Tag Archives: fiction

Ex Libris: A Review

Book Reviews August 15, 2017 Leave a comment

ExLibris

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Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 384

ISBN: 9781607014898

*I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This collection of fantasy short stories explores the relationships of readers and librarians, the wonderful work librarians do, the fantastical places that libraries can be… and all of that mixed with lore.

Now, I must say this book really caught my interest when I first saw it! Stories about librarians, libraries, and lore in the same book? Count me in! Also, the Latin title got me. I think it speaks for the theme’s oldness, deep knowledge, and mystical air. The best thing about Ex Libris? It did not disappoint me – in fact, it even surprised me more than once!

Of all the book introductions I’ve read in my life, Paula Guran’s one in Ex Libris is by far the best one out there yet (at least for passionate readers and anyone who loves libraries). She tells us of the different libraries and librarians from all genres in literature while punctuating it with excerpts. Her research must have taken her a long time… but I want to say it was well worth it and beautifully done. It’s an introduction I won’t forget anytime soon. As for the reading itself, it flows – it is engrossing and lovely. It also got me quite emotionally invested in the stories, characters, and life itself (I still haven’t figured out how it managed to do that with the last one, but it’s still a neat feat!). Moreover, I had a magical read! The stories (most of them) were very funny and amusing. It reminded me of the magic libraries hold and how time flies by when I’m reading. It is an enchanting and lovely book!

All the short stories in this collection have a varying degree of importance related to books and/or libraries – you never know what to expect except that these two elements will be there in some way or another. To what extent and use is the surprise of each story. Speaking of stories, they were quite imaginative. They even manage by some mysterious force to be believable (don’t ask me how, I’m still working on understanding it)! The voices of the many narrators are clear, distinct, and strong. I would have thought some stories would lack in voice… but I was shown wrong with this collection! Woven into the texts are amusing references to real books – it’s a nice addition and at the same time a necessity regarding the library theme.

The vocabulary used in these stories is diverse, beautiful, and precise. The short stories aren’t too long – I believe their length has been well measured as it makes for captivating enough without becoming boring. Some stories are drama, others are adventures, but all have a subtle touch of humor and are engaging in their own way. One thing is for sure: together, those short stories are an eclectic mix – although it is sometimes destabilizing, it is also quite pleasant, much like refreshing parts of the same whole. Another thing I particularly enjoyed about Ex Libris is how diverse the situations and characters are! Some are people of color while others have illnesses or handicaps. A much appreciated touch that helps make those weird (it’s a compliment here) stories more realistic! There is something different I noticed about the format of these short stories: they include subtitles related to books or libraries (like the widely used Dewey decimal system), quotes, and other fun things. It’s a great idea to make their format somehow fit their main theme! I also think they were well structured, which helps the reading experience by making it easier on the eye. Finally, I loved learning about the authors in the ‘’About the Authors’’ section at the end. At first, I thought this was a collection of short stories written by emerging authors, but oh no! They are all big names like Holly Black, Ray Bradbury, and many others! It’s imposing and impressive.

You’re probably wondering where are the negative points, aren’t you? I was too, frankly… However, there are only two of those, which I am pretty sure are now fixed since the book has been released. I have found a few typos, additional and unneeded words, and sometimes forgotten conjugations. The other thing that bothered me (only slightly as the rest of the book was well worth my time spent reading it!) was how many repetitions there were. For example, in two close paragraphs the words ‘’soft’’ and ‘’softly’’ were used thrice. It happens here and there and, like in that example, it can pull you out of the story you’re reading. Those points aside, the book is pure entertainment with mysteries written in its pages.

The idea itself of a book about libraries and librarians wins numerous points with me. It hit home and I think it will do the same thing with other bookworms. In fact, it is a good fit for anyone who has a (secret) love of books and libraries and the people who help keep them in order. I give it a rating of 5 out of 5 because of the library theme, the quality of the stories, and also because I always wanted to resume reading it. I’m pretty sure all fantasy fans will find Ex Libris quite entertaining and worth their while since it has varied short stories – in other words, there is a short story for everyone in this amazing collection!

