Books!, Inspiration, NaNoWriMo, Signal Boost, Writing

NaNoWriMo 2018 Update 1

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

So am I just going to keep doing NaNoWriMo posts on Sundays? Well, yes, I suppose I am. They may not always be 500+ word posts, because obviously it is November and I need to be focusing my words on my novel, but I also need the accountability of talking about my progress.

Today is the fourth day of November, which means that going by the NaNoWriMo goal of writing 1,667 words per day, I should be at a total of 6,668 words by the end of the day. But since this post will be going up in the morning, to be on track so far this month, I need to be at 5,001 words right now.

Let’s talk about how I’ve done so far this month with my writing.

Day 1 – November 1 – Well, I woke up at 4:30 am to get ready for work, and then I worked from 5:30 am until 4:00 pm. Oh, and it rained all day. It has actually been raining for most of the last few days. Did I mention that rain has a tendency to make me sleepy? So by the time I got home, made dinner, and then settled down to write, I was pretty darn tired. I think I wrote a grand total of 142 words. So, not the best start to NaNoWriMo, but not the worst either.

Day 2 – November 2 – I woke up at 7:00 am, because I get 3 day weekends every week, so Friday is not a work day. Oh, yeah, and the continued rain let me sleep for pretty much 8 hours, which doesn’t happen all that often. I’m still looking for my story notebook. It has my list of the scenes I need to write to finally finish one of my books, and I decided to work on that before focusing on my new writing project. But after cleaning the apartment yesterday, not everything is where I remember it. So yeah, I need to find this notebook so I can get writing.

End of day update…still no luck finding the notebook. Oh, and there was that five hour chunk of time where we went to our local nerd store to run our bi-weekly D&D sessions.

Day 3 – November 3 – Woke up around 6:30 am today. Still no notebook, but there is blog prep work to do, so let’s get to writing some of those. If only I could count blog words towards my monthly total. My November Calendar Girls post is well over 1000 words. Sadly I can’t do that.

The other bi-weekly D&D session we are in is today, and one of our fellow players likes to come over two hours before the session begins. So, he’s here at like 10:30 am. He and one other player stay after the session to just talk and stuff too. They don’t leave until 8:30 pm. That is a huge chunk of my day gone, especially since the sessions are supposed to be from noon to maybe 5:30/6:00 pm.

Still no actual novel writing accomplished. Three days in and I have 142 words. This is really starting to suck. I think this may be my worst start for NaNoWriMo…and this is my 13th year doing it.

Day 4 – November 4 – Again, I wake up at 6:30 am. Well the clock says 6:30, but we just did the whole Daylight Savings thing, so the clocks fell back an hour at like 2:00 am, so really, my body feels like it is 7:30 am.

For the record, my Calendar Girls post stands currently at 1355 words. Yeah, that is almost what I would need for one day’s worth of writing.

Okay, we went to my mom’s house and I managed to find a backup notebook with my outline so I think I can finally get into writing. I have a lot of catching up to do. It’s time to get writing.

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Book Releases, Book Review, Books!, Graphic Novel, Manga, NaNoWriMo, NetGalley, Signal Boost, Writing

October Wrap Up and November TBR

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

I had to mostly pre-write this post, because it is now (or will be when this post goes live) November and I need to prioritize writing my novel over writing my blog or reading for fun. So I don’t know if I’m going to have a huge TBR for this month. But that’s okay, because my wrap-up for October should show that I did plenty of reading.

Endless Quest: Big Trouble by Matt Forbeck (5 stars)

Endless Quest: To Catch A Thief by Matt Forbeck (5 stars)

Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul by Nikita Gill (5 stars)

Wild Embers: Poems of Rebellion Fire and Beauty (4 stars)

My Hero Academia, Volume 15 by Hideo Horikoshi (5 stars)

My Hero Academia Vigilantes, Volume 2 by Hideyuki Furuhashi (5 stars)

Fairy Tail Zero by Hiro Mashima (5 stars)

Fairy Tail, Volume 3 by Hiro Mashima (5 stars)

Rule by Ellen Goodlett (4.5 stars)

The Girl from the Other Side: Siuil a Run, Volume 1 by Nagabe (5 stars)

