Saturday, April 12, 2014

An Unhappy Hiatus

Hello quirks,

I've been putting this off because I was hoping circumstances would change and I wouldn't need to do this, but they haven't, so here we are.

Writer Quirk is going on an indefinite hiatus starting today.

I love blogging and reviewing, but my mental health is at a point right now where the stress of trying to keep posting reviews and such when I'm barely reading and barely functioning offline is one thing too many. I've never been a super-frequent poster and have been very lenient with myself on how I run this blog, but the guilt of not reading and not posting is getting to me, so I need a break from it.

It's difficult to put into words what is going on in my head that is making life so tough, so suffice it to say that despite efforts to battle my depression, I'm losing. In a way, things have gotten better since I switched to a new medication, as in suicidal thoughts and self-harm impulses are way down, but the pervasive sadness and lethargy I feel seems to only increase. Add in new stress at my day job and my usual stress at home, and I'm a zombie pretending to be human only when necessary, and it is exhausting.

I hope to return sooner rather than later, but only time will tell if that is possible. Until then, I hope you read amazing books, write your hearts out, and live life to the fullest.

~Shalena @ Writer Quirk

Friday, April 4, 2014

Reading Challenge Update [March 2014]


Hey quirks! Welcome to my Reading Challenge Update (RCU). I'm doing a few of the same challenges as last year, and I added a couple new ones as well. I'm really excited about these challenges because challenges like these pushed me to read more in 2013, so I hope the same will happen this year because my goals are even bigger!

Unlike my Goodreads Rundowns where I give a bunch of stats, here I will just be listing the books I read during the previous month under the challenges to which they apply. To see where I am at between these posts, check out my Reading Challenges tab above.


This Month: 5 --- Total: 13/75
Until I Die by Amy Plum (Revenants #2)
If I Should Die by Amy Plum (Revenants #3)
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis (Woodcutter Sisters #1)
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd (The Madman's Daughter #1)


This Month: 1 --- Total: 3/12
The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams (Incarnation #1) [Key Word: Forever]


This Month: 2 --- Total: 3/12
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (Code Name Verity #1) [Motif: Award Winner]
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis (Woodcutter Sisters #1) [Motif: Fairy Tales]


This Month: 6 --- Total: 14/40
Until I Die by Amy Plum (Revenants #2)
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (Code Name Verity #1)
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis (Woodcutter Sisters #1)
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd (The Madman's Daughter #1)
The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams (Incarnation #1)


This Month: 0 --- Total: 0/1


Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Ink Anticipation [20] - April 2014

Welcome to Ink Anticipation! This feature is for sharing the top five YA releases I am looking forward to this month. 

Don't forget to share your most anticipated releases in the comments!


Goodreads / Release Date: April 8th

Goodreads / Release Date: April 8th

Goodreads / Release Date: April 8th

Goodreads / Release Date: April 15th

Goodreads / Release Date: April 22nd