Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm

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Title: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

Author: Kate Douglas Wiggin

Pages/Format: 327/e-book

What I Thought: Rebecca Randall goes to live with her two aunts, Jane and Miranda, in order to help out her family.  She lived on the family farm, but the family was poor because of the family falling on some hard times.  Rebecca’s father had been dead for 3 years at the beginning of the novel, the farm itself was being mortgaged, and Rebecca’s mom had trouble feeding the entire family (Rebecca, her 6 siblings and the mom). 

Rebecca was sent to live with her aunts so that there would be one less mouth to feed, and so that she would get the chance to improve her life.

Along the way Rebecca meets characters like Emma Jane, Jeremiah and Sarah Cobb, and Adam (or Mr Aladdin as Rebecca calls him).  She goes to school, with a talent for writing, and does very well in her English classes, going on to graduate from high school. 

I love how imaginative and creative Rebecca is, despite the fact that she comes from an impoverished background.  She’s also high-spirited, which is something that stays with her, even as she matures into a young woman. 

She tries to please her aunt Miranda, and wants her approval, but still finds it hard to live up to her aunt’s high standards.  Rebecca does brighten aunt Jane’s life because of her curiousity and because of her liveliness.  Both Jane and Miranda do their best to make sure Rebecca becomes a proper young woman by teaching her how to sew and cook, as well as other household skills. 

In the end, it seems like Miranda is fond of Rebecca, at least to a degree, because when Miranda dies, she leaves the house to Rebecca.  Because of Miranda’s will, Rebecca can be independent and help out her family.       

Rating: 4 out of 5.  It was a great book, and it was nice to see how Rebecca changed over time, and yet still was an imaginative and spirited person.

A Swiftly Tilting Planet

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Title: A Swiftly Tilting Planet

Author: Madeleine L’Engle

Pages/Format: 256/paperback

What I Thought: A Swiftly Tilting Planet is another book in Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle In Time series.  There are 4 books in the series, although there is a 5th book that is sometimes included.  A Swiftly Tilting Planet is the 3rd book in regards to publication, but is the 4th chronologically. 

Anyway, it was still a very enjoyable read, and the story continues with the threat of nuclear war from dictator Mad Dog Branzillo.  It is up to Charles Wallace to go back in time, and prevent disaster.  Meg helps Charles Wallace by kything.  Calvin, while not making an appearance in the novel, is still mentioned, and we learn that Calvin and Meg are married with Meg expecting their child.  Calvin’s absence is explained by him giving a conference in Great Britain.

Charles Wallace goes out to the family star-watching rock and recites Patrick’s Rune, which he learned from Calvin’s mom.  He comes across a unicorn named Gaudior, and they go back in time in order to prevent a nuclear disaster.  Charles Wallace changes key events (or might-have-beens), in the lives of Branzillo’s ancestors. 

Along the way, the ever present Echthroi try to threaten the work Charles Wallace is doing.  While Charles Wallace is trying to change the future for good, the Echthroi are trying to change the future for evil. 

I wasn’t surprised that in the end, nuclear war was preventing by Charles Wallace changing the might-have-beens.  Branzillo ends up being a peaceful man instead of a South American dictator.  

Rating: 4 out of 5.  It definitely kept up in the spirit of A Wrinkle In Time and A Wind In The Door.  It was an enjoyable and quick read, and it was nice to see the entire Murry family as well as Calvin’s mom.

A Wind In The Door

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Title: A Wind In The Door

Author: Madeleine L’Engle

Pages: 203/Paperback

What I Thought: A Wind In The Door is the sequel to A Wrinkle In Time.  In A Wind In The Door, Echthroi are destroying Charles Wallace’s farandolae, so Meg and Calvin travel to Charles Wallace’s mitochondria with Proginoskes (who is a cherub).  They also come across Blajeny and Louise the Larger (a snake)- both Blajeny and Louise are Teachers.  Good vs Evil is a prominent theme in A Wind In The Door, much like A Wrinkle In Time.  However, in this novel, it’s on a much smaller scale.  It also shows how even the smallest of things can have an impact on the universe. 

I loved how Meg looked past her initial thoughts about Mr. Jenkins, and started to care for him in order to name him.  I also loved how she went from resenting him and seeing him as a not-so-good guy to appreciating him.  That definitely goes with the whole looking beyond 1st impressions thing. 

I really liked the character of Proginoskes (who ends up being called Progo).  He insists on being called a cherubim (as opposed to the singular cherub) because he’s practically plural.  In the end, he ends up sacrificing himself after Meg is nearly Xed (or unnamed) and Mr. Jenkins is invaded by his Echthroi doubles. 

In the end, Charles Wallace is okay and the world is saved from the Black Thing that was ever present in A Wrinkle In Time.

Rating: 4 out of 5.  I liked it as much as I did A Wrinkle In Time, and it definitely had the spirit of A Wrinkle In Time, albeit on a much smaller scale.

My Poor Finger!

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You may have noticed that my posts have been…slightly more sporadic over the last week or so.  That is because I am a complete idiot.

