Writing
Let's not talk about the fact that I didn't do any more writing on Follow the Raven this month either and instead focus on the fact that Camp NaNoWriMo July starts tomorrow! I've set my goal at 10k words again and I will make it! This will be the year that I win BOTH camps in the same year - not to mention the main event in November. I can feel it!
I only posted a couple of chapters of "Everything Changes" this month - both during Sonic and Shadow's birthday week. My readers seem excited about the direction I'm taking the story. If all goes as planned I'll be wrapping up this book in July, since I planned for it to be 20 chapters just like my first Sonic fanfic was and I've already posted 16. My current stats for this story are 1,942 reads; 185 votes; and 45 comments.
Reading
Obviously the highlight of my reading this month was the beginning of my months-long Skulduggery Pleasant readthrough, but I did read a couple of other titles as well. I also didn't get as much reading done as I wanted to this month, but four books is better than none. Here's what I read:
- Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate
- The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry
- Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
- Playing With Fire by Derek Landy
Crenshaw is a book I picked up at the beginning of the month because I needed something light and fluffy to read to get my mind off of other things. It is a children's book; I finished it in two days. It was cute and really good considering the age group it was targeted at. I also listened to the audiobook version of The Amaranth Enchantment, just to give the audio experience another try with a different story and narrator. It had its moments, but overall I'd say it was fairly predictable and definitely meant for the younger side of the young adult genre. It took me the entire month to get through this eight hour audiobook, as I would go days at a time without the desire to keep listening. Although I never wanted to DNF it. I just didn't force myself to listen to it when I wasn't in the mood is all.
Every word of the first Skulduggery Pleasant book was exactly how I remembered it (of course), and I found myself quoting certain lines out loud before reading them on the page because I am so familiar and in love with them at this point. I enjoyed the journey this time just as much as I did the very first time I read it. I noticed this time, however, that I was picking up on things that had slipped my attention before, and I grew to like characters I used to dislike (aka Tanith Low). I'm curious to see if that will keep up throughout the series.
I've read books two and three only once before, and I've never read books four and beyond (which is why the real reviews and thoughts will come out next month, I think). Reading Playing With Fire for the second time was almost like reading it for the first time in that I remembered certain key events but overall I didn't recall how the story went or how it ended. It was neat to see the character growth in both Skulduggery and Valkyrie, and watch their partnership be tested and strengthened over the course of the 345 pages of the book. I've already begun the next book in the series, but as I'm not even 100 pages in yet I'll save that for next month's wrap-up. Overall, very excited to reread this third installment and then finally move on into uncharted territory!
I Am the Reader Book Tag
1) Name one word that describes being a reader.
- The first word that popped into my mind for this one is "fabulous." Being a reader means you get to escape reality whenever you want, go on awesome adventures of your own choosing, live a thousand lives, meet hundreds of people you never would otherwise, learn new things about a variety of topics, and so on. It's just...fabulous.
2) What's the very first book you fell in love with?
- The first book that I can vividly remember loving and devouring over and over is F Is For Freedom by Roni Schotter. The American Civil War era has always been my favorite historical period, I think because I like to see people fight for each other, regardless of skin color. F Is For Freedom essentially is about a young girl whose parents host a stop on the Underground Railroad, and she meets a slave girl who is about her age and doesn't know how to read. It's the story of their friendship and the slave's escape into the northern states. While I don't remember a lot of specifics, I do remember that I read and reread that book more times than I can even recall. I think it's safe to say that that was the first book I fell in love with.
3) Hardcover or paperback?
- I'm so glad I finally get to talk about this! I prefer paperback books. Most of my shelf is made up of paperback books. They're easier to handle, they're lightweight so your hands don't get as tired when you're holding it up for a prolonged period, you don't have to fuss with a book jacket...etc. Plus they just feel nice, you know?
4) How has reading shaped your identity?
- I feel like I would be an entirely different person today if I had never been a reader. I probably wouldn't want to be a writer, for one thing. But besides that, growing up I always had a book in my hand. I was always reading something. Friends and relatives knew me as the bookworm. All throughout high school, especially, I was known as a major book nerd. Nowadays it's just accepted that if you're planning on getting me something for a birthday or holiday, a gift card to a bookstore is always a safe bet. (And I very much enjoy those gifts.) Plus, reading has really helped me escape when I needed to the most. In the darkest times of my life when I didn't have anyone to talk to or turn to with my problems, there was always a book to be read. A different place to go and get away for a while. I think that really helped me.
5) What book do you read when you need to be comforted?
- Obvious Answer: Skulduggery Pleasant. He's always there to remind me of better times and to make me laugh when I need him the most.
6) Who taught you to be a reader? Or did you do it all on your own?
- I actually just had a conversation with my mom about this recently. I always knew that I had taught myself to be a reader, though I didn't know quite to what extent until just recently. My mom told me a story a while ago about how when I was about two years old there was this particular book that I really, really loved. I wanted her to read it to me all the time, over and over, as kids do. Mom said that if she ever tried to rush through it or didn't add the correct enthusiasm to her presentation of the story I would let her know that that was not how it went, and then I'd make her do it again the right way. Just the image of that makes me laugh. So short answer to this - I taught myself to be a reader. Neither of my parents were ever really into reading as far as I can remember. I've never seen my dad read a book in my life. I've seen mom read a few - especially now that she's getting older - but overall I'd say I'm the only reader in my family. My younger brother certainly doesn't read.
7) Describe your dream reading lounge.
- This is something I've wanted to do an entire post on before but I have never really been able to come up with a solid answer. Nine times out of ten when I picture a "reading nook," or a place to get away from the world for a while, it's a small little corner that's out of the way but cozy, with a bookshelf nearby and a table with snacks and stuff. And if it's snowing outside? Bonus. I like the cozy feeling that brings me.
8) What book changed the way you act or see the world?
- I think The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini really changed my entire perspective on the war that's going on over in the Middle East right now. I knew it was bad over there and I knew there were some messed-up groups taking power and bad things happening to innocent people, but I don't think I realized the full extent of how awful it is until I read The Kite Runner. My entire way of thinking has changed now when it comes to that part of the world. I feel like I have a better understanding of how this all started and what's been going on thanks to this book. (Although I do have to note that it messed me up big time. I couldn't read anything else for a solid week after finishing The Kite Runner. And I really want to read A Thousand Splendid Suns, too...but I'm afraid that will mess me up as well, if not more so.)
And that's all I've got for this month! Be sure to come back for my July wrap-up as I move out of familiar Skulduggery Pleasant territory and venture into the unknown. I'll finally find out what happens to him after the end of book three! Clearly he survives the battle...but how?! See you next time, guys! :D
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