tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4470874091928019972024-03-13T21:27:59.966-07:00Sarah's random musings...Just Sarah talking about her life and books. Mostly books.Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.comBlogger1259125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-52043859739710693492016-06-06T22:59:00.001-07:002016-06-06T22:59:20.203-07:00Blogging and Confidence<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eRH0jr7nRLs/V1Zipc2nHkI/AAAAAAAAVPk/n_9o7Qnt0PItqWDP9ULNO79syC2gzzSeACLcB/s1600/Mom%2B759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eRH0jr7nRLs/V1Zipc2nHkI/AAAAAAAAVPk/n_9o7Qnt0PItqWDP9ULNO79syC2gzzSeACLcB/s320/Mom%2B759.JPG" width="240" /></a>This post came out of me wanting to promote the fact that I'll be at the Northgate Barnes and Noble on Sunday, June 12th at 1PM. I will be talking about how I got into blogging about books as a teen, the many opportunities that it has given me, and what I learned from blogging. More information <a href="http://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780061792380-0" target="_blank">here</a> on the Barnes and Noble Website.<br />
If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you will know that I began this blog when I was very sick. I honestly didn't feel that I'd accomplish anything due to the migraines and pain that I experienced on a daily basis. I never thought that anything that I wrote would provide me with a community of people that care and support me. Now, I'm a graduate of Seattle University with a BA in Creative Writing and I am now pursuing my Masters in Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults. My best friends came out of blogging along with many other friendships that I treasure.<br />
In preparation for talking about blogging, I've been reading some of my old post to remember why I began blogging so long ago and I think that it gave me an outlet to speak about the world around me. I was able to talk about books as part of a larger crowd and it is something that I love coming back to and visiting every once in a while.<br />
Right now, I am working on the book that teen me needed and the confidence that I've gained from my Masters Program, my mentors, and my friends all lead to blogging and the confidence that it gave me the distance and skill to complete this feat. As like current me, teen me was a passionate and rapid reader. This isn't all that I plan to talk at Barnes and Noble, but it is a piece of what I plan to talk about on Sunday. If you are in the Seattle area, I'd love to see you. Either way, I hope that you have an amazing day.Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-56788781452811997782016-03-05T20:40:00.001-08:002016-03-05T21:05:07.221-08:00Portrayal of Illness in Young Adult Literature: Trusting Readers with Complexity<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41mjLekQtHL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41mjLekQtHL.jpg" height="400" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="255" /></a><span style="line-height: 21.3333px;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Spoiler Warning!</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.3333px;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>This post talks about <i>Everything, Everything </i>by Nicola Yoon and <i>Before I Die</i> by Jenny Downham in detail. You've been warned. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.3333px;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Anyways, this is an essay that I wrote for my Masters' program after getting furious after reading a book. I would love to hear about more in the comments. Especially if you feel different. I would also like more book suggestions on YA with illnesses. Anyways, I hope that you enjoy this post.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">As a teen, I wanted to find a book that
contained my experience as a teen battling a chronic illness, known as Common
Variable Immunodeficiency. In 2009, I had the pleasure of reading <i>Before I Die</i> by Jenny Downham. After
years of battling a chronic illness, I finally felt validated from Tessa’s
experience of battling leukemia. I believe that<i> Before
I Die</i></span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">remains
the most genuine and accurate portrayal to my experience as a teen with an illness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Earlier
this year</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">,
I became excited to hear about <i>Everything,
Everything</i>, by Nicola Yoon, which is about</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> a character with severe-combined
immunodeficiency (SCID). </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">For
the first time, I would be able to read about someone with a similar experience
to my own. I found myself to be disturbed by the lack of research given to
Maddie’s character <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">and
her illness</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">;
a stark contrast to the author’s efforts in <i>Before
I Die. Maddie’s</i> narrative doesn’t create any sympathy for her as she
remains rather flat in her development over the book. Tessa’s narrative also contrasts
from Maddie’s by</span><span class="MsoCommentReference" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">creating
a connection to the reader from the first page that develops from the
relationships in the book, because the supporting character reinforces the
reader’s perception of Tessa. Downham displays that illness affects more than
the patient, but their friends and loved ones. Lastly, Downham doesn’t discount
the reader and she gives the ending promised by her on the first page. Yoon
betrays the reader by taking the premise away from them and conveniently
changing the information to suit her need for a happy ending. Overall, the
difference between <i>Everything, Everything</i>
and <i>Before I Die</i> center around the
portrayal of illness, creation of character, and deciding on an ending true to
the story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="http://www.ew.com/sites/default/files/i/2015/08/13/everything-everything.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="http://www.ew.com/sites/default/files/i/2015/08/13/everything-everything.jpg" height="400" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="263" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">For
an author, the responsibility to provide books that reflect accurately upon
several experiences remains the most vital aspect to the storytelling.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Downham creates a believable explanation of the illness from the first page.
Yoon fails at her attempt. Common symptoms remain absent from the narrative and
the author doesn’t </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">ascribe</span></span><span style="font-size: 10.6667px; line-height: 21.3333px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">the complexity displayed by people with chronic illnesses. The contrast is clear:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In
Before I Die, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Tessa
distances herself out of fear of what she leaves behind. At the same time, she
wants to feel a connection to her family and friends. Tessa struggles in
letting Adam into her life as she recognizes her imminent death. She knows that
a relationship will adversely affect his life by creating a hole in her world.
Tessa shows this by her defense of isolation, “I hide under my hat again, just
for a bit, because I’m going to miss breathing” (Downham, 6). She knows that slowly her illness will take
away the simple things away from her. As the both the pain and prognosis
continue, Tessa remarks on more things that she will miss like breathing and
loved ones. Tessa also realizes that her condition has made certain
limitations, but she bothers with her list and she desires challenging these
concerns. After an adventure, Tessa’s mom remarks, “You slept for two days
solid when you got back” (Downham, 169). This remark shows a development of the
condition over time and how it alters the life of young adults. Downham allows
the reader to imagine illness with complexity instead of simplifying the
disease to basic language and actions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">On
the other hand, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Yoon doesn’t allow her readers to
imagine the case in a complex manner. Maddie
explains her illness as, “Basically I’m allergic to the world” or “bubble baby
disease” (Yoon, 3). “Baby bubble disease” is a cultural explanation of the disease, while
in fact, this diagnosis requires </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">several different doctors prior to diagnosis
of SCID. As someone with an immunodeficiency, I know that the experience varies
on the symptoms and subtype. SCID centers around minor infections becoming
severe due to the lack of immune response from white cells, B-cells, and
T-cells, which affects the responses to infections and allergens. Current gene
therapies and bone marrow transplants allow for the SCID to be treated with
minimal impact on </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">the
patient’s life</span><span style="font-size: 10.6667px; line-height: 21.3333px;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Yoon
also simp</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">lifies how germs interact with the
explanation of “she has to remain in the air lock until the filters have a
chance to purify foreign air” (Yoon, 29-30). Everyone carries germs both on and
in them. As would everything in their house contain some sort of germs. This infuriates
me, because a
basic Google search would’ve solved many of Yoon’s issues of portrayal. As
readers, this mistake is inexcusable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Tessa’s usage of medical terminology conveys
her experience as a sick teen. For example, Tessa remarks, “Steroids did that.
High doses of Prednisone and dexamethasone” (Downham, 33). For people that have
been sick, they understand the complexity of medication as it becomes a part of
their vocabulary based on necessity. Maddie
feels more limited to her medical history due to the control of her mom, but
based on a device used by Yoon, Maddie should be able to research her illness.
