06
Sep
6 Things on a Faux-Saturday
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This weekend has been so nice! And there’s still one day left!
1. I finished my revisions on Wednesday night! "Finished" is a loose term–I’m going to clarify a few minor spots that Steve and Rosaline suggested, and then later this week I’m going to print the whole thing out and read straight through. But I feel like it’s in really, really good shape! I’ve also been doing more extensive agent research and created a query spreadsheet to track submissions. If I can wrestle my synopsis away from suckage, I think I will be ready to query by the 15th!
2. I read Catching Fire Thursday & Friday. and found it unputdownable. Talk about amazing plotting & brilliant characterization! Even the minor characters stay with me for days afterwards (especially Cinna, the prep team, Johanna, and Mags). Katniss herself is such an interesting heroine and narrator–so clever in some ways, so clueless in others, especially matters of the heart. I am in love with Peeta and firmly rooting for him. Honestly, I think this is one of the most brilliant and believable romances I’ve read in YA. Not all-consuming love/lust at first sight but a true, strong, selfless partnership. Peeta’s so good, so devoted, and yet not at all boring with his painting and baking and clever media strategizing. I love that Collins flips gender roles around by making Katniss the strong huntress and Peeta her devoted lover who’s physically weaker and less competitive. Peeta’s far from the dangerous alpha prototype and I like him all the better.
3. Then I read Jumping Off Swings. I started it at midnight Friday and read it in one big gulp. I hadn’t intended to stay up until three a.m. but I had to find out what happened to Ellie and Josh and Corinne and Caleb. These characters are so heartbreakingly real. Every single word rang true. I love that Jo Knowles doesn’t shy away from their ugly imperfect moments or the ending that is simultaneously sad and hard and hopeful.
4. And now I’m reading Wintergirls. Laurie Halse Anderson is an amazing wordsmith. I’m reading slowly, even though immersing in Lia’s world isn’t easy, because I stop every few sentences to marvel at an exact perfect phrase. It’s such a bittersweet beautiful/awful book.
5. We painted our guest room a lovely shade of Pistachio Ice Cream yesterday and it only needed ONE COAT. It dried evenly and the few touch-ups blended right in. I think Rosaline brought her painting magic; it is the only explanation. It’s so pretty, though! I love it.
6. We saw Taming of the Shrew today at Shakespeare Theatre’s Free for All. It was a gorgeous production with a stunning set. And they managed to take a very problematic play and make it funny, sexy, and highly entertaining. The chemistry between Petruchio and Kate was crackling–one of the best stage pairings I’ve seen.
Hope everyone is having a lovely long weekend.
