National Day on Writing #WhyIWrite

Writing is my passion. Writing is my talent. I can express myself better in writing than talking or saying something. I write because it's a joy; it gives me this sense of happiness that I can't find anywhere else. 

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

~Meg~

Forever Mine (Elizabeth Reyes) Book Review

2017 Reading Challenge

4. Forever Mine by Elizabeth Reyes

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year old Sarah’s life is turned upside down when her single mom is sent to jail. She’s forced to move, leaving behind everything she’s ever known, including her best friend Sydney. Lost and bitter in a new school, her one goal is to save money and move back home. Then she meets Angel Moreno. Enigmatic but gorgeous, Angel is almost too good to be true. Except for one thing, his archaic belief that guys and girls can never be “just friends”. The problem? Sarah’s best friend Sydney is not a girl. With their unexpected romance intensifying to places neither ever experienced, how long can Sarah keep Angel in the dark about the guy waiting for her back home?

My Review:

First, this book is best suited for young adults. Unfortunately, I wouldn't highly recommend it as it was a disappointment overall. There were some good points, but I feel it didn't live up to its potential.

When Sarah has no choice to move to another state and school, she isn't thrilled to say the least. Instead of trying to fit in and get to know anyone, Sarah spends all her time finding ways to get back home as soon as possible. She figures that she'll only be there for a couple months at the most - she's used to her mom getting out in jail and getting out within a good time frame due to minor infractions, but this time, it may be different.

Everything starts to change when she meets Angel through his sister. Angel's the complete opposite of Sarah, but a relationship starts to form nonetheless. It takes them places they never thought possible. Angel is one of the first people to care about Sarah in a long time. The main issue with Angel is that he was controlling in their relationship and Sarah tolerated it, for some reason. I'm sorry, but no boyfriend or girlfriend should be telling the other who to hang out with, what to wear, etc. Sarah wasn't perfect either, as she didn't want to tell him that her best friend back home was a guy, rather than a girl. Angel was adamant in that girls couldn't just be friends with guys. That was what most of the story was about - Sarah going back and forth between telling Angel about Sydney and then losing the courage to do so, but one conflict wasn't enough to keep the story interesting and flowing. And if she would have been honest about Sydney in the first place, the whole situation could have been different.

While Angel didn't like Sarah talking to other guys, he did have the right intention for one man. In this story, Sarah begins training with the track team. Unbeknownst to her, the coach has been known for sexually harassing/assaulting the members. He sets them up to go running for better training/practice on a mountain trail and makes his move sometime during the run since it's a private area. Sarah did catch on at that point, but managed to fight him off and succeeded in getting away. This was the only time throughout the book that I praised Sarah for her actions. Once Angel became aware of where she was, he tried his best to get there in time to rescue her. He arrived just as Sarah was running away and she was able to run into his safe arms. And the coach's past and actions finally caught up to him.

Just like mental health, there's a stigma associated with sexual abuse/harassment/assault and rape. It's not something that's talked about seriously enough. And if a woman does say she was, no one really listens. Society, at times, makes it seem that it's always the woman's fault for any reason like she consented, she dressed a certain way so she had it coming, etc. Let's not forget at the same time, that it also happens to men, maybe not as much, but still. We should not have to feel ashamed and feel guilty just because it's not taken seriously. As a female, I understand that if you were a victim, it's not easy to talk about. It will take time to come to terms with the actions. If anyone has been a victim and needs to let it out, be heard, etc, here are some links to check out:

Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network - you can find help centers around the country and there's a hotline number to call
Women Organized Against Rape - my local rape crisis center

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

~Meg~

16 Years Later #NeverForget

At 14 and a freshman in high school, I learned that evil was real, that it existed in the world. What I never understood then and in the 16 years since is how people can have so much hate for one country that they're willing to lose their lives along with thousands of innocent lives lost that day.

I will always remember 9/11 as if it happened yesterday, but there's one memory that stands out above them all. As horrible as the terrorist attacks were, it brought the nation, my country, together. United we stood back then and I hope one day, united we will stand again.

Today I remember all those lives lost in New York, D.C., and PA in my thoughts and prayers. Let us never forget.

Talking As Fast As I Can (Lauren Graham) Book Review

2017 Reading Challenge

2. Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham

Synopsis:

In this collection of personal essays, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood reveals stories about life, love, and working as a woman in Hollywood—along with behind-the-scenes dispatches from the set of the new Gilmore Girls, where she plays the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore once again.
In Talking as Fast as I Can, Lauren Graham hits pause for a moment and looks back on her life, sharing laugh-out-loud stories about growing up, starting out as an actress, and, years later, sitting in her trailer on the Parenthood set and asking herself, “Did you, um, make it?” She opens up about the challenges of being single in Hollywood (“Strangers were worried about me; that’s how long I was single!”), the time she was asked to audition her butt for a role, and her experience being a judge on Project Runway (“It’s like I had a fashion-induced blackout”).
In “What It Was Like, Part One,” Graham sits down for an epic Gilmore Girls marathon and reflects on being cast as the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore. The essay “What It Was Like, Part Two” reveals how it felt to pick up the role again nine years later, and what doing so has meant to her.

My Review:

Gilmore Girls is one of my favorite TV shows of all time. I also think that Lorelai and Rory are relatable to almost every mother - daughter relationship. I have been fortunate to have a close relationship with my mom and like Rory, I have always loved to read. As far as Parenthood, I've only seen a couple episodes here and there.

