the writer's arsenal: you are not an island

I know what you're thinking. Where's the Friday5? Right? ;) Well, I've given it some thought, and right now, I really only have time to blog once a week (I'm hoping that will change one day, but alas, truths are better accepted than denied... Whoa! Where did that come from? I've been watching too much Downton Abbey/Game of Thrones/Britishy stuff). If I blog once a week, and it's always an edition Friday5, I'll never get around to blogging about anything else! So I'm going to switch it up from time to time and do a Friday5 when there's some awesome news to report (not that there isn't this week...) and then throw in a few regular posts for variety. Today, I'm in the mood for a long-overdue edition of The Writer's Arsenal so let's get to it!

You are not an island...but you could end up on one.

I've talked before about writers vs. authors and what I personally think the difference is. In short, writers write to write, while authors write to be published (Huh. That was easy--maybe I didn't need to write that post!). Today I want to touch briefly on the subject of authors in the public space. I say briefly because it’s a topic that’s been covered elsewhere, and covered well, but I want to add my two cents because good advice bears repeating.

If you write to be published, please, please, PLEASE be mindful of the self you portray online--even if you’re not yet published. Yes, even if “nobody reads my blog anyway”. It seems simple and yet so many authors get it wrong. Famed actors will often talk about how the downside to their chosen career is the forfeit of their privacy. The reasonable ones accept it for what it is—part of the job. Others can’t seem to grasp the necessity of a public persona, go on to behave ridiculously and then blame the media for invading their privacy. Is it fair that people should have to take on the burden of being scrutinized to do what they love? No. Of course not. But if privacy is important to you, chose a career that’s not in the public eye.  Being watched is PART of celebrity and celebrity is part of the job.

Authors are also in the public eye, though to a lesser extent. Regardless, people ARE watching and so an author too must be on their very best behavior. It doesn’t matter if you’re still on the journey toward being published, a debut author, or an experienced author with many books under your hat. You must—absolutely must—mind your manners in public. And yes, in this case, public means the internet, public engagements, the line at the supermarket, etc. If people can observe your behavior, you need to make sure you give them every reason to like you and no reason to feel incensed by you. Does this mean you can’t ever let off steam? EVER? No, you can, but be SMART about it. Be diplomatic. Write opinion pieces, not rants and be wary of anything that could be too polarizing. If you feel the need to really dig in bitterly on a subject, do it in private.

How you present yourself in public is part of being an author, just as writing, marketing and sales are also part of the job. Who you are matters to your readers (and potential readers). It’s a saying you’ve heard since you were a child, but it never gets old—if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. At least not in a public arena.   

Of course, all of that is assuming you don’t want to ruin your career ;)

 

friday5 for May 31, 2013

1. Let's catch up--how have you been? Sorry for the lack of a Friday5 last week. Things have been busy. The early part of summer is a crazy busy time when you work in publishing with conference prep (BEA, a conference I'd love to attend one day, is happening right now!) and lots of exciting stuff happening in-house. We're on summer hours now, which means I get Friday afternoons off (so yay to that!), BUT I plan to use that time to work on my current WIP (which is me finally finishing the back-half of my NaNo project) and do summery things like taking my daughter to the park and gardening and beating the crowd en route to the cottage and you know, summery stuff like that. While the blog isn't going to be on hiatus for the summer, posts will possibly be even more inconsistent than usual. I am hoping to start throwing in more non-Friday5 posts soon as well. I have a few topics for The Writer's Arsenal that I'd love to discuss (cause, whoops, neglect and all that) so those will hopefully happen it the coming weeks too!

2. Before we get to pop culture news, and since I mentioned that my Friday afternoons have kickstarted me lavishing more attention on my WIP, I wanted to share a snippet because--full disclosure--there is some stuff in this book that I find myself giggling at when I'm skimming through it, which yeah, whatever, you're probably not supposed to find your own writing funny, but some of the characters in this one are just so much fun to write. For your reading pleasure, here's a sample:

First I hit up the hardware store. I didn’t really know what I was looking for, but when people go about nefarious deeds in movies, they tend to always hit up the hardware store. I’d already thrown some rope, duct tape, a hatchet and a butane lighter into my basket when I dropped the damn thing at the sight of Monica folded over the paint service counter, clutching a coffee, her blonde hair braided down her back as she rested her head in her arms.

She startled at the sound, whirling around to face me as I scrambled to gather everything I’d dropped and duck behind a rack of carpet samples.

“Luce?” She tilted her head forward, her sunglasses falling down the bridge of her nose. “Lucy!”

“Oh hey!” I said, as though I’d only just noticed her. “What, uh, what are you doing here?”

“Dad’s making Stephen and I help him paint the back fence. He got us up at the crack of dawn.” She took a long swig of her coffee. “Stephen’s just arguing with this Cook’s Hardware lifer about whether or not Dad pre-paid for the paint.” She nodded toward the end of the service counter where sure enough, Stephen was looking through an order binder with a thirty-something-year-old guy wearing a yellow Cook’s Hardware apron.

“What about you?” Monica asked. She glanced into my basket, her expression nonplused as she returned her gaze to me. “What’s with the serial killer supplies?”

“Uh…” I stalled, absolutely nothing coming to mind. “Umm…” A total complete blank. “They’re for a friend?”

Monica gasped. “You liar! Lucy Girard, why are you lying to me?”

“Because it’s a surprise? For…you?”

3. This kinda blew my mind. So brilliant. The marketing team behind The Hunger Games franchise continues to impress. If I'm ever lucky enough for there to be a film based on one of my books, it's entirely possible I'll be all "HUNGER GAMES MARKETING TEAM ASSEMBLE!" How cool would that be?!

4. Arrested Development is officially back, y'all! (I think that was the first time I've ever said y'all. It felt wrong. I apologize.) Because of life obligations, I did not marathon the whole thing in one sitting and I think that's kind of good because I've enjoyed digesting it in smaller marathonettes (when you only watch 3-4 episodes in a sitting instead of an entire season like a crazy person). I get the impression from the interwebs that people who tackled the thing as a whole were left unable to appreciate it as much as they might have if they'd spread it out a bit more. There is a lot going on in these episodes and I've personally been very pleased with the quality. I'm ready for more! Is it too early to say bring on season five?

5. Day job represent! Today I'm featuring a new release by one of Harlequin Teen's own--Katie McGarry. Dare You To is the highly anticipated follow up to 2012's Pushing the Limits.

Rainy kisses, amiright?

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....(Summary from Goodreads.com)

If you're looking for a swoon-worthy (and I mean swoooooon-worthy) summer beach read, look no further. Katie's books are some of the very best contemporary YA romances I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The plot is tight, the characters are fantastic and if you're into YA romance at all, you will not be able to put this one down.