It started out innocently enough.  It’s cold and rainy, I’ll make some soup.  So the soup needs some chopped carrots, and I decided to use the vegetable slicer.  However, the carrots are being uncooperative, so I decide it would be a good idea to get the carrots out by putting my finger into the vegetable slicer.  It was a good idea until I cut myself.  And about 30 minutes later, I found myself in the emergency room at 10:30 on a Saturday night in need of s0me stitches.  Thankfully, it was just a couple stitches but still, stitches!  While my right hand has been functional, it hasn’t been as functional as it normally is.  Partly because I didn’t want to do anything weird to my stitches, but also because when it comes to needles and stuff, I am the world’s biggest baby. 

My Poor Finger!

It’s really hard taking a picture one-handed, especially when the hand taking the picture is the one you don’t use on a regular basis.  I somehow managed to not use my finger, which is a small miracle, but it’s better now, especially since my stitches are out.  Using my now better finger is weird, since it’s been a bit since I’ve used it, but it will be back to normal soon. 

It made me glad I had some posts in my queue that I had been working on and had no idea what to do with.  I’ve been (mostly) unproductive, spending my time watching the travel channel.  Mostly because I was bored with the history channel and there really isn’t anything on in the middle of the day.  I did watch the USA network a few times though.  Plus, I caught up on a lot of the blogs I follow, since I could manage that one-handed. 

I’ll be posting a few book reviews over the next few days, since I did do some reading.  Plus, I’m itching to cook and bake, especially as I found a lot of stuff I want to try.

My Favorite Ways Of Procrastinating

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I am such a procrastinator.  And of course, we all have our favorite ways of procastinating.  I pretty much do everything but write. 

  • Reading Blogs: They’re entertaining, inspirational and they give me ideas.  I have a pretty decent list of blogs I love to read…I may have to share that list sometime. 
  • Podcasts: I have yet to listen to any of the ones I’ve downloaded, and for some reason, I feel the need to download more that I probably won’t listen to, but there are a few that have potential…if I can focus long enough to listen to any of them.  Why write when I can listen to podcasts about writing?
  • Reading: reading a good distraction…when I’m not thinking about my goal of actually reading.  I tell myself that I’m just trying to find something that I can put my own twist on, because I’ve gotten inspiration from books before (namely Harry Potter and the Giant Prehistoric Chicken).  But really, it’s just my excuse to not do anything.
  • Cooking/Baking: also a good way of putting of my writing.  And even though I tell myself it’s for a good cause, because I’m testing out potential food for NaNo, it’s really just an excuse to not write anything.
  • Research: I tend to not do much in the way of research for NaNo, as I gravitate more towards the pantser end of the contiuum.  And when I actually have an idea that requires research (read: Turning Point or historical fiction), I tend to pay more attention to the research, and trying to find every last detail instead of the writing. 

As much as I love writing, it does frustrate me that I don’t do more of it, especially since I have the time to do it.  The fact that I have oodles of time on my hands is probably working against me.  I have a lot of time that I can use to write, but since I have so much time, I decide not to write, because…I have a lot of time.  Procrastination is really hard to overcome, so maybe I need to write first before doing anything else.  Or maybe for every 30 minutes I write, I can do other stuff for 30 minutes.  Okay, maybe it doesn’t have to be 30 minutes, but whatever time I decide to give to writing and doing other stuff.

Some Of My Favorite (Writing) Things

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Sometime in late October or early November, I mentioned my NaNo Survival Kit.  Quite a bit has changed in the last few months, so I thought I’d do an updated list.

What has stayed the same:

  • my magical binder: it has everything I need in it; It’s essential to writing…when I actually do any. 
  • music: I’m always looking for new music, and I definitely have some new music since then.  The only problem is when I’m distracted by the music I’m listening. 
  • USB drive: I still use it, although it’s much more sporadic now since I’ve been using dropbox.  But still, everything is on there, even if it’s not the most updated version. 
  • I still have an assortment of pens/sharpies/pencils/erasers, plus index cards and post-its: I do write stuff down, especially when I’m planning.  Index cards and post-its are very helpful for reminders or notes.
  • Snacks/food: Very important, as I need to eat.  I’m hoping that this year, I’ll have some food ready to go in the freezer.  Failing that, there’s always procrastination.

And this is what has changed:

  • Coffee: I still like coffee, and it’s still a very important drink, but I’ve decided to expand my drink list a little.
  • tea/hot chocolate/apple cider: I don’t drink much tea, hot chocolate or apple cider, but I’ve been drinking more of all 3 lately.  It never hurts to expand my drink rotation.
  • Writing Prompts: I like writing prompts because they get me to think about things in a different way, whether the prompt is serious or silly.  Plus, it gets my mind going, and once in a while, it’ll spark an idea. 
  • Other blogs: They’re definitely part of my writer’s toolbox.  Some, of course, are food-related, others are crafts-related.  It’s cool to see what other people are doing, and it gives me a break from writing. 
  • Writing hat: I got it at a halloween store that was going out of business, and trying to get rid of their inventory, so it was half-off.  I personally didn’t notice any difference in my ability to actually write more, but then again, I had writing ju-ju in spades.  It did get me into writing mode…when I actually remembered to wear it.  Maybe I need to start wearing my hat to get me into writing mode.   

