Books I've Read: Unbroken

So many authors I really like and admire are included in this anthology, and as most of you will know, I am all for honest and empowering representation of disabilities in YA fiction.  So, I was excited to start reading this anthology of short fiction.  Unfortunately, it didn't really do it for me.

There are some strong stories in here.  I particularly liked Kody Keplinger's one about tandem biking and William Alexander's story about a boy who conjured up a monster with his chronic pain.

Unfortunately too many of the rest fell flat for me.  And there was such a mix of genres, from high science-fi to magic realism, to fantasy to historical that the stories never really fit together in any way that made sense.  And in several cases I couldn't even figure out what the disability was, most especially in a story about a girl making a pilgrimage to a Muslim sacred place and burdened by a mysterious 'It'.

So while I totally love the premise of this book, the story selection is not as great as I would have hoped it to be.  Which is a real shame because teens living with a disability, mental or physical, deserve to see themselves in books doing and being more than their disabilities.

But don't just listen to me.  Here's the blurb:

A YA Anthology of short stories featuring disabled teens, written by #OwnVoices disabled authors. The stories reflect a range of genres and disabilities; contributors include bestselling authors Kody Keplinger and Francisco X. Stork, as well as newcomers Fox Benwell, Keah Brown, and more.

Weekly Goals 17-12-18

And it's Monday again.  I just realized I never wrote my Celebrate post on Friday, so this one will have to pull double duty...

This time of year is crazy.  Between Christmas parties and trying to wind up all the work we have to do before the office closes for the summer break, it's no wonder I missed a blog post!  Not to mention the next round of edits I have to do for my publisher.

Those are my number one priority this week.  I haven't had a chance to look through to see how substantial they are yet, but I will get started on that tonight.

My other priority is to finish getting ready for Christmas.  I've done a lot, but I still have a few presents to get, and I haven't wrapped anything yet.  Will have to find time for that this week too.

And then there's all the work still needing to be done.  And only five days in which to do it....

What are your goals this week?

Books I've Read: Apidae

In a world where climate change is threatening to change everything, the premise of this book - a world in which bees have been wiped out - is not as far fetched as you might think.  In this future, a militant organization does everything it can to keep those who wish to re-populate the bees down.  And that includes killing the people whose scientific research has led to genetically modifying people to be able to communicate with bees and possibly even pollinate themselves.

So far only two people who can do this have been created: Emlyn and Ace.  As soon as they meet one another, they know they are made for each other.  Their blood sings together and the bee venom in there makes it difficult to be apart.  At the same time, that same venom makes them volatile and angry, so the path of their attraction does not run smoothly.  Especially when they are on the run from militant agents who wish to kill them, and searching a hostile, fearful country for safety with a band of rebels.

I enjoyed this fast-paced, futuristic read.  There was plenty of action to keep the plot moving, but I felt like a little more world-building would not have gone amiss.  I never really understood the motivations of the MICE agents and why they would want the bees to remain gone permanently.  It seems to me there are better ways to control the people, than to keep them from being able to grow their own food.

But don't just listen to me.  Here's the blurb.

What happens if bees go extinct?


In the not so distant future, scientifically modified Emlyn and Ace find themselves thrown into the role of saviors on a perilous mission where their tenuous relationship could save or destroy mankind. As the war between rebels and the corrupt government reaches a fever pitch, Ace is bent on self-sacrifice and revenge, while Emlyn must choose between her heart and the future of mankind. 

Weekly Goals 10-12-18

Somehow I forgot to write these goals yesterday when I ought to have...  So I'm a day out.

I'm very close to finishing my publisher's edits, so my main goal this week is to turn those in.  I'm surprised how much I still like this book, even after going through every inch of it about 500 times over a number of years.

We're winding down toward the end of the year at work, but that doesn't mean things have become a whole lot quieter.  There's still so much to do!  And our Christmas party on Thursday.  And I have another one on Friday.

Eeek!

What are your goals this week?

Celebrate the Small Things 7-12-18

This post is part of Lexa Cain's bloghop, Celebrate the Small Things. Head on over there to join up!

What am I celebrating this week?

We're heading into the end of the year.  Only two more working weeks until the break.  But what a busy couple of weeks it's going to be!

It was my parents' 50th wedding anniversary this week, so tonight we're going out to dinner with them and all their closest friends to celebrate.

Tomorrow is the first of what feels like a series of Christmas parties at my boss's house.  She lives at the beach, so fingers crossed it's a nice day and we can have a paddle, if not a swim.

I have just about finished edits for my publisher on the new book.  I should turn those in early next week.  I should have a cover to share with you all very soon too.  That's always the point at which things start to feel real...

What are you celebrating this week?

Insecure Writer's Support Group - 5 December

It's the first Wednesday of December, so it's time for IWSG...

This month's question is:  What are five objects we'd find in your writing space?

Well, I don't really have a writing space.  I write at the breakfast bar in our kitchen/living/dining room.  It's not 100% ideal, but it's the best I can do.  Just wait until one of my kids leaves home. I'll have a special writing room all of my own then, with book cases, my own desk, stationary, pin boards for note cards...

But I digress.

In my writing space right now, there are several boxes of cupcakes my son made for a bake sale he's holding at school.  It's part of a social studies projects about social issues and he's raising money for UNICEF.

There are also a couple of school notices waiting for attention.

There's a muddy water bottle that was left there after someone came home from mountain biking on Saturday.

There's sunscreen because in a place with no ozone layer, you need to put it on before you leave the house, and the kitchen tends to be one of the last places you go before you leave.

And there's my laptop, perched at the very end of the breakfast bar where it lives, waiting hopefully for me to come and work on whichever project I'm supposed to be writing this week.  It gets pushed aside regularly, when people want to read the newspaper, do the crossword puzzle and sometimes eat dinner if we have a guest. Our dining room table which adjoins the breakfast bar only seats four.

So that's my writing space.  A tiny island of creativity in the midst of everyday chaos.

What's you're writing space like?

Weekly Goals 3-12-18

And just like that, it's December.

Wow, this year has gone by fast.  Only three more working weeks until Christmas and our summer break.

What am I planning to do with this week?

I got edits from my publisher on Friday, so I'm working through those.  I only have two weeks to turn them around, so that has to be my focus outside of work this week.  I would like to finish them by the weekend so I have time to do a more thorough read-through to make other changes I might want to make.

I plan to get myself more prepared for Christmas too, do things like get a haircut and finish my Christmas shopping.

What are your plans this week?