Happy weekend!

friday5 for May 17, 2013

Summer Movie Preview Edition! It's the beginning of the long weekend here in Canada, which basically means summer has arrived! And also means that the summer blockbuster season is upon us! There are plenty of movies to be excited in the coming months (and I don't know about you, but I'm ready for Catching Fire now--alas, it's a fall film), but here are a few that I'm particularly excited about:

(Oh and I'm skipping some of the awesome flicks that are already out, like The Great Gatsby and Iron Man 3 and the new Star Trek cause, well, they're already out and this is a PREVIEW EDITION!)

1. THE BLING RING. Cause Sophia Coppola can do no wrong in my books. I've talked about my love of The Virgin Suicides before. I've been waiting for another Soph-Cop (yeah, I just made that up, but feel free to use it) film for a while and it's finally here. And it looks great! Plus Hermione! You also can't go wrong with Emma W.

2. THIS IS THE END. Cause it looks hilarious. And how can it not be? If you see one silly/stupid/but still awesome and hilarious comedy this summer, THIS IS THE END is a safe bet for a fun time.

3. MONSTERS UNIVERSITY. Cause the original Monsters film is still one of the best Pixar has put out and this one is sure to be a winner too.

4. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. Cause Whedon is our God. And if that's not reason enough, it's Wes and Fred together again!

Those are just my absolute top picks--which summer blockbusters are you most excited to see?

5. I thought about using all five slots for my summer movie preview, but I just couldn't skip over a very exciting YA book that was published this week. School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins, the first book spun off from her fantastic Hex Hall series.

Like Hex Hall with a fresh twist

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break.

Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt? 

Rachel Hawkins' delightful spin-off brings the same wit and charm as theNew York Times best-selling Hex Hall series. Get ready for more magic, mystery and romance! (Summary from Goodreads.com)  (I can't see to get rid of the wonky white highlighting on this.. so whatevs)

As fans of the Hex Hall series know, Izzy was introduced in the third and final volume in that trilogy and now we get to see her story. Rachel is one of my absolute favourite YA authors. Her manuscript for what later became Hex Hall was one of the first YA manuscripts that I completely fell for when I read it as a submission at my day job. She ended up being published by another house, but I've been a big fan ever since. She's hilarious, writes swoonworthy makeout scenes, but doesn't shy away from tightly-plotted dramatic action either. She hit the NYT Children's list with her second book for a reason. These books are fantastic and I'm so excited to keep reading!

Happy weekend!

friday5 for May 10, 2013

1. As I touched on last week, I love a highly anticipated cover reveal. It's almost as exciting as a book's release date. Okay, not quite, but it's pretty damn exciting. Without further ado:

What do you think? Personally, I love it. I can't wait to see all three books together on my shelf!

2. In less happy YA book news, two YA-series-to-small-screen adaptations have been canned this week, neither making it into the fall schedule after their pilots were shot. The much buzzed about pilot for Lauren Oliver's Delirium was passed on by Fox, while the second go-round at Keirra Cass's The Selection apparently still wasn't what the CW was looking for. In looking at the popular and successful The Vampire Diaries and PLL, I can't help but feel like the length of a YA book series is a huge factor in determining whether or not its adaptation is better suited to the small screen vs. the big screen. Why were Delirium and The Selection slotted for TV instead of the movie theater in the first place? Don't they seem like big picture stories to be told? Obviously whomever optioned the rights made that call, but it begs the question--do stand alone titles or duology/trilogy series have any place on TV? Does a YA book series have to be on on-going lengthy series (like PLL) to make for good weekly programming?

3. Kickstarter. It's in the news a lot these days. I've blogged before about the phenomenal Veronica Mars Kickstarter campaign that seemingly started a trend. Well, now Zach Braff (super <3 him from his Scrubs days) is using Kickstarter to fund his next indie film project (the non-connected follow-up to Garden State). There are people who, for whatever reason, think it's okay for Rob Thomas to use Kickstarter, but not Zach (cause he's... copying? Which... doesn't make any sense? Or maybe... I don't understand this double standard?) and then there are people who have a problem with "Hollywood types" using Kickstarter at all. Personally, I don't have a problem with it (and in fact, have contributed to both campaigns). Nobody is forcing anybody to do anything. And as Zach has explained, he's contributing his own money to the project already, but this was an opportunity for him to make a great film instead of a lesser version of his vision. And yeah, if you aren't on board with his vision and don't care to help him make his film, don't contribute. That's kinda how this whole thing works. But why should the fact that he's a celebrity prevent him from using a publicly available service to raise money for an art project he feels passionate about? Zach talks about the whole situation here and I support him 100%.

4. Sigh. Community. The season four season (series?) finale just aired and I feel like if I'd blinked I'd have missed this entire season. Way too short. Yes, it had some growing pains as it adjusted under the helm of new show runners, but it was still one of the highlights of my TV week. As I write this, the final decision on whether or not the show will have a season five is looming. Fingers are firmly crossed! As different as the fourth season felt, I still love my Greendale Seven and I'm not ready to say goodbye.

5.Lots of great books hitting the shelves this week! At a time when publishing seems to be in constant flux, I love to see that great books are still managing to make it through the ever-changing system. This week I'm feeling rather enticed by The End Games by T. Michael Martin:

It happened on Halloween.

The world ended.

And a dangerous Game brought it back to life.

Seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother, Patrick, have been battling monsters in The Game for weeks.

In the rural mountains of West Virginia, armed with only their rifle and their love for each other, the brothers follow Instructions from the mysterious Game Master. They spend their days searching for survivors, their nights fighting endless hordes of “Bellows”—creatures that roam the dark, roaring for flesh. And at this Game, Michael and Patrick are very good.

But The Game is changing.

The Bellows are evolving.

The Game Master is leading Michael and Patrick to other survivors—survivors who don’t play by the rules.

And the brothers will never be the same.

T. Michael Martin’s debut novel is a transcendent thriller filled with electrifying action, searing emotional insight, and unexpected romance. (Summary from Goodreads.com)

Okay, first of all, I am feeling tremendous amounts of love for this cover. It has many of the elements I love in a strong, eye-catching cover. Gorgeous design elements, a vibrant colour-scheme and and a mix of character and tone that puts you in the story before you even read the back cover! It's perfect. As for the story itself, I may be on a zombie kick these days, but it's not just zombies, it's fresh, interesting twists on zombies and I'm loving the set up for this one. The brothers aspect is intriguing and endearing. I love a good male protagonist too. It's a nice break from the female voices that dominate YA (especially when I primarily write in a female YA voice. It's good to change things up and get a feel for something different.) And then there's The Game. Not exactly a new concept, but the way it's being used here sounds twisty and dire. I like it :)

Happy weekend!

music: a vacation for your ears

"Ah yes," said the bunny. "That's totally my jam."

Music is a powerful thing. It can affect our mood in an instant, a feat that very few external influencers can manage so effectively. We all have our favourite tunes to listen to when we're relaxing, feeling down, or are ready to celebrate. Aiming to pump yourself up? Just crank the volume a little on a favourite tune. The excitement that washes through you isn't your imagination, it's a reaction your body is having to the music. It's science!