From The Depths of My Mind

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I’m not really sure what to write about today, so here’s a few things going on:

  • I’ve decided I need to take a 1st aid/cpr class.  I have no idea where that came from, but it seems like a good idea.  And it can’t hurt because you never know when it’ll come in handy. 
  • i keep meaning to have a star wars marathon, a lord of the rings marathon, and a harry potter marathon, but I never seem to get around to it
  • keeping up the writing momentum is really hard- i’m perfectly fine during november, but keeping up any kind of pace is proving to be much harder.  Well, writing as far as novels go, because I’ve had no problem posting to my blog everyday. 
  • i must watch more movies.  And actually attempt to rewatch some of my favorite shows.  And catch up on a couple shows I’ve only started watching recently (namely in reruns on USA). 
  • I still haven’t read  many of the e-books I’ve found.  I’ve tried, but it’s not really working out too well, but I’ll keep trying.  I think I’m too distracted by everything else, namely the internet, to actually keep up with it. 

A Couple Lists Plus Some Inspiration

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One of the things I love about writing is that there’s inspiration to be found in anything.  Hate the ending of a book or movie (or even a tv show)?  Write your own version.  See someone wearing the most bizarre outfit?  Write into your novel.  Overhear a weird or interesting conversation or phrase?  Make it the opening line/conversation in your novel or short story.

Like, any job working with the public is writing gold!  I work at a museum, and the things you hear and see, provided enough material for 2 novels.  And if I’m being completely honest, probably enough for several more novels.

Reasons Why I Feel Like I Need to Write

  • I want to continue some of the projects I’ve started because I want to see how the story ends.
  • I have a few ideas that have some promise, and I want to see how they work out.  Plus, I want to get them out of my head, so I can have room for some shiny new ideas. 
  • I have quite a few prompts I want to write about, plus some quotes that I find very interesting and that “speak” to me. 
  • I’ve been feeling stressed/upset/worried/depressed/anxious, and writing in my journal seems to get that out of my head.

Reasons Why I’m Being So Hard On Myself About *Not* Writing:

  • I feel like I’m not writing, even though I am.  It’s like if I’m not working on my novels, I’m not writing anything.
  • I keep on telling myself that they’re not any good, even though there are some good things in the things I’m working on.  There’s always something good in everything I’ve written, even though there are spelling/grammar problems, major inconsistencies, and just some plain funny stuff. 
  • The work that I’d have to put in if I want to make it the best that it can be is overwhelming.  If I do it in baby steps, maybe it won’t be so overwhelming. 

All The Training She Needs

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Here’s another flash fiction for everyone.  And I found the prompt over at Flash Fiction.  And as usual, it is © me.

Title: All The Training She Needs

“Mission?  Me?” asked Isabella.

“Yes,” said Robert.

“Why me?  I’m not cut out for missions, that’s why I work in the lab,” Isabella protested.  “And I’m not exactly the type of person who likes wearing dresses.”

“I think you’ll look very fetching,” he said.  “Just find something summery.”

“I don’t even know how to do that!”

“Just drink some of this elixir,” he said, handing her a bottle that he had pulled from his desk.

“What is it?” she said.  “Woebegone?  What the hell is this?”

“It will solve your problems,” Robert explained.

“No it won’t!” she exclaimed.  “I told you, I’m not cut out for missions!  I’m not an agent, I really don’t get why I have to do it.”

“You’re our best option for it,” Robert said.  “We need you.”

“Are you sure there’s no one else?” she asked unsurely.

“You won’t be alone, Boats will be with you,” Robert said patiently.  “Besides, we’ll prep you for it.  You won’t be doing this alone.”

“I’ll be prepared for it?”

“Yes,” he said.  “And we can find someone else, if you feel you’re not ready at the end of it.”

“Good,” she said.  “I hope I pass with singing colors.”

“You mean flying colors?”

“I don’t care what kind of colors they are,” Isabella said.

“Do people misunderstand you?”

“Once in a blue lagoon,” Isabella said.

“I suppose we can translate,” Robert mused.  “You can do this.  It is not impossible.”

Justin Blair

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Justin was one of Chloe’s roommates, until she moved out.

He’s around 25, with blonde hair and blue eyes.  He plays 2nd base for the Ashton Bears, making him one of Mike’s teammates.

He’s the youngest in his family, although I can’t remember how many siblings he has.  He’s extroverted, likes people, and tries to be a good role model.  He’s happy-go-lucky, but also tends to do first, and think later.

His profile isn’t really detailed.  By the time I got around around to most of the characters for Wildflower, I had done the ones for Turning Point, and everyone was starting to sound the same.  Plus, it was only a few days before November, and I didn’t really have enough time to do anything detailed, figuring I could do it during or after November.

I’m honestly not too concerned with finishing most of the Wildflower profiles, because it’s not one of my priorities.  Since they’re not detailed, I’ll probably start sharing a couple  characters whenever I talk about them.