12 books

My reading plan this year is to read 12 books. I know that is a drop in the bucket to some of you, but for me, it's kind of a big deal. I get so caught up with life and writing and editing my own books, admittedly, I don't make enough time to read. I wish I did, but I don't.

I have one rule.  I'm going to take at least 9 of them from the books I already have on my shelves and not by more than 3 new ones. The majority of books I own, I've never read. There are just sitting there staring at me begging to be read.

So I'm going to break them down into months. I've not started January's book yet, but I'm heading on a long weekend this week, and I'm going to start (and maybe finish) then.

January: Insurgent by Veronica Roth. This of course is the 2nd book in the Divergent (on my shelf)
series. I LOVED Divergent, and it's time to finish the series.

War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

February: Allegiant by Veronica Roth. 3rd book in the Divergent series. See above. (to purchase)

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

Ooooooh. (shudders) Note: I cannot wait for the Divergent movie coming out this year.

March: The Summer of Letting Go by Gae Polisner. Most of you who read my blog should know by now that Gae is a very good friend of mine. I have been waiting for this sophomore book of hers for what seems like forever (as have many). It sounds so amazing...you should put it on your list too. (not on my shelf, but pre-ordered so counting as already owned)

Summer has begun, the beach beckons—and Francesca Schnell is going nowhere. Four years ago, Francesca’s little brother, Simon, drowned, and Francesca’s the one who should have been watching. Now Francesca is about to turn sixteen, but guilt keeps her stuck in the past. At loose ends, Francesca trails her father, who may be having an affair, to the local country club. There she meets four-year-old Frankie Sky, a little boy who bears an almost eerie resemblance to Simon, and Francesca begins to wonder if it’s possible Frankie could be his reincarnation. Knowing Frankie leads Francesca to places she thought she’d never dare to go—and it begins to seem possible to forgive herself, grow up, and even fall in love, whether or not she solves the riddle of Frankie Sky.


April: Auracle by Gina Rosati. This is one of my 2k12 peeps. There are still so many 2k12 books I have to read (and 2k11 for that matter as that's where I started), but this one is next on my list. (on my shelf)

Trapped outside her body, Anna sees and hears but cannot touch the one she longs to hold.

Anna has a secret: she can astrally project out of her body. But when there's an accident and her classmate Taylor gets into Anna's body, what was an exhilarating gift threatens to become a terrifying reality. Anna and her best friend Rei form a plan to set things right, but they don't anticipate the feelings that are beginning to grow between them. Auracle by Gina Rosati is an exciting, sensual novel that explores the relationship between body and soul and the power of a single touch.

May: Something by John Green. I have a few books of his books on my shelf and I'm not sure which I want to read first. I believe I have Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, Will Grayson Will Grayson and Fault in Our Stars. I don't think I want to read the latter yet. Any suggestions on which I should read first? (on my shelf)

June: Nothing Special by Geoff Herbach. I read the first book in this series, Stupid Fast and LOVED it! Herbach is funny, but there is also an element of emotion and thoughtfulness in his writing. (to purchase)

Hey Aleah,
I miss you. Because there's some serious donkey crap going on right now. I'm supposed to be at football camp, but noooo ... Andrew had to go missing! So because of my stupid little brother, I'll probably lose my chance at a scholarship and end up being nothing special.

I'm pretty sure Andrew ran away to Florida, and now Gus and I have to drive cross-country to get him. Did you know Gus used to think

Miss Piggy was hot? Anyway, Andrew once told me I needed to get my head out of my butt. So that's what I'm trying to do. How about a kiss for luck?

Felton

July: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. I heard this is a great story and has a cutting theme in it, so I thought I'd read it, since I wrote about a cutter as well. (on my shelf)

Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming.

August: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. This book sounded so cool. I bought it a couple years ago and never read it. It's time. (on my shelf)

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

September: Something Like Normal by Trish Doller. I met Trish through my ex-husband's cousin before either of us had book deals. Then as luck and coincidence would have it, our debut novels were both released in 2012. I've been wanting to read this for awhile. I'm going to read it this year. (to purchase)

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

October: The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride. I was introduced to Kristina by a mutual friend and writer, Brady Allen. He was one of Kristina's professors. She was part of the class of 2k10.  I've had this book on my shelf for a couple years. It's time I read it. (on my shelf)

When Tessa's best friend Noelle disappears right before the start of eighth grade, Tessa's life changes completely--she shies away from her other friends and stops eating in the cafeteria. Now, two years later, Noelle has escaped her captivity and is coming home, in one piece but not exactly intact, and definitely different. Tessa's life is about to change again as she tries to revive the best-friendship the two girls had shared before Noelle--now Elle--was kidnapped; puts up a futile resistance to the charming new guy at school; pursues her passion for photography while trying to build the bravado to show her photos to the public; and tries to balance her desire to protect and shelter Elle with the necessity to live her own life and put herself first.

