Stuck on Chapters 4

I am in a conundrum. I am stuck on chapters 4. Both with reading, and writing.

As I have mentioned a time or two, I am in the midst of a writing challenge with my dear friend Caroline. This is week four, and so, chapter four is on the table. Or, in my case, NOT on the table. I am stuck! Hopefully this afternoon I'll be able to find some inspiration, which I have been lacking as of late.

I started reading 'The Magicians and Mrs. Quent" last week, and, as luck would have it, am stuck on chapter 4 in this as well. I read all of the reviews, and most people said that the first 100 pages or so were hard to get through, so I'm not going to give up on it yet, but I'm definitely going to take a little break, and read a mystery, which, in turn, may inspire me with ideas for MY mystery.

Ah, the curse of the Chapters 4.

A Detour from Books to...books?

I haven't posted much on here other than books, which is fine, because that's what it was intended for. However, I'd like to branch out a little bit here, and start including some writing stuff as well.

I've always loved to write. When I was in middle school, I'd spend hours with a notebook and a blue pen (i was very particular about that back then) and make up stories about princesses, and hero's and the like. I loved all of my stories, and kept them close, never showing anyone.

Then I got a little older. And went and re-read some of said stories. And was thoroughly disgusted. Ha! I trashed each and every notebook.

Now that I'm older still, I have come back to that love. I have a friend who is also really big into writing, and the first summer I lived in Hawaii, she came out to visit me for a couple weeks. She was 'gathering information' (I believe that's how she put it) for a novel she wanted to write, something about 'blue eyes'. :)

She had been telling me for a while about Nanowrimo, and, with all of our talking of books, and writing, it really made me want to get back in the game. So, after hitting the beaches, and all that fun stuff, we would sit in my living room, and write.

It was so much fun! It's great to have someone you can bounce ideas off of, without the fear of being laughed at. Someone who will give you constructive criticism, gently. During that brief period of time, I wrote upwards of 20,000 words.

I still have it too.

Anyway, once she went back home, I kept at it for a little while, then, life got in the way. Silly things, like having a baby :D. But I still would find myself longing for the feeling I got while writing.

Over this past summer, I got into a group online that did RPG fan fiction writing, which I really enjoyed. I got to write, with a group of fun people, about characters that I had known and loved for years. However, I never really got into it as much as some of the others. I never really fit in. I always felt like the outsider.

I was writing, but I wasn't creating. Not really. As much fun as I was having it wasn't complete. I didn't have that...one on one bounce-off-of-each other thing that I enjoy so much. And I wasn't stretching myself creatively as much as I desired.

Once my husband came home from his deployment, things got crazy, and the RPG thing got left behind. Someday I may go back, just for a little...creative stress reliever. But right now, at this point in my life, I'd like to write something else.

I was talking to my friend that I mentioned above(Caroline) recently, and in the course of our convo, we both mentioned that we had a desire to write a mystery. A period mystery. And from this, rose a challenge.

One chapter a week, to be emailed to the other person by midnight on Sunday. Which doesn't seem like a lot, but with life interfering occasionally, it can get difficult. But, a deadline is a deadline. And, so far, we've both been doing pretty good, if I do say so myself.

I find myself looking forward to Sunday's, first, because I know I'll get a new chapter in C's book, and second, because its a fresh start for me. A new chapter begins.

Anyway, this is my writing post. A brief break from reviews. And, to me, not an all together unwelcome one :).

Up next...who knows? Perhaps 'The Accidental Sorcerer' will get finished one of these days...or one of my new books from the bookstore!

Sir Apropos of Nothing

I'm not quite sure how to classify this book. It has so many different elements! I mean, its a fantasy, for sure. And it's funny, very funny. And yet, it isn't typical to any genre I've ever read.

Apropos of Nothing is the perfect anti-hero. He looks out for number one, first and formost. Actually, I'll go further than that. He really doesn't care about anyone else, except for his mother. Damsels in distress? Don't call on Apropos!

