Tag: books

personal, reading, writing

2012 – Goals, resolutions…and shooting for the stars

Elodie

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you, your family and loved ones. Wishing you happiness, love, success, health and wonderful moments to come in 2012…

I rolled into 2012 with hubby and his family, champagne, good food and lots of laughs…and as I checked my emails in the early hours, I saw that I won a contest! Yay 🙂 I am going to receive a copy (autographed copy!!!) of Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi! Thank you so much Beth!!!! It has been on my TBR pile and I´m so excited about this…

I like the fresh start feeling of a New Year, not the “everything-is-erased-and-I-am-a-new-person” but “I-learned-a-lot-from-you-2011-and-I-am-ready-for-some-changes-in-2012″…On top of learning from the past, one should also never forget to reach for the stars and to dream. So here are my 2012 goals and resolutions!

Writing-related

  • Finish the first draft of my WIP
  • Edit it and make it ready for submission
  • Query said-WIP and find wonderful agent who had desired my manuscript without knowing it, who falls helplessly in love with it and helps me to take it to yet another level…Wonderful agent then sells it to great publishing house and I become part of the class of 2014.
  • Start working on my second novel
  • Establish regular contact with the wonderful people I might swap manuscripts with in the future 🙂 (yes Tarah, Heather and Hannah, I´m talking about you…:-))

Reading-related

  • I am not setting myself a goal of books to read per year because I know I have my commuting time which allows me to read, a lot.
  • However, I will make better use of Goodreads.com and will write more reviews about the books I read (on there and on here).

Other

I joined the Change, Write, Now challenge. It´s not really about the competition, it´s more about the support we will give each other in reaching our goals. I will update you from times to times on how this is going for me 🙂 Part of these resolutions concern:

  • Stepping away from the computer and my cell phone…from times to times…
  • Spend more quality time with hubby (he also says to be nicer to him but it´s wishful thinking cos I´m already super lovely  :-))
  • Become more organized so that I can give myself the gift of time
  • Cut down on some bad habits and pick up some good ones (including working out more often)

In 2012, I will also continue to update my blog regularly and I look forward to “seeing” you on the blogosphere or on Twitter 🙂 because you are awesome! Cheers to you!

Did you set yourself some goals for 2012?

reading, ya

Class of 2011: YA Superlatives blogfest – Best in Show

Elodie

Katy Upperman, Jessica Love, Tracey Neithercott and Alison Miller had the great idea to organize the  CLASS OF 2011: YA SUPERLATIVES BLOGFEST! Don´t hesitate to check their blogs for all the links…

For this feature “Best in show”, I am proud to introduce: A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, Die for Me by Amy Plum, The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter, Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper, Passion by Lauren Kate, The Duff by Kody Keplinger…

 

Favorite Cover – A Beautiful Dark

Cutest Couple – Sean and Puck from The Scorpio Races, I mean they´re just adorable and when he kisses her wrist awwww….

Most Likely to Make You Miss Your Bedtime (The book you just couldn’t put down!):  I did miss my bedtime many many times because of several books (YA and non YA). For this one, I chose the latest read which caused my hubby to turn around several times grunting at me: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter.

Best Repeat Performance (Your favorite sequel or follow-up.):  Passion by Lauren Kate. Even though I am a tad disappointed with this sequel, I gotta love the time travel…

Romance Most Worthy of an Ice Bath: Kate and Vincent from Die For Me (with a runner-up: Treygan and Yara from Tangled Tides). Kate and Vincent have that all forbidden love going on while Treygan and Yara, well, let´s put it that way: they may not kiss right away but they still put the heat on 🙂

Pair Most Likely to Stay Best Friends Till They’re 80: Again, Sean and Puck. They understand each other with a look and they have the same goals in life.

Breakout Novel (Favorite Book by a Debut Author): Here it is a toss-up between Die for me by Amy Plum and Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper (I reduced it to 2 which is quite amazing if you ask me :-)). I really enjoyed the characters in Die for Me including the secondary ones, it made me laugh and I loved that it was set in Paris… Tangled Tides just made dive into a different world and one it was hard to leave when the book ended.

Best Old-Timer (Your favorite read of the year, published BEFORE 2011.): The DUFF by Kody Keplinger…

Most Pleasant Surprise (The best book you didn’t think you’d like, but totally did.): The Goddess Test. I read some negative reviews about it and I have to say I did not expect an exact re-telling of the Greek mythology.  Maybe, that´s what allowed me to let myself really enjoy this book. Even though certain parts made me go “whaaat?”, my most common reactions ended up with “awww”

Most Creative Use of a Love Triangle: Tangled Tides…I don´t want to give any spoilers but let´s just say it was refreshing!

reading, Train, writing

Reading memories of 2011

Elodie

I hope everybody is having a wonderful holiday season and enjoying quality time with loved ones…The Class of 2011: YA Superlatives blogfest organized by Katy Upperman, Jessica Love, Tracey Neithercott and Alison Miller starts tomorrow. I will be participating on Friday (post already scheduled :-))

I have seen in the past days a lot of 2011 lists popping up on the blogosphere which made me think of my 2011 reading year. Are you ready for some flashbacks?

