i don't even like this song

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.





This Week's Topic:

What song would you love to see a book based on?

Now for this one I’m going to blame my little Rockstar. She’s learning guitar and has an eclectic mix in her repertoire. From Holiday by Greenday and Back in Black by ACDC to So What by Pink and Day Tripper by the Beatles. Her fave singer is Taylor Swift and she plays songs she knows and the album CONSTANTLY.

 One keeps making me see a scene and it’s called The Last Time and it opens:

Found myself at your door,
Just like all those times before,
I'm not sure how I got there,
All roads they lead me here.

I imagine you are home,
In your room, all alone,
And you open your eyes into mine,
And everything feels better,

Right before your eyes,
I'm breaking, no past
No reasons why,
Just you and me.

This is the last time I'm asking you this,
Put my name at the top of your list,
This is the last time I'm asking you why,
You break my heart in the blink of an eye.

Just makes me ask all kinds of questions in my head. I do like to write about the pain/fear of people leaving so maybe that explains it. I wonder what he did before and what has happened to make him come back. The risk of letting someone who’s left in again… it’s a biggie!

What about you??

Imagine

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.





This Week's Topic:
What was the best book you read in May??

The best book I read in May was Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma.

Here is the Goodreads blurb:

Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

This drew me in and got me thinking. Thinking til my brain hurt and although I read it weeks ago I'm STILL thinking about it. I don't know whether I actually liked any of the characters which normally would put me right off a book but this one... well, it worked for me anyway.

What about your best May read?

A little surprising.

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This Week's Topic:
What's been your most surprising read of the year so far---the book you weren't sure about going in that really swept you off your feet?

I've read quite a few great books this year but the one that really surprised me was The Name of The Star by Maureen Johnson.

I'm not sure it's the very best but I have to say I didn't think I'd love it. And I did. And I was terrified and it left me thinking for ages. All of which surprised me. I think it was the way just when I thought I was comfortable reading the stakes twisted and upped and I gasped and had to turn the next page.

What about you?

Getting around to it.

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.





This Week's Topic: What book is your 'one that got away?' (What book have you always been dying to read but still haven't yet?)


Up until this week I had two vying to *win* this for me. However, after much prodding from hubby I've started Game of Thrones at last. He's a huge fan and I've been meaning to start but his whining intellectual discussion about the terribleness of the people and the world put me off.

So that leaves The Book Thief.

I have it. I've picked it up. Managed two pages... and then... nothing. I believe it's good but I haven't managed to get into it. Yet. I will.

What about you?

Looking for inspiration

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.





This Week's Topic:
What are some non-writing blogs/Tumblrs/Twitters/Pinterests
/Instagrams, etc., that you follow and get inspired by?


I can't wait to head out to see everyone's answers to this. I have to admit I mainly read about books/writing/authors... these are my happy places.

Alongside that are the blogs/intagrams of some of my fave sport teams. I like the window into the players as people. i am so unathletic, I find it really interesting.

Another is more recent. It's fatmumslim and the photo a day challenge. The pics get me thinking about the different ways to interpret one word and the different meaning it can have to diff people. Which reminds me...

4. In my cup - mmmm coffee... gone.
5. Paper - so she can't spell - cute though
6. Broken - hard to see but mil's gift was missing an udder






 


7. Something beginning with F - bottom pic -Flinders Ranges
8. Shape - hubby's guitar
9. A snack - mmm dip and cider



What's your inspiration?

Best ever

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This Week's Topic:
In our Bookmobile selection this month, Debra Driza's MILA 2.0, the main character discovers she's an android trained to obey orders. We want to know: What other human-like robots (or robot-like humans?) have you enjoyed in books, TV, or movies?

You say human-like robots... i think ASTROBOY!!

Oh, my, favourite boy robot. This is the first TV show I can ever remember really loving. He was so good and so sweet and so ASTRO! Sigh. There may have been a small crush involved.

 

 

And don't get me started on the Robio and Robiette episode... I remember when  studied Shakespeare years later I deep down wondered who had imitated who...

Alas when I watched it recently it didn't QUITE stand the test of time.

What about you? And fave human-like robot/androids??

A haunting one

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.





This Week's Topic:
What was the best book you read in March??


I didn't read as many books as I would have liked in march but those I managed were great. I loved 'Wait for You' by J Lynn and agree with there being a fair bit of buzz about it around the place.

However it was pipped for my fave read by Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff.

This take kept me reading long after i was supposed to be doing other things. i nearly missed my kids school pickup (ooops) to keep reading.

It was haunting it the best was but not really a ghost story and had just the right amount of creep factor as well as a mystery and a brilliantly done setting.

What about you - read anything great lately?

It's all about the boys

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.





This Week's Topic:
What was your best book for October?


Reading this one came about with a google search of 'best YA boy POV books'. I found 'Try Not to Breathe' by Jennifer Hubbard on a few lists and it was there on my kindle app a few minutes later.

