100 books in 2010 challenge

Here's the link back to the page sponsoring the challenge for more information

and here's my (incomplete) list of books (combined with my 50 Stepping It Up YA challenge books!):

(already read) (not yet read)
1. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
2. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
3. A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
4. Heist Society by Ally Carter
5. I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
6. Dreaming Anastasia, A Novel of Love, Magic, and the Power of Dreams by Joy Preble
7. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
8. Two Girls of Gettysburg by Lisa Klein
9. Hexwood by Dianna Wynne Jones
10. The Key by Marianne Curley
11. Love, Meg, by C. Leigh Purtill
12. Stray by Stacy Goldblatt
13. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
14. Scribbler of Dreams by Mary E. Pearson
15. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
16. Suite Scarlet by Maureen Johnson
17. The Named by Marianne Curley
18. The Dark by Marianne Curley
19. Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
20. First Truth by Dawn Cook
21. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
22. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
23. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
24. The Year I Turned Sixteen by Diane Schwemm
25. Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery
26. Emily Climbs by L. M. Montgomery
27. Emily’s Quest by L. M. Montgomery
28. The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
29. The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
30. Illusion by Paula Volksy
31. Once Upon Stilettos by Shanna Swendson
32. The Misadventures of Maude March by Audrey Couloumbis
33. Into the Wild by Sarah Durst
34. Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson
35. Faith-Based Family Finances by Blue and White
36. Salt and Silver by Anna Katherine
37. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
38. Watership Down by Richard Adams
39. Marley and Me by John Grogan
40. Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
41. Captain’s Fury by Jim Butcher
42. Princeps Fury by Jim Butcher
43. First Lord’s Fury by Jim Butcher
44. Princess at Sea by Dawn Cook
45. Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn
46. Nine Rules to Break When Romancing A Rake by Sarah MacLean
47. Tigana by Guy Kay
48. Kitchen Princess Vol. 1
49. Kitchen Princess Vol. 2
50. Kitchen Princess Vol. 3
51. Kitchen Princess Vol. 4
52. Kitchen Princess Vol. 5
53. Kitchen Princess Vol. 6
54. Kitchen Princess Vol. 7
55. Kitchen Princess Vol. 8
56. Kitchen Princess Vol. 9
57. Kitchen Princess Vol. 10
58. Dengeki Daisy Vol. 1
59. Dengeki Daisy Vol. 2
60. Dengeki Daisy Vol. 3
61. Dengeki Daisy Vol. 4
62. Dengeki Daisy Vol. 5
63. Ouran High School Host Club Vol 1
64. Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 2
65. Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 3
66. Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 4
67. Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 5
68. Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 6
69. Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 7
70. Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 8
71. Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 9
72. Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 10
73. Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 11
74. Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 12
75. Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 13
76. Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 14
77. Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 15
78. Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 16
79. Millenium Snow Vol. 1
80. Millenium Snow Vol. 2
81. Heart no Kuni no Alice Vol. 1
82. Heart no Kuni no Alice Vol. 2
83. Heart no Kuni no Alice Vol. 3
84. Heart no Kuni no Alice Vol. 4
85. Gakuen Alice Vol. 1
86. Black Butler Vol. 1
87. Wanted
88. Poison Study by Maria Snyder
89. Damsel Under Stress by Shanna Swendson
90. Don’t Hex With Texas by Shanna Swendson
91. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
92. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
93. Soulless by Gail Carriger
94. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
95. Wind in the Willows by Grahame
96. Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin
97. Frostbite by Richelle Mead
98. Thirteen to Life by Shannon Delany
99. Dark Secrets Vol. 2 by Elizabeth Chandler
100. Midnighters: The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfield
101. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
102. The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
103. Wings by Aprilynne Pike
104. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
105. Vampire Diaries Vol 1 by Elizabeth Chandler
106. The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Hieber
107. Fallen by Lauren Kate
108. The Cardturner by Louis Sachar
109. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
110. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
111. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
112. Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody
113. Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
114. Nobody’s Princess by Esther Friesner
115. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
116. Radiance by Alison Noel
117. That Summer by Sarah Dessen
118. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
119. Changeless by Gail Carriger
120. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
121. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
122. The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard
123. The Angels Trilogy by Lurlene McDaniels
124. The Farseekers by Isobelle Carmody
125. DNAngel Vol. 1
126. Black Cat Vol. 1
127. Skate
128. City of Glass
129. City of Bones
130. City of Ashes
131. The Iliad
132. Nevermore
133. I am the Messenger
134. Wizard's First Rule
135.

2010 YA Reading Challenge

Link for more basic info...

i plan to do the Stepping It Up Challenge, and here's my list of YA books i have/plan to read. will update as i go!