November: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. I've heard so many great things about this book and it's set in 1986, when I was in high school. How can I not read it?

TWO MISFITS. ONE EXTRAORDINARY LOVE. 
It's 1986 and two star-crossed teens are smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you'll remember your own first love--and just how hard it pulled you under.

 A cross between the iconic '80s movie Sixteen Candles and the classic coming-of-age novel Looking for Alaska, Eleanor & Park is a brilliantly written young adult novel.

December: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Because it's about time. (on my shelf)

Sylvia Plath's shocking, realistic, and intensely emotional novel of a woman falling into the grips of insanity.

If I finish all these...I will start on these next...
Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
Where things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan
Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Breathe My Name by R.A. Nelson
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendara Blake
 

Facebook Posts: Are they really THAT insufferable?

A couple days ago an article titled 7 Ways to Be Insufferable on Facebook surfaced on the Huffington Post. Some people took this to be sarcastic, and some took the writer to be a total douche. Either way you look at it, certainly some people are truly bugged by what people post on Facebook while others don't care one way or the other. Let's discuss what was discuss in the article, shall we?


1) The Brag
Okay, so some people brag on Facebook. Oh wait, I'm sorry, ALL people brag at
some time or another, and why not? Sometimes awesome things happen and everyone should know about. I got a book published. Um, that's kind of a big deal.

However if I were to be a habitual braggert, that would be annoying. It would also tell people my life actually sucks. We all know that people that talk themselves up that much actually have very boring, uneventful lives and just like to make us thing their lives are more exciting then they really are.

The article takes the time to splitting the braggerts into three subsections, but who really cares?  Like I said, everyone does it whether they are overt about it or do it in a quiet manner.

I will say this about the "relationship bragger" - you are annoying. Especially if all you do is fawn all over your loved one. Get over it. It's just another relationship that you'll grow complacent with someday like everyone else unless you actually take the steps to keep it exciting and passionate and continually posting about it on Facebook isn't going to do it.


2) The Cryptic Cliffhanger
Admittedly, I have been guilty of this. But I honestly don't do it because I want people coming to my page to give me virtual hugs and fling invisible cupcakes or wine bottles in my general directions, more so because I'm wallowing in self pity and find it entertaining.

If you're not doing it for the same reasons I'm doing it than stop 'sighing' 'ughing' and telling everyone you're 'struggling' today unless you're going to expand on it. I usually have no qualms telling people how shitty my day was.

If you need attention go to your shrink or your mom. If you want cupcakes go to the bakery, if you need a drink go to the bar on the corner. That's what I do.


3) The Literal Status Update
Okay, sometimes we need to be accountable to someone. Do we really need to get this nitpicky? I mean, yes, I've been literal on my Facebook page. I've posted my to do list. I think that's about it though. I mean, I have posted other things, like, "I'm eating a salad." But that's more to be funny and make fun of people who are really posting literal status updates. So don't do that. Unless like me you want to be accountable for something, then it's okay...because I said so, that's why.

4) The Inexplicably-Public Private Message
I have found this mostly done by stupid people, people who have no idea how to use social media, or people who are new to Facebook and have no idea what they're doing. Of course the article also thinks you should post on someone's page, "I miss you when are we hanging out?"

Um, why not? What are we supposed to post on people's pages then? Just political propaganda and pictures of funny cats?

5) The Out-Of-Nowhere Oscar Acceptance Speech
Sometimes people just need to show some love to no one in particular. Is that so wrong? I mean, sometimes just having all these people on Facebook reading your posts or stalking your pictures is enough to get you through the day, isn't it? I know it is for me.

6) The Incredibly Obvious Opinion
Okay, I think the person who wrote the article is a douche about this one. I think solidarity and compassion is a good thing. Coming together as a community, country, whatever, in the face of tragedy isn't always a bid for attention or narcissistic. Sometimes it is just genuine sympathy and an appeal for fellowship. Screw you.

7) The Step Toward Enlightenment
Um, yeah, I admit, these irritate me. Next! 

Oh, I guess that's it.  What do you think about all these types of Facebook posts? Do you think they can at any time be genuine?  Or do you think they're all just narcissistic bids for attention? Talk to me.

How I feel about the most overused words of 2013

There have been numerous articles about what words were the most overused last year. While I would agree, some of them are annoying and those still using them must be stopped, to others, I just say, meh.  So here we go, my feelings about the most overused words of 2013...

