Dark Matter by Blake Crouch I’m not sure how this book came to my attention. Perhaps it was recommended for me on my Audible list, or perhaps I found it randomly. With so many things going on in my life, sometimes it’s hard to remember how I come across things! I’m glad I did, though, this was a fun novel that had me intrigued from the start. It also gave me a lot of things to think about! Mental chewing…
NOS4A2 by Joe Hill I heard about this novel on the radio morning show that I listen to every day when I take my kids to school. And since I’ve had great recommendations from the show in the past, I put it on my Audible list. I gotta say, I’m glad I did. I really enjoyed this book. NOS4A2 is a supernatural suspense novel by a master of horror, Joe Hill. The story takes place over the course of a young…
Codex by Lev Grossman I found this novel when I searched for other works by Lev Grossman. I absolutely loved The Magicians Trilogy, and have read those books at least a few times each. So I figured I would love other works by Lev Grossman, and I wasn’t exactly wrong. I wasn’t exactly right, either. The title Codex refers to a medieval text that has been lost to time. Edward Wozny, an investment banker, has taken a new position with his…
The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey This is another title that they were talking about on my morning Radio Show. I should probably plug them every time. I love listening to Sarah and Vinnie on Alice at 97.3. They give the best book reviews! Whenever Sarah says she loves a book, I’m pretty much guaranteed to love it, too. And the fact that they’re local celebrities who promote reading is a big plus in my book.…
Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi I’d listened to Lock In by John Scalzi, because Wil Wheaton read it. I was a big fan of Wil Wheaton’s performances in the audiobooks of Ready Player One and Armada by Ernest Cline. (Both are excellent books, if you ask me. Super fun and highly entertaining!) So I searched for other books that WW had read, and found Lock In. It was a great book. When Agent to the Stars popped up on…
What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman I was recommended this book by my cousin’s wife. And though I love her dearly, I’m not sure I was a big fan of the novel. A story split in two times, What She Left Behind follows 17-year-old Izzy in the 1990s, and 18-year-old Clara in the 1930s. Izzy’s foster parents work for a museum and bring Izzy along with them on an exploration of a state-run insane asylum that has been…
My in-laws are so talented and creative! My Father-in-law loves paper crafting, my Mother-in-law is a textile design artist, and my Sister-in-law (and soon-to-be Brother-in-law) is an illustrator. I feel completely inadequate when it comes to everything visual art related in their company. (I can’t even draw stick figures right! They always come out crooked.) Here’s hoping that my daughters inherit their artistic skills from that side of the family! To complete their paper craft holiday scene, my Father-in-law invited…
For those of you who don’t know, my husband works at Wikia. (OMG how many times have I used Wikia in my RP/Fanfiction days?) I was invited to come along to the Wikia Holiday Party, which was Game of Thrones themed. Thankfully, hubs and I just caught up on GoT, so we weren’t spoiled by anything at the party. This was a chance for me to go out and have fun without kids underfoot, and also to see some of…
I very nearly gave up writing this month. Well, not entirely. I very nearly gave up wanting to publish my writing this month. I received a “this novel will never sell” blow from someone who “knows the business.” At that point I had to decide if I was writing for me, or if I was writing for a career–for other people–to get published–to become a traditionally published author. And then I decided I was writing for me. I will still…
I was at the Algonkian Write to Market Conference from November 12-15, 2015, in Corte Madera, California. The conference was held in Corte Madera, California, and I have to say, I’m super glad that I went. I will be writing a more comprehensive review, covering every aspect of the Conference I can think of… but I won’t bore you with the details. Here I’ll just post a few pictures and tell you guys what an amazing experience I had. You…