Kate Willis's Blog, page 90
March 10, 2018
Break Time!
Hi, y’all! As you may have noticed, I didn’t blog yesterday (or reply to your comments). Sorry about that. 
March 7, 2018
A Review of Two Mydlands Short Stories
[image error] “Kenzie discovers she has unique skills from hours spent translating what her twin 3-year-olds are saying. She just might save the day when her husband, the starship’s captain, gets into a linguistic pickle with a new alien race!
Stronger for Language is part of Mydlands, a Creative Commons sci-fi universe.
This is a short story (approx. 16 minutes average reading time).” (from Goodreads)
Stronger for Language by Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick such a great short story! It was sci-fi enough to be fascinating (AI’s and aliens) but not too much that it would boggle my brain.
March 5, 2018
Plate Update: Bookstores, Accents, and Five Chapters
February seemed like a very long month this time around, and it’s not even a leap year.
March 2, 2018
4 Books to END a Reading Slump
Last week, I shared four unforgettable books that have thrown me into a reading slump with their deep themes and complicated plots. I also explored how reading slumps are actually pretty cool.
February 28, 2018
Book Review: Slug Days
[image error]“On slug days Lauren feels slow and slimy. She feels like everyone yells at her, and that she has no friends. Today there is a different bus driver; Dan and Sachi are sitting in Lauren’s seat on the bus; and Lauren’s teacher interrupts her reading time. It is definitely a slug day. But not every day is like this. On butterfly days Lauren makes her classmates laugh, or goes to get ice cream, or works on a special project with Mom.
Lauren has Autism Spectrum Disorder (an umbrella term that has included Asperger Syndrome since 2013), and she sees the world differently from many people. Sometimes this can be frustrating and makes Lauren want to flip her lid, especially at school where she learns differently from her classmates. But with support and stubbornness and a flair that’s all her own, Lauren masters tricks to stay calm, to understand others’ feelings, and to let her personality shine. She even manages to find common ground with her sticky, slobbery baby sister. Best of all, it is being different that gives Lauren insight into the insecurities of the new student, Irma.” (from Goodreads)
I have to start off by admiring the cover art–front and back. It is seriously cute and portrayed the whole story perfectly. 
I picked this book up because it deals with a topic I know very little about (and the cover art was cute). It did a good job explaining Autism Spectrum Disorder without focusing on the disorder itself but instead telling an entertaining, meaningful story from the perspective of a little girl. It was eye-opening to see Lauren’s day to day life–all the things she struggled with and all the things she loved. Her family was sweet, and it blessed me to see her parents and teachers gently help her learn to understand what other people were thinking/feeling. “Insectville” was very cute (I want to make a diorama too now), especially with the adorable illustration style. I couldn’t help but smile when Lauren read aloud to the baby.
February 26, 2018
A New Story and An Old One
Last week, I met five new friends. I had known a little about them beforehand–their names, life situations, and even a few of their faults. Now though, I really got to know them. I saw what they looked like, what they cared about most in life, and how they reacted to others. I even watched a pivotal moment in their lives happen.
You see, I started a new story.
Character development is one of my favorite parts of writing because it’s a time of exploration. It’s a little window where I can flesh out who these people are and who they will be before I throw a plot at them.
February 23, 2018
4 Books to Induce a Reading Slump
What exactly is a “reading slump”? A reading slump is the scariest, most terrible thing that can ever happen to a bookworm. Scarier than running out of books. A reading slump is being unable to read because of exhaustion (probably caused by dry textbooks) or disinterest.
I have a theory about the cause of disinterest in reading. For me, this happens when the last book I read was sooo mind-blowingly good that I need to take a break to reflect on it, send it into long-term/life-changing memory, and get my emotions in order.
February 21, 2018
Book Review: Beautiful Blue World
[image error]“Sofarende is at war. For twelve-year-old Mathilde, it means food shortages, feuding neighbors, and bombings. Even so, as long as she and her best friend, Megs, are together, they’ll be all right.
But the army is recruiting children, and paying families well for their service. If Megs takes the test, Mathilde knows she will pass. Megs hopes the army is the way to save her family. Mathilde fears it might separate them forever.
A reimagining of war, where even kindness can be a weapon, and children have the power to see what adults cannot.” (from Goodreads)
I have been looking for this book for forever. Like seriously, I always check the teen section at my library and it is never there. Well, it’s never in the teen section, that is. I just found it in the children’s section this time and probably squealed out loud. 
February 19, 2018
Remember
I think one of my biggest problems is forgetfulness. I forget to put something away, do a chore, or say hello. Not that forgetfulness is unusual or that I’m especially prone to it. Forgetfulness causes big problems for me, especially when I forget something important.
I was looking at my old blog the other day. It’s one of the only places a family favorite recipe is stored, and I hadn’t bookmarked it well, so it took some searching.
February 14, 2018
Book Review: Wings of a Dream
[image error]“Rebekah Hendricks dreams of a life far beyond her family’s farm in Oklahoma, and when dashing aviator Arthur Samson promised adventure in the big city, she is quick to believe he’s the man she’s meant to marry. While she waits for the Great War to end and Arthur to return to her so they can pursue all their plans, her mother’s sister falls ill. Rebekah seizes the opportunity to travel to Texas to care for Aunt Adabelle, seeing this chance to be closer to Arthur’s training camp as God’s approval of her plans.
But the Spanish flue epidemic changes everything. Faced with her aunt’s death, Arthur’s indecisiveness, and four children who have no one else to care for them, Rebekah is torn between the desire to escape the type of life she’s always led and the unexpected love that just might change the dream of her heart.” (from Goodreads)
This book was like a scrumptiously perfect mini cheesecake–the right size, sweet but substantial, and utterly happy-creating.