The Girl from the Other Side: Siuil a Run, Volume 2 by Nagabe (5 stars)

The Girl from the Other Side: Siuil a Run, Volume 3 by Nagabe (5 stars)

The Girl from the Other Side: Siuil a Run, Volume 4 by Nagabe (5 stars)

The Girl from the Other Side: Siuil a Run, Volume 5 by Nagabe (5 stars)

All the Feels by Danika Stone (5 stars)

Black Clover, Volume 2 by Yuki Tabata (5 stars)

Black Clover, Volume 3 by Yuki Tabata (5 stars)

Estranged by Ethan M Aldridge (4 stars)

The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell (4 stars)

The Monster of Selkirk: The Duality of Nature by C.E. Clayton (4.5 stars)

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa (5 stars)

Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel (4 stars)

Make a Nerdy Living: How to Turn Your Passions Into Profit, with Advice from Nerds Around the Globe by Alex Langley (4 stars)

Whew…that was a nice list of books finished this month. I am also trying to prep up a bunch of reviews from all of these reads so they can be posted throughout the month and beyond. I actually have a huge list of reviews I need to write, so I may have quite a few posts coming for the rest of the year.

Okay, now onto what I’ve watched this month. Honestly, not nearly as much as everything I’ve read. So let’s just jump into the list: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl — 4.5 stars, The Magicians, season 2 — 5 stars, Hocus Pocus — 5 stars, Halloweentown — 5 stars, Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge — 5 stars, The Spiderwick Chronicles — 4.5 stars.

Obviously I have my usual ongoing watches, namely Fairy Tail and Critical Role Campaign 2. The Fairy Tail watch has slowed down a little bit, because I watch it with my fiance and he has recently been distracted by the new Spider-Man video game.

It’s book haul time!

Oh, and if I’m talking about my book haul from October, I guess I should also briefly mention my unhaul from October as well. I ended up removing 94 books from my library.

Now this is where my wrap-up post usually features my monthly Owlcrate unboxing…but my post office delivered my Owlcrate to another apartment in my building, and the package was apparently stolen from that other apartment’s doorstep. I was so excited about the October box too. It featured exclusive Owlcrate editions of both Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa and Pride by Ibi Zoboi. So I have filed a stolen package claim because the package was insured, but since the box was sold out, I’m betting I won’t be able to get the lovely signed editions anymore.

Finally, it is time for my November TBR. This is definitely a tentative TBR, because I should spend more time focusing on writing than reading. But the next round of the Manga Madness readathon is coming up next week, and I still have a decent stack of books I’d really like to read, so…these are books that I may or may not get around to this month.

Okay, well that is all for today, but I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.

Book Releases, Book Review, Books!, Signal Boost

What I’m Reading (37)

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

Happy Halloween!

When this post goes live, I will be getting ready for trick or treat. My fiance and I like to get dressed up in costume and pass out candy. This is one of our favorite times of the year, so I’m glad that the end of October is finally here. The next couple holidays are quite a bit more chaotic for us. There are so many family gatherings to try and juggle, and they all require some sort of food dish to go with the dinner/pot luck, so it gets a bit exhausting.

But anyway, we are here to talk about books. Specifically I’m here to recap my reading over the past week: the books I’ve finished, the books I’m currently reading, and the books I’m hoping to start very soon.

Obviously the first book I finished was The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell. I actually finished reading it the same day as I started it…last Wednesday. After that I flew through Estranged by Ethan M. Aldridge. The next book I devoured was Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa. After that I turned my attention to Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel. I will have reviews up soon for both Shadow of the Fox and Black Birdof the Gallows. Then I decided to focus on my non-fiction read, because I’m hoping it has some nice tips and tricks in it so that my fiance and I can really start working towards lives outside the factory we work in right now.

Next up is my current reads. Right now I am reading new release The Librarians and the Pot of Gold by Greg Cox. I loved The Librarian movies, and I adored The Librarians television show. I’m hoping that even with the show being cancelled, that this book series can continue on for a little while. Greg Cox does an absolutely wonderful job writing all the characters so well. My other current read is Escaping From Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco. I can’t promise that I’ll be able to finish this soon, but maybe I’ll surprise myself and accomplish a bunch of reading and writing in November.

