What I'm Reading Now- The Other Lands

I've finally finished all the Percy Jackson books, and LOVED them! They were fast and fun, and made me feel like a kid again! Thank you Rick Riordan!

Now, I'm reading The Other Lands by David Anthony Durham. It's the second book of the Acacia Trilogy. This book is the exact opposite of the Percy Jackson books. Instead of fast and fun, this book, like the first one, is intricate and moving. I'm completely caught up in the characters, the setting, and the plot development. It's like a slow moving catastrophe that takes your breath away and leaves you on the edge of your seat. (And I say that with the utmost admiration for the story.)

What will happen to the heirs of Acacia? I have no idea, but I'm DYING to find out. I think I know what's going to happen, and I think I know how Aliver will return, but I don't want to get my hopes up, especially since David might throw me for a loop like he did in Acacia.

As a writer, I'm also learning a lot from David's books. First and foremost, how to show and not tell. The other thing I'm learning is character development. To me, these are the two most important parts of a book. And to say I'm inspired by David is an understatement.

That being said, I'm signing off to return to my WIP. See you next time!

Thank You Rick Riordan and R.L. Stine

Right now: Listening to Shadow of the Day by Linkin Park. Need to go back into my MS and add something that I just thought about. Working on my query, synopsis and list of agents.

I've been reading as long as I can remember, seriously. I've always had a book on my nightstand, and several others waiting for me on my bookshelf. I even remember coming home from elementary school with the Scholastic flyer and circling all the books I wanted to order. (Thanks Mom for always ordering everything I wanted!) I guess you could say reading is just my thing.

So, now that I'm a Mom, it's interesting to see how my kids are developing into young readers.

Let's talk about my eight-year-old son. He loves for me to tell him stories in bed, the scarier the better. And, of course, I'm always happy to comply. But then, starting last year in 2nd grade, he had to keep a reading journal. Enter R.L. Stine. Yes, my son is a HUMONGOUS R.L. Stine fan. He can't get enough of Goosebumps. We even record all the shows on TV (only aired in October) and search for episodes online. So, to R.L. Stine: thank you for writing scary books! You rock!

Now, let's talk about my eleven-year-old daughter. She's a really good reader. For a 5th grader, she tests at almost the 9th grade reading level. But...she doesn't love to read, and you know as well as I do that there's a big difference. In fact, finding a book for her to read and really enjoy has always been a challenge...until the day she met Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. Yes, thank you Rick Riordan for finally writing a book that my daughter LOVES! I mean, this is a girl who now tells me she wants to read at night, or before dinner, or instead of watching TV. It's a miracle! I'm reading the books, too and I love them! So, to Rick Riordan: thank you for writing such a fun, action packed series! You rock!