I know you've been waiting with bated breath (and not baited breath, which would be gross) to hear about my favorite books this year. And since I'm a Cybils judge this year, I'm splitting them into two categories. This way, we can see if the other Cybils judges are as crazy as me. They probably didn't make any Richard Simmons Christmas cookies this year, so probably not.
Anyway, here are my favorite reads of 2009. What did I miss that you think is a must-read?
Category: Fantasy! Science Fiction! Awesomesauce!
Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater
Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Highway to Hell by Rosemary Clement Moore
Lips Touch by Laini Taylor
This list is all YA, all the time, because I read mostly YA. Although one of my new favorites is Skulduggery Pleasant. Sooo kewl. I kind of want to invite him over for New Year's.
Category: Young Adulty Fabulousness!
Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers
Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd by Holly Black and Cecil Castelluci
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Paper Towns by John Green
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
Whee! And don't forget that Cybils finalists are posted on New Year's Day!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
WTF Monday - Now with Holiday Cheer!
Last night, Slayer and I were watching some television and not wrapping presents, because we are stellar procrastinators. Srsly. If there were Procrastination Olympics, I'd be a gold winner for sure. Not that I'm discounting Slayer, but I think if I begged, he'd let me win.
I think that's a nice thing. Although maybe not.
Anyway, there was this commercial that said, "Dancing is good for you." And then: "And so is fish oil." So I'm buying Slayer a tanker full of fish oil, we're going to fill our basement with it, and then go dancing. That should be EXTRA good for us. We'll be like superheroes or something. I'll be the Dancing Queen, and he'll be Fish Oil Guy.
On second thought, I may need to work on those superhero personas. I know Maureen Johnson loves the ABBA, but I'm not sure I can stand to be known as, well, someone who would wear THAT.
I'd rather be known as a fan of THIS:
Yes, that is a Richard Simmons Christmas cookie. I'm decorating cookies with the kids this week, and you all know what I'm going to be making. Hee.
I think that's a nice thing. Although maybe not.
Anyway, there was this commercial that said, "Dancing is good for you." And then: "And so is fish oil." So I'm buying Slayer a tanker full of fish oil, we're going to fill our basement with it, and then go dancing. That should be EXTRA good for us. We'll be like superheroes or something. I'll be the Dancing Queen, and he'll be Fish Oil Guy.
On second thought, I may need to work on those superhero personas. I know Maureen Johnson loves the ABBA, but I'm not sure I can stand to be known as, well, someone who would wear THAT.
I'd rather be known as a fan of THIS:
Yes, that is a Richard Simmons Christmas cookie. I'm decorating cookies with the kids this week, and you all know what I'm going to be making. Hee.
Friday, December 18, 2009
WTF Friday, Now with More WT!
My brain is broken. Today's entry will probably be nonsensical. However, that's not much different than any other day, so never mind.
I started the new book. I think I mentioned that yesterday, didn't I? And I used the phrase "merpire yingyang." This is now my new favorite phrase. Pretend that I put it into the meme yesterday under the My Favorite Words category. Frankly, it's so awesome that I think I need to write a song about it.
I have looked and looked for "Paeon to Wobbly Hamsters," which is a poem I wrote years ago. I think you'd like it. (Yes, I mean YOU.) Unfortunately, I think it was swallowed by one of my old computers. Maybe, just maybe, I'll write another poem with that title. Because titles don't get much better than that, do they?
I should note that I can't take credit for it. One of my oldest writing buddies challenged me to write a poem about wobbly hamsters. He wrote one too, and we traded. His was kind of gross but in that amazing imagery kind of way. Mine was quite naturally silly. Or maybe it's more accurate to say mine was, quite naturally, silly.
Damned commas.
Anyway, kudos to Monte for coming up with majorly cool hamster related poetry ideas.
I have this nagging feeling that I was supposed to do something this weekend but can't remember what it is. Don't you hate it when that happens?
I started the new book. I think I mentioned that yesterday, didn't I? And I used the phrase "merpire yingyang." This is now my new favorite phrase. Pretend that I put it into the meme yesterday under the My Favorite Words category. Frankly, it's so awesome that I think I need to write a song about it.
I have looked and looked for "Paeon to Wobbly Hamsters," which is a poem I wrote years ago. I think you'd like it. (Yes, I mean YOU.) Unfortunately, I think it was swallowed by one of my old computers. Maybe, just maybe, I'll write another poem with that title. Because titles don't get much better than that, do they?
