I’ve been delinquent.  More than delinquent.  Downright neglectful.  But it’s not only the blog.  Anything that doesn’t need doing isn’t getting done.  I’m heads down editing.  Trying to write some new scenes so I can finally get a full MS to my beta readers.  I can see the finish line.  Just need it to be right before I pass it on. 

I still owe a review on The Deathday Letter.  I’ll get to it.  But just know – I really liked it.

Off to edit…

Wow.  It’s been awhile since I’ve posted about the new acquisitions I’ve made in TL’s Library.  I’ve been keeping the bookstores and Amazon in business.

• The Deathday Letter by Shaun David Hutchinson – I’m reading this now and loving it.  It’s morbidly hilarious and written in a teenage boy’s perspective.  How enlightening.
• Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins – I ordered this awhile ago and it came when the book was released last month.  The problem – I still haven’t read Catching Fire, so this will have to wait in line.
• The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan – need action and male POV.  Only read bits and pieces.  It’s in the TBR pile.
• Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schmidt – great book on craft

For my listening pleasure:

• Big Echo by The Morning Benders – Nice alternative tunage
• Go by Jonsi – Cool variety of music on this one.
• Eclipse Soundtrack – This soundtrack has a great selection of songs.  Probably the best of the three movie soundtracks.
• Teenage Dream by Katy Perry – Okay – I wouldn’t let my daughter listen to this… but I sure do like it.
• The Sweetest Thing by JJ Grey & Mofro – This is on Aidan’s playlist for Kyra.
• Madder Red by Yeasayer

I hate to admit it took me longer to finish LINGER than I wanted.  Life just got in the way…  It was one of my most anticipated reads of the summer, since SHIVER, the first book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, is one of my favorite books. EVER. 

Maggie Stiefvater didn’t disappoint.  The book was a slower read than SHIVER, but it was me.  Not her.  She alternated POV between four characters and I found myself wanting to analyze the novel as I read it.  Which slowed me down.  Aside from that – her writing is just magical.  I love the humor and beautiful imagery she provides the reader.  Wonderful characters you totally fall in love with.  I loved Sam in SHIVER and he’s pretty great in LINGER – but Cole… ahhh Cole…  I enjoyed the chemistry between Isabel and Cole.  Isabel is a very strong female protagonist with a strong personality that despite her attitude, is very endearing.  Above all else – this continues a really cool story!  Her take on werewolves is very fresh and creative. 

To me the mark of a great book is the feeling you get toward the end.  You can’t put it down.  You are terrified for the characters and I’ll be honest – I want to read a book that makes me cry.  Which I did at the end of LINGER.  And I couldn’t stop thinking about the ending when I went to sleep, dreamt about the characters and the next morning was still depressed.  Well – depressed may be a slight exaggeration, but sort of a SPOILER ALERT --- the ending – is not your typical HEA.  But it’s how the book HAD to end.  So now, I am waiting… patiently... for the final book in the series, FOREVER. 

LINGER gets a dreamy

Five out of Five clouds…