S.I. Mathews

Sunday, May 17, 2015

As I change, so must the blog.

On May 15th, Writer Quirk turned five. That's incredibly difficult for me to wrap my head around. In those five years, so much has changed, not only within my own life, but even in the worlds of book blogging and publishing.

Five years ago I started Writer Quirk because I wanted to be part of community, share my writing journey, and talk about YA books. Those things are still true. But also at that time, every spare moment I had went to writing or reading. I didn't watch a lot of TV, I didn't hang out much with friends, I didn't have a husband or a ton of responsibility.

That, of course, is no longer true. I'm married, I have to take care of the house and a disabled mother, all while working full time, but I don't have the energy I had five years ago. That is partly due to worsened health and the toll depression has taken/is still taking on my mind and body. I still write and think about my novels and ideas, but I don't do it nearly as much as I want to. I read still, but I go through long periods where I don't/can't read.

Also in those five years, I found fandoms. I experienced Doctor Who, Supernatural, and Sherlock for the first time. My enthusiasm for a childhood favorite, My Little Pony, was reborn thanks to my friends being fans of the new show. I became active on Twitter and Tumblr. I became a feminist.

Now I watch a lot of things (mostly thanks to the miracles that are Hulu and Netflix). I have a huge passion for The Voice (which you would have noticed since I live tweet it sometimes), and I love vegging out to The Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise. I love scripted shows, reality shows, movies, music, and of course, books, and I want to talk about all of it.

I love blogging, but having massive reading slumps makes running a blog solely about books extremely difficult, so instead of closing the blog or quitting, the blog is evolving to fit the me of today. So that is where Writer Quirk is headed. Instead of just focusing on YA books, reading, and writing, I'm broadening the blog's scope to include whatever pop culture item or experience I like.

I'm not changing the blog's name or site or anything, just the overall theme. There will still be book related posts (as books are a part of pop culture), they just won't be the only thing.

I want to thank all of you that have been with me over these last five years, and I hope you continue on this journey with me.

Lots of love,

Reading Challenge Update [March 2015]

My March reading was sparse and that led to an April where I didn't read a single book (so no RCU for April). I think part of the problem was I read three books I thought I was going to love and they were good but didn't live up to my expectations. I'm trying conquering some big books this month, so hopefully at the end of May I won't be behind.

This Month: 4

The Books:

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

Impulse (Impulse #1) by Ellen Hopkins

A World Without Princes (The School for Good and Evil #2) by Soman Chainani

This Month: 1
Total: 19/50

The Category/Book:
A book by an author you've never read before: Impulse (Impulse #1) by Ellen Hopkins

This Month: 1 TBR Book

Total: 11/40

The Book:

Impulse (Impulse #1) by Ellen Hopkins

Thanks for visiting!

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Reading Challenge Update [February 2015]

February started out okay for reading, but the weather was so miserable, and I think it put me in a slump. Here's hoping for more books and better weather in March!

This Month: 7 Books

The Books:

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

Columbine by Dave Cullen

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

This Month: 3 Books

Total: 18/50

The Categories/Books:

A book that became a movie: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

A memoir: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

A graphic novel: Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

This Month: 0 TBR Books

Total: 10/40

Thanks for visiting!

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Spies, Thieves, and Diplomats GIVEAWAY [CLOSED]

Ally Carter's books are some of my favorites because they are always about strong girls in action. They are fun, have bits of swoon, and are always an adventure.

One of the common premises in Ally's books is they tend to feature teenage girls involved in or at war with 'the family business.' In the Gallagher Girl series, 'the family business' is espionage. In the Heist Society series, it's thievery. And in Ally's newest book, All Fall Down, the first in the Embassy Row series, it's diplomacy.

From Goodreads:

Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school-that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it's really a school for spies. Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real "pavement artist"-but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her?

Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she's on her most dangerous mission-falling in love.

From Goodreads:

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

From Goodreads:

A new series of global proportions -- from master of intrigue, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter.

This exciting new series from NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter focuses on Grace, who can best be described as a daredevil, an Army brat, and a rebel. She is also the only granddaughter of perhaps the most powerful ambassador in the world, and Grace has spent every summer of her childhood running across the roofs of Embassy Row.

