Monthly Archives: January 2016

2016 Books I’m (More Than) Excited For

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I’m sure there will be many, many more as we progress through the year, but from the get-go, these are the ones on my radar:

The Series-Enders:

raven kingThe Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater. NEED.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. Six of Crows knocked me off my feet. I can’t wait to find out what happens to this crew of misfits.

Illusion by Martina Boone. Eight Beaufort. That’s all.

Rose and DaggerThe Rose & the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh. Many of you know that Ahdieh’s The Wrath & the Dawn was my favorite read of 2015. I’m more than ready for the sequel.

The Series-Starter:

crown's gameThe Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye. This has been pitched as The Night Circus in an alternate Russia. So much yes.

The Standalones:

salt to the seaSalt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. I had the pleasure of hearing Ruta talk about this book when she was in St. Paul this winter. It’s the true story of an accident on the sea that was astronomically worse than Titanic. I can’t wait to see how Sepetys brings it to life.

underwater2Underwater by Marissa Reichardt. I “met” Marissa when she interviewed me about Truest, and now it’s her turn to debut. Listen to this description. Is this not right up my alley? “Underwater is a powerful, hopeful debut novel about redemption, recovery, and finding the strength it takes to face your past and move on.”

 

What about you guys? What books are you looking forward to in 2015???

2016 Creative Goals

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2016 CREATIVE GOALS 2.jpg

This graphic a metaphor.

First, it’s a little messy. Just like how I expect 2016 to be.

Secondly, it’s a collection of doors. I imagine this year is going to have a variety of doors/opportunities … I need to find the courage to walk through them and the wisdom to know which ones.

Here are the doors I know I want to enter this year.

Behind Door 1: a final manuscript of Yes Novel Salt Novel (???) (edited 1.10.16)

Behind Door 2: a first draft of my next novel.

Behind Door 3: three new story ideas, just the bare bones.

Behind Door 4: a writing retreat.

Behind Door 5: a day of creative exploration.

Behind Door 6: a pruned TBR shelf, via reading and weeding.

Behind Door 7: a book of poetry every month.

Behind Door 8: a healthier writing lifestyle.

I’ll be keeping you guys posted this year about these eight doors and my plans for them. Some will be easier than others. Some will require me to first pry the door open. Some I might need to get pushed over the threshold.

But I’m excited. 2016, come at me.