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Suplots and Storylines – December (and 2015 summary)

Tracey Dyck 16 Comments

How is it the end of December already? I feel like I just wrote November’s S&S post.

This month opened with my brother’s birthday. He did not just become a legal adult. No, he did not. I refuse to believe it.

The store I work at was positively buzzing with activity this month, and I was shocked (though I shouldn’t have been) over how many people procrastinate with their Christmas shopping. Seriously, people. Christmas is on the same day every year. You know it’s coming. And you know your size 4XL father-in-law is hard to find clothes for. Yet you expect to find something in his size two days before the 25th?!

Speaking of work, early in the month we had a Pajama Day. A day on which I wore PJs. To work. It felt completely weird to leave the house in pajama pants instead of jeans, drive to work, and actually . . . work . . . dressed like that. Customers gave me odd looks until I explained the reason for my unprofessional attire (and, like a good employee, took the opportunity to talk up the PJ sales).

We babysat my cousin’s four children, ages 3-9 one evening. I adore those kids.

A stunningly beautiful piano/violin duet visited my church and played along during praise and worship, then performed a few carols on their own. Swoon.

I spent an evening with my mom, littlest sister, and aunt browsing a cutesy little shop in town, then having chai white hot chocolates together.

Christmas festivities sprinkled the entire month in good cheer, from decorating the tree, to two family gatherings (with another yet to come), to shopping for my parents’ stocking stuffers, wrapping gifts, listening to Christmas music, etc. I worked Christmas Eve, which meant that I got the following four days off! Hallelujah! It was so good to have a little break. To spend time with my family, no interruptions or calls or places to be. My homebody, hobbit-y side rejoiced.

As per request, I have a few pictures of our traditional Lego building on Boxing Day!



I realized later that we don’t look particularly happy here.
Forgive us. We’re all concentrating.



my “Battle of the Five Armies” set
(an eagle and Bard and Legolas and Azog and awesomeness!)



my “Attack on Lake-town” set
(yay Tauriel! and Bain!)

You know those minifigure series that come in individual packages, and you never know which one is inside? We’ve been finding those little packages tucked into our usual Christmas presents the past few years, hidden in sweater pockets, DVD cases, socks, etc. Below are some of my favorites this Christmas.



from left to right: a king, a fire wizard, a phantom thing, a stone
gargoyle, and a banshee

Since my dad was not featured in the first Lego picture (he was my photographer), here’s what he built last year. He hasn’t started this year’s set just yet . . . it’s rather large, and from the Technic series (meaning it’s complicated and intricate and not quite my cup of tea). He’ll build it later on, when he can have the whole kitchen table to himself. Anyway. As I said: last year’s epic build . . .


Metalbeard’s ship

December’s movies

Last month I only watched one; this month I saw four (plus TV episodes).

Maleficent (rewatch): I loooove this one! It had been a really long time since I’d first seen it, so watching it for the second time ’twas fun. I hold a deep dislike for Stefan, and a deep fondness for Diaval.

Rise of the Guardians (rewatch): Again, I hadn’t seen it in quite a while. Rewatching it reminded me why I love it so much. The characters are awesome, and the film itself helped put me in the Christmas spirit this year.

The Song: Starring Alan Powell of the band Anthem Lights! I watched this just with my parents, as it’s not a family-friendly flick. (I would recommend checking reviews like the one on Plugged In before watching.) The story is a modern day retelling of King Solomon, so as you can probably imagine, it’s not pleasant. The main character, Jed King (Powell), is not a likable man for much of the story. Perhaps that’s why I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as expected? As a cautionary tale, it’s great. But if you’re wanting a character to love and root for, side with his wife.

Ant-Man: I didn’t know what to expect going into it, but it was definitely a worthy addition to the Marvel library! The humor was great, the visual effects of Ant-Man’s shrinking were awesome, and the pacing was different from your typical superhero movie. I really enjoyed it.

Minions: While it offered some funny moments, this movie ultimately fell flat. Despicable Me (1 and 2) were much better.

7 episodes of Once Upon a Time, season 2: Guess what entered the house on Christmas day? Once Upon a Time seasons 2-4! So of course my sisters and I dove right into it. You need only know this: Hook is awesome. Mulan is awesome. Everyone is awesome. And I have already flailed and shrieked and analyzed the storylines more than my sisters think is necessary.