Now, at age sixteen, she's come back to stay--in order to solve the mystery of her mother's death. In the process, she uncovers an international conspiracy of unsettling proportions, and must choose her friends and watch her foes carefully if she and the world are to be saved.

So using these themes, I've come up with a little game based on the classic Kiss/Marry/Kill. Using celebrities/fictional characters/well-known entities, who would you spy on and why, who would you steal from and why, and who would you befriend and why?

Here are my answers:

I would SPY on Jennifer Lopez to get her workout routine.
I would STEAL Darcy's country estate, Pemberley, because it's gorgeous.
I would BEFRIEND Anna Kendrick because she is hilarious.

Whether you are already a fan or new to the books, now is your chance to win two signed novels by Ally Carter. First, check out my Giveaway & Rules page and then fill out the Rafflecopter widget below. There will be one winner and the giveaway ends at 11:59pm on February 16th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

From Where I'm Standing [17] - Ally Carter

I have been a fan of Ally Carter for the past seven or eight years. I found the audio book of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You on sale, bought it, and discovered YA lit was a thing that I enjoyed. Along with Harry Potter and Twilight, I credit Ally Carter's Gallagher Girl series for getting me in to reading YA again.

The last time Ally Carter visited Tennessee, she only had a stop in Memphis, which is too far away for a day trip, so I was beyond elated to see that Chattanooga had been added for this latest tour to celebrate the release of Ally's first Embassy Row novel, All Fall Down. Not only did it make it possible for me to meet Ally and get some of my books signed, but it also gave me an excuse to see my blog bestie Hannah, of The Book Vortex.

Ally Carter answering fan questions.

Ally Carter signing books.

The event wasn't set up in the best way (no chairs at all!), so Ally spoke briefly about All Fall Down and then took a few questions. There were lots of students from local schools present, and many of them looked like they had dressed up as Gallagher Girls because they were wearing their private school uniforms. Meeting Ally was so much fun, and I'm glad Hannah came along, as we got to hang out quite a bit and catch up (and a thank you to her for taking pictures!).

Hannah and Me

Me and Ally Carter

If you want to win two books signed by Ally Carter, just head on over to this post!

Thanks for visiting!

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Reading Challenge Update [January 2015]

After the catastrophe that was last year's reading challenges, I've scaled back a bit for this year and am only doing three.

The first is the yearly Goodreads Reading Challenge, and I've set a goal to read 75 books during 2015.

The Books:

The Prince of Mist (Niebla #1) by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3) by Maggie Stiefvater

Emerald Green (The Ruby Red Trilogy #3) by Kerstin Gier

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins

The Midnight Palace (Niebla #2) by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

The Watcher in the Shadows (Niebla #3) by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes

Sinner (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #4) by Maggie Stiefvater

Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

Rebel Belle (Rebel Belle #1) by Rachel Hawkins

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling
The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Certain Girls (Cannie Shapiro #2) by Jennifer Weiner
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson
Warm Bodies (Warm Bodies #1) by Isaac Marion
The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil #1) by Soman Chainani
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

The second challenge is the PopSugar 2015 Reading Challenge. For this one, there are 50 reading goals you try to meet during the year. I've decided to do a different book for each instead of letting one book count for multiple categories, so that's 50 books total. I've also altered a few of the categories to be a better fit for me. For example, for "A book that made you cry," I read the sequel of a book that made me cry rather than reread the original book because I'm not much of a re-reader.

15/50 Books

The Categories/Books:

A classic romance: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

A book by a female author: Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

A book with a one-word title: Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

A book of short stories: My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins

A book set in a different country (India): The Midnight Palace (Niebla #2) by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

A non-fiction book: In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson

A book based on a true story: Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes

A book you can finish in a day: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling

A book with antonyms in the title: The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil #1) by Soman Chainani

A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit (England): The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

A book that came out the year you were born (1986): The Prince of Mist (Niebla #1) by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

A book with a color in the title: Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3) by Maggie Stiefvater

A book that made you cry: Certain Girls (Cannie Shapiro #2) by Jennifer Weiner

A book that was originally written in a different language (German): Emerald Green (The Ruby Red Trilogy #3) by Kerstin Gier

A play: The Tempest by William Shakespeare

The last challenge is the TBR Takedown. It's unofficial because I made it up for myself. I want to read 40 books that were on my physical or e-reader shelves before 2015, so no newly bought books will count. I haven't completed any of my previous TBR challenges, so hopefully this year will be different.