Emotions aside, music can also transport us to other times and places. Fond memories (or sometimes bad memories) come flooding back at the sound of a familiar song. I like to load my iPod up with a varied mix of tunes on a regular basis--old favourites for sure, but I like to try new artists and genres out from time to time too. Earlier this week, when I was out walking during my lunch hour, I loaded up Carla Bruni's Quelqu'un m'a dit and felt instantly transported. Listening to the lyrics (which I only understood bits and pieces of, having only first year University French under my belt) made me feel like I was in a different place altogether. The world around me seemed different. I felt a little like a tourist. Right here in my own familiar work neighbourhood! It was almost... magical. 

A lot of writers listen to specific music when they're writing so that they can be in the right mindset for their story. It's not uncommon for authors to pair playlists with their novels. While there are definitely songs that remind me of certain characters of mine, or situations that play out in my novels, I personally can't listen to to the type of music I usually enjoy when I'm writing (classic rock/modern rock/punk/ska/alternative). The lyrics get in my head and I can't concentrate, but I do like to listen to specific music when I'm getting ready to write (like when I'm reviewing my outline or some such administrative task). So while I don't usually write to music, it is often a part of my process. And yeah, sometimes I can find a good bit of film score to write to (lyric-free!) because it fits the tone of a scene I'm writing perfectly and I think in those cases, it really can help to keep my mind where it needs to be as the words make their way onto the page.

Is music a part of your writing process?

friday5 for May 3, 2013

1. It's May! This is exciting for several reasons. We finally have some spring weather (which is quickly sliding into summer weather, which, yeah, seems a little hasty, but I'll take it since it was snowing a few weeks ago). It's also season finale time (and series finale time in some cases). There are some shows that I'm just not ready to see go (Like Community. Maybe. I'm not sure if there's been official official word yet) and there are others that I've watched over the years and am ready for their big send-off (like The Office, which I enjoy, but it really is time). Which season/series finales are you most looking forward to? Nothing that I've seen air so far has shocked me. I'm waiting for that finale that everyone is talking about it... which one will it be?!

2. Okay, so I'm still processing this news. I need Hot Caleb in my life, PLLers. That's a fact. If this means he'll be on both shows, then I'm on board, but if it means a permanent move to a spin-off that might then be cancelled (and I don't even want to think about what this means for Haleb), then I'm concerned. I need more info before I can fully digest... Oh, Hot Caleb. Please don't leave my screen!

3. This is a short, but sweet bit of news to add to your calendar: Allegiant Cover Reveal. May 9th. You know you don't want to miss it.

4. Teaser teaser trailer time! (Yes, that's a teaser twice removed.) Ender's Game. Lots to be excited about here, even for such a short sneak peak. I think I need to re-read the book before this comes out! 

5. This week I'm taking a look at The Program by Suzanne Young. This book seems like a big departure from some of the lighter fare that Suzanne launched her career with, but there's a lot of buzz surrounding it and Suzanne is a talented author so I think it's one to check out:

I wonder if the yellow jumpsuits are optional... it's so not my colour.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them. (Summary from Goodreads.com)

This may come off sounding really shallow, but sometimes I'm too mentally exhausted to handle "issue books". I'm certain I'm not alone in feeling that way. Cancer, suicide, depression, family death, heavy sadness--they're important topics, but an issue book has to be really good to draw me in and keep me reading. Books like Thirteen Reasons Why, If I Stay, The Virgin Suicides, The Fault in Our Stars, etc. There are definitely issue books where the story and the message is well written enough that you can actually kind of embrace the sadness of it all and enjoy. Issue books can  also go horribly wrong. But let's not talk about those. Suzanne Young definitely has the writing skill to handle a book centered around the topics of suicide and depression. And I like the fact that it's an issue-driven book with a dystopian element--that's very intriguing. Most issue books are contemporary. I could very well end up not enjoying it, depending on how the issues are handled, but the dystopian element will likely help with that, and like I said, there's buzz around it, which makes me confident it's doing something right.

Happy weekend!

friday5 for April 19, 2013

As you may or may not have noticed, I kinda skipped out on doing the Friday5 last week... There were circumstances, I swear! Life gets in the way sometimes. But there's lots to cover this week so let's get to it!

1. Obviously, the major news story on everyone's mind this week is the horrific tragedy that happened at the Boston Marathon. I can't add anything that hasn't already been said (and said well), but I will say that it takes time to process this type of thing, to wrap our brains around the idea that this kind of evil is living among us, but comfort, love and strength are all things that exist in this world and they'll find you, and lift you up again if you let them. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this dark and inhumane act. I hope you find what you need to get through this so you can heal.

2. Real world news aside, let's discuss something a little lighter. The heart-poundingly-awesome-no-seriously-I-might-have-peed-my-pants-a-little first trailer for Catching Fire has arrived!
I seriously can't watch this without getting chills. It looks SO GOOD, you guys! There isn't a single scene in this that doesn't have me squeeeing with fangirlish delight (yeah, even the Katniss/Gale kiss, which whatevs cause Team Peeta all the way, but yeah, even that made me squee so...) The whipping scene and the added material with Snow and Plutarch.. it's just too much. I may watch this about a zillion times between now and November. Yeah, a zillion.

3. The ALA has released the list of most challenged books in 2012. Not surprised to see Fifty Shades of Grey on there, but as I've said before, I never fail to be shocked by some of the books that make it onto this type of list. Captain Underpants is #1? Really? Doesn't this list just make you want to go out and buy every book on it (that you don't already own, and except for Fifty Shades of Grey)? Yeah, me too.

4. HUGE NEWS this week for fans of Veronica Roth's Divergent series. The title for the highly-anticipated third book in the series has finally, after much-teasing and spoofing, been revealed! Allegiant is due to hit shelves in late October and I have to say, I'm happily surprised that the title ended up being something other than the most popular guesses. Now can we pretty please have a cover reveal? :)

5. So I haven't done a YA Book Rec for April yet, which is why I'm going to cheat a little and instead of recommending something that was released this week, I'm going to go back in time (cause I'm capable like that) and rec a book that not only sounds amazing, but also happens to be penned by one of my uber-cool agentmates, Bethany Wiggins! Let's take a look at the gripping awesomeness that is Stung:

As if you needed another reason to run away screaming at the sight of a bee...

Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she opens her eyes, she discovers her entire world has been altered—her house is abandoned and broken, and the entire neighborhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right hand—a black oval with five marks on either side—that she doesn’t remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. She’s right. 

Those bearing the tattoo have turned into mindless, violent beasts that roam the streets and sewers, preying upon the unbranded while a select few live protected inside a fortress-like wall, their lives devoted to rebuilding society and killing all who bear the mark. 

Now Fiona has awakened branded, alone—and on the wrong side of the wall. (Summary from Goodreads.com)

Right? Right?? How creeptastic does that sound? And that cover is seriously appealing to my love of iconic covers that manage to be clean and simple yet thoroughly chilling. If the synopsis doesn't already have you hooked, you can also check out an excerpt here. So good!

