2018 Goals

This week has been crazy, so I'm running a little behind. I think it's a good time to review my goals in 2017 and make some for this year before January gets away from me.

2017

Memorize 36 Bible verses

Hehe ... if you count individual verses I memorized instead of passages, I may have reached 36. That wasn't quite what I set out to do, though. I memorized Psalm 19 and some individual

Read 50 books

I didn't make this one this year; I only read 40 books. I made it to 50 in 2016, but only by binge reading a few children's books. ;)

Make a 2017 playlist

I did this, but I ... didn't keep up with it throughout the whole year :P I love the idea of a song a week, though to look back on.

Write 2 entire drafts

I updated Andora's Folly twice in 2017 (once for publication and once for the paperback release) so that gets me to my goal right there. ;) I also drafted about 40,000 words on the sequel to Martin Hospitality, but it's on hold for more planning. I was supposed to finish the first all of the Behind the Act before the year was over but ended up taking a break for my wrist. I'm guessing I'm around 50,000 words on that one. So two revision draft and two half-written first drafts is my total :P

Use my journals

I journaled my trip to Washington and Oregon this summer. I almost always try to journal my trips, but I'm so horrible at summing things up, that I rarely finish it out. This time I did finish! And I took notes from the OCW conference. In the same journal, I used a different section to journal dreams. That's turned into keeping a brief running list on my phone because again ... it takes me a long time, I'm longwinded, and my wrist is sensitive right now. Other than that, I don't think I started any new journals. I did collect a few more that need a purpose though :P

Attend a writer's conference

Check! I attended the Oregon Christian Writers summer conference in Portland. It was extremely good, so I encourage you to look into it, even if you have to travel like I did. (They have an under 23 discount!) The keynotes of 2017 were Frank Peretti and Tessa Afshar, both of whom were phenomenal. I'm unlikely to attend again in 2018, but I'm keeping it on my radar.

Publish 2 items

I actually did this ... but it feels like so long ago! Martin Hospitality was released February 4. Andora's Folly had a July 29 Kindle release date and a December 9 paperback release. So that's almost three publications since I went through the process that many times. ;)

Now for the 2018 goals!

2018

Poems, passages ... I want to continue to spend more time on memorization. A handful of new things to recite at the end of the year would be a big accomplishment for me!

 I'm not sure what I'll have ready this year. A sequel to something, or maybe Behind the Act. Either way, it will be self-published. Publishing is a lot of work, but since I've got drafts in progress, it should be possible? We'll see. :)

2016 // 50 books ... with cheating :P

2017 // 40 books

2018 // 40 books

This year I want to focus on books I own and have never read. I don't want to have to read children's books to make my goal! Hopefully scaling it back a little, I can fit in some more serious books.

I didn't pay enough attention, but I want to make sure I rate and review everything I read this year on Goodreads and Amazon (at least if it's someone with few reviews or someone I know). I know I didn't use Amazon hardly at all this past year. Now I have my own account to review through, but I'll have to see if I can actually get it to let me. You can keep up with what I'm reading and my reviews here.

Okay. This is huge. xD I don't know how many books I've bought over the last two years. It will be good for my budget and my TBR if I don't buy any more for now. So one of my goals is to buy no more than five books this year. No. more. We'll see if I have the resolve to stick to that. Another thing to help me limit myself is that the books I do buy have to be on sale, bought with a gift card, etc. Even Kindle books count toward the five. Pray for my strength of will. This means I should make some good progress on the books I've bought and not read!

I haven't really researched writers conferences for this year or made any solid plans. But I'd like to go somewhere and do something again this year! I don't know if it will be for writing, though. I might take a road trip with the family or do something like that. We shall see!

I really want to play around with my writing some more. Try different POVs and tenses, new locations, and find some things that really work for me. I'm reading DIY MFA right now, and it has a good system for tracking iteration. Wish me luck with that. ;)

I have three sets of Great Courses on writing topics. They're video college lectures, more or less, and I've learned a lot from the one I've nearly finished. I'd like to keep up with them this year with some notetaking so that I can progress and keep up my education. Since I'm not having to do college or anything, I figure it's the least I can do.

Overall, 2017 was a very different year for me, but not a bad one. I'm looking forward to seeing what all 2018 holds. Thus far I'm guessing it will continue to surprise me. Thank goodness it's all in God's hands! What is one of your goals for 2018?

