This blog is really neglected these days. :( BUT, good new is part of the reason is I'm busy submitting "Tapestry Threads" again! Got a bunch of leads from the two SCBWI conferences, so pursuing those while there's still time.

Anyway, here's what I burned through in November. Can you tell I have an addiction now?

Life on the Dirt Circuit by Mark Sieve
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
My Life in France by Julia Child
The Other Side of Blue by Valerie O. Patterson
Night Shift by Stephen King
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander (reread)
Far from You by lisa_schroeder
Wintergirls by halseanderson
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Once Upon a Curse by E. D. Baker

Charlaine Harris:
Club Dead
Dead to the World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead
Dead to Worse

Way behind on listing the books read, but this week was insane with book deadline and reading proposals and emailing people about ICFA. But here it is!

Sweetwater by Lawrence Yep
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Living Dead in Dallas by Charlain Harris
The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker
Dragon's Breath by E.D. Baker
Midnight in the Dollhouse by Marjorie Stover
When the Dolls Woke by Margorie Stover
The Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff
Marguerite Makes a Book by Bruce Robertson & Kathryn Hewitt

I also just started reading "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" by Carrie Ryan last night. Wow. I'm completely blown away. I read lots of books I like, but that's one I wish I'd written myself. It's so well-constructed and gorgeously written.

September was nuts with travel and wrapping up first draft of the book. But I still had time to read!

The Host by Stephanie Meyer
Strands of Starlight by Gael Baudino (reread)
Practically Perfect by Katie Fforde
Tristan and Isuelt by Rosemary Sutcliff
Captives of Time by Malcome Bosse (reread)
Case of the Firecrackers by Lawrence Yep
Shadow Castle by Marion Cockrell
City of Bones, Ashes, & Glass by Cassandra Clare (which I loved! Enjoyed Glass when I had it to review, but SO much better after reading all of them)
Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

A smidge late, but here it is!

Annotated Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, Wendy Elizabeth Barry, Margaret Anne Doody, and Mary Doody Jones
Watchmen by Alan Moore and David Gibbons
Ecstasia by Francesca Lia Block
Veronica the Show Off by Nancy K. Robinson
The Griffon and the Minor Cannon by Frank Stockton
The Legendary Unicorn by Udo Weiglt
Dippers by Barbara Nichol
The Golden Mare by Ruth Sanderson
The Snow Princess by Ruth Sanderson
Blue Moon Mountain by Geraldine McCaughrean
Things are Gonna Get Ugly by Hillary Homzie
Pennies for Elephants by Lita Judge
Buried Treasure by Carrol Kehne
D is for Dinosaur by Todd Chapman
Little Women Abroad, Louisa May Alcott, May Alcott, Daniel Shealy
Father's Arcane Daughter by E.L. Konigsburg
What Jamie Saw by Carolyn Coman
Primavera by Francesca Lia Block
17 by Liz Rosenberg
The Primed Mind by Alexandria LaFaye
The People in Pineapple Place by Anne Lindbergh
Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson
Midwinter Nightingale by Joan Aiken
Firebird by Mercedes Lackey (reread)
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (reread)
The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright (reread)
Ghosts Beneath Our Feet by Betty Ren Wright (reread)
The Pike River Phantom by Betty Ren Wright
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
Not the End of the World by Geraldine McCaughrean
The Girl with the Green Ear by Margaret Mahy

Wow. I just realized I'm reading a LOT more when I'm not reviewing. Hm....

Annotated "Anne of Green Gables"
Mio, My Son by Astrid Lindgren
Misery by Stephen King
The Sorceress by Michael Scott (review)
The Red House by Tony Abbott (review)
Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block
The Silver Door by Holly Lisle (review)
Wishworks, Inc. by Stephanie Tolan
Ellen's Lion by Crocket Johnson
Veronica the Show-off by Nancy K. Robinson
When the Whistle Blows by Fran Slayton
Faith, Hope, and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Roanoke Research
Nonfic Reviews

Arion by kathleenfoucart
Rose Madder by Stephen King (reread)
The Singing by Alison Croggon (review)
Dragonsdale by Salamanda Drake
The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren (reread)
Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies) by Justina Chen Headly
The Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas
Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson
Girl Overboard by Maureen Johnson
George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt by Lucy Hawking and Stephen Hawking (review)
Nonfic Review
Roanoke Research

I swear I read more, but that's all I have recorded. Oh well.