Well, that's it for this week, kids... I'd love to get more discussion on this blog so how about a question--what are you reading right now? (Not literally right now cause I know the answer is "Your totes awesome blog!", but you know, what are you in the process of reading when you have time to curl up with a book?)

Happy weekend!

friday5 for April 5, 2013

A plague on my one and only house... Okay, not a plague, but definitely some form of non-giving-up illness. Clingy like that awkward boy who IMs and texts when you tell him not to call. I am so not down with the sickness, bloggies. The sickness is not welcome here. So because my head is still fuzzy (though I'm happy to say, much improved since earlier in the week), I'm going to change things up a bit for today's Friday5. I present to you, my Top 5 Re-watchable in your Jamms and Blanket Cozy Couch Flicks aka classic comfort movies to watch when you're sick and your brain is only sort-of working:

1. High Fidelity. This is one of my go-to re-watchable movies. It's funny, heartfelt, and John Cusack is just so lovable. Plus, the soundtrack is great. And hey, nothing like a movie about Top 5 lists to top the Friday5, amiright?

2. The Virgin Suicides. What is it about this movie that I love so much? I don't even know if I can explain. It's haunting and sad, but something about it is so beautiful. I love Sophie Coppola's soft focus style. It makes everything so pretty and dream-like. There's just something about this film that captivates me--a magic that makes me wonder if it's possible for a known ending to turn out differently, at least in the way it affects us.

3. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Because it's awesome.

4. Where the Heart Is. I'm not normally a chick-flick kinda gal, but I love Natalie Portman and will watch her in (almost) anything. Plus, vegging on the couch while sick is exactly the right time to indulge in those guilty pleasure genres you might normally avoid. "You feel that, that little bomp, bomp, bomp? That's where the heart is."

5.SLC Punk! This is my wildcard pick. The truth is, I have more than five go-to movies for when I feel like being lazy and watching something I've seen before (I'll probably instantly think of 20 more after I publish this post), but SLC Punk! made the cut because it's such a fantastic, and yet little known, film. It starts out as one thing, but quickly transforms into another, and for a film that many could easily dismiss, it actually carries a really important message.

See? Just like that you have a variety of entertainment options should this yo-yoing weather leave your body weakened and on the couch.

Happy weekend!

friday5 for March 29, 2013

1. Happy Easter! Sort of... Okay, it's only Good Friday, but that means Easter is right around the corner and since this is a Friday thing, Happy Easter! I am personally hoping that Easter ushers in some warmer--dare I say spring-like--weather because I am so beyond sick and tired of winter dragging on and on and on and on.... I feel like this is payback for the mild winter we had last year, but come on! Spring in southern Ontario is short enough as it is. At this rate, we are going to jump from dreary grey freezing rain to unbearable scorching heat. So come on Easter Bunny, please leave a little sunshine and spring weather for us to find when you're hiding those eggs! Otherwise the baby chicks won't know what season it is and mass hysteria will ensue!

Like this, but with more fluffy confusion!

2. I have to admit, I'm not totally 100% up on news this week because the Studer household has been stricken with the dreaded pink eye. I don't recommend it to anybody. But while I was home with a sick little bay this week, I discovered the wonder that is The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. I know. I know. I'm waaaaaay behind on this one, but it's really enjoyable (and though some aspects of it are a little too familiar, I like it enough to consider it an homage to The Guild, which is almost as fab as its creator, Felicia Day). TLBD (is that a thing?) is fresh and funny and yeah, kinda sorta addictive. When I sat down to check it out I found the sheer number of episodes intimidating, but they're quick and compulsive and before you know it you've watched 50 of them. So yeah, if you haven't checked it out, it's worth a look!

3. Okay, I don't really understand exactly what the link is yet, BUT this week ABC Family announced that there's going to be a PLL spin-off! I feel like I should be more excited about this than I am, but that might just be because I don't understand exactly what makes this a spin-off aside from the claim that Ravenswood (spin-off town) is an awkwardly named neighbouring city to Rosewood (I feel like it should be Ravenwood, not Ravenswood. But whatever.). Despite the fact that I don't know what the show is really about or how it's connected to PLL, if it's anywhere near as juicy and well-plotted as PLL then I'm in!

4. I hope you're all watching the new season of Community, even if it feels kinda strange. Like that time you accidentally put your underpants on backwards and were all "What is going on with these underpants? OHhhhhhh! They're on backwards!" What was I saying? Oh yeah. Community. Yes, this season does have a different vibe to it, but I'm still enjoying it and I'm still waiting for it to feel familiar again. I don't know whether or not it ever will, but it's still one of the best comedies on TV and everyone should watch it. If you're a fan and you're feeling a little confused about the show these days, this editorial piece on Hypable does a fantastic job of summing up how I think most long-time Greendale Human Beings are feeling through this strange (but still entertaining!) fourth season.

5. YA book rec time! I feel like I keep saying that I don't actually read a lot of contemporary YA, but I think that might be a lie. I think the real truth is that I don't read AS MUCH contemporary YA as I do other sub-genres, but I definitely enjoy me some good contemporary YA! In that vein, this week I recommend Going Vintage by the highly skilled Lindsay Leavitt:

Classic AND classy!

When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn’t cheat with computer avatars). The List:
1. Run for pep club secretary
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree
3. Sew a dress for Homecoming
4. Find a steady
5. Do something dangerous
But simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s present. Add in a too-busy grandmother, a sassy sister, and the cute pep-club president–who just happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far. (Summary from Goodreads.com)

 I love love love the concept behind this book! And how kickin is that cover? I love the pink and green and the print and outfit--I love it all! Even the title is a perfect fit! But if you're gonna check it out, you pretty much need to go with the print edition--I feel like it would be in poor taste to read a book on this topic in e-book format, no?

Happy weekend!

friday5 for March 22, 2013

1. THE VERONICA MARS MOVIE IS HAPPENING! I never thought this day would come, but huzzah! Rejoice! The dream is a reality! Thanks to a groundbreaking, record-setting kickstarter campaign, show-runner Rob Thomas and series star, Ms. Mars herself, Kristen Bell, have put a plan to bring Veronica to the bring screen into full-on, movie-making action. Not only did they hit their goal in record breaking time, making the Veronica Mars movie a thing--a real thing that we'll one day get to see with our real eyeballs and there will be much weeping over the epic love story of Veronica and Logan--but the prizes they're offering are fantastic and well-priced and just everything about this is SO EXCITING, YOU GUYS! If you haven't checked out the hilarious video they made to launch the campaign, get to clickin! Uuuuhhh, I mean, no! Wait! Read the rest of this post first then get to clickin!)