The usage of ‘webdoc.com’ shows a familiarity and literacy of the medical world
(Yoon, 78). At the same time, she never uses the internet to find a possible
cure, a contrast to what happens in Before I Die, where Tessa refers to her
dad’s constant searching of the internet for some sort of cure. As a result, I
couldn’t believe Maddie’s acceptance of the fate to remain in the house of a
permanent basis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Both books, <i>Before I Die</i> and <i>Everything,
Everything,</i> present their characters in 1st person point of view, which gives
the reader access to the character’s emotional state.. Tessa’s narrative causes
for the reader to hope for the best. The reader can also attest to many of her
feeling if they’ve experienced a similar issue. One part that struck me, “I’ve
been touched by so many people, prodded and poked, examined and operated on. I
thought my body was numb, immune to touch” (Downham, 211.) As someone with a
chronic illness and pain, this part linked me to Tessa. I know how this
disconnection between touch exist as hospital life separates from romantic
life. Tessa begins to experience love from an action that usually results in
pain. Downham begins to create a complex identity that the reader identifies as
recognizable to other people in their life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Often, writer portray people with illness
as isolated and either blessed or damned. Tessa adores her family and friends, which
links the reader to her. Maddie didn’t have these links to the reader, which
made her seem flat. For example, Maddie obsesses over a boy and she doesn’t
think about the consequences of her actions. Carla expresses that Maddie might
have not met one of her “triggers” (Yoon, 185). Either way, Maddie unwarily
could’ve died. Olly allows these actions even though he loves her. As a reader,
I wanted for her death to happen to her so the book would end. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Maddie doesn’t care about Carla
losing her job or her mom at this impactful plot moment. She selfishly risks
her life for a boy. Except Yoon betrays the reader by magically curing Maddie,</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“I am not sick and I never have
been” (Yoon, 275). As a reader with a very similar disability, I found for this
to be extremely problematic and offensive to possible readers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The visibility of chronic conditions like
Primary Immunodeficiencies already creates skeptic of conditions. Yoon furthers
this thought, because she explains away the illness as an invention of a woman
trying to cope with the death of her husband and son. Maddie finds her happy
ending from this explanation, but most people continue to battle an illness
after getting rushed to the hospital. The fact that Yoon doesn’t give what she
promises as the author of the story made me furious. In <i>Before I Die</i>, Tessa dies as promised, but instead of writing about
how her life blessed others or forcing the reader to stumble through a funeral
or death scene, Tessa dies in the room that this story begins. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Unlike
Yoon, Downham depicts </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">a relationship that allows us to
explore the dynamic between a couple where one experiences disability and the
other remains healthy. Tessa remains worthy of Adam even as she dies, which
contrasts with Maddie and Olly. Adam worries about hurting Tessa and he remains
aware of her condition throughout <i>Before
I Die</i>. Maddie becomes worthy of Olly after she is no longer ill. This
ideology expresses that only healthy people can date each other and find a
happy ending. As someone who is disabled, I found this rhetoric to express
unintentional ableism. People with chronic conditions often encounter stigmata
about their condition, but their ability to love others remains one of the most
crucial ways of survival. Tessa displays this throughout the book as her main
concern as she focuses her attention on how everyone else will survive without
her presence. Yoon should’ve thought about how damaging her story could be to
teens with SCID or similar stories, because the only way to have a happy ending
comes out of erasing their experience and the truth in their life. As a result,
Yoon invalidates the illness and she reduces the illness to just a plot
point. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">As writers create fluid characters, readers
recognize themselves in the minor details of the condition.</span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">When
talking about a topic, an author's </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">research remains essential to all
elements of the story crafted for the reader. Downham displays this into a
character with so much heart and connection. <i>Before I Die</i> expresses a period in my life of uncertainty and
doubt. Downham assures the reader that there’s a silver lining to even the most
tiring existence, because all humans remain more capable than they believe.
Yoon centers her story around love and she creates a promising premise that
would’ve exposed readers to an illness that remains unknown. Yoon discounts the
reader and the characters by not utilizing her premise to explore the
complexity of illness. Overall, writers need to think about the content that
they create and how their writing may be taken out of context. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">This notion doesn’t mean to censor
writers, but it rather challenges authors to think about the voices that they
silence or invalidate by their plot. Books about illnesses deal with difficult
topics that exist in our lives, but being a good human means confronting these
truths. As writers, we decide how the world will interpret our craft by
creating unintentional messages within the text. In the relation of illness to young adult
literature, there needs to be more books that empower people often
underrepresented in books. When I think about the girl that I used to be, I
think about the impact that books like <i>Before
I Die</i> gave in empowering in my writing. On the other hand, books like <i>Everything, Everything </i>reveal </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">the need for more education and
awareness of illnesses and disability. I didn’t feel valued in that book, in
fact I felt disposable like a plot device. Either way, readers need to be able
to recognize others with their illnesses and feel empowered by the stories.
Erasure of diseases in books doesn’t stop the people battling against the
condition, but it silences their issues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Works Cited<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Downham, Jenny. <i>Before I Die</i>. Oxford: David Fickling Books, 2007. Print.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Yoon, Nicola. <i>Everything, Everything.</i> New York: Delacorte Books for <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Young
Readers 2015. Print,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-80386493539727731702015-08-22T12:17:00.000-07:002015-08-22T12:17:00.607-07:00You, Me, and Him by Kris Dinnison<blockquote>
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51i37dzcAqL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51i37dzcAqL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a><span id="freeText4705769595879816133" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><em><b>Do not ignore a call from me when you know I am feeling neurotic about a boy. That is Best Friend 101.” —Nash</b></em></span><span id="freeText4705769595879816133" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><i>Maggie and Nash are outsiders. She’s overweight. He’s out of the closet. The best of friends, they have seen each other through thick and thin, but when Tom moves to town at the start of the school year, they have something unexpected in common: feelings for the same guy. This warm, witty novel—with a clear, true voice and a clever soundtrack of musical references—sings a song of love and forgiveness.</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Maggie's voice was very strong and powerful. I enjoyed reading about her because she seemed like one of my best friends with her funny and vibrant personality with a love of music. I adore that this book dealt with being overweight in a body positive way. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">I couldn't help but cheer for her and succeed in anything that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Maggie did because she reminded me of </span>myself. <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> I found her friend Nash to be funny and engaging, but so moody at times that I wanted to just push him off a cliff. He didn't appear to care about Maggie at times and instead focused on how he felt that he was being "wronged." Tom was a cool and charming kid that ended up hanging out with them. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">I found this romantic plot to be engaging and related to Maggie's difficult situation. Pretty much, she needs to pick if she will get the guy or her friend will. One thing that I adored is that Maggie being overweight and Nash being gay weren't a part of the plot, but just an aspect of their characters. Dinnison's writing is strong and I can't wait for the next book that she writes. Overall, Maggie has an intense voice and I want to her friend. The plot interested me and I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't a must-read for me. I would recommend this book to fans of <i>The DUFF</i> by Kody Keplinger, <i>Eleanor and Park </i>by Rainbow Rowell, and <i>Fat Kids Rule the World</i> by K.L. Going.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">the forthcoming <i>Dumplin'</i> by Julie Murphy</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Disclosure: This book was purchased by me.</span>Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-37901828567653261782015-08-21T11:48:00.000-07:002015-08-21T11:48:13.448-07:00The Jewel by Amy Ewing<blockquote>
