While the trip was a blast–it was my first time in Europe!–it is so very nice to be home. I missed my bed. And my routines. (I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to be working out again. While the food and drinks were amazing, I think I might have gained 10 pounds from all the indulging.)

I have hundreds of pictures on my camera–literally–and I’ll be sure to share some in the near future. I just need some time to sort through them all and pick out the best of the best. Until then, how about I hold you over with a peek at the prettiness that arrived in my mailbox just before I left for Europe?

Here’s a few shots of my first page passes for TAKEN!

Look at all how thick it is!

And here’s the title page and a sample “section” page! (you can click to enlarge them)

It’s a surreal experience, seeing my story in “book” form. It’s longer than I thought it would be–362 pages to be exact! It’s all typeset and beautiful. There are chapter titles and page numbers and copyright info. The design on the “section” pages took me so much by surprise that I almost started crying. The folks at Harper did such a fantastic job laying everything out, and I am incredibly grateful. I’m also excited for you read this baby! Terrified, but excited. (Now I just need to catch all the last-minute typos…)

So that’s where I’ll be the next few weeks: proofing these page passes and putting the final tweaks on my draft of book two. Both are due to my editor June 1st. If I’m a bit quiet until then, you know why!

Hope you’re all doing just peachy! <3

Books I read this April:

After the killer cliffhanger at the end of Robison Well’s VARIANT, I’ve been super anxious for the sequel, FEEDBACK, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to get my hands on an ARC. FEEDBACK doesn’t come out until later this year though (October, I think), so this review is going to be pretty vague.

FEEDBACK starts off exactly where VARIANT left off. Benson may have escaped Maxfield Academy, but he’s just beginning to uncover the secrets of the school. Still highly sought after by school officials, he’s forced to lay low in the small town he stumbles into at the end of book one. We learn a lot more about Jane, the history of the school itself, and the full scope of what is happening to those that enter the school (and even worse, end up in detention). Like I said, this is vague because I don’t want to ruin things. But rest assured that questions are answered, friendships are tested, and the tagline from the first book remains as true as ever: Trust no one.

Jessica Spotswood’s BORN WICKED was such a refreshing read. Witches! Alternate history! Gardens and magic and courtships! This is lovely debut, with gorgeous writing and a slower pace. (Note: slower does not mean boring. The pacing perfectly matches the relationship and tensions throughout, both with Cate and her sisters, and Cate and the townspeople that populate her life).

Two things stood out to me in this novel: the love interest, and the relationship between the sisters. Let’s start with Finn. I adore this man. I love how he is not angsty and brooding. He is not the “bad boy” type. He is smart and passionate and well-spoken. He is a bit of a bookworm. He’s a gentlemen and I fell for him alongside Cate.

And then the sisters. Cate feels a lot of responsibility when it comes to protecting her sisters. Tensions are high between her and her middle sister, Maura. The youngest, Tess, is a sweetheart. The relationship between all three seemed heartfelt and authentic. I’m anxious to see how things progress in book two. The ending is not a cliffhanger in my opinion, but Cate does make a decision that is certain to come with consequences, and this sisters have a lot ahead of them.

I have heard great things about Patrick Ness’ THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO. It’s been on my TBR list for ages. I finally got around to reading it this month and I wish I hadn’t waited so long. This book was near impossible to put down. Set on the planet of New World, Todd is the youngest boy in his town of men. Everyone can hear everyone’s thoughts in an endless stream of overbearing Noise. Even the animals (which makes for my favorite talking dog to ever grace the pages of YA lit). After stumbling across a silent patch in the swamp beyond his village, Todd uncovers a dangerous secret and is forced to run.

There was a lot I loved about this novel. The dialect. The world-building. The terrifying horrors of how a society can cave in on itself. The way humans can learn to know each other in ways deeper than just hearing each other’s thoughts. There is a particularly beautiful scene about 2/3 through the novel that captures this. I don’t want to spoil it, but Ness’ ability to touch on the subtitles of human emotion so poignantly brought me to tears. Todd’s voice is honest and real and heart-breaking. He is a wonderfully flawed and brave character. I want to hug him.

