Taking Stock: November 2016

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Christmas is coming--and so is the end of the semester. Things are starting to look up.

Dreading: Finals. They’re never as bad as I think they’ll be; the anxiety leading up to them is actually worse. This semester, though, I have a cumulative Chemistry final, so all bets are off. 

Switching: Majors. In October I transferred into English Education (from Nursing), and I’m already feeling a lot happier and less stressed. My goal’s always been to study for a job where I can help people, and English Education combines that with the subjects I’m best at and love most. I’m a little sad about giving up Nursing, but not sad enough to plow through Organic Chemistry. 

Reading: The Boston Jane series by Jennifer L. Holm (I’ve yet to read a book of hers that I don’t at least like); Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, Issues 1-6 of The Dreamer by Lora Innes, The Trespasser by Tana French, Dune by Frank Herbert, and The Fall of the House of Walworth by Geoffrey O’Brien. 

Scrounging: For Thanksgiving leftovers. At this point we might have a little bit of turkey left, but everything else--three-berry cranberry sauce, loaded mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, pumpkin pie--is long gone. 

Missing: Sleep. 

Raging: Over the election. Sort of. At this point I’m more depressed than angry...but also still angry. We’re in for a rough couple of years, and right now I’m praying there’ll only be four. 

Thankful for: My family. Books. Writing. Netflix. College. 

Watching: An ungodly amount of TV, especially during break, plus four horror/true crime documentaries. Each one was creepy in its own way, but my two favorites were Killer Legends and Cropsey. They’re both centered around urban legends, available on Netflix, and very, very good. 

Happy Things

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Stealing a page from Olivia’s book today.

   1./ The first frost.

   2./ Gray days.

   3./ Buckets of extra-buttery movie theater popcorn.

   4./ Heading home after a day of classes.

   5./ “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys  and “Forever Young" by Bob Dylan.

   6./ Picking up books at the library.

   7./ Rain. (Rainy days in October can be beautiful. Alternatively, they can be miserable—but the ones around here have mostly been beautiful.)

   8./ Friday night movies with friends.

   9./ Knitting. (Yep, still working on that scarf. Note to self: next time, use bigger needles.)
   10./ Fresh apple cider. 

   11./ Alphabear. (Thanks for the recommendation, Joni!)

In other news: this semester has been tough, and I’ve got to admit that I’m glad it’s winding down. I have a couple of ideas/newsworthy stuff for future posts—hopefully those will be going up soon. And I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween! 

Taking Stock: November

Looking forward to: Christmas!

Eating: Thanksgiving leftovers. There’s no such thing as too much mashed potatoes.

Watching: Jessica Jones.

Reading: The Girls at the Kingfisher Club, Brooklyn, Winter’s Bone, After the Golden Age, Jim Henson: The Biography.

Listening: To the Sussex Carol.

Burning: Honeysuckle-scented candles. I love having one close to my desk when I’m writing.

Waiting: For snow.

Craving: A cup of tea and a window seat to sip it on.

Wishing: I had more time (and more motivation) to do the things I want to do.

Seeing: Mockingjay Part 2 at the theater. 

Finishing: “A Forest of Bones”, my short story retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. You can read it here. 

All pictures via Pinterest.

Away From My Desk

   I’ll admit it: even though I’m not officially doing NaNoWriMo, I’ve been using it as an excuse to take a break from blogging, and I’m not ashamed. Not even a little bit. But I thought that, since there’s such a huge focus on writing this month, now might be the right time to take a break and post about some of the non-writing-related things I’ve been doing.

Knitting:

   I’m a slow knitter. And by that, I mean I’m a lazy knitter: I started a scarf back in October (or maybe in September) and it’s not even half-done yet. I love doing something that’s craftier and more outside my head, though, and it’s been wonderful to have a hobby that’s not related to writing in some way. What’s even more wonderful is watching season 11 of Supernatural while knitting a Harry Potter-themed scarf. (Pottermore sorted me into Gryffindor, so obviously my scarf is red and gold.)

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Watching sitcoms:

   One of my greatest ambitions in life is to write a book that’s as much like a sitcom as possible. For now, I just binge watch my favorites. At the moment they’re Malcolm in the Middle and Grounded for Life. I also adore Parks and Rec.

Discovering new artists:

   On Pinterest and Tumblr, as usual. I’ll have to cook up some new Artist Spotlight posts soon; there’s almost too much great work to share. Behold:

Alice B. Preston

John Austen

Discovering a new kind of lemonade:

    Rose lemonade! The brand I tried wasn’t very sweet at all, but still fizzy and delicious. Pair that with a strawberries n’ cream cupcake and I was set for the rest of the afternoon.

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Browsing bookstores:

   I have a confession to make—I’m one of those horrible people who will choose Amazon over my local independent bookstore almost every time. Mostly because I love being able to track down just about any book with a search engine.