December’s books

You’ve already seen the list in my Books of 2015 post, but here are some brief thoughts.

The Choosing – Rachelle Dekker

I tried not to compare her to her dad, Ted Dekker, but I needn’t have worried. This gal can hold her own in the realm of storytelling. The intensity and deep nature of her themes are like a feminine slant of her father’s, yet the dystopian flavor is very much her own. Carrington is a relatable main character, and Remko–a CityWatch guard with an endearing stutter–is just AMAZING. Can’t forget about Aaron. He was one of the best Jesus figures I’ve read about.
Rachelle used a lot of sensory ‘showing’ phrases (she saw, she heard, she felt, etc.), which rubbed me the wrong way a little bit. But the characters were special enough that I really enjoyed this book, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series!



A.D. 30 – Ted Dekker

One Dekker book after another! This one took me a while to get through, which is little fault of the book itself. I was simply busy at the time. It is a meatier, somewhat slower, read; involving political subplots and historical depth. The story follows Maviah, a Bedu woman born into the most dishonorable circumstances, as she sets out to save her people . . . and meets Yeshua along the way. Some powerful scenes in this novel, that’s for sure.


Angels Walking – Karen Kingsbury

So I’m technically not quite done yet, and probably won’t be before midnight either. (Nevertheless, I’m cheating by counting it a December 2015 read.) Anyway, it fulfills all the usual Kingsbury requirements: touching messages, heartwarming character arcs, and an easy, faith-filled, feel-good aspect. The story involves a supernatural element–angels are sent to earth to aid the characters. It’s not 100% accurate in that regard (but then, how should I know?), but the human side of the drama gets a lot more page-time and is definitely engaging.


Life Is ___ – Judah Smith

Again, I’m a chapter away from finishing, but this one I plan to complete tonight. Judah Smith has such a great voice. Humorous, simple, engaging. It’s like reading a book-length blog post, or chatting in the living room over coffee. The book is divided into four parts. Life is: to be loved and to love; to trust God in every moment; to be at peace with God and yourself; and to enjoy God. I found those reminders to be rather timely.

December’s writing

Due to the social nature of the Christmas season, I didn’t accomplish much in the writing department. Most of what I did do was in the first half of the month, too, so I feel like I’ve done very little writing lately. (January, I have high hopes for you!)

  • Read over The Brightest Thread one last time, and sent it off to the judges on December 7th! Now we wait . . .
  • Read over and edited five chapters of book 1. I was able to cross off one or two things on my editing list. And a discussion with my brother relieved my mind over a really Big Thing further down that list, leaving me feeling a lot better about the whole matter.
  • Spontaneously decided to line edit for a friend whose story I was beta reading. I thought I was crazy to even volunteer during such a busy month, but it actually didn’t take long at all, and I had so much fun doing it!

Well, that was December! It was an overflowing sort of month, as one day spilled into the next, and as life plunged headlong toward Christmas . . . and then kind of sat back, sighed happily, and continued on as normal.

As for 2015 in general?

I went from unemployed to working a temporary job at a jewelry store for a month, to unemployed again (oh, the dreaded job hunt), to working part-time at a clothing retailer. I’ve been there eight months now, two and a half of which were full-time. I started out coming home exhausted after each shift, tired of people in general. Since then, my capacity has grown so much, and talking to strangers on a regular basis is becoming much more natural.

I cleaned up a number of editing issues in book 1, including a stylistic edit. I engaged in ‘masterminding’ for the series’ storyworld and fleshed out a number of previously vague elements. I started this blog and discovered how much I love it. I read over the horrid old draft of book 2 and laughed at my younger self, then proceeded to outline the new and improved book 2. Progress on this series halted when the Five Magic Spindles contest was announced. This led to the writing of The Brightest Thread . . . and the subsequent squishing down of a 30,000 word novella into a 20,000 word novella. I assisted my brother in editing his entry, edited book 1 some more, and then concluded my year of writing with the aforementioned line edit for a friend.

Far more important than the writing and the working, though, are the signs of growth I’ve seen in myself. Painful growth, but important. And all of it is still very much a work in progress. I feel as if I’ve made few forward strides–but at least the truth is working roots into my heart. Truth about my identity, and how it’s not linked to my performance. Truth about God’s faithfulness. Truth about the unpraised glory of the little moments of life and the importance of sandpaper days.