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392220609l/16068780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392220609l/16068780.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">T</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">he Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.</span></i><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.</span></i><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.</span></i></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">I found Violet to be a likeable character. The position that society places her in gave me a lot of empathy for her and I cheered for her to succeed by finding some way out of it. I like that she took some risks to get a better life, but at the same time, I found that this made her seem naive as she plunged into another world that she didn't completely understand or comprehend. I found the romance to be very sudden and Insta-love and I wished that there was more development on it. As a result, I didn't care about the romance. I was actually more interested in the political system because the manipulation seemed like the power moves made in House of Cards. I wish that there was more of that, but I understand the need to leave some questions unanswered and I am excited to see how this series will continue. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">This book takes on both dystopic and fantasy elements, which surprisingly blends well together. On the other hand, I found some similarities to other dystopian books to be intense at times. Ewing's writing did grasp me and led me to finish this book rather quickly (Almost one sitting!) and I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. I feel that this book mirrors aspects of The Handmaid's Tale, Wither, and The Selection and I would suggest this book to fans of those books. The end made me want to read the next book, but I don't feel the need to read it right away. If you like a character placed in a difficult situation, a quick and fast plot with political intrigue, and books with dystopian and fantasy elements, then I would suggest this book. It isn't amazing or bad, but more so just good and interesting. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Disclosure: Received ARC from Publisher</span>Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-33147285092939891302015-08-21T11:17:00.002-07:002015-08-21T11:17:48.460-07:00Hello Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Greetings, Darling!<br />
Sorry for the impromptu hiatus and disappearance from the blog. I have been super busy with many, many things. But lately, I've missed blogging a lot. So just to catch you up on my life and we can get back to talking about books!.<br />
In June, I graduated from Seattle University with a BA in Creative Writing. The most common question is what's next for me?<br />
That's a great question, but I have a lot that I want to do. Right now, I am doing the job search in the Seattle-Kitsap area and applying for Grad School (MFA in Creative Writing.) I am also writing a lot. I finished a draft of a novel last month and eventually in the future, I will be querying it. I have also been reading a lot of books (Over 180 for this year!)<br />
So, thank you for sticking it out and I hope that you enjoy the new content that I have planned. It is a mix of writing and reading, but I hope that you enjoy it. Let me know how you all are doing and we'll talk soon.<br />
Much Love, Sarah!Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-24839057005178599772015-02-03T21:46:00.003-08:002015-02-03T21:46:39.444-08:00I Was Here Seattle Tour Stop and Interview with Gayle Forman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mIH-mdoz-Aw/VNGoQXGXHdI/AAAAAAAALz8/lxMaxRqTsHY/s1600/Iwashere1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mIH-mdoz-Aw/VNGoQXGXHdI/AAAAAAAALz8/lxMaxRqTsHY/s1600/Iwashere1.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a> Gayle Forman's new book <i>I Was Here </i>is set partially in nearby Tacoma. To celebrate the launch, she has been having friends and fellow authors meet up with her. Tonight Nina LaCour and Deb Caletti joined her for a conversation at University Bookstore in a very rainy Seattle, WA. They talked about their writing process and how do they revise. They also talked about how they name their characters and how they feel about setting. A general theme of the night was friendship as they reflected on their writing experience and lives in general. The night felt like overhearing a conversation of friends and was very much enjoyed by me.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9RoQAJ1XrAU/VNGoQiRSVMI/AAAAAAAAL0A/4_1Em3paerA/s1600/Iwashere2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9RoQAJ1XrAU/VNGoQiRSVMI/AAAAAAAAL0A/4_1Em3paerA/s1600/Iwashere2.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>Earlier that night, I had the opportunity to briefly talk with Gayle and ask her a few questions.<br />
<b>S: Why did you decide to write contemporary with many other genres in YA?</b><br />
Gayle said that it is the world that she lives in and it is where she can explore many of the questions that she is drawn to.<br />
<b>S: What are some of your recommended reads? </b><br />
She recommended Deb Caletti's<i> The Last Forever</i>, Nina LaCour's<i> The Disenchantment</i>,<br />
Jandy Nelson's <i>I'll Give You the Sun</i>, Jacqueline Woodsen's <i>Brown Girl Dreaming</i>, and Coe Booth's <i>Tyrell</i> Series.<br />
<b>S: What is the best writing advice that you have received?</b><br />
"Hard Writing makes easy reading."<br />
<b>S:What inspired or influenced you to grapple with suicide?</b><br />
Gayle said that she was inspired by an article that she wrote about suicide; which, introduced her to Suzy Gonzales, who didn't seem like someone that would commit suicide from many of the people surrounding her. Gayle wanted to deal with being on the receiving end of a timed suicide note from someone that you love and that you find incredibly gifted and amazing. Over the writing process, she found that it was more about survival and loving life as she explored Cody's character and revised the book..<br />
<b>S: What are your upcoming books?</b><br />
Gayle said she is currently working on three books, which has recently become more so between two books. She likes switching, because it makes the writing seem more fresh and exciting. <br />
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Thank you to University Bookstore for hosting; Penguin Randomhouse for organizing the interview and the tour; Gayle Forman, Nina LaCour, Deb Caletti; and you for reading this.<br />
<br />Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-86131020105780470732014-06-24T13:00:00.000-07:002014-06-24T13:00:00.987-07:00Fathomless by Jackson Pearce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><b>Source: Publisher</b></span></span><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul.</span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I love this series. Pearce creates such dark, but complicated retellings of fairy tales and I just need more. Celia was such a sweet character and I understood her character a lot. Her sisters were harder to understand, but I still found them to be entertaining. I liked how they blended together, because sisters tend to be very similar yet slightly distinct. I like Lo too. The romance in the story was beautiful and I liked that Pearce made the plot surprising and enjoyable. The plot drew me in and enchanted me into wanting to read more. I find her </span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">originality</span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"> to be amazing and the story was well crafted as a result. Pearce crafts another beautiful retelling of a fairy tale and I can't wait to read more books along this way. If you have enjoyed her other books, you must read this one now. It is very similar to Sisters Red and Sweetly and dives deeper into the story.</span></span></span><br />
Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-59062088189783893482014-06-23T12:53:00.000-07:002014-06-23T12:53:00.034-07:00The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51URt6qmrbL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51URt6qmrbL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Everyone has a lot to say about Alice Franklin, and it’s stopped mattering whether it’s true. The rumors started at a party when Alice supposedly had sex with two guys in one night. When school starts everyone almost forgets about Alice until one of those guys, super-popular Brandon, dies in a car wreck that was allegedly all Alice’s fault. Now the only friend she has is a boy who may be the only other person who knows the truth, but is too afraid to admit it. Told from the perspectives of popular girl Elaine, football star Josh, former outcast Kelsie, and shy genius Kurt, we see how everyone has a motive to bring – and keep – Alice down.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I found The Truth about Alice gave a very interesting point of view, because of the diverse cast of characters. I felt like the characters had a very journalistic and </span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">documentary</span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"> feel to them. The reveal of the manipulation of rumors and people presented both a realistic point of view. I slowly balanced my like and hatred of characters with the reveal of each aspect of the characters. I wish that some of them had a bit more </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">dimension</span></span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">, because they approached it, but didn't quite accomplish it. Like Kelsie, for example, annoyed me so much, and I felt with her, but I didn't understand all of her motives. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">The plot was paced very well and I read it fairly quick. It addresses a lot of major issues within high school, such as bullying, slut-shaming, and among others. I found the multiple point of view created a great overview of what was happening It was a very short and fast read that I enjoyed. Most books </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">usually</span></span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"> focus on the victims of bullying and I found the switch of that to be </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">original</span></span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">. The writing made a good passage of time and created a unique book. Overall, if you want a book that feels like a documentary that focuses on important issues and has a spark of originality, I would recommend The Truth about Alice. I can't wait to see how her next book turns out.</span></span></span>Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-6617608984314684952014-06-21T11:33:00.000-07:002014-06-21T12:29:01.931-07:00Fierce Reads Tour Stop in Seattle (& Giveaway)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The amazing people at Macmillan asked me to be the Designated Blogger for the Seattle Event of the Fierce Reads Tour. Before the event I was able to interview them, I am transcribing, so it will be a paraphrase of what Leigh Bardugo, Emmy Laybourne, Ava Dellaria, and Jennifer Mathieu said. </b><br />
<b>I asked about their future projects.</b><br />
<b>Leigh</b> talked about <i>The Dregs</i>, which was pitched as Oceans 11 meets <i>Game of Thrones</i>. It is based in the same world as her trilogy. The story takes place in Kerch, which is small, but very capitalistic island nation. The characters are from a slum and it follow their adventures.<br />
<b>Emmy</b> talked about Sweet, which is about a B-List Celebrity cruise that launches a new sweetener. The plan is that they will come back from cruise a lot thinner. It begins as a funny experience that quickly changes to horrifying. She did hint at a romance within the story.<br />
<b>Ava </b>talked about how <i>Love Letters to the Dead</i> was sold to Fox 2000 and and will be produced by Marty Bowen & Wyck Godfrey, who were the producers for <i>The Fault in Our Stars</i>. She is currently working on the Screenplay for it. While she isn't working on a book now, she would like to do so in the future.<br />
<b>Jennifer</b> talked about her future book <i>Devoted</i>. It is written in 1st person and is based around Rachel who is in a very religious community set in Texas that some people might call a cult. Rachel begins to explore the outside world.<br />
