Monthly Reading

I DID read those books I said I would get to and some of them were fantastic! I have just been out of town and away from blogger so I haven't been able to report. Here's there's the rundown:

The Raven Boys, Maggie Stiefvater

Oh my goodness. The language is strong, but I couldn't have enjoyed the writing and the story more. I read the sequel Dream Thieves as well, not knowing it wasn't a completed series. Now I have to wait for the third installment. Boo! Quirky, fascinating characters including psychics, poor boys, rich boys, ghosts, and hit men. You'll get to know them all well. Like really well. Like why don't they live in my neighborhood well...okay, maybe not the hit man.

I. Love. These. Books. But really. I'm warning you kiddos up front about the language. Ask your mom first.

I read the Louis Sachar as well. Cardturner. I liked it although it went a bit fantastical in a place where I was quite comfortable with it being an ordinary everyday kind of book. It's a good book for sure, I think I just prefer regular fantasy to magical realism (which incidentally works brilliantly in his book, Holes. So maybe I just don't know what I'm talking about. Highly likely.)

And I've read a huge amount of picture books to the little ones including:

Penguins, Liz Pichon
Cute. The kids enjoyed it.

The Belly Book, Fran Manushkin, Dan Yaccario
Adorable. We all enjoyed this.

Barnyard Dance! Sandra Boynton
I defy you to find a Boynton book I don't love. It can't be done. I was a huge fan of her greeting cards in the eighties before she ever wrote a book. I still remember some of them!

Tikki Tikki Tembo, Arlene Mosel, Blair Lent
One of our family favorites. At least I really like reading it. I've got that name down, I tell you.

The Crocodile and the Scorpion, Emberly and Emberly
The pictures really make this great, and the kids liked the story, too.

Outside Your Window: A first book of Nature, Davies and Hearld
Gorgeous, gorgeous illustrations and beautiful to read. We take it a little at a time, more poetry than story (which I love for children) and we ooh and aah over the creative art. My image up top doesn't really do it justice.

This was waiting for me at my writing desk today. Not a good sign:

Inspiration: Science and Dreams

Since my weekly reading was weak (see what I did there?) I will post something I did for Cabinet of Curiosities this week--kind of like when I used to use my anthropology papers for psychology in college, half the work, twice the grade. It didn't work out that well sometimes, but hey, I can handle a B now and then.

The Cabinet will be discussing writing inspiration during the month of march so if you want to hear these wonderful writers' thoughts, check it out.

Anyone who creates anything needs inspiration. Flying inspired the Wright brothers, Lisa inspired Da Vinci, and a tower inspired Eiffel.

In March, the Cabinet is going to post about our writing inspiration. It's true that writers are inspired by anything and everything, and even the idea that maybe none of it really exists at all. Obviously there's no way we can cover every inspiration. But my personal favorites thus far have been science and dreams.

Science
I love learning about current discoveries and inventions and pondering the what-ifs. Science headlines this very day are these:

Giant Virus Resurrected from Permafrost after 30,000 Years
This 500-Pound Metal Suit Can Take Humans To New Ocean Depths
Scientists Can Now Control Flies' Brains With Lasers

At first glance these articles might seem to lend themselves only to science fiction, but that depends on where your what-ifs take you. Sure, to a writer, that virus could turn into a pandemic and an insecure biophysicist's mad race to cure it. But it could just as easily become the story of a family who escapes the crisis by living in the remnants of a beached submarine and focus on relationships, claustrophobia, and the meaning of life.

That's the point of inspiration. It sparks the story you will write, but you are the one that builds the fire, and fans the flames.

I'm currently working on a novel called Prophecy about a newly called priestess of the sun who becomes the target of a murderous conspiracy. It's not science fiction but the idea hatched from a news story announcing that the fault lines under the Temple of Delphi in Greece were proven to release actual hallucinogens. This led to my own research. The Oracle was in operation anciently for centuries; she turned the tide of wars, democracy, and even wielded authority over kings. Neighboring lands gave great tribute to these women making them wealthy and free in a misogynistic society. How did this sacred sisterhood pull it off? Did they believe in their powers of perception, and if not, what were they really up to?

