Getting rid of writer's bum

Phew, so I'm know the size of my rump isn't completely attributed to writing, but every time I sit down at the computer (okay maybe not every time) I think about how sedentary this hobby of mine is...which is why it is good to have other hobbies.

I got on the scale this morning (which doesn't always make me happy,but today it did) I have eight pounds to go before I'm at my pre-baby weight.  Huzzah!  That calls for an ice cream sundae! jk.

Anywho, my success is attributed to the two things above--and the pulling out of the double stroller.

Man, the 30-day shred (maybe if you were in shape already you'd scoff at this) holy crap for one who was looking to get back in shape, this kicks my writers bum.  The best part about it, the workout is only 20 minutes, which means I don't really have an excuse not to do it.

The Good Mood Food diet (which I tweak because I am nursing my kiddo) is awesome.  It's all about what to eat.  Which is good because when I have a list of things I shouldn't eat, all I do is eat them.  I don't follow it perfectly, but I've been eating way more vegetables consistently than I have my whole life, and I like vegetables--so that's saying something.  

My double jogger--I found this puppy at a consignment shop before my second kiddo was even a twinkle in my eye, because it was $60 and they can run hundreds of dollars.  The Bob double jogger is $500 bucks. Ouch.  Anyway we've been going on walks after dinner, and it is so nice--hopefully the weather will stay good for a while.

  Okay, guilty, this wasn't Halloween either, it was however a dress up day at school, and I was so exceedingly nerdy I took every opportunity to not be myself.  :) I got over that.  Although I still love dressing up.  

Powerless by Matthew Cody

Title: Powerless
Author:  Matthew Cody
Genre: Middle Grade, Superhero
Rating: Thumbs up (Best MG book I've read this year)

What I liked:  This book is so cute.  It has really great twists for a superhero story.  The main character has no powers and this is what actually helps save him and his friends (who do have superpowers).  I think this would really resonate with Middle Grade readers, because everything revolves around the time before you grow up.  No grown-ups have the powers, only the kids.  I just love this idea.  This is a great boy book if you know any guys this age, especially if they have a hard time finding books (girls will love it too though :) ).  My favorite line of the book trailer is:  "You don't need superpowers to be a hero."

Synopsis:  http://www.matthewcody.com/books.html

Really cute book trailer.

Book Monday: Paranormalcy

Paranormalcy and I texturing the garage.  

I think Evie was having more fun than I was, at least she got to wear  her super cute prom dress...  

Title:  Paranormalcy

Author:  Kiersten White (she has such a great blog go check it out) 

Genre: YA Paranormal :)

Rating: Two Thumbs up

What I thought:

Oh bleep, where to begin.  Loved Evie.  Loved her.  The voice in this novel is so fun.  It was a light, funny read.  Really entertaining.  I really enjoyed the love interest in the story and seeing their relationship develop.  I liked the baggage of Evie's ex-boyfriend.  This is really different than other paranormal books out there.  It's kind of like Men in Black but with a Paranormal twist... There is a government agency that supervises all paranormal activity and Evie is a sixteen-year-old who works for the agency because of a special ability.  I really liked that I couldn't guess where this novel was going.  It was a great read.    

Synopsis: http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/p/paranormalcy.html

(The pic above is for a contest Kiersten has on her blog, it ends on Sept. 12 so go hurry and buy a copy of Paranormalcy and enter the contest) 

Awesome Series...

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Rating: pg-13, Thumbs-up
Genre: Dystopian YA

What I thought:  This book was so intense.  It had to be to top off the build-up from the previous books... but I found my jaw dropping frequently.  Collins was so true to her characters and the situation it was amazing.  I couldn't have done that.  She put them through so much pain and really reflected how they would feel.  I felt that the first hundred pages were long because I was so used to Katniss being in the middle of combat, but at the same time it was necessary to the story.  I really liked the turns in the plot...I can't say I was happy at the end of the book because of the emotional roller-coaster I had ridden, but I wasn't disappointed.    