2. Shailene Woodley is on fire. Not literally. That I know of. I don't really have any way of checking on her, but I'm going to assume she's not literally on fire. But her career is definitely blowing-up. She's Mary Jane in the new Spiderman, and as we've discussed, she's Tris in Divergent (which is getting a lot of buzz and will very probably be a very big deal when it comes out), and now, as though those roles weren't already putting her name everywhere, she's now been cast as Hazel in The Fault in Our Stars. I feel really torn about this news to be honest. As I've said before, I think Shailene is quite talented and I fully support her as Tris, but now here we have her in another big YA book to film adaptation and it feels... weird. Now, to be fair, Divergent is a big franchise while The Fault in Our Stars is a one-off, but still. I shall reserve my judgement until I see how this pans out for myself! They are very different stories so we shall see!
2.2 Bonus Item! There is so much Divergent casting news that I seriously can't recap it all, but Four has been cast and Kate Winslet's role has been revealed! If you're as excited about this film as I am, be sure to check out the updated IMDB page! I will likely weigh in with my thoughts after I've had some time to digest some of these casting choices!

3. Emma Watson is basically amazing. For some reason (where some means, but seriously WTF?), people have been speculating that Watson might play the female lead in the Fifty Shades of Grey film adaptation. My reaction to this news has always been along the lines of, "That's some serious fanboy wishful thinking. Emma would never bother with a role like that!" Well, it looks like Emma herself has been thinking along the same lines. You rock, Emma.

4. Two things you must watch on the interwebs if you haven't already: School of Thrones and A Very Potter Senior Year (make sure you've seen first two productions beforehand--it's a lot of viewing time, but it's soooooooo worth it!)

5. It's not newly out this week, but since I was on hiatus I need to play a bit of catch-up! This week's YA Book Rec is Requiem by Lauren Oliver. Oliver has been rockin it since Before I Fall and Requiem is the finale to her Delirium trilogy--dystopian romance done right. 

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge. (Summary from Goodreads.com)

Okay, so, confession time, I don't love the cover. I don't know what it is about it that irks me, but it's something. It might be her eyebrows, even if that makes me a horrible person. And that said, I don't hate it. It's just meh for me. But that's okay because it's the contents of Oliver's books that are the reason I'm rec'ing this series. In a market flooded with dystopian romances, the Delirium trilogy stands apart because of Oliver's skilled prose and likable characters. If you're looking to satisfy your dystopian YA appetite, this series is deffo worth checking out!

Happy weekend!

pretty little recap: spin the murder bottle

Hello my dear PLLers and bloggies alike! I am back from my blog-cation. Sort of. I'm mostly back, but still not going to be totally back to normal for another few weeks. Here's the sitch: the details of my day job recently changed quite a bit and the learning curve + catch-up work has left me feeling all kinds of exhausted. Let's just say it's Wednesday, but I definitely feel like it should be Friday. Actually, no, I feel like I should be May. That's how drained I'm feeling. But I have a very long to-do list that I'm slowly but surely working my way through and when I finally reach that sweet, sweet end to the list... well, there will probably be more stuff on it, but I'm hopeful that once I'm in the swing of things, it will be normal-busy instead of insane-busy.

So that's all just a long way of saying that I'd been hoping to recap the last two episodes of PLL, but alas, didn't happen. I did watch them (and enjoyed them--Hello angry Hot Caleb!), but I kind of watched them in a puddle of slothiness while my laptop remained buried on my desk.

But the finale aired last night and I can't deny my faithful readers a "quality" finale "recap". So let's fire up the PVR and get to it because this show, like our dear Spencer, just keeps crazier!

3.24 A Dangerous Game

Previously on PLL: Creeper Toby looks like a bad guy, Ezra's spawn looks like a girl, Hanna and Emily look shocked at the morgue, things are looking bad for Spencer...and Aria, and Hanna, and Emily... It looks like it's going to be one hell of a finale!

Hooray for Spencer not being in a nightgown! Photo credit: ABC Family

What is up with Hanna's hair lately? I love me some Hanna, but what is happening on her head? Is that... a bird's nest? Sorry... distracted. Spencer is out of Radley and ready to share her pain! She seems eerily in control. And apparently ready to party. Cause nothing says everything is effed up like a party!

I get the whole hooded A thing in public, but I don't see why the A teamers have to keep a low profile when they are with each other in their secret A lair. That seems super unnecessary. If I was on the A team, I'd be all, "Whew! Sure is nice to be out of that stuffy black hoodie! Who wants to watch Gilmore Girls reruns on the TV in the doll room?"

School drama! Emily relationship drama! Ezra for some reason being allowed back at Aria's school drama! None of this is really registering high on my care-o-meter.

Ah Jenna being suspicious.. that's more like it! Speaking of suspicious, I hope we hear something about our dear J-Pouf. I never thought I'd miss that pouffy hair, but I do!

Looks like Mr. Aria is on to Ezra's poor life decisions. At least somebody sees a problem with that plan!

No! Hanna, you're not allowed to utter the words "Caleb's out of town." That is not acceptable! It's bad enough that this is the finale and I'll have to wait months for more PLL, but no Hot Caleb ??

Ooooh, Jenna is meeting with suspicious sexy Shana! And here I thought she was just a homewrecker. She's clearly up to something more sinister!

And it looks like we've reached the point in the episode where Aria and Ezra break-up. Haven't we already been through this? Several times? They love each other but can't be together? Meh.

Creeper Toby is alive! And he is looking SUPER CREEPY! I had no doubt that he was alive by the way.

Oooooh! Spencer!!! I feel like I kinda saw that coming too. But man, she looks intense! Troian is killing it this season. Spencer is either unhinged or she's finally reached the point where she is just doing what she has to do to finally get some answers and make some progress. Either way, I'm on board!

Hanna seems like she might actually be a pretty cool babysitter. It could be a good fall-back career if she doesn't make it as a child interrogator. Which... seems likely.

Melissa being suspicious--what else is new?

So, I think I still don't quite follow Creeper Toby's motivation here. Maybe I'm just being slow. If he was doing it to protect Spencer, why not tell her? Something about this still doesn't add up.

I love Spencer's black nails. Very covert ops. Aww, creeper love. Also, kinda ick.

Ha. Aria is ready to check into Radley. That I'd like to see. She'd have to wear one of those plain white nightgowns! Oh man, she'd hate it!

More creeper love. Creeper Toby has a lot of shirtless time to catch up on I guess. I'd still be feeling pretty betrayed if I were Spencer, but I guess that's love for you. It's not always wise and it doesn't always make sense.

Aria's reasoning for not waiting seven months (it's too hard) doesn't make much sense. She needs to just get a pair and tell Ezra that she just doesn't want to be with him cause she's too close in age to his son. Come on, we all know that's why! Again with the Aria walking away from Ezra scene. I feel like we've seen this a million times!

Oooooh Red Coat! I think if I were Red Coat, I'd probably just stop wearing the red coat, you know? Like what's the point anyway? Again I find myself questioning the extreme decisions the A team seems to arbitrarily make. But I still love a good reveal..... Oh, it's Hanna. And a set-up. But is Spencer still one of them?

