I always wanted to be a collector of things when I was younger. I saw people with those little fancy spoons, my relatives collected tea cups, or the little old man down the street with his stamp and coin collection.
I had nothing of the sort, but looking back, I’ve always been a collector of the written word. I feel like the acknowledgement of books as a collection didn’t rise in popularity until recently—especially with the movement of special edition books.
So, I guess I am a collector with a collection of a bunch of paper and ink. Although, that begs the question: what is a collection? Is it just a handful of items in the same category? Are we all collectors of silverware and clothing? Does the group of items have to have some sort of monetary or sentimental value? I mean, looking back, I had two full binders of CDs, is that a collection? Technically, it had a monetary value. But, I digress from my collection that I actually claim.
I love my collection of books, they feel a bit like a hoard of trophies of things I’ve read and loved. Well, it’s also my TBR too—I do, at least, sell the books that I didn’t enjoy so I don’t just continuously add books that didn’t bring me joy.
What do you collect? Are you a book collector that has a penchant for special editions?
I’ve been staring at a blank page for far too long trying to think of something to talk about today when I realized that I actually made a post on my Instagram about that this week.
Ironic, no?
My post feels a little on the nose after having sat here for who knows how long. I can’t even edit a blog post if there’s nothing there.
I think that’s something all of us creators need a reminder of every now and then. Your first draft doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t even have to make sense. Just get the words out on the page. Get the ideas going because sometimes, once you get going, the words just keep going.
For me at least, staring at a blank page will breed self doubt and apathy toward my project, but once I get going, I find myself on a roll. Do I go back and edit out a good bit of what I’ve written or rewrite things and add others? Of course, but you can’t edit what isn’t there!
Just dump the words out
Throwing it back to middle school here. Do a mind dump. Just let the stream of consciousness take over the page. Don’t let anything tell you that it doesn’t belong on the page. Put it on there and go back later to make cuts and changes.
Set a timer
I find quick sprints to be really effective. When you’re dumping out the words or just trying to work on an idea, set a timer anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes and just work. Put your phone on do not disturb, ignore that email notification that just came in, just let your brain focus on one task. Get your coffee or your snack before you set the timer so you’re not tempted to make a trip to the kitchen mid sprint.
Doodle
Okay hear me out, do you ever let your mind wander while you’re on the phone and somehow you have this great idea but then you don’t remember it? Start doodling so your brain is focused on that, but once your brain wanders and the idea strikes, open the word doc and work! Or just start making notes on your doodle paper!
What do you typically do when you’re staring at a blank page?
What is that quote that’s been circulating bookstagram lately? “I still read fairytales, they’re just dirtier now?” Well, that feels rather accurate with some of the books I’ve been reading and also adding to my TBR lately. Beauty and the Beast is a super popular fairytale in the retelling world, but I recently read a Rapunzel retelling, and thought to myself, you know, I should make a list of retellings that *aren’t* Beauty and the Beast. So, here we are.
Kept by Evelyn Flood
I devoured this one. Fair warning, it is why choose, but it is so well done. I thoroughly enjoyed that one of the MMCs is named Ryder. Shout out to Disney’s Tangled. I’ve never actually read the original fable, so I can’t say whether or not the villain is supposed to be a male or female, but I liked that the “Mother Gothel” in this situation was a male, it added some interesting twists and turns.
You can read it on KU free here! Evelyn Flood has a whole series of retellings too!
Gild by Raven Kennedy
This one is a few years old, but Kennedy just released book five, book six will be released in September! Gild is a King Midas retelling, which if you aren’t familiar, King Midas turned everything he touched into gold. In the legend, he was gifted this power from Dionysus and delighted in turning his garden into gold, but he later lamented his choice of gift when he turned his food and drink into gold and could not control the power.
The Plated Prisoner, though, is the story of Auren, the true source of King Midas’ power. I loved the twists and the drama and the emotional rollercoaster that this one sent me on.
I love a good Little Mermaid Retelling, and this one did not disappoint! Princess Maren has a secret and now she’s trying to escape the bargain that she made with the sea witch Edonia. This one is dark, as many of Halle’s books tend to be, so check trigger warnings before diving into this one! However, it is such a delectable and emotional ride between Maren and Captain Ramsay.
