Bout of Books 11.0 (August 18 - August 24)

(UPDATES ARE AT BOTTOM OF POST)

If you haven't noticed, I've been a little behind on my blogging. I also recently switched emails to be in control of this blog, and somehow in the process, I lost all of the blogs I followed! If you're out there people, comment so I can re-follow you.

Anyway, to help me get back in the groove and mood of blogging, I've decided to do what the kids are calling Bout of Books 11 (go ahead and click on that if you'd like to know more). Or, just read this blurb.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team


This is my first time doing anything like this, so I'm not going to be overly ambitious. However, below, you will find my goals. (Okay, so maybe I was overly ambitious.)

Feel free to follow me on Instagram and Twitter for updates and pictures throughout the week! Comment below if you're also doing the Bout of Books so I can keep up with your blog!

Also, because of my weird sleeping patterns, my update times won't be done at midnight every night but rather before I go to bed.

Books to Read

• Cress by Marissa Meyer (Need to finish this. 113 pages from the end.) 
• Finished Time: 1 hour 53 minutes
• Passion by Lauren Kate
• Time spent reading: 6 hours 32 minutes
• Rapture by Lauren Kate
• Wither by Lauren DeStefano
• Time spent reading: 5 hours 33 minutes
• Fever by Lauren DeStefano
• Sever by Lauren DeStefano

Updates

Monday

     Pages read today: 63
     Pages read altogether: 63 (I started late!)
     Time spend reading today: 1 hour 5 minutes
     Time spent reading altogether: 1 hour 5 minutes (I started late!)
     Total number of books I've read: 0 (I just started!)
     Currently reading: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Tuesday

     Pages read today: 182
     Pages read altogether: 245 
     Time spend reading today: 2 hours 49 minutes
     Time spent reading altogether: 3 hours 54 minutes
     Total number of books I've read: 1
     Currently reading: Passion by Lauren Kate

Wednesday

     Pages read today: 104
     Pages read altogether: 349
     Time spend reading today: 1 hour 37 minutes
     Time spent reading altogether: 5 hours 31 minutes
     Total number of books I've read: 1
     Currently reading: Passion by Lauren Kate

Thursday

     Pages read today: 106
     Pages read altogether: 455
     Time spend reading today: 1 hour 40 minutes
     Time spent reading altogether: 7 hours 11 minutes
     Total number of books I've read: 1
     Currently reading: Passion by Lauren Kate

Friday

     Pages read today: 78
     Pages read altogether: 533
     Time spend reading today: 1 hour 14 minutes
     Time spent reading altogether: 8 hours 25 minutes
     Total number of books I've read: 2
     Currently reading: Wither by Lauren Destefano

Saturday

     Pages read today: 159
     Pages read altogether: 692
     Time spend reading today: 2 hours 35 minutes
     Time spent reading altogether: 11 hours
     Total number of books I've read: 2
     Currently reading: Wither by Lauren Destefano

Sunday

     Pages read today: 205
     Pages read altogether: 897
     Time spend reading today: 2 hours 58 minutes
     Time spent reading altogether: 13 hours 58 minutes
     Total number of books I've read: 3
     Reading now that BoutofBooks is over: Fever by Lauren DeStefano


Final thoughts:

I had a lot of fun participating in BoutofBooks! I plan on participating in the next round, which is in January, and I recommend others join it if they've never done it.

I didn't end up reading all the books I wanted to read, but I knew it was a far stretch. I ended up working more this week than I was supposed to, and a couple of the days I came home to read and fell asleep! But that's okay. I'm happy I got done what I got done. Next time I think I'll go for a page count instead of a book count.

What're your guys thoughts now that we're at the end?

Hey, look! It's Kevin!

Two books I received as gifts!!

Hey everybody!

I know, I know, you're probably thinking "This kid's alive!?" Well, yes, I am!

It's been a wild ride, this semester. I know I have been in hiatus, but this hiatus is officially over! I plan on writing this blog like never before! (Which means, I'll be posting regularly, and I'll be doing Road Trip Wednesdays, as well as book reviews and what not!)

I do want to apologize for being gone for so long. I went through a lot of personal things in the past six or seven months.

But on the bright side, here are some good highlights!

1. I graduated from SIUC! College is done!
2. I am moving to California in four days!
3. I attended my first writer's retreat! (Four friends eating brunch while writing counts, right?)
4. I started a tumblr! (click if you want to check it out)
5. I was Senior Co-Editor of the lit magazine at my school!
6. I got a short story and a poem published!
7. I won the CURCA award at my school for my short story!
8. Did I mention I graduated?
9. And I'm sure something else I can't remember as of right now.

Those are some highlights of what I haven't been writing about, but no more! My adventures in California and trying to get published will be documented here for you all to read.

I will stop rambling now!

Happy to be back everybody!

Finish Nano: Check

owned by Nano

Hello all of you out there.

As you can see from the banner above, I have won Nano! I ended up finishing the novel too, clocking in at almost 51 thousand. I'm very excited about this. I've now finished two novels! I will say, however, they are both far from being done and ready to be sent out.

It's exciting to have finished though. I now have two novels under my belt! It still baffles my mind to think about. I struggled a lot this month with school work and what not, and it's nice to have been able to finish this along with so many other tasks.