I had just two issues with this novel. One is small: the novel is written in first person present and yet there is a moment where Todd sees something and yet we, as the reader, are kept in the dark. Todd tells us, “I see, I see…” but he won’t explain what he sees. To me, this breaks all the rules of writing in such a tense, but perhaps others won’t feel as cheated as I did. And then the ending. If you read my reviews often, you know I have a thing against cliffhangers. This one has a big one. (Thank goodness book two is already out, or I may have lost it.) Either way, this is still a wonderful read, and I highly recommend the novel, but if you do pick it up, just know the main conflict is not resolved by the close. This book will leave you hanging at the height of the climax. Just like Todd, you might say eff, (only you won’t say eff, you’ll say what eff actually stands for).

I read Nina LaCour’s THE DISENCHANTMENTS last month and loved it so much I raced out to pick up her first novel, HOLD STILL. Oh, how I loved this one as well. It is very different than TD, but just as moving. Caitlin is starting her junior year frozen and shocked by the loss of her best friend, Ingrid, who took her own life.

This novel is almost poetic in its prose. The chapters are short and read like mini vignettes. LaCour is extremely gifted when it comes to wordplay. There are some simple yet profound statements in this novel that reach out and cut into your chest. Caitlin’s voice is achingly real and her path of recovery, heart-wrenching. So many small moments play into her ability to move on: new friendships, photography, mix-tapes, a tree house, a hidden diary. I could probably write a short essay on how masterfully each is incorporated, but instead I’ll say just this: HOLD STILL is a wonderful look on how death (and suicide) leave people close to the victim crippled. How we doubt how much we even knew the person who took their life. How we feel guilty for their deaths even if it was beyond our control. How we fear moving forward because we aren’t ready to let go.

This novel reads like one long, beautiful goodbye. I cried several times. But it’s a lovely read and well worth the tears. I can’t recommend it enough.

I’m just going to come out and say this: Paolo Bacigalupi’s THE DROWNED CITIES, a companion novel to SHIP BREAKER, is masterful. I don’t use that word lightly. In fact, I rarely use it, but this book is so very deserving. This is a dark and harrowing story about war. How it tears apart families and friends, communities and cities. About how no one can truly escape its wake of devastation.

Like with SHIP BREAKER, the themes in Bacigalupi’s newest novel are uncomfortably close to home. Children are snatched up by the feuding armies at civil war within the US, where they are either recruited to join their ranks, or killed without hesitation. The world-building is fantastically authentic, from the flooded cities and outsider villages, to the military systems and battling armies. As painful as it was to read, this novel felt realistic, even down to the hardened and desensitized state of most of the humans that populated it. Never have I read a story where I have been so truly terrified for the well-being of its characters, where the stakes have been incredibly high and no one — NO ONE — ever felt safe.

This is not an easy read, but I think it is an important one. The things happening in this story are happening today, just not here in the US. For that, we are very fortunate. Like THE HUNGER GAMES, this book really makes a reader feel the grueling nature of war and, above all, its impact on the lives of children. I dare-say it might even do it better. And for all the dark and bleakness in this novel, there is a shining beacon of hope that left me feeling not only moved, but changed, when I finally closed the cover. (And it’s in stores TODAY, so go pick up your copy!)

So that was my April. What did you read this month?

My experience is not universal, but I do know a handful of writers that faced some of the same struggles (and epiphanies) as me while writing Book Two. I thought I’d share a few things that stood out in my mind…

1 — You can do it.

Everything is impossible until it’s done. Somehow, you will reach the end. If you keep sitting down, if you keep plowing forward, if you don’t give up, the novel will get written. It might be hell getting there, but you’ll finish.

2 — But it will suck.

If your process is anything like mine, you will go from copy-edited, perfectly punctuated, grammatically correct and fully edited Book One to the blank page. It’s going to be a shock when you realize that everything you type is a mess. Let me repeat that: It is going to be a mess. If you can write a well paced novel with clean, flowing prose, no plot holes, pitch-perfect character arcs, and zero typos on the first try, I want whatever you’re on. Now.

3 — But you can make it better.

That’s the whole point of revising. So power through, finish that messy first draft, and then worry about all the nitty-gritty details.

4 — The pressure is often self-inflicted.

I felt a lot of pressure while drafting book two. Pressure to not suck. Pressure to be perfect. Pressure to include twists and turns and gorgeous prose, and pressure to not disappoint. I didn’t want to let my agent down. Or my editor and publisher. Here’s the truth: I was my own worst enemy. No one was putting these pressures on me except for myself. Once I realized that, I was able to shove that doubting, negative voice to the back of my head and focus on the draft.

