FRIDAY FIVE: Books of 2015

Okay, this is a day late. Maybe I should just start calling this "Sometime During the Weekend Five." But better late than never, I suppose. And continuing with the obligatory end-of-the-year lists, here are my favorite books read in 2015 (and proof that fantasy rules my heart).

Rat Queens: Volume 1: Sass and Sorcery, Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch

I've frequently lamented about how difficult it is to find adult high fantasy with female protagonists, and this one offers four. That and the recommendation of a friend were enough to get me to give this a chance. All four heroines are different and bring their own strengths to the team, and the world is interestingly fantastical so far. I already have the second volume in my TBR pile.

Beauty Queens, Libba Bray

I decided to pick this up after hearing good things about it on Tumblr, but I had reservations because I didn't love A Great and Terrible Beauty. This turned out to be quite the pleasant surprise. The story follows thirteen teenage beauty queens who crash on a seemingly deserted island while in transit to the Miss Teen Dream pageant. Like Rat Queens, Beauty Queens features a large cast of diverse female characters, all of whom have secrets and quirks and charms. This tale of friendship and bravery deserves a spot on every teenager's reading list.

Falling Kingdoms, Morgan Rhodes

I'm a sucker for high fantasy, obviously. This is the story of Mytica, a land of three divided kingdoms, and four teenagers whose lives intersect: Cleo, a princess who discovers that privilege ; Jonas, out for revenge on his brother's murderer; Lucia, whose magical powers are awakening in a land where magic is forbidden; and Magnus, who harbors a damaging secret. Although there's no real new ground broken here, it's light fare and makes for a fun, easy read. Again, I've got the second book in my TBR pile.

Days of Blood and Starlight, Laini Taylor
I adored Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and the second installment didn't disappoint. It opens up the world and delves deeper into the conflict between chimaera and angels. It also depicts the very real and awful consequences of war on those who wage it. Through it all, the relationships, especially the friendship between Karou and Zuzana, ground the story. And Taylor's lyrical writing borders on magical. The third and final book is, once again, in my TBR pile.

The Circle, Fire, and The Key, Sara B. Elfgren and Mats Strandberg

I don't even know what to say about these books because they're amazing and they were such a surprise! I got the first one in July on a whim because I had a gift card. When I finished, I immediately bought the second. Then I suffered for two months while I waited for the last one to be released. Basically, the trilogy follows six teenage girls who discover that they're witches and that their destiny is to stop the apocalypse. Only they're not even friends. How are they supposed to save the world?

The heart of this story is the girls: Minoo, Anna-Karin, Linnea, Vanessa, Rebekah, and Ida. All six girls are fully realized characters with their own hopes, fears, flaws, and strengths. Although they don't start out as friends, their relationships--both with the group as a whole and with other individuals--develop in realistic and moving ways. I want to re-read these already, and I've spent the last few months talking them up as much as possible!

FRIDAY FIVE: Favorite Movies of 2015

This wasn't a hard list to make because I've barely seen any movies that have come out this year! But the movies I did like I liked a lot.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

There were a lot of little things I didn't quite like about this (Captain Phasma having so little screen time; Leia having so little screen time; Finn using a lightsaber for the first times without major damage to himself; the too-frequent moments of nostalgia that became distracting), but the overall feeling it left me with was the same one I had when I was eight years old watching Star Wars for the first time--absolute wonder.

Mad Max: Fury Road

I had no idea what to expect with this movie. The trailers told me nothing about the story. I hadn't seen any of the previous films. I had just heard that it was making fanboys mad, which is enough of a reason for me to see anything. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that Fury Road is much more Furiosa's and the wives' story than Max's. Not to mention the action had me on the edge of my seat. Definitely worth a rewatch.

Mockingjay Part 2

I've loved this series since I read The Hunger Games in 2010. All of the films are solid, moving adaptations, but this installment is unforgiving in its depiction of the horrors of war and its effects on its young protagonists. By the time the final scene rolled around, I was satisfied both in Katniss's ending and in the journey Collins took me on over the last few years.