YA books I’ve Read in 2010 (teal I’ve already read, blue I’m planning to read)

1. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

2. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

3. A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

4. Heist Society by Ally Carter

5. I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

6. Dreaming Anastasia, A Novel of Love, Magic, and the Power of Dreams by Joy Preble

7. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

8. Two Girls of Gettysburg by Lisa Klein

9. Hexwood by Dianna Wynne Jones

10. The Key by Marianne Curley

11. Love, Meg, by C. Leigh Purtill

12. Stray by Stacy Goldblatt

13. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

14. Scribbler of Dreams by Mary E. Pearson

15. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

16. Suite Scarlet by Maureen Johnson

16. The Named by Marianne Curley

17. The Dark by Marianne Curley

18. Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

19. First Truth by Dawn Cook

20. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

21. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

22. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

23. The Year I Turned Sixteen by Diane Schwemm

24. Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery

25. Emily Climbs by L. M. Montgomery

26. Emily’s Quest by L. M. Montgomery

27. The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

28. The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

29. Frostbite by Richelle Mead

30. Thirteen to Life by Shannon Delany

31. Dark Secrets Vol. 2 by Elizabeth Chandler

32. Midnighters: The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfield

33. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

34. The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

35. Wings by Aprilynne Pike

37. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

38. Fallen by Lauren Kate

39. The Cardturner by Louis Sachar

40. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

41. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

42. Radiance by Alison Noel

43. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

44. The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard

45. Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty by Jody Gehrman

46. That Summer by Sarah Dessen

47. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

48. Nightshade

49. Nobody's Princess

50. Vampire Diaries Vol. 1

character sketch teaser

this is a teaser from a story i've been working on (as of posting this, i'm maybe 7% done with my rough draft...all stand in awe of my accomplishments!!! or not..)

it's actually the initial character sketch of the MC that i wrote to get to know/figure out her character a little more.

I barely glanced at the shop’s name as I pushed the door open and marched inside. The waft of cool air steeled me for the coming conversation.

The blonde behind the counter started talking before she looked up. “Can I help you?” She turned to flash me a smile, but her expression froze when she realized who I was.

“Yes. I need a job application,” I replied sweetly.

The smile dripped off her face like warm ice cream. “Of course.” Her frosty tone made me smile wickedly: so appropriate in Cold Stone Creamery.

“Thank you,” I purred.

She fished out some papers from behind the counter and slid them over to me. “Can I get you anything to eat while you fill those out?” she asked, clearly trying to salvage a sale.

“No thanks. I think I’ll fill these out at home and bring them in later.”

“Have a good day.” The words had never sounded less sincere.

“Thank you.” I beamed, readjusting my bag—which now held the application—and swept out of the little shop.

First item on my summer to do list: obtain a job at Cold Stone where Jenna Roberts worked. Check.

a curious question

does anyone ask questions without being curious?

regardless. i have a question.

how do you get to know your characters? when the idea for a story begins to unravel in your head, you begin to imagine what kinds of people inhabit your imaginary world, living out the fascinating sequence of events...characters are necessary. no story would exist without them (whether they be rabbits, elves, or fish).

but how do you get to know your charcters REALLY WELL? like, to the point:

where you think, "Oh, Ryan never would have done that--he's much too cautious," or "Lydia, what are you doing?? Can't you see that you're supposed to be doing THIS. You are so stubborn!!"

where they begin to take the story out of your hands and begin to carve their own little paths (characters REALLY DO have their own minds. non-writers laugh at me when i say this, but it's TRUE)

do you perhaps write up a list of the character's life history, likes and dislikes, catch phrases and personality?

i like to imagine a random situation that may never even occur in the story. then, i place the character in that situation and let them figure out how they want to react. it helps me round out the character before i've started the story and helps prevent unwelcome surprises later on.

what do you do?
perhaps you do not even know what i am talking about???

character sketch

On a crisp January afternoon, several close relatives gathered in a kitchen. A fifteen-year-old girl perched on her chair’s edge, giggling as a black standard poodle gazed up at her dolefully through the transparent kitchen table. His curly, afro-style hair flattened against the glass, and he wore a comically wounded expression as the girl snickered at him. The girl’s parents bustled around the kitchen, creating wonderful fresh, yeasty baking smells and chatting cheerfully with her plump grandmother.

The last figure, Dale, tilted his stocky frame back in the chair farthest from his granddaughter. His shrewd brown eyes observed the proverbial ‘picture perfect’ scene from behind wire-framed glasses. His ruddy cheeks testified to decades of drinking and sun exposure and remnants of stubble coated his chin. A permanently furrowed brow added wrinkles to an already-creased face. Extensive time fishing and hunting had bestowed upon him the long, bulky arms of an ape. Only a sprinkle of grey discolored his close-cut hair and bushy eyebrows. Despite these primitive features, Dale had neatly combed and parted his dark hair and wore a smart cotton polo and khaki culottes.

“So I guess you’re not gonna come up to Alaska and go fishin’ with me this summer, huh?” he demanded of his granddaughter. His voice resounded in the manner of the slightly deaf and he spoke with poor grammar despite his habit of reading extensively. He kept his tone light and casual, but his granddaughter could detect the challenge beneath the gleaming smile of synthetic teeth.

“I guess not,” she replied with forced airiness, grabbing the nearby card deck to avoid looking her grandpa in the eye.

“Kari, come and get Grandpa’s bread,” her mother chimed, smoothly ending the uncomfortable conversation.

