Down the TBR Hole #2

April 23, 2018April 23, 2018 / Eve Messenger / Leave a comment

Yes, folks, it’s time for another stroll down TBR lane to see which books remain on the list and which will go. Strangely, every book that ended up on this week’s TBR Hole list has a terrible cover. Except for Challenger Deep. I think.

Here’s how the Down the TBR Hole game is played (created by Lia @ LostInAStory):
1. Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
2. List books in ascending order (oldest first).
3. Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
4. Read the synopses of the books.
5. Decide: keep it or should it go?

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Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

Genre: YA contemporary
Goodreads rating: 4.14
Number of Pages: 320

I liked Shusterman’s book Unwind, so I thought I’d give Challenger Deep a try. Unlike Unwind, which is YA dystopia, Challenger Deep is a YA contemporary that explores mental illness through the viewpoint of a brilliant boy absorbed in the fantasy that he lives on board a ship headed for the deepest point on Earth: the Marianas Trench.

Verdict: Keep

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The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

Genre: YA LGBTQIA
Goodreads rating: 3.98
Number of Pages: 470

In this “funny and heartbreaking” book, Cam is a girl who likes girls. When Cam’s parents die, she is forced to move in with her conservative aunt in Miles City, Montana–where she falls for a cowgirl named Coley. Sounds like a winner. 🙂

Verdict: Keep (and move higher up TBR list!)

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Far Far Away by Tom McNeal

Genre: YA fantasy
Goodreads rating: 3.88
Number of pages: 384

Jeremy Johnson has lost his mother and now hears the ghost of Jacob Grimm (one of the Grimm brothers) speaking to him. The story is told from the first person POV of Jacob Grimm, who also protects Jeremy from evil. Interesting premise. Readers seem to either love it or hate it.

Verdict: Keep

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Bright Side (Bright Side #1) by Kim Holden

Genre: New-Adult Romance (aren’t they all?)
Goodreads rating: 4.40
Number of pages: 423

I must have heard something really special about this book if I added it despite the fact that it’s a romance–which I don’t normally read. The ending is supposedly a real tear jerker. Maybe I’ll save it for when I’m in the mood for a good cry.

Verdict: Keep

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Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Genre: Adult Fantasy-Humor
Goodreads rating: 4.25
Number of pages: 412

Oops, I forgot I took a look at this one not too long ago. I adored Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, enjoyed Anansi Boys, and appreciated most of Neverwhere, but when I recently picked up Good Omens I found I just wasn’t in the mood for the “wink, wink, nudge” writing voice.

Verdict: Toss

It’s Raining Books, Hallelujah!

October 4, 2016October 4, 2016 / Eve Messenger / 16 Comments

Hi, fellow book junkies! What a great feeling it is when a bunch of great books suddenly come raining in. By mail, library, and Netgalley, all of the following books arrived this week, and I’m like a kid in a candy store gazing gleefully at the pretty stack they make on my nightstand. 😀

The Reader by Traci Chee –Lushly told YA fantasy about a girl living in a world where reading is forbidden. Read an excerpt here.

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Timekeeper by Tara Sim Netgalley ARC – Gay clocktower mechanic boy. Magic clock mysteriously missing 2 o’clock. I’ve had my eye on this book since hearing about it almost a year ago, and I’m so grateful to have been approved for the ARC.

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My Lady Jane by Hand, Ashton, & Meadows –This lighthearted historical YA novel apparently gets a bit experimental (or maybe just plain cheeky?) The authors occasional break the fourth wall and have their Victorian characters lapse into 21^st century slang. I’m intrigued.

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The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge – Blogger friends tell me the writing in this is so good. Then when Cover2Cover Mom mentioned The Lie Tree also has a dark edge, I ran right out and got it. Oh, and then the librarian told me it won some kind of award. Bonus.

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Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu – Legend was such a fun read that I had to find out what Day and June get up to in the next book, Prodigy. A prodigal investigator vs. a prodigal criminal–June and Day’s dynamic is incredible.

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Currently reading:

Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle. Eloquent prose–check. Pleasant Irish setting–check. Intriguing plot idea–check. However, the story doesn’t really catch fire until around page 160. I hear there’s a good plot twist, so I’m hanging in there.