Jupiter Ascending

I still don't know how to feel about this film. It's completely off the wall, but in an entertaining way. I think I'll have to watch it again, and more closely, to truly decide how I feel about it, but I appreciate that a big-budget sci-fi movie had a heroine at its center, which is rather unusual outside of the realm of YA.

Far From the Madding Crowd

This is probably my favorite Hardy novel, and this adaptation is every bit as lush and romantic as expected. Carey Mulligan brings sympathy to Bathsheba, who might otherwise be a prickly protagonist, especially in such a short film. And Gabriel Oak, as always, is dreamy. (Mostly. When he's not being too perfect.)

FRIDAY FIVE: Favorite Music of 2015

Because it's the end of the year and the end of the year is a time for lists galore, my next three Friday Fives will be my favorite music, movies, and books of 2015! 

VENUS, Joy Williams
The Civil Wars who?

Favorite track: "Woman"

Every Eye Open, Chvrches
Bury me in electronic beats and words I only half understand.

Favorite track: "Make Them Gold"


 
 

Badlands, Halsey
This album is a feeling, man, and that feeling is climbing to the top of the world and looking down upon your kingdom.

Favorite track: "Roman Holiday"

Piece By Piece, Kelly Clarkson
I love catchy pop and Kelly Clarkson's voice.

Favorite track: "War Paint"



 

25, Adele
Excuse me. I can't stop listening to this. I haven't listened to my audio book in two weeks because of this album. It makes me feel like I'm looking wistfully back upon my youthful misadventures in love, wine glass in hand.

Favorite track: "Sweetest Devotion"

FRIDAY FIVE: World Fantasy Con Edition

It's been a few weeks since I attended my first World Fantasy Con, but graduate school applications, NaNoWriMo, and the holidays have kept me busy. Instead of doing a full write-up of my experience, here are five of my favorite things from the long weekend!

the books

the panels

the food!

 

the surprises

 

the company

FRIDAY FIVE: Places to Write

Because my November was filled with grad-school applications and studying for the GRE, I decided to call it quits on NaNo. I may not be worrying about my output at the moment, but I'm still writing, and today's Friday Five is my favorite places to write.

Libraries. I'm not all that great with silence, actually, so even if I'm in a library, I usually have music on (with earphones, of course!). Even if I don't take advantage of the quiet, though, I like libraries because just the act of getting out of the house and committing to a few hours in a Place of Work is beneficial. I like tucking myself in at a corner table and creating my own little creative bubble-world.

Cafes. Warm drinks and baked goods. Need I say more?

Parks. People-watching is a great tool, both for character depth and for in-the-moment inspiration. Plus, being out in nature is calming and rejuvenating. It makes my brain work better.

Airports. I like the din of life going on around me while I sit quietly and observantly. The best scenario is when I have a few hours on hand because there's no rush to the writing. I can get up and wander or go get a snack if I need to.

Train Stations. Probably my favorite type of place to write for the same reasons as above, even if I don't get to spend time in train stations much.

FRIDAY FIVE: NaNo Writing Advice

Writing advice is weird. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. Most times, it just comes down to personal preference. So while I shy away from advice that is absolute (never do this! always do that!), here are five of my favorite pieces of advice that are getting me through NaNo.

1. Read. Just read. A lot. Until your eyes start to hurt and you can no longer find a comfortable reading position. Reading deeply in a single genre helps you learn about reader expectations. Knowing what came before also means you can play into those expectations while tweaking them in order to create something new. When I was in undergrad, I took a lot of history and literature classes, and I often found that something we discussed in one field could be useful in the other. Reading widely across genres (including non-fiction) can enrich your story in ways you might not otherwise have thought of.

