January Coffee Talk // Last semester of College & Disappointing Reads

January has been a MONTH. Like, usually a month only feels like a few short weeks, but January feels like a lot of loooong weeks. I can’t tell if this is because January was actually almost 5 full weeks or because I’ve been trying to be more present and live in the moment. We’ll pretend it’s a little bit of both.

Anyways! I’ve got lots to talk about today (as always … I have so much to say, which is part of the reason I’m a writer) so let’s just skip the intro and get into it!

COFFEE TALK

I usually like to keep my coffee talks a bit gentler because I think everyone needs to take a moment to sip some coffee and decompress, but I’ve been feeling a bit fired up this month. (Blame it on the New Year!)

I’ve been trying to NOT break promises I make to myself. Because, like, I wouldn’t break a promise to my best friend, so how come when I’m the one making the promises, I’m the also first one to break them?

As in, if I say I’m going to write for two hours or run three miles or complete three homework assignments and I put these tasks in my planner, it means I’m making a commitment.

One thing I’ve learned in the past few years is that, if you want to do something ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS DO IT.

If it is reasonable and realistic and in your control, then what are you waiting for? Why are you wasting time not doing it?

I don’t want to keep giving up on myself. I don’t want to keep taking what I say NOT seriously. And, on the flip side, I don’t want to keep making promises that I DON’T keep — that I know I won’t keep.

I want to be more intentional with my goals, and then I want to follow through.

And one more thing I learned this month that might seem to contradict everything I just said: just because I can do everything doesn’t mean I should.

This past week was SUPER busy with one of my college extracurricular activities taking up a ginormous part of my time and energy. At the beginning of last week I had meticulously scheduled and planned in order to get a normal weeks worth of work done. I could have completed it all, but I was already burning out as a person with a, you know, personal life, that I didn’t need to burn out as a creative go-getter, too.

That’s not to say I gave up. But that I recognized when it was time to slow down for a hot second during an unusually crazy week. THIS IS OKAY!

If you feel like you ALWAYS have to slow down for a hot second, I’d consider examining what you’re spending your time and energy on, and if it’s worth it. But if you’re like me and think you don’t need to slow down, reconsider. You can’t always keep up your breakneck pace when things get momentarily wild.

WHAT I’M WRITING

In case you didn’t read the monstrous blog post that was an in-depth look at my color-coded 3-level revision system, as the name suggests, I am revising. In depth. With color-coding. And 3 levels of revision.

I already wrote like a bajillion words about this, so I’m going to keep it brief and just say: I really love this method. If you need revision tips, check it out!

WHAT I’M READING

I have been on a really good reading streak the past few months — lots of lovely books that I’ve given 4 or 5 stars! But this month was just really disappointing. I honestly can’t think of a better word. 😞 Let’s just rant about books for a second, yeah?

LADY MIDNIGHT by Cassandra Clare

What I liked:

• Towards the last third of the book, I was really pulled into the story.
• The plot, while way too long and drawn out lacking tension and conflict, was interesting in some points.
  

What I didn’t like:

• Honestly? I think this was overrated. I personally just don’t jive with the shadow world. I’ve already tried City of Bones and it was a pass.
• I have a hard time cheering for Emma. I just couldn’t connect with her, which made reading 600+ pages about her a bit difficult.
• The writing was SUPER sloppy. So sloppy. Like, lots of filtering. (Saying “Emma could feel the cut of the sword’s blade on her skin” versus “The sword sliced her skin, stinging.”) Lots of repeated phrases/words and a lot of flowery prose. Some of it was good, but the rest of it just…I don’t know. Felt like the author could get away with sloppy writing because she was already published and people would read anything she wrote.
• The random cameos of Jace and Clary felt like someone was writing Shadowhunter fan-fic? Like, I get they’re big in the Shadowhunter world and fans like reading about them, but their random appearances were just uncomfy to me for some reason. Like, J.K. Rowling is big in the writing world, but she doesn’t swoop in every time I need help or praise or whatever.
• Sorry. I’ll stop being so salty right now.
• But really, this book took like 670 pages of my life and I want it back.

FIRST & THEN by Emma Mills

What I liked:

• YAY WITH ALL MY HEART I loved everything.
• The characters are amazing.
• The dialogue is so so so so witty and GOOD.
• I read this book in *deep breath* ONE SITTING. Not even one day — one sitting. I planted my butt on the couch and then literally did not get up until I finished and it was a JOURNEY. A wonderful beautiful journey.
• Devon, the MC was soooo refreshing. Usually snarky, sassy, and cynical MCs are annoying and cliche, but Devon was just trying her best and trying to get by and I don’t know she just really spoke to me. Loved her!
  

What I didn’t like:

• I mean, this wasn’t my FAVORITE Emma Mills book, which is really the only con I can think of?

TO KILL A KINGDOM by Alexandra Christo

What I liked:

• The world building was really rich for a rather short book. I enjoyed that aspect.
  

What I didn’t like:

• Overall, I was disappointed.
• The plot was predictable.
• I expected the two main characters to be dancing around each other, and while each had their own plans, they didn’t really act on these plans?
• The Sea Queen was like a caricature of a villain which sucked a lot of the tension out of the book.