This leads into my next topic point. I've been neglecting this blog a lot this month. Last year I posted multiple times almost every week. I think this year I have one other post. However, that will change. I am done with all of my hard school work for this semester, minus one ten page paper. I will have much more time to write and reach out to others. I also plan on starting up on Road Trip Wednesdays again (run by YA Highway). 

I'm very excited for what's coming up! I hope you'll tune in too! And tell me, how was your Nano? Did you finish the 50k? Did you love what you wrote? Did you hate it? Talk to me!

also owned by nano

And in the spirit of finishing Nano, here is an excerpt from mine! This year's was a YA Contemporary.

___________________________________________________

               I watch him close his eyes and hum, tilting his head towards the sky a little bit. With the sun shining on his hair it looks almost white. “Thatch,” I say, my voice barely audible over the music. He looks at me and smiles. “I do like you.” He slowly walks over to me and stands a couple of feet in front of me. “I just... I need time.”

               He smiles again and puts his arms around me, pulling me close to him. “Dance with me.”

               “Right here?” I ask, looking into his eyes.

               “Why not?” he says, smiling again.

               He pulls me closer into him and I wrap my arms around his neck, wresting my head on his chest. I feel the heat radiating off of him and for the first time in months, I feel whole.

Long time, no see!

Oh, hey!

I know it's been a long time since I've posted, but please, don't start sharpening the pitchforks and gathering the townsfolk! I have a legitimate reason! I recently moved into my apartment with my boyfriend! Moving is not easy, as I'm sure a lot of you know. It took a lot out of us and the reason why I have not been updating is because we are still without internet. I will be getting it on Wednesday though and I plan to go back to every Friday posting as before.

Because I have not had internet, or cable for that matter, I have managed to get quite a bit of reading done. I finished three books in four days! I mean, it wasn't like I was reading some super intellectual, heavy stuff, but reading is reading. And I managed to edit a chapter of my WIP in those four days so that was nice also. I am very excited about all the stuff I will be talking about coming up so make sure you check in on Friday, and possibly on Wednesday depending on what the Road Trip Wednesday is.

How have all of you out there been doing? Swell I hope!

Books, books, and more books.

As you can see, I like cats.

This is pretty much what I've been doing for the past two weeks while lying in bed, thinking about all the homework I have to do. It is quite a nice time waster.

I have been so swamped with end of school things that, to be honest, made me have no time for this blog. I apologize for that! However, school things are starting to wrap up so I will be on Blogger more and posting every Friday, as promised.

Although it takes up a lot of my time, my schoolwork does introduce me to quite a few good books along the way. I have recently read Donald Duk by Frank Chin and White Teeth by Zadie Smith. My teacher informed us that Zadie Smith is quite popular, especially with her newest novel NW. They actually offered NW as a goodreads giveaway not too long ago. I did not win that one though!

Both books are quite good and I would recommend them to anyone who likes to read about people coming to terms with their identities. Donald Duk is about a Chinese boy living in America and not wanting to be Chinese. It's really very good and it's a quick read. White Teeth is about many different cultures and beliefs coming together with a London setting. It's very well written and informative. If you can, pick them up and give them a read.

Any book recommendations you people out there have for me? With summer coming up I will have plenty of time to read!

Exhausted like a... kitten?

picture owned by Ella Mullins

So I've picked this picture for two reasons. One: I LOVE cats. Who doesn't? Look at it! Sleeping there! Two: This is how I feel right now. I would like to apologize for not posting yesterday, but as most of you know, I'm sure, sometimes life throws your curve balls. It's really not anything to do with writing or such so I'll just go ahead and jump back into the groove of this blog!

I'm very excited to say I've been asked to read at the open mic on campus for the literary magazine that is going to be publishing me in May. I plan on reading a poem, which is nerve wracking, because I don't consider myself a poet. But it's an adventure!... right?

Another thing is, I've never read my work in front of a group of people before, so this ought to be interesting. I will either stutter, vomit, or cry. Possibly all three, you never know! I'm also not sure if I want to read something I've already written or something new. They don't want me to read what I'm getting published because they want me to read that at the release party! So many readings, so little time!

Besides all that news, I'm about 10k into editing my WIP! I want it to be ready to be sent out to beta's within a month of two. We'll see if that actually happens! I'm very determined to get it done though because I want to start querying to some agents soon!

How is everyone else's writing/editing going?

Out of the Woodwork!

photo bydonkeyhotey

Out and about I am again! I want to apologize for being gone for so long! (It really hasn't been that long, but it sure does feel like it!) I have just gone through finals week, as I am still in college, and man oh man. It wasn't that bad, but it took a lot of my time.

However, now that that is over, I can get back to writing. Fiona, Adler, and Winnie are all sitting, stuck in the same place they have been for over a week, waiting to move on! The good news is, I am almost done with my first draft.

This is a SCARY thought. While it is exciting to think I will have written my first novel all the way through, it means that I'll have written my first novel all the way through. I'm assuming other writers out there understand where I am coming from.

Once I'm done with the first draft comes revisions! I've heard some people love them and I have heard some people hate them. Let's hope I'm one of the ones that loves it!!