Friday Five

1. I admit it.  My brain has frozen into mush.  Been trying--okay, maybe not much--to get some inspiration to work on this one story.  I really think there's a good reason why after NaNoWrimo, you should shelf that project and move on!

If you ask how my writing's been going?  This is me:

Plus, it's the last week of school before holiday break.  Fourteen-year-old isn't 'feeling' it and I sure as heck don't either.



Teachers right before break:

2. This article is so true on some of the annoying things about this season.

http://vampirediaries.com/12152015-most-annoying-things-about-christmas-holidays/?gallery_post_slide=1

I admit, I've been in kind of funk this whole season(that includes Thanksgiving)  as we will have an elderly guest who has no filter on what she says and isn't that nice.  It's really hard to stay up beat when you're around a family member that isn't positive and goes off on a whole crying session.

Le sigh.



3. One thing that does help is reading!

Thank God for the Cybils and YA Books Central!!!!!

Just finished reading:

Disturbing and chilling view of a futuristic world where women are 'made' for men.

4. 

One amazing read! LOVED!  Fab world building and I totally LOVED how Aveyard stepped outside the typical faery storyline which has gotten so trite.  Can't wait for the sequel!

5. Listening to the audio of this one:

Confession: I tried reading when this novel first came out but couldn't get into it.  But I tried again, this time listening to the audio book.  Omg, what a huge difference.  Love the voice of the narrator that NAILS the culture.  Chapter 12 totally shows what I tried to do in EARRINGS OF IXTUMEA where my protagonist Lupe doesn't feel she's 'white' enough.

In SHADOWSHAPER, Sierra, says this to someone she chats with online when asked what she looked like, "I look like coffee but with no enough milk."

Omg, totally nails it in just that one sentence.  Then Sierra tells herself that she is 'enough' regardless of what others might like.

Another must read Cybils nominated book:

This one has an innocence and sweetest of a boy and a Selkie.  

Loving this one:

Teen gets chosen to go on a trip to France to check out an underground palace that hasn't been touched for over 200 years!  Only things aren't what they seem to be.   Looks like there was a fate worse than being beheaded during the French Revolution!

**Also have to give a shout out to this graphic novel adaptation of ROMEO AND JULIET:

This version was easier for fourteen-year-old to read.  I also used the 1996 version which son actually kind of liked:

***Guilty pleasure:

Have to take Honda hybrid in for a smog check(I know, talk about an oxymoron).  Maybe will grab a Starbucks while I wait for son when he's in seminary.  

For those of you that don't know what that is, seminary is early morning Bible study class for Mormon teens.  In this case it starts at 5:45 in the morning!  His ride left early to go to Idaho so I'm driving.  Hope to catch up on some more Cybils reading while I 'wait'.  I also got volunteered to take some of the kids to high school right afterwards.

Good chance to get some more research in!