GIRL, WASH YOUR FACE: STOP BELIEVING THE LIES ABOUT WHO YOU ARE SO YOU CAN BECOME WHO YOU WERE MEANT TO BE by Rachel Hollis

What I liked:

• I don’t usually read “self-help” books, but I got this one for Christmas and it was a really positive and lovely read! Lots of good energy.
• There were some fantastic quotes in here that gave me goosebumps so if you’re looking for a little kick in the butt, I recommend this book!
• While sometimes the author had some superficial goals (like, buy a really expensive purse), it seemed like the ultimate goal was to own a media empire that built women up and inspired them to be the best they could be and I AM SO ON BOARD WITH THAT.
  

What I didn’t like:

• This book definitely was not 100% applicable to everyone. I’m not a wife or a mother so quite a few chapters weren’t relevant to me. But like, I don’t expect her to write a book catered to everyone and to make her story more universal, so I really appreciated the author’s honesty. I just skipped a few good chunks of this book.

HONOR AMONG THIEVES by Rachel Caine and Anne Aguirre

What I liked:

• THE PREMISE OMG. It’s about sentient space ships who accept humans on board and then travel around the Universe. YES 1,000,000x.
  

What I didn’t like:

• UM the MCs only visited ONE PLANET???? I was promised a tour of the Universe (literally, it’s called the Tour) and I did not get one and I’m sooooo disappointed. Mad, almost? Definitely, most definitely salty because this is a long book and I got nothing from it.
• The MC, Zara could have been a super awesome kickass character, but her teenage voice in the hands of two adult co-authors just fell flat.
• Okay, so I’m guessing the goal was to go on a “Tour” of the Universe, but I’m not really sure? Really, almost absolutely nothing happened in this book and it was long. Too long.
• Also, contrary to what the little subtitle on the cover (“100 were chosen. One will resists.”) suggests, there were not 100 characters. There were literally only 2 people on this ship most of the book.

WHAT IF IT’S US by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

 What I liked: 

• DYLAN!!!! He was one of the main character’s, Ben’s, best friend and he definitely stole the show for me. I honestly would have been fine if the book was told all from Ben’s perspective and involved more him and Dylan both growing through relationships.
• In some parts the pacing was great! I’d read like 50 pages and get totally sucked into this cute little book world in an amazing not-so-little city.
• I read the book in just 2 days (SNOW DAYS!!!) so that means it was a nice smooth read.
• It was really relevant. Like all the characters talk like teenagers actually do right now. I think it may be dated in a few years from now but it was really refreshing too see friendships that thrived in group chats and social media.
• The ending was refreshing! Definitely a super realistic portrayal of how real life relationship summer relationships probably actually work lol.

What I didn’t like: 

• I really wanted to like this book. I really did … but it just didn’t WOW me. There was no spark. It wasn’t bad, but I also think I’m going to forget about it in a few weeks. Like, yeah, the love story was cute and I liked a lot of the characters but I don’t know.
• I had wasn’t a huge Arthur fan, and I feel bad saying this because WE NEED MORE DIVERSE CHARACTERS but Arthur was just too much too much. He came off as more of a caricature than a character, ya know?
• Also sometimes Arthur’s reactions were totally unrealistic and like out of nowhere, which I think is maybe the result of having two authors. 
• The chemistry felt forced but the fights also felt forced. Ben and Dylan’s friendship, now that I believed. But Ben and Arthur? It seemed forced. I really wanted to be squealing, but I just wasn’t.

WHAT I’M BLOGGING

• How I Finally Stopped Comparing Myself to Other Writers
• My Top 10 Under Hyped Books of 2018 // In Case You’re Tired of Reading Hyped Books You Don’t Like
• An In-Depth Look at My Color-Coded 3-Level Revision Process
• 6 Elements of a Productive & Creative Year
• 5 Ways to Making the Most of Your Writing Sessions
• 3 Easy Steps to Creating Awesome Character Arcs That Hit Ya in the Feels

WHAT I’M MUGGLING

My winter break is over and I’m back at college … so that basically says it all right there.

I have a lot of conflicted feelings about being back:

• I mean, it feels good to get into the routine and it feels good to learn.
• On the other hand, I’m taking a lot of core classes that I just never got around to taking yet. They’re interesting but also kind of just … pointless? Still fun though.
• And then, to top it all off, this is MY LAST SEMESTER OF SCHOOL LIKE, EVER. Because I am (hopefully!!!!) graduating in the May. Which is scary and exciting because I’ve never done anything else besides be in school. I’ve been in school for 20+ years just TRAINING for this moment: graduation. 
• So I already want it to be spring break, but I know that I’m wishing away the last of my schooling experience.
• And I also know that spring break will probably be the last big-ish break I’ll ever get before I have to go out into the real world and get a real job so I want it to be here, but I don’t want it to be OVER.
• So………yeah.

Despite that whirlwind of emotions, I am really excited for 2019 and what it holds! I’m ready to build my author empire, take over the world, and adopt a cat.

Lots of exciting things!!!!

How was your January? Are you keeping up with your resolutions? Anything fun planned for February? Any tips for a graduating soon-to-be real person??