As for what I plan to start reading next…well, that will probably be some volumes of manga. Not only is the next round of the Manga Madness Readathon starting soon (Nov 5-12), but I’m also going to be busy with NaNoWriMo. Since I can usually read a volume of manga in about 30 minutes, they will be perfect for when I need a little break from writing. So I will definitely be continuing my reading of both Fairy Tail and Black Clover, but I may also jump back into One-Punch Man and/or Fullmetal Alchemist. We’ll see what happens.

Oh, and I can also say that I’ve already started making loose reading plans and goals for 2019. I can’t believe that we are only two months away from a new year. I’m going to be tackling some pretty hefty reading next year, so that should be fun.

So, I guess that is all for today. Tomorrow I’ll have my October Wrap-Up and November TBR, and after that, hopefully some more reviews and book tags. I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.

Book Releases, Book Review, Books!, NetGalley, Signal Boost

Review: Bookish Boyfriends: A Date with Darcy by Tiffany Schmidt

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

So I finished this book back in July, and I meant to write a review back then, but I guess I got distracted and never actually wrote it up. Considering the fact that this was also a NetGalley read for me, getting the review up will help my feedback ratio. Sadly I’ve been a little lax on my NetGalley reviews this year, so I’m going to try to work on that for the rest of the year.

Anyway, let’s just jump into the review.

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Summary

In this contemporary YA, a teenager’s favorite literary heroes woo her in real life

The first of two books in an intended paperback original series about a girl whose classic literary crushes manifest in real life. Merrilee Campbell, 16, thinks boys are better in books, chivalry is dead, and there’d be nothing more romantic than having just one guy woo her like the heroes in classic stories. She’s about to get the chance to test these daydreams when she, her best friend, Eliza, and her younger sister, Rory, transfer into Reginald R. Hero High, where all their fantasies come true—often with surprising consequences.

My Thoughts

Rating: 3.5 stars

After reading the first 30% of this book, I was ready to give up on it, but I pushed on in the hopes that it would stop being so immature. Many of the characters followed the same immature whims that can also be seen in the story of Romeo & Juliet. It honestly made reading it feel so tedious.

But somewhere around 45% or so, Merri started to really mature and start figuring things out, and as she stopped obsessing over R&J and started diving into Pride and Prejudice, I started to find myself really drawn into the story a lot more, and I started flying through it. That was really nice because the book wasn’t really feeling like a YA to me. It definitely fits more into the younger side of YA. It was almost trying too hard to be a cutesy romance with a focus on book boyfriends versus real boyfriends, and I don’t think it quite hit the mark for me.

The second half of this book probably raised my rating up from the 2 or 2.5 stars that I was starting to think this book would get. Overall this book has a 3.6 star rating on Goodreads, so I guess I’m not alone in feeling underwhelmed by this book, but there are some people who still see themselves in a character who fantasizes about the guys in books and gets that romantic feeling over what they see as a swoon-worthy person.

Apparently there is a second book coming in May 2019, and it will follow Merri’s little sister Rory, and the main book focus is supposed to be Little Women. So I will probably give it a try, and hope that it gets a little better.

Where to Buy

You can pick up this book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository or your local independent bookstore.

Book Review, Books!, Manga, Signal Boost

Manga Review: Fairy Tail Vol 1

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

It is finally time that I start reviewing this amazingly wonderful series. Honestly, everyone, I can’t even begin to admit how many times this series has made me laugh, made me cry, made me hopeful, and more than anything, makes me dream of a better world. So if this review devolves into me just rambling and gushing about this series…well, sorry, not sorry. Okay, let’s just get started.

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Summary

THE WICKED SIDE OF WIZARDRY

Celestial wizard Lucy wants to join the Fairy Tail, a club for the most powerful wizards. But instead, her ambitions land her in the clutches of a gang of unsavory pirates led by a devious magician. Her only hope is Natsu, a strange boy she happens to meet on her travels. Natsu’s not your typical hero, he gets motion sickness, eats like a pig, and his best friend is a talking cat. With friends like this, is Lucy better off with her enemies?