5 — Procrastination is the root of all evil.

A no-brainer, but a truth. That book is not going to write itself. Get off twitter. Stop checking your email. Who cares about those pins or tumblogs or whether or not your books been added to another goodreads shelf! Kill your internet and write your damn book.

6 — Things are quiet for a reason.

Piggybacking off #5, stop checking your email. Seriously. The reason you haven’t heard from your editor in six weeks is because she wants you to be writing your book. You know…that sequel she expects to have in her hands when your deadline arrives. So quit worrying about why your inbox isn’t bursting with messages from her. She doesn’t hate you. Your deal hasn’t been canceled or dropped. She’s giving you some quiet, uninterrupted time to focus. Use it. Appreciate it. I doubt it will be the same when book one is out in the world and you’re drafting book three.

7 — Throw it all on the page.

Unless you already know, deep down, that an idea is wrong, get it on paper. I threw a million ideas on the page when I drafted book two. I’d rather have too much than not enough. I’d rather give my readers and editor more to react to than less. You don’t know if something is right until you try it. So try everything.

8 — The ending might kill you.

I rewrote the ending to book two four different times before I was happy with my initial draft. Four. Times. This may be because my book two is the second in a trilogy. I’m setting things up for the final showdown, but still trying to have a complete and fulfilling novel on it’s own (you know how I hate cliffhangers!). Each book needs an arc, but so does the series. I knew this subconsciously going in, but when I faced it head on, rewriting and rewriting and rewriting, I sort of wanted to cry.

9 — You’re still scared it sucks.

Good. This means you care. This means you want your novel to be the very best in can be. If you’re not scared you’re doing something wrong.

10 — Writing is hard.

Having completed book one didn’t make book two come any easier. Writing is a demanding, challenging, trying thing. It’s hard and always will be. But that’s sort of why I love it.

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. . . . . . .

Anyway, let’s get to it! Links and Vlogs! I’ve been busy sharing my bookish thoughts on the other sites I contribute to:

» I’m on Friday the Thirteeners, today, vlogging about my crushes from YA lit. (Spoiler: there are many!)

» I’ve also posted over on Pub Crawl a lot recently. In case you’ve missed out, perhaps you’d like to check out this interview I did with Kiera Cass (who’s novel, THE SELECTION, comes out in just a few weeks! YAY!). I also discussed what happens after the editorial letter in terms of revising under contract, and shared my one step back, two steps forward approach to drafting.

. . . . . . .

And how about some TAKEN updates? Here’s where things stand:

» I finished copy edits about a month ago. This means the next time I see my story it will no longer look like a manuscript, but novel-ish. Basically, I’m waiting on first page passes, which will be the novel all typeset on 8.5×11 pages where I can see the crop marks and page numbers and essentially how it will look when it becomes a real book. (I have no clue when these will arrive.)

» I have a final cover! It is glorious and I love it, but no I can not show you. Not yet at least. Word on the street is sometime in June, so stay tuned for that. ;)

» I also have jacket copy! As in: what you will actually see when you read the inner flaps or the back of the book! O_O (This process of seeing a book transition from MS to Physical Entity is insanely surreal. I still pinch myself on occasion.) In other news: I was supposed to see the final-final jacket design (cover, back, flaps and all) this week. But it’s Friday and that might not happen. Granted, the day is still young.

» I have finished my first draft of book 2, which is now in the hands of my trusted critique partner! Truthfully, it’s more like the fourth draft. I rewrote the ending three different times, and sort of slogged through the middle, but I got it done! This novel is very different than the first book, but I love it just the same. Man, book twos are interesting beasts, though. Tons of pressure (often self-inflicted and internalized, I think), doubts, fears, worries, stress! The hardest thing for me was going from the polished, nearly-ready-for-print version of TAKEN and into the absolutely hellish mess that is a first draft. Talk about a shock. I kept looking at my words with a screwed up face and wondering, “Why aren’t you good? Why must you be so difficult!?” It’s like I forgot that a first draft is always messy because I’d spent the last six months perfecting. (I sense a post on the struggles of Book Twos in the near future)

. . . . . . .

Other than that, I’m just reading a ton. And redesigning this here site so that it can be more than just a blog. I need an official books section. And a more professional bio. I can’t wait to share it with you guys!

