Category Archives: Challenges

Review: Dead Until Dark.

“Poor lumpy Maudette, with her bitten thighs, was more interesting in death than she’d ever been in life.”


“Dead Until Dark: Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries Book One” by Charlaine Harris

The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris have been on my To-Be-Read list ever since the HBO show based on the books, True Blood, came out in 2008. Not having HBO, I never really got into the show, but I’ve heard good things about both media versions of these Sookie Stackhouse stories. And then it just sort of fell to the back of my mind as something to get to eventually, but not exactly a priority.

Fast forward several years later, and there’s the first book of the series sitting on the train station book cart. Exchanging it for the first book of another series (Resident Evil, anyone?), I claimed it for my own, took it home, and had it finished within the same week. Yeah. I was a little astonished at how quickly I devoured this book, especially considering how I’m always reading about eight books at a time. But the story kept me interested, I enjoyed Sookie as a narrator, and definitely intrigued to see how it gets interpreted for television. I have a feeling I’ll prefer the style of the books from what I’ve heard, but there’s only one way to find out.

There were times when the story, especially the love story between Sookie and Bill, made me groan and roll my eyes, bordering slightly on Twilight territory, but, overall, I enjoyed the setting Harris is working from and the characters she’s developed. Sometimes, the characters seemed a little too watery for my tastes, though you definitely feel quickly mired into Sookie’s world. The South and Vampires are always a classic combination; it’s nice to move out of New Orleans for a little bit and examine a different aspect of that culture. Due to having some friends who are fans of both the books and the show, I know a little bit about what’s in store for the series, but not everything, so I’m going to eagerly be keeping my eye out for the next book to show up.

Books read: 010/100.

Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

“And I wonder if anyone is really happy. I hope they are. I really hope they are.”


“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky

It has been a very, very long time (too long?) since a book has affected me in the way that The Perks of Being a Wallflower has. I’m talking spending the whole day being teary-eyed and openly crying on the train home affected. Granted, I was menstruating that day and juggling with some work stress and new relationship stress, too, but even if my emotions hadn’t already been in a messy bundle, I know Stephen Chbosky’s tale of a distant, passive youth in the ’90s would have hit hard. I wish I had discovered this book a little over a decade ago in my own high school years. It’s absolutely incredible.

Charlie is about to enter high school after losing his best (and possibly only) friend to suicide last year, and he tells his story via letters to a stranger he is writing to be “she said you listen and understand and didn’t try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have.” He doesn’t want this person to try to figure out who he is or to write back or anything; he just wants someone to write to and tell his story, a story that involves a blossoming friendship with siblings Patrick and Sam, which leads him down a fascinating road of sex, drugs, and Rocky Horror Picture Show. It leads him to discover who he is, what he has been, and who he will be. It’s the story of a wallflower, someone who observes and lets life pass them by, and how to discover when to start to participate.

Written in a voice that is clear and concise, innocent and deep and naive and observant all at once, Perks is a truly beautiful book, a beautiful story with a beautiful main character. There were some parts that I wish there would have been a little bit more of (the disappointment I felt at the discovery that I was not being handed, finally, a very incredibly impressive male bisexual character in literature still makes me sigh), but there were so many things right about it that those little details don’t sting too much. Because, even if I would have done things a little differently, there’s no denying that this is Chbosky’s character through and through and I can’t begrudge him for staying incredibly true to Charlie.

If you haven’t read this book, it comes to me highly recommended as an excellent slice of young adult fiction that I expect I’ll be revisiting annually.

Books read: 009/100.

“What else was there in any life–human or artifact, mortal or immortal–besides a useful existence?”


“Magic: The Gathering – Bloodlines – Artifacts Cycle Book VI” by Loren L. Coleman

With the completion of Bloodlines, I have officially read through an entire Magic: the Gathering book cycle. Now, I’m not much of a player of the card game; I’m too much of a D&D girl and found it difficult to really get enthusiastic about M:tG, but I do have a good amount of the books from when my fiance passed away, and they’re pretty entertaining reads. Not exactly classic canon material, or anything, but still, they tend to be pretty intriguing in storyline and sometimes even surprisingly well-written.