Yeah, she is. And it looks like she definitely believes in Creeper Toby 4-evah! I'm not sure that's wise, but again, love is blind blah blah blah.

Crazy Mona seems to feel the same way about Creeper Toby makeouts as I do. Heh. I definitely don't follow what's about to happen here. There have been so many twists this season that my brain can't keep up.

Is Creeper Toby faking? Is Spencer? Is this part of the plan?? I think it is... but now the other liars think otherwise. Meanwhile, it's confrontation time! Sorry Crazy Mona, you just got served. Kind of. Okay, I don't really know when it's an appropriate time to use that phrase, but it seems like she maybe kinda got served something.

Uh oh. That's a whole lot of fire. Girls, get out! Get out now! You don't stand around trying to call someone when you're in a burning building! Alright, fine. The doors are locked. That seems unlikely, but still, the point is, you try!

Ooooh even Mona doesn't know who Red Coat is.

But I think we're about to find out! But for reals Spencer, keep back! Creeper Toby is right--you get to see her, but she shouldn't be able to see you!

Ah! Is Creeper Toby dead for reals now?? Or just knocked out. I didn't think I cared. But apparently I kinda do. Looks like a good old fashioned framing!

Red Coat is... Ali??

Creeper Toby is not dead. That's good I guess. This show needs his creepy ways!

Are they friends with Crazy Mona again? But what about all the crazy???

Ahhhh! The ghost police cruiser! It's back! Nooooooo! That thing and its flashing light will haunt me forever!

Melissa and Shana and Wilden and incriminating evidence and...

Whenever the phones all go off, my heart stops beating. What's in the trunk?? Seriously, that car is going to be the death of me!

The zombie hand from Halloween is back! And it has a friend! AHHHHHH! How long do we have to wait for more PLL?? I can't handle it!!!

Until next season, PLLers!



The semi-return to form continues on Friday with the Friday5 where I'll attempt to highlight the news I'm most excited about from the past few weeks! Plus a new YA book rec! Hooray!

pretty little recap: if you didn't see it, it didn't happen

A bit of blog business before we get started. The PLR is late this week because of several reasons that I won't get into in detail, but let's just say it involves a teething baby and a PVR that's recording a lot more than it's playing at the moment... So there's that.
And then there's this: March is traditionally a time when a lot of people pack their bags and go on vacation. They do it because it's been a long stretch since Christmas vacation. They do it because winter sucks. Snow sucks. Lousy Smarch weather sucks (10 points to you for getting the reference).
Sadly, I'm not in a position to go on any sort of real vacation at the moment (where real = beach + drinks + actual restful sleep), but I can take a blog vacation. And that's exactly what I'm going to do for a few weeks. And yeah, I say that, but there's a really good chance I'll still do a Pretty Little Recap for next week's episode because the season is winding down and who am I kidding? I can't take a vacation from PLL! So, that's the blog business! And since we're on the topic of PLL, let's get rolling...

3.21 Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Previously on PLL: We're at that point in the season where way too much crazy shiz has hit the crazy fan to cover properly in a previously on segment. Also, Spencer is losing it.

Funeral flowers = not as romantic as you'd think. Photo credit: ABC Family

Spencer is finally ready to reveal the major Creeper Toby's nose sized secret she's been keeping. About time, Spence. Aria and Emily look appropriately shocked. Kinda. I half expected one of them to faint. Like Aria. Aria should have fainted.

Meanwhile Hanna and her mom are busy dealing with the fallout from that whole attempted/possibly actual murder thing. Man that'll sour an evening! I guess it's time for these two to be on edge for... well, forever, I guess.

Spencer is broken over having to reveal her Creeper Toby secret. So way to rub it in, Aria. Way to handle the news in the worst way possible. Or maybe that's Emily's job. I mean, it makes sense that Emily doesn't want to believe it since she and Creeper T were good friends, but surely she doesn't think she was more of a special snowflake than Spencer, right? Poor Spencer is only getting crazier. I thought finally spilling the creeper beans would be a weight off her shoulders but it would seem it's only brought a new level of reality and pain.

Awkward Ezra's spawn meet and greet! Oh Aria your insane wardrobe is going to give that kid nightmares. Also somebody needs to cut that kid's hair.

Aw man we don't get to see Hanna find out? She was my last shot at seeing one of them faint over the news.

Way to keep everything under wraps, Hanna. As I've said before, acting suspicious is the best way to keep a secret in Rosewood. Actually, that might be true. Since everyone there acts suspicious, it's kinda the new normal. Poor Emily. She may be in even more denial than Spencer was.

More Aria-Ezra's spawn drama. Is this going to be one of those episodes? This storyline is so disjointed from everything I care about in this show. Next!

Ah last week's funeral wreath arrives. So tasteful and yet so threatening. Looks like A is somehow on to Spencer's info spill. Looks like things are about to get murder-y. Again. Must be an odd-numbered episode :)

I know Emily is in denial and Spencer is losing her mind but Emily really does need to just trust her friend and back off. Spencer ambushes Crazy Mona at the coffee house. Oh crazy Mona. You can't deny something and then make threats that directly contradict that denial. It's such a waste of everyone's time.

Creeper Toby's friend is super suspicious! He must be a Rosewood native. Oooh, he's totally on the A team. Or maybe this is just the point in the season where I start to suspect everyone.

Ah!! Wilden is a ghost!! Run Ashley! Ruuuunnnn!!

Spencer is probably right about the EM in the sympathy sash--but by giving it to Emily she's probably playing right into A's hands! The sash is probably a bomb or something! Run Emily! Ruuuuuuunnnnnn!! But don't take the sash with you!

Is this the same day as earlier? Is this timeline wonky? What point in the day is it? Why isn't anyone in school? What's going on?? Why is Aria still wearing those awful green pants??? IS IT THE WEEKEND???? WHERE'S HOT CALEB??????

Oh Hanna stop acting so suspicious! Seriously you might as well be wearing a tee that says, "Attempted murder. Ask me how!"

Emily at the police station. That convenient plotline is just the gift that keeps on giving...

Uh oh. Aria killed Ezra's spawn. Maybe. Probably not. But that would be way more interesting.

Emily is such a savvy hacker. First the costume shop's computer and now the police database. Oh except that her phone distracts her from bothering to look at the photo she's searching for. Yeah okay it's a text from Creeper Toby but maybe put your phone on the back burner while you're doing time-sensitive snooping! Babytown frolics!

"He cut his chin. That's what happens when you're a boy." <------What????? Ok seriously what is going on in this episode? I don't even care about this storyline, but what is Ezra talking about? Is cutting your chin some sort of male right of passage I've never heard of?

Okay, I'll fess up. The police car in the garage TOTALLY freaked me out. But did Hanna really need to watch the full video and see the actual hit and run to realize what it was? "Hey this is a great video... WAIT A MINUTE!"