Twerking. This word was around before Miley Cyrus, however it steamrolled over the interwebs after her performance on the VMA's. This is the fault of the media, not Miley Cyrus. Plus, it was a stupid word before 2013 and it's a stupid word now and we should just invent a new dance already and move on.

 YOLO. Um. I'm torn. I'm like the hip, cool mom, and essentially this is what my first book is about, but honestly, teenagers aren't saying this anymore. Dorky parents who think they are hip and cool are saying this. I still think it's pithy and fun. You see my conundrum?

Artisan. This used to be a legit word. It used to mean something. Now, everyone is an artisan. I make bread, I'm an artisan. I make candles, I'm an artisan. I fart in a jar, I'm an artisan. Yeah....no. 

Infused. Infused was cool when nothing was being infused, but now everything is being infused. Let me give you a ride in the wayback machine to a time I made candy corn infused vodka. That was before they were making all these vodka flavors they're selling now. I actually soaked candy corns in vodka for weeks, I didn't just put some chemically enhanced flavoring in the stuff. Infused. Not cool.

Handcrafted. To me this is a bit like artisan. Handcrafted, making things with your own hands. At a time before Ebay and Etsy and mass produced patterns for EVERTHING, this was a cool thing. Now, if you go to an arts and crafts show, everything looks the same. And if you try to find something cool online, the market is so saturated with handcrafted crap, it's just not cool anymore. And I'm sorry, some of it is crap. It's hard to find things that are unique anymore. I'm not saying it's impossible. I mean, I have a friend who makes some amazing bags, and I find a gal who makes some amazing steampunk inspired jewelry, but it's hard to find anything that isn't made from a pattern sold at Joann Fabrics.

Brand.  Now don't be dissing on the branding. This is very important to us marketing people. Brand is how businesses are recognized. It's how we roll people. Get over it.

Gluten free. I would like to poke a gluten free pencil through my ear next time I hear this phrase. They do make those, right?

Hipster. Did Hipsters actually make up this term "Hipster"? Because that seems exactly the thing a Hipster would do, but then they'd blame it on society because that would be so mainstream. I don't care enough about Hipsters to care about their title. If I see them on the streets I probably just call them douchebags.

Totes. I'm okay with the shortening of words and the use of acronyms. I really am. I do it a lot just to make fun of teen slang, like I think I used the word "obvi" in my blog yesterday. I think FOMO is funny because I know people like that. But totes makes me want to kick a kitten.

Anything ending in 'agedden' or 'pocalypse'. I think these are still funny. I don't care what anyone else says.

Meh. Come on! One syllable and three letters is the best way to tell people how apathetic you are about a subject without saying absolutely nothing.

#Hashtag. Meh.

Twittersphere. Twitter is God.

Mister Mom.  I personally have not heard a soul utter this in 2013. Is this really a thing?

T-Bone. They're talking about the car wreck here, not the steak. And for realsies? This was overused in 2013? See Mister Mom.

Obamacare. And now we can't talk about politics. No, lets just bury our heads in the sand. That's a great idea.

Whatever.  I love using whatever. I've been proudly using it circa 1985. Again, another way to show someone how apathetic you are to what they're saying. i.e. trying to piss them off without showing anger or violent behavior.

Selfie. I love selfies. I love saying selfie. I use selfie all the time. I take selfies all the time. No one takes better pictures of me. If you take selfies away I will run you through with a samurai sword. (okay, maybe not that last one)

 How do you feel about these overused words? Any words you are tired of hearing not mentioned here?

 

She's got Quasimodo eyes

I'll start this by stating that I'm running on 5 hours of sleep. I don't know what it is with my body, but when I go to bed at midnight, it always assumes that 5 am is a reasonable hour to wake up.

Yesterday I woke up with my left eye extremely swollen. I looked in the mirror and this is the first thing I thought of...

 

My eye doctor told me once before that it was clogged tear ducts and that I should use hot compresses and rub my bottom lid.  At first I was like, um, yeah, hot compresses? Whose got time for that? But when you look like Quasimodo, you make time. I almost didn't go to work, in fact, a friend told me I should 'call in ugly,' which I thought was brilliant, but I decided to suck it up and go in. When I got there I told everyone not to look at me because I was hideous.

Now, I've had this happen before obvi, but this time was way worse, so I thought, perhaps my eye doctor is a quack and I would really benefit from taking an allergy pill, just for good measure, and if it's not gone by tomorrow (which is today now, mind you) I would make a doctor appointment with my D.O.

I always know where my allergy pills are...except of course at this moment. I tore the house apart looking for them. A drawer even got organized in the ransacking. I know, contradiction, but that's me. I surmise I must have left them at the BF's house (he has dogs, I know, big step for me, but totally worth it). Not even an old bottle or packet of allergy meds lying around. Not even slightly expired ones.