I haven’t had my coffee yet this morning, and I feel like this post is all over the place. I apologize. (You guys are probably going to tell me to never do these random “update” posts again. What a mess.)

Anyway, Happy Friday!! :)

Here’s what I read in March:

Sarah J Maas’ second novella in the THRONE OF GLASS series, THE ASSASSIN AND THE DESERT, came out just two days ago and I’ve already devoured it. What a novella! The amount of emotion and character growth packed into this story is amazing. Celaena and Sam’s actions at the end of the first novella do not go unpunished and Celaena is sent to spend a month with the Silent Assassins and learn a thing or two about discipline in the unforgiving desert. While she is there to train, she finds herself unexpectedly caught up in a conflict between the Assassins and a Lord from the neighboring city of Xandria.

Like the first novella, this one is a gripping, action-packed, fast-moving story, but I think what impresses me most is how these novellas build upon and flesh out Celaena’s world. I feel like I’m peeking behind the curtain, witnessing all these small moments that lead up to the hardened Celaena we see at the start of THRONE OF GLASS. And with each novella, the world gets richer and richer — with places and people and conflicts and politics and folklore. I truly can not wait for novella #3. (Or #4). And then I’m going to get my hands on a finished copy of THRONE OF GLASS and read it all over again. <3

Matthew Quick’s BOY 21. I adored this novel. I knew very little about it going in, but the cover grabbed my attention at B&N and after reading the opening pages, I was hooked. The story follows Finley, who lives and breaths basketball. So does his girlfriend, Erin. They both live in a bad neighborhood, ruled by the Irish mob, drugs, crime, and severe racial tension, but the two find an outlet in ball. They train together. They even break up each basketball season to better focus on their game.

Then Russ moves to town after the tragic murder of his parents. A prodigy and highly-recruited ball player, Russ has been shattered by the loss of his parents. He will no longer touch a basketball and answers only to Boy 21, the number of the jersey he used to wear. Finley’s coach asks Finley to reach out to Russ. While the two boys’ lives are initially forced together, they both find a surprising friend in the other.

There is so much to love about this novel, especially the friendship aspect. I want to read more novels about friendship. And what sparks between Russ and Finley is no easy relationship, because as Russ heals from his loses, he begins to touch the basketball again, threatening to take Finley’s starting position. Finley’s relationship with Erin sees similar levels of growth. By the end of this novel I was crying like a baby. This is a moving story about trust, hope, and the power of friendship. And if you’re like me and have a love of lay-ups, jump-balls, and triple doubles, the basketball aspects of this novel will be icing on the cake.

Every once in awhile, I pick up a non YA book. Shocking, I know. This month I read non fiction (even more shocking!): Austin Kleon’s STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST, which is essentially his personal manifesto for living a creative life. The book is written in an approachable, honest tone, and is filled with simple bits of wisdom. Ten, to be exact. I gushed about this book just the other day. You can read my full review, see a few of the quotes and doodles that fill the pages, and even enter to win a copy. (Which you should do. I really think this is the kind of book that every creative person should read. It is honest and real and brilliant.)

I’ve been dying to read Leigh Bardugo’s SHADOW & BONE for a very long time. Then I saw the cover and map and wanted to read it even more. I am so fortunate to have gotten my hands on this novel early, because oh my, is it stunning. The nation of Ravka is surrounded by enemies and split in half by the Shadow Fold, a swarming darkness filled with monsters that makes it nearly impassable. Alina, after revealing a dormant power that could be the key to freeing Ravka of this darkness, is taken into custody and trained as a Grisha (Ravka’s magical elite).

The story is well-paced, the characters believable, and the writing lovely. But what I really fell for was the world. The clothes and culture and architeture and landscapes and food and language and Oh My Gosh. This novel felt like a cross between Plain Kate and The Golden Compass. I want to wander through Ravka’s domed palaces and wear a kefta and march on the Shadow Fold (even if that is an extremely dangerous feat). It doesn’t hurt that I want to spend some more time with Mal, either (Alina’s best friend who grew up with her in her childhood orphanage).

This novel feels so very different than everything out there right now. And that’s a good thing. I can’t wait for book two because I desperately want to slip back into this beautiful, rugged, captivating world.