Aww, Aria isn't immediate family. Always the underage girlfriend, never the baby-momma, huh Aria?

Spencer screaming and chasing Mona through the trees is chilling. I don't think I can believe that Toby's dead. I think they just need Spencer to believe that. Dead body with no facial reveal? DIDN'T HAPPEN.

This Aria-Ezra drama needs to stop. The finale is just around the corner and I don't want precious twisty minutes to be devoted to this melodrama.

Ah! The possible ghost in the red coat! These girls are so ballsy. I'd totally run screaming in the other direction if I encountered half the stuff that they did.

So....Toby's coworker is basically confirming the ghost. And Ah! How does he know Emily's name?? That's beyond creepy. Creeper Co-Wo!

This is the longest day ever. And Emily seriously needs to stop going off on her own like this. Didn't she just lecture Paige about how dangerous that is only last week?

Okay how did Hanna and Aria get the cop car to the lake? And where's Hot Caleb? If I needed to (I assume) push a cop car to a lake and then sink it, I'd definitely enlist him for the deed. Then there could be hot makeouts afterward.
But this? This makes no sense.
"So Hanna, which if your pretty little friends are you going to get to help you dispose of this heavy vehicle?"
"The littlest one, obviously."
"Obviously."
This has bad idea written all over it. Holy crap the flashing light on that car is going to give me a heart attack! PLL, you nail the creepy atmospheric stuff every time!

Sounds like Ashley's in denial. She and Emily should attend a workshop together called, Stop lying to yourself.

Oh Spencer. Yeah. This is rock bottom. If Creeper Toby isn't really dead, Spencer should kill him for putting her through this.

I don't know what to think. I still don't think Toby is dead but I don't know if he's faking his death or someone else is. I hope somebody thinks to check the mental hospital for Spencer.

Uh oh. Hook line and cop hat. I don't think fishing up a hat which could have easily blown into the water would lead me to the conclusion that there's a cop car at the bottom of the lake. But I'm sure by next week someone will have reeled in the incriminating video! Or--god forbid--that horrible horrible flashing light!

Shudder. Until next week!

the writer's arsenal: room for interpretation

In my post on Query Letter Dos and Don'ts, I touched on the fact that you shouldn't praise yourself in your query. I want to expand on that a little bit because I see writers doing it wrong all the time. The rule to not praise yourself is twofold--don't praise yourself and don't praise your writing. Just show your hand and leave it up to the agents/editors/readers to judge for themselves.

When it comes to talking about yourself, avoiding self-praise shouldn't be difficult. Just stick to the facts: What's your writing experience? Notice I didn't say, "What's your life story?" or "How awesome do you think you are?" Right, cause nobody needs to know that. In a query letter, you need only list your credentials. Not "I've written the next bestseller". Not "My five divorces have made me super wise in the way of women". And definitely not "You are seriously missing out if you don't take me on because I'm a literary genius". Again, stick to the facts. Let your reader decide whether or not those writing contests you won make you a literary genius. Factual credentials = impressive, even if they're slim. Overstating your brilliance = major turn off.

So then let's talk about that bit of the query where you talk about your book. Writing a good blurb is an art in itself. So is writing a synopsis (and yes, a query blurb and a synopsis are different things--we'll cover that down the line). The blurb needs to tell your reader what your story is about, without just being a bunch of buzz-words. Not "It's a hilarious, touching, awe-inspiring journey through the human condition that will rock the genre to its core". As the author, that's not for you to say. Your blurb should give a sense of the plot and sure, even the themes, without blowing them out of proportion. It needs to walk the fine line between factual and enticing, without forcing subjective opinions into the mix. You can say that your story "explores themes of human frailty", without claiming it will "shatter our current interpretation of human frailty in the modern world". See the difference? If your book is funny, that should be conveyed in your writing, in your voice, in your blurb. It's classic "show, don't tell". Leave it up to the reader to say, "Hey, this sounds funny!"

It's the difference between this:

"Hey guys, wanna know who's hilarious? It's me! I'm hilarious!"

And this:

Okay, maybe you don't find that sailor/pac-man ghost as funny as I do, but that's kind of what I'm getting at here. It's open to interpretation. Don't say you're funny. Be funny. Your query letter, or pitch, is your first impression. You want to make a good one. You don't want to be this guy:

"Who wants to hear some super funny jokes about cancer?"

Semi-related P.S.: You know how some people will occasionally say "that's funny" instead of just laughing at something? I'm totally guilty of that. But I never say it because I'm trying to hide the fact that I didn't think something was funny. Quite the opposite in fact. I usually say it when I'm really impressed by how funny something is. So impressed I need to vocalize my feelings and make it really clear that I think something's funny. Trust me, it makes sense in my head :)

friday5 for February 22, 2013

1. Our dear PLL is getting some serious love this week in the form of an EW cover. And it's a topic worth discussing. YA-TV as I like to call it has often been passed off as "bad" or "guilty pleasure" television, but there are some seriously quality YA-TV shows being produced (much like how people misjudge YA as a book genre until they actually pick up a few and are blown away). And the way YA-TV is exploring the use of social media, not only as a marketing tool, but as an extension of the on-screen content, is fairly revolutionary. Go PLL!

2. Was it really just this past Monday that was a holiday? It feels like that was ages ago. This has been the longest four-day week ever. I swear on Wednesday, I was pleased that the week was flying by, but then Thursday and Friday came and I swear an extra day snuck in there to make this a usual work week. Or maybe I'm still recovering from being sick on the weekend. Yeah, I had a stomach bug. Ugh. Not a fun way to spend a long weekend. At any rate, I am definitely feeling the happy Friday vibes today.

3. Oscar time is almost here! I haven't seen many of the films this year--nor did I last year for that matter. Basically baby = fewer movies. At least fewer new releases. Netflix has everything else covered. But that's not why I watch the Oscars--let's face it, it's the fashion, the speeches and the potential for embarrassing awkwardness during said speeches. But mostly the fashion. I don't know what it is. I wouldn't consider myself a fashionable person. I don't subscribe to Elle or any other fashion magazines. But pretty celebs are pretty celebs. And there's just something about it...

4. We are drawing ever nearer to the film adaptation of Ender's Game. Wanna know how I know (aside from the way time and the calendar works)? Army logos have been released! And they are so very cool. I'm definitely getting excited for this film!

5. I knew what my YA book rec would be this week from the moment I tore open the shipping carton containing my pre-ordered copy! Let's take a look at Mind Games by Kiersten White: 

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost. (Summary from Goodreads.com)

If you want to talk about voice in YA, there's a good chance I'll bring up Kiersten White. Yes, the Paranormalcy trilogy's Evie bore a striking resemblance to another blonde, paranormally-entangled teen (*cough*buffy*cough*), but that didn't make me love her any less. Kiersten has a very distinct voice, a knack for humor, and some serious story-telling skills. While I certainly enjoyed her debut trilogy, I think I'm looking forward to Mind Games even more. The concept is beyond intriguing, but beyond that, it sounds exactly like the kind of book a talented author should write after she's established herself and needs to spread her wings a little further. I can't wait to dive in!

