RTW: Best July Read(s)!

It's Road Trip Wednesday time - and today's topic:

WHAT WAS THE BEST BOOK YOU READ IN JULY?

I will admit, I read some pretty bad books in July. Eh-em, FIFTY SHADES OF GREY turned out to be fifty shades of days I will never get back in my life! 

But...I also read two books, that were both pretty dang awesome. Two books I HIGHLY recommend you all pick up and read this summer:

1. ON THE ISLAND by Tracey Garvis-Graves

Goodreads Summary:

When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day. T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family - and a stack of overdue assignments - instead of his friends.

Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.'s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island.

Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter. Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.'s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.

My review:

Now I know what you're thinking when you read the above summary - but really, you MUST give this book a shot before assuming the worst. Because honestly, this was one of the best reads I've read in a LONG time - and I finished it in one day.

The characters were well written from start to finish. And by the time I turned the last page, I was a blubbering mess. That's something that doesn't happen often, I can assure you.

I still need to write my review on this one, so I won't say anything more other than you DEFINITELY MUST READ THIS BOOK!

2. THE VINCENT BOYS by Abbi Glines

Goodreads Summary:

Being the good girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ashton Gray has grown weary of playing the part to please her parents, and to be worthy of the town’s prince charming, Sawyer Vincent. Maybe That’s why she’s found herself spending time with Sawyer’s cousin, Beau, while he’s away for the summer camping with his family. Beau is nothing like her perfect boyfriend. He’s the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, dangerous in ways she’s only day dreamed about, and the one guy she should stay away from. 

Beau never envied Sawyer his loving parents, his big nice home, or his position as quarterback. He loves him like a brother. Which is why he's tried everything in his power to keep his distance from Sawyer’s girlfriend. Even if he has loved her since the age of five, Ashton is Sawyer’s girl, so therefore she’s off limits. But when Sawyer leaves for the summer, Ashton, the one girl Beau would move Heaven and Earth for, decides she wants to get into trouble. Stabbing the one person who’s always accepted him and stood by him in the back, is the cost of finally holding Ashton Gray in his arms. Is she worth losing his cousin over?.... Hell Yeah.

My Review:

Let me tell you, Ms. Glines writes boy WELL. This one is a perfect summer read - light, fun, and easy. Again, I haven't written my review yet, so I won't go into detail...other than I really enjoyed it! My only disappointment is that the sequel - THE VINCENT BROTHERS - is only out on Kindle right now (boo!) - but Abbi reassures me (yes, I DM'd her on Twitter!) she's working on the paperback version, and fingers crossed, it should be out soon. 

_______________

Both of the above are great summer reads - and definitely a breath of fresh air from the FIFTY mess I got myself into earlier in the month. 

I also stopped by Barnes & Noble last weekend and picked up 14 new books from my TBR list (ENDER'S GAME, WHAT I DIDN'T SAY, SUCH A RUSH, DON'T BREATHE A WORD, and MY LIFE NEXT DOOR to name a few!), so needless to say, August is going to be a busy month for reading...and I can't wait!

So, what great reads did you conquer in the month of July?

Happy 4th of July!

While the rest of the country is fighting against unbearable heat, out here in Seattle it's a known fact: Summer doesn't start until the 5th of July.

But this year we were lucky, because the sun was shining bright yesterday, and we experienced the luxury of clear blue skies for the first time in I don't know how many years!

Which made it the perfect evening for fireworks - Starbucks put on a fabulous presentation as seen in the below video shot from Gasworks Park, on South Lake Union: 

If you ever have an opportunity to come out to Seattle, I'd highly suggest you time it around the 4th of July. Really, it's just specatular!

And a big shout out to my home town of Maple Valley, who put on a fabulous show of their own, down at the lake in my neighborhood - and all within walking distance of my house! But let me tell you, it's the gift that keeps on giving, as I live near some extreme pyromaniacs - the fireworks are still going off today, and they'll continue over the next several nights, I'm sure! And I love it!!!

What did everyone else do to celebrate? 

Whatever it was, I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July, wherever you were!

Re-Writes, Schme-writes: I'M FINALLY DONE!!!

I am so happy to be able to finally write this post, after all, it's been almost one year in the making! Because late Sunday night / early Monday morning, I finally - and I can't believe I actually get to type this:

I Finished my rewrite on THE LUCKY FEW.

Almost one year ago - July 11th to be exact - I queried Mr. Agent Man...and received a phone call from him the very next day, requesting an exclusive revision. And, well, of course I jumped at the chance!