As a bonus, here’s my ranking of my favorite Ex Libris short stories:

1- In the House of the Seven Librarians by Ellen Klages

2- The Last Librarian by Edoardo Albert

3- Death and the Librarian by Esther M. Friesner

4- Special Collections by Norman Partridge

5- In Libres by Elizabeth Bear

Please note that all short stories had something unique to them and the ranking above is simply based on my personal tastes!

If you want to know more about the editor, Paula Guran, and Prime Books, the publisher, click here for the first and here for the latter.

Well, Well… Look Who’s Not Stuck Anymore!

chit-chatting with Cat, My project August 9, 2017 Comments: 2

Hello, folks!

Remember I said that whenever there were news and updates concerning my writing I would tell you? Believe it or not, there are!

I’m psyched!

You know how I’ve been stuck with my novel (first in a pentalogy) Down to Earth for months now? I have finally written myself out of that infernal corner!

YES! That means I now know where the story’s going and more importantly what to do in order to get there. I just need to sit down and do the timeline of big events and relationships, but other than that I’ve solved the big issue. Isn’t it fantastic?!

Résultats de recherche d'images pour « fantastic gif »

Also, my Nightshade series is very close to my heart and has quite a strong presence in my mind… You know where I’m getting at, of course. Because of that, I’ll try to outline and write the first book (Nightshade: The Death Stone) in that series at the same time as Down to Earth. Call me crazy… I’ll just say you’re right, but it feels so good.

Lastly, I told you a week and a half ago I had an idea for a novella. Whilst it’s still true, this ”novella” of mine seems to be expanding into either a full book or a duology or something of the like. I’m still trying to keep it at its current size, but really it’s counterattacking me to get bigger, so I’ll look at what to do with it. Moreover, I started researching (I’ve even got a notebook for that purpose!) fairies, Ireland, and the Seelie Court. I’m having much fun!

Although I don’t give myself deadlines when it comes to writing (unless it’s for a contest or a magazine), I am working hard on disciplining myself. It might seem odd coming from a woman who’s studying her bachelor’s degree in translation online (no, really!) and who needs a high level of discipline to succeed at it, but when it’s about my writing, I’m quite sporadic and spontaneous. I’m quite proud to tell you I’ve been writing every day of the last week, so it’s coming along!

And that’s all for today! Watch out for another book review this week. I’ll also keep you updated about my writing projects (those three main I just talked to you about!).

As always, thank you for being interested in what I have to say and accompanying me on my writing journey. It’s an immense pleasure to have you here with me.

Where is your writing at?

Is it hard for you to be disciplined for your writing?

 

 

Well, Well… Look Who ‘ s Not Stuck Anymore!

chit-chatting with Cat, Nightshade (My Series) August 9, 2017 Comments: 2

Hello, folks! Remember I said that whenever there were news and updates concerning my writing I would tell you? Believe it or not, there are! I'm psyched! You know how I've been stuck with my novel (first in a pentalogy) Down to Earth for months now? I have finally written myself out of that infernal corner! YES! That means I now know where the story's going and more importantly what to do in order to get there. I just need to sit down and do the timeline of big events and relationships, but other than that I've solved the big issue. Isn't it fantastic?!

Résultats de recherche d'images pour « fantastic gif »

Also, my Nightshade series is very close to my heart and has quite a strong presence in my mind… You know where I'm getting at, of course. Because of that, I'll try to outline and write the first book (Nightshade: The Death Stone) in that series at the same time as Down to Earth. Call me crazy… I'll just say you're right, but it feels so good. Lastly, I told you a week and a half ago I had an idea for a novella. Whilst it's still true, this ''novella'' of mine seems to be expanding into either a full book or a duology or something of the like. I'm still trying to keep it at its current size, but really it's counterattacking me to get bigger, so I'll look at what to do with it. Moreover, I started researching (I've even got a notebook for that purpose!) fairies, Ireland, and the Seelie Court. I'm having much fun! Although I don't give myself deadlines when it comes to writing (unless it's for a contest or a magazine), I am working hard on disciplining myself. It might seem odd coming from a woman who's studying her bachelor's degree in translation online (no, really!) and who needs a high level of discipline to succeed at it, but when it's about my writing, I'm quite sporadic and spontaneous. I'm quite proud to tell you I've been writing every day of the last week, so it's coming along!

