Field Trip Friday, Twitter Version: January 27, 2012

A companion to the round up at YA Highway

PUBLISHING

WRITING AND READING

OTHERWISE AMUSING

NERDS ON PARADE

(see here for title explanation)

WINTER LIT

Field Trip Friday, Twitter Version: January 20, 2012

A companion to the round up at YA Highway

Field Trip Friday, Twitter Version: January 13, 2012

A companion to the round up at YA Highway

Field Trip Friday, Twitter Version: January 6, 2012

A companion to the round up at YA Highway

2011 Was a Lowercase Year

Sometimes reaching for the shift key requires energy you just don't have.

I've written before about having clinical depression and the fact that it both sucks and blows, a feat that would be impressive were it not so busy being, you know, sucky and blow-y and generally un-fucking-pleasant. Go here if you need more insight into the peculiar process of realizing that your current depression containment methods have been breached, because while Cleo and I do not have identical diagnoses, she pretty much hits the proverbial nail on the head when she says,

"It's hard to teach yourself to say, 'You are an awesome person, and your awesomeness is a default, and so if you feel less than awesome, you need to get your awesome tuned up.' Because your sadness and fatigue and anxiety feel mild at first, and they seem like rational responses to things going on in your life, and then you end up missing some deadline or not completing some goal or not living up to your own expectations because you're already sad and tired, and then the negativity does seem justified: 'I'm not depressed; I'm a loser.' ... Depression makes you feel bad and then it makes you feel bad for feeling bad."

If you've wondered where I've been lately, well, that's where. I've been feeling bad, and waiting in vain for it to go away on its own, while watching my writing follow a similar trajectory. I tried to fix things-- tough love and indulgent kindness, strict schedules and following my "muse," butt in chair and butt on trail and butt at library.

But the words didn't come, and when they did, they were the wrong ones.

I read everything I could find about curing writer's block. The posts claiming it doesn't exist made me shriek internally. I wished I had the energy to yell, "Every writer gets blocked, but not every one gets Writer's Block, just like everyone gets depressed, but not everyone gets Depression! The fact that you've experienced the lowercase version does not give you the expertise to deny the existence of the other!"

But I lacked the energy to do anything but click away.

Obviously, Writer's Block is not a mental illness. But it's hard to admit that you're dealing with the capital version, because it means admitting that something bigger is wrong. Pressing that button means you're dealing with something no amount of BIC, inspirational blog posts, or even Hyperbole and a Half comics can fix.

And in retrospect, my first post was only half done. Writing is not a symptom of Depression, but not writing can be. As big 2011 life changes settled into place and the block still didn't crack, it took me an embarrassingly long time to make the connection.

But other things made me seek out some fine-tuning on my awesome, and now that I'm feeling cautiously better, it's easier to see, though surprisingly hard to talk about. If Depression is like cancer of the soul, then Writer's Block is like seriously hardcore laryngitis. Clearing my throat is still painful. I'm trying to re-find my voice, but it's hoarse and not quite in tune yet, so please excuse me if I don't hit the high notes. I'm not looking for applause. I won't hold it against you if you cringe.

It's just that "Hey, this illness is REAL and it FREAKING SUCKS and by the way IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT" deserves to be said in all caps. And if saying it helps even one person hit the shift key, then hey. Maybe two of us can have a capital 2012.








eta: I almost didn't post this, but I closed my eyes and clicked publish. Then I went to Twitter, and saw this link, and came back to make sure you saw it too. If Cleolinda, Allie Brosh, AND The Bloggess say something, it must be worth listening to.

eta again: And now Betsy Lerner says, "If you're not feeling well, get help." This company. It makes me both happy and sad.

100 Book Challenge - 2012

100 Books in 2012

1) By The Shores of Silver Lake - Laura Ingalls Wilder (bedtime reread)
2) The Fault In Our Stars - John Green
3) Buried Alive: The Terrifying History of Our Most Primal Fear - Jan Bondeson
4) Riding Vengeance with the James Gang- Donald Gilmore
5) Wild Mind-- Natalie Goldberg (reread)



---


New Movies Watched in 2012

1) The Muppets

Best of 2011: Most Anticipated Books of 2012

We'll be back to regular Field Trip Fridays next week, but in the meantime, check out the year-end round up at YA Highway, or keep reading for my final entry in Sarah Enni's Best of 2011 Blog Carnival: books we're looking forward to in the coming year!

Books By Friends and Acquaintances



organized by a highly scientific order in which I arranged covers in a manner pleasing to my eye, and then alphabetized the others. just in case you're wondering.