I reread Suzanne Collins’ THE HUNGER GAMES in preparation of the movie. I believe this was the third or fourth time I’ve revisited the story, and there’s something to say for a novel that can keep you glued to the pages even after you’ve read it multiple times. I’ve come to appreciate everything leading up to the games more, I think, in my later reads. The first time I was just so anxious to see if Katniss would survive that I flew through those first pages. But now, I find the scenes in the Capitol particularly creepy. Creepy, but brilliant — the commentary on reality television and greed and corruption. Genius stuff.

Aside from that, I’m going to copy and paste what I wrote on goodreads for this book after I read it the first time: I’m not even going to attempt to put into words how much I love this novel. It would be rambling, fan-girlish, and incoherent, at best.

Yeah, that pretty much says it all. Although, I do think I summarized the book pretty well for my friend when he asked me why The Hunger Games isn’t another Twilight.

I rarely read paranormal romance. It’s just not my thing. But writer friends Sarah Maas and Susan Dennard kept gushing to me about Erica O’Rourke’s TORN and I finally picked it up. I say finally because I wanted to read it all along, but again, because I’m not huge on paranormal, I kept putting it off.

I loved how this novel starts with the Chosen One already dead. I’m not spoiling anything — you find this out in the opening pages. Mo’s best friend, Verity, has been murdered and Mo is left to fill her shoes. This would be like Harry dying and Ron having to go after Lord Voldemort. I lovethis “what if” scenario. And I absolutely loved how real Mo is. Her relationship with her mother and uncle felt believable, her inability to handle her grief in the wake of her best friend’s death was painful, but honest. As she gets pulled further into Verity’s world, things get complicated. The dark and mysterious Luc is trying to help her complete Verity’s work while Colin, a bodyguard employed by Mo’s uncle to keep an eye on her in case Verity’s killers come knocking, is interfering with her plans. I’m interested to see how things develop between Mo and these two boys, and how she handles the increasing pressure to finish Verity’s work.

I absolutely adored Nina LaCour’s THE DISENCHANTMENTS. Colby is tagging along with best friend Bev and her band-mates for the summer. The Disenchantments are playing a few final gigs and then Bev and Colby are putting off college for a year to travel the world. But not far into the tour Bev says she’s calling off their trip, shattering all of Colby’s plans for the foreseeable future.

For Colby, the tour becomes torture. He is trapped with Bev, who he longs for even when he hates her for her betrayed, moving from town to town where he sees more and more people that appear “trapped” in a life they never intended to live. He worries he may now be one of those people, no college plans on the horizons and completely clueless of what he wants for his future. With a backdrop of country roads, sunglasses, amps, and tattoo parlors, Colby faces the great unknown, paralyzed and terrified of what comes next.

I feel like I’m not doing this book justice. It’s one of those coming of age stories that simply can’t be summarized. It has to be read, because it has to be felt. This book is filled with amazing characters. The voice is incredibly authentic. The writing is lyrical. It is simply put a refreshing and real YA contemporary. In tone and atmosphere it reminds me of Almost Famous, while the themes of friendship and future unknowns brings An Abundance of Katherines to mind. Either way, this novel is raw and gorgeous. Definitely recommend.

And finally, my favorite read of March was Kristin Cashore’s BITTERBLUE. What a wonderful conclusion to the epic story of the Seven Kingdoms. In this novel we see Bitterblue, now Queen of Monsea, still struggling to revive her kingdom after the damage done by her father years earlier. The post-Leck world that Cashore has crafted is terrifying, but fantastic. As Bitterblue uncovers more truths, the extent and reach of Leck’s devastation is truly numbing.

Katsa and Po return and while they are a bit more animated than I remember, I loved spending time with them. Especially Po. (Oh, Po. How I missed him!) It is rewarding to see not only how Katsa and Po’s relationship has grown and changed over the years, but also how their relationship with Bitterblue has developed.

But like always, it is the world of Cashore’s novels that makes me swoon. The politics and the landscapes and the castles. The details poured into every room and stairwell and library and bridge and pub and book and I could go on forever. The Seven Kingdoms feels real, and by the end of the novel, Cashore has tied the threads of both Graceling and Fire together with such mastery that I felt breathless. I’m sad to say goodbye to this world and its layered cast of characters. But then I remember you never have to say goodbye to any series; you just have to start reading it again. I have a feeling these three novels will be ones I come back to over and over throughout the years.

Man, I’m exhausted. So many books! I need to become more concise with my reviews. Anyway, please tell me: What was the best book you read in March?