TBR Book Tag! (With gifs, because, why not?)

For once, I am getting to a tag really quickly. If the world goes out of orbit, or something explodes - I wasn't involved . . .

Bogdana the Booknerd tagged me for The TBR Book Tag. And honestly, it's probably the easiest tag yet (my to-read list is HUGE). So, thanks Bogdana, and be sure to check out her great book blog here! (All images and gifs belong to respective copyright holders. Book cover photos are from Goodreads.com)

1. How do you keep track of your TBR pile?

Shikamaru is my spirit animal (and I love this gif)

Uhhhh . . . I don't really keep track, it's too much effort. But Goodreads helps a lot! It tells me what I want to read, so I don't have to be bothered to remember ;P

2. Is your TBR mostly print or ebook?

Print. I have a few ebooks to read, but I usually ignore them unless I am stuck in an office waiting room, or standing in a super long line (both things I try to avoid, as a matter of principle)

3. How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?

I stage a mini Hunger Games.
Actually, I just grab a handful, read the blurbs, and then decide on whatever looks the most interesting.

4. What book's been on your list the longest?

Probably Anna Karenina. I think it's been on there for about 11 years. I just haven't found the time.

5. A book that's on your TBR list just because of the cover?

I'd love to say that I never judge a book by it's cover, but we'd all know that's a lie. Usually I am a cover + blurb + subject person, but here is the last cover that caught my eye. I basically check out anything with samurai, ninja, or otherwise Asian inspired. This cover was an instant addition.

<---- Child of Vengeance by David Kirk

It's a novel inspired by historical samurai Musashi Miyamoto. Sold.

6. A book you recently added to the list?

The Girl with Ghost Eyes, by M. H. Boroson. I stumbled across it thirty seconds ago. Go read the description and pre-reviews - it sounds awesome.
Aaaaand, it isn't out until November.

7. A book [on your list] that you never really plan on reading?

Well, usually I only add books that I plan on reading. But I'm not so naive as to think I'll actually get to all of these books (a girl can dream). *Flicks through Goodreads looking for likely candidates . . .*
Probably The City of Ember. It's MG, and I've heard pretty mediocre things about it. And though I've been a lifelong dystopian fan, I'm starting to get sick of the genre (sad, isn't it?).

8. A book on your TBR that everyone has read but you?

I don't know about everyone . . . but The Host by Stephenie* Meyer has been on my TBR for 4 years,  and I have a bunch of friends who loved it (even if they despised/didn't read Twilight). I read Twilight, had a good laugh, and proceeded to forget about it. I'm not really interested in any more Meyer books, but because my friends love The Host so much, I feel like I should give it a shot, you know?

9. A book on your TBR that you're dying to read?

Still cracking up at the gif*


Winter by Marissa Meyer. I have loved every second of The Lunar Chronicles since I snatched an early copy of Cinder. I'm really excited to see how everything finally goes down.

10. An unpublished book on your TBR that you're excited for?

Other than Winter, the book that I'm the most excited about is Anne Bishop's Marked in the Flesh (The Others #4). Every time I think about it, I'm in agony. I want the book to come out, but I don't want it to be March, I just want . . . the book to come out now.

11. A book on your TBR that everyone recommends to you?

Dune by Frank Herbert. It's another one that I've been planning on reading but never quite get around to. And everyone I know (that's read it), thinks I would really like it. It's not that I don't believe them, it's that I think "Okay, if I'll like this, why don't I save it and pick up something totally unknown." I love the unknown.

12. How many books are on your Goodreads TBR shelf?

As of today, 505. And that isn't even counting the ones that I was too lazy to add.

So, have you read any of these books? What book has been on your TBR list the longest? Is there a book that you want to read (but you think you never will)?

*Did you know that she spelled her name Stephenie instead of Stephanie? I had no idea.

The Freestyle Writing Challenge - Accepted!

