2017 What I'm Reading Wednesday #10 (May 10, 2017)

I am currently reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.   It's an easy read, and I expect to finish it quickly.

Anyway, here is my progress so far... 

2017 Goal: 32 books

Books Read = 12/32

Books from TBR list: 4

Series completed: 0

*Erin's Book Challenge:  8/10  0/Bonus Round (Final Score)

January

1.  Midair by Kodi Scheer

*2.  And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (TBR)

February

*1.  Christine by Stephen King

2.  The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens (yup, I started a new series)

March

1.  The Fire Chronicle by John Stephens (second book in the series)

*2.  Wonder by RJ Palacio (TBR)

*3.  Matched  by Ally Condie

*4.  Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (TBR)

April

*1.  The Ancient Ones by Kirk Mitchell

*2.  The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

*3. The Breaking Light by Heather Hansen

May
*1.  11/22/63 by Stephen King (TBR)

Currently Reading:

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

What are you reading this week?  How are your reading goals going?

Erin's Book Challenge 6.0 Has Ended

Once again, another round of Erin's Book Challenge has come to an end.  April 30th was the last day, and I did not complete my 10 books  :(

• 5 points: Freebie – Read a book that is at least 200 pages.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

This book was so much better than the movie!  I enjoyed the vintage photos throughout the book, and the story was compelling.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

• 10 points: Read a book that starts with the letter “W”

Wonder by RJ Palacio

OMG!  The feels!  This book made me cry more than I have ever cried when reading a book.  I loved the story.  I had medical problems as a child that have followed me into adulthood.  Maybe I saw a little of my childhood in this book.

• 10 points: Read a book with six words in the title.
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

I didn't get to read this one but I still want to read it.  Soon, hopefully.

• 15 points: Read a book that has a (mostly) green cover.
Matched by Ally Condie

I liked this book.  I will definitely read the next book in the series.  The innocent teenager voice threw me for a loop at first, but I quickly got caught up in the storyline.

• 20 points: Read a book with a homonym in the title

You by Caroline Kepnes

Changed to:  The Breaking Light by Heather Hansen

I couldn't find You at the library, so I switched to a book I already had on my Kindle.  I really enjoyed the book!  And what a cliffhanger ending!  Now I have to read the next book in the series.

• 20 points: (Submitted by Linda) Read a book by your favorite author. 

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

I love Barbary Kingslover!  And what a nice surprise to discover that the book featured two of my favorite artists, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.  I loved everything about this book!  The language, the characters, the re-imagining of history.... and, of course, it's Barbara Kingsolver!  What more need I say?

• 25 points: (Submitted by Christina) Read a book set in the city/town/state/territory/county/province where you live.

Ancient Ones by Kirk Mitchell

I liked this book.  It was a good mystery, and I liked reading about Native American traditions and life.  The characters felt real.  At first I thought it was going to be a Christine type book, but turned out to be a very human problem.

• 30 points: (Submitted by Peggy) Read a “Rory Gilmore” book. 

Christine by Stephen King

I love Stephen King!  Another great book by a great author.  I loved everything about it.  

• 30 points: (Submitted by Stef Read a book from a genre that you’ve never read (or rarely read.)
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

I liked this book.  Good storytelling.  I like how all the different stories connected and showed how one decision can affect so many lives.

• 35 points: (Submitted by Ferne) Read a book with time travel.
11/22/63 by Stephen King

I finished this one, but not in time for the challenge.  I started it before the challenge ended but did not finish until May.  It is a huge book!  And the ending.  OMG!  The ending was so sad, and so beautiful.  Loved it!


I almost completed the challenge this time.  I was only a little over one book away from reading all ten books on my list.  I am excited to try again when the next book challenge rolls around.  

Quotable Books: The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
From Barbara Kingsolver's website:
"Born in the United States, reared in a series of provisional households in Mexico—from a coastal island jungle to 1930s Mexico City—Harrison Shepherd finds precarious shelter but no sense of home on his thrilling odyssey. Life is whatever he learns from housekeepers who put him to work in the kitchen, errands he runs in the streets, and one fateful day, by mixing plaster for famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. He discovers a passion for Aztec history and meets the exotic, imperious artist Frida Kahlo, who will become his lifelong friend. When he goes to work for Lev Trotsky, an exiled political leader fighting for his life, Shepherd inadvertently casts his lot with art and revolution, newspaper headlines and howling gossip, and a risk of terrible violence.

Meanwhile, to the north, the United States will soon be caught up in the internationalist goodwill of World War II. There in the land of his birth, Shepherd believes he might remake himself in America's hopeful image and claim a voice of his own. He finds support from an unlikely kindred soul, his stenographer, Mrs. Brown, who will be far more valuable to her employer than he could ever know. Through darkening years, political winds continue to toss him between north and south in a plot that turns many times on the unspeakable breach—the lacuna—between truth and public presumption."

I read this book as part of Erin's Book Challenge for the category of a book by a favorite author.  Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors.  I really admire how she mixes her knowledge of science with beautiful words.  I even wrote her a letter a few years ago, but never mailed it because I was embarrassed.  Maybe I should give that another try...