So, yeah. Science. It inspires me.

Dreams
I know it may seem trite after Stephanie Meyer, but if you're a colorful dreamer, you have an ocean of inspiration to explore. I don't have much to say here other than if a scene or an emotion or a character pops up in a dream that you would like to get to know better, by all means do it. Explore the idea. It may melt into nothing, or it may turn into a novel. Both have happened for me.

Other novels inspired by dreams? Misery, by Stephen King; Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson; and Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach. The subconscious (or wherever dreams come from) is a powerful force. (I stole this list of books from here.)

Whatever inspires you, make sure you want to stare at it, analyze it, and live with it for a very long time because inspiration is just the beginning. Faith will carry you through the long haul to completion...but that's probably a topic for another blogpost.

Weak Weekly Reading

Once again, not so good on the weekly reading--not that I didn't try. I picked up and put down three books but I just couldn't get into any of them, even after giving them a chance for a few days. They are apparently wonderful books and well reviewed, but I am weird. Now you know.

I have three lovely new novels sitting on the library shelf in front of me waiting to be devoured so hopefully that will work out better. One of them is highly recommended by Becca Fitzpatrick (not even on the front cover, but in private conversation at a bookstore where we were ushered to the special "edgy books" section), another is recommended by Pat Esden who I believe is friends with the bestselling author, and one is by Louis Sachar, and how can I not try it out? I love his book Holes, and The Boy in the Girls' Bathroom. And I will check out a bunch of picture books too, before I leave.

No, I won't tell you what books I didn't like. Those authors actually wrote books, finished them, published them, got great reviews from Kirkus (for example), and don't deserve any criticism from me. They're books that definitely deserved to be published, they just don't meet my entertainment needs at this time.

:)

Weekly Reading

**A is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet, Stephen T. Johnson
My favorite book of the week. The abstract art this man created for this book is impressive...I mean, I know nothing about abstract art but going to all work just blew me away. Weird of me to say, I know. Because not only is he an accomplished artist, but his word choice and humor throughout the book were surprising and captivating. I just loved this fresh take on an alphabet book and my 4 yo likes to search for the hidden objects. We see something new every time we read it.

The Dead Roam the Earth: True Stories of the Paranormal from around the World, Alasdair Wickham (NOT A CHILDREN'S BOOK)
Okay, I know. Here's the thing: I get story ideas from books like these, but I have to admit that I skipped large sections, mostly involving Mick Jagger and a giant pig demon. Ew. Not together, but they were still both "ew." Still, there were delightfully entertaining ghost stories that were lots of fun. Read with caution. And not at night.

Quiet Bunny, Lisa McCue
A long way from pig demons, I'll tell you that.

The Mole Sisters and the Busy Bees, Roslyn Schwartz
What I love best about the mole sisters are the colored pencil illustrations. Simply beautiful.

**Birthday Monsters!, Sandra Boynton
How can you not love Sandra Boynton? My four year old likes to "read" it back to me. Whoever's reading it, we always have a good time with Boynton. How can you not be impressed by someone who went from greeting cards (of which I was a huge fan) to bestselling board books?

First Graders from Mars. Episode 4, Shana Corey, Mark Teague
The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin, Margaret Wise Brown, Richard Egielski

**Highly Recommended

Writing--The Balance

As I've worked writing back into my life after babies and illness and all the rest I've learned this one important thing: for me, it's about the balance.

Two things.

One. I can't go without writing for very long or I go crazy. It must be part of my day, nearly every day, and that's just all there is to it. Without that creative outlet I become fairly useless in every other facet of my life, or I at least feel that way: lackluster, bored, lifeless. Why am I here? Why is anyone here? I can't even eat potato chips. What's the point?

Two. I can't write all day every day without going crazy either. If it takes over more than several hours I get flighty, antisocial, and even somewhat paranoid. Too much imagination is not always comfortable. Also, the children get dirty, hungry, and finally start to get in the way of my computer screen.