Seeds of Yesterday by V.C. Andrews
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
The Curse of the Blue Figurine by John Bellairs
The Mummy, the Will, and the Crypt by John Bellairs
The Spell of the Soceror's Skull by John Bellairs
The Revenge of the Wizard's Ghost by John Bellairs
The Exorcist by William Blatty
The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding
Season of Secrets by Allizon Hurzig
Truth or Dare by Susan Pfeffer
Phantom by Susan Kay
Ivy by Julie Hearn
Alice, I think by Susan Juby
Blackthorn Winter by Celia Reese
Ronia, the Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren
The Rope Trick by Lloyd Alexander
Loserville by Peter Johnson
The Game of Silence by Louise Erdich
Voracious Kids: Who Eats Whom in Children's Literature by Carolyn Danie,
Critical Approaches to Food in Children's Literature, ed by Keeling and Pollard
Various books on Roanoke Colony
Various nonfic for reivew

How about that! I'm actually putting this up first of the month!

Ink Exchange by melissa_writing
Hellboy by Mike Mignola
Under Our Skin edited by stregamomma
Reading like a Writer by Francine Prose
The Worry Week by Anne Lindberg
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Mermaid Park by Beth Mayall
Veins by Lawrence Connolly
Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger (review)
Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews
Petals in the Wind by V.C.
If there be Thrns by V.C.
Garden of Shadows by V.C.
It by Stephen King
The Genie Scheme by Kimberly Jones (review)
Revelations (I have no idea what this is or who it's by, but it was on my daily reading list I keep, so in it goes! Too lazy to look in my library for something not put away yet)
Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Water Steps by Alexandria LaFaye
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by Boyne John
Suite Scarlet by Maureen Johnson
Various Nonfic Review
Writing Research on Roanoke Colony

THAT'S more like it! READING, and a lot of it. I've also started writing again, was working on the TT sequel, but now back to revising TT from my crit group suggestions. Been far too long.

In other news, I've renewed my search for an agent for "Tapesty Threads." In the itsy-bitsy world of children's writing, the agency I think would be perfect (they represented "The Unicorn's Secret" series, which I often cite in my query letter as an excellent example of unicorn fiction for middle grade) is now representing the amazing tltrent! So now I have even more evidence that they have great taste.

I'm back among the living after one of the worst bouts of flu I've had in years. I got sick as soon as my feet hit Maryland soil after ICFA, and yesterday was the first day when I had energy and didn't have a sore throat that made swallowing even something nice like a popsicle or tea hurt.

Here's what I read in March:
Mermaid's Song by Alida Van Gores (reread)
Time Warp Trio: Tut Tut by John Scieszka
Time Warp Trio: Knights of the Kitchen Table by John Scieszka
King of Shadows by Susan Cooper
Kindred by Octavia Butler
Envy by Ana Godbersen
Need by carriejones
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headly
Devlish by Maureen Johnson (reread)
Ink Exchange by melissa_writing

Again, a thin list, but with ICFA and being sick, that's pretty good. I'm so very, very, VERY glad to be feeling well finally. The past couple weeks I've been barely able to move off the sofa (one day I didn't get out of bed at all; VERY unusual; normally I'm able to make it down to the sofa. But my doggie was nice and checked on me every couple hours) and wasn't able to work, clean, write, anything. Yesterday, though, was awesome. I finally felt well other than one ear still being clogged and the weather was great so I opened all the windows as I worked in the library. We had some shelves that were really smiling (bookshelves must like books, the more they have, the more the smile!) so my husband replaced the shelves in the wider cases with stair-grade wood (ie, wood planks that normally are used for making stairs. As in, they can support a LOT of weight). I now have shelves in the two widest cases: one by the door that I've designated the "grab" shelf (books you usually need in a hurry: cookbooks, home/car repair, crafts, D&D, health/first aid, pet care) and one in the reading nook (for very special books, those written by people I know either as friends or teachers, books with a lot of memories attached to them, and, of course, books by me. So there's only a handful of journals there and Bronze Dragon Codex, but hopefully it will be filled soon). I made a big dent in the boxes and hopefully hubby can do the corner shelves soon so I can get the really nice books on shelves (art books, antiques). Once that's done, he'll finish the trim work, we'll put up the mural in the reading nook, and then make the freestanding shelves for the middle of the room. That should handle everything! I do like that room, even though it's a complete wreak now; I spent some time reading there yesterday in between unpacking and sorting. Very peaceful. And when I run out of room, there's always this.

Today I have some ICFA post-mortem items, some work to catch up on, and if I have free time, I'm going back to the library. Also want to make reservations at the Hotel Roanoke for graduation weekend. :) Anyone else marching? Or just want to pop by and hang out?