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

I’ll be completely honest as I start this review…I watched the first season of Fairy Tail twice before I finally started picking up the manga. So I was already pretty familiar with the story that I was about to read. But I can also say that it was still such a joy to experience all over again.

I love watching as Lucy meets Natsu and Happy, and then seeing her explain wizard guilds to them, all the while talking about how she dreams of joining the coolest and best guild out there…Fairy Tail. But of course, at that point she doesn’t know that Natsu and Happy are part of that very guild.

From the beginning it is clear that the members of Fairy Tail are very defensive of their guild. But it is admirable to already see just how loyal they are to the ideals of the guild. And oh man, all the destruction that Natsu causes. He is such a powerful wizard, with a tendency to go so overboard, and that doesn’t even seem to phase him.

I also greatly enjoy that this first volume lays down so many plot threads that will develop and grow as the series progresses. The main one being Natsu’s hunt for Igneel. But with each new member of Fairy Tail that we are introduced to, more fascinating backstories and plot points are introduced. It is just so interesting.

I am so glad that I listened to my friends Brad and Rachel of Colorworld Books and finally gave this series a try. It has become one of my absolute favorite series, whether we are talking about the manga or the anime.

Fairy Tail is a series I will probably never stop talking about, now that I have become so entrenched in the fandom. There are a few books/shows/movies that I will always have on my recommendations list, and Fairy Tail hits that list for both manga and anime. So if you are looking to get into manga, give a volume or two a try, or if you’d prefer to watch something, there are nearly 300 episodes, so try out a couple episodes. Perhaps you’ll find that you enjoy this series as much as I do.

Where to Buy

You can pick up your own copy of this first volume from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local indie bookstore or comic store.

Oh, and as a side note, Barnes & Noble is having a sale on Kodansha comics until October 30th. You can buy two and get the third one free, and since Fairy Tail is a Kodansha comic, you can stock up on them.

Books!, Inspiration, NaNoWriMo, Signal Boost, Writing

NaNoWriMo Prep 2018

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) starts in just a few more days. Ahhh…I don’t know that I’m ready yet. This is probably the least prepared that I have been in all my years of NaNo. But I’ve just been so out of practice with creative writing. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to write consistently through November. It would be really nice.

I just keep seeing all of these BookTubers who also write, and they talk about finishing drafts, or finishing edits. One just got her first bound ARCs for her book, and I got so happy for her because that is a big deal, but also sad because I feel like I’m starting to fail even more on my own writing journey.

So what am I doing for planning/plotting/prepping for NaNo? Well, I had some basic chapter title ideas written down, and some very loose character names. But looking at the names, some of them just didn’t fit…so I’m combing through character name databases or baby name databases trying to find names that do work.

But then I feel like I want to get a rough synopsis written. So I’m trying to get a draft of that finished today as well. But then that makes me wonder if I should play with Photoshop a bit and make a mock-up of a cover for inspiration purposes.

I also know that I need to come up with a writing playlist for this book too. I like to have songs that will inspire me for the actual plot of the book I’m writing. So I need to find at least 10-12 songs that work.

What I’m I working on this year? Well, as if it isn’t enough of a challenge for myself that I’m trying to get back into creative writing again, but I’m also going to be tackling a genre I don’t typically write in…and by that I am talking about romance. Basically my book is going to be a nerdy contemporary romance.

I’ve been inspired by my real life romance, and while I have been seeing a little more geeky and nerdy YA contemporary romance books, I think we could still use more of them. And honestly I think my book will be probably more New Adult to adult in age range. The characters all feel like they are in their low to mid 20s or so. I mean, I just turned 30 this year and my fiance is 26. So the characters will probably be around that range as well.

But I’m still so nervous about this project. I want it to be a great story. This is a tale that is near and dear to my heart, because in many ways it is a story I wish I could have read several years ago, when I was feeling so alone and believing that I would never find my own nerdy fairy tail romance. In many ways I feel like perhaps I am putting too much pressure on myself for this story, and that is making it harder for me to actually sit down and write.