I should note that I can't take credit for it. One of my oldest writing buddies challenged me to write a poem about wobbly hamsters. He wrote one too, and we traded. His was kind of gross but in that amazing imagery kind of way. Mine was quite naturally silly. Or maybe it's more accurate to say mine was, quite naturally, silly.
Damned commas.
Anyway, kudos to Monte for coming up with majorly cool hamster related poetry ideas.
I have this nagging feeling that I was supposed to do something this weekend but can't remember what it is. Don't you hate it when that happens?
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tagtastic
Thank god. Tere Kirkland tagged me. This saves me from having to, y' know, THINK.
This meme is about writing, so I figured what the bleep. I'll give it a try.
1. What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have? The last thing I wrote was the first two pages of my next book. Whee! Of course, now I'm in the obsessive-edit-two-pages stage, where I read and reread every blinking word in an effort to make it "perfect," all the while knowing that I'm being an idiot and perfect is unattainable unless you are Richard Simmons. The first thing I wrote is a book called "The Beautiful Butterfly" in Kindergarten. It got a special award at the Young Authors Conference and solidified my geek status for all eternity.
2. Write poetry? I used to. One of my killer poems was "Slumber Party with the Pope." Fer real.
3. Angsty poetry? *hangs head in shame* Yes, I used to do that too. I should probably note that "Slumber Party with the Pope" does not fall into this category. Neither does "Paeon to Wobbly Hamsters," although it would be funny if it did.
4. Favorite genre of writing? Young adult, natch. This would explain why I WRITE IT. Durr.
5. Most annoying character you've ever created? Probably Tickle Bits from the No Pain sequel. Yes, you read that right. Tickle Bits. If you think that's bad, you should have seen her original name.
6. Best plot you've ever created? Well, there's this vampire, see, and he glows in the dark, because sparkles are so overrated. And he falls in love with this girl who actually has two left feet; it's a birth defect or something. It's a romance. A very romantic romance.
7. Coolest plot twist you've ever created? Did I tell you she had two left feet?
8. How often do you get writer's block? Not too often. I find that writer's block only comes when there's something really wrong with my plot. It's my subconscious' way of saving me from having to rewrite half a book.
9. Write fan fiction? Dudes, he glows in the dark. She has two left feet. Do I need to get any more blatant?
10. Do you type or write by hand? I've written a few short stories by hand. Revenge of the Mucus Shovel Fairy was actually written in a notebook while I was on vacation. But generally, I'm a typist.
11. Do you save everything you write? Only the good stuff. Which means yes.
I am very modest.
12. Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it? Absolutely! Actually, No Pain went on the back burner for about three months, because my plot didn't work. One morning I woke up and said, "Eureka!" or something equally inspirational but not quite so lame. That day, I picked it back up, finished it within about a month, and the rest is history. Or at least it should be.
13. What's your favorite thing you've ever written? Um... have I mentioned that No Pain sold to Delacorte? Nuff said.
14. What's everyone else's favorite story that you've written? I don't know. I'm hoping it's one that they read. It may or may not have glow-in-the-dark vampires in it.
15. Ever written romance or angsty teen drama? Um, have you been listening? Glow-in-dark. Two left feet.
But really, most of my books have some romantic element in there.
16. What's your favorite setting for your characters? I tend to gravitate towards modern suburbia. I like the idea of all these wacky things happening in my hometown.
17. How many writing projects are you working on right now? Two. I'm doing edits on the No Pain sequel and slowly but surely starting Fangirls, my next book. I don't like to draft more than one at the same time, because my mind is chaotic enough as it is.
18. Have you ever won an award for your writing? I'd call publication a pretty freaking awesome award. But if you're talking real awards, I have to go all the way back to "The Beautiful Butterfly." Le sigh.
19. What are your five favorite words? Snarf, publication, snarfy publications, and publication-snarf.
20. What character have you created that is most like yourself? Probably Kate from No Pain, but I'm a lot sillier than she is. Really.
21. Where do you get ideas for your characters? I hate questions like this. I'd like to sic a rabid dog on them. I get ideas by doing this strange thing called "thinking." I wish there was some magic answer, but there isn't.
22. Do you ever write based on your dreams? No, but I sometimes dream about my books, which is kinda fun except when you're writing a lot of scenes with puking in them. Srsly.