A few weeks later, he sent me a detailed letter that was single spaced and ten pages long. TEN! 10.

And after reading those pages, I realized exactly the opportunity I was holding in my hands - but what I wasn't prepared for, was the challenge to rethink the entire platform of my book. As in, "what if we looked at it this way?" 

To which I went through the following:

Wait, what? You mean my book isn't amazing as-is? Huh. I thought it was pretty good. Wait, now that you mention it, maybe it's just so-so. Okay, NOW I get it, I see what you're thinking!

And voila! An entirely different focus was born...although that in itself, took several months to get to. Lucky for me, there was plenty of back and forth, which included multiple emails and conference calls with he and his fabulous assistant (did I mention the complete and utter state of shock I was in, that this was even happening?). 

It was all so exciting - first to be working with someone of his stature, second, to be getting top-notch feedback, and third, to be working with an agent at all.

But man, rewrites are tough.

And I constantly struggled with what could stay - always analyzing if the writing in question, moved the story forward - but what was worse than that...was what needed to go. It was like watching the series finale of FRIENDS (one of my all-time favorite shows!), or finishing the last sentence in MOCKINGJAY. And I realized it was as if I wanted to put it off, so I wouldn't have to say goodbye.

But then I heeded the advice of one of my fabulous critique partners - Heidi S.:

Just get in there and do it - and stop over-thinking it all!

Or something like that. I'm sure it was much more eloquently written, but none-the-less, it had the same impact. She tends to keep it real like that. And it's for this that I love her so!

So I took Heidi's advice and I got in there and did it. I axed almost 35,000 words *eek*, then rewrote 40,000 more *yay!* The past two weeks have been serious late nights...and I can't remember the last time I was in bed, before 2:30am. Which makes for a very long day at the office, when my alarm goes off at 5am.

But I so want this. I almost ache for it. And knowing I was so close to being done, I knew it was something that I just had to do. Besides, late night writing is my favorite, when all is quiet in the world. 

And late last night, after re-reading it again, I was finally able to send it off to my CP's. Now it's in their hands to tear apart. And I look forward to reading all their suggestions, feedback, and seeing a smiley face or two, when they read something they like. 

Then once they're done, I'll make my final revisions and off to Mr. Agent Man it goes! And I can't wait.

Until then, I look forward to having Thursday and Friday off this week. And the fact I may be able to go to sleep at a reasonable hour tonight. In fact, I may sleep through all the fireworks, once my head hits that pillow.

And that's okay by me. Because I'M FINALLY DONE.

And my fingers are crossed. 

Rewrites or revisions - what was this process like for you? 

Happy 4th of July (or belated Happy Canada Day, to my friends to the North!) - wishing you all a wonderful week! And I completely forgot - looks like tonight might be a later night than I expected, but for an entirely different reason: my husband and I are going to see Joan Jett! I know, you're jealous. :)

Friday Ramblings: Ode To Starbucks

Last Saturday marked my 100th day sans coffee and caffeine (did I mention I can't even have decaf?). 

And while I know this change overall is better for my health, there's really only one way to sum up exactly how I feel:

This. Blows.

Because you'll wanna trust me when I say: A WRITER WITH NO CAFFEINE, IS NOT SOMEONE YOU WANT TO MESS WITH.

I should get that printed on a t-shirt.  

Maybe at some point down the road, I'll get to where I'm no longer counting the days - after all, this is a total lifestyle change for me, and something I plan on committing to for the rest of my life.

Yep, I actually typed that...out loud. 

Granted, I will say I've let myself splurge a time or two. Because you might be able to take away my morning tall, double, skinny, hazelnut latte, but may the Gods be ever in your favor, if you take away chocolate, too. 

So while I attempt to come to grips with the fact Starbucks indeed, will NOT shut it's doors because I've stopped going there every morning (I do live in Seattle, after all!), I've succumbed to wandering the tea aisle at my Whole Foods...with a longing gaze over my shoulder at all the glorious coffee only shelves away; inhaling deeply as I walk past and fighting the urge to find a way to pump it straight into my veins.

At least I've been fortunate to come across some pretty amazing caffeine-free teas: Tazo Vanilla Rooibos (although I've learned the side effect of this one, is terrible heart burn!), Yogi Egyptian Licorice, and Numi Honeybush. Any of the above with a spoonful of blackberry honey = yum. 

