Kate Willis's Blog, page 82

Just Memes

You know those author bloggers who sometimes just drop a meme and call it a blog post?

There are two main reasons this happens…

The author doesn’t want to blog that day out of laziness, tiredness, or uninspiredness.
The author spent their day writing, and therefore is out of words and should not have to blog.

Reason #2? That’s me right now.

Book Review: Ember Falls!!!

[image error]“The stage is set. It’s war. Morbin Blackhawk, slaver and tyrant, threatens to destroy the rabbit resistance forever. Heather and Picket are two young rabbits improbably thrust into pivotal roles.

The fragile alliance forged around the young heir seems certain to fail. Can Heather and Picket help rescue the cause from a certain, sudden defeat? 

My Place Beside You 

My Blood For Yours 

Till The Green… Ember Falls” (from Goodreads)

I took me forever to work up the courage to read this book because I accidentally read a review with a HUGE spoiler that made me doubt if it was worth reading. Even just the title filled me with foreboding. But I read it, and I loved it, and it’s worth the read, and I’m glad to be back into these books.

Plate Update: Hedgehogs, Nettles, and Orphans

*waves to August* *gawks in surprise that it’s really gone* August was full of celebrations and work and sweet family moments.

Here’s a quick update on my full plate last month. 

How to Love an Author

We booklovers already know how to love books, but do we know how to love their authors? This is a very important thing to know, because after all, what are books without their authors?

Book Review: Under Their Skin

[image error] “Nick and Eryn’s mom is getting remarried, and the twelve-year-old twins are skeptical when she tells them their lives won’t change much. Well, yes, they will have to move. And they will have a new stepfather, stepbrother, and stepsister. But Mom tells them not to worry. They won’t ever have to meet their stepsiblings.

This news puzzles Nick and Eryn, so the twins set out on a mission to find out who these kids are – and why they’re being kept hidden.” (from Goodreads)

Wow, so it would have been helpful if I had remembered this was a duology. I read the whole thing expecting it to be a standalone and got to the end with a feeling of “What? That’s it??” Basically, Avengers: Infinity War syndrome.

Once I got over that and thought through the plot and everything, I realized that this book was kinda amazing.

Climax Finished, Ending Not Quite

Last week, I confessed that I had paused my writing halfway through the climax of The Twin Arrows‘s sequel. Good news–I finished that draft!!! (Draft two, in the bag. *does a happy dance*) Poor Gavynn is freed, and his adventure over… But he’s not out of the woods yet.

I Want to Read Good Books Slowly

Earlier this month, something tragical happened to this reader. It was worse than a reading slump. O.o. This unhappy reader was spoiling endings for herself, reading ahead in a book even though she was enjoying it, and reading (and sometimes skimming) a ton of books she didn’t even like.

I just wasn’t enjoying reading.

After some thinking about it and talking with my mom, I came to two conclusions.

First, I needed reading glasses. Again. Weird story there, but two years ago I got reading glasses. They were such a low prescription, I felt like they were kinda optional until a few months ago when I lost one of the lenses and quit wearing them.

I didn’t realize it, but my eyes were actually skipping around on the page trying to focus on the oh-so-tiny words which was causing me a lot of fatigue. I mentally didn’t want to put a book down, but I’d start feeling inexplicably restless and read ahead. #oops #spoilers

We fixed that with a pair of cheapo grocery store reading glasses, and a few days later God actually helped me find the missing lens to my old glasses so now I have two pairs.

Book Review: Wires and Nerve

[image error]“When rogue packs of wolf-hybrid soldiers threaten the tenuous peace alliance between Earth and Luna, Iko takes it upon herself to hunt down the soldiers’ leader. She is soon working with a handsome royal guard who forces her to question everything she knows about love, loyalty, and her own humanity. With appearances by Cinder and the rest of the Rampion crew, this is a must-have for fans of the series.” (from Goodreads)

I have come to the conclusion that I need more graphic novels in my life.

Flash Fiction with Anna

So, my cool sister Anna had this cool idea. I think it was Sunday night when we were accidentally having talking time. She had the idea for us to choose a photo and both write a story from it. It was rather hypothetical until yesterday when we got excited and decided to do it.

Standstill

“So, Kate, how is your book going?”

*slides library book under couch* *minimizes Goodreads* *shuts tab with a video of a Food Network baker making a cake that looks like a pizza* *exits four Wikipedia tabs*

Uh, I’ve been taking a little break.