Annie Cardi's Blog, page 19

Friday Fifteen

Happy Friday, everybody! Although I’m still in denial that it’s actually Labor Day weekend, I’m so excited to be heading into a long weekend with the possibility of s’mores in my future. Let’s start things off with a look at what I’ve been reading and writing in fifteen words or fewer:

Reading: Running Like a Girl: Notes on Learning to Run by Alexandra Heminsley

Light but motivating look at running for people who don’t think they’re runners.

Writing: There’s always a sacrifice in fairy tales—a heart, a home, a body.

New story at the Hanging Garden coming on Monday!

Links Galore

Lots of links I’ve been saving:

Love for Prufrock.
The stats on how writers found their agents.
And stats on how many books came before the debut.
Let’s stop perpetuating these reading myths.
Big change for children’s books on the NY Times Bestseller lists.
Why The ____’s Daughter/Wife title convention is so common.
Female sci-fi writers to add to your reading list.
And some diverse YA sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.
Also books that deal with Muslim life.
Are you a logophile?
Please tell me the I Want My Hat Back musical will be just as darkly funny as the book.
Making fictional maps.
High school students are most likely form friendships in their classes.
Anyone want to run a bookstore in Scotland with me?
You might recognize my library antics in this list of alternate places to study around UVA.
Elizabeth Gilbert’s advice for success: bring it, every time.
The ups and downs of having a debut book.
Girls lead the language revolution.
A book that can literally save your life.
Excellent way to reframe ‘diversity’ panels at conferences.
How to donate books to prisons.
Because Hogwarts isn’t the only magic school.
Hashtags for writers, readers, and bookish people.
How to write a novel and keep your day job.
Advice for struggling writers from the delightful Jenny Martin.
I need to subscribe to most of these teen lit podcasts.
“Middle grade books are the instruction manuals that show us how to build our own inner landscapes. When we were kids they taught us how to shape, for the very first time, the spaces that were ours, and only ours.”

Waiting for the First of September at 11 o’clock

 

 

Happy Hogwarts Express Day!

Make sure you have your owl cozy:

And your wand ready:

Between September 1 (first day of Hogwarts) and July 31 (Harry Potter’s birthday), Rowling’s world has a real effect on how I see the yearly calendar. Fictional days are the best!

Friday Fifteen

Happy Friday, everyone! Somehow it’s the last Friday in August, which means I want to soak up every possible second of summer before it’s over. Let’s get the weekend started with a look at what I’ve been reading and writing in fifteen words or fewer.

Reading: The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming

Like reading about the people in the Capitol in The Hunger Games, but real.

Writing: “…no one drinks if they don’t want to. Peer pressure is for the lacrosse team.”

Team rules.

Quote of the Day

“Even though one loses out here and there, and even though one sometimes feels a falling off, one must rally and take courage again, even though things should turn out differently from what one originally intended…For great things do not just happen by impulse but are a succession of small things linked together.”—Vincent van Gogh

Take courage, artists. Every day.

(Image: Painter on His Way to Work. Arles, August 1888. oil on canvas)

Friday Fifteen

Happy Friday, guys! Somehow it’s Friday again? Not that I’m complaining, but this week kinda got away from me ( cough no blog posts cough). At least I can catch up with a good ol’ look at what I’ve been reading and writing in fifteen words or fewer:

Reading: The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

Finally read it! Feels way more epic than I expected; love the family stuff too.

Writing: “first causality of the quiz bowl road trip—somehow dinosaur-related.”

No, it’s not a time-travel. Into revisions and hoping to have draft two ready by the end of the month (gulp).

Friday Fifteen

Happy Friday, guys! I’m kind of in shock that we’re already in the middle of August–can we rewind to a Friday back in June? Until I manage to figure out how to bend the rules of space-time, here’s a look at what I’ve been reading and writing in fifteen words or fewer:

Reading: Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley

‘First girl in a military school’ doesn’t even begin to cover everything here. So good!

Writing: “Spanish club doesn’t count when you only show up on days they’re making Latin-American cuisine.”

Diving back into my WIP for a first round of revisions; protagonist isn’t exactly a joiner to start off with.

Links Galore

A few mid-week links:

I am SO EXCITED for Dumplin’ the book and now Dumplin’ the movie!!!
“At the time, science fiction for and by women was a rarity. There was no one like Meg Murry before Meg Murry, though she left a legacy to be picked up by contemporary young adult heroines like The Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen and the Harry Potter series’ Hermione Granger.”
On tropes and when they do actual damage.
What Whovians should read.
Excellent advice from editors for beginning writers.
Caroline B. Cooney and the “what if” approach.
Which books do you wish you could read again for the first time?
Judy Blume to the rescue!
Lee Wind is the SCBWI’s Member of the year! Make sure to check out his excellent blog.
On parenting and writing.
JK Rowling plays Minecraft, and other things you may not know about her.
Because you’re never too young to be a writer, picture books about writing.
Fairy tale retellings are always on my reading list.

 

My Favorite YA Books and Iced Coffee: Interview with Book and a Beverage!

Iced coffee and porch reading makes for the perfect morning.

This week I’m over at the Book Addict‘s Guide, talking with Brittany about book recommendations, current projects, and how I keep myself hydrated while taking part in my favorite bookish activities. (I seriously sing “I love iced coffee” when I take that first essential sip.) Brittany asked such fantastic questions for her fantastic Book and a Beverage series; I had a hard time limiting my answers. And I’m so glad that Brittany is a fellow Scorpio Races fan!

Make sure to head over to the Book Addict’s Guide and check out the interview!

Friday Fifteen and Giveaway Winners

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway for The Chance You Won’t Return this week! I liked hosting the giveaway so much, I ended up choosing two winners. They are:

Andrea T. and Julie R.!

Andrea and Julie, keep an eye out for my email so I can get your shipping info for your prizes. And everyone, thank you so much for entering. I’ll definitely do another giveaway soon, so keep checking in for your chance to win.

In the meantime, here’s a look at what I’ve been reading and writing in fifteen words or fewer:

Reading: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Felt more human and better crafted than Gone Girl; not a favorite, but intriguing.

Writing: They are my constant, from here to the end of the universe.

First draft of my WIP is done! Full steam ahead into the revisions!