breathed so deep i thought i'd drown

Well, everyone, I feel like I'm really starting to get into the thick of it. I'm delivering my manuscript in a week for that professional critique. I did register for Mary Robinette Kowal's workshop next June, "Writing the Other." I thought of another middle-grade book I'd like to write. I'm continuing to re-evaluate other aspects of my life, and I do feel like I'm taking steps in the right direction.
With those things in mind, I do have more work I should be doing right now, so I'll keep this brief. I have three more books to report:
28) Fray by Joss Whedon. This is a graphic novel in the Slayer mythos, but set in the future. I went into this read knowing I would love it, and I was not disappointed. I did love it. Melaka Fray is a great Slayer, complex, more sassy than Buffy, but also less knowledgeable. I really liked the ragtag family she'd built for herself. I'd love to read more about her. The storyline was solid, and I want some more!
29) The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. Ah, Holly Black, you kill me. Your books are so damn good. All the time. Seriously, this book was a lot of fun. It put vampires squarely where the belong: in the "predator" category. Tana is a fairly regular girl caught up in irregular happenings, and she handles them with aplomb and just the right amount of shock at the right moments for her to be quite believable. The Coldtowns are a great idea, and I love how this book takes our world and tilts it just a little bit so things feel familiar, but off-kilter. It's almost our world. Almost here and now. Except for the vampires. This is in my top five for this year. Definitely a keeper, and I'm already looking forward to reading it again!
30) Doll Bones by Holly Black. Yeah, I read two books by her in one month. October just feels like the right time for Holly's books. Doll Bones is a middle-grade book about a trio of preteens and what happens when their regular game takes on a life of its own. This is great creepy writing. It's a ghost story and a coming-of-age story all at one. Holly's books really made my October great!
And now, back to it. Two chapters left to edit, and a little tidying outside of that, and I need to deliver the novel on Friday, November 1. I can do it, I just need to say focused. On that note, I'll be back to report after I submit my novel for critiquing.
Happy October, everyone!