   But I also love browsing, and since there’s a bookstore near the college where my younger sister takes a physics class, we decided to check it out. We ended up staying there at least an hour, and I even bought two books—How to Be a Heroine for me, and Jellicoe Road as an early Christmas present for her. The store also had shelves full of gorgeous moleskin notebooks and enough secondhand books to take up the whole upper floor. I’ll definitely be going back—probably to do Christmas shopping.

                                            

Taking Stock: October

Reading: Lots of comics: Batman: The Long Halloween (good), Batman: Hush (great), All Star Batman and Robin (so bad it’s good); plus Phoebe and Her Unicorn; Jane, the Fox, and Me; and The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes, which I wanted to like so badly but just couldn’t get into.

Watching: Season 1 of Gotham, season 11 of Supernatural, some of The X-Files.

Drinking: Sparkling apple cider (it’s delicious).

Also Reading: Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex.

Listening: To Nero by Thomas Bergersen.

Journaling: Here and there. One of my goals for next month is to write at least two entries a week.

Planning: Projects for NaNoWriMo. I probably won’t actually be writing a novel in a month, but I’d like to use it as a jumping-off point for being more productive.

Eating: Salt and vinegar potato chips.

Knitting: A red and yellow Gryffindor scarf.

Looking forward to: Halloween! I don’t trick-or-treat anymore, but I love the pumpkins and the costumes and especially the candy.

Publishing: "Morte Mare", a ghost story I wrote a while back. It's quite a bit darker than my usual stuff, but I hope you'll like it! You can read it here.

All pictures via Pinterest 

Pumpkins & Candy Apples: The Sweater Weather Tag

   Autumn is my favorite season and October is my favorite month, so I couldn’t be happier that Kelsey nominated me for the Sweater Weather Tag. Thanks a lot! (And before you read any further, go check out her blog; she’s a lovely person and a talented artist to boot.)

Favorite candle scent:

Green tea nectarine. Also, anything to do with food (pumpkin pie, hazelnut) or flowers (primrose).

Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate?

Depends on my mood. If I want to feel cozy and/or artistic, I’ll go for tea. If I’m barely awake or need something icy and covered in whipped cream, it’s coffee (Frappuccinos are the best). When it’s snowing, my first choice is always hot chocolate.

What’s the best fall memory you have?

One Halloween, my sisters and I decided to make caramel apples together. It was almost a disaster--the white chocolate refused to melt right and ended up mostly on the floor, and the caramel began to melt off the apples—but everything tasted delicious in the end, which was all we were really hoping for.

Best fragrance for fall:

Whatever’s handy; I’m not picky about perfumes. The best fall smell is burning wood and leaves.

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Favorite Thanksgiving food:

Stuffing covered in gravy. Mashed potatoes covered in gravy. Gravy covered in more gravy.

What is autumn weather like where you live?

Anything from very mild to extremely cold, depending on the day. We don’t usually get snow before November, though, and the changing leaves are always gorgeous.

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Most worn sweater:

A big blue one with sleeves that I can never keep rolled up.

Football games or jumping in leaf piles?

Jumping in leaf piles.

Skinny jeans or leggings?

Skinny jeans, believe it or not. I think they’re pretty comfortable.

Combat boots or Uggs?

Combat boots. Any kind of boots, really.

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Is Pumpkin Spice worth the hype?

I’m not too crazy about pumpkin spice, to be honest. I do love pumpkin pie and pumpkin rolls.

Favorite fall TV show:

Supernatural is perfect any time of the year, but it’s super fun to watch during fall, especially the older, scarier episodes. Any Halloween-themed episode from any Disney Channel TV show.

What song really gets you into the fall spirit?

Anything from The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack.

What do you want to be for Halloween?

I don’t dress up much anymore, but if I could get all my friends together I’d make sure we all dressed up as either hunters from Supernatural (which is easy—all you really need is a lot of plaid) or characters from Treasure Planet.

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Hats or scarves?

Scarves! My hair’s too thick for hats to fit on my head.

What’s your #1 favorite thing about fall?

The chilly, spooky atmosphere. Candy apples. Ghost stories. Pumpkins. I always seem to get a rush of new story ideas in the fall, which is wonderful. My absolute favorite thing, though, would have to be that sweet spot in late September and early October when the weather’s not too hot or too cold. I live for those days.

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   If you want to join in, consider yourself tagged! I’ll also nominate Aimee and Jo. Don’t do it if you don’t want to, but I’d love to see your answers!

Taking Stock: September

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking forward: To October. Autumn is my favorite season, and I can't wait until the leaves start to turn and there's a real chill in the air.

Eating: Popcorn. Extra-extra butter is the only way to go.

Publishing: Another ghost story! Morte Mare will appear in Inkblots & Typing Spots on October 30th. A ghost story published the day before Halloween--how cool is that? I can't wait for you guys to read it!