The tension between my dreams and my reality has perhaps never been stronger. But this season of life is a training ground. A chapter of preparation for, I believe, great things. 2016, no matter what you hold, I’m deciding that you’re going to be the best year yet.

Now that I’ve blabbed on about myself, tell me something about your year!

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Subplots and Storylines – November 2015

Tracey Dyck 18 Comments

November trundled in with sullen skies of low-slung clouds. For a week it glowered in typical November fashion, all skeleton trees and dead leaves skittering in a northern wind. Grey. Bleak. Winter’s prologue.

But at last the sun broke free, and Autumn revived itself for one last hoorah—a week of blue sky and leaf-raking and lounging on the front lawn just because I could. (In single layers, no less. At 15 degrees Celsius, it was positively gorgeous and rather uncharacteristic for November.)

“Ha!” laughed Winter, and his guffaw blew clouds back in on a high, chilly wind. The first snow arrived. Not much, but enough to initially make for slippery roads.

But you’re not here for a weather report, are you?

These tidbits should be more interesting . . .

November saw me turn twenty! My wonderful family took me out for an elegant lunch at a place that served the most delicious wild rice and mushroom soup I’ve ever tasted. (Alright, so it was the first wild rice and mushroom soup I’d ever tasted. But I still think it was the tastiest.) I then spent the afternoon doing all the best nothings, such as reading. My grandma came over for the evening, I received thoughtful gifts, and then we all had raspberry swirl cheesecake. All in all, I consider myself very blessed.

This month also saw my youngest sister enter the teenage years. Happy birthday, Kit-Kat! I was originally scheduled to work on that day, but at the last minute, was able to switch shifts so I could stay home with her.

I’ve been working full-time. The store has been busy, especially on Black Friday. (Why, oh why, is that day cause for such a hullabaloo?)

A week ago, I spent an afternoon in the city with a very dear friend of mine—a kindred spirit—during which time we ate pizza, shopped, and had our nails done. Time spent with her is like a breath of fresh air for my heart. It’s uncanny how often we’re on the same page life-wise or thought-wise, and we constantly have “What? You too?” moments.

Christmas shopping has commenced. Can you believe Christmas is less than four weeks away?!

And questers. I have obtained my first ever little magical box, a piece of wizardry capable of long distance communication, the capturing of images, and the scheduling of days. Yes. I bought a cell phone! I know, in a world where even little children flaunt these gadgets, it seems a bit unremarkable. But this is my first phone, and my dad found me a fabulous deal. Much excitement.

Now then, as vastly interesting as those little life updates are (at least, more interesting than the weather report), you’re really just scrolling down to read about the story-related stuff, am I right? The books, movies, and writing? I shall tarry no longer.

In movies
I watched only one, Inside Out. It was so good! Plugged In’s review remarks that “Hollywood’s bravest storytellers all work for Pixar,” and I’m inclined to agree. Getting inside the mind of an eleven-year-old girl was fascinating, humorous, and definitely feels-inducing. Sadness was one of my favorite characters.
In books
Heh. Only two.