So I've taken more time out of my last two days for hot compresses than I probably have to sleep. And then what happens...

...this morning I wake up to a swollen eye. Not as bad mind you, but still. It's never lasted this long, so I'm calling my doc this morning to see if it's clogged tear ducts as my eye doctor told me...or something more (cue ominous music).

This on top of my turbulent relationship with sleep makes for a grumpy Monday. I did a sleep study over the weekend. I'm really not sure how they can tell anything from those, I mean, how can anyone sleep right with a giant plastic pack strapped to their chest, a clamp on their finger and a tube up their nose. SMH. Anyway, I did it. We'll see if they come up with anything. But while filling out the paperwork there was a section that you had to put a # value on certain answers and it said if your answer go higher than 10 you probably had OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea).

I was reminded of this...

Except this one went to 12.

But I have to wait for the results to get back. If that's the case though, I hope I don't have to wear one of those freaky machine things that make me look like I have an alien clamped to my face...

...and I hope they don't throw more meds at me. I've read up. I could probably stand to lose a few pounds, avoid alcohol (HAHAHAHA), sleep on my side, avoid sleep deprivation ( again, HAHAHAHA), and my allergies may have something to do with it.  But I guess if I have to have an alien clamped to my face, it's better than dying in my sleep.

I had a few other annoyances yesterday, but we'll leave it at that.

How was your Monday?

10 resolutions I won't be making...

1. To stop talking shit about people. Everyone does it. Okay, when I talk shit about my friends, I mostly do it to their faces because if they're acting stupid, I think they should know about it. I hope they would do the same for me. Mostly I talk shit about stupid celebrities because seriously, they boggle my mind. I'm still trying to come up with a pithy phrase for my Kanye boycotting campaign. Maybe instead of Kan-yeah, it should be Kan-nay. SMH, I know, that's horrible. I'll keep thinking...
2. To learn something new. I cannot even keep up with the stuff I already know, why would I want to add anything to that list. I'll just maintain my level of intelligence right where it is thank you.
3. Take more time for myself. HAHAHA. I have come to the conclusion that time for myself is a fallacy. It will happen only as a fluke, there is no making time for it, so there is no point in resolving to do so.
4. Keeping a journal. I try, I really do. I write sporadically. I'll write for a couple
   
   days, then not again for say, a year, then I'll remember I have a journal and I'll pick it up again. It's pathetic. Sad thing is my life is interesting. Laughably so. I'm sure my kids would get a kick out of reading about it eventually. Perhaps I'm dismissing this one too quickly. Should rethink...
5. Save money. Yeah, in a perfect world I want to do this. I mean, I do this, but I do it so I don't know I'm doing it, with money I never see. It would be nice to be able to do it with money I do see, but I don't have money to save because I have these little plastic things that hold other people's money that they let me use when I don't have money of my own and then they charge me like 5 million times more than I used to pay it back. Yeah, so first I'm going to pay that back before I save my own money.
6. Conquer my  fears. No. I'm sorry. I will never pet a spider. You will never get me into a submarine, which attributes to two of my fears, drowning and being in enclosed spaces, I will not get too close to the Grand Canyon or any high space with little protection for fear I will plummet to my death, and keep your clowns to yourself. They will always paralyze me with fear and I refuse to ever try to conquer that. So there.
7. Swearing. Fuck that. Who cares? I know when and where to not use my "f" bombs. I will not use them when meeting your grandmother, if I'm at your wedding or funeral (well, maybe at your funeral) or if your tiny children or near, otherwise, it's fair game.
8. Give up vices. Why should I deprive myself of the very things that make life
   
   enjoyable for me? If I exercise and eat right, I don't see why I can't drink coffee and wine habitually and gamble every so often.
9.  Enjoy life to the fullest. Right. This seems like a good idea, but if you're a writer that writes about the trials and tribulations in life, one who writes about social issues like illness and cutting, school violence, death and dying, you need to be a little broody at times. So I'll live life to the fullest every other day and sulk in a writing angst the others. Good compromise?
10. Use social media less. Why? This is how people connect now. This is how I stay connected with the many writers I've met from all over the world. With the readers, librarians and teachers I've connected with through my writing. This is how I've reconnected with old friends from elementary, junior high and high school. My new BF I've known since 5th grade and where did we reconnect? Facebook. So when people tell me I should really lay off the________________(fill in your favorite social media outlet) once again I say why? Sure, human contact is important, but how cool is it to be able to stalk people all over the world now?

Is there any popular resolutions you are just saying "no" to?