Last but not least. . .

Dear book-loving friend, for taking the time to read all the way down to the end of this post, here is a little treat for you. (Remember to replace the word “men” with “books.”) XOXO Eve Messenger

Totally Should’ve Book Tag #amreading #YA

March 4, 2016March 5, 2016 / Eve Messenger / 25 Comments

Totally Should've Book tag

Thank you to Brittany @ Grisha Lieutenant for tagging me to do this fun “Totally Should’ve” book tag (created by lively video blogger Katytastic.)

1. A book that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE had a sequel.

It’s no secret that I adore Lauren Oliver’s novel, Before I Fall. The lovely writing and compelling story make me want to read more, plus there’s a certain male character I’d love to see get another chance–sorry if that’s vague, but we’re spoiler-free here at Eve Messenger’s OtherWORDly Endeavors. 🙂

2. A book/series that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE had a Spin-Off series.

Fangirl already has a spin-off with Simon and Baz in Carry On, but one-of-a-kind, adorable Levi is the character I’d most like to read a spin-off about: growing up with his big, blond brothers, working in the coffee shop, overcoming his unique challenge.

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Artist: Noelle Stevenson (I think!?)

3. An author who TOTALLY SHOULD write more books.

V.E. Schwab, V.E. Schwab!

schwab books

4. A character who TOTALLY SHOULD’VE ended up with someone else.

What randomly popped into my head just now is that Cinderella should end up, not in a cliched relationship with Prince Charming, but in a loving relationship with his dark, lovely, girl-knight sister. That would be cool.

5. A book/series that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE ended differently.

Not that I’d like a different ending, just a more complete one. In Sarah Dessen’s book, The Truth About Forever, a major plot question is raised at the beginning, which is never answered. That was kind of frustrating.

6. A book/series that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE had a movie franchise.

If it’s done right, Patrick Ness’ Chaos Walking would be amazing.

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7. A book/series that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE had a TV show.

Off the top of my head, I can’t think of any novels I’d want adapted into a TV series.

8. A book/series that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE only had one point of view

The Future of Us. Emma and Jay’s POV voices were confusingly similar, and the story was really about Emma anyway. One POV would’ve worked great.

9. A book/series that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE had a cover change.

I wholeheartedly agree with Brittany @ Grisha Lieutenant on this one. I love the story Ella Enchanted, but nothing about this cover works.

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10. A book/series that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE kept the original covers.

I appreciate beautiful covers but am not adept at keeping track of originals vs. new edition covers, etc., so I abstain from answering this question.

11. A series that TOTALLY SHOULD’VE stopped at book #1.

I must have issues with attention span or something because I rarely stick with a series past books one or two–with some notable exceptions, including Throne of Glass and A Darker Shade of Magic. . . . SQUIRREL.

— Eve Messenger

I Nominate:

Michelle @ The Bibliophile Struggle

Carolyn @ A Hundred Thousand Stories

Dee @ The Bookish Khalisi

Nazahet @ Read Diverse Books

Lila @ The Bookkeeper’s Secrets

Astra @ A Stranger’s Guide to Novels

Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books

The Bibliotheque

The Real 7/7/7 Challenge #amwriting

February 25, 2016 / Eve Messenger / 14 Comments

7-7-7 challenge

Talented super writer/reader ladies Melanie Noell Bernard and Elena Johansen both tagged me for the 7/7/7 Challenge, so does this mean I should do a 14/14/14 tag? Okay, not.

When I first saw this tag (two months ago, yes, it’s taking me that long to get caught up on book tags)I assumed I was supposed to type 7 lines from page 7 of a book I am READING. Of course, the directions clearly state the passage should come from MY OWN work in progress, which I didn’t notice until after I’d already located and typed out 7 lines from The Casquette Girls.

Anywho. . . here’s the not-exactly-earth shattering passage from my work in progress, a modern day YA paranormal that’s been a ton of fun to write.

Rules

Go to page 7 of your work-in-progress.
Scroll down to line #7.
Share the next 7 lines of your manuscript in a blog post.
Tag 7 other writers (with blogs) to continue the challenge.