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<b>Next, I asked how their unique structure, Point of View, and contribution to their genre helped them with their books and future projects:</b><br />
<b>Emmy's</b> next project <i>Sweet </i>varies from her <i>Monument 14 </i>Trilogy. The next project that she would like to pitch is paranormal romance. She would like to have a very board range of books like Scott Westerfeld.<br />
<b>Jennifer </b>talked about how writing in 3rd person gives a great perspective and she would love to write more in the future. She found Devoted's 1st person to be very fresh and fun to write. She would love to continue in the Contemporary Genre.<br />
<b>Ava</b> said that there is an intrinsic value to the structure of the project, because each one should be about reaching out into the world and talking about the unsaid. As a result, it should be based on the project. She felt that an Epistolary approach worked well for writing <i>Love Letters to the Dead</i>, but not every project will allow that approach.<br />
<b>Leigh</b> created a steady hand of 3rd that allowed her to lead into what she wrote in 1st person. This helped allow the story to have the flow into the rest of the story. She agreed with Ava that the structures come with the story. For example, the current draft of The Dregs has a multiple point of view that works for it, but that might not work for other work. She said that she will always have a supernatural element in her stories.<br />
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<b>Lastly I asked what advice that they have for writers</b>.<br />
<b>Ava </b>thought that you should write what you love and let it be yours for a while. There is a moment that she feels like she doesn't need to share it and it is just the story and her. She also said protect your vision and create something that you want to come back.<br />
<b>Jennifer </b>recommended to read constantly and notice the structure and technique that other writer use. Also don't be afraid to develop the voice from other books and writers.<br />
<b>Emmy </b>said taking an improv class is good, because it teaches you to go with it, the basic structure of a story, and allows you to meet some new people and experience something new.<br />
<b>Leigh </b>talked about how Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn made her story very dark and made it interesting.She thinks that you need to just finish your book and edit it. Also, don't compare your first draft to another person's final draft.<br />
Overall it was a great experience and pleasure to be able to interview them. We talked more about writing and I left for the signing.<br />
The signing had an amazing Q&A done by Mel of <a href="http://novelsnewsandnotes.blogspot.com/">Novels, News, and Notes from your Northwest Neighbor</a>s and a bookseller at University Bookstore. The authors were all very funny and graceful speakers and I enjoyed it. I got all of my book signed and it was amazing.<br />
Here I am with Emmy Laybourne.<br />
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And Jennifer Mathieu... this is why why you should alway take two picture.<br />
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Ava Dellaria and I.<br />
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& Leigh Bardugo and I.<br />
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Now it is time to talk about the giveaway. Macmillan has a copy of Ruin and Rising, Monument 14: Savage Drift, Love Letters to the Dead, and The Truth about Alice. It is US only, and just fill out the form below. For further pictures, visit University Bookstore's <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bafarms/sets/72157645270559362/">flickr</a>.<br />
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<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-39414169146540930072014-05-13T11:00:00.000-07:002014-05-13T11:00:09.582-07:00We Were Liars by E. Lockhart<a href="https://p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1388317887/7798685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1388317887/7798685.jpg" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><b>Source: Netgally</b></span><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">A beautiful and distinguished family.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">A private island.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">A revolution. An accident. A secret.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Lies upon lies.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">True love.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">The truth.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">We Were Liars </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Read it.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.</span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">In </span></span><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">We Were Liars</i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">, E. Lockhart presents engaging character, a brilliant plot, and bare, but beautiful writing with a lot of originality and an enchanting setting. I adore this book, because of how brilliantly it was written. First off, there is a huge cast of characters. Each one had something about them. Cadence or "Cady" is damaged by her accident and I found that part to be very interesting. Mirren was a great balance of intelligent and girly. Johnny always made me laugh. Gat is mysterious and also Cady's love interest. I loved their interaction and dug into the book wanting more. The plot of this book is masterly crafted. Like I did not expect the ending and I think is what made it such an impact that I didn't guess what was happening. I haven't been surprised in a book in so long. This was also a fairly quick read for me. I found it addicting and didn't want to stop reading this book. E. Lockhart's writing is gorgeous in this book. I have enjoyed her previous books, but the writing in this book is spectacular and magical. I kept on re-reading parts, because the writing was so magical. This book had a lot of originality and I want more books this. Part of the appeal came from the setting and the Sinclair family. If I had the chance, I would join them for the summer. Overall, I adored this book. You need to read this book, if you adore contemporary novels, but want an original and enchanting one. Actually, just read this book as soon as possible and pass it on. </span></span></span>Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-66520039106953410802014-05-01T13:00:00.000-07:002014-05-01T13:00:00.500-07:00Why We Really Need Diverse BooksAlmost 4 years ago, I wrote a <a href="http://sarahbear9789.blogspot.com/2010/08/why.html">post</a> on how I wanted to see books that had teens struggling with chronic illness. It is a part of my story and I obviously want to read more close to mine or different. I have taken the advice of some of the people and began to write these books.<br />
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I am just one of the many stories in the world. We each experience life in such a different way. We all have different childhoods. We each think about school in a different way. Some of use are Caucasian, African American, Asian, Hispanic, mixed-race, or a completely different one that I am missing. Some of us were born female or male and some have a different gender identity then what they were born with or don't have one. There are also variances in sexual preferences and many more aspects of a person. These all matter, because people matter.</div>
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Since studying English in a formal university setting, I have learned that the cannon is created by the books that are written. We are able to see aspects of Greek culture, because of the Plays and Epics that they left behind. The same goes to Beowulf and many more pieces of work. They show us a piece of history. Hopefully we can leave the same for our ancestors, but like those Greek plays, many marginalized groups are being left out. I think that it is important to represent everyone well. If they are unable to do this, we are failing them, not as just readers, but also as writers. People need to be able to find ourselves and the people that we love in the pages of books. </div>
Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-16169573600131754712014-04-15T20:47:00.001-07:002014-04-15T20:52:19.774-07:00A Reflection on Reading and CopingI have been open about the fact that I have been struggling with being sick, since before this blog was ever created. Part of the reason that I started this blog is that I needed not only an outlet talk to, but I had to transition from being whole to being cracked with an illness that was out of my control. Since I woke up in the most intense pain of my life, it has been over seven year and I can't remember what it was like to be pain free or healthy.<br />
Reading helped me a lot, because I made decisions at sixteen that some people will never have to make. It made the darkness that cloaked me into a tiny ethereal aspect of my life. The reason that this post if being written is the <i>If I Stay</i> trailer came out and I can remember that time that I picked up that book. I was so afraid. I dropped out of high school in October 2008, because my migraines and pain were too much. Most of my body was stressed, which caused more pain to come. I was also starting the year long process of Physical Therapy to learn how to walk again.<br />
I remember begging my mom to take me to Barnes and Noble to get <i>Willow</i> and <i>If I Stay</i> and both were not there. Luckily we went to the Liberty Bay Books and they had it. I devoured it in one sitting and Mia's pain took me away from the reality that I was facing. It allowed me to think about how I was isolating myself, because of the pain that I thought that I earned for not being a better person. Books have a power to bring me back to the moment of reading on the old fake leather couch that my mom gave away ages ago. I remember the tears as I turned the pages and how I slowly fell in love with Adam from Mia's point of view.<br />
Now I don't think about the pain, but the words that I read and the places that they took me. Reading still helps me cope, even though the pain has become more of a dull reminder that I'm imperfect and I don't always feel as strong physically as I am mentally, but I am. This is just a long post to remind me that books stick with me and so that I can post the trailer.<br />