Book of the Year + Critiques

I hope you all had a lovely holiday and aren't resenting getting back to "regular" life (by doing things like reading my blog). Since the year is almost over ?!?! I will share my favorite read of the year and offer a critique opportunity for you guys! Consider it a hodgepodge.

First off, let me explain by saying this isn't a true Book of the Year because none of the competitors were actually published this year. ;) So it's more like Read of the Year. It was fairly simple to weed through my 5 star reads on Goodreads and select a few of my favorites. 

What was not easy? Narrowing it down between Some Kind of Happiness and Chasing Jupiter. Seriously. I loved both of these books so much. Honestly, I've made up my mind both ways now and am still waffling as I write this. 

Some Kind of Happiness describes me so well, and it was so well-written even in the areas I couldn't relate to personally. My main hesitation is that I apparently only rated it 4.5 stars for some language and the fact that it had. no. Jesus. I wasn't exactly expecting redemption, but it made me want to slam my head against the wall because it was so obvious that He's exactly what all the characters needed!!! :(

Chasing Jupiter was endearing and touching without being as relatable. It also had the most believable conversion of all time. So while it was comparatively a little less personal and impactful, I applaud it for actually offering a solution for all the problems it presents. And not just any solution, the solution.

So with that ... reflecting on how much I enjoyed reading these books in the midst of it all, my favorite read of the year is:

Chasing Jupiter

Have you read either of these books?

This bit is the simple part. ;) With my writing being on the back burner right now, I'm trying to focus more on my editing. It's bringing itself to the forefront rather of its own volition, but I was trying to think of good ways I could actually "promote" it. Blech, marketing.

Unfortunately, I don't have the time to beta read, and most people won't take the professional's own word for it. Thinking about how I hire help, I realized that I either take a trusted friend's word on how skilled someone is, or I make that decision for myself.

So this is an opportunity for you to make your own decisions about my editing. The proposition is this: drop a blurb (back cover book description) you've written in the comments. Simple as that. It can be for published, unpublished, unwritten, any genre ... whatever you want. Invent one for the purpose, even. As long as it's yours. I'll reply to the comments as usual and offer a critique on it! 

Almost everyone struggles with writing blurbs (myself included). I've found out recently that I actually really enjoy helping someone else find the sweet spot with their own blurb. It's so much shorter than any length of story, and it's complete.

I think this can also function as a great get-to-know-your-project type thing. I want to know what you guys are working on! And yes, even if you find this post weeks or months from now, you are welcome to drop your back cover summary in a comment. :)

This point is that then you'll know my editing style and hopefully that means you'll keep me in mind if you ever need an editor for your story. You can find all my updated details for this new year on my Editing page. :)

As always, thank you guys for reading. I hope your Christmas was fantastic, and I'll see you in 2018! (Or in the comment section if you have a blurb!!)

2017 Discoveries

I am totally mooching off Katie Grace today!! She wrote this epic, gorgeous post about her findings of 2017, so this post is springboarding off that because I've been sick all week and am hard up for ideas ...

Before we get started, please note that I'm not guaranteeing a 100% clean and happy media. Just things I really enjoyed overall, often with some self-editing. Only the ones I'm featuring are actual recommendations from me to you, complete with warnings. Be careful with the { A L S O } sections ;)

{ A R T I S T S }

Ludovico Einaudi // Nicholas Yee // Audrey Assad // Imaginary Future // Shawn Mendes

{ S O U N D T R A C K S }

La La Land // Imitation Game // The Village

{ S O N G S }

By Night ~ Sophie Hutchings // Thy Will ~ Hilary Scott // One Call Away ~ Charlie Puth // Monody ~ The Fat Rat + Laura Brehm //  // I Choose You ~ Sara Bareilles

{ Wonder Woman }

Let me first make it clear that I'm more of a Marvel person than DC person. Actually, I'm more of a Captain America person than anything else ;P But this movie. Oh. My. Goodness. I had such high hopes, I was afraid to even watch it. HELLO, it delivered.

It did not push feminism or "girl power." It had the Greek mythology element and seemed pretty historically accurate. 