Happy weekend!

pretty little recap: where the wilden things are

Can Spencer fly any further off the handle? Is Creeper Toby ever going to have some 'splainin to do? Is Ezra going to lay the smack down on Brezra's lame attempt to snag his ladyfriend? Let's dive in!

3.20 Hot Water

Previously on PLL: Mama Ezra means business. Relationship drama all around! Spencer manages to make Crazy Mona look sane. Emily and elevators don't mix, and Jason? Well, our dear J-Pouf is missing!

Tension is all about the hand-on-cup/hand-on-face. Photo credit: ABC Family

Liars assemble! ...and be sad and mopey. Wilden is such a creepy dude. I have a feeling he isn't part of the A team though. I think he's just regular type creepy. Which in a way, is worse. At least A teamers have an excuse for their behaviour ("Team building exercise!") but being a weirdo for weirdo's sake is just... *shudder*.

He's definitely gunning for Hannah. And doing it in front of Ashley? Not smart, Wilden. Ashley is deffo the kind of mom who handles her own, you know? Don't mess, Wilden. Don't mess.

Melissa is probably the worst sister in the world. Not because she's gonna narc on Spence, but because she doesn't even bother to ask Spence if she's OK. But we already knew Melissa is psycho...

So J-Pouf is just laying low? That's not very exciting. OR maybe it's suspicious? No, it's lame. Moving on!

Aria + Ezra reunion = more of the same. That scarf Aria is wearing is very fringey. Not that I'd expect anything less. This conversation isn't very dramatic. I guess everything's just okay now. So...great? Oh wait... the whole Brezra thing. How could I forget so easily? Maybe there are some fireworks to be set off... But really, if I were Aria, (there are so many ways to finish that sentence and most of them start with, "I wouldn't wear..."), if I were Aria, I'd just be all "BT-dubbs, Fitzy--your bro totally tried to get all up in this while you were playing baby-daddy with your ex. But I told him it wasn't happening. So get mad at him, not me." How hard is that?

Spencer is being mopey again. Poor, sad Spencer. Is it possible that Aria's mom is going to be the first person to really realize how far Spencer is gone? She probably wishes Spencer was her daughter instead of Aria. I would.

PRODUCT PLACEMENT TIME! Keep trying, Bing. Google will continue to own you forever and ever.

Run Spencer, run away from Aria! Awww Team Sparia. I forgot about that. Okay, I'll allow it. But I still think it's funny that Spencer will semi-confine in some people (Emily, Aria's mom), but Aria sends her running.

Weird tension at the costume shop. More hot lesbians. I swear Rosewood is hot lesbian central. I somehow have a feeling the software Emily is snooping through isn't based on real costume store software (which probably doesn't exist). The interface is a little too perfect for exactly what Emily is looking for. Everybody knows small shops run their inventory on DOS and it crashes any time you try to do anything with it. Or am I just remembering what things were like in the 90s? No, I think you effed this one up, PLL. But it's a clue so I'll allow it.

The tail-end of a phone conversation with Hot Caleb is NOT an acceptable substitute for a real Hot Caleb scene. But mention of Hanna's lesbian allure, followed by Aria storming awkwardly into the room comes close. It's become abundantly clear that Aria has very different priorities than everyone else on this show. Who cares about Ezra's mom? Everyone you know has almost been MURDERED recently!

Wilden and Ashley. Ashley with the death glare. Don't say I didn't warn you, Wilden. You mess with the mama bear and you get the CLAWS!

So Wren was actually hitting on Spencer? That's... awkward. Nothing like using someone's mental health as a pick up line. Weird, Wren. Really weird. But I suppose you'd still be a step up from Spencer's last boyfriend. Have you seen Creeper Toby's do-rag?

Ugh. More Aria relationship drama. Scale it back, Aria. Perspective. At least Hanna and Emily are giving her the "Don't care. Don't care. Don't care." look.

Wren's going for it! Spencer probably isn't in a healthy enough place to get involved with anyone, but where's the fun in that?

Ezra isn't going to apologize for loving Aria, you guys. He just isn't. Even if he realizes what a phenomenal disaster she is and breaks up with her, he's NOT going to apologize. Cause that's how he rolls. He's an adult, yo. An adult dating a young girl. And he won't let his mom boss him around!

Emily and Paige are laying it all out on the table. Looks like Paige has been keeping secrets. This could be a sweet make-up scene, but it just makes me miss Maya. Or wish Emily would hit up that hot lesbian bar and find herself someone who isn't Paige, and didn't try to drown her. So, pretty much anybody there.

General tip: Never listen to headphones by yourself in the dark (you know, unless you're lying down going to sleep). You WILL be startled by something. It's just a bad idea!

Melissa still isn't being a good sister. Even her advice comes off as a threat.

I'm just going to ignore this Ezria scene. Or... I was going to... and then I saw the back of Aria's dress and her ridiculous shiny red pants. I feel ill. She looks like she was mauled by a tiger while trying on a child's Spiderman costume. Who can ignore that??

"Routine traffic stop" for Ashley. What are the odds? Oh Wilden, why you gotta be so squicky?

Uh oh! Spencer is going to over-steam herself like Hannah Horvath did on GIRLS last week! Don't do it Spencer! You don't have a hot guy around to come to your rescue! You just have a scary shadowy figure! Not the same thing!!

Wilden has crossed the line from creepy to scary. But Ashley's not havin any of that! I totally warned you, Wilden! If you're still alive, don't you dare pretend I didn't warn you to not mess with the CLAWS! Mama Ashley will do anything for her Hanna. Only thing more dangerous is a Mama Ashley + Handma team!

CeCe seems pretty genuine and freaked here. I tend to believe her, but it's also possible she's a good actress. So Melissa was with Ali, CeCe and Wilden at the cape, eh?

This is officially worse than Hannah Horvath's steam encounter on GIRLS. No passing out for Spencer, just a whole lot of burning panic. At least Aria's randomness came in handy for once!

Ashley thinks she killed Wilden. Of course, she didn't stick around to find out. Cause when you think you might have accidentally killed someone, you shouldn't stick around to try and save them. You should go back later with your daughter and let her help you clean up the mess. Ashley's tough, but she's not that bright. Also, when you try and kill someone who might come after you and your family, you'd better make sure they're actually dead. Also, don't do it in front of a cop car with a camera recording your every move. Things aren't looking good for Mama Ash.

Spencer is finally ready to spill about Creeper Toby!

I'm guessing that rather lovely funeral wreath the random A teamer is assembling isn't for some side business the team has been working on--Floral A-rrangements or some such nonsense. Looks like more death is on the horizon! It is kind of a nice gesture to provide the wreath. Those things are expensive. The A team may be cruel, but never let it be said that they're not generous!