Omega Dragon by Bryan Davis

Ah, the epic conclusion to a twelve-book adventure! I didn’t think anything could top The Bones of Makaidos, but this one is on par for sure. It made me laugh, cry, and fret over the fate of certain characters. Intense battles alongside heartfelt journeys made for a classic Davis tale.
Something about this book hearkened back to older instalments, which was wonderful, especially considering the dark, apocalyptic setting. Lauren’s scenes especially reminded me of previous tests of the heart encountered by her parents. For some reason, I haven’t connected to Matt and Lauren quite as deeply as I did with Billy and Bonnie, but this book did strengthen my emotional ties to the younger pair.
Again, that ending. That ending! It was glorious. I wish I could say why, but really you just need to read it for yourself.
Before I move on, though . . . I accidentally skipped a chapter. *le gasp* How could I do such a thing? And with one of my favorite series of ever, too?
See, I checked it out of the library and started reading it, only to receive my own copy for my birthday. (The first book, Raising Dragons was a gift for my thirteenth, by the way. Getting the final book for my twentieth was kind of perfect.) Anyway, because I like to keep my books in good condition, I held onto the library copy to bring with me to work, to read on lunch breaks. At home, I picked up wherever I left off with my personal copy. So I went back and forth between the two books for a while. One morning, in a rush to get to work, I must have moved my bookmark one chapter too far. Because as I was reading on break, I had the strange sense that I was missing something. The characters were doing what they’d planned to do, but I was somewhat confused as to how they’d gotten there. “Perhaps Bryan Davis expects the readers to connect the dots,” I thought. “And I am, after all, reading this book in choppy little spurts, so it could very well be that I’ve just forgotten a detail or two. I’m sure it will all make sense soon.” So I kept reading.
It wasn’t until that night, nestled in to read the final (28th) chapter, that I realized, “Oh no! I never read chapter 23!” Quickly, I read what I’d missed, then scanned the following chapters in order to iron out the sequence of events in my mind. Finally, satisfied and no longer confused, I read that last beautiful chapter and said goodbye to characters I’ve grown up with. So bittersweet . . .
One of these days, I plan to read all twelve books back to back.
Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz
Not nearly as epic or emotional as the previous read, but then, I wasn’t expecting it to be. This one is more like a summer action flick–just there to entertain.
Young Alex Rider (a James Bond type of character, only fourteen years old) infiltrates a school for boys located in France. It’s run by a crazy villain and his disturbing cement-block-of-a-woman sidekick. The story follows the same plot pattern as the first book in the series:

-Alex is forced into a mission he doesn’t want
-There’s a period of training/preparation in which he encounters a series of obstacles
-The real mission begins
-He eventually discovers the villain’s plot
-Chase/fight scenes
-The end
-Oh, and there are lots of neat spy gadgets disguised as inconspicuous objects, like a book or an earring or a Discman (yes, this book was written in the early 2000’s).
In writing
I worked on a motley of projects this month, or at least more than this single-minded tortoise usually does. (Well, I’m not always tortoise slow, but never mind all that.)
  • The Brightest Thread // I read over it twice, each in two sittings. I tweaked and fiddled with various things, worried over whether parts of it were paced too fast, and in the end declared, “I love this story!” The ending, you guys. It just makes me giddy, which, at this point, is kind of miraculous. Oh, I also caught wee mistakes I hadn’t seen before, such as miscounting the fairy stewards in the first scene. And speaking of TBT, the beginning of it recently went up for critique on The Author’s Chair (Bryan Davis’s blog)! If you feel so inclined, you may hop on over and nitpick it for me. I’m up for big critiques, little critiques, harsh critiques, and I-love-it critiques. Seriously. Any thoughts at all are appreciated.
  • That secretive ‘Book 1’ I sometimes talk about here // After so much time and effort spent on the aforementioned novella, this ‘first love’ of mine has been calling to me again. So, while in between projects, I read the first few chapters. I’ve a few more edits to complete before I can call it ready, so I figured that a read-over would help get my brain in gear for that. Turns out that the distance afforded by my Five Magic Spindles entry has caused me to fall in love with book 1 all over again. A break away was just what I needed, and now I’m itching to dive back into this thing!
  • Darkened Slumber // Have I mentioned that my brother is entering the Five Magic Spindles contest too? I don’t recall. Anyway, he is. His story is, in his words, a pseudo-feudal Japanese fantasy. I just spent a week editing it for him. He’s done an amazing job cutting it down to size on his own (he was only 1400 words over . . . I’s jealous), after which he turned it over to me. To give you a taste, the tale involves an awesome sword, big bad creatures, and an epic journey flavored with a sprinkle of humor and a dash of heartbreak. (Okay, more like a cup or two of that.)
And that was my November. How was yours, fellow adventurers? What quests have you been pursuing? Some of you are Nano survivors—come and collapse and possibly hibernate until Christmas. (In all honesty, I watched you with some envy at the beginning of the month, as you plotted and planned and psyched each other up. By the end of the month, after hearing about the short nights and sore eyes/wrists and rebellious plots, I’m more relieved that I chose not to shoulder that this year. Perhaps I’ll join the insanity next year?) But do share the war stories!
And for those of you who did not Nano this year, what filled your month? Have you read any of the books I mentioned or watched Inside Out?
Oh, before I bid you adieu, happy belated Thanksgiving to my American friends!
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Subplots and Storylines – October 2015

Tracey Dyck 10 Comments

You know those chunks of narrative in certain novels (particularly fantasy) that detail a long journey? Like those insanely long walks Frodo and company are always taking, or the Pevensies trekking around the island of ruined Cair Paravel in Prince Caspian? Not a whole awful lot happens, but the characters walk and walk and walk . . . or ride . . . or fly . . . or zap through portals . . . or something.