I was afraid Wonder Woman would be unbelievable, but she's not human. So I bought it ;) Ares was an actual character, which kinda pops any Christian bubble, but the messages were spot. on. Diana is pretty naive and she's appalled at the evil Ares has caused (the war). The points about love and human nature as she grows were really excellent.

And it came this close to making me cry in the theatre. Totally loved it. So don't believe all the media flack the actress and her role are getting. That's because she did a nice job without being pushy.

{ Murder on the Orient Express }

I freely admit I have not read the book. But I did see the original "classic" movie, so I had certain expectations. While you didn't get to know this incarnation of Hercule Poirot as well, I really enjoyed this movie. Kenneth Branagh always does an excellent job. The acting from everyone (even actors I don't really like) was superb. And the scenery and cinematography was pretty epic. The story hold pretty true to the other movie, so I'm guessing it holds pretty true to the book? This one was a little more fast paced in the unravelling of the murder, so a little more captivating of a drama. And that's all with me knowing the outcome as I went into it. I would definitely watch it again!

{ A L S O } 

Beauty and the Beast // Age of Adaline // Zootopia // Safe Haven // The Zookeeper's Wife // Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

{ The Crown }

There's not even much I need to say here. It's Queen Elizabeth II gaining the throne and the sacrifices that requires. Often it's the country or her family as she struggles to balance being a wife and queen. When she can tell Parliament what to do, it's hard not to treat her husband like a subject. ;) It's a slow drama, but I was shocked at how much history I learned and the acting is absolutely phenomenal. It's the Netflix Original that has redeemed all the other Netflix Originals. xD

Read a parent's guide before watching this one. You'll want to avoid some brief nudity in the first two episodes. After that, it's relational stuff and perhaps some mild language. Worth the watch for sure, but you've been warned. ;)

{ The Good Doctor }

My sister and I are watching this one as it airs on ABC through Hulu right now. I can't believe how much we enjoy it! What am I saying? It's Freddie Highmore (only the best child actor on the face of this planet) is now grown up, autistic, and American. Two of those are a put-on, but I could watch him act for forever. As an autistic surgical resident with quite the past, you'll learn medical things and become greatly attached to all the sweet characters. Pretty sure at least five of the seven episodes so far have made me cry? Yeah ... But it's worth it! xD

As for content, there's been one pretty gory episode, but I'm the world's most sensitive person. And there are some extramarital relationships going on behind the scenes in a few episodes, but I think they might actually be going good places at this point. There's also been one episode that was just pretty gritty in the nature of the diseases.

{ A L S O}

A Series of Unfortunate Events // Anne with an E // A Gifted Man // Suits // Lost in Austen // Agents of Shield Season 2

I picked six of my 5 star reads from this year to share with you here. (I promise I don't rate every book that highly. I hit the jackpot this year.) 

I'm not going to discuss any of these at length since I've already done that in my monthly newsletter. (Yes, you're missing out. The sign-up is in the sidebar. xP)

The images link to Goodreads where you can find my reviews.

    

    

     

And there you have it! What are some of your favorite watches and reads of the year so far? Give me all the recommendations!!!

ALSO: If you were the awesome person who suggested the title Behind the Act as a replacement for Matinee Regulars, I love you xD Because I'm seriously considering that one. For all the rest of you, honest thoughts on that option?? Thanks!

Summer TBR Progress + Accountability + Giveaway

I'm writing this partly because I owe you guys an update (you're my accountability), and partly because this is a bookish post to celebrate the blog birthday of Ruffles and Grace.

Remember this post where I listed "books I must read over the summer"? Well, I gave myself until September 1 to complete that list, and since I'm supposed to write a summery book post for Victoria's blog birthday, I thought I could give you a progress report. :)

I had been faithfully ahead on my Goodreads challenge, but here's what it looks like right now.

Out of the 9 books I pledged to read over the summer, I have read . . . 4: Some Kind of Happiness, The Summer Before the War, The Great Divorce, and Pearl in the Sand. I just started This Present Darkness. To my credit, I have read some other books that weren't on my list. How can I say no to a good book when it pops up?? Apparently creating this list wasn't even enough to keep me on track, so I've come up with a new strategy.