So, I think I said earlier I wouldn’t do a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but I couldn’t leave this one out. I think this is one of my favorite BatB retellings. It has Viking vibes and the MMC is such a delicious morally grey cinnamon roll. If you’ve read her Ever King series, you definitely need to pick up this series. Even if you haven’t read Ever King, this one is a great read. Honestly, just thinking about this one makes me want to go reread it.
There are so many retellings out there, but these are just a few that I thoroughly enjoyed! I love new and original stories, but sometimes revisiting our favorite fairytales in new formats can be such a comfort. Do you have any that you always recommend to people?
We’re book babes, we love getting cozy and reading, especially when we have things to make that experience better. So…I’ve compiled a list of my favorite accessories to go with reading.
Personally, I prefer the Oasis, but I think they must be doing a sneaky update behind the scenes at Amazon, since it’s currently unavailable. My second choice, though, is the Kindle Scribe, but it is fairly pricey. However, my favorite thing about it is that you can write and annotate your books. It also has a notebook option, which as someone with ADHD, being able to take notes on the Scribe rather than my iPad keeps me from going down a rabbit hole on the internet.
The best bang for your buck Kindle is just the plain old kindle, but the Kindle Paperwhite is the most popular from what I’ve seen on Bookstagram. I get it, I’m a lover of physical books too. I like having my shelf trophies, but it’s so nice to just toss my Oasis into my purse or diaper bag and go. Plus, there’s literally hundreds of thousands, if not more, books at your fingertips––just a click away. Speaking of clicks, that leads me to my next fave.
A Page Turner
The page turner lets you prop your kindle up, or use one of my other favorite accessories, and tuck your hands away under the blanket or grab onto your cup of tea or glass of wine and just tap a button on a remote to turn the page.
Lefties unite, no more stretching your thumb to hit just the right spot on your kindle screen to flip forward, No more aching thumb after a long reading session.
Kindle Holder
This one you have options. For me, I don’t have a bedside table, so the ones with a clamp don’t work for me, I have to use a kindle stand that has a foot to set on the ground or tuck between the mattress and the bed frame. Like this one!
Is it bougie? Sure! But how nice is it to not have to hold your arm up for ages when you’re reading or having to find the perfect pillow and position to prop your arm up?
A Blanket–specifically an electric blanket
I am a big fan of being warm and cozy. Despite it creeping closer toward summer, I am still using my electric blanket in the evenings while I read. This one from Amazon has six settings and is the perfect size to curl up with in my chair at night. It heats up so quickly and stays on for quite a long time. Bonus, it comes in nine colors!
Is this one necessary? No, but well…are any of these actually necessary? I mean, to make things a little easier and more luxurious, yes. I love my heated coffee cup. This one is useful outside of reading too. I have a toddler that I’m always chasing around and next thing you know that coffee I made two hours ago has been forgotten. My heated coffee cup keeps it nice and toasty.
Bringing it back to reading, I love when my tea is still warm after I’ve finished that super intense chapter that makes me forget that I’m even in the real world.
That’s it for now! Hope you guys have a stellar day!
It can be so easy to say editing is a luxury or proofreading doesn’t really matter, especially when your project isn’t some massive thing like a 200,000 word manuscript. However—I’m about to age myself here—let’s throw it back to that meme that went around Facebook. Actually, let me just drop one below.
Our brains a literally wired to fix mistakes, and we don’t even realize we’ve done it. We skip over double words, glance over typos, and rearrange sentences that are out of whack. This is especially true in our own writing because we know what we were intending to say. Due to this, it’s almost as if we’re blind to mistakes.
In addition to this, have you ever stared at a word long enough it doesn’t even look like a real word anymore. I’ll throw it back to when I had to write a word one hundred times if I misspelled it in school—wait y’all didn’t have to do that?
It may not be your forte.
And that’s okay! The nuances of the English language are complicated at best and nonsensical at worst. Your forte is your niche, so why try to shove a square peg in a round hole? You should be focused on your work, your creativity, your website, or whatever your project is rather than trying to force yourself to do a task that isn’t what you enjoy or feel perfect doing
Having a fresh set of eyes can pick up more mistakes.