And that's all for today! Watch out for another book review this week. I'll also keep you updated about my writing projects (those three main I just talked to you about!). As always, thank you for being interested in what I have to say and accompanying me on my writing journey. It's an immense pleasure to have you here with me. Where is your writing at? Is it hard for you to be disciplined for your writing?    

I’m Planning on Novelling Up

chit-chatting with Cat, My project July 24, 2017 1 Comment

Hello, folks!

I’m here with exciting news and updates about my writing (yes, finally!) and my health. Let’s start with the latter.

As you know, I had to have my pacemaker changed, but don’t worry I’m doing fine except for the pain here and then (it’s normal, it’s only been a week!). I’m taking more time for myself through sitting still, reading, writing, and meditating.

Speaking of writing, I’ve had a perfect idea for a novella! Yes! This means that I’ll focus on structuring the idea (I’ve had the plot in general!) and writing it. It’s a YA fantasy about a young girl with quite the temper who meets with the Seelie court (or the fairy realm, if you prefer). It’s going to be fun and lovely! Of course, I shall update you regularly on how the writing of the novella goes because it has now become one of my two main projects.

image1

(As a proof, here is the temporary title I am using for my novella – it’s more of a practical use than a real title, but it does the job for now. I’m still brainstorming the right one while I create the outline and research fairies!)

I found two helpful articles on how to write a novella. The first is from The Lady Writer and I think it’s actually the best of the two for it even tells you what are the scenes you need in your outline and it makes use of her 8-stage plot, which I prefer over the uninspiring (in my opinion and experience) 3-act structure. The second is an article from NowNovel, a writing platform I adore, which gives you six tips on writing your novella.

As for my novel project, I don’t even know where or how to start talking about it, but I’ll try. I’ve been stuck for months, as you probably guessed it from my previous posts, but this week I had an epiphany: I’d found the main storyline! So, yesterday, I sat down to write what I thought would save the story… only to find out it was not enough. I’m angry because I can never seem to fly with this particular project. I’m close to giving it up. You see, I have many scenes in mind (others are written) and I have all the characters as well as the ending and beginning, but I cannot for the life of me find the story in it. It’s both frustrating and immensely saddening. However, I keep working hard at it, hoping for a creative breakthrough of some kind. I am making progress, but very slowly… Do you remember the turtle and the hare in the fables of Jean de La Fontaine? The hare takes a break during the race and the turtle, though going at a slow pace, reaches the finish line first, thus winning the race. I like to believe I am the turtle with my novel.

Other than that, I told you I’d give you two book reviews when I’d come back and it’s true: you can expect them in the first week of August!

As for you, do you plan on writing a novella? If so, what is it about? If not, why?

Also, if you have tips on overcoming a major issue in a story (just like with my novel project), please do share them with me!

Thank you for being with me on this crazy but amusing adventure!

Happy writing!

Writing Apps on Android: A Review

chit-chatting with Cat June 18, 2017 1 Comment

Hello again, folks!

I promised you a review of two free writing apps available in the Google Play Store. Well, here it is!

Let’s start with World Scribe, my favorite of the two.

World Scribe by Averi Studios

Just like its name says, this app lets you build a world along with all the connections, concepts, characters it must have for it to be believable and great.

Positive points:

  • It is cute but simple and easy to navigate and create new files (or even worlds). There’s a big ”+” button for that need and it’s quite hard to miss.
  • We can add pictures!!! (I cannot stress this enough as I am one who loves casting my characters or even add a picture that resembles the place I am creating.)
  • There is a space for general information, the possibility to create memberships and roles to groups YOU create, residences (worlds), various connections such as relationships to one another or with a certain item, and snippets of information that do not fit in the bio.
  • A fact I particularly liked: it can backup to Dropbox! So even if you lose the app or it doesn’t work anymore for whatever reason, you can find all you need in Dropbox (if you backed it up once or more, of course).
  • There are different app themes which consist of five colors and even a night mode (the background then becomes black).
  • You can create as many worlds as you wish!
  • There is a search function in each tab (or category) if you ever have too many characters or else.
  • You can even create concepts about your worlds, items, characters, or whatever it is you want the concept to be about. It is fun to have this possibility because we know that there are many concepts in a world in order for it to feel real…
  • Last but not least, no ads!