Synopsis:
Book Trailer

Title:  Only the Good Spy Young
Author: Ally Carter
Genre: YA
Rating: G, Thumbs up

What I thought:  This was the best of the Gallagher Girl Series.  I loved it.  The plot was awesome:  Super cute and suspenseful at the same time.  I love the characters, it's fun to watch them grow and change with each book--they are really tangible.  I'm so excited for the next book.  

Synopsis:
http://www.allycarter.com/books/only-good-spy-young/synopsis

Book Monday: Unwind

Title: Unwind
Author: Neal Shusterman
Genre: YA Scifi
Rating: Amazing!  PG-13

What is Unwind... and Neal Shusterman's Face Book Page...and a Movie?

What I like:  This book was awesome.  There are three main characters, with very different backgrounds--all running from the same problem.  I loved the multiple perspectives, it really helped you understand what was going on from so many different angles.  I loved the characters in this book--they are multidimensional.  Each go through major metamorphoses and learn to turn their weaknesses into strengths...which is essential in their fight to stay alive when the world is trying to harvest their body parts.  I was so impressed with this book I already have a few other Shusterman books in my to be read pile!  Go check it out!  

Synopsis:
The Heartland War has ended--but there are no winners in the second Civil War.  Trying to appease both sides of the pro-choice, pro-life debate--there is a new law in order.   Parents now have the option to unwind their children when they turn thirteen until they are eighteen.  Their lives will not end, but continue...as part of other human beings.  There are many reasons parents have elected to unwind their children:   delinquent behavior, not meeting potential or a religious tithe.  But once the papers have been signed there is no turning back.  

Conner, Risa and Lev are scheduled to be unwound.  Despite their different backgrounds and personalities, they try to band together to beat the system.

This story is so cool--I don't know how else to put it.  If you need a good summer read...this one won't last long.  I couldn't put it down.  It was a one day-er.    

Thale's Folly

 

Author: Dorothy Gilman (Famous for Mrs. Polifax series)

Title: Thale's Folly

Rating: PG, Thumbs up

Genre: light mystery... (yes I just made that up...but I have no idea how else to describe it :)

What I liked:  This book was really cute, I liked the characters, especially the protagonist and his transformation. 

Synopsis: (From back of book)  At the request of his father, New York novelist Andrew Thale tackles an odd assignment--to check out an old family property in Massachusetts, neglected since Aunt Harriet Thale's death years ago. But far from being deserted, Thale's Folly as Andrew discovers, is fully inhabited--by a quartet of charming squatters, former "guests" of kindhearted Harriet.  There is elegant Miss L'Hommedieu, Gussie the witch, Leo the bibliophile, and beautiful Tarragon, who is unlike any girl Andrew has ever met in Manhattan.

Andrew is entranced by these unworldly creatures and their simple life.  Yet all is not well in Thale's Folly.  A thief breaks into the farmhouse, an old friend of the "family" disappears, and Andrew and Tarragon are drawn into mysteries they cannot fathom...

Writing Books

Three steps for writing a book:

1. Get idea (let it fester) 

2. Write (at least 500 words a day for about 6 months) 

3. Revise (until it sings) 

See writing a novel is easy... it's the whole publishing thing that seems to trip us up.  As I have not yet queried my novel I'm not sure how well these books work, but they have given me a lot to chew on... 

See Jane Write, a Girls Guide to Writing Chick Lit by  Sarah Mlynowski

This book got me started, it helped me set goals and see that the first step to writing a book is...duh writing it...but so many people quit before it's done, just by finishing your MS you are leaps and bounds ahead of millions of others who want to write a book... p.s. my novel is YA, not Chick-lit--this book can be applied to other genres. 

Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass

This is a really good book to help you develop your ideas, even if they are lame...into break out novels, by building a breakout premise--making something plausible, conflicted, original, emotional... it can take your writing to the next level--this book has given me so much to think about!  