My top 5 reading memories of 2011

1. Fighting to keep my tears in check in the train (and failing) or laughing out loud in the train (and not caring, well not totally caring about others looking at me like I had gone mad)

2. Finally getting some of my historical fiction fix (especially on the very intriguing time of Louis XIV)

3.  Roaming the bookstore, going for an impulsive buy and falling in love with a novel I had never heard of before (for some of them I now almost own all the author´s published books)

4. Relaxing with a cup of tea, a good book and missing my bedtime.

5. Reading so much that my writing has improved (thank you dear published authors out there for making me a better writer :-))

So tell me what are your best reading memories of 2011?

Observations, reading

Online, in the store, by the river bank: books everywhere!

Elodie

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered.

This Week’s Topic: Where do you buy most of your books? No one is judging!
Hmmm…I buy books everywhere, really, wherever my feet or my fingers take me.I´m sure you heard of an online store called Amazon…Well this is where I get most of my books these days. To be more precise: on Amazon.de (and then I go to the English or French sections). Sometimes, also on ebay if the book I really is out of print (e.g. you know when you discover an author and you want to read aaaaaaaaalllll of their books but they´re just not available)

The train station: if I´m there very early and it´s already late in the evening and I´m tired…I will go in the bookstore of the train station and treat myself to a book. That´s my type of retail therapy (ok I have other ones as well like clothes and trying on shoes…trying on because it´s tough to find ones which just fit…anyways :-))

The city: In the German Barnes and Nobles (i.e. Hugendubel) or in the little independent bookstore which has a lot of books in French and English.

And…when I´m in Paris, I love to roam through the old little bookstores (imagine the kind of story the book in your hand may have already gone through!) and the “bouquinistes” on the river bank.  I simply love getting lost on the other side of Notre-Dame browsing what they have to offer.

Where do you get your books? 

writing, young adult

Déjà Vu Blogfest: A picture is worth a thousand words…

Elodie

Today I am part of The Déjà Vu Blogfest , where we bring back our favourite post or the one we believe may not have gotten enough attention (click on the link to see who else is participating :-)).

I decided to bring back my moonlight muse…I mean I wrote about the music muse and received quite a bit of comments. However, before I actually had followers (thanks again by the way, hug to everybody and if you´re not into hugs, I am shaking your hand very formally), I shared a picture of an evening which inspired me. Cannot wait to read  if a sun or a moon or a butterfly or a traffic jam can get  you to write or to think about the story of a book you read!

A picture is worth a thousand words…

By what do you get inspired? It is almost like asking: why are you writing?  It is difficult to grasp where the writing scenes come from…

Sometimes one can recognize in the MC´s habits, way of talking some small traits of a loved one, of an acquaintance, of somebody from the past or even of oneself.

Tonight, as I was outside looking at the moon reflecting on the water, I wondered what my main character would feel on an evening like this with everything she has been going through…

Is she thinking of Aleksi, the one who not only gives her butterflies but is no longer as mysterious as she first thought?

Is she pondering the words of Ben? Is she wondering what he meant when he said Aleksi was dangerous? How does he even know him? The guy just arrived…

Or maybe she is actually tired of the stupid drama and just wants to figure out why this entity is coming after her and her loved ones, why she has flashbacks from another time and what the heck happened to Marie and Elijah, those girls who are linked to her over the centuries?

As I type this and look at the moon, I know a scene is unfolding, I feel the pain of my character and I just want to tell her “Sorry you have to go through all of this but remember, you have it in your power to make the right decision…this time around”

And if she did hear me, her reply would be “Can´t you be a tad more specific? I mean come on people…I just cannot guess what you think, you need to spell it out for me. I am tired of this!” and she would storm out.

She does have a little temper of her own…(my husband would say I am projecting :-))

Do moonlights inspire you or remind you of a book you´ve read?

reading

How I fell in love with a Bronze Horseman…

Elodie

“Ask yourself these three questions, Tatiana Metanova, and you will know who you are.  Ask: What do believe in? What do you hope for? What do you love?”

When I first bought a book by Paullina Simons, I was strolling through the sales rack of Barnes and Nobles (I was a student at the time and trying by any way possible to appease my thirst for novels). I saw The Bronze Horseman, read the little blurb, it was about love and war and family and did I mention love? I went home with it and never regretted that decision once. It is one of those epic love stories which stay with you long after you turned off the lights.