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Let me know what you think of the trailer in the comments, if you can type through the tears.Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-43802819560717248312014-03-02T03:23:00.000-08:002014-03-02T03:23:12.461-08:00AWP Day Two & Three<b>Day Two</b> started at 9am for "Warning Extreme Content: Sex, Drugs, and Abuse as Themes in Young Adult Literature" with Ann Angel, Kekla Magoon and Carrie Jones. I honestly love Carrie as a human being. She is an amazing person, hence why I got there at 9 AM. Ann introduced the topic and how she had issue with publishing <i>Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing</i>, because of some of the content. For example, she talked about how she incorporated Janis' album art, which include nudity. She wanted it as an illustration that once a photo is released into the world, you lose the capability to control who sees it. She also talked about how books become challenged and she wanted to do the panel. She then introduced Kekla Magoon.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wMycCBZugz0/UxL8zxeGmkI/AAAAAAAAJOM/trnZUChX2kk/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wMycCBZugz0/UxL8zxeGmkI/AAAAAAAAJOM/trnZUChX2kk/s1600/001.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a>Kekla talked about the social and individual abuses that are talked about in Young Adult Literature. She used quotes from "<a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303657404576357622592697038">Darkness Too Visible</a>" by Meghan Cox Gurdon to show how problematic uninformed censorship is toward the marginalized population. She talked about self mutilation, drug abuse like in <i>Crank </i>by Ellen Hopkins, rape in <i>Speak</i> by Laurie Halse Anderson a , and kidnapping and abuse in <i>Living Dead Girl</i> by Elizabeth Scott are censored for the concern of gateway behavior and want to use their naivety to protect them. The thing is that these are issues that people need to face especially as teens. Kekla talked about the social abuse that Homophobia presents in YA. For example, <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.3;">Lesléa Newman's </span></span><i style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3;">October Mourning </i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.3;">and Lauren Myracle's </span></span><i style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3;">Shine</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.3;"> addresses similar issues. The fictional account was </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.909090042114258px;">actually banned more, because it caused empathy. It is really important that we examine these issues, because otherwise the people are issolated and we aren't able to understand it.</span></span><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MttESrMZNCs/UxL8z0_x8dI/AAAAAAAAJOI/F3KvfjWPASw/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MttESrMZNCs/UxL8z0_x8dI/AAAAAAAAJOI/F3KvfjWPASw/s1600/004.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.3;">Carrie Jones talked about sex and how it was introduced to teens with Judy Blume, Norma Fox Mazer, Fanfiction, and romance novel. She also talked about V.C. Andrews' </span></span><i style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3;">Flowers in the Attic</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.3;"> and how it was one of the novels that teen encountered. There were 1577 complaints of sexually </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.909090042114258px;">explicit</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.3;"> material. She mentioned Safelibraries and how by censoring material, we limit the people that have access to it. When if we respect teens, censorship shouldn't happen. Ann Angel talked about how nonfiction is held to the same standards as fiction. Overall, I found their presentation to be very good and I enjoyed it. I was able to talk to Carrie afterwards.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Lyn Miller-Lachmann came up and saw my name, which she </span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">recognized</span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">. It was really awesome that happened, because I reviewed her book back in 2009.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ngJDIUwlKCI/UxL-I0qzluI/AAAAAAAAJOc/BRlxw8i3tqE/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ngJDIUwlKCI/UxL-I0qzluI/AAAAAAAAJOc/BRlxw8i3tqE/s1600/005.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.3;">The next panel that I tried to go to was "Magic and Intellect", which was full. I decided to go outside my comfort zone and went to "War Stories:Truth, Fiction, and Conflict." It was really interesting that it is often trauma vs. glory in war. Also that people are more distanced from war and as a result, they are unaware of it. I decided to get coffee after this, because I was tired. I stopped by the Seattle University booth and one of the creative writing professor was there. I talked to her about MFA stress and she assured me that she would help, which was good. I stopped by the Vermont College for Fine Arts and got the literature since Carrie and Lyn mentioned that I should go there.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.3;">I decided to go to "In Your Next Letter I Wish You'd Say: Epistolary Impulse and Innovation", because I use letters in my fiction and decided that it would be cool to hear about it, since it has several things different with what I </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.909090042114258px;">usually</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.3;"> do.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.3;">The next panel, that I went to, was "What I Wish I'd Known before I Started Writing for Kid and Young Adults." It featured </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 18.909090042114258px;">Heather Bouwman, Kirstin Cronn-Mills, Sheila O'Connor, Shelley Tougas, and Rebecca Fjelland Davis. Kirstin came up and talked to me. She also signed my copy of <i>Beautiful Music for Ugly Children</i>. I actually livetweeted this one, so go to #f258 on Twitter, if you would like to read it. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 18.909090042114258px;">Then I went to another panel that I didn't enjoy, which annoyed me. I am writing why in the next post. It wasn't the presenters, but someone in the audience. I went to AWP with a Twist of YA, which was a drinks night with bloggers, authors, and booksellers. The bar had red walls and old furniture in a old hotel. Kevin Emerson tweeted me later with how it was right out of The Shining and I agree. I met this girl also named Sarah that goes to Vermont College for the Arts, and much of my evening was spent with them talking about how life changing it was for them. I got to talk to a lot of authors about writing, their projects, and life. I met Deb Caletti, which felt super surreal to me. Since I adore her books and all. It was just a very fun night that I enjoyed. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 18.909090042114258px;"><b>Day Three:</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 18.909090042114258px;">The third day start with Sarah Mlynowski moderating "Never Grow Up: Building a Life in Children's and Young Adult Fiction with Adele Griffin, E. Lockhart, and Robin Wasserman. They talked about how they got started as writers, the sophomore slump, their fear of not being able to keep connected to YA/Children's, having crutches, or using cliches, ideal careers, literary agents, and review. Overall, it was a very critical and inspiring panel that showed that even what I consider to be secure and established authors have similar feelings that I have. It also felt like it was a conversation and not a panel, almost like you were invited to such intimate conversation about publishing. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lbb6pX1FngA/UxMJGk2XMoI/AAAAAAAAJOs/auGoZPt4gBI/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lbb6pX1FngA/UxMJGk2XMoI/AAAAAAAAJOs/auGoZPt4gBI/s1600/010.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 18.909090042114258px;">My university friend</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 18.909090042114258px;"> Chelsea was with me. We went and walked around the </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 18.909090042114258px;">Book Fair. Then I went to "Pushing Boundaries in YA: Civil Disobedience, Violence, and War." It featured </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.909090042114258px;">Ann Angel, Zu Vincent, Jessica Powers, and Lyn Miller-Lachmann. They said to go deeper in the historical, social, and cultural aspects of the story, because it helps the story be richer and more dimensional and realistic as a result. I went to "In Sickness and In Health: Writing about Illness and Loss for Young Adults." It featured </span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 18.909090042114258px;">Roberta Borger, Megan Bostic, Selene Castrovilla, Jolene Perry, and Katherine Ayres. It was interesting, but I felt that it missed a critical part of illness, which is that the majority are chronic conditions. Most of their books talked about cancer. Megan is from around here and I have been following on Twitter for a while, so it was cool to meet her in person.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--5MEnAyw0Hs/UxMNp0Q74BI/AAAAAAAAJO4/5SKUh8VuPs8/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--5MEnAyw0Hs/UxMNp0Q74BI/AAAAAAAAJO4/5SKUh8VuPs8/s1600/012.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 18.909090042114258px;">The next panel was "Crafting Heartbreak: Handling Grief Issues in Novels for Young Adults." It was in the same room, so that was convenient. The speakers were </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 18.909090042114258px;">Joy Preble, Janet Fox, Rosanne Parry, and Denise Jaden. I loved Joy, Janet, and Denise's books and how they dealt with grief. It was a very realistic portrayal that showed grief in all of the aspects and in the entirety. Janet talked about the stages of grief and talked about books that related to the topic. Denise talked about the expressions of grief at different ages. She talked about how you can create conflict in the variance of their behaviors. Joy talked about hidden grief and how it serves a book. Lastly, Rosanne talked about death scenes. She talked about famous death scenes in famous children books and how some of them happen differently then she remembered. I experienced the same thing as she went over them and found it surprising that I didn't remember it. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-86CC4h80CRs/UxMNzFSLZAI/AAAAAAAAJPA/cke2kOD55dA/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-86CC4h80CRs/UxMNzFSLZAI/AAAAAAAAJPA/cke2kOD55dA/s1600/018.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JFsfeea2knU/UxMNzIW3VpI/AAAAAAAAJPI/tOiuJNnjt_8/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JFsfeea2knU/UxMNzIW3VpI/AAAAAAAAJPI/tOiuJNnjt_8/s1600/020.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 18.909090042114258px;">My last panel was "How Far Do You Go: Sex in YA Fiction". E. Lockhart moderated with Sarah Mlynowski, Robin Wasserman, and Adele Griffin. They all read from a piece of their fiction that had sex in it. Sarah and Robin talked about how they write around it. Sarah's writing is more sweet, while Robin talks about sexual assault and other aspects of sex. They also talked about how sex does not progress the plot, but a way to do it was talk about sexuality or consciousness. They remarked that it is reason that some books become banned. Sex can isolate the book by narrowing the audience, because school libraries and box stories won't carry it. They also talk about how a title can hurt the book. I found this to be really interesting panel and like before, it felt like a great panel and it was always funny and entertaining.</span></span></span><div>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NIU_W0nY4n8/UxMNzo1RKBI/AAAAAAAAJPY/g_Eee69HI08/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NIU_W0nY4n8/UxMNzo1RKBI/AAAAAAAAJPY/g_Eee69HI08/s1600/021.