However, NaNoWriMo is almost here, so hopefully I can push aside my inner editor and just write. I want to get this story out into the world.

Oh, and if you have any song ideas that you think would fit a geeky couple contemporary romance story, then please suggest them to me in the comments. I would be glad for the help.

Are any of you participating in NaNoWriMo? If so, are you ready to start writing in a few days?

Books!, Signal Boost, TBR Purge

Embracing the Unhaul

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

It is not even 8am (at the time I’m writing this, anyway) and I am already drained for the day. Mostly because I woke up with the thought that today would be a good day to go through all the books in my library and do a purge. As with a lot of us bookworms, I end up buying a lot of books. Some I buy from used bookstores, some I get really good deals on, etc., etc. Well, it is also a reality that sometimes I won’t actually get around to reading them. Or I read them and like them, but not enough to warrant keeping them on my shelves. That’s where unhauls come into play.

I’m not usually very good about weeding out my shelves. I get a sentimental attachment to most of my books and so getting rid of them hurts me. But I’ve also started to get realistic about the fact that I only have so much space for books. Yes, my fiance has been gracious enough to let me have a room in our apartment filled with bookshelves (well and our cosplay gear, and most of his leather and craft tools). But I can’t be selfish and start insisting on putting up more bookcases in every spare nook and cranny of the apartment.

So unhauls. This morning I went through all of my bookcases and pulled off the books that I’m just not going to read again or that I haven’t even thought of in a while. It ended up being 94 books. So later today I’m going to have to reorganize my shelves so they look all nice and neat again.

I came to the conclusion that I needed a book purge because I was starting to double stack my books and it was making my shelves look too sloppy for me.

Okay, let’s just jump into everything I’m getting rid of. Oh, and if one of your absolute favorite books ever is in this unhaul, please know that it is awesome that you loved the book(s), and I hope you can accept that my opinion might be different. Of course, I’m also liable to add the book back to my library with a well-rounded plea/argument.

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Oh man, let’s just start off with ones that might anger some people. First off, most of my Shadowhunters books are in paperback, and seeing that the Lady Midnight paperback follows the same spine design, I’d rather have all of them in paperback. Then there’s the Throne of Glass series…honestly I enjoy the series, but I’m not really seeing any more re-reads in my future. Of course, I also do own most of them in e-book as well, so it’s not really like I’m getting rid of anything…except for the space they take up on my shelves. Carve the Mark was just okay, and I don’t really feel the desire to read the sequel/finale. All those Amelia Atwater-Rhodes books…I was obsessed with them in high school. That’s why I bought these omnibus editions from Book Outlet a couple years ago. But I haven’t even thought of reading them over again. So maybe it’s time I let them go.

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I’m just going to mention a few of these individually, because most of them fall under two categories: not going to reread, or just don’t think I’m going to get around to them. Uprooted is a book I plan to get in hardcover now, so it can match my copy of Spinning Silver. I’d rather have them sitting together in my library. Books I don’t plan to reread: An Enchantment of Ravens, The Wicked Deep, Starry Eyes, Sacred Light, Girling Up, Sleepy Hollow, Hyperbole and a Half. Everything else…well, I’m just probably not going to get around to reading them.

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Do I need to read the official novelization for Wonder Woman? No, not so much. The Shattered Court…well the sequel was only released in e-book, and I like matching sets, so I guess I’m transitioning it to an e-series. The Midnighters trilogy was great, and another high school favorite, but I’m probably not going to reread them so they should go out into the world and find another home that will hopefully enjoy them. As for the others…probably not going to get around to them. I’ve tried to read Cold Magic two or three times and never made it that far into it.

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Most of these fall into not going to re-read, or just probably not going to get around to. With The Alienist, Brooklyn, Every Day, and The Murder on the Orient Express, I’m honestly probably just going to watch them. I’m honestly a little sad about getting rid of The Lunar Chronicles, but I’ve had them on my shelves for a couple years now just hoping that I would feel like now was the time to finally read them, and the feeling has never come. So…if it does in the future, I will probably just borrow them from the library.

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Yep, more books that I’m either not going to reread, or just probably won’t be getting around to. Won’t reread: Autoboyography, Save the Date, Talking as Fast as I Can, Royal Bastards, Love Hate and Other Filters, The Fandom, The Brightsiders, Hollow Earth.