Bloodlines is, alas, not among those M:tG books. It’s a solid, decent tome, to be sure, but it seemed like a poor end to a pretty strong cycle. I get the feeling that Artifacts was originally intended to be a trilogy, and that Bloodlines was added into the group as an afterthought. Which is a strange feeling considering that this book eventually leads to the culmination of the battle between Dominaria and Phyrexia that’s been building up the past two books…but there you have it.

Bloodlines is basically the tale of the program started by Urza Planeswalker to try to create the perfect species to help defeat the terrible machine demons of Phyrexia. Among the brilliant minds to help him there are those who are uncertain, those who fully support his ideas, and those who wish to branch off on their own to create yet another kind of superrace. Some wish the process to be natural; some wish to exacerbate it; some wish it to end. Either way, the tale spans several generations, and never quite really gets a good hold on any of them (unlike the preceding book, Timestreams, which handled the time pockets excellently). By the time you feel familiar with a generation, they completely disappear, and it’s several decades later into the next one. It creates a big disconnect with the story and the pacing. Each of the Artifacts books were written by a different author, and Coleman was, for me, the least impressive. He uses more epithets than a Homeric epic, and, while he does a better job of bringing the world of Dominaria to life through his descriptions than any of the previous authors, his attention seems to be on the wrong things. I do like to connect with a setting, but not at the sacrifice of connecting with the characters.

Either way, it’s a neat little book series with some really great ideas of blending fantasy with machinery (steampunk before it was cool!!). Worth a look, though the last book did seem a poor end to finish out the series.

Books read: 008/100.

Review: Renaissance in Japan.

“…it is, indeed, the art of ellipsis, or of suggestion,–the incredible technique of impressing the inexpressible by non-expression of an impression.”

“Renaissance in Japan: A Cultural Survey of the Seventeenth Century, Japan’s Literary Giants: Basho, Saikaku, Chikamatsu” by Kenneth P. Kirkwood

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a bibliophile. I can’t borrow books, because I only want to keep them and never give them back. And I’m a huge fan of finding random old books in thrift stores or book carts and taking them home with me. Renaissance in Japan is one of those books, a “cultural survey” did back in 1970 that I found in some random old shop for just two bucks. More than likely, I was probably in my big Nipponophile phase, which never has completely gone away, but has easily been trumped by Chinese history and adoration of all things late Nineteenth Century. Either way, I definitely wanted this book, and I finally got around to reading about it.

It was great to read about art movements in the world that, really, I knew very little about. What I found to be the most fascinating aspect of Kirkwood’s look at Japanese literature in the 17th century were the parallels he drew between what was going on in Europe at the same time. It’s something I’ve never given much thought, especially since, while Europe was exploring and creating empires, Japan was closing in on itself and wanting nothing to do with all of that business. Yet, trends in poetry and novels and the theater seemed to surface in both places at relatively the same time. Very interesting, something I’d love to try to dissect if I should ever have enough time. I was also really interested in the fact that, this is an older book, and it’s always interesting to get a perspective from a different time, as well. I found Kirkwood’s approach to be pleasantly unbiased and professional.

Either way, Renaissance in Japan is a great look at three very powerful and influential writers who influenced a great deal of Japan’s culture as they moved toward modernity. Definitely check it out if you’re feeling particularly scholarly.

Books read: 007/100.

Review: Kickboxing Geishas.

“I believe the costuming of today’s Japanese young women reveals, in a powerful way, how for many young Japanese females, Japan is a hard place to become a grown-up woman.”


“Kickboxing Geishas: How Modern Japanese Women are Changing their Nation” by Veronica Chambers

For me, Japan has always been an interesting country, and part of what makes it interesting is its constant evolution. Kickboxing Geishas is a look at one of its most recent evolutions: the rise of the modern woman in Japanese society. Granted, it’s a little more complex than just the movement from the Japanese woman as the quiet, subservient geisha stereotype to a powerful force in popular culture, politics, and economics, as well, and Veronica Chambers does an excellent job of taking a look at this shift in perspective through interviews and interactions with a variety of different people from many walks of life, some new and groundbreaking, others more traditional and expected.

Kickboxing Geishas is a really great read. As someone with an interest in both modern Japanese culture and its history, I did not exactly find it revealing or surprising, though there were some new things I’ll have to check out. But I did see it as a very good introspective on people in general, what motivates them, and how they can change their circumstances. Quite a few times, I wished Chambers would dig a little deeper than the surface, but it did make for a pretty quick read. I felt the writing could have been a little polished; perhaps it’s designed to be read much slower, but I felt that, many times, things I had just read were reiterated with only a few shifts in wording.

