recommend that book if you enjoy middle grade, Harry Potter, the arts, magical battles, or any combination of those things. :) I just started Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (by Ransom Riggs), which I'm enjoying so far. It's weird, and slightly creepy, but the writing is beautiful and I can't put it down.

I'm also participating in the first Campaigner's challenge, so you get a tiny sample of my writing. Yay, you! :P The rules were to write a piece of flash fiction or poetry that begins with "The door swung open" and is 200 words or less. Additional challenges were to end with "the door swung shut" and to make the piece exactly 200 words. I did both of the additional challenges, so we'll see if that makes any difference lol. Here's my piece!

Forbidden

The door swung open. The corridor stretched endlessly before her, torchlight dancing on the stone walls. Emily remained on the threshold. Her heart thundered in her chest, though she couldn’t be sure if fear or excitement was behind its frantic pace. Eyes closed, she drew in a deep breath and stepped out into the corridor.
                The stone was cool beneath her bare feet. The only sound that accompanied her was the soft crackle of the torches in their sconces; her feet, brushing the ground as lightly as a lover’s caress, made not even a whisper of sound. She moved quickly through the corridor, heading for the open doorway at the other end of the hall.
                Upon reaching it, she halted abruptly. Silent and still, she waited just outside the brightly lit room. She could see the books, worn leather spines beckoning her forward, urging her to lose herself in the pages. Did she dare enter? The opportunity was not likely to present itself again; this was the first time she had ever seen the great wooden door open. It would mean her death if she were discovered.
                Emily inhaled deeply and stepped inside. She smiled as the door swung shut.

And there you have it, folks! If you like what you read, you can vote for me here. I'm number 221. :) I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend, and I look forward to reading all your entries for the first challenge. Happy writing!

J

Vacation: All I Ever Wanted

I'm going on vacation! No, it's not anywhere exotic...I'm spending Labor Day weekend in South Dakota with my parents. Mom's throwing me a bridal shower so that my Midwest friends can attend, which I'm totally excited about. I think it goes without saying that I probably won't get much writing done.

Oh, what's that? I didn't update you on my progress this week? That's because there really wasn't much. I managed to eke out another 200 words, which is 200 words farther than I was Tuesday. I finished a scene, which is major progress, and when I get back from vacation I'll get to start on the next one. But with spending a few precious days with my parents, catching up with my friends, and having the most kick-a tea party bridal shower in the history of bridal showers, I won't have much time to devote to my WIP or the blogosphere. Sorry, guys. :(

Pretty sure you'll all be right where I left you when I get back. :P Happy writing, and have a safe and wonderful Labor Day!

J

A Road Trip and Some Progress

I'm doing my first ever post for Road Trip Wednesday this week! It's hosted by YA Highway, which I totally recommend if you haven't checked it out yet. The question for this week is: What is the best book you read in August?

Let me preface this answer by saying that the majority of August was spent rereading the Song of Ice and Fire series (think Game of Thrones) by George RR Martin, so that I could then read Dance with Dragons (which was my birthday present from my future in-laws). I was not too pleased with Dance, so I feel like I wasted a lot of time with it. That being said, I think my pick for my favorite book from August is:

When I first started Kody Keplinger's debut novel, I'll admit that I was lukewarm. I wasn't really a fan of the fact that every other word was a curse word, and after reading so much fantasy, it was a bit of a shock to plunge head-first into a completely contemporary novel. By the time I got to the end, I was completely in love. Bianca's struggle is one that a lot of young women go to. I can totally relate to feeling like the DUFF (designated ugly fat friend), since I was tall and stocky (and still am) and the majority of my friends are tiny and bird-like. Since high school, I've lost a lot of weight and gained a lot of confidence, but this was a book that I could relate to on several different levels.

I enjoyed the fact that not everything was as it seemed for the main characters. Wesley was a total jerk, but we got a peek into his life and realized that there was more to him than his womanizing exterior. Overall, I thought The Duff was a great read, and I look forward to reading Shut Out. As soon as it's in paperback and doesn't cost me twenty dollars. :P

As far as my own writing goes, I'm sad to say that I didn't get any done yesterday. We had quite a morning at the children's museum, and I was physically and emotionally exhausted by the time we got home. I ended up taking a nap myself as soon as the kiddos had fallen asleep. I'm sure by now you're all staring at your computer screens, thinking "Well, what happened?" Scoot closer, and I'll tell you a story. :)

I take care of these two adorable munchkins:

The little girl is affectionately known as Bean, and her brother is Bug. Anyway, the three of us had a coupon to go to the children's museum. Yesterday was the last day to use it, so we met up with a friend and her two kids to tackle the place together. It was a MADHOUSE. There were children everywhere, and the parking lot ended up being completely full within 20 minutes of us arriving. I think parents pulled their children out of school to take advantage of this deal (free admission for a fmaily of 5, which is a $55 value at this place).

We were originally going to leave, but I decided that we should just do it, since it was the last day of the coupon and my friend's last playdate with us (she's moving to Washington DC tomorrow T_T). We stayed for an hour, but it quickly got to be too much and we decided to call it a day. I spent the whole time worrying I was going to lose one of the kids, and it was just horrendously busy. While we were waiting in line for the elevator, my friend's two-year-old ran into one of the elevators alone, and the doors started to close on him. We both flew forward to stop the door and wedged our way inside, since we couldn't get him out, and ended up in the car with a mom and her double stroller.

We were talking about getting separated from your kids, and the mom said, "Yeah, I know how you feel. My daughter's in the other elevator (there are two right next to each other). I hope she's ok." My friend and I gave each other horrified looks, and she said, "Wait, how old is your daughter?"

The mom replied, "She's 8, so she'll be fine. She knows we're leaving, so I'm sure she'll be waiting for us when we get to the lobby." But we arrived at the lobby, and the woman's daughter wasn't there. She went into full-on panic mode, and I volunteered to go look for this lost little girl. I was the only one who didn't have a stroller or a baby strapped to my chest, so it made the most sense for me to go. I dropped my diaper bag, told the kids to stay with my friend, and ran up the stairs to look. Luckily, she was just getting off the elevator on the second level, crying hysterically for her mom. I called her name and told her I knew where her mom was, then took her by the hand and led her down the stairs. Mom and daughter were reunited, but I was a complete mess by the time we got to our own car.

I cannot imagine what it would feel like to lose your child anywhere, much less a place that crowded. I was sobbing when I tried to tell my mom about it ten minutes afterward. It was such a scary feeling, and she wasn't even my child, or one of the children I take care of! Needless to say, even though the end result was a happy one, it was stressful for everyone involved.

I would have written last night, but I went to a book signing instead. Lisa McMann was in town (she lives in my city!) and was signing her new book, The Unwanteds, which I am super excited to read. Hopefully I'll be more productive today. I'll have to get back to you on that...off to write!

J