23. Do you favor happy endings? I favor realistic endings. If it's realistic that the characters are happy, that's fine.
24. Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write? Obsessively. I edit as I go. For god's sake, I edit emails.
25. Does music help you write? Nope. I end up singing and dancing. It's hard to type and do that at the same time.
26. Quote something you've written. Whatever pops into your head.
Ready?
Hey, that's what popped into my head.
Okay. Finally done. Now here's the deal. I'm going to ask you a simple question? Do you know what you're posting on your blog next? If not, you're officially tagged. You're welcome.
This meme is about writing, so I figured what the bleep. I'll give it a try.
1. What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have? The last thing I wrote was the first two pages of my next book. Whee! Of course, now I'm in the obsessive-edit-two-pages stage, where I read and reread every blinking word in an effort to make it "perfect," all the while knowing that I'm being an idiot and perfect is unattainable unless you are Richard Simmons. The first thing I wrote is a book called "The Beautiful Butterfly" in Kindergarten. It got a special award at the Young Authors Conference and solidified my geek status for all eternity.
2. Write poetry? I used to. One of my killer poems was "Slumber Party with the Pope." Fer real.
3. Angsty poetry? *hangs head in shame* Yes, I used to do that too. I should probably note that "Slumber Party with the Pope" does not fall into this category. Neither does "Paeon to Wobbly Hamsters," although it would be funny if it did.
4. Favorite genre of writing? Young adult, natch. This would explain why I WRITE IT. Durr.
5. Most annoying character you've ever created? Probably Tickle Bits from the No Pain sequel. Yes, you read that right. Tickle Bits. If you think that's bad, you should have seen her original name.
6. Best plot you've ever created? Well, there's this vampire, see, and he glows in the dark, because sparkles are so overrated. And he falls in love with this girl who actually has two left feet; it's a birth defect or something. It's a romance. A very romantic romance.
7. Coolest plot twist you've ever created? Did I tell you she had two left feet?
8. How often do you get writer's block? Not too often. I find that writer's block only comes when there's something really wrong with my plot. It's my subconscious' way of saving me from having to rewrite half a book.
9. Write fan fiction? Dudes, he glows in the dark. She has two left feet. Do I need to get any more blatant?
10. Do you type or write by hand? I've written a few short stories by hand. Revenge of the Mucus Shovel Fairy was actually written in a notebook while I was on vacation. But generally, I'm a typist.
11. Do you save everything you write? Only the good stuff. Which means yes.
I am very modest.
12. Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it? Absolutely! Actually, No Pain went on the back burner for about three months, because my plot didn't work. One morning I woke up and said, "Eureka!" or something equally inspirational but not quite so lame. That day, I picked it back up, finished it within about a month, and the rest is history. Or at least it should be.
13. What's your favorite thing you've ever written? Um... have I mentioned that No Pain sold to Delacorte? Nuff said.
14. What's everyone else's favorite story that you've written? I don't know. I'm hoping it's one that they read. It may or may not have glow-in-the-dark vampires in it.
15. Ever written romance or angsty teen drama? Um, have you been listening? Glow-in-dark. Two left feet.
But really, most of my books have some romantic element in there.
16. What's your favorite setting for your characters? I tend to gravitate towards modern suburbia. I like the idea of all these wacky things happening in my hometown.
17. How many writing projects are you working on right now? Two. I'm doing edits on the No Pain sequel and slowly but surely starting Fangirls, my next book. I don't like to draft more than one at the same time, because my mind is chaotic enough as it is.
18. Have you ever won an award for your writing? I'd call publication a pretty freaking awesome award. But if you're talking real awards, I have to go all the way back to "The Beautiful Butterfly." Le sigh.
19. What are your five favorite words? Snarf, publication, snarfy publications, and publication-snarf.
20. What character have you created that is most like yourself? Probably Kate from No Pain, but I'm a lot sillier than she is. Really.
21. Where do you get ideas for your characters? I hate questions like this. I'd like to sic a rabid dog on them. I get ideas by doing this strange thing called "thinking." I wish there was some magic answer, but there isn't.
22. Do you ever write based on your dreams? No, but I sometimes dream about my books, which is kinda fun except when you're writing a lot of scenes with puking in them. Srsly.
23. Do you favor happy endings? I favor realistic endings. If it's realistic that the characters are happy, that's fine.
24. Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write? Obsessively. I edit as I go. For god's sake, I edit emails.