Anyway. That was my October. What I did this month was not varied, but there was a lot of it. Like walking day after day toward some epic destination, except I wasn’t carrying the One Ring or discovering my castle in ruins. No. Not quite.

Basically, October was Work and Editing. Of the first there is little to say, aside from the fact that hours are picking up now that Christmas is around the corner (say what?!), so I’ve been getting closer to a full-time schedule. This is good. Also busy.

Of the second item, Editing, there is much to say. Too much for this particular blog post, so you will just have to twiddle your thumbs and wait for the next post. (Who twiddles their thumbs while waiting, anyway? I don’t. I just shift position a lot and try to get comfortable. Or stand/sit with good posture. Sometimes those two things are not synonymous. . . . Wow. Where was I going with this?)

Moving along!

Of course, Frodo and company encounter obstacles and meet people and do interesting things along the way–they don’t just walk. And the Pevensies find a creek and eat squashed sandwiches and get hot and tired and look for a way to the Narnia mainland. Little events do happen during those drawn-out narrative journeys, and little things have sprinkled my month too.

*pulls out day planner*

What, you don’t keep a day planner?

Ahem. *flips through to remind herself of October happenings*

Happenings

Well, there was Thanksgiving, which I celebrated at three gatherings, and which prompted a post about the many things we can be thankful for.

Mid-October, I got together with a family friend (someone whom I consider an honorary aunt and a fantastic person) to set up her blog. She wants to start one and asked me–me, a fledgling blogger myself–for help. So we had fun all afternoon, trying to get the template to work right, messing up, and then doing the work all over again. But it’s a good start, and hopefully one day soon, once she’s launched her blog, I can introduce her here!

Another happening on this long walk called October was a local book faire I attended, where I found three specimens.

  • The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde. (No, the last name is not a typo.) Mint condition. Cover displays a bug car parked on dragon skin, so . . . very large dragons may be contained within? The blurb looked interesting–main character works at an employment agency for magicians, but the land’s magic is drying up. (Let’s hope the dollar store sticker on the back doesn’t mean it’s a cheap story.)
  • Deep Secret by Diana Wynne Jones. Previously a library book. Cover looks very 90’s. But ever since I heard a bunch of friends raving over Howl’s Moving Castle, I’ve been scouring every book faire for anything by this author. This is obviously not HMC. But it is Diana Wynne Jones.
  • Cyndere’s Midnight by Jeffrey Overstreet. Almost mint condition. And I adore the series, so I was thrilled to find the second installment for $4.50 instead of $15.99. Have any of you read the Auralia’s Colors books, by the way? What did you think about them?
 
 
Adventures of a Film-ish Variety

Avengers: Age of Ultron: I’d already seen it in theaters, but the very day it released to DVD, my brother and I hurried out to buy it . . . and proceeded to watch it twice in the same weekend. No regrets. Pure awesomeness all the way.

Disney’s Descendants: Watched it with my two sisters, chuckled at some parts, winced at some of the songs.

Tomorrowland: I was pleasantly surprised! It wasn’t what I expected, but it was nevertheless quite good. Even funny at times. And one scene near the climax was incredibly thought-provoking. I was hanging on every word of the villain’s monologue. (Yes, there was a villain monologue. But it did offer some intriguing food for thought about how we give power to what we focus on.) I’d definitely recommend this film!

Adventures of a Bookish Variety

I read five this month! That’s about my average, so it feels better than the measly three I managed last month.

Messenger by Lois Lowry: It wasn’t bad. It also wasn’t super amazingly good, either. I feel like so far, the first book (The Giver) was the best, Gathering Blue was second-best, and this one settled into third place. Let’s hope that Son, book 4, changes this downward slope. Although I do have to admit that the trading concept in Messenger was interesting, and the ending was somewhat unexpected.