The First Five Pages: A Writers Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman 

I'm still in the editing stages of  my MS and I want to make it the best I can--to do that I need to realize what my story is lacking, i.e. see the blind spots, this book can help you see the areas you are weak in... 

Flipped

This looks awesome!  I can't wait to see it, it looks like it might actually live up to how awesome the book is...I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Heist Society

Title: Heist Society
Author: Ally Carter
Rating: PG
What I like: This book is squeaky clean, super fun, and really well written. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book and see what happens with the romantic subplot. I really like the characters in this book, they are definitely three dimensional. I read on her website that the rights have been sold for a movie--and I'm totally not surprised. This book would make a fabulous movie...let's hope they get it right!

Synopsis: (I pulled this off Ally's Website) When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

Sammy Keyes and The Hotel Thief by Wendelin Van Draanen

Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
Title: Sammy Keyes and The Hotel Thief
Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery
Rating: G

What I like: Sammy is such an awesome protagonist, who is kind of a hot head, but you are totally on her side when anything isn't going her way. I like the characters and also the fact that this is a mystery (even though I thought I would totally figure it out, because hey it's a middle grade book, it did have really good clues, and I didn't know who the hotel thief was up until the last moment).

Synopsis: Sammy Keyes gets bored in her Gram's apartment, well that the excuse she gives for pulling out the binoculars. When Sammy is surveying the neighborhood, she sees something that makes her that makes her focus in on the Hotel across the street. There's a man in the window, holding a purse, wearing gloves and pulling out a wad a cash. He's a thief, and stranger still, Sammy's pretty sure she's seen him before. When the man looks out the window, his eyes zero in on Sammy, and she does the first thing that comes to her mind, she waves. Now Sammy must find the Hotel Thief before he finds her.

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Title: Flipped
Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
Genre:YA Fiction
Rating: Thumbs up

What I liked: This book is written from the perspectives of two main characters, it's really interesting to know the motives on why they both say or do things, and it's also interesting to get different versions of how conversations went. The writing is extremely clever. I liked the message of the book, it's about not judging others by appearances, and really getting to know people.

Synopsis: Juli Baker has been waiting for Bryce Loski to move in all summer, and can hardly contain herself from piling into their moving truck to help get them settled. All Bryce can see is a dirty little girl who is content on ruining his life--especially when she grabs his hand in front of his mom.

Bryce decides the best move is to avoid his annoying neighbor, but it's hardly possible when Juli hounds him for years. Juli's smitten by him, and can't keep herself from smelling his hair when she gets a seat behind him in English.

Bryce is finally successful in getting her off his back when he realizes maybe Juli wanting to be his friend wasn't the worst thing in the world. Bryce misses Juli, but it's too late, Juli can't stand him. Bryce has to find a way to convince her he's a changed man before Juli writes him off for good.

This was such a good read!

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

Title: The Wednesday Wars
Author: Gary D. Schmidt
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: PG, Thumbs up--it's a classic (already)

What I liked: I felt like I was in middle school again, this book is really interesting, funny, serious, thoughtful... I like how the book kind of just rides along with Holling HoodHood during the school year. It's so funny the kinds of things he gets himself mixed up in. The author did such a good job of mingling in Shakespeare throughout the book, it was really well done. Loved it.

Synopsis: Mrs. Baker hates Holling Hoodhood. There is no other reason she would look at him like that, the only kid left in the classroom after his Catholic and Jewish friends go to church on Wednesday afternoon. Why did he have to be Presbyterian? After Mrs. Baker assigns Holling various chores that go awry, she decides their Wednesday afternoon's should be used to study Shakespeare. The thought of which convinces Holling she must be out to get him. The novel is set in the 1960's, the characters dealing with the Vietnam war as a back drop to daily life.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid-The last straw, by Jeff Kinney

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The last straw
Author: Jeff Kinney
Genre:Junior Fiction
Rating:PG, Thumbs way up

What I like: It's hilarious. I was a doubter, and thought, what's the big deal? Even after I read the first ten pages I was like, so what? And then it got funnier and funnier, and I could appreciate the genius it took to write the book--it's all in the magic of layering, he would mentioned something in the diary, and then 10-15 pages later, it would come back up in a hilarious way. The set up was amazing, it's really hard to write humor, I was super impressed and loved the comics that went with it. Now I can't wait to get my hands on the others.