25. Does music help you write? Nope. I end up singing and dancing. It's hard to type and do that at the same time.
26. Quote something you've written. Whatever pops into your head.
Ready?
The.
Hey, that's what popped into my head.
Okay. Finally done. Now here's the deal. I'm going to ask you a simple question? Do you know what you're posting on your blog next? If not, you're officially tagged. You're welcome.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Holiday Awesomesauce
I am speechless. Scillius Maximus the Great (fo shizzle) made this for us. I shall let its awesomeness speak for itself.
The link is worth clicking. Trust me.
The link is worth clicking. Trust me.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
The 12 Days of Wacky Searches on Carrie's Blog
Remember a while back when I was the David Hasselhoff of Turkey? Well, now I'm apparently the Katie Couric of Michigan. I only get a few Turkish visitors each day, but four or five people visit my site looking for Katie Couric. I hate to break it to you, dudes, but she's not here.
Anyway, in honor of the holidays, I bring you the 12 Days of Wacky Searches on Carrie's Blog:
On the first day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the second day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the third day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the fourth day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the fifth day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me directions to make a stingray costume, a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the sixth day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me a wolf with scary eyebrows, directions to make a stingray costume, a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the seventh day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me a Richard Simmons rainbow puke image, a wolf with scary eyebrows, directions to make a stingray costume, a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the eighth day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me a rollerskating vampire, a Richard Simmons rainbow puke image, a wolf with scary eyebrows, directions to make a stingray costume, a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the ninth day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me underwater beefcakes, a rollerskating vampire, a Richard Simmons rainbow puke image, a wolf with scary eyebrows, directions to make a stingray costume, a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the tenth day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me a couple of holiday heinies, underwater beefcakes, a rollerskating vampire, a Richard Simmons rainbow puke image, a wolf with scary eyebrows, directions to make a stingray costume, a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me the WTF Blanket, a couple of holiday heinies, underwater beefcakes, a rollerskating vampire, a Richard Simmons rainbow puke image, a wolf with scary eyebrows, directions to make a stingray costume, a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me tampons used as a weapon, the WTF Blanket, a couple of holiday heinies, underwater beefcakes, a rollerskating vampire, a Richard Simmons rainbow puke image, a wolf with scary eyebrows, directions to make a stingray costume, a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
So never say that I don't give you anything.
And yes. These really ARE searches that led people to my blog. Weird.
Anyway, in honor of the holidays, I bring you the 12 Days of Wacky Searches on Carrie's Blog:
On the first day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the second day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the third day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the fourth day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the fifth day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me directions to make a stingray costume, a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the sixth day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me a wolf with scary eyebrows, directions to make a stingray costume, a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the seventh day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me a Richard Simmons rainbow puke image, a wolf with scary eyebrows, directions to make a stingray costume, a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the eighth day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me a rollerskating vampire, a Richard Simmons rainbow puke image, a wolf with scary eyebrows, directions to make a stingray costume, a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the ninth day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me underwater beefcakes, a rollerskating vampire, a Richard Simmons rainbow puke image, a wolf with scary eyebrows, directions to make a stingray costume, a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the tenth day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me a couple of holiday heinies, underwater beefcakes, a rollerskating vampire, a Richard Simmons rainbow puke image, a wolf with scary eyebrows, directions to make a stingray costume, a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me the WTF Blanket, a couple of holiday heinies, underwater beefcakes, a rollerskating vampire, a Richard Simmons rainbow puke image, a wolf with scary eyebrows, directions to make a stingray costume, a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, Carrie's blog gave to me tampons used as a weapon, the WTF Blanket, a couple of holiday heinies, underwater beefcakes, a rollerskating vampire, a Richard Simmons rainbow puke image, a wolf with scary eyebrows, directions to make a stingray costume, a book about zombie computers, Muppets with braids, Miss Bimbo Twilight and the Katie Couric of Michigan.
So never say that I don't give you anything.
And yes. These really ARE searches that led people to my blog. Weird.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Things That Make Me Snarf - Richard Simmons on Whose Line
How is it possible that I haven't posted this?!?! I am a bad, bad person.
Bad Carrie. No biscuit.
Anyway, please sit back and enjoy the skit that made me a Richard Simmons fan for the rest of eternity.
Bad Carrie. No biscuit.
Anyway, please sit back and enjoy the skit that made me a Richard Simmons fan for the rest of eternity.
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