You’re probably wondering where the negative points are… I am as well for I couldn’t find any! For an app, it is quite interesting and worth the downloading and installing bits. Now, you can have your worlds and basic character descriptions at your fingertips, wherever you are. Doesn’t this sound magical? It is! So, I give this cute and useful app a rating of 5 out of 5. I recommend it to everyone who writes! Even if you’re not worldbuilding, you can just enter the basic information of the real place your characters are set in and then expand on the relationships, groups, concepts, etc. Thus, you’ll have all you need to start writing on a whim on the subway or on the bus or anywhere, really!

Writing Prompts by Datamix Soft

This app gives you writing prompts for when your creativity fuel is running low or only to exercise your writing skills.

Negative points:

  • There are ads, which is annoying.
  • The interface is dark (bleh) and the pixels show; it doesn’t have a nice and beautiful finish feel to it.
  • There is a tab titled ”Writing Guides”, but when I click it, it tells me to download another app from them in which there are all of their writing guides. This would have been very interesting if it were integrated in the Writing Prompts app. Otherwise, one must use more download in order to get to them…

Positive points:

  • The prompts are fun and diverse. However, they are not precise enough with ideas – they’re more about techniques.
  • Easy navigation.
  • The ”Online Writing Communities” tab lists the 7 most popular writing communities you can find online along with short descriptions and direct links to them. I even discovered a few! This is, by far, the best point of this writing app.
  • The interface’s main screen is a fun space – it mimics a corkboard with the prompts written on a small piece of paper pinned to it. If only it weren’t so pixelated…

Unfortunately, I don’t really recommend it unless you want to explore the various online writing communities, that is. I give this app a rating of 2 out of 5 for the easy interface and the discovery of online writing communities.

Next up will probably be a book review or my review of K.M. Weiland’s outlining software!

P.S.: I’m so glad I re-read my last post because I had completely forgotten about my sci-fi short story… Don’t worry! I’ll get to it and share it with you in due time. Once the research and writing parts are done, of course.

P.S. 2: Also, if there are apps or sites you want me to review or anything you’d like to know, just comment and tell me! I’ll do my best to help you.

Will you try one of these two apps? If so, what did you like and dislike about them?

As always, thanks for sticking with me and see you next post!

 

Planning Ahead Before I Lose My Head

chit-chatting with Cat June 7, 2017 Leave a comment

Hello, everyone!

This post is full of updates, so brace yourself.

I decided to let you in on what I would be posting these next three weeks. So here it goes:

  • A review of writing apps
  • A review of K. M. Weiland’s outlining program (I just bought it and I’m thrilled!)
  • A book review (or two)
  • A freebie (my very first sci-fi short story)!

Moreover, I’ll be sending submissions to online magazines (a first try at a narrative essay, wish me luck!) and short story anthologies. Is it normal that I’m both excited and nervous? Oh, and I’ll send a few of them to editing first! I’ll sure keep you updated about how it all goes.

Meanwhile, a lot of thinking has been happening in my head… I’ve always loved journalism and I noticed online magazines and newspapers are growing in numbers! So I figured I would go and take a journalism degree after my bachelor’s degree in translation. This way, I could write for the Web (in different languages, mind you).

Wouldn’t that be awesome?!

Yes, I thought so, too.

This is all for today!

See you next post, lovelies.

Image result for kiss bye gif

P.S. Do you have any tips for narrative essays? I’d like to know them since I’m quite a novice at it… Also, if you have any idea of what you’d like to see on my blog or just wish to have a discussion, please leave a comment!

 

Off the Roller Coaster Ride (Updates!)

chit-chatting with Cat May 7, 2017 Leave a comment

Hello, everyone!