So I had all these grand ideas about posting on my upcoming novel, Knight of the Blue Surcoat, or doing a few book reviews. But work happened. It's been so busy, with all the last minute summer traffic. And all those people puts me in psycho-cleaning mode. I'm not like this at home, but at work, I'm basically Levi . . .(especially after I've been stuck in the kitchen on a music night! Dishes, dishes everywhere)

From Tumblr.com

All this aside, I did get tagged by the wonderful E. Rawls for the very cool "Freestyle Writing Challenge"

You can find her prompt and answers here

But before we begin, here are the rules of the Challenge:

• Open a blank document. 
• Set a stop watch or mobile phone timer to 5 or 10 minutes. 
• Your topic is at the foot of this post. DO NOT SCROLL DOWN TO SEE IT UNTIL YOU ARE READY WITH YOUR TIMER! 
• Once you start writing, do not stop until the alarm sounds! 
• Do not cheat by going back and correcting spelling and grammar using spell check. (The challenge is only meant for you to reflect on your own control of sensible thought-flow and for you to reflect on your ability to write with correct spelling and grammar.) 
• You may or may not pay attention to punctuation or capitals. 
• At the end of your post, write down “No. of words = ____” to give an idea of how much you can write within the timeframe. 
• Copy and paste the entire passage on your blog post with a new topic for your nominees, and copy / paste these rules along with your nomination (at least 5 bloggers). 

The writing prompt from E. Rawls:
You are going to live under the sea now. You have left your “land dwelling” life and world behind. Where are you? What is your underwater dwelling like? Are there other humanoid races, such as mermaids or something else, in this undersea realm?

And here was my reply. It was totally random, so apologies ;P
No spell check!! NO LOOKING AT THE RANDOM STUFF YOU TYPED. This was hard.

There is a palace made completely from shells. It looks a bit like a Gothic cathedral, all jagged edges and dark shadows, with glimpses of color and mother of pearl. I seem to have found myself with gills, so I decide to explore the palace. The worst thing that can happen is being kicked out, right?
At the steps (which are made out of bone-white coral), I'm met by two sober faced guards. Their faces and bodies look human, but they have gills and webbed fingers, and their hair is long and, seaweed green. They wear no clothing, but their bodies are covered in rippling golden scales of varying shades and thicknesses. Naturally, I wonder if it would itch to be scaly.I wait for the guards to address me, but they just watch me with their dark, unblinking eyes. After they stare long enough to make me twitchy, I walk past them and into the palace. When no one comes after me, I decide to take a look around.The floors are sand, so white that it could have been powdered sugar, and it squishes under my bare feet. The walls soar up hundreds of feet overhead, and I can make out balconies of coral, and glowing lights that may or may not be jellyfish.The walls beside me are pearly, and the lights are some sort of fluorescent algae, which gives everything a greenish glow. Two clown fish swim past my face, which is startling: I'm still not accustomed to being able to breathe.The palace is eerily silent, but I hear a distant singing, so I head toward it. My first thought is sirens, and I wonder if living underwater will somehow make me immune to their song. Or maybe they won't be interested in me, since I'm not a sailor. Regardless, I've always wanted to see one.I decide to swim down the hall, as there's no one else around. On my way, I see other doorways, and several suspiciously human bones. There are so many fish, in every color of the spectrum, and it's tempting to chase off after them. But where there are fish, there might be sharks, and I'd honestly prefer to risk the sirens . . .

Word count: 375 words in 8 minutes (yeah, I wrote over, realized my timer was at 8, and decided to compromise) I am slow when writing from a prompt, I guess. Normally my fingers are like lightning (at least, according to my dad. It drives him crazy when I'm writing around him)

So, I am going to go rogue and not tag anyone. Instead, if you are reading this post, consider yourself eligible for the paragraph below:

"You are in a forest. What does it look like, and what just made that sound in the bushes? Is it a scary forest, or a kind one? What kind of trees are around you, and are there any other plants. What is going to happen to you in this forest?"

Uhm, yeah, that's the first thing off the top of my head. I love forests (really, really, love). Work thy descriptive powers, my friends. If you dare.




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