I have been a bad, bad, blogger this past week!
Reason #1 – I am behind on my reviews. In my defense, I got sick and was in bed for two days. Even sick in bed I can still read and guess what I did? I read and read a lot. I also forgot to mention, I had just returned from a 10 day vacation and guess what? I read a lot on vacation too. So I am behind, but I did start realizing that I may not have to review every book I read. So I am going to give you the ones that I just have to talk about. It will not be all in one post, I am going to spread them out over the next couple weeks.
That brings me to Reason #2 – This READER is WRITING… A BOOK!!! I am working on a book currently titled Enigma. Yay! Now, I know, a blogger writing a book is not something new. But I love reading about the writing process and how others do it. So I though I would share and give you a heads up if the reviews come a little slower from me. Enigma is a story that has been developing in my mind for a few years now. Before I even imagined it could be a story. Even before I imagined I could actually write one.
I am trying to find balance, just like the amazing blogger Olivia wrote about tonight on Olivia’s Opinions. You should read her post, it was AMAZING. I am going to try to be faithful to reading and writing (Enigma & reviews), because I love writing on this blog. I do love sharing my thoughts on books. So I hope you will tag along and bear with me as I try out this path in my journey. Sooooo….. to the reviews!
5 ***** = Highly recommend; A Classic; Couldn’t get much better; Could read over and over again
Perfect for the fans of Shatter Me who are desperately awaiting the release of Unravel Me, this novella-length digital original will bridge the gap between these two novels from the perspective of the villain we all love to hate, Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.
In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .
Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.
Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.
So let me preface this review with the fact that normally I do not love novellas. I usually feel let down that it is not a huge part of the overall story line and just want the meat of a novel. But after Shatter Me, I was dying for more of Adam, Juliette and sadly even Warner. I follow Tahereh Mafi on Facebook and love her posts. She posted a hilarious video and announced that this novella would be from Warner’s point of view. I was thrilled that we were going to get something to tide us over. Now, if you have not read Shatter Me, the first book in this series, you may want to jump on that. Warner is BAD! I really wanted to hate him! Really. But of course this book gave so much insight into him and his actions, I think I may not completely despise him after all. I really do love the way Ms. Mafi can develop a character slowly and naturally. She opens up Warner to you so gradually, you don’t realize your view of him has changed till the very end. I loved that about her development of Juliette in Shatter Me.
This was not only a good bit of story to tide me over, but it also changed my perspective. I am also glad to report that Tahereh laid off of the extreme use of similes and metaphors that plagued Shatter Me (#1 Shatter Me series). That was really my only complaint about he first novel.
My Two Cents
Yay, yay, yay! I love this series and Destroy Me (#1.5 Shatter Me series) made me even more anxious to read Unravel Me (#2 Shatter Me series). There is a sweet sneak peek of Unravel Me (released on Feb 5, 2013) at the end too! You can’t beat that!
*Would love to hear from fellow bloggers how they balance writing projects, reviews and reading.
Two Readers Writing 
First off, the Destroy Me novella does make me more excited to read the sequel—just as it is intended. I think we’ll be seeing more and more of these short stories and novellas to supplement and maintain excitement about a series. It’s great marketing.
So, you asked about balancing reading, writing projects, and book reviews. I’ll throw in my two cents.
I guess I’m kinda of lucky–reading and writing book reviews is part of my professional life. I review YA books and adult books for the library where I work, so I have some time at work to write the reviews (though honestly, work is so hectic often times it is easier at home).
With my fiction writing, I find keeping a schedule helps. I devote specific blocks of time to writing. Even if there is laundry to be done or whatever, I still write.
I have a great critique partner and we exchange chapters of our ongoing WIPs on a schedule. So there’s some accountability there. I know that she’s expecting progress, and she’s excited to read more. That’s probably the biggest motivator for me.
I try to keep up with regularly posting book reviews and my thoughts about the writing process (and thoughts on the library) because it improves my writing overall, which carries over to fiction. Critically analyzing the stories you read can help you see what works in fiction and what doesn’t. Reading a great book makes me more excited to write my own! So I don’t see the time blogging and reviewing books as wasted; in addition to honing your craft, it’s an opportunity to network with other writers, because writing can be a lonely endeavor.
And of course, there’s NaNoWriMo, and the writing fervor that goes along with that to get the ball rolling!
Good luck!
OH MY, thank you so much for your input. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I wish part of my job was reading and reviewing. I actually work in social media so I am taunted all day by full time writers marketing their works. So in the evening after the kiddos are in bed is my writing time. I will be attempting NaNoWriMo, so I hope this kickstarts my WIP. I have done all the research and character development. So here’s to giving it my best shot.
Again thank you for your response! I appreciate it!