Sometimes it’s difficult to accept the fact that we only have so much free time to dedicate to reading. It is true that I generally read around 130-150 books each year, but that still doesn’t get me any closer to reading everything I would like to. I think I would have to double my reading to do that, and I just don’t have that kind of time in my life. This is where we readers like to wish that we could just get paid to read and review books.

But there we go. Oh, and before I sign off for the day, please head over to this post and ask myself and my fiance questions. We’d like to do a get to know you Q&A this weekend, and that is much easier to do if you actually have questions to answer. Or, you know, ask your questions in the comments for this post. That’s fine too.

That’s all for today and I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.

Book Releases, Book Review, Books!, Manga, Readathon, Signal Boost

What I’m Reading (36)

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

Welcome back to my weekly post where I talk about the books I’ve read in the past week, the books I am currently reading, and the books I am hoping to start reading soon. This week is a fun wrap up, because last weekend I participated in Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon, so I get to include my wrap up in this post.

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But first, let’s talk about the book I read prior to Dewey’s Readathon. I managed to fly through Fairy Tail Zero by Hiro Mashima, and all I can say is that I want more story following Mavis and the early days of the Fairy Tail guild. I started another book but did not finish it before it was time to focus on the readathon–thankfully I did finish it after the readathon, so I’ll talk more about what that book was in a little bit.

Okay, now let’s talk about what I read during Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon. The readathon started at 8:00 am on Saturday, October 20th, for me, but due to making chili and needing a shower, I didn’t start until 8:30 am, and my first read was a graphic novel called The Girl from the Other Side. Immediately after that I picked up Black Clover, Vol 2. Of course I was distracted a little bit from reading by needing to call my local post office and try to figure out why I never received my Owlcrate that they said they delivered to my doorstep. At 10:30 am I started All the Feels by Danika Stone. Then came the other time suck of my day…my regularly scheduled Dungeons & Dragons session. I did manage to keep doing a little reading while playing though. But at 1:30 pm, I tried to start The Monster of Selkirk: Book I: The Duality of Nature by C.E. Clayton, and I quickly realized that it was a book I needed to focus my whole attention on so I set it down for after the session.

Unfortunately later in the session is when the post office informed me that the place where they had delivered my package had never seen a package on their doorstep, so it must have been stolen. I’ve never had books stolen from me in my life, and I was so very much looking forward to the October Owlcrate box. It completely ruined my mood and made me want to stop reading for the day. My fiance, the amazing man that he is, suggested that I needed a trip to my happy place, otherwise known as Barnes & Noble. So we went, and I bought a number of manga and graphic novels. Yes, I went and bought the rest of the series for The Girl from the Other Side because it was what I really wanted to read. Expect a series (so far) review coming pretty soon. I need to gush about this series.

This led to me being able to jump back into reading for Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon. At 11:20 pm, I started The Girl from the Other Side, Vol 2. At 11:37 pm, I started The Girl from the Other Side, Vol 3. At 11:52 am, I started The Girl from the Other Side, Vol 4, and at 12:06 am, I started The Girl from the Other Side, Vol 5. That is all of that series that is currently released, because Volume 5 just came out. Then, at 12:24 am, I started Black Clover, Vol 3. But all the emotional drain from the day left me tired, so at 1:06 am, after finishing that last manga, I crawled into bed with my fiance.

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When I woke up it was 7:15 am. I rolled out of bed, grabbed my glasses, went to the bathroom, and then curled up on the couch with The Monster of Selkirk: Book I again, and read for the remaining 40 minutes of the readathon, managing to complete 62 pages of the book.

So overall for Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon, I started 9 books, finished 8 of them, and read a total of 1,626 pages. That isn’t bad, though in reality I only read one book from my TBR and then made it through about 20% of another one. Oh well. Sometimes you have to be flexible with these things.

But I’m not finished yet, dear followers. Nope. I have read a couple other books this past week.  That book I mentioned before, the one I started before the readathon but didn’t quite finish? Well, that book was Rule by Ellen Goodlett. Obviously once I finished that, I had to finish up The Monster of Selkirk Book I: The Duality of Nature by C.E. Clayton. With any luck, I’ll have reviews up for both books fairly soon.