Reading: Jesse James: The Last Rebel of the Civil War

Hoping: For a productive week. (Haha.)

Watching: (Or Watched, rather) The lunar eclipse on the 27th. I didn't stay outside for the whole thing, because I'm a wimp who bores easily, but I did get a good look at the blood moon.

Drinking: Cherry coke.

Loving: Gel pens, journals, good books, and visits from friends.

Still wishing: For hot cocoa.

Realizing: That the one-year anniversary of this blog is coming up! I started posting here all the way back in November, and I honestly can't believe I made it this far.

 

 

All pictures via Tumblr and Pinterest.

November Reading Recap: Pirates & Road Trips

   Confession time--I actually finished a few of these books (very) late in October. I have no idea why I didn't read more this November. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I've grown into my computer.

Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
“Here is the story of Peter Pan recast as a love triangle set in the endless summer of the modern-day California coast.” 
Lost boys run away to Neverland Kensington, an abandoned beach community,  to get hooked on fairy dust and surf. The love triangle resolves itself after a few chapters and the rest of the story oozes the same surreal, wonderfully sad vibe that I loved in Peter Pan.

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
The Girl With All the Gifts is my second zombie book, and I enjoyed it much more than I did my first (The End Games). My opinion may or may not have anything to do with the fact that I pictured Ms. Justineau looking exactly like Martha Jones.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul by Jeff Kinney
Hilarious, as usual.

Spook School by Sue Purkiss
I've had a thing for funny chapter books ever since I discovered the Time Warp Trio years and years and years ago. Spook School is right up my alley--despite the menacing In-Spectres and his horribly old-fashioned teacher, Sir Rupert, Spooker Batt must try his best to pass his Practical Haunting exam. I received this book in a giveaway hosted by Sue Purkiss at her fantastic blog, A fool on a hill....

Writing Magic by Gail Carson Levine
This is a book I always meant to read as a kid (10-11ish) but never did. If I had (and if I’d actually taken its advice, which, considering my 11-year-old self, I HIGHLY doubt) I’d have become a much better writer much faster. This book has some great exercises, plus fun extras like the original beginning of The Two Princesses of Bamarre. 

Jackaby by William Ritter

Fun, funny, and a little bit spooky. It does have a bit of a Sherlock/Doctor Who feel, but stands on its own just as well.
“ ‘Well, if we didn't sail together, how did you ever--ah, you must have snuck a peek at my luggage labels.’
‘I did nothing of the sort. That would be an impolite invasion of privacy,’ the man stated flatly as he picked a bit of lint from my sleeve, tasted it, and tucked it somewhere inside his baggy coat.” 

Silver: Return to Treasure Island by Andrew Motion
You could say Treasure Island and I have a rocky relationship. When my Mom tried to read it to out loud my sisters and I made her stop after the first few chapters. (Two words: Blind Pew) A few years later I read it for school and hated it. A few more years later I watched two very good and very faithful movie adaptations (Muppet Treasure Island and Treasure Planet) and decided to give it another try. I adored Treasure Island the third time around. Silver, aside from not having as much of the title character as I was expecting, is a much grimmer and more philosophical story. Honestly, I’m not sure what I think of it.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
I checked this one out based on Cait’s recommendation over at The Book Chewers, and I adored it. Talking skeletons, secret names, dry humor, wax museums…it’s a glorious cocktail of weirdness that you need to try. Now.
 

  So, what did you read this November? And do you have any recommendations?

Hi!

   Blogs have never ended well for me. 

   Still, what better time to try again? Autumn is my favorite season--the season where I have more inspiration, more ideas, and no free time. 

    Some things you should know--

  About me:

   I love to read. Fantasy and realistic fiction are my genres of choice, but I’ll try just about anything. I can’t get enough of myths, legends, and fairy tales. I love fantastical worlds, humor, heroes, antiheroes, family drama, high adventure, and the adventures of everyday life. My favorite books usually mix at least one of these with a healthy dose of weirdness. Some of my favorite authors are J.M. Barrie, Neil Gaiman, S.E. Hinton,  Heather Dixon, Gill Lewis, Emily Murdoch and Ursula K. Le Guin.

    I love to write. Again, my favorite genres are fantasy and realistic fiction, though I've written a ton of fantasy and very little realistic fiction. I've written many, many horrible stories and a few good ones. Humor is pretty much a requirement, along with that healthy dose of weirdness. Inspiration-wise I’m influenced by everything from The Lord of the Rings to Disney movies.

   About the blog:

    I have no idea where this is going. I’d love to use Third Star to the Right as a place to share my writing process, current projects, favorite books…or anything I can work up the energy to type up a post about. I’m nothing if not flexible. Whatever happens, I can’t wait to see how this turns out.