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 18.909090042114258px;">My experience at AWP was very inspiring. I was able to hear a lot about writing and I think that it will allow me to advance my craft. Overall, I would recommend AWP. It gave me a lot think about and showed that writers are just as anxious and worried as I am. I loved this experience. If you made it to the end, thanks. I know this is a rather long post.</span><div style="line-height: 18.909090042114258px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next I went to a panel on Commercial Literary Fiction (Not an Oxymoron): The Place of Craft in Writing and Teaching Children's and Young Adult Literature</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">. It had Micol Ostow moderating with Stephanie Kuehnert, Nova Ren Suma, Sara Zarr, and Laurel </span>Snyder. It was a great panel on how being commercial doesn't mean that it is not Literary. That they like to push boundaries and challenge themselves into becoming better writers with each book. </span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZS1Rtf6eeKk/UxAsNGITJ_I/AAAAAAAAJNU/YXlDxOBV8Qg/s1600/296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZS1Rtf6eeKk/UxAsNGITJ_I/AAAAAAAAJNU/YXlDxOBV8Qg/s1600/296.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: white;">Here is Sara and I. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Nova and I took amazing selfies together and this is the best one. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">After that I wandered around the bookfair more and collected more brochures. Then I went to a panel on </span>I’m Just Not That Into You: Unsympathetic Characters in Fiction. I found this panel to be very illuminating on character development and it presented a lot of great points.<br />
Irina Reyn<span style="background-color: white; color: #5f604b; font-family: ITCAvantGardeGothicBook, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">, </span>Hannah Tinti<span style="background-color: white; color: #5f604b; font-family: ITCAvantGardeGothicBook, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">, </span>Lynne Sharon Schwartz<span style="background-color: white; color: #5f604b; font-family: ITCAvantGardeGothicBook, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5f604b; font-family: ITCAvantGardeGothicBook, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span>Maud Newton, Erin Harris, Richard Nash, and Katie Crouch presented the panel. I found this whole thing to be very interesting. Next, I just hung around, since I was worried about the next panel filling up. I actually didn't enjoy the last panel. So, I am not even going to mention it. It honestly wasn't what I expected with the title and description. <span style="background-color: white;"></span><br />
Next I went to the Seattle Public Library, because E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, Adele Griffin, and Robin Wasserman were presenting their new and upcoming novels and also read from their juvenile attempts on fiction. It made me laugh so much and helped me not feel as embarrassed about the stories that I wrote when I was younger. They also talked about their journey into publication.Afterwards, I got books signed.<br />
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Here is Robin Wasserman and I.</div>
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Here is Sarah Mlynowski and I.</div>
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Here is E. Lockhart and I.</div>
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Here is Adele Griffin and I.</div>
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I hope you enjoyed this recap of my Day One. I will try to make one for Day Two. Now I have to go write an essay for Ethics.<br />
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Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-106561212491322012014-01-17T07:00:00.000-08:002014-01-17T07:00:09.892-08:00Friday FiveHey guys!<br />
It has been a while. Sorry about that. I have been busy with school and life.<br />
Anyways, here is my Friday Five.<br />
1. I started a new quarter last Monday. I am enjoying it. I can't believe that I only have five quarter left till I am a college graduate. That feels insane to me.<br />
2. I am doing Seattle U Dance Marathon. I probably won't be able to dance the whole time, but I am going to try. I am really excited about it.<br />
3. I am going to AWP Conference! It was significantly cheaper for students and located in Seattle. I am really excited about it. There are so many panels that I am excited for. It is also my first writing conference, so it seems daunting to me. Let me know if you are going.<br />
4. I recently finished We Were Liars and pre-order it or read it now.<br />
5. I am currently addicted to Lies by Chvrches.Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-179976724214024222014-01-16T17:35:00.000-08:002014-01-16T17:35:00.468-08:00This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales <a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362753915l/15777621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362753915l/15777621.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><b>Source: Publisher</b></span><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.</span></i><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I related to Elise a lot. Especially as a teen, I felt like an outsider and I didn't really have a place in a world. I have also been bullied. Elise's character was really good at portraying these issues in an impacting and intelligent way. I also enjoyed when it showed her DJing, because she found herself and was able to have fun. I liked all of the allusions to music and found it to be a good addition to the story. I think that it is also very true, because books and music both have aided me when I was in a very dark period of my life and allowed me to realize that there is still hope and love. I found the plot to be very engaging and I became sucked into this book quickly. This book is a lot different than the book that I have previously read from her, <i>Mostly Good Girls</i>. The writing is more intense and grabs you in certain places. Overall, I enjoyed this book and hope to find more like this book in the future. I also definitely need to check out <i>Past Perfect!</i></span></span></span>Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-58123699635458043482013-09-20T18:35:00.000-07:002013-09-20T18:35:16.603-07:00YALLFest Interview: Sean Williams<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8408/8704965257_ac76fd3f3d_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="91" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8408/8704965257_ac76fd3f3d_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://seanwilliams.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Photo-by-Anna-Solding-300x451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://seanwilliams.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Photo-by-Anna-Solding-300x451.jpg" width="132" /></a><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">For the next week, this is the second interviews for authors that are going to YALLFest this year. Sadly I will not be going, but it has an amazing line-up. I highly suggest that you check it out, if you have the chance and live in the south. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">Sean Williams wrote <i>Twinmaker </i>and here is the interview with him.</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What one thing do you need to have when you
write?</b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The right music. And chocolate as a
reward when I finish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Describe your book in 5 words</b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Jump meets Uglies. But different.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What is the hardest line to write- the first or
the last?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The first line is often the hardest to
write, but I like a good challenge. The line I like writing the least is the
last because it means I have a whole load of rewriting ahead of me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Best writing tip you ever received?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Give up. If you can do that, you’ll be happier
and probably better off as a result. If you can’t, then you know writing is
exactly the right thing for you!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1) I live in Adelaide, South Australia, a
place that’s home to about a million other people but somehow feels like a
small town, which is why I love it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2) I still think music from the 1980s is
cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3) My stepson has situs invertus, which means his heart is on the wrong side of his
body. That’s not really about me, but it is pretty random.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">4) I’m a huge fan of Doctor Who.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361330396l/17296692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361330396l/17296692.jpg" width="131" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">5) I’m minding a pair of green tree
frogs, Skipper and Jumpy, for a young friend while she’s overseas with her
family. You can see pictures of them on my Facebook page:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/seanwilliamsauthor/"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;"> </span></a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/seanwilliamsauthor/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">https://www.facebook.com/seanwilliamsauthor/</span></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Where's your favorite place to write?</b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In my study, a lovely upstairs nook
containing all my favorite book-related things, but I’ve trained myself to
write anywhere as long as I have my headphones and some music. I quite like
writing in hotels, probably because someone else does all the household chores.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What are you working on now?</b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Crashland, the sequel to Twinmaker.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-58609324274351495882013-09-16T09:00:00.000-07:002013-09-16T09:00:06.675-07:00YALLFest Interview: CJ Lyons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8408/8704965257_ac76fd3f3d_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="91" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8408/8704965257_ac76fd3f3d_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/1993037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/1993037.jpg" width="132" /></a><b>For the next week, I will have two authors that are going to YALLFest this year. Sadly I will not be going, but it has an amazing line-up. I highly suggest that you check it out, if you have the chance and live in the south. </b><br />
<b>Today, I have CJ Lyon as a promotion for YALLFest, . She is the author of <i>Broken</i>, which is a YA Thriller. Before writing YA, she was a pediatric emergency room doctor and wrote thrillers. Anyways, without further instructions, here is the interview.</b><br />
