When 'The End' leaves you feeling unsettled ...

Today I finished reading a book. I started it last night, put it down at an hour I'm never quite sure if it should be described as early or late, picked it back up the moment I woke this morning and didn't put it down until I finished it.
The book? The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. I reviewed it on Goodreads. I don't usually but I felt like I had to with this one. And even then I didn't know what to say!

I just ... how do you put that feeling into words, when you've just finished a book that was so good, that you were so immersed in, and then it ends? I've just spent several long (or short, depending on how you look at it) hours with these characters, and I'm not ready to let them go yet. I want more time.

Now I'm wandering from room to room, like me cat when she's looking for someone to feed her, and I just can't settle. Everything I do loses its appeal so quickly, because I want back into that world. I think that maybe I should just start another book, to keep that feeling at bay, but then I can't stand the idea of starting another book when I've just read one that was so amazing.

Do you know this feeling? The one you only get after reading a book you really connected with? How do you get past it? Or am I maybe just a bit coocoo?

Recent Reads of Awesome

During the most recent semester of uni, while working full-time, I had almost no time for reading. Reading for pleasure that is. I did a lot of reading lecture notes, text books and assignments. Since the holidays started I've been like an addict let loose. I can't get enough! And let me tell you - it's heaven.

So, let me tell you a little about my most recent faves.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

This book is ... wow. Just WOW. I loved it. Couldn't put it down. Loved the characters, loved the world, loved the plot, LOVED IT.

Laini's character development is amazing, and Karou, the MC, was brilliant. Not once did I get pissed at her for being stupid, or so independent that she refused to ask for help when she clearly should have, or so love struck that she kept going for the wrong guy, or so daft that she missed all the clues, or so weak that she had to be saved all the time. All frequent pet peeves of mine when reading YA MCs. What she is though is smart, intelligent, strong (mentally and physically) and self-sufficient. She's not perfect by any means, but who is? I for one, am a fan. Could you tell?


Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta

Another radtastic book. Melina is better known for her contemporary YA books such as Looking for Alibrandi, but recently she ventured into fantasy with the Chronicles of Lumatere. Froi of the Exiles is the second book in the series, the first being Finnikin of the Rock.

Finnikin of the Rock is a standalone story (and is also very good), and Froi of the Exiles starts off three years later. Melina is a freakishly talented writer (you just need to read her bio listing all the awards she's won to see that) and this book is no exception. I love the different perspectives (we don't lose Finnikin completely) but the majority of the book is told from Froi's perspective. And ... Froi is awesome.

The only bad thing I have to say about this book is that there is no resolution, it literally finishes in the middle of the story. I know I've ranted before about books that end mid story, but this book is so good that I won't be holding a grudge. I'll be getting my pre-order in a few months before the next book is released.


Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

This is Stephanie's second book. Many of you would have read her first, Anna and the French Kiss (which was great). Lola and the Boy Next Door is very similar in the types of issues the MC faces, and just the general feel of the story. Girl has boyfriend, girl meets other hot boy who is awesome, girl has boyfriend issues, you get the idea. Anna even has a role in the book!

Anywho, despite the similarities, I still loved this one. It was a quick read and I had that happy squidgy feeling you get inside when you've just read a too cute love story.


I could go on ... and on and ooon and oooon about the books I've been reading and what I love and what I can't stand, but I'll spare you. I don't want to taint the awesome above with anything less.

So please, share, what freakin amazing books have you read lately? Anything to recommend? Have you read any of these? Agree with me? Disagree? Can't wait to hear. :)

Many days lost to story

I really LOVE books. Seriously love them. I could probably be classified as an addict. I'm a bibliophile. Chances are if you're reading this blog you're kinda nutso about books too.

Curling up in bed or in a sunny spot with a good book makes me happy. It's awesome getting lost in a skillfully crafted world and tagging along with interesting characters while they go on an adventure. I never get tired of this. But, sometimes, I have to ask myself, am I wasting my life in unreality?

I've recently decided to start keeping track of every book I read - I want to remember every one and how they made me feel. I tallied up the books I've read so far this year (I may still be missing some): fifty-three.