I need a reading accountability partner so I get some more reading done! Take a look at my Goodreads to see what I've enjoyed reading. Definitely let me know if you would like to:

• chat frequently about books (Google Hangouts probably!)
• constantly threaten one another to read more (kidding. sort of.)
• encourage each other to branch out in our tastes
• discuss deeper elements of books
• recommend books for me
• meet reading deadlines/goals alongside me

The primary requirements are that you love to read and will constantly challenge me to read more! That's a bit of a tall order, so volunteer at your own risk ;) I think this would be super helpful for me, though, and hopefully for you too.

For now, I think I'd do best with only one person. I've tried team things and I feel like I can disappear for those because there are other people to keep talking. I can't ignore someone when they're waiting on me. :P

If you are interested, let me know in the comments and link to your Goodreads/blog. I want to see if we'll be compatible and then I'll make a decision when I get back from the OCW conference next week!

As I mentioned earlier, this post was part of Victoria Lynn's blog birthday for Ruffles and Grace. Definitely hop over there to read her post and check out the other posts (yesterday's were fashioned themed while today's were book themed). That's where the spectacular giveaway is (of which Martin Hospitality is a part!!).

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Seriously, who wants to be my accountability partner for reading?? As a side note, I am currently attending the OCW conference in Portland with Ivy Rose and Emily McConnell, and HAVING A BLAST. I also turned 19 yesterday. So all sorts of new adventures ;)

Books That ... Influenced Me Personally

One day late again, but nobody noticed, right? ;) This is the last article in my bookish series, so there's no telling what post I will have in store for you next week! Although, with any luck, that one will actually be posted on a Saturday.

I didn't even scan my bookshelves to create this list, so these are truly books that I remember leaving some sort of lasting impact on my life. They're roughly listed in the order I read them.

The Promised Land Diaries by Anne Adams

This is a series of six books that I'm pretty sure were gifted to me at Christmas one year. Either way, I devoured them. It was my first exposure to Biblical historical fiction, and I've loved that genre ever since. With a primary fictional character who records "first hand" events surrounding Biblical women, these captured my imagination. I still loan them out to preteens at church. (Only the first of six is pictured.)

The Bluebird and the Sparrow by Janette Oke

I know I've mentioned this one before. I think the main reason it stood out to me is because it was about the contention between two sisters. Well ... the contention the older sister (that would be me) always held against her seemingly perfect younger sister. Seeing how bitter that made the main character and how hard it was for her to actually ever love left an impact on me. I was determined not to be that sister ;)

An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

I promise I don't stick this book on every list of mine just for the fun of it. Since the first time I read this was at a point in my life when I could relate to young Polly finding confidence in who she was, that left an impact on me. She was a role model of sorts. Now I can relate just as much to the older Polly and that is unusual in a book, I think. :)

The Tinker's Daughter by Wendy Lawton

Victoria Minks mentioned this in her Very Awesome Vlog Challenge #5, and it reminded me that it was one I couldn't get out of my head. It's about Mary Bunyan, the blind daughter of John Bunyan. She, too, deals with bitterness with the burdens she has to take on with her father's imprisonment. She repeats the Scripture "I can do all things" to herself incessantly to keep going. After the climax of the book, she finally begins to recite the entire verse. "...through Christ who strengthens me." I can still try to do things on my own, and that was a good reminder that a huge attitude adjustment and greater happiness can come from including Christ.

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

Are you seeing a theme here? ;) I knew who John Bunyan was when I read The Tinker's Daughter, but I'm not sure my dad had read us Pilgrim's Progress aloud yet. I remember trying to unpack all the analogies and liking how the character's names described them. It really broadened my thinking about the Christian walk.

There's one more that comes to mind all the time, but I can't remember the title or character names for the life of me. I know it was about a young girl (she's on the cover--dark hair in a prison cell?) who was imprisoned for her beliefs, I think. I want to say it happened in the Philippines? Anyway. I remember another woman birthed a baby in the prison cell and the baby girl didn't live ... and all the time the main young woman kept true to God. And that stuck with me, because I never liked the idea of having to suffer for my faith as a kid. ;)

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I'm sure there are others that have influenced me since, but all of these books I read before I was a teenager. I think that's part of the reason they were able to influence me so much. What books have left an impact on your life?

Thanks for sticking around for this entire series! I hope you all enjoyed it :) I'd love to hear your thoughts on what I should blog about next.

