Taste Test Thursday - Hidden Fire

Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter

Review: I couldn't finish it and will not be reading the Elemental series.

Appetizer: "The man stole down the hallway, his foot steps echoing in the dimly lit basement of the library."

The first sentence is supposed to set the tone and place for the opening of the story and I've already got issues. Instead of getting something original, I feel like I'm being given the Safeway generic version. For instance, the word "stole" to describe the man's movement implies he's being sneaky, yet his footsteps are echoing. Also, most libraries may have hard tile floors in the lobby, but by the time you get into the library itself, the floors are carpeted... because they want the library to be quiet! The whole sentence read like a cliche attempt to create 'mood.'

Main Meat Course: I was right, because more cliche phrases followed like the "Jedi mind tricks." The novel also begins with the main character stereotypically seducing another character. Basically in the first three chapters I was able to chew through were dripping in greasily contrived plot devices. 

When I stopped for a pee break after the third chapter, I came back with no interest in picking up where I had left off. The gist is, I was bored with the bland language and craftsmanship. Additionally I had no inkling as to what the rules of the world were. I had hints of suspense to come but no action and no interest in reading further. If I have to force feed myself a story, then I'd just rather not partake.

Dessert: 

Word Count: 143

Edits: 0

Not So Happy Valentine's Day

For the past 5 months and 14 days, many people have asked, "How's living in that tiny cabin?" And my answer remained an enthusiastic, "It's great!" or "I love it!" or "It's weird but I feel like I'm glamping all the time now!" It's been 5 months and 14 days of bliss and I know people keep asking because they are waiting for that moment that it's not blissful anymore.

I shouldn't find it ironic that day arrived yesterday on February 14, 2016... Valentine's Day. All I wanted was bathtub to soak because I had slept wrong on my shoulder. I am getting over the flu so I spent most of my time laying in bed which meant not much room for anything else. Aside from a desperate need of a bathtub for soaking and endless hot water, I wanted a "real" bed and room to walk around. My bed felt too hard and when I let some air out of the mattress, it wasn't firm enough. I tossed and turned all night and generally felt like I was in a tomb because the air was so stuffy.

Basically, I was a whiny baby who didn't feel good and was starting to experience cabin fever.

Here's the thing though, if I had been in a larger house with a tub and "real" bed, I would have found something else to complain about. Everybody has days when they just want something different that what they have. I think it's important to admit that there are times when the tiny cabin is, well, tiny. And there are days that being in a tiny space is the last place I want to be. Luckily for me, those days seem to be few and far between.

Thankfully, this morning I woke up refreshed. I but away the bed and cleaned up. Opened the windows for light and fresh air. I noticed that the shelves need to be dusted and wiped down, so it's just time for a little spring cleaning. And maybe it's time to start thinking about planting a garden and setting up an outdoor kitchen to expand the boundaries of the tiny cabin.

Unraveling Ingredients - Childhood Reads

I have heard the phrase, "Write what your read," repeated continuously in workshops and instruction books. However, I find this phrase insufficient for explaining why authors write their types of fiction. The phrase should be, "Write what interest you."

After listening to and reading different author's origin tales, I found a common ingredient - their early reading interest. Patricia Briggs (of the Mercy Thompson series) once said that she loved reading folklore, not necessarily fairytales, but oral stories of magic and her family was always telling stories. Chris Colfer said in an interview that he grew up being read fairytales and often wondered what happened to the characters after the story ended or how the story would have been told from another character's point of view (resulting in the Land of Stories series).

So, I had to ask myself, "What do I remember reading or being read when I was growing up?" Well, I remember Dr. Suess, specifically The Sleep Book, Need a House? Call Ms. Mouse!, great books about historical people, and finally, The Hobbit. I don't really remember fairytales or nursery rhymes, but I remember The Hobbit. My mom read me a chapter a night when I was in the first grade and I loved it. I read the Babysitters Club like it was cotton candy and the Boxcar Children. Nancy Drew was a definite favorite. Then in the sixth grade I felt like I graduated to adult literature when my mom convinced me to read The Color Purple.

What can this tell me about my reading/writing habits now?

The Sleep Book - I would always ask for this book when I was tired or sick because I loved the silliness of the words. It is also a journey book in which different cultures and species experience sleep in different ways.

Need a House? Call Ms. Mouse! - This is a beautiful book, wonderfully illustrated. The idea of animals needed homes of their own and each home unique to the habit and nature of the animal was inspiring. Though these habitats were inspired by animals the designs of their homes had distinctively human characteristics.

The Hobbit - Mom started reading me this because she wanted to read something that she was interested in and thought I would like it too. I completely opened my imagination and explains so much about why I love fantasy fiction.

The Babysitters Club - My first real girl power book about a group of girls in middle school who get together and form a business out of something many girl do, babysitting. All the girls were different, from artsy Claudia to tomboy Kristy and shy Marianne. This is also when I fell in love with the idea of books as a series because I always wanted to know what happened next. When I read stand alone books I was disappointed that there wasn't another book with those characters or in that world.

The Boxcar Children - This was another kid power book but historically based. Their self sufficiency is what attracted me to the book. They also take care of each other and have a strong family support system even though they feel they have been abandoned by the rest of the world. And once again it is a series.

Nancy Drew - Serial female mystery solver with suspense galore, need I say more. The Boxcar Children ended up being a kind of mystery series too, but Nancy Drew was a real sleuth. She lived with her dad and had a boyfriend and best friends who helped her. But ultimately, Nancy Drew was quite independent.

The Color Purple - I don't know of many mothers who would want their young daughter to read a book where the opening paragraph begins with an incestuous rape. But I remember that was the first book that hooked me with the opening ling, "You better not never tell nobody but God." The cadence of speech captured my interest immediately and then to read that this happened to someone only a few years older than me made the story stick with me. I developed a real empathy for female protagonist who are abused but become strong, who are outsiders in their own families so they create their own.

These are the corner stones of my reading/writing journey.

Word Count: 689
Edits: 2

Taste Test Thursday - Halfway to the Grave

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Review: I didn't finish and will not be reading the Night Huntress series.

Appetizer: "I stiffened at the red and blue lights flashing behind me, because there was no way I could explain what was in the back of my truck."

I will admit that when I read the first line, I was intrigued. Nay, I'll even say excited.

Main Meat Course: Then I read on and was drenched in the sugary, southern girl voice interacting with another stereotypical hick cop in the introduction. That was an immediate turn off. The main character comes off as so idiotic that I couldn't read more than Chapter 2. Too contrived, too stereotypical, and too much mental eye-rolling. If I had finished, I'm sure my eyes would have gotten stuck just like my grandmother always said they would. The first mental roll happened when the cop questioned a grown woman about what she was doing out and about at 4 a.m.

The story just seemed to be trying too hard to keep the reader interested. As a result it became overwrought with cliches and superficial suspense. I know there are people who appreciate this type of writing but it's just not for me.

Dessert: You can tell that this is someone who is aware of what it takes to craft suspense in the story and the urban fantasy elements are interesting. Just not enough for me.

Word Count: 243
Edit: 2