I’m sorry for not having posted lately, but I have three good excuses and updates. I must admit that these last two weeks hasn’t been easy for me in terms of writing. In fact, it was my darkest hour, I would say. I was genuinely considering giving up writing altogether (except for book reviews). I was so desperate and sorrowful I had trouble going through my days. I kept thinking and thinking about my dreams, my stories, and how much I want them to be published. Then, quite unexpectedly, I found a few ideas for old stories of mine! Now, I can’t choose which one to finish writing between four stories! But it’s a problem I’m loving. This means my inspiration has come back somehow and even though my will is still fragile, it’s there and I’m holding onto it!

This brings me to something else that is writing-related: I finally identified the main issue in my stories. So, I bought writing craft books about it and I am reading them, hoping to fix this major issue soon. It’s silly and ironic, really, because I have always loved the villains in stories and preferred them over the main characters (except for Percy Jackson!), but the thing is I can’t seem to write a mean enough villain for my own stories! They’re always either too kind or thoughtful or they don’t really scare the reader or thwart the main character’s plan. See? But don’t worry, I am working on this and shall come back with an awesomely kick-ass villain!

On another note, I have just finished my legal translation class and scored an excellent grade. This helped me to decide that I’ll take a specialisation in legal translation, financial translation, and literary translation at the Master’s degree level. I am still at the bachelor’s level for now and guess what? I have only two classes left to take to be done with the basics! Then, my third and last year will start (it will be mostly about Spanish translation and review classes).

 

The last reason I was away is that I’ve been reading novels that I need to review this month. Thus, expect two reviews soon, my dears!

I shall post updates and news more regularly now, like I used to before these dreadful two weeks of what I call ”writing depression”. Thank you for reading as always and you’re wonderful companions on this journey!

See you next post, lovelies!

It’s Raining News… Hallelujah, It’s Raining News!

chit-chatting with Cat, My project, Short Stories April 16, 2017 Leave a comment

lfHello, everyone!

I have some good news for you all. Do you remember when I told you I started learning Greek a few weeks ago? Well, my full Greek kit just came in last week! I’m simply delighted at spending nearly all of my time learning Greek. So far it’s going quite well. I’ve tackled numbers and plurals, people and family, and some essential expressions (along with a bit of grammar). Today I’m onto the verb ”to be” and the expressions ”there is/there are”. All I’m missing is a dictionary, then I’ll be all set up.

Moreover, I told you I’d keep you updated about my short story for the contest so here I am. Yes, the one I got edited! I found the courage to work on it again today after two weeks spent avoiding it – wait for it – intentionally! Yes, intentionally. I was so afraid of not getting the sentences and words right, that I looked to every distraction. But I faced myself yesterday, telling myself that I would miss the deadline if I didn’t put my pants on and go back to it! And so, I took a shower and forced – yes, forced! – myself to sit down at the computer and write what needed to be written according to the editing. God, am I glad I did it!

My short story is now done! All that’s left for me to do is format it and write a cover letter following the guidelines I found in ”Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript” excerpt from the Writers’ Digest Shop. I give myself one week to do all this, then I’m off to submit my work to the contest. I’m so excited! I’m so near the goal I gave myself this year: professionally participate in contests! One click on Friday and… hop! I reach my goal of participating professionally. It is a huge step for me. And one I’m glad I’m not letting go of like I was doing these past two weeks by avoiding reviewing my short story.

P.S.: Two reviews are coming your way in a few days. One for an awesome teen & YA fantasy book and the other for a sweet lesbian romance.

P.S.2: I’m currently juggling between three ideas for a novel. It’s a tough choice! I’ll let you in on my decision when I’ve finally made up my mind.

Thank you for reading and being with me on this journey!

It ‘ s Raining News… Hallelujah, It ‘ s Raining News!

chit-chatting with Cat April 16, 2017 Leave a comment

lfHello, everyone!

I have some good news for you all.

Do you remember when I told you I started learning Greek a few weeks ago? Well, my full Greek kit just came in last week! I'm simply delighted at spending nearly all of my time learning Greek. So far it's going quite well. I've tackled numbers and plurals, people and family, and some essential expressions (along with a bit of grammar). Today I'm onto the verb ''to be'' and the expressions ''there is/there are''. All I'm missing is a dictionary, then I'll be all set up.