Despite any little niggling things I may have about this book, there’s no denying that the women that Chambers brings to the floor and the great comparisons she makes about this evolving culture and our own are incredibly insightful and inspiring. Considering that I picked up a book on 17th century Japanese literature soon after finishing Kickboxing Geishas, it’s definitely resparking my love of Japan, which is never a bad thing.

Books read: 5/100.

Preparing for RoW Wednesdays.

It’s been a long time since I’ve participated in A Round of Words in 80 Days, which is a real shame, because I truly believe that the sense of community and encouragement with that group is what ultimate lead me to publish my book last year. As I’m struggling to get off on the right foot for my next book, I’ve been wanting to return to this fantastic challenge, immerse myself back into the productive RoW80 culture, and finally get some more work done!

Now, RoW80 is currently on the tail end of its current round, with the next one starting on April 1st. You can join at any time (my very first round, I hopped in right in the middle), but I’m going to spend the next few weeks really focusing on what I want to be my goals and how I intend to accomplish them. Clearly, it’s going to involve the (hopeful) completion of Serpent in a Cage. I really want to get a grip on what I can set to have this latest draft finished by the end of the round. Too ambitious? Perhaps. But this is the third first draft of this WIP, so at least I’ve had plenty of practice?

Chances are, I probably won’t be able to swing the Sunday posts, just because of my limited computer access, so I’m focusing mostly on Wednesday posts. Therefor, the next few Wednesdays are going to be “RoW-prep”, getting myself in the habit of posting about RoW on Wednesdays. Any suggestions or tricks for setting goals will be welcome; I’m going to have to give some thoughts to what will get me from 50 pages to 250 pages in just 80 days. A challenge, to be sure, but it’s got to be possible.

Review: “Unseen Academicals” by Terry Pratchett.

“A lot hinges on the fact that, in most circumstances, people are not allowed to hit you with a mallet.”


“Unseen Academicals” by Terry Pratchett

Anyone reading the blog could probably gather that I’m a pretty big Terry Pratchett fan. I think he’s bloody brilliant, and I’m continually convinced that he’s only getting sharper and funnier with each and every book. Unseen Academicals only continues to perpetuate this incredible trend. At its base, Unseen Academicals is a tale about football, but, just like regular football (and all things Pratchett), it’s never just about football. It’s about love, it’s about community, it’s about following rules and breaking them. It’s about the incredible power of the game and the incredible restrictions we put on ourselves and the way we may or may not allow ourselves to be great.

Right from the start, I loved the way Pratchett was twisting the usual conventions of familiar stories in his usual fashion, and there’s a lot more that really impressed me about this particular book. Quite often, the over-arching theme underlying the story is almost too dense, but I never felt as though that aspect was too heavy-handed, as a few of his books have been. And I immediately was drawn into several of the characters. Some of them are older; I was delighted to discover that I’m as entranced by the dynamic between Vetinari and Ridcully as I am by Vetinari and Vimes’ interactions. Some of them are newer, and two of my favorite new Discworldians. Glenda is such a wonderful main character, realistic and relate-able and quite frankly a character we don’t see enough of in fiction (and so cool to see one from a male author, as well). Plus, I’m now convinced that no one can make beautiful, realistic, perfectly flawed relationships like Pratchett can. Though I’m pretty sure no one can ever top Carrot and Angua as my favorite literary couple (though Vimes and Sybil are in the running, too), Pratchett almost made me question their supremacy with coupling in this book. Which I won’t say anything more on, because it’s best to be discovered.

This is definitely Pratchett and Discworld at their best, Ankh-Morporkians shine in this fabulous football fairy tale, and it’s really sparked up my love for the series and these incredible characters.

Books read: 2/100.

Review: “Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk” by David Sedaris.

“It wasn’t the best story in the world, but, as the mouse had told him on more than one occasion, it wasn’t the worst, either.”


“Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest/Wicked Bestiary” by David Sedaris.

I am unique. I am an individual. I want to be known for my own voice and my own creative abilities. However, if I were to aspire to be compared to any writer, David Sedaris would be toward the top of my list. I have attempted to write with the brazen whimsy and quiet wit of this man, to perhaps little success, but that’s okay, because, even though I might not be able to weave my words in the same way he may, I can always just read them.