Paige Rewritten by Erynn Mangum: Funny! Romantic! Fluffy without feeling like cotton candy! As in, it was fluffy without being overly sappy or sugary or . . . You know what, my analogies are just not functioning today. Never mind.

Mrs. Jeffries Reveals Her Art by Emily Brightwell: Apparently I haven’t read any of these mysteries since last winter. Oops. There’s a ton of books in this series, and I’m progressing through it at a rather sedate pace. Every now and then, a good old London mystery is a nice way to deviate from my usual genres. I thought I predicted the outcome this time–I truly did–but I was completely wrong. Again. Am I the only one who tries to figure out the mystery before the characters do? And am I the only one who tends to fail miserably? I gauge the suspects, but I also gauge the author. “I think this character is the murderer, but is that because the author wants me to think that? And if she wants me to think it’s him, that means it’s probably someone else, right? Like that person over there–he doesn’t seem suspicious at all. IT’S PROBABLY HIM. But then, it could be the obvious choice, hiding right under my nose . . .”

Emissary by Thomas Locke: Hands down, this was my favorite read this month! It took me a bit to get into it, for whatever reason, but once I did, my goodness. It was a tightly packed bundle of so much high fantasy awesomeness, I don’t even know where to start. First off, a good fantasy instantly makes me feel at home in some way, which Emissary did. And then there was the spine-tingling magic! I wouldn’t say it functioned in a particularly unique way, but its vibrancy definitely made up for that. But the plot! And the characters! So good! Interestingly enough, I had a bit of trouble connecting to Hyam, the main character, at first. But as the book progressed, I fell in love with him and the others . . . Joelle, Master Trace (hah! it’s almost my name!), the elves . . . Basically everyone. The POV was handled a bit more distantly than perhaps I’m used to, but Hyam’s selfless actions spoke louder than his thoughts or words. He is wonderful. Go read this book. And then wait impatiently with me for the sequel coming out next year.

A Templar’s Apprentice by Kat Black: This was a reread, but seeing as I read it eons ago, my memory of it didn’t outpace my reading. Meaning, certain things were familiar as I came upon them, but not once did my recollections spoil the ending for me. Ha. Funny how that works sometimes. Anyway, it’s a good little book that begins in medieval Scotland, and follows thirteen-year-old Tormod as he becomes apprenticed to a Knight Templar. There was a teensy bit of language, as well as some sketchy spirituality. (After meeting some Arabs who serve Allah, Tormod concludes that everyone worships the same God in different but entirely acceptable ways. This message doesn’t have a lot of bearing on the story, though.)

In Summary
October didn’t seem to fly by as rapidly as previous months, but it didn’t stick around for long, either. I managed to read and watch some epic things to go along with my not-quite-as-epic walk, a.k.a. Work and Editing. Plus there were some fun goings-on in between. Oh! And if you missed it, I hosted my very first interview with a talented artist last week. You can read it HERE. So all in all, October was a satisfying month.
 
How was yours? Busy? Quiet? Were you trekking across the Misty Mountains, slogging on one step at a time, feeling as if no end was in sight? Or was the plot of your life more like all the interesting and varied and rapid-fire bits of a tale? (I think I just need to shut off my analogy side for a while. NONE of the analogies in this post have made much sense.) And perhaps the biggest question of all: are you participating in NaNoWriMo National Leave Your Sanity Behind Month? (I, sadly, am not. I never have. Yet. One of these years, I shall!)
 
Do tell in the comments!
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Subplots and Storylines – September 2015

Tracey Dyck 14 Comments

Despite the calendar telling me fall began on September 23rd, I always feel that September 1st is a more accurate date for the autumnal equinox. Something about students returning to classes, the air turning crisper, leaves turning gold and orange and red . . . It’s just fall-ish. I adore this time of year, when sunny afternoons are still warm enough to wander about in sandals, and evenings are chilly enough to wrap myself in a sweater; when the bugs have started to die off; when you  blink and suddenly the trees are shaking out their golden splendor. Perfection.