Kari jumped up with a grateful “Okay!” As she flitted around the kitchen, Dale grunted in annoyance at being so neatly thwarted. He found a scapegoat for his feelings in the lanky dog shadowing Kari.

“Winston!” he barked loudly. “Git over here.”

With a look of suffering, the dog obeyed his master.

“Lie down,” Dale ordered gruffly, pointing at the ground with a gnarled and stubby finger.

Winston playfully batted at Dale with one bulky paw.

“I said git down,” Dale growled. Winston hit the floor obediently.

“Here you go,” Kari sang as she served a thick slice of hot, yeasty bread to Dale. He rubbed his hands together and sniffed the air appreciatively and as she also provided him with butter, a spoon, and a half-gallon jar of sweet wild-flower honey.

“Mmm, mmm, this looks pret-ty good!” he gloated by way of thanks, slathering on butter. Dale ignored the good-natured teasing from his daughter and son-in-law as he dumped a colossal glob of honey on his bread. As the honey oozed over the bread and pooled on the high-rimmed plate, he seized the spoon and enthusiastically devoured his creation.

“C’mon, let’s see if your luck holds up against me,” Dale dared Kari, slapping his hand down on the table by the abandoned cards.

“Sure,” she smirked. “But it’s only fair to warn you: I’ve won the last four or five games I’ve played….” Her voice trailed off suggestively.

“Oh, pretty cocky, eh? We’ll see if we can fix that,” Dale drawled.

Kari skillfully shuffled the well-worn Harrah’s cards. They buzzed and flapped furiously as Dale drummed his fingers impatiently on the table.

The rest of the crowd joined them for the game, but Dale and Kari barely noticed: each cared only about beating the other.

Dale took risks whenever possible, but Kari played conservatively. While reshuffling the cards, the nemeses engaged in silent staring contests.

Dale’s grin grew fiercer and wider as the game progressed and he continued to accumulate unwanted points—a sure sign of his displeasure, which he attempted to hide behind a ‘good sport’ face and compliments to his opponent. Kari openly celebrated, unable to restrain herself despite her grandpa’s smiling fury.

In the thirteenth and final round, Dale played first. He peered intently at his cards and locked gazes again with Kari. He wore his blandest poker face, and she quivered nervously. Then, he revealed his winning hand.

A triumphant smile spread across Dale’s face as Kari gasped in horror, frantically tallying the final scores.

“No! We both—249 points—a TIE!!” she fumed.

Dale began to chuckle, an earthy, rumbling sound that grew louder as Kari protested incoherently.

His red face darkened as he laughed, and his dark eyes crinkled into merry slits behind his glasses. Instantly, his wrath had evaporated and been replaced by humor.

“I guess—the joke’s on us!” he managed to choke out finally. “The joke’s on us!”

memorial monday

as an American writer, i am especially grateful to the US veterans and soldiers that died in combat. after all, is because of these brave men and women that i and my fellow Americans have the freedom of speech and freedom of opinions so i can write.

perhaps the most striking example was in Nazi Germany where they burned books:

how different life would be if the world had been taken over by communists.

also, consider living in a middle eastern country where women are inferior to men. somehow, even if they didn't mind their citizens reading fantasy novels, i don't think they would be letting me write.

living here in America, it is easy to take these rights for granted. after all, they just make sense. they are RIGHTS. but so many people don't have these rights. how many girls and boys are living somewhere in this world, never to share their amazing thoughts and fantastical ideas because they don't have the opportunity? the education? the RIGHT?

Memorial Day is a chance for me and my fellow Americans to take a pause and reflect what we could lose if our soldiers did not lay down their lives for our freedoms.

to all of them, i say THANK YOU

fantasy friday

for those of you who have not read it yet, i must recommend Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

Ethan Carter Wate lives in Gatlin, South Carolina. All he wants is to leave his boring, small-minded hometown, but then Lena Duchannes arrives, and Ethan's life abruptly becomes much less predictable and much more interesting.

From the moment she steps into the hallways of Gatlin's high school, Lena Duchannes attracts strange accidents and out-right hostility. What's more, she's the girl from Ethan's dreams. Literally. Night after night, he tries and fails to prevent Lena's death, and, from the moment he lays eyes on her, she captures his conscious thoughts as well.

But Lena has bigger problems than unaccepting townsfolk and a blossoming romance. Her family has secrets, dark secrets that they are determined to hide and Ethan and Lena are determined to uncover.

After all, both of their lives may hang in the balance.

this story has everything that makes a good YA fantasy. it has an essence; a flavor; mystery, drama, magic, sorrow, love, page-turning suspense. this story is tangible. it draws you in.

(also, i personally loved the literary allusions and quotes that peppered the dialogue. i read To Kill A Mockingbird BECAUSE of this story, and it was awesome--thank you, Beautiful Creatures!)

the bottom line? it is a story that demands to be read.



*since most of you have probably already read Beautiful Creatures, though, what aspects particularly stood out for you?

**and don't forget to check out today's majorly awesome giveaway at YA Highway. here's the link! clickclickclick!!!

***Kate Hart also has a giveaway goin' on this friday--custom totes and handmade BOOKMARKS could be yours!! check this one out, too!