It's the middle of August in New York City and rain has been pouring out of the sky for over twelve hours now. It's a gloomy Sunday afternoon, and I'm rather enjoying it.
August has been a busy month. Somehow I've developed quite the social life recently, so that plus work plus writing plus clarinet has kept me well occupied. It's been a good busy, though: I'm working on a few books I'm excited about, I'm over ten thousand words into my next novel, and I'm playing as part of a clarinet quartet for a wedding next weekend. But here's the big news: Two days ago, after five years, I finally finished watching
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And I was totally satisfied with the ending. It was epic, and intense, and not everybody survived. But it was also hopful. I know I'll watch it all again at some point; it's a good story. The question is, what to watch now, on the rare occasions I do sit down in front of the television?
Twin Peaks? Veronica Mars? Something else entirely? Any suggestions?
Also, I've read four more books:
34)
Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This is the sequel to
Raised by Wolves, which I read last year and loved. And it's a strong sequel. I still find it really compelling to read a werewolf story where the main character is not a werewolf. Bryn is strong, and capable, and smart, and the alpha of her pack, but she's not a werewolf. Love it. This book really forced Bryn to make some difficult choices, and she learns a lot about what it takes to be a good alpha. This is definitely a keeper, and I'd recommend this series to anyone who likes YA paranormal stuff.
35)
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff. I ADORE this book. It is dark and creepy and shivery, and Mackie Doyle is a great antihero. I really enjoyed watching him stumble through his life and sort of fall accidentally into a position of heroishness. The dark fey folk who live under the town of Gentry were really well done. I'd recommend this book to everybody. It's SO GOOD. Probably on my top ten list for this year. I can't wait to see what Brenna does next.
36)
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater. I love Maggie's writing in general; her Mercy Falls trilogy just makes me weep it's so good. While
Lament is good also, the story is a little more typical--it's about a girl who discovers she has magic powers and can see faeries, who are trying to get rid of her--and I can tell that it's an earlier book for Maggie. That said, I really enjoyed it. The characters had depth, I loved all the music stuff, and the faeries were well crafted. This one's a keeper, and if faeries are your thing, you should check this book out.
37)
The White Cat by Holly Black. I really enjoyed this book. And I really like Holly's work in general. But I never quite settled into the story. I love the sharpness of the characters, how cracked and broken and human they are, especially Cassel and Lila. And I loved the twist at the end. But it almost felt a little too slick to me. Nonetheless, this was a departure for Holly, and it has a great noir feel to it, and I'm definitely going to check out the sequel. I'm keeping this one; I think I'll reread it next year or the year after, and see if I just wasn't in quite the right headspace for it.
And now I've been on the computer for far longer than I ought to have been. Time to do some writing and some clarinet and some freelancing. Happy gloomy Sunday, everybody.