However, great teas aside, I have no idea how I'm going to handle when fall rolls around - because that right there, means only one thing:

This my friends, is almost better than...well, I could list a number of things here. Because yes, it's that good.

But...I digress.

And now I'm off to go refill the hot water in my cup for my tea. Ho hum. 

With that, I'll leave you to answer: have you ever had to give up something you never thought you could and how did you handle it?

Happy Friday, everyone - hope you all have a wonderfully caffeinated weekend!

RTW: Best May Read!

It's Road Trip Wednesday time - which is great news, as I feel myself slacking in the blogging department now that April A to Z and Blog Me MAYbe are done!!!

And today's topic:

What was the best book you read in May?

Well, I have three, actually!

1. GRACELING by Kristin Cashore

I don't know why it took me so long to read this series, but I have to admit - I'm so glad that it did, because I got to read all three books in the series back-to-back-to-back!!!

I adored this book - and I loved Katsa and Po, even more! 

For more details, see my review here.

2. FIRE by Kristin Cashore

If it's at all possible, I finally found a sequel that I loved even more than the first book! Don't get me wrong, as I mentioned above, I loved GRACELING - and I definitely can say it has been a long time since I've read a book that I didn't want to put down, or kept going back to re-read pages! But...I have to say the relationship between Fire and Brigan in this title, really won me over! Maybe it was the horses. Maybe it was the whole knight in shining armour thing...I dunno. But I love me some Brigan.

Stay tuned for my review!

3. BITTERBLUE by Kristin Cashore

Third book in the series, this one picks up right after GRACELING - but ties all three books in so nicely, with a great big bow! 

While there wasn't nearly enough romance in this book - and I totally get that wasn't the point - I still found that I missed the relationships so evident in both GRACELING and FIRE. This title was the darkest of the three, filling in almost all of the blanks behind Bitterblue's treacherous father, King Leck. And it ended, leaving the reader to wonder, will there be a fourth book? 

Well, I sure hope so!

Stay tuned for my review on this one, as well!

Net / net: May was a good month of reads for me! I love when I come across a book - or better yet, an entire series - where I just can't put them down!

Sadly though, I'm now suffering to find something good to read - and have started 5-6 other books (UNRAVELING, PANDEMONIUM, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, and DITCHED to name a few!), but can't seem to get past the first few chapters!

So with that, I leave you to answer (enter my selfish way of finding great new books to read!):

What was your favorite read in May?

My Review: INSURGENT by Veronica Roth

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

My Review:

I waited for awhile to write this review - partly because I wasn't sure what I felt about the book and partly because I was worried I wouldn't have too much to say.

So I'll start off by saying what first comes to mind about INSURGENT - and it's simple: Not nearly enough Four.

I don't know why this bothered me so much, as I know it's not the focus of the story line. But considering I flew through DIVERGENT in one day, then re-read it again because I couldn't get enough of Tris and Four, it was almost a let-down when I got to INSURGENT. There just wasn't enough interaction between the two of them - and when there were scenes, they spent most of it arguing. And while I think it's sacrilegious to skip pages in a book just to get to the good stuff, I will admit, I had a strong desire to do so!

I'll also admit, I was a tad confused by characters I hadn't read about in a year and found myself asking, "Which one was Will again?" and "What's the name of her friend in Dauntless?". I completely understand why Ms. Roth didn't embed a recap of DIVERGENT and it's characters into the first chapter or two, especially after reading her post on her blog - I'd highly recommend heading on over to Veronica's website to read the recap, if only for a little refresher.

Okay, I know I'm not being very nice to INSURGENT, so here's a little good news: I thought the ending added a great twist I didn't see coming - but I am a sucker for cliffhanger endings, too. And yes, the story line stayed pretty true to course: these are tough times for the Factions, and it's only getting worse. And this is where the book kept me turning the pages, anticipating the action that was about to unfold.

And don't get me wrong - I think Veronica Roth is amazing at story building! Least I forget how quickly I read the first book, then immediately re-read it again. It's that kind of writing I aspire to and in which I hold Ms. Roth and DIVERGENT up on that pedestal as one of my favorite reads.

Net / net: while I didn't get nearly enough of Four, there isn't a doubt I'll read book #3 (currently dubbed DETERGENT!) when it comes out next year. And maybe, just maybe, Ms. Roth is setting us up with the lack of Four-ness in book #2, by what she's about to bring in the third installment. Fingers crossed this is the case.

View all my reviews