Fifty-three books might not be a lot for some people in six months. I've never kept track of how many books I've read before so I don't know what's normal for me, but fifty-three books seems like a lot. Doesn't it? How much time have I spent lost in the pages of a book? What else could I have achieved in that time?

We have a house guest staying with us at present. He recently had knee surgery (cruciate ligament) and is with us for five weeks while he recovers. He's been reading since he can't do a lot else (although there has also been a lot of PS3 going on) and we've talked a little about books (I can't help it - it's one of my favourite topics). He told me he can count the number of books he's read on both hands. Not this year, not last year - in his life. (Not including Goosebumps when he was little.) I was like, 'Whaaaa? Hehe...' Blank look follows. 'You're joking ... right?'

It makes me sad that there are people out there who don't get even half the excitement and enjoyment out of reading that I do. But maybe I need to tone down my addiction, just a little?

What do you think? Are you a bibliophile? How many books have you read this year? Have you read many of the books below? What did you think?


Books I've read YTD:

Wondrous Strange – Lesley Livingston (read Jan 2011) 3*
Georgina Kincaid (books 1-5) – Richelle Mead (read Jan/Feb 2011) 4-5*
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood – Eileen Cook (read Feb 2011) 4*
Across the Universe – Beth Revis (read Feb 2011) 3*
Hex Hall – Rachel Hawkins (read Feb 2011) 4*
The Obernewtyn Chronicles (books 1-3) – Isobelle Carmody (read Feb/March 2011) 3-4*
Mercy Thompson (books 1-6) – Patricia Briggs (read Feb/March 2011) 5*
Paranormalcy – Kiersten White (read March 2011) 5*
Night Huntress (books 1-5) – Jeaniene Frost (read March 2011) 5*
The Mortal Instruments (books 1-4) – Cassandra Clare (read Jan-April 2011) 3-4*
Eon & Eona (books 1-2) – Alison Goodman (Eon read Jan 2011, Eona read April 2011) 3-4*
Anna and the French Kiss – Stephanie Perkins (read April 2011) 5*
House of Night (books 1-4) – PC Cast & Kristen Cast (read April/May 2011) 1-2*
When Darkness Comes – Alexandra Ivy (read May 2011) 2*
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (books 1-4) – Ann Brashares (read May 2011) 3-5*
Kate Daniels (books 1-5) – Ilona Andrews (read May/June 2011) 5*
Divergent – Veronica Roth (read June 2011) 5*
Crown Duel & Court Duel – Sherwood Smith (read June 2011) 4-5*
White Cat – Holly Black (read June 2011) 4*
Study Series (books 1-3) – Maria V Snyder (read June 2011) 4-5*


Update:
The Ghost's Child – Sonya Hartnett (read April 2011) 3.5*

Life's too short to read a bad book

I have a problem. If I decide to read a book and I get past the first few chapters, I'm the sort of person who has to finish it, no matter how angry it makes me, or how awful I think it is. I have this compulsive need to finish it, even if I think I already know what's going to happen.

Recently I was moaning about this to my friend Lana. The problem was even worse than usual, I was on the third book in a series. There were (I thought) five books total. Each book was just as bad as the last but they were all relatively short and I just kept telling myself, "Just read fast, you'll get to the end soon!"

What did Lana tell me? "Sari, life's too short to read bad books. Just let it go and start something you like!"

If only I'd listened to her. My compulsive book (series) finishing habit was in full force, and although the MC was driving me up the wall, the secondary characters were cliche and poorly developed and the plot was incredibly predictable, I KEPT READING! I know, there's something wrong with me.

I was halfway through book four when I read something saying there were actually six books, and another two still to be released. Oh hell no!

That was when the truth of Lana's words sunk in. I had a stack of other books I wanted to read. Why was I wasting my time reading a book that made me cringe when there are so many other brilliant books written by talented authors out there? I stopped reading at book four, halfway through the book.

My compulsiveness didn't entirely leave me. There was a love pentagon going on (yes, pentagon, just one of the many reasons the books were driving me insane - and it was YA) and I had to know if the guy I was voting for ended up with the girl. Got on Amazon and searched for some spoiler reviews. There were many many less than happy reviewers, and no my guy did not win.

The good news? I've read four books I've adored since then, with nary a love triangle to speak of. (Not that I have anything against love triangles, so long as they serve a purpose and... well that's a post for another day).