10/40 TBR Books

The Books:

Emerald Green (The Ruby Red Trilogy #3) by Kerstin Gier

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling
The Tempest by William Shakespeare

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson
Warm Bodies (Warm Bodies #1) by Isaac Marion
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Thanks for visiting!

Friday, January 9, 2015

2014 Reading Challenges Summary Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of my challenges summary!

Goal: Listen to 75 audio books

Total: 25

Status: Not Completed

The Books:

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Saving Raphael Santiago (The Bane Chronicles #6) by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan
City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare
Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu

What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1) by Kat Zhang

Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher
Icons (Icons #1) by Margaret Stohl
Until I Die (Revenants #2) by Amy Plum
If I Should Die (Revenants #3) by Amy Plum

Enchanted (Woodcutter Sisters #1) by Alethea Kontis
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Madman's Daughter (The Madman's Daughter #1) by Megan Shepherd

The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater

Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles #4) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

One False Move (Myron Bolitar #5) by Harlan Coben
Alphas (Alphas #1) by Lisi Harrison
The One (The Selection #3) by Kiera Cass
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk

Her Dark Curiosity (The Madman's Daughter #2) by Megan Shepherd

Goal: Read 12 books with titles relating to 12 keywords
Total: 11

Status: Not Completed

The Keywords/Books:

WILD: Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker

DARK: The Dark Between by Sonia Gensler

FOREVER: The Alchemy of Forever (Incarnation #1) by Avery Williams

NEVER: none

AND: And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard

GRAVE: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

OF: City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare

ME: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

SHADOW: Shadow Eyes by Dusty Crabtree

THE: The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories by Edgar Allan Poe

MY: Secrets of My Hollywood Life (Secrets of My Hollywood Life #1) by Jen Calonita

FIRE: City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare

Goal: Read 12 books with themes relating to 12 motifs

Total: 12

Status: COMPLETED

The Motifs/Books:

Around the World: The Madness Underneath (Shades of London #2) by Maureen Johnson

Award Winner: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Fairy Tales: Enchanted (Woodcutter Sisters #1) by Alethea Kontis

Short & Sweet: The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories by Edgar Allan Poe

Mystery, Murder, & Mayhem: Prep School Confidential (Prep School Confidential #1) by Kara Taylor

A Long Journey: The Iron Queen (Daughters of Zeus #3) by Kaitlin Bevis

Assassins, Warriors, & Rebels: The Bone Season (The Bone Season #1) by Samantha Shannon

Alternate Reality: Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

Book to Movie: Austenland (Austenland #1) by Shannon Hale

The Witching Hour: Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles #4) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

An Oldie but Goodie: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

That's a Wrap: The One (The Selection #3) by Kiera Cass

Goal: Read 40 TBR books

Total: 23

Status: Not Completed

The Books:

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

The Savage Grace (The Dark Divine #3) by Bree Despain

Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu

Shadow Eyes by Dusty Crabtree

What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1) by Kat Zhang

The Madness Underneath (Shades of London #2) by Maureen Johnson

Secrets of My Hollywood Life (Secrets of My Hollywood Life #1) by Jen Calonita

The Dark Between by Sonia Gensler

Until I Die (Revenants #2) by Amy Plum

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Enchanted (Woodcutter Sisters #1) by Alethea Kontis

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Madman's Daughter (The Madman's Daughter #1) by Megan Shepherd

The Alchemy of Forever (Incarnation #1) by Avery Williams
The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater
Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles #4) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
Alphas (Alphas #1) by Lisi Harrison
Persephone (Daughters of Zeus #1) by Kaitlin Bevis
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories by Edgar Allan Poe
The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2) by Michelle Hodkin
Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk

Thanks for visiting!

2014 Reading Challenges Summary Part 1

First things first, 2014 was a horrible year for me. My whole life suffered, including my reading. Even so, I wanted to sum up what I did read for the year, even if I didn't complete most of my challenges. Hopefully 2015 will be better!