I loved this book.  Reading it felt like talking to an old friend.  Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are two artists that I admire and I have read a lot about their lives, so to meet them as characters in a book was a treat.  I enjoyed every moment of this book and would definitely read it again and again! 

5 out of 5 stars

★★★★★

Have you read this book?  What did you think?

What I'm Reading Wednesday #9 (April 25, 2017)

I am currently reading 11/22/63 by Stephen King.  Huge book... huge.

Anyway, here is my progress so far... 

2017 Goal: 32 books

Books Read = 11/32

Books from TBR list: 3

Series completed: 0

*Erin's Book Challenge:  8/10  0/Bonus Round

January

1.  Midair by Kodi Scheer

*2.  And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (TBR)

February

*1.  Christine by Stephen King

2.  The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens (yup, I started a new series)

March

1.  The Fire Chronicle by John Stephens (second book in the series)

*2.  Wonder by RJ Palacio (TBR)

*3.  Matched  by Ally Condie

*4.  Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (TBR)

April

*1.  The Ancient Ones by Kirk Mitchell

*2.  The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

*3. The Breaking Light by Heather Hansen

Currently Reading:

11/22/63 by Stephen King

What are you reading this week?  How are your reading goals going?

Revising My Novel: The Editorial Map

I have been revising my novel using  Janice Hardy's At-Home Workshop to Revise Your Novel in 31 Days.

The first step is the editorial map and I recently completed mine.  I'm not sure why it took me so long to finish... probably because I was scared, and... well... I should have been.  So, what did I learn from the experience?  Good question.

1.  I think I have a good basic story structure.  After reviewing the 3-act structure and comparing it to my editorial map, I think my story fits well in the structure(I am never sure when it comes to writing).

2.  My story has a lot of problems.  My characters keep doing things they would (should) never do.  For example, why would a paranoid conspiracy theorist broadcast a cold call about a top secret mission to his whole radio audience?  The answer: he wouldn't.  Unless it was accidental, like if someone was bugging him.... hmmm.

3.  I need more conflict.  A lot of events happen too easily.  I once read that you should do the worst to your characters.  I think I need to go through each scene and add more problems, more hoorible things.  My characters need to suffer more(that sounds bad, huh?).

4.  I do really like to handwrite.  I always start my projects by handwriting and I type everything later, even when I'm editing.

5.  I have some research to do: pirate radio, military stuff, sound vibrations, and a ton of other topics.

6.  I figured out the daughter's name!  Somewhere in my writing I forgot her name and started calling her "the daughter." Now I know her name is Susie and I am not sure that I like it.

Now to begin the next step.  Wish me luck!

2017 What I'm Reading Wednesday #8 (April 12, 2017)

I just started reading The Breaking Light by Heather Hansen, and then my Kindle died.  Oh well, I will really get started tomorrow.

Starting a new book. #amreading #project365 #readersofinstagram #bookstagram

A post shared by Lisa (@lalocadesigns) on Apr 11, 2017 at 5:08pm PDT

Anyway, here is my progress so far... 
2017 Goal: 32 books
Books Read = 10/32
Books from TBR list: 3
Series completed: 0
*Erin's Book Challenge:  7/10  0/Bonus Round


January
1.  Midair by Kodi Scheer
*2.  And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (TBR)

February
*1.  Christine by Stephen King
2.  The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens (yup, I started a new series)

March
1.  The Fire Chronicle by John Stephens (second book in the series)
*2.  Wonder by RJ Palacio (TBR)
*3.  Matched  by Ally Condie
*4.  Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (TBR)

April
*1.  The Ancient Ones by Kirk Mitchell
*2.  The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver



Currently Reading:
The Breaking Light by Heather Hansen

What are you reading this week?  How are your reading goals going?

April Goals

Monthly Goals - April

1.  Read 3 books

In order to meet my annual goal of 32 books, I want to try reading at least 3 books a month.  This month I am also trying to finish Erin's book challenge (I think I have 5 more books to read).  I will be starting with The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, one of my favorite authors, and then I will move onto The Ancient Ones by Kirk Mitchell.

2.  Write 1 letter

I have been slacking on my penpal letter writing stuff, so I am starting a monthly goal of one letter.  It's a start.

3.  Work on my blogs

I have some specific goals that I am working towards with my blogs this month.  I want to write up a blog business plan, especially for my craft blog.  I want to change my blog schedule a little.  I am still trying to find the perfect posting schedule.  And I want to research how to make money from this blogging enterprise I have begun.

4.  Journal daily

I want to write daily but I don't necessarily want to write fiction daily, so I will be attempting to journal daily.  I may look for some daily prompts, in case I lack motivation, not sure yet.

5.  New-ish Revision Plan

The New-ish Revision Plan (NRP) that I blogged about in my last post is beginning this month.  First I will complete my editorial map, then I will complete days 1-3 of the 31 day revision plan, one day per week.  I will post weekly updates of my progress and learning.