The Bronze Horseman: From the author of the international bestseller Tully comes an epic tale of passion, betrayal, and survival in World War II Russia. Leningrad, 1941: The European war seems far away in this city of fallen grandeur, where splendid palaces and stately boulevards speak of a different age, when the city was known as St. Petersburg. Now two sisters, Tatiana and Dasha Metanov, live in a cramped apartment, sharing one room with their brother and parents. Such are the harsh realities of Stalin’s Russia, but when Hitler invades the country, the siege of its cities makes the previous severe conditions seem luxurious. Against this backdrop of danger and uncertainty, Tatiana meets Alexander, an officer in the Red Army whose self-confidence sets him apart from most Russian men and helps to conceal a mysterious and troubled past. (Picture and summary from Goodreads.com)

I fell hard for this book and for its characters. I mean, Alexander, is one of the most attractive character I got to know. Maybe I am bias because my husband´s family comes originally from Russia (yes we are international) and some of the nicknames used are ones I hear from times to times. The numerous references to Puschkin and her love for literature probably helped as well.

Diving into the story, we are transported in a time of terror but through which hope emerges. Tatiana is strong and stubborn. She grows up fast because she has to, her relationship with her grandparents and her sister shine through the book. It is not an easy situation and yes the moral may not come unhurt but the passion and its denyal are there. She holds her ground against him, she tries to stay true to her values and herself, growing up too fast in a changing world.

Of course, nothing can always be perfect and sometimes, I did feel like history was simplified and that there was a strong US vs Russia type of situation: Russian men bad, American men good (a little stereotypical but luckily the love of Tatiana for her grandfather and the honor, respect and good nature of some Russian soldiers do save the situation from times to times). There may be other things one could maybe complain about, but honestly I did not care because I jumped into the story head first.

Why? Because I rooted for Tatiana and Alexander, because one can feel like you are at home with her when she is starting to cook blinis for him and her family…

The Bronze Horseman is followed by Tatiana and Alexander and The Summer Garden. While I enjoyed Tatiana and Alexander, I was not able to immerse myself in the story as I did with The Bronze Horseman. The Summer Garden is different but it teaches us that even the most powerful of love can take awhile to heal the scars and the importance of not drifting apart. It took my breath away, in a different manner than The Bronze Horseman.

Oh and if you end up falling in love with The Bronze Horseman as much as I did, you can even get the recipes from the books (food plays such an important role in it). I have to admit, I only did one dish so far. My husband keeps on telling me the ones I want to make take too long and that his mom can cook them for us (she does and it is indeed yummy…). One day though, I will make piroshki.

Now I´m hungry, off to eat…but before I do a little question for you: is there an epic love story you could not put down and read several times? Or what, according to you, makes a story a beautiful love story? Feel free to let me know if you hate love stories 🙂

Observations

Christa Wolf – another great writer passes away…

Elodie

My husband just broke the news to me over the phone: “Did you hear that Christa Wolf passed away?” He knew it would move me…I wrote my Master´s thesis on one of her books: Medea, using theories of new historicism and feminism to look at the de-mythology of the woman and the new perspective on the GDR.

Just some of my books on Christa Wolf

It´s strange how we become attached to writers we never met, never interacted with. Christa Wolf had an adventurous and controversial life. Her books have been part of me during my Graduate Studies.  Medea retells the myth from a different perspective, with the woman in the middle point becoming a tragic heroine instead of a murderer, adding dimensions of power and politics, love and passion…The characters, the story are multi-dimensional and their own voices tell us how it has happened. Some critics have seen this book as a way for Christa Wolf to defend herself against what has been said about her past…It is more than this. It is a beautiful and dramatic re-telling of the past to teach us about the present.

Thank you Christa Wolf for having made me thought for hours, for having been a topic of conversation during and after classes, for having tickled my critical mind and for having transported me into a world of words I did not know existed.

reading

What´s the best book(s) you read in November?

Elodie

Very long day today…left the house at 6.40am and got back right before 8pm…Luckily, it is Road Trip Wednesday on YA Highway and my fingers have been twitching to get on it.

Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival,” where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

This week’s topic: What’s the best book you read in November?

Ok, so I am going to cheat a litte and share the best books I have read in November. I commute, I read a lot…It´s already hard to narrow it down and they´re all different genras *makes puppy eyes to ask for forgiveness* (those do work on my husband :-))

1. Juliette Benzoni Trilogy “Secret d´Etat”

A trilogy following Sylvie de Valaine saved in June 1626 by Francois de Vendôme after her entire family was killed by the men of Richelieu. Raised by the Vendôme, Sylvie becomes at 15 years old “girl in waiting” of the Queen who never ceases to scheme against Louis XIII and Richelieu. She is dragged into very dangerous adventures…

Why did I like it?: This trilogy really takes you into the realms of the 17th century of France. Sylvie is a very likable character, she is strong, loving, trustful and trustworthy. The love between Sylvie and Francois blossoms over the years and even though everything separates them (including the fact that Francois does not realize how he feels until it is somewhat too late), they find a way to make their relationship work.