Someone who has had no interaction with that particular project can pick up typos, mistakes, forgotten commas easier than someone who has been married to the project for weeks, months, or years. You glance over the to that should be too. Maybe a pesky comma sneaks through unnoticed or an em dash has an extra space or no space. It’s kind of like walking into a house you’re going to buy. The people who are selling the house didn’t notice that their photo wall is off center, but you, seeing the house for the time, notice it right off the bat. It’s like a neon sign. An editor or proofreader is like that home buyer, seeing those neon signs that are easy to miss when you’re the one living in the home.
Time! Time is such a limited resource.
As a writer, project coordinator, business owner, you have so much on your plate. Your time is stretched thin across all the things you have to do. You feel like you have to let things go just to make sure you meet deadlines or accomplish the other tasks on your list. There aren’t enough hours in the day.
I get it! It’s easy to become married to your project and feel like you can do it all, but why not share the burden? Commas, em dashes, typos, and structure are editors’ jam. Let us handle that while you do your thing.
Feel free to send me a message about your project and let’s chat!
I love all of Lena’s main male characters. Whip King was no different. I had the distinct pleasure of being sent this book as an ARC, and let me tell you, I was so thrilled to get my grubby paws on it.
I have been dying for the King’s side of the feud and more of their back story. This initial dive into their nuances left me wanting so much more. I cannot wait for this series to continue. As always with interconnected series and standalones, we get glimpses of other characters we’ve met before. Seeing Whip’s relationship with Lee in the fire house and the secret soft spot they all seem to have for Duke.
Back to Just This Once.
Hendrix gives us a spicy, sweet, cocktail with a piercing bite to it. Yes. Piercing is emphasized right there. One of my favorite things about Lena and her writing is her ability to give me just enough spice without compromising her incredible plots. Plus, she writes a killer feud that I’ve been hooked on finding more about for what six books now?
If you haven’t picked this one up yet, it’s available on KU—Here!
Did you sing that in your head too? If you did, you are my people. I’ve been active on my bookstagram, but sometimes life has a way of speeding up and getting in the way of things, you know? Since the last time I posted on here, I’ve had a son, left my job with the college I worked with, launched my freelance editing business, signed on with an indie publisher as a copy editor, and moved to a new state!
Exhausted reading that? Hey, me too. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last couple years. I’m so excited to start offering more editing services, especially to the indie author community. That is my main love. There are many stories ready to be told, and I’m just here to help those stories along.
Reading, writing, annotating, and editing have been my passion for so long, and I just want to say I’m grateful that I have this opportunity to make those loves my job.
A solid 3.5 sports romance. This book had a lot of things that worked for it and a few things that weren’t so great.
To start, I absolutely love that the cover of this book was not just a shirtless man. The addition of the dog in the photo makes it super appealing plus he actually looks like he’s having fun?
I also liked that the FMC had an unusual hobby/career path. You don’t see a lot of books with a cellist as the main character. She was on the hot mess express for most of the book, which was endearing most of the time but obnoxious at others.
The MMC was great. He seemed mature and well adjusted, which is sometimes a rare find in this genre. I loved his love for Monty. His dares at the beginning of the book were also a big highlight for me. I wish that there had been more dares throughout the book ….seeing that the title has the word dare in it. Plus the word dog….we only ever met two dogs and on some level they weren’t really that big of a part of the plot.
My favorite part of this whole book though was the social life of the senior citizens. They were the stars of this book. I loved meddling Mrs. H.
The things that didn’t work so well for me were things like the poorly translated French. I promise you there’s a world of people who would love to help you translate things instead of going it on your own if you’ve never taken French or don’t speak it. I also don’t really know how it helped the plot…so there’s that.
The chemistry between Luke and Summer was there but it was like a warm pot rather than a scorching read. In the beginning, I kinda thought she was going to end up with Antonio because they seemed to have more in common and better chemistry.
Another thing I struggled with was that while it was a sports romance….the sport didn’t seem to play that big of a part.
I also struggled because every once in a while, someone would call the dog Lillie when her name is Milli and I don’t know if that was intentional…I’m assuming not because I doubt that Summer would forget her own grandmothers dogs name.
Lastly, the characters, while somewhat developed, still fell a little flat. What was Luke’s favorite meal, what pet peeves does he have? We know he likes dogs and dares and football and dislikes his dad but beyond that? No idea.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have been waffling between a three and a four star on this book. It wasn’t necessarily the most well written book, the most interesting book, or exciting. I’m also not sold on the plot, but what I am sold on is the characters and their relationships.