Eve’s 7/7/7 Snippet

“Adam?”

From the other side of the door, Adam clears his throat and answers in a voice much lower than I’ve ever heard from him. “What is it, Callie?”

It feels strange to hear him say my name since he’s never used it before.

“How’s the cat?” I ask.

“Not. . . good.” Adam still hasn’t opened his bedroom door.

“I. . . uh, want to tell you something.”

Nominees

Kelly F. Barr

Herminia @ aspiringwriter22 Author Kelly Miles

Mackenzie Bates

Jon Stephens @ Start Your Fiction

Millie Schmidt

Danielle @ The Caffeinated Writer

Basking in the Bounty of the Book Gods

October 8, 2015October 8, 2015 / Eve Messenger / 14 Comments

The book gods have been good to me this week. I’m suddenly basking in books that are at the top of my TBR list.

Currently Reading
Julie Bertagna’s Exodus. If you ever read this book, rest assured it gets really good after the first couple of chapters. It’s so imaginative and, as for social commentary, whoah.

Library Holds
Two holds also came through from the happiest place on Earth, my local library:

At last, my first Rainbow Rowell book, Fangirl.
Leslye Walton’s debut novel, with its simple yet very beautiful cover, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender. (I’d like to randomly add that I am mad at the word lavender because it refuses to be spelled — as I perpetually want to write it — like the word calendar.)

Contest Prize
And here’s where I saved the best for last. Along with a nice handwritten note, literary agent Janet “The Shark” Reid mailed me Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows ARC as a prize for winning her recent flash fiction contest. I’m not gonna lie, I worked HARD to win because I REALLY wanted to read Six of Crows, but I had no idea that….

THIS ARC COMES WITH WINGS!!!

Fellow book lovers, surely you understand how happy this makes me.

Happy reading!

— Eve Messenger

My Name is Eve, and I am a Recovering ‘Pantser’

July 14, 2015November 23, 2015 / Eve Messenger / 4 Comments

I’m one of those writers you might call a ‘pantser,’ you know, the kind who writes a novel with reckless abandon — sans plot outline — until I reach the semblance of an ending.

It’s fun! It’s exciting! It’s FRESH. And I’m afraid if I don’t write like that I’ll overcensor myself , or worse, get bored because I already know what’s going to happen.

But.

Revising a pants-style, mutant pit first draft of a novel takes a really, really, really, really long time. I’m not saying I’ll never pants a novel again, but I’ve done it twice now, and the first novel was such a complicated mess I had to stick it in a drawer until I became “a good enough writer to tackle such a complicated plot.”

This second full-length novel, a YA fantasy, I’ve been revising for dozens and dozens and dozens of hours…reordering scenes, consolidating bits I had epiphanies about later in the writing, just, you know … Clean-up on aisle seven…and twelve…and one…and fourteen. Clean up the whole damn store.

But hey, writing and revising a novel should take as long as it needs to, right? And who’s to say I would ever have been able to come up with the cool, out-there things that happen in this story (don’t mean to brag, just sayin’) if I had NOT let my imagination flow 100% unhindered, not even by a plot outline?

But.

I’m not as young as I used to be (I’ll admit) and have a lot of stories I want to write. So many.

Yet here I am, dozens and dozens and dozens of hours into revising and fleshing out this first draft into a flow, a scene order, that tells a cohesive story. Yes, there is light at the end of the tunnel — I’m three-quarters of the way through — but I’m not even talking about all the fun edit-y things like crisping up dialogue, bringing out sensory details, polishing prose. I’m talking about just getting the first draft into an order that makes sense.

Outlining would have been so much easier. More importantly, it would have been FASTER.

Then this morning a lovely thing happened. A brand new character, with a brand new story, in a brand new genre (still YA), danced herself right onto my computer screen. And she brought a LOT of her story’s plot with her. God bless her. When I’m done with this YA fantasy, I might just be able to write a novel using a proper outline.

HALLELULAH.

Now if I just knew the best way to outline a novel. Any suggestions?

–Eve Messenger