2. Karen Rose – I am watching you

Star prosecutor Kristen Mayhew has a dangerous secret admirer. He seems to know her every thought, her every move. He sends her letters. And he kills the criminals she herself is powerless to stop. This avenger even knows Kristen’s deepest secret–the one that has kept her from surrendering her heart to Abe Reagan, the police detective sworn to protect her. Like Kristen, Reagan is haunted by the loss of something precious that can never be regained. But in the shadow of a calculating serial killer, the two turn to each other and dare to rediscover passion…even as the messages and vicious murders continue. Even as the killer’s thrist for retribution makes Kristen a target for murder.

Why did I like it?: Karen Rose´s book are scary, steamy and sexy…what more can I say? I am a sucker for good romantic thrillers and her books fit the bill! Enough said 🙂

For more on Karen Rose: you can see her website.

3. Beautiful Darkness – Jocelyn Davies

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites;like fire and ice;Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

Why did I like it?: Well first have you seen the cover? Love it! The story was well paced and I could really jump into the book through some of the scenes. Even though, I sometimes wished for a bit more insight into the characters, I still devoured this book. The ending left me hanging (a bit too much) but the writing was strong and the story line  was intriguing (oh and the guys were hot!)…Cannot wait to read the next one and see what happens to Skye…

Here is her website

What would be YOUR pick(s) for November?

writing

Thank you!

Elodie

Before I start with this week´s “YA Highway blog carnival”, a little *Happy Dance* for Peggy Eddleman who just got a two-book deal with Random House Congrats again! (other people´s good news bring a huge grin on my face so I had to share…)

Ok now on to Road Trip Wednesday… Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival,” where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. 

This week’s topic

What writing or publishing-related thing(s) are you most thankful for?

Stories. I am most thankful for the sad, happy, funny, emotional, dramatic, mysterious, scary stories I get to read. The ones that make me try to conceal my tears or my laughter in the train as other commuters wonder what may have trigger such reactions. The ones which helped me passed entire afternoons with a book in my hand as a child or teenager and enabled me to discover new worlds, different views. The ones that made me dream, escape, forget about time (or about my bed time – my husband keeps on telling me to just put the book down :-))…

And for the ones I now try to put myself on paper because they bring up all these emotions as well and because I hope that I, too, can bring this little twinkle in the readers´ eyes…

People. I am so very grateful for all the people supporting me in this process, especially my husband, my family, one of my best friends who takes time out of her busy schedule to read/comment when I have doubts and all the ones taking the time to read, to cheer me on, to share their experience (and YOU are part of it)

What are you thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

writing

Required reading…

Elodie

Yeahhhh, it´s Wednesday again…my second post for YA Highway Road Trip Wednesday does not make me a pro yet but I´m getting there one week at a time 🙂 This week’s topic: In high school, teens are made to read the classics – Shakespeare, Hawthorne, Bronte, Dickens – but there are a lot of books out there never taught in schools. So if you had the power to change school curriculums, which books would you be sure high school students were required to read?

My first thought was “Wow! So many books to choose from!” My eyes were shining and my fingers were itching to type away…until my second thought stopped me cold “Wow, so many books to choose from…”, my heart started beating faster, my fingers could not find their way to the keyboard…

This is indeed quite an important task. A reading list is not just about reading, it’s about learning, developing critical and social skills (yes I went as far as saying social skills) and to find out more about oneself.

I started to think about the novels on the curriculum in High School for me …more than 12 years ago and I found myself clearly remembering the one I disliked the most: Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau (a clear hint for the poll on where I am from which you can find here :-))

I hated it, I hated the fact he was trying to find excuses for his mistakes (society was at fault). And then, it hit me. Yes I hated it but I had feelings towards it, I remember passionate discussions in class or with friends over a cup of coffee. It did fulfil its goals but it was more painful than with the ones I had true passion towards. This is what high school students should read: books they either love or hate but which get them talking and coming back for more.

So how about the reading list I would choose?  I wish students everywhere could discover the joys of classics which open up the mind so there would be some of those (including my favourites: Victor Hugo, Albert Camus, Shakespeare, Homer, Arthur Miller).

Now trying to limit myself to just a very few including some not conventional 🙂

Anne Frank Diary (this one is a must I think)

 Hate List – Jennifer Brown, Go AskAlice- Beatrice Sparks, Speak – Laurie Halse Anderson, Gone with the wind – , The Notebook – Nicholas Sparks

High school students should be encouraged to discover other worlds and themselves through literature, not only how the word itself is constructed…

What would be YOUR list?