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<b>Describe your book in 5 words:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>CJ: </b><i>Girl dying of broken heart (literally)</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What is the hardest line to write- the first or the last?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>CJ:</b> <i>The first. I’ll often return to it over and over again
until I’ve sliced and diced and fine-honed it to that perfect combination of
intrigue, visceral reaction, and emotional connection with the reader.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Best writing tip you ever received?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b>What one young adult novel do you wish you had when you were
a teen? Why?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/9781402285455-PR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.thestorysiren.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/9781402285455-PR.jpg" width="133" /></a><b>CJ: </b><b style="font-style: italic;"><u>Code Name Verity</u></b><i>
because it is so emotionally honest and inspiring, empowering, not to mention
gut-wrenching. Really brings the era to life as well as the sacrifices made in
the name of freedom.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b>Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>CJ:</b> <i>When I was a kid I worked summer stock theatre and was
actually a theatre major undergrad before switching to pre-med. I’ve had two
hard landings in helicopters while working as a flight doc. I survived
rampaging Cape Horn Buffalo and a pack of wild baboons, not to mention a
leopard (he’s already eaten) while hiking in Hells Gate Park in Kenya. I’m a
Capricorn. I diagnosed my niece with the heart condition that’s at the center
of my YA thriller, BROKEN.</i></div>
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<b>What are you working on now?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>CJ: </b><i>DAMAGED, my next YA thriller, due out in 2014. It deals
with the really tough topic of abuse and coercion and is the most difficult
book I’ve ever tackled—there have been times while writing when I was literally
in tears as I typed.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What is your favorite genre to write in? To Read?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>CJ:</b> <i>I created my own genre of Thrillers with Heart—I love
writing fast paced stories with raising stakes but centered on the emotional
heart of an evolving relationship. As for reading, I read almost every genre
but especially love YA, magical realism, and thrillers. As long as a story
grabs me by the throat and won’t let me go because I’m too worried about what
the characters are going through, I’ll read it and love it.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>If you are interested in YALLFest, visit their <a href="http://yallfest.org/">website</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/YALLFest">Twitter</a> for more information.</b></div>
Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-62626736947754802012013-09-08T23:09:00.001-07:002013-09-08T23:09:23.570-07:00Five Years Later: BloggingToday marks the fifth blogoversary.<br />
I have changed so much in that time. I have finished high school and began college. I have learned so much about what I like to read and what I don't. I have found out that I want to work as a librarian in youth services. I have met many wonderful people from blogging, and some include my now closest friends. I went to NYC for BEA in 2010 and went to ALA Mid-Winter this year in my wonderful city of Seattle. Overall, this blog has brought so many wonderful things to my life and I am really glad that I started it. I am immensely proud of what I have done and hope to do many more wonderful things.<br />
Thanks to anyone that has read this or followed my blog over the years. It means a lot to me that you have taken the time. Also, thank to the bloggers that inspired me like Chelsea, Tirzah, Khy, and many more. I would not be doing this without you guys.Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-54399463523414251482013-09-04T09:00:00.000-07:002013-09-04T16:49:53.427-07:00Guest Post: Elisa Freilich<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.elisafreilich.com/">Silent Echo</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18px;">comes out September 10th from Diversion Books. It isn't your usual fantasy novel. It has sirens, music, prophecies, and of course, romance!</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18px;"><b>Elisa has come to the blog for a bit of a Q&A.</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="line-height: 18px;">There is also a prize giveaway below for a chance to win a pack of awesome things including a book purse inspired by the book, an iPhone case and other trinkets featuring the beautiful illustrations of the upcoming trailer and a YA book of your choice. </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b style="line-height: 18px;"><i>1. Describe your book in 5 words:</i></b> Modernizing mythology through music & romance. ( does the ampersand count as a word? Ooops)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b style="line-height: 18px;"><i>2. What surprised you the most as you were writing SILENT ECHO? </i></b>How many of my metaphors seem to veer towards the food-related (i.e. "his voice was a block of milk chocolate wrapped in sandpaper") I guess I'm also a die-hard foodie.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b style="line-height: 18px;"><i>3. Are you a plotter or a panster? Do you plot your book or fly by the seat of your pants?</i></b> I fly on a magic carpet woven loosely of plot driven threads. I've got a vague idea where I'm headed but once in flight, it really solidifies.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b style="line-height: 18px;"><i>4. Do you have any kind of writing rituals?</i></b> I need silence or else white noise, a constant din. I can't have music or a tv on - way too distracting. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 18px;"><b>5. Who would you cast in a movie version of your book for Portia, Felix and Max?</b></i> <span style="line-height: 18px;"><i>Young unknowns</i></span> who resemble Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher and Rob Pattinson (in order as asked)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 18px;"><b>6. As a lover of mythology, what's your fave myth?</b></i> I love the story of the Six Headed Scylla. There are several explanations for how she came to have six heads and for <i style="line-height: 18px;">Silent Echo</i>'s sequel, I have expounded and expanded on my favorite one. (Scylla is an integral part of the next installment of my trilogy.)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><i style="line-height: 18px;"><b>7. Lightnight round:</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>Fave food </b>- Truffle fries (ok, or any fries)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>Fave book</b> - Special Topics in Calamity Physics (most recently, that is)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>Fave song</b> - Closer to Fine by Indigo Girls</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>Fave vacation</b> - Laguna Beach, CA w/my hubby (or pretty much anywhere w/my hubby)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>Fave color </b>- brown (chocolate, mocha - there's that food thing again...)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>Beach or mountains</b> - Pool with a view of the beach</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>Soda or Pop</b> - soda</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>Coke or Pepsi </b>- Coke (diet, of course)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>Can't live without </b>- Air conditioning</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>Can live without </b>- bees ( even if it meant sacrificing honey - they terrify me)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>Fave person - </b> Mark Darcy (can a fictitious character count?)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>Person you want to meet most dead or alive</b> - Marcus Mumford (His genius blows my mind)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>Person you admire most - </b>My husband - he wears his own skin with unyielding confidence and comfort</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>If you could be anyone, who? </b>George RR Martin - can you imagine what must go on in that guy's head?!</span></div>
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<b>Follow Elisa Freilich on:
<a href="https://twitter.com/Elisafreilich">TWITTER</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ElisaFreilichAuthor">FACEBOOK</a> <a href="http://elisafreilich.tumblr.com/">TUMBLR </a></b><br />
<b>There is also a sneak peak on her Tumblr, that you should check out. </b><br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1cb20411/" id="rc-1cb20411" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-35019216490802810622013-09-03T11:29:00.002-07:002013-09-03T11:29:59.669-07:00What's Raising Our Pulse Discussion and Giveaway: Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-inO8JNPYBfg/UiYpFzBiGWI/AAAAAAAABdo/deMQEtUVKmM/s1600/Just+Like+Fate+sticker%5B7%5D+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-inO8JNPYBfg/UiYpFzBiGWI/AAAAAAAABdo/deMQEtUVKmM/s1600/Just+Like+Fate+sticker%5B7%5D+(1).jpg" /></a><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today's post comes from What's Raising Our Pulse Book Club. I am going to answer a question that comes from the book and give you guys the chance to win a copy by answering below.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The question comes from Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young. Here is the summary:</b> </span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C_BytA1NXes/UiYpO8tZWgI/AAAAAAAABdw/OxZZJ99-fz8/s1600/Just+Like+Fate+Bkmk%5B6%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C_BytA1NXes/UiYpO8tZWgI/AAAAAAAABdw/OxZZJ99-fz8/s320/Just+Like+Fate+Bkmk%5B6%5D.jpg" width="92" /></span></a><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;">Caroline is at a crossroads. Her grandmother is sick, maybe dying. Like the rest of her family, Caroline's been at Gram's bedside since her stroke. With the pressure building, all Caroline wants to do is escape--both her family and the reality of Gram's failing health. So when Caroline's best friend offers to take her to a party one fateful Friday night, she must choose: stay by Gram's side, or go to the party and live her life.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;">The consequence of this one decision will split Caroline's fate into two separate paths--and she's about to live them both.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;">Friendships are tested and family drama hits an all-new high as Caroline attempts to rebuild old relationships, and even make a few new ones. If she stays, her longtime crush, Joel, might finally notice her, but if she goes, Chris, the charming college boy, might prove to be everything she's ever wanted.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;">Though there are two distinct ways for her fate to unfold, there is only one happy ending...</span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;"><br /></span></i>