2. Everything In Moderation. Adverbs are great, okay? Just don't use them every single sentence. Same with just about everything else people tell you to avoid--distancing words, 'that,' any dialogue tag that isn't 'sad,' exclamation points. These things can all add to the story when used sparingly. Deleting these from your first draft should be about trimming the excess, cutting redundancies, and adding specificity. But deleting them entirely could mean cutting some of what made a character a character or cutting into your own authorial voice.

3. Find Out What Works For You. Writing, like all creative pursuits, is highly individualized. What worked for Edith Wharton didn't work for Henry James. What works for Stephen King won't necessarily work for you. Experiment with lots of different factors. Try writing indoors then outdoors. Try writing in a cafe then a library. Try writing on a computer then in a notebook. Try writing with music then without. Find your own groove.

4. Write the Story That Gets Your Butt In the Chair. You can drive yourself crazy studying the market trends and trying to write to them, but trying to write the next Twilight isn't going to make you excited about writing. If it's not the story you're passionate about, it's just going to make you depressed. Then you'll start making excuses not to write, and then you'll never get to the end of your manuscript! Write a story you love and can't imagine not writing. Maybe it'll be a harder sell than that next teen paranormal romance, but there are probably a lot of readers waiting for your story without even knowing it.

5. Do Your Thing. Want to write about sharks on the moon? Go ahead! There are people out there who'd jump at reading about lunar sharks. Take advice when appropriate (like maybe tiger sharks would be better protagonists than great whites?), but ultimately, it's up to you. Chase those weird little dreams and get them down on paper. Someone will thank you for it one day.

FRIDAY FIVE: NaNo Essentials

I missed last week because I was attending World Fantasy Convention in Saratoga Springs. It was a great experience, especially for my first con, but now it's back to real life. Once again, I'm participating in NaNoWriMo. Once again, I'm behind on my word count, but this year, it's because I'm prioritizing studying for the GRE and getting my graduate-school applications in (which I just did! yay!). Starting next Saturday, I'm kicking my productivity into high gear and planning to write 3K words a day. We'll see if I get there, but in the meantime, here are five essentials for me to survive NaNo.

Snacks
NaNo is an excuse for me to load up on brain food. In my case, that's usually easy-to-eat things like twizzlers or pretzels. I stay away from messy foods like popcorn or sandwiches. Brain drinks of choice include tea and pop (though I'm trying to cut back on it).

A Good Notebook
Although I like to do a lot of my writing on my laptop because it's faster and I can keep track of my word count better, a good notebook is essential for writing on the go, like in my hotel room after days filled with panels and parties at WFC. I'm very particular about notebooks. The one pictured here is what I'm using for my NaNo story, which is a young adult zombie apocalypse novel, and I love it because the spine is flexible. I'm also particular about pens. So particular that the only ones I really like to use are sold only in one store. I'm low maintenance in everything except writing, I guess.

Writing Music
I can't write in silence. Lots of people can, but I need either music (when I'm at home) or the soft din of people going about their business (when I'm out). Music with lyrics is too distracting, so I usually go for film or TV scores. Particular recent favorites are: How to Train Your Dragon (John Powell), Perfect Sense (Max Richter), Orphan Black (Trevor Yuile), The 100 (Evan Frankfort; unavailable for purchase, but EF has a playlist on soundcloud, and Stardust (Ilan Eshkeri).

An Internet Blocker (Or just the willpower to keep wifi off for hours at a time)
This is the hardest, honestly. I think it's tough for any writer. I love to delve into research, and sometimes I get lost there for hours. My current big research question is what America would be like two years after society collapsed. But in this case, I'm trying to save all that digging for December or maybe even after I'm finished with the first draft. Other hazards include Facebook, which is where I message all my writer friends to check in on their stories, and Tumblr, where I just love to waste time.

A Hot Shower (or, you know, 30)
This might sound weird depending on how much writing you did in college (which is where I first learned this trick), but anytime I'm stuck on a plot point or on where to go with a scene, a hot shower works wonders. There are tons of articles out there regarding the scientific explanation, which has to do with the hot water triggering a release of dopamine and a relaxed state of mind. Whatever the reason, it works!