Maybe it’s the weather, but it feels like the subtle turning of a page. My siblings are burying their noses in schoolbooks once again (heavens, has it really been two years since that was me?). The garden has been cleaned out, down to a bare patch of dirt; and jars upon jars upon jars of canned goods line the pantry shelves. The tomato canning–salsa sauce, spaghetti sauce, tomato soup, canned whole tomatoes–is done early this year. Hooray! My college & careers group (the young adult version of youth group, in case you’re unfamiliar with the term) has started up again. Change is in the air.

Other September happenings include:

  • A sleepover with a good friend, which consisted of movies, walks, and late-night conversations.
  • My parents’ 25th wedding anniversary! My siblings and I served them an Italian meal, restaurant style. It’s been our tradition of late to look for new recipes, shoo Mom out of the kitchen, and whip up supper for the two of them on their anniversary. We kitchen staff eat in a different room while they enjoy soft music and a candlelit dinner. This year we made baked ziti, caesar salad, and garlic toast. Oh, and afterwards we all gathered around to watch a video of their wedding highlights. Romantic!
  • I mentioned it already, but the weather has just been gorgeous.
  • Editing The Brightest Thread, my Sleeping Beauty retelling. It’s dropped from 30k to just over 27 k, and I’ve already gone through the first half of the story. Heh. I must learn to be more ruthless.
  • Last Sunday night, we stood on the driveway to witness a ‘blood moon.’ Or more accurately, the eclipse of a super moon. The moon was larger, closer to earth, and this particular eclipse turned it rusty red. (More like old, dried blood than bright scarlet blood.) Pretty neat.
  • Yesterday was Coffee Day, apparently, which I found out after the fact. Oh well. I did accidently celebrate with a pumpkin spice latte.

I watched a few things this month:

  • A re-watch of Mom’s Night Out. Just as funny the second time around!
  • The new Annie movie, watched during a girl’s night. I wasn’t expecting a whole lot, but it was actually very good. The songs got stuck in my head for a few days, which I didn’t mind at all.
  • During the sleepover, I watched the first four episodes of Once Upon a Time Season 2! (Captain Hook!)
  • Insurgent. While it wasn’t as compelling as the first movie, and I did skip a scene (NOT. NECESSARY. GUYS.), it was fairly good. I’m kind of undecided on my opinion. On one hand, it didn’t follow the book. On the other, the changes did accomplish something the book did not (see Tori’s review @ Geeks Under Grace; one of the last paragraphs). The different faction settings were sharply contrasted, which was visually beautiful. I continue to love Tris’s role. But as I said, it wasn’t quite on the same level as Divergent.

My September reading was sparse due to busy-ness. When I finally visited the library last night for the first time in weeks, my heart almost hurt at the number of books I wanted to grab! I settled for a realistic five. Anyway, here’s what I did manage to read this month . . .

Doon by Carey Corp & Lori Langdon: Aside from a few plot weaknesses, this was a fun YA romance/portal fantasy in which two girls cross over a magical Scottish bridge into the world of Doon . . . where they promptly fall in love with two princes. Some aspects of the book were quite original, and the princes’ lovely Scottish brogues are enough to make it worth the read. (Just a warning: though it’s a Christian book, it had a sprinkling of mild language that surprised me.)

Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson. FABULOUS. As a romantic suspense novel, it included awesome FBI cases, a really sweet and maturely-handled romance, and heart-plumbing depth. If you’ve never read Dee Henderson, go do so now. (Her O’Malley series is a great place to start.)

(My cover was pinkish rather than blue…)

Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge. I’ve been slowly working through this devotional all summer. All you ladies out there, whatever your age, this book will touch your heart. I’m serious, there’s at least one chapter in there for every kind of woman. Though I didn’t agree with a few theological statements, overall the book was amazing. It opened my eyes to some beautiful truths about real womanhood.

And that, my friends, was my September in a nutshell. October awaits!

How was your month? What are you looking forward to in October? And fellow Five Magic Spindles contestants: how is your entry coming along? (Can you believe we have three months left to finish??)

(Psst, stay tuned for this Saturday’s post. I am offering some writing tips at last!)

*Edit: I forgot to mention one very exciting happening this month. Anne Elisabeth Stengl held a Show and Tell on her blog for the Five Magic Spindles contestants, which I entered. It was so exciting to get a glimpse of over 30 stories! There’s a lot of talent and promising ideas this year. Go take a gander!

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