Books That ... I Recommend by Genre

Guess who completely forgot to post yesterday? I 100% did not think about it this weekend ... probably for the first time since I started blogging a year and a half ago. The weekend was insane and my laptop is unusable, so here we are. :) One day late, but the same post you were supposed to get yesterday, I promise. ;D

I ended up selecting a ton of genres because hello there are a TON of genres, so I'm only allowing myself to nominate on recommendation for each.

Nonfiction / Biography

I really don't read enough of this genre! The first book that came to mind was Sergeant York by Alvin York. The gentleman was a talented backwoodsman shooter who was drafted for World War I, but a religious protestor. After much consideration, he decides to participate in the army as well. The movie adaption with Gary Cooper does the book justice :)   

Science Fiction

Another genre I don't read very much of :P Does Frankenstein by Mary Shelley count as science fiction? I mean, it's got science and fiction, right? This would also be my horror choice, although I really don't think this book is horror. ;) The only other sci-fi book that immediately comes to mind that I've read is The Time Machine by H. G. Wells. I didn't like that one a whole lot, though.

Classic

Little Women, An Old-Fashioned Girl, and The Scarlet Pimpernel could all make my favorite list in this genre. But I think I'll choose Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. While there's no decent film adaption of this one, the book stands on its own. I could relate to the main character immensely and enjoyed the story very much (possibly because I hadn't seen a movie version when I read it).

Mystery

I'll admit I've never read Agatha Christie or Lord Peter Wimsey, and very little of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I grew up on Nancy Drew mysteries from the library and always enjoyed them. I'm breaking the norm and choosing Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand. This book is not entirely a mystery, but the little girl staying with her extended family that she's only just meeting does try to solve the mystery of the strange rules and enmity.

Educational

After some thought, I definitely recommend The Universe Next Door by James Sire. It basically outlines at least 10 different belief systems, explaining the essential tenets in a well-outlined form. If you can't remember what existentialism, nihilism, or deism translates into in the real world, this book is so helpful. I feel so much smarter when I can remember what the content and it's very easy and useful to refer to.

Religion / Spirituality

Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot was an easy choice, because everything about this book was spot on in my opinion! While the book is not on religion (I'd choose Mere Christianity or A Loving Life for that), this discusses how a young woman can live with both passion and purity through the love story of Elisabeth and Jim Elliot.

Historical Fiction

Ahh, I love this genre. The Witch of Blackbird Pond and The Scarlet Pimpernel face off in this genre. However, I just read a book I was extremely impressed with, so I'll recommend it: The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson.

Poetry

I do not read nearly as much poetry as I would like (and memorize even less), but Emily Dickenson, Alexander Pope, and William Butler Yeats rank among some of my favorites. In a completely different vein is Shel Silverstein. All of his books I've found are illustrated collections of his simple, quirky poetry, so any will do, but A Light in the Attic is the first one my dad discovered at the library.

Fantasy

Harry Potter. It's not the only good fantasy series, and it does have magic. But despite differing opinions on that element, the story telling, themes, and character development are completely out of this world. I really can't even imagine being able to keep a dozen cohesive threads running through seven books the size of dictionaries. I've only read this series once, so it's time for a reread :)

Dystopian

The Out of Time Series by Nadine Brandes easily wins this category! Although The Hunger Games series is a favorite of mine as well, Nadine Brandes's series is Christian and has a premise and creative technology all its own. It's so much more than dystopian and I love it.

Children's

The Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood is still among my favorite children's books. The illustrations are priceless and the strawberry always makes me hungry. It's worth checking your library if you have younger siblings!

Middle Grade

Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool.  I read this creative, inspiring book so fast it's not even funny. Then I gifted it to a ten-year-old girl at my church and she read it within a few days. Adventures and the tale of Pi? Yes please :D

Young Adult

Hmmm ... So so many books are YA, but I don't try to specifically read that genre. Anything with a main character who is a young adult counts, I think. So I'll choose Entwined by Heather Dixon. It's a 12 Dancing Princesses retelling with some dark magic. If the dark magic (a force of wickedness) won't bother you, the family relationships and elegance will completely win your heart.

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Phew, that took a while. Have you read any of these books? What is one favorite genres to read? (I'm always up for recommendations!)