Timepiece - Myra McEntire
If I Lie - Cory Jackson 
Kiss the Morning Star - Elissa Janine Hoole
The Other Life - Susanne Winnacker
Insurgent - Veronica Roth
Incarnate - Jodi Meadows
This Is Not a Test - Courtney Summers
Butter - Erin Lange
Fall To Pieces - Vahini Naidoo
A Midsummer's Nightmare - Kody Keplinger

Mila 2.0 - Debra Driza

Books By Friends That I've Already Read and Can't Wait To Share

Wanderlove - Kirsten Hubbard

Hemlock - Kathleen Peacock

Touched - Cory Jackson

Books By People I'm Sure Would Make Lovely Friends and Acquaintances

The Fault In Our Stars - John Green
Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo
The Drowned Cities - Paolo Bacigalupi

Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins

Crewel - Gennifer Albin


eta: Books I Forgot To Mention Because I Have a Cold and My Brain Isn't Working

I knew this would happen! I forgot important people. Like Tahereh Mafi, whose sequel is as-of-yet title-less. And Jessi Kirby, whose In Honor is sporting some rockin' red cowboy boots. (I also happen to own a pair of red cowboy boots. True story.)

I'll probably add more titles as more "duh" moments attack me.


-----

Have a safe and happy New Year!

Best of 2011: Most Recommended Books

For day four of Sarah Enni's Best of 2011 Blog Carnival, 
we're sharing the titles we recommended most in 2011.

Here are mine:

Divergent - Veronica Roth

For people in Hunger Games withdrawals... or anyone else. I can't think of many books I'd give to both my dad and my 13 year old niece (who spent Christmas afternoon reading it, with periodic stops to announce, "I have to take a break after every chapter! It's too intense!")

Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

For romance fans. Like Divergent, it's good for a wide age range-- my mom gave it to her best friend; I gave it to the aforementioned niece.

Ship Breaker - Paolo Bacigalupi

For readers who want something gritty and unique, you can't beat last year's Printz winner. Good choice for reluctant guys.

Feed - M.T. Anderson

For people who like sci fi and world building, and don't have a problem with unsympathetic protagonists. I made a lot of people read this so we could discuss Anderson's not-so-out there vision of the future. It also made me scared of my iPhone.

When You Reach Me - Rebecca Stead

For anyone. Ever. It's like Zilpha Keatley Snyder had a book baby with Madeleine L'Engle. A perfect storm of awesome.

-----

Want more book recs? Head over to Sarah Enni's blog and check out the list of participants, or leave a link of your own!

Best of 2011/RTW: Favorite Books of the Year

Today we're combining YA Highway's Road Trip Wednesday with Sarah Enni's Best of 2011 Blog Carnival, and listing the top five books we read in 2011.

Here are mine:

How To Save a Life - Sara Zarr

Where She Went - Gayle Forman

Revolution - Jennifer Donnelly

The Scorpio Races - Maggie Stiefvater

Before I Die - Jenny Downham

What were your favorites? Leave a link to your post in the comments at YA Highway!

Best of 2011: YA Characters

For day two of Sarah Enni's Best of 2011 Blog Carnival, 
we're sharing our favorite YA girls and guys.





 

Ladies First

I totally narrowed this down to the requested five. And by five I mean seven.

Lola from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola is great because she's not perfect, and she owns up to her mistakes.

Jill and Mandy from How To Save a Life - Sara Zarr

I've said before that this book is a study in how to write two totally distinct voices, and it's a credit to Sara Zarr that by the end of the book, I cared equally for both characters.

Karou and Zuzana from Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Karou is fabulous in her own way, but it was Zuzana I wanted to drag from the pages to hang out with.

Darla from Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Wait, what? A love interest who is taller and tougher than the boy main character, yet somehow isn't cliche? I'm speechless.

Ruby from Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Nova never reveals Ruby's secret, but I already guessed. She's a veela. (I would probably not want to be her best friend, but I did enjoy reading about her. From a safe distance.)


As For The Boys...

Adam from Where She Went (and If I Stay) by Gayle Forman
Even at his most whiny, rock star moments, I wanted to hug this guy.

Virgil from Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Hello Mr. Helping To Support Your Family While Playing Music on the Side and also Rocking Some Killer Dreadlocks. 

 

Sean from The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater 

I think you should get a YA merit badge when you realize you can spell "Stiefvater" without looking it up. And Maggie should get a merit badge for characters whose aloofness is explained and justified and not solved with a little kissing. 

 

Eldric from Chime by Frannie Billingsley 

I love a guy who's sarcastic, but not maliciously or at the expense of other people. 

 

Cricket from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins 

I feel confident in saying Cricket made 90% of today's lists, even though I'm writing this on Monday.

-----

Don't see your favorites? Head over to Sarah Enni's blog and check out the list of participants, or leave a link of your own!