Apropos is the son of a whore. Begot by rape, one night, by knights. He is raised in an inn, where his mother worked, by day and night. As he grows up, he realizes just how discontent he is with life in general.

His adventures include a would-be hero, a mad King, a not mad King, a dreaded War-lord, a berserk phoenix, a possibly psychotic princess, and crazy unicorns...all of which he endures most unwillingly.

Here is a favorite passage, from the very beginning of the book:

As I stood there with the sword in my hand, the blade dripping blood on the floor, I couldn't help but wonder if the blood belonged to my father.
The entire thing had happened so quickly that I wasn't quite sure how to react. Part of me wanted to laugh, but most of me fairly cringed at what had just occurred. I didn't do particularly well with blood. This tended to be something of a hardship for one endeavoring to become a knight, dedicated to serving good King Runcible of Isteria, a ruler who more often than not had his heart in the right place.
The recently slain knight also had his heart in the right place. This had turned out to be something of an inconvenience for him. After all, if his heart had been in the wrong place, then the sword wouldn't have pierced it through, and he wouldn't be dead, and I wouldn't have been in such a fix.

This sets the tone for the whole novel. Peter David is probably the wittiest author that I have ever had the pleasure of reading, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in the trilogy about Sir Apropos, of Nothing.

The glories of the bookstore

I haven't posted anything in a while. I've been lazy. As soon as I finish 'Sir Apropos' I'll post about it though.

I just wanted to get on here and expound in the glories of the bookstore. I bought two books that I've been aching to read them for ages! I can't wait to read them!!!!!!!!!!!

I spent a glorious hour in B&N, all by myself! Which, very rarely happens. I got to browse without having to worry about time, or a little boy grabbing for books. I just browsed:)

Of course, the downside of browsing is that you find so many books that you want to read. Which, really isn't a downside. However, one can't buy every book on the shelf, unfortunately.

But I had a good time. And I'm never letting 2 months go by without a trip to the book store again.
Here's hoping.

Lady of the Forest

I'm going to start this off by admitting that I have always been a little teeny bit in love with Robin Hood. The feeling fluctuates from time to time, depending on what I'm reading, but it's always there. Always. I suppose there is a morbid fascination with the outlaw aspect of it. I mean, the stories always make living in Sherwood Forest seem so romantic! They don't get sick, they always have food. So, yes, I am a little obsessed with Robin Hood.

Then there is Maid Marian. I've always admired her. Her spirit, her pluck, her determination to be with Robin, the man she loves, no matter what.

It's with these thoughts roaming around in my head that I finally, thanks to Angie, of Angieville and her wonderful reviews, picked up "Lady of the Forest" by Jennifer Roberson.

This isn't your typical tale of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. First off, you have Robin. He isn't the swashbuckling hero that steals from the rich to give to the poor. He is a knight, just returned from the Crusades, slightly jaded in his outlook, and plagued by nightmares.

Then there's Marian. Lovely Marian, desired by all who see her. All she wants is to be left alone, to mourn her father. But the Sheriff, her father's dearest friend, keeps getting in the way.

Much. Much is a cut purse, son of a miller, and for all intents and purposes, mute. And he is entirely devoted to Marian, the only person who ever had a kind word for him.

Will Scarlet. A tormented soul, imprisoned for killing four Norman soldiers, who brutally raped and murdered his wife.

John Little, aka Little John. A peace loving man, a Shepard, who wrestles for extra money at fairs, and gets caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Alan of the Dale. A Lusty minstrel, who gets caught with the Sheriff's daughter, and blamed entirely for it.

The Sheriff of Nottingham. A man determined to win Lady Marian, any way he can. A foul man, who ends up a minion of Prince John, and gets all that comes with that.

Sir Guy of Gisborne. A slimy, greasy man, the right hand man to the Sheriff. He too, is in love with Marian, and desires her above all else.

This book is ripe, and full of details. By far one of my favorite renditions of the Robin Hood legend.

A bit off track

Things have been so busy lately, that I haven't finished one book off of my list...*pout*. But thats ok. I should be back on track, reading-wise soon!