Moreover, I told you I'd keep you updated about my short story for the contest so here I am. Yes, the one I got edited! I found the courage to work on it again today after two weeks spent avoiding it – wait for it – intentionally! Yes, intentionally. I was so afraid of not getting the sentences and words right, that I looked to every distraction. But I faced myself yesterday, telling myself that I would miss the deadline if I didn't put my pants on and go back to it! And so, I took a shower and forced – yes, forced! – myself to sit down at the computer and write what needed to be written according to the editing. God, am I glad I did it! My short story is now done! All that's left for me to do is format it and write a cover letter following the guidelines I found in ''Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript'' excerpt from the Writers' Digest Shop. I give myself one week to do all this, then I'm off to submit my work to the contest. I'm so excited! I'm so near the goal I gave myself this year: professionally participate in contests! One click on Friday and… hop! I reach my goal of participating professionally. It is a huge step for me. And one I'm glad I'm not letting go of like I was doing these past two weeks by avoiding reviewing my short story.

P.S.: Two reviews are coming your way in a few days. One for an awesome teen & YA fantasy book and the other for a sweet lesbian romance.

P.S.2: I'm currently juggling between three ideas for a novel. It's a tough choice! I'll let you in on my decision when I've finally made up my mind.

Thank you for reading and being with me on this journey!

Waters of Salt and Sin (Uncommon World, #1) – A Review

Book Reviews April 4, 2017 Leave a comment

Waters

On Amazon

On Goodreads

*I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Let’s start with the positive sides! The writing is engaging and the author uses the five senses, which adds to the reader’s experience. She also writes detailed descriptions of the settings and events, and uses a good vocabulary (mostly linked to sailing, which makes it even more interesting). This story is intriguing, full of magic, adventure, and a realistic caste system! It is exotic with all the names, the caste system, the food, and the description of objects and titles. Moreover, the plot is interesting. There is drama, much conflict, and a sense of urgency. It is not a boring read due to its being action-packed! I felt as though I were in the story with Kinneret and her crew. Speaking of Kinneret, she is a strong main character – she makes decisions and gives her all to accomplish her goals, and her motives are clear. It was quite enjoyable. As for the characters in general, they are interesting; we care for Kinneret and Avi, and the rest are pleasant to read.

I find Kinneret headstrong and inspiring. Plus, she has a good dream: becoming a ship kaptan instead of the usual dream of piracy! The forbidden romance between Kinneret and Calev, her high-caste childhood friend, is bittersweet and well-done. It was quite fun to read. The story’s introduction was good and I’d just like to point out a thing that I liked: the author mentioned a woman’s bleed, which is rarely done in novels. Klapheke’s world-building is fantastic and exotic! It feels real because the people inhabiting her world live by their traditions, conventions, and social classes (mostly represented by the caste system). It feels both out-of-this-world and familiar. I greatly enjoyed her world-building skills!

Now, let’s talk about the negative sides. The dialogue is a bit too revealing and unrealistic. The characters disclose too much information and/or the sentences are too long. It could definitely be stronger and have more subtext. The action could use more description to make it even more engaging. The emotions could be more detailed. I could not identify them easily except for shame, anger, and love. Otherwise, it’s more telling than showing. The other characters (other than Kinneret) lack goals and motives or they’re not clear enough or too weak. Most of them just seem to fall in line behind Kinneret and whatever she does.

For all these reasons, I give this book a rating of 4 out of 5. I enjoyed spending time with Kinneret and her crew, living all those adventures at sea to rescue her sister, Avigail. Klapheke’s world is brilliant and exotic – a pleasure to read and travel to. However, the lack of showing the emotions instead of telling and the fact that nearly everyone goes Kinneret’s way are tiresome and unbelievable. This being said, I still recommend this book to those who love adventure-packed novels! One doesn’t grow bored with this novel! I will read the rest of Klapheke’s upcoming and past books about Kinneret and her crew and the Uncommon World.