Synopsis: Greg is a seventh grade wimpy kid, who has to put up with alot: his older brother Rodrick harassing him, his baby brother--and his blanket named Tingy, his mom embarrassing him, and now his dad wants to send him to military school! Read along as Greg employs various tactics to avoid the inevitable--Spag Union military academy, before the school year is up and he has to say so long to summer. (This is the third book in the series)

Jerusalem Vigil by Bodie and Brock Thoene

Title: Jerusalem Vigil
Authors: Bodie and Brock Thoene
Genre: Historical/Christian Fiction
Rating: I would rate this book a seven out of ten, Adult

What I like:I found that it increased my knowledge and understanding of the on-going struggle in the Middle East.

Synopsis: It is an enjoyable historical novel of the 1948 birth of the nation of Israel. It is very descriptive concerning the geographic locations, as well as vivid portrayal of the horrific fight between the two warring factions of the jihad fighters of Islam and the Zionist fighters.
It is told as a narrative story that includes the heartaches and struggles of both sides; it is clear that the author viewpoint is from a Christian perspective that favors the Jews.

Pig-Tail-Peg

Gallagher Girls Books, by Ally Carter

Title: Cross my Heart and Hope to Spy
Author: Ally Carter
Genre: YA
What I like: I am reviewing the second book, it's kind of random, but I read the first one, I liked it alright, but I didn't love it...it was clean and cute but it didn't hook me like other books I was reading at the moment. After I ran out of ideas for the library again and I decided what the heck, I'll reserve the next one. And I loved it. This book was so cute! I would suggest reading the first book, because then you have all the back ground, it's not a bad book--but I liked the second one better, I think it has to do with the pacing of the book--and the "what's going to happen next" factor.

Synopsis: Cammie "Chameleon" Morgan is having a hard time "being herself" after a rough post break-up Christmas break, that ends with a Government debriefing. Back at Gallagher Academy she can't seem to erase Josh from her mind, even though she knows that exactly what they did to him. What exactly did he remember after the "tea" her mother gave him? But Josh isn't the only thing on her mind, it's the closed off passage way, her mother (the headmistress)acting strange and wanting her to be a good daughter, while her friends think she needs to be a good spy--not to mention there are a whole new set of students coming in mid-semester. Cammie's got to figure out who she is when she is shoved into the spotlight, despite all her spy training to live her legend and be invisible.

Airhead, Meg Cabot

Title: Airhead
Author: Meg Cabot
Genre: YA Sci Fi
Rating: PG-13, Thumbs up

What I like: I love the main character Emerson Watts, she is funny, smart, sarcastic, and totally not in the 'in-crowd', she loves hanging out with her best friend Chris and playing video games. I like the plot, because it's a spin off on something that's day been done many times before, but this is fresh and funny. All the romantic elements in this book are really fun, I found my self smiling and laughing while reading this book--and that's always a good sign.

Synopsis: (Spoiler-Alert--I'd rather just have you read it, but if you want to know... here it is) Em Watts is dead. At least her body is, after the tragic accident at the Stark Mega-store grand opening, where one of the plasma t.v.'s came crashing down on her. The thing is at the same time, Stark's face, a beautiful super model Nikki Howard suffered an aneurysm. Both girls are rushed to the hospital where a top-secret transplant takes place. Em Watt's brain wakes up in Nikki Howard's body. And if that's not hard enough, no one outside her immediate family knows she's not dead. Not even her best friend Christopher. Em Watt's has to find a way to be Nikki. Which reminds me the second book "Being Nikki" is really good too. I can't wait for the third book, "Runaway" it comes out May 2010.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Genre:YA Sci Fi
Rating:PG, Thumbs up

What I like: I like how the author doesn't just overwhelm you with information, he gives you pieces at a time, it can be a little frustrating, because you just want people to tell Thomas what's going on, but at the same time it keeps you hooked because you want to know all about the maze. I really liked the characters in this book too, and the names, they were unique and clever. It may be a little too sci fi for The Flying Dutch Pig, but I really liked it. Even if the crazy things running around in the Maze were a little hard to wrap my head around.