The world that this is set in is actually fairly interesting with the use of the stele and runes. The supernatural creatures that are in the book aren’t unique by any means, but the Shadowhunter take on nephilim is fairly creative.
Clary is fifteen, and I am hoping that she continues to not act that age. I have gotten to the age where I really don’t want to read about people that are early to mid teen range…..maybe because I need some spice in my life. I thought Clary was a little too okay with magic after having grown up with her mother beating into her head that there is no such thing, but maybe Luke saying that her artistic mind had more to do with her seeing things that aren’t there helped a little.
Our villain was just kind of meh. He didn’t really instill terror. I feel like he definitely should have since he was advocating basically genocide and segregation and all that, but he was just kind of like Disney villain level of scary? I didn’t feel there was enough build up to warrant any level of fear or concern on the reader’s part for the villain. Which is why I was low key frustrated that Jace went from being very outspoken, aggressive, kind of assholish to a passive, take information at face value character in his final scene with Valentine?????
What I, and other bookstagrammers that I’ve talked to, really found that Clare did well in this book was the level of attention to the little things within the character development and the relationships between the characters. It was the little things that I enjoyed through this books. The little interactions between Jace and Clary, or Simon, Isabelle, and Alec. Even adding in Lucian and Alaric (brb why am I crying over a side character we met like three times?).
I really liked the relationship between Clary and Luke. I will admit that I hated that I knew he was just being protective when he told Clary off originally. I am really hoping that their paternal relationship continues as we try to save Jocelyn, but even if she wakes up, I hope that this relationship continues to flourish.
Overall, I have very mixed feelings about this set in the Grishaverse. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve really enjoyed my time so far in the Grishaverse, but this set and I had a hard time seeing eye to eye.
I wanted it to live up to the hype so badly, especially so because I really enjoyed the Shadow & Bone trilogy, even the cursed second book that suffered from second book syndrome.
I actually really liked the Oceans 11 vibe that LB was going for in SoC. I thought the heist aspect was actually pretty interesting. One of my hesitations for diving in whole heartedly was that the characters seemed like they should be mid-twenties instead of teenagers. I really and truly can’t see them being in their teens with how they act.
I also felt like some of the descriptions and inner monologues felt clinical rather than emotional or described by the POV we were reading. Which, I hated how much we jumped from POV to POV. Really and truly, in CK, it felt like we saw the same bit of time over and over again because we saw it from multiple POVs. There was also a lot of telling instead of showing of backstories, particularly Kaz.
Speaking of Kaz, (I will get flamed for this I know) I didn’t like him. From what I saw on Booksta, I thought there was going to be some great love story between him and Inej. That awkward moment when I felt like Inej had more chemistry with Jesper or Matthias than Kaz. He was also all bark and very little bite. With all of his threats he made to people, he only carried out a seldom few. On top of that, I found it hard to believe that he was the most ruthless in Ketterdam as a teenager.
Inej was a queen. Nina was great, but her whole fabrication of the lie surrounding why she got Matthias sent to prison annoyed me. I also literally do not remember a description of her including being overweight. Somewhere I remember it being said she was curvy, but I see fan art all over the place where she is overweight. Jesper, I liked him. Sharpshooter, farm boy, secret Grisha. I liked him. He actually seemed relatable to a teenager because he was impulsive when it came to gambling and still had the foolhardy sense to go into shootouts without much fear which relates back to that teenage ideology that “it won’t happen to me.”
Don’t crucify me, I loved baby Wylan……but I forgot he was there a lot. Matthias. I loved him. While I liked Nina and liked the idea of Helnik…..I liked the idea of Inej and Matthias more. The fact that I can see Matthias with someone other than who LB planned is a problem. If she was writing with their end ship in mind, then I shouldn’t be able to say that Matthias and Inej would actually make a better couple than Nina and Matthias.
I say this because they seem like they would have more in common, better chemistry, and a better understanding of each other. the Helnik ship seems to stem from some sense of duty that they have for each other rather than actual chemistry.
….I will get major flames for this, but I almost feel like the book will be better as the Netflix show than the book. The narration style just didn’t do it for me. Also, if they follow the plot and kill my boy Matthias, I will have words.
Hey Bookworms Editing 