Saturday Summary: The Bazaar of Bad Dreams

This book was given to me as a Christmas gift about two years ago. It’s a collection of short stories that deal with themes such as death, fate and the past. And while Stephen King is generally known for writing horror, he also writes in the vein of poetry, science fiction and fantasy, and this book was a good blend of all three. 

Monday Minute: How to Get Out of a Reading Slump

To be a good writer, you need to be a good reader. And that means making a regular habit of reading and reading widely. But what happens when you get into a reading slump and don’t really feel like reading?

Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon Update #2

I’m calling it a day for Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon. It was good and it’s made me realize I should set more time aside for reading. 

Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon Update #1

 

So far so good. My 24-hour readathon got off to a good start and although I haven’t read as much as I hoped I would, I’m trying to go easy on myself. If anything, I’ve done more reading today than I usually do!

Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon TBR

Tomorrow is Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon, a reading challenge in which all participants read all day and share their experiences on blogs and social media platforms. Readers also participate in mini-challenges and win prizes. To prepare for Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon, I’m selecting all the books I plan to read through the day.

Wednesday Words of Wisdom: Anton Chekhov

This week’s Wednesday Words of Wisdom come from Anton Chekhov, a Russian writer and playwright who is seen as one of the best short story writers in history. Chekhov contributed much to the modern short story and he certainly knew how to craft words in a compelling way.

Monday Minute: 5 Reasons to Try Scrivener

Not long ago, I decided to take the plunge and buy the writing program, Scrivener. I had played around with the trial version before but was overwhelmed by its lengthy tutorial and variety of features. But since I’ve started using Scrivener, I’m hesitant to go back to my old ways of using Google Drive and Mac Pages.

Saturday Summary: The Good Girl

 The Good Girl is a book that initially interested me because of other people’s interest in it, and its compelling book cover and title (yep, I’m that shallow). It’s been compared to Gone Girl and been lauded as a suspenseful psychological thriller. I do enjoy thrillers with complex female protagonists such as book The Girl on the Train and the movie Gone Girl. So I was hoping to like this book as well. Unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations…

Saturday Summary: Cinder

I heard a lot about Cinder by Marissa Meyer in the blogosphere and how much people enjoyed reading it. I finally got around to reading it after failing to pick up the print copy at the library–thank God for Overdrive, which caters very well to my digital-oriented self. I have to say that I did enjoy it but I thought it would live up to its hype more.

Follow Friday: May 20, 2016

“Weekends don’t count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.” -Bill Watterson. 

It seems suiting that these words come from Bill Watterson, an author/cartoonist best known for his comic strip, “Calvin and Hobbes” (which I absolutely love by the way). These comic strips are light and humorous but are always undercut with a deeper philosophical consideration underneath the surface. I suppose the weekend-with its opportunity for fun and games but also pensive thought and reflection–is also the same in a way!