Sedaris mostly writes memoirs, and that is mostly what I’ve read thus far. I remember hearing him read the titular tale from Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk on NPR one day, and loving it. It had the dry humor and frank honesty of his memoirs, but with an Aesop-like twist in the surprisingly human-like animal characters. And that’s the brilliant thing about these tales. Everyone knows someone like the birds that migrate to Mexico instead of Florida to brag about the exoticness. Everyone knows the motherless bear who just can’t stop seeking attention for her tragedy. Everyone has known the squirrel who, built up with fear from the status quo, cuts things short with the chipmunk. In a lot of these cases, that person might even be ourselves.

Sedaris has a gift for weaving a tale in a deceptively simple way that sheds a light of truth on the world. While I adored most of the stories in this little collection, I think I was missing some of the personal connection that really makes Sedaris’s memoirs so incredible. An incredibly cute, an incredibly quick, and a surprisingly insightful little book, highly recommended, and makes me slightly wonder if I should have my ow hand at a few witty little modern fables myself…

Books read this year: 1/100.

Faster, Pussycat, Kill, Kill!

Quite often, especially lately, especially in the insanity that is being upper management for retail during the hoilday season, I find myself wishing on thing more than others. I wish I could be a faster writer.

At the start of this year, when I really started to cling to the idea of self-publishing and really dive right in, my goal was to publish two books. With the idea of a collection of short stories to begin with, I was on a good, strong path, having published Bowlful of Bunnies about halfway through the year. I had several books in the works, and one was nearly halfway done, so it seemed like it would all fall into place that I might be able to finish a draft by November and get things edited and published before December 31st, easy peasy.

…mmm, well, turns out, not so much. I shouldn’t be surprised that I’m sitting here at the start of December with no second book in sight. Bowlful of Bunnies is the amalgamation of stories from as far back as eight years ago (though there was some new stuff in there, too); I’ve been working Serpent in a Cage for nearly ten years. I’ve started and restarted and restarted again too many books to count. Though I certainly have the imagination to think of several new books a year, I do not have the writing prowess to write several new books a year.

Nothing’s wrong with that, of course. Some people just aren’t quick writers. I still published a book this year. I’m going to shoot for two again next year, but if I’m just a book a year kind of author, that okay. The slightly frustrating part for me is just that I have so many books inside my head, but they come out at a snail’s pace and it’s all going to bottle-neck pretty soon here…

What are some of your tips, if you have any, for more speedy word wrangling? Are you a speedy writer, or a more languid wordsmith? When do you feel the words really fly for you, or do just let it go with the turtle-paced flow more often than not?

Either way, I have two days off right now, so here’s top hoping maybe I can push it a little bit further past my usual page-a-day. Wish me luck, and happy writing!

Because I should post something….

Sometimes, you just don’t know what to write.

I mean, as far as blog posts go. When it comes to writing books, I have more ideas than I know how to handle. Short stories can be a little more challenging, but I’ve got a handful of ideas there, too. But blog posts, especially when you haven’t been spending a lot of time hopping around the blogosphere and doing the whole connecting with other writers things, can be damn difficult. Luckily, there’s always the approach of writing about not knowing what to write about to fall back on.

There was the possibility of a Thanksgiving post, but I felt it got a little too maudlin. This year, it was a pretty strange Thanksgiving for me. It’s always a tricky time for me; it was on Thanksgiving that my fiance proposed to me, so sometimes it’s difficult to grapple with the idea of being thankful in light of his passing away almost three years ago. Add that to the fact that my roommate’s sister got engaged this Thanksgiving, and it’s a whole melting pot of really strange emotions. I never thought I’d be grateful to be working the crazy post-Thanksgiving retail chaos, but it probably served as a good distraction from getting too depressed.

It wasn’t the most cheerful post, so I decided to skip it, despite having it mostly typed out. Instead, then, the much more cheering topic of the difficulty of topics, an oldie but goodie. I’ve always liked the irony of the fact that my go-to topic for when I can’t think of a topic is how I can’t think of a topic.

Do you have a go-to topic for when you’re feeling a little uninspired for blog posts?

And, while we’re on the topic of inspiration, I just picked up three fresh new notebooks recently. Right now, I’m enjoying their pristine, untarnished immaculateness, but I know I’m going to want to start filling them with words soon. Any suggestions or inspirations? I’d love to hear some ideas or challenges.