</span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_al_vW90m3E/UhpZi-DVaTI/AAAAAAAADIE/9C5zxVa5lFY/s320/17190935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_al_vW90m3E/UhpZi-DVaTI/AAAAAAAADIE/9C5zxVa5lFY/s200/17190935.jpg" width="132" /></span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;"><b>The book is told from two point of view and unfolds with what would happen with each decision.</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;">The question is: </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Have you ever looked back on a decision you made and wondered how your life would have changed if you had done something differently?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">When I applied for colleges, I got into three different schools. I picked the one that was closest to home, because I was afraid to move away from my family, my friends, and also changing my doctors. I always wonder what would have happened, if I changed my mind and went to a school farther away. Overall, I like my university and have made some great friends that I care about. A part of my mind causing me to wonder what if...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Now it is your turn to answer for the question in the comments below for a chance to win a copy of Just Like Fate and </b></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><b>a mini magic eight ball. The contest will be open till the 19th at midnight and is US only. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;"><br /></span>Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-12299714449433588622013-08-11T02:10:00.000-07:002013-08-11T02:10:21.746-07:00Giveaway: Infinityglass by Myra McEntire <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UvTwiFyXyxA/UfEjWgdokXI/AAAAAAAAM6o/qVMaUo4kNdU/s1600/egmont6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UvTwiFyXyxA/UfEjWgdokXI/AAAAAAAAM6o/qVMaUo4kNdU/s320/egmont6.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 21.111112594604492px;">Today, I am giving away the last book in the Hourglass Trilogy. Fill out the form below. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 21.111112594604492px;">Here is the </span><span style="line-height: 21.109375px;">summary</span><span style="line-height: 21.111112594604492px;">:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;"><i>The stakes have risen even higher in this third book in the Hourglass series.</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;"><i>The Hourglass is a secret organization focused on the study of manipulating time, and its members — many of them teenagers -have uncanny abilities to make time work for them in mysterious ways. Inherent in these powers is a responsibility to take great care, because altering one small moment can have devastating consequences for the past, present, and future. But some time travelers are not exactly honorable, and sometimes unsavory deals must be struck to maintain order.</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;"><i>With the Infinityglass (central to understanding and harnessing the time gene) at large, the hunt is on to find it before someone else does.</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;"><i>But the Hourglass has an advantage. Lily, who has the ability to locate anything lost, has determined that the Infinityglass isn't an object. It's a person. And the Hourglass must find him or her first. But where do you start searching for the very key to time when every second could be the last?</i></span><br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cfce337/" id="rc-cfce337" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-53489174397477047222013-07-21T08:00:00.000-07:002013-07-21T08:00:00.158-07:00A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--tYGxtHOMh0/TguFVraNlJI/AAAAAAAAETk/sJ1WtFjPLe4/s400/A+GAME+OF+THRONES+new+HC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--tYGxtHOMh0/TguFVraNlJI/AAAAAAAAETk/sJ1WtFjPLe4/s320/A+GAME+OF+THRONES+new+HC.jpg" width="208" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Source: Library</span></b></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.</span></span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">This book has a huge cast of characters and while as it seems overwhelming at the beginning, they quickly became distinctive. The characters are all very developed and unique. Several characters stood out to me. For example, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Daenerys</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> is such a strong and remarkable character. Tyrion was such a funny character and made me laugh a lot. Arya was also </span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 17.98611068725586px;">kick ass</span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> and brave. I could go on the other characters forever. Martin isn't afraid to harm his characters and I became emot</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 17.98611068725586px;">ional in several place.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"> This book starts out slow, but quickly becomes exciting. There are so many plots that are linked together flawlessly. I became enthralled in what would happen next and needed to know more. The world building is also done so well. I never felt overwhelmed by what was happening and Martin explains it perfectly. The map in the book also helped a lot. The concept of winter being years long, also interested me and I hope that comes into play in later books. This book is rather thick and at times, it felt like it would last for forever. At the same time, I never felt bored. I don't think that the story could be told in less content, but at the same time, it is a bit tiring reading it. Martin's writing is pretty good. He is really good at make a story believable. I haven't watched the show, but I am definitely interested in it now. I would recommend anyone that likes Epic Fantasy. It has really well developed character, an interesting plot, and great world building. I am definitely interested on continuing with the series, but I am going to take a break before continuing reading this series.</span>Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-46723422939409175922013-07-20T14:31:00.000-07:002013-07-20T14:31:00.108-07:00Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne <a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1337779838l/12753231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1337779838l/12753231.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Source: Publisher</b></span><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.</span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">There are a lot of characters introduced at once. I felt a bit overwhelmed from the characters, because there are so many of them introduced at once. They weren't super distinct and it took a while for them to develop. Dean was an outsider, but he tried to help people. I believed that it would have been better if there had been another point of view, because I felt that I was losing a lot of information that could have been given later in the story. A lot of this book focuses on the </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18.99305534362793px;">mundane and there are a few places that are </span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> action-packed, but it quickly slows down from the first page and picks up later. I wish that the author had focused a lot more on the action parts, because the plot is okay. I thought the premise was interesting, but I wish that it was plotted a bit more. The originality helped me want to read this book more. The writing was okay, but I felt that Laybourne condescended to the audience a few times. The ending became a lot better, and almost redeemed the book. I hope that it picks up in the second book. Overall, I would recommend this book, if it interest you. Otherwise I would skip it.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447087409192801997.post-15528643074245000472013-07-19T14:49:00.000-07:002013-07-19T14:49:00.235-07:00Triangles by Ellen Hopkins<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yJF22WedZmk/UM_3Nhz2SKI/AAAAAAAAEVM/38VHdFkWOg4/s320/10843755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yJF22WedZmk/UM_3Nhz2SKI/AAAAAAAAEVM/38VHdFkWOg4/s320/10843755.jpg" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Source: Publisher</b></span><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">THREE FEMALE FRIENDS FACE MIDLIFE CRISES IN A NO-HOLDS-BARRED EXPLORATION OF SEX, MARRIAGE, AND THE FRAGILITY OF LIFE.Holly: Filled with regret for being a stay-athome mom, she sheds sixty pounds and loses herself in the world of extramarital sex. Will it bring the fulfillment she is searching for?Andrea: A single mom and avowed celibate, she watches her friend Holly’s meltdown with a mixture of concern and contempt. Holly is throwing away what Andrea has spent her whole life searching for—a committed relationship with a decent guy. So what if Andrea picks up Holly’s castaway husband?Marissa: She has more than her fair share of challenges—a gay, rebellious teenage son, a terminally ill daughter, and a husband who buries himself in his work rather than face the facts. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">As one woman’s marriage unravels, another’s rekindles. As one woman’s family comes apart at the seams, another’s reconfigures into something bigger and better. In this story of connections and disconnections, one woman’s up is another one’s down, and all of them will learn the meaning of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness.Unflinchingly honest, emotionally powerful, surprisingly erotic, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Triangles </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">is the ultimate page-turner. Hopkins’s gorgeous, expertly honed poetic verse perfectly captures the inner lives of her characters. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Sometimes it happens like that. Sometimes you just get lost.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Get lost in the world of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Triangles</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">, where the lives of three unforgettable women intersect, and where there are no easy answers.</span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I am used to Ellen Hopkins, she writes amazing and intense books. Her adult books are similar to her young adult books, in which they don't hold anything back. Her characters are developed really well. Andrea, Holly, and Marissa are all unique and I enjoyed them. I really felt for Marissa and her family and connected to her family and what was happening to her. I liked their families too. The plot was very gripping and I became invested into the characters pretty quickly. It is a pretty fast paced read. Ellen Hopkins' writing is amazing as always. I love her verse and find it to be so beautiful. I recommend this book to anyone that likes Ellen Hopkins' young adult. Overall, it was an interesting book and seemed a bit different than her young adult books, but it is just as intense and epic as her other books.</span>Sarah Woodardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09229589302974209381noreply@blogger.com0