I read the opening and was hooked. Here's the blurb:

 

Try Not to Breathe

Learning to live is more than just choosing not to die, as sixteen-year-old Ryan discovers in the year following his suicide attempt. Despite his mother’s anxious hovering and the rumors at school, he’s trying to forget the darkness from which he has escaped. But it doesn’t help that he’s still hiding guilty secrets, or that he longs for a girl who may not return his feeli...more

Learning to live is more than just choosing not to die, as sixteen-year-old Ryan discovers in the year following his suicide attempt. Despite his mother’s anxious hovering and the rumors at school, he’s trying to forget the darkness from which he has escaped. But it doesn’t help that he’s still hiding guilty secrets, or that he longs for a girl who may not return his feelings. Then he befriends Nicki, who is using psychics to seek contact with her dead father. This unlikely friendship thaws Ryan to the point where he can face the worst in himself. He and Nicki confide in one another the things they never thought they’d tell anyone—but their confessions are trickier than they seem, and the fallout tests the bounds of friendship and forgiveness.

 

It was painful and messy and made me think - probably what I liked best about it in the end. Instead of making me think about the boy POV I was working on it raised questions for my girl MC. And she has nothing like this going on. But the brain works in mysterious ways.

=)

What bout you? Read anything excellent in October?

Lights, camera... read!

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This Week's Topic:
We'd like to know, in your opinion, what is it that makes some books seem ideal for a film translation?

This is interesting. When I write I generally 'see' the scenes playing out as a movie in my mind, but my WIP had a beta reader commenting 'I could see this being one of those movies where everything happens on one amazing weekend'. When interrogated... i mean, questioned, he didn't know whether it was different writing or what.

For me, it's a combination. i would consider something that paints a vivid picture in my mind. it needs a good pace and a great hook to make a good movie poster.

A cute hero and kissing is nice too!!
=)
What do you think?

Full of awesome

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This Week's Topic: What do you hope to be writing in one year? Three? Five?

 

I can actually answer this one pretty easy... Something AWESOME!

Definition of awesome - so good it needs to be read on a swing.

 

 

It's maybe simplistic but it's true. In a perfect world there will be agents and editors and readers finding it full of awesome but the first person I need to wow is myself. Because to slog through the months of writing I need to be convinced it's great. I need to love the character and hate the character and bleed on the page for them. Or why waste my time?

 

What about you?

 

 

Don't go changing...

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.





This Week's Topic:
What word processing program do you use to write you manuscript, and can you share one handy trick you’ve learned in that program that has helped you while you write?

Okay, this is one road trip i plan to follow with interest. because I am back in the old word dark ages. i see people using interesting programs but the thought of change...

*shudders*

The best trick is more about critting and it's not anything spectacular, but the track changes function is awesome. It's helped me to incorporate my CPs wisdom.

Also the simple find and replace has helped when I've inadvertently aussified something (the use of some Australian slang that NOBODY will ever understand outside of a stone's throw from where I live) and can check the rest of the doc for the same thing.

But I know other programs do even more. So tell me, what do you use and why?

Lucky me

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.





This Week's Topic:
Back to school time! What's your favorite book that you had to read for a class?

Love this topic. Have to say I devoured anything I was set at school. Didn't love it all but I'm a fast reader and just inhaled anything i was given. However the two I really, really enjoyed (don't get me wrong i really liked others so no disrespect) were by local Aussie writers.

The first... Tomorrow When The War Began by John Marsden. We had to read the first and I read the whole series. I've seen the movie and I think it was great. however after chatting on an earlier blog I appreciate that such real violence might not be appropriate in every school. our time/school was pretty fortunate and it was a wonderful book.

The second is now one of my fave authors... Looking For Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta. How lucky to have such a great author to read cos I had to. It's not my fave of hers but I really liked it!

What about you?

Conference reads

This is a RWAus conference and a RTW post combined.


Because I actually read both my fave books for this month while travellling. It's amazing for me to have hours and hours and hours to read without interruption (unless you count bouts of nervous nausea for my pitch appointments). This year's conference was on the sunny (compared to icy Sth Australia) Gold Coast in the funkiest of hotels, QT.


The whirlwind weekend included meeting brilliant people, old friends and learning so much my brain hurt. The cocktail party on the Friday night let me get my Grease on:



With Pink Ladies Rach Johns (Aussie Mira author) and Jackie (Entangled and Samhain author).

The workshops were amazing (am still processing) and the awards dinner was inspirational. Kind of like the early morning view. What made me think a 7am breakki Sunday was a good idea? But even only 3h sleep Eloisa James was worth listening to although I've never read Historical Romance.

Was a brilliant time but I was also really happy to get back home to the family!
Anyway, that brings me to the two best books I read this month:



Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.





This Week's Topic:
What was your best book for August?


This is no particular order....

On the way to the conference I read Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry. And... wow. These two people were so full of pain and so strong. i laughed, i sobbed. i sobbed more... I was thankful my eyeliner stayed more or less in place (am not used to dressing up and these days). It was one of the best books i've read in ages... but there was more to come...


And on the way home i read First Comes Love by Katie Kacvinsky which didn't make me cry... as much... (i'm not usually so weepy, honest) but I loved for the fact it really seemed like it was HIS story more than hers despite them being told in alternate POV. Was really interesting.




What about you? What did you like in August?