Six Things

So these are my priorities (in alphabetical order) as of the first of this year and it is working very well for me. Family, Friends, God, Health, Housework, Writing. I think six things is a lot, but this is what my priorities really are. I couldn't lose any of them.

Family. I'm not sure this needs any explanation. I try to be there when my kids need me. They plop on my bed when I'm about to go so sleep and chat with me. I love that. I take them to karate (and whip out my laptop while they learn to kick things). I try to play with the little one for some time every day. I get out bikes, kiss crusty faces, and pick them up whenever they call. I am not a perfect parent but I try to let my kids know I love them no matter what. My husband is an amazing spouse and we cultivate a great relationship.

Friends. I love my friends and would be lost without them. They are much like family to me.

God. Like anything would happen in my life without God. He's given me everything, I can certainly do what he tells me now. For me that's mainly church, serving others, scripture study, and prayer. I don't let it slide.

Health. I have to pay attention to this every day. My diet is difficult and I cook nearly every pure thing I eat with my very own hands. I exercise, too. But not too much. And I look after everyone else's health in our food challenged family. It was overwhelming at first. Now, it's just life.

Housework. I know, I know. It isn't very writerly to worry about the housework. All great writers say they have given up cleaning their houses to make the time for writing. Well, I've been to some of their houses and they are lying. At least some of them are. I can't write in a messy house, mainly because if my house is messy, I can't immediately direct someone to what their asking for and get back to my writing in a timely fashion. It nags at me until I'm done. Ten minutes of laundry is going to become two hours of back breaking work before long. So I baby the OCD tendencies consistently and then get on with my life.

Writing. I write a couple of hours every day. I wish it were more, and when the little one goes to school, I am planning to bump it up. But for my balance right now, this is where it's comfortable even though it's not my ideal plan. Of course I place all my "story" time in this category, too. I can't watch a TV show, see a movie, or read a book without analyzing character, plot, and what made the story worked. Is that justifying entertainment? Sure. But I want to learn to be entertaining, so it works for me.

And that's it. If I'm not doing one of these things then I question its value and I usually don't do it often or get rid of it entirely. Sometimes surprising things end up not actually being as family oriented as I thought they were and I back away from them. PTA volunteering for example, my kids could care less if I did that so it's something of a time waster for me. Teaching a writing class for kids though...now, who could resist that? So I juggle and learn and find what works for me.

If you want to truly write, there isn't much that can stop you. Sure, there is a thing or two that might, I don't deny it; I've experienced that actually. But if you continue on with the dream, you just might work your way around those rare obstacles. Then figure out your own balance and what you really want. No one can do it but you. And really, very little can stop you but you.

Monthly Reading

Sorry, it's been a while. Here's what I've been up to.

The Corner of Bitter and Sweet*, Robin Palmer
Yes, I was looking for Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, but saw this and thoroughly enjoyed it. A quick YA read about the life of the daughter of an aging alcoholic TV star with captivating quirky voice and heart. Not the deepest book you can read about difficult issues, but hopeful, enjoyable, yet still somewhat real.

Uncle Andy's Cats***, James Warhola
A cute story shelved in children's fiction about Andy Warhol's herd of cats.

Divergent*, Veronica Roth
A dystopian about daring, selflessness, and real courage. I think it lives up to the hype and am looking forward to the movie.

The Mischievians**, William Joyce
A catalog of the creatures who unroll your toilet paper roll, steal your socks, and (yes) dangle your boogers from your nose for others to gawk at. My kids loved this. We took it a few pages at a time. And of course Joyce's art work is stunning.

The Leaf Men***, William Joyce

Not a Box***, Antoinette Portis
What I love about this little picture book is the pictures! Very cute.

National Geographic: Kids' Myths Busted***, Emily Krieger
A very fun kids myth buster book. They assert that alligators don't live in the sewer system of New York City, but then they tell you what does.

There were lots of other picture books, but these are the standouts. And more than anything what I've read is my own writing over, and over, and over. Someday, I'm hoping I can give it a * and send it out into the publishing world. And by someday, I'm hoping this year.

* Highly recommended
** Highly recommended by my kids
*** Highly recommended by me AND my kids ;)