I guess that means it is time to talk about my current reads. For that I have one that I should technically be starting around the time this post goes live, actually, so I’ll go ahead and count it as a current read. Of course, it is a graphic novel, so I also imagine that I’ll finish it today as well. That is The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell. It just looks cute and fun, and there was a coupon for it at Barnes & Noble when we went on Saturday, so I’m excited. My other current read is for a series that I have pretty much been binge reading the past couple months, and that is Charmcaster by Sebastien de Castell. This is the third book in what is supposed to be a six book series, and the new cover releases have been each month over the last few months, but the fourth book isn’t coming out until…December? I think. So I’m probably going to pick up de Castell’s other series to hold me over until I can continue this series.

As for what I’m hoping to read next…well, that’s a difficult question to answer. I’m actually doing pretty good with my October TBR. All I have left is Escaping From Houdini by Kerri Mansicalco, and The Lost Queen by Signe Pike. But both of those are pretty lengthy reads, so I may pick up one to read this month, but the other will probably get pushed back to November. Plus, honestly, right now I kind of want to pick up more from my Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon TBR, since I pretty much abandoned it. I’m thinking about picking up Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel next. Then again, I did get my hands on the newest volume of The Wicked + The Divine, so I should probably read that soon too.

How was your latest week of reading? Have any good books you are dying to recommend to pretty much everyone? Let me know in the comments. That’s all for now, and I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.

Books!, Inspiration, Signal Boost, Writing

NaNoWriMo 2018 is Coming

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

Crap, it is almost November. I am so not ready. This year I have not talked about NaNoWriMo as much as I have in past years. NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, has been a huge part of my life for over a decade now. I participated for the first time back in 2006, and it became something that helped motivate me and keep me going for years.

But my writing has slowed down dramatically…and by that I mean my creative writing. Obviously I’m still doing pretty good with my blogging, though I wish I could squeeze more time in for writing up more reviews and tags and other posts. I’m still trying to find the right work/life balance.

Anyway, I miss creative writing. I’m realizing that it gave me an outlet for a lot of my frustration and anger and all the not so nice feelings that build up in me because of life in general. Channeling those feelings into writing helped me deal with them in a healthy way, and I think not having that outlet is starting to lead to problems for me during the work day.

So, I really need to get writing again.

With just ten days left in the month of October, I need to get working on my NaNoWriMo project. In general I am a fly by the seat of your pants writer. But I do like to have some general things planned out. For the most part I actually just spend hours and hours thinking about what can or should happen in the story. So while most people proclaim to be a planner of a pantser, I consider myself more of a percolater. The ideas just sit in my brain and percolate until it is time for them to come out onto the page.

But since I’ve been away from writing for so long, I also feel like I might need a little more outlining and planning before November comes.

So on top of my reading and my blogging, I now get to spend the rest of the month kind of working on novel stuff.

Wish me luck, everyone. I’m going to need it.

Is anyone else participating in NaNoWriMo? Let me know so we can help motivate each other.

That’s all for today, and I will be back soon with more bookish content.

Books!, Inspiration, Signal Boost

It’s Time for Another Q&A

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

Well, you might have noticed that my fiance, AKA Damian Trypp, finally posted his first review on the blog. He’s working on putting together other reviews, and he’s still trying to figure out a posting schedule that’ll work for him, but we all know that doing that can take time…and possibly even change as time goes on.

Anyway, I think that now is a great time for the two of us to sit down and do a get to know you Q&A. And what better way to do that than to let you guys ask us questions. So ask your questions in the comments, and next weekend we will sit down and write up a post where we answer them all.

These questions can be about anything, though obviously we reserve the right to not answer questions that are too personal. But seriously, ask about us, ask about books, ask about other nerdy hobbies…we’re pretty open about most things.

So, I will collect all of the questions next Saturday, October 26th, and then shortly after we will have our answers posted for all of you.

Sorry this is such a short post, but I’m actually a bit occupied with Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon right now. That is all from me for today, but I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.