=)

Best this month

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.





This Week's Topic:
What was your best book for June?

Where the #$%@ did June go? I think I must have blinked and missed it. Kid sickness and trying to do the 50kin30days we do here in Aussie through RWAus meant the month passed pretty quickly.

However i did sneak in some reading (or i might have exploded) and I had a favourite.

It was Starters by Lissa Price.

I've actually had this on my TBR since Mother's Day and have been holding off. I was writing in contemp land and didn't want to be thinking Dystopian. But as my reward for finishing my draft I was able to get stuck in.

And it was well worth the wait. I read it fast but it left me thinking - a great combo. And isn't the cover awesome?

What about you?

Summer Loving

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.





This Week's Topic:

How did you spend/how will you spend the summer after graduation?
                                                                                                                           
I remember that as one of the longest summers ever. here our summer/end includes Chistmas and New Year so there's a lot happening. University starts about a month after school goes back so I had 4 extra summer weeks.

The first thing was farewell my best friend. She was off on exchange to Germany and I was pretty jealous and a bit sad. We'd been inseperable and I was going to have to negotiate all those weeks without her.

Luckily another friend and I grew closer so i had someone to go out with since legal age here is 18 (and I was almost 18...).

The best thing I did that summer happened near the end. I was actually getting over glandular fever that made me miss most of my final school year and staying up late didn't really happen well but this night I managed nearly 4am. My friend cornered two boys on the side of the road.

Being the nerd I am I was pretty sure they were serial killers but it turns out one of them... the one I didn't really notice at first... would be my husband.

Falling in love was the very best part of my summer!

What about you?

Simply the best

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This Week's Topic:

What was the best book you read in May?

This was a tough decision for me. I've been on a contemporary binge lately because of the work in progress. I read 6 great books but when deciding my very best book in May I had to toss a coin between two.

And the reason was pretty simple. It's the one that stayed with me long after I switched off my eReader. I couldn't stop thinking about Anna and St Clair and I knew in my heart they lived on even though I'd stopped reading.

They existed outside the book for me.

That's magic.

What about you? What did you read and like BEST!!

P.S. the lineball book... 'Lola and the Boy Next Door.'

Soaking it up for real

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.









This Week's Topic:What book and/or writing conference would you love to go to? 

Where to begin?

 

My main goal is to manage to go to an overseas writing/book conference. But living here in Australia even making the trip interstate is a bt difficult and expensive. I love the online community and have participated in some online conferences but to soak up the atmosphere with real live people and all woyuld be fabulous.

 

The first step for me is the CYA conference here. The timing has been all wrong for me so far but I would love to go.

 

In August there is the RWAus conference and I am hoping to make that as all my stories have that romantic element.

 

Any recommendations for good overseas conferences I should be saving for?

=)

That magic moment

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This Week's Topic:

A long-awaited kiss, a surprise ending, a character's sudden decision… these are the moments that make us smile, gasp, and LOVE a book for the rest of our lives.

What is your favorite literary moment?

My absolute favourite literary moment is the twist. And nowhere have i found it better than in Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.

No spoilers but i never saw it coming and yet it made perfect sense. LOVE that in a book. To pull off that WTF but ah ha moment is brilliant. And so, so hard. it had to be foreshadowed and believable but not predictable. I admit i read it when I was 10 so maybe i was easily transported into suspending disbelief but it's stayed with me a LOT of years.

Oh, and i do love a kiss... one that has been suitably longed for and agonised over.

And a good death. Love to cry.

And a first... well... anything.

 

 

Seems I'm easily pleased. What about you?

Full of awesome

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This Week's Topic:

What was the best book you read in Feb?

 

This time it was easy. my road trip meant that i couldn't read the number of books i wanted to but the BEST was easily

It captivated me from start to finish and I can't express how much i hurt and loved it at the same time. I know I'm a bit late to this cos the buzz has been around for a while but I'm glad I finally took other RTW'ers advice and moved it to the top of my TBR pile!!

 

It made me ache to read it with some stuff pretty close to home but I love a book that can make me feel and this worked so well I'm still thinking about it.

 

If you haven't.... READ it!!

 

What about you, any good books in Feb?

Scar stories

Each week, YA Highway hosts Road Trip Wednesday, a blog carnival in which contributors discuss a topic on their blogs and invite readers to do the same.

 

This Week's Topic:

 

What is the story of your best scar?

 

Scars are like memories written in blood. I have a few... not too many which maybe tells its own story of cautiousness.

 

One brings back my childhood and the family across the road... who later moved around the corner but never really from my life. They had big dogs my whole early childhood. Obedient, well-behaved, good and maybe kinda scary German Shepherds. When I was about 11 they got, of all things, a toy poodle. The thing couldn't have been much bigger than a man's boot. Turned out the thing had brain damage that transformed it into a red-eyed fiend (maybe the eyes were my imagination) and it would leap out at random and attack. One day it got my hand and i was shaking but the thing was like a cartoon, swinging back and forth in the air, not letting go of the webbing between my fingers. It had to be put down not long after. The small mark reminds me not to judge a dog by its size. Ouch!

 

What do your scars tell you?