Synopsis:
Thomas wakes up without a single memory of who he is, where he came from, or anything before he was sitting in the metal lift with a group of boys surrounding the opening. He barely remembers his own name.
The boys fill him in on his new home,the Glade. They are in the middle a huge maze with enormous doors that shut them in the meadow every night, no one remembers anything from before the lift, and a new Glader arrives every thirty days.
Thomas reluctantly takes his place as newby as the others go about their normal routines. The very next day, Thomas is ousted from his newby status by an unexpected newcomer--a girl, the only girl that has ever come to the Glade.
And she comes with a message. The message, and her strange connection to Thomas has everyone on edge. Thomas must try to unlock the secrets hidden within his mind, in order figure out what is really going on--in order to unlock the secrets of the maze.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan

Title: The Lightening Thief
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy
Rating: PG, Thumbs up

What I like: This book was cute, I didn't really know what to expect. I'm not really into Mythology, but it was a fun read. And I think I'll read the next books. I really like having a romantic subplot in books, there isn't really one in this book, but there's potential for the next books, so I'm curious to see what happens with that. It does read like a middle school boys book,(who probably don't care about romantic subplots) but it's fun.

Synopsis: Percy Jackson is not like other kids, he's bounced around from school to school, he's dyslexic, has ADD, and is known as a trouble maker. Bad things just seem to follow him. It's when Percy's math teacher turns into a monster and tries to kill him he knows it can't just be bad luck. With the help of his mother and his best friend Grover, Percy finds out he's a hero, a half blood--son of a god and son of a mortal--and better get into Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for kids like Percy, before any other monsters can track him down. Percy is summoned on a quest, and must prove himself to the gods by turning his weaknesses into strengths and fulfilling their requests.

Leepike Ridge by N. D. Wilson

Title: Leepike Ridge
Author: N.D. Wilson
Genre: Juvenile fiction, Adventure
Rating: PG, Thumbs Up

What I like: This book was fun to read, I felt like the plot winded like the river Tom rides on in the book, you're not sure where it will end up. It's an interesting book about survival and taking chances. Other people have compared this book to Hatch, by Gary Paulson and Holes, by Louis Sachar. I really like that the author said he ripped off Tom Sawyer, the Odyssey and Robinson Crusoe--sounds crazy but it totally worked.

Synopsis: Tom Hammond falls asleep on a piece of Styrofoam out of a Refrigerator box that's floating in a pond near his house. Tom wakes after the foam has floated out of the pond and down the river. It's a matter of seconds, after he wakes that the river plunges underneath the Mountain and down into a series of caves. With no hope of rescue Tom must find a way to escape.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Title: One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien Anos de Soledad)
Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Genre: Ethnic Mind-bender
Rating: Thumbs almost down, pg-13.
What I like: More like what I didn't like. Trust me the book is very long and it feels like it takes a hundred years to read it. Honestly though, there is a constant sadness to this book with the main characters being a family unit. The mythical place of Macondo is intriguing and Marquez does a great job of describing detail but the labyrinth that is the story can be frustrating. In some editions there is a family tree to help the reader discern which person the author is talking about. Many of the male characters have the same name and it can be difficult to know what place in time or which person Marquez is speaking of...the ending is what makes it such a mind-bender.
Synopsis: The novel chronicles a family's struggle and the history of their fictional town, Macondo. Although the title implies that the story spans one hundred years, it is unclear exactly how much time the narrative covers. This ambiguity contributes to the novel's treatment of time, as there is a notion that time lapses, repeats, changes speeds, or stops altogether at different parts of the story, and that all the events in some sense happen simultaneously.