Are you like me? Do you read a book even when it's really not doing it for you? Or are you quite happy to set a story down the moment it starts irritating you, no matter how much time you've invested in it?

I think I may be permanently cross-eyed

I really feel for the people who work long hours in publishing houses and as freelance editors, copy editing and proofreading people's work. I mean, I actually enjoy doing this - sometimes.

I'm working on my second assignment right now, copy editing an excerpt from a book on soccer, and the particular section I'm working on is a history of the soccer world cup. Seriously mind-numbing business.

And I guess this is the thing, I want to be in publishing. I want to be an editor. Admittedly I'd prefer to be a content editor, but I'd still be happy doing copy editing.

As long as it was on a topic I found interesting. The whole reason I'm trying to get into publishing in the first place.

My ultimate dream is to work on YA fiction (obviously), but the publishing industry is so competitive and so difficult to get into, that I would be ecstatic to be doing almost anything, so long as I had my foot in the door...

...I just hope it's not copy editing books on soccer.

How's your week treating you? Are you getting words? Succeeding?

PS. This is where I was earlier this week. Aussie is a cool country!

"Wow, I really like your scrunchy," said the YA protagonist as she tugged up her leg warmers.

Ooh, side ponytail!

If you read this posts title and didn't see anything wrong with it, you really need to read this. I'm going to go out on a limb though, and guess that most (if not all) of you know that scrunchies and leg warmers aren't cool anymore, right? Right?

Whew.

But there are other, more subtle ways that an author can get it wrong when writing YA. And it all comes down to the YA voice.

The YA voice is an elusive and difficult thing to get right. As a writer you need to know what young adults are wearing, what they're NOT wearing, what they're saying, what they're drinking, eating, THINKING! All the while keeping that magic thread that is you as a writer and that is your character's voice, because that's what makes your writing unique.

If you slip up, even if you don't notice, young adult readers will. I notice, and I'm not even a young adult for genre defining purposes anymore (I'm 24).

As writers we're always talking about avoiding things that are going to jolt the reader from your story. Well, this is one of those things. If I'm engrossed in a story and next thing I know the YA protag is whipping out her hot rollers (yes, this just happened in a book I was reading) instead of GHD hair straightener, or saying 'bloody' as a swear word* instead of using any number of other options that YAs actually say (or if you're avoiding the swear words, at least use 'damn' or 'crap'), I'm going to be yoinked right from the plot and thinking, "Wait a second..." And then, because I'm a nitpicky reader, I'm going to be noticing every little thing that doesn't sit right from there on out.

If you're really unsure how young adults dress and talk then it's time to do some spying. We writers are good at this. Visit places teens like to hang and you can watch without looking like a stalker. Malls are a good place to start. I've also discovered recently that the train at around 3:30pm is perfect if you can handle being stuck for an hour with a hundred or so teens crammed in and discussing who's dating who at the moment and awkwardly flirting with each other. Another good place to check out, Authoress Anon's new blog Write On. It's for teens, and there's a forum full of teens. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you wanted to pick their brains.

Also, find out what movies, tv shows, actors and bands teens are interested in today. A big cliche I see in YA books is the character (or characters) who are obsessed with something from the past (like maybe when the writer of said book was young), like an old band (The Beatles) or old movies. Yes, this happens. No, it doesn't happen as often as the YA writer world seems to think it does. I don't know anybody my age or younger who is obsessed with The Beatles. I would struggle to name more than two of their songs (no judging zone, ok?).

Last thing: READ. Read. Read. Read.

Read as much YA as you can get your hands on. Read the good stuff and the bad stuff so you get a feel for both (gotta love Amazon ratings for that).

If you want an awesome example of contemporary YA voice, check out 'Anna and the French Kiss' by Stephanie Perkins. Amazing. Finished it in a day. So gutted that it's over and I want more. Admittedly, the book does have two characters who are obsessed with something old (where I got the two examples from actually - old movies and The Beatles) but the rest of the book is so great that I forgave it ten times over.

* Unless they're British, but even then I'm not sure a British teen would say that. And besides, it's cliche.

How do you feel about YA voice? Do you read YA? Do you think getting the little things right is important, or would you not notice them at all?