Vultures

Fantastic quote I just stumbled upon in my LibbaBraying

"Writers are also sort of like vultures but with fewer ethics." - Libba Bray

Thought you might like it.

Libba Bray Nonsense Video

Libba Bray nonsense.

You didn't know I had an obsession of Libba Bray, did you? Good, cause neither did I. She's flippin insane. Which is probably why I like her so much :) There's more crazy videos of her if you want more--- The Going Bovine one is pretty good. She's in a cow suit. Yeah.

(Also, I do think that lumberjacks would be a good addition to the Gemma Doyle's. Or, you know, any book. I happen to like lumberjacks.)

All the Books I've Read Since the Last Time I Posted What I've Been Reading

.... (whatever month it was I last posted) plus a few books I found got left out.

The Seduction of Water
The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (yes, I did read those two out of order)
The Gathering
City of Fallen Angels
Cloaked
Pretty Little Liars
Flawless
The Peach Keeper
Going Bovine
These Things Hidden

and I'm now in the middle of Graveminder.

And other books I've read in the last few months that didn't get mentioned:

 just kidding, I think that's the only one that didn't get mentioned. Sorry, The Exile of Sara Stevenson. It was pretty good. Except for the random bit of time-traveling letter that didn't really make sense. Otherwise, it was good.

BR: Going Bovine

Libba Bray's: GOING BOVINE

Going Bovine was so crazy trippy. I guess I should have expected it from Libba Bray, having read the Gemma Doyle books, as well as visiting her blog somewhat frequently. This book had everything from near death experiences at Disney World, potty mouth dwarfs prone to panic attacks, mad cow disease, evil snowglobes, really good jazz, a punk rock angel with a sweet tooth, a serious run-in with a happiness cult (who just so happen to run a bowling alley, and sing rocking happiness songs), spring break with YA!TV on a beach in Florida, trippy somewhat time-travel, and, maybe?- death. But first and foremost- my favorite--- a most excellent garden gnome who just so happens to be an immortal Norse God, and a very happy drunk. "Interesting" is a serious understatement. The end was a little ambiguous, which was apparently done on purpose so you can decide how you want to take it (was it all real? Craziness? Medicine-induced coma? Death? Hmmm...) As always, I got tired of all the swearing, but then again-- it's two teenage boys going on a crazy road trip to save the universe from an evil wizard and fire giants and close up a wormhole. There's going to be serious swearing involved. Read it, people. It's trippy good stuff.

GARDEN GNOME!!!

NORSE GODS!!!!!

LIBBA BRAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!

She's so crazy, which is probably why I love her so much.

The Scorpio Races, MAGGIE STIEFVATER

GOOD NEWS!!! (said in a sing-song-uber-excited-voice)

Just got wind of NEW BOOK from MAGGIE STIEFVATER (possibly my all-time author love)!

On her blog (which I read on goodreads.com--- thought I should do some citing here), she says: "Oh yeah, and it's a standalone novel (not a series), with blood, beaches, and kissing. My favorite that I've written so far. Ever."


(Side note: For some reason, I thought it said LEECHES instead of BEACHES, and I was like, "YEAH, RIGHT ON!" with a little fist pump, and was almost disappointed to realize it was beaches. Idea for your next book, Ms. Stiefvater? LEECHES. I'd be so stoked. Apparently I like leeches... who knew?)

But for her to be so excited about it makes me want to pee my pants while I do my little excited-happy-chair-dance that everyone makes fun of my for, because YOU KNOW IT'S GOING TO ROCK. I think it's impossible for Maggie Stiefvater to write anything not extravaggantly excellent full of beautiful, lyrical writing that just sucks you in and refuses to let go unless you've thoroughly swooned.
 
And can I just say, as much as I love series-- more delicious Stiefvater writing to soak up-- I'm stoked that it's a standalone. It seems like no one does these days in the YA world, and I kind of miss it. Actually, I really miss it. I loved that back in the day with Lament, she did a follow-up with Ballad. It wasn't exactly a continuation of the same story, but a whole new story about one of the lesser characters. It was like they could have been two standalones than a series, and I really liked that.


So The Scorpio Races won't be available until October 8th, from what I read, but I for one can hardly contain myself from building a time machine so I can go pick up a copy (stopping only for a copy of Forever, of course.)
 
For more semi-creepy Maggie Stiefvater love-ranting, see here for Lament and better yet, here for Shiver and Linger, which apparently Maggie found out about and Tweeted about back in the day and WOW that was a long link.
 
That was probably the best review I've ever written, because I've never felt so passionate about a book like I did then. Obsessive? Maybe. Creepy? Yeah, sorta. But oodles of fun.

What I Stole From Libba Bray

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO HAVE WRITERS BLOCK
(oh, Libba Bray, I love you.)

"The Ever-Popular I Suck Playlist

One of the things that continues to surprise me about the writing life is how bloody impossible it can seem at times....

....Usually, I get a sense that this is about to happen because I become agitated and completely avoidant. I will whimper and pace the way dogs do before a bad storm. There will be a few days, maybe a week or two, sometimes even a month, in which the writing feels terribly stilted. False. Awful. The equivalent of small talk at a party where you don’t know anybody and you can’t leave yet because somebody else is driving, and so you just have to keep standing in the corner holding on to your sweating seltzer glass saying, “Really? How interesting. I did not know that about elephants.”

I hate this part. Hate it. These are the days when I come home with the comic book dark cloud scribbles over my head, and when my husband asks me how the writing’s going, I sigh and press my head against my palms and moan, “Terrible. I can’t figure this thing out. I don’t know anything about writing books. You have to tell them I don’t know how to write books. The last five books were a fluke, and now it’s over. Over, I tell you. I’m so sorry. I tried. I have to go watch The Simpsons now.”

If this part of the writing process were an iPod track list it would look like this:

Track #1: I Suck
Track #2: I’m Not Smart Enough to Write This Book
Track #3 No, This Is Different
Track #4: Maybe I Could Become a Firefighter/Gravedigger/Finger Puppeteer
Track #5: I Suck, Parts IV-VIII
Track #6: Why Can’t I Write Like (Fill in Blank)?
Track #7: This Doesn’t Happen To (Fill in Blank)
Track #8: Will You Help Me Fake My Death/It’s the Only Way/My Life in a Storage Unit Medley
Track #9: I Suck (Extended Dance Remix)
Track #10: What Was I Thinking?
Track #11: This Is Hopeless! (DJ Flail ‘N’ Whine Mix)
Track #12: So Overwhelmed I’m Underwater
Bonus Track: Also, I Hate My Hair"


AMEN TO THAT. It's So. Ridiculously. True.
Thank you, Libba Bray, for making my life a better place.