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Author: byjehunter
I'm the author of the Black Depths and Artifacts of Avalum series. I'm also a reader and I love posting young adult book reviews and blogging about everything related to books. In the morning, I can be found drinking coffee and wishing it was still dark outside. In the afternoon, I'm stuck at my day job, and in the evening, I'm probably working on my latest creation.
Books I Love: Queen Of The Tearling by Erika Johansen
Way back in April or May I briefly mentioned that I was reading this book. When I finished it, I didn’t post a review, because I only review Young Adult fiction on this site, even though I read a smattering of other stuff. But lately I’ve come across a few different posts and lists that include Queen of the Tearling under Young Adult fiction.
My own opinion is that Queen of the Tearling isn’t ‘Young Adult’, because to me, Young Adult has a certain voice, a certain sassiness to it that other fiction does not. But I can see where the crossover occurs, and that’s with the 19 year-old Queen herself. Sometimes, books are classified as Young Adult just because the main character is young adult. But that’s not what makes something YA. But regardless of where you find this book shelved, it is a wonderful read, one that will most likely top the list of favourite books I read in 2016, which is a post I’m planning prior to the new year.
(Associate Links)
Queen of the Tearling is considerably darker than, say, the Throne of Glass Series, because, for one, there isn’t the same filter. Dark deeds aren’t just hinted at, they are spelled out. The atmosphere itself is dark and dreary, unlike TOG, which always feels fun, somehow. The writing is more immersive in QOTT, which means less reliance on dialogue and more longer, lingering passages of exposition. But QOTT is beautifully written and a pleasure to read. If you love fantasy and YA but want to read a book that is a slightly different pace than what would normally be found on the Young Adult shelves, try Erika Johansen’s work. The last book in the trilogy was just released last week, so if you want to read the whole series in one go, you now can!
5/5 Stars.
JEH
365K Words In A Year Update #11
I’ve been skipping updates, skipping writing sessions, just skipping everything! I’ve been a bad student, although, since I realized this last week, things have improved somewhat and I have written 600-1000 words 6 out of 7 days in the past week. Yesterday was only 350….
Anyway, continuing to improve going forward. What I’ve learnt is that NaNo was just too much. I burnt myself out. NaNo used to be easy. I used to be young and carefree and full of energy and life didn’t seem to have interruptions, and now I’m in my thirties and life is like “hey, over here!” “No, over here!” and I’m constantly being pulled away from what I would like to be doing (i.e.. writing). Although I suppose if I’m honest, I’ve also been fitting in time for painting and baking. But the baking is for Christmas, so that’s okay, right?
The good thing about the frigid cold that feels like it will kill you in minutes (I mean, you step outside with bare skin and it HURTS), anyway, the good thing is that there have been these amazing sundogs which look like three suns rising on the horizon in the morning and like big, circular rainbows around the sun later in the day. There have also been gorgeous looking frosty mornings. If only it would be frosty and sundoggy without the cold.
So, it’s time to brew the coffee (I was going to post this last night and then fell asleep), and get writing. There will be another post up today. But until later, have a great weekend.
JEH
Weekly Writing Prompt
Fences are built for many reasons. Why was this fence left to decay? What about how this broken fence makes you or your character feel. Write for five minutes. 
What I’m Reading: The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead
Young Adult Book Review of The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead.
The Glittering Court
The writing was fairly fluid and moderately paced, but there was a lot of inner dialogue that could have been shortened up. Sometimes I wonder if publishing houses make authors add paragraphs just to make a book thick and heavy. I would have been happy with a shorter book that got to the point more quickly. I didn’t like this book half as much as I like Mead’s Vampire Academy series, but it was still a decent read. You might enjoy this book if you really liked The Selection, though I believe Cass’s series is much stronger as the romance is much more addicting and compelling and I preferred the dystopian setting over the western one. But hey, maybe Westerns are your thing.
As for reading the rest of the series, I don’t think I will continue since the next book sounds like it will be a parallel storyline which will feel like a rehash of at least the first half of The Glittering Court. The Midnight Jewel is slated to be released in April 2017.
3/5 Stars
JEH
On Coldness and Fantastic Beasts
It’s a grey, frigid day and I’m stuck in my office. I’ve been horrible at both writing and reading and I don’t even know where my time has gone this past week. I’m really hoping that December can be my reading month, but unless I find buried energy somewhere I may not get around to reading my last seven Goodreads Challenge books. The good news is that I did finish reading Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them this weekend before going to the movie. I was glad I did, since so many of the beast make an appearance. However, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is not a novel and is therefore nothing like the movie, which I found surprising and quite…dark. I really enjoyed reading the screenplay for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child this year, but I’m not sure reading the Fantastic Beasts screenplay is something I want to do. Especially since I’ve now seen the movie, and I’m pretty much a strictly book-before-movie kind of person.
My lunch today consisted of a takeout container of French Onion soup and an accompanying bun. It’s the kind of weather for soup. I will probably eat soup and only soup for the next four months…. at least at lunch time. 
It’s also that time of year for tea, so I better go make a cup of that right now, before the chill sets in. Tomorrow I will be posing a review of The Glittering Court, and I’m hoping to have two more up in the next week as well. Have you seen the FBWTFT movie yet?
JEH
No Time to Read?
I have been too busy lately. I haven’t finished the book I began last week and I still have 9 books to go on my GoodReads goal. With only four weeks left to read them. This is leaving me wondering how I’m going to fit it all in. I have a bunch of half-read books, which I’m hoping means I’ll be able to wrap up all nine this month. Between that and some shorter selections and a major cutback on television, I just might be able to do it. Meanwhile, I went browsing at a rather large bookstore when i was out of town, and found all these delicious displays. This will have to be my motivation for finishing up the books already waiting on my shelves! Which books look good to you?
And just as good as books: the mug display 🙂
Happy Reading!
JEH
Weekly Writing Prompt
Wishing Wells are usually meant to be good things. But what if they were bad? What if they were for evil wishes? Write a scene where someone makes an evil wish on a well. What motivates them? Do they wishers remorse? Why or why not?
JEH
On Quitting NaNoWriMo
Wow. This post is a bit more difficult to write than I thought it would be. Usually, I am not a quitter, but this past week a lot of things have occurred which really made me question my decision to do NaNoWriMo when I’m already have my personal goal of writing 365K words in a year goal, which I’m really happy with. I’ve come to the conclusion that writing the 1,667 words a day that NaNo requires is just too much for me. So I’m cutting it out, I’m cutting back, and I’m returning to my 1,000 words per day goal, which I find a slight struggle to do on some days, but most of the time I find it alright.
I’m coming to the realization that expecting myself to write 600 words a day would really be my ideal. Maybe because I’m working an almost full time job and have two tiny kids to look after. And a cat. A needy cat. Who likes to sit on my laptop. So, 600 words a day is easily do-able. But my goal for the next 9 months is 1,000 words a day. So I’m going to stick to that.
So, I’m not buying myself my pretty NaNo reward, which is fine. I already have a million blank journals anyway. I really don’t need another one. I mean, I WANT one, but I don’t NEED it. Maybe I’ll get lucky and someone will get it for me for Christmas. Anyway, that’s the gist of it. Now. Time to write those 1,000 words.
JEH
I Love Books
J. E. H U N T E R 