Lauren Graham has been a class act. She has avoided controversies and the like in the media, one of the rare celebrities to do so. She has acted more as a role model in that respect. It was nice to read about how Lauren got started in acting. She proves that you can't gain success overnight and every role, no matter how small, counts. As in any job, you have to start at the bottom and work yourself up the ladder to success. 

Since I'm a Gilmore Girls fan, I appreciated how Lauren reflected back on the successful seven year run. And even though I haven't seen the new episodes (since I don't have Netflix), I liked her journal entries, as I'm referring to it as, on what happened behind the scenes while filming those four episodes and her thoughts on reprising her role. Since everyone was talking about the four final words, I am aware of what they are and honestly, I saw it coming. It makes sense to me. 

Her look back on Parenthood was good, too. I love the fact that she created an alter ego as a way to give advice on life and such to the kid/teen actors on the show. It was creative. I kind of feel like she was closer to the Parenthood cast in a different way than the Gilmore Girls cast.

While I enjoyed Lauren's thoughts and advice (as well as her sarcasm and wit at times) throughout the book, I really enjoyed the chapters 'Someday, Someday, Maybe You'll Believe My Novel Wasn't Completely Autobiographical' and 'Kitchen Timer'. She talked about the process of writing her novel and this book as well. She admitted her struggles with procrastination and dealing with deadlines. Writing can be hard at times and that's okay. So she incorporated the strategy that Don Roos uses: the kitchen timer. The kitchen timer method is setting a time limit (an hour for example), having no distractions, and do nothing but write during that time. And then stopping no matter where you are after the said time is up and giving yourself credit when completed. It's all about keeping an appointment, so technically it's not necessary to write the entire time, but you still have to keep the scheduled appointment. Keep in mind, it doesn't matter if you write on an existing project or journal write for that time. 

I have one critique for the kitchen timer method. While I get that it's important to not have any distractions like not going on the internet or phone or doing anything else for that matter, there's one that I don't agree with. It's recommended that you don't have any music on, unless it doesn't have words or in another language than your own. Here's my problem with that: music actually helps me stay concentrated on what I'm doing and helps me think. Growing up, I would put music on if I was having trouble with my homework, like math, and it helped me to focus and get it done. 

Since I just said music helps me out when I get stuck, my question is:

What do you do when you get stuck or have a mental block?

Happy Reading and Keep On Writing!

❤Meg❤

The Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit (Julius Lester) Book Review

2017 Reading Challenge

3. The Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit by Julius Lester
    Topic: book you loved as a child

Synopsis:
Whether he is besting Brer Fox or sneaking into Mr. Man's garden, Brer Rabbit is always teaching a valuable lesson. These classic tales are full of wit, humor, and creativity, and Julius Lester brings an added contemporary sense to these forty-eight timeless stories.

My Review:
I have loved to read as long as I remember, well since I learned how to read. I had many books that I loved as a child, but I went with this one for the reading challenge. I originally received this book when I was seven from my aunt and uncle. It was a favorite then and now.

It was nice to revisit Brer Rabbit and the rest of the delightful cast of characters. The forty-eight stories are black folklore tales passed on from generation to generation. They're great short stories for any race, however. I, once again, enjoyed the array of hilarious adventures of Brer Rabbit and his friends. Like most folklore tales and fairy tales, each story comes with a valuable moral or lesson. What I also liked is that it includes both color and black and white pictures throughout the book to bring the stories to life. What kid, or adult for that matter, doesn't like that?

What book was a favorite of your when you were a child?

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

❤Meg❤

Missing Melissa (Alretha Thomas) Book Review

2017 Reading Challenge

1. Missing Melissa by Alretha Thomas

Synopsis:
Twenty-two years old with a journalism degree from UCLA and a promising entry level position at a television station, Madeline Patterson is ready to take on the Universe. Raised by two loving parents, adored by her grandmother, protected by her dog, Pepper, and supported by her best friend—Madeline has it all. There’s only one thing missing—literally missing—her identical twin, Melissa.
When Madeline and Melissa were three-years-old, their mother was carjacked in broad daylight while taking them to a doctor’s appointment. She was able to get away with Madeline in tow, but the assailants left the scene before she could rescue Melissa. A long and massive search ensued, but Melissa was never found and is believed to be dead. However, a dream Madeline has on her twenty-second birthday, wherein Melissa appears to her as a grown woman pleading for help, convinces her Melissa is still alive. Against her parents’ wishes, Madeline vows to find her twin. However, in doing so, she unknowingly stumbles upon a series of startling clues that point to her parents’ possible involvement in Melissa’s disappearance. Paralyzed by fear, Madeline doesn’t want to face what could possibly be the ugly and grim truth about her parents. However, her desire to find Melissa propels her forward—but nothing could prepare her for what she discovers.

My Review:

A great mystery filled with surprising twists and turns. Fresh out of college, Maddie is entering the workforce as a promising journalist. It's what she's always wanted, except there's a piece of her life that's missing: her twin sister, Melissa. When they were just three, Melissa went missing and has been presumed dead. Nineteen years later, Maddie starts having dreams of her sister. Everyone else thinks it's strange, but Maddie can't help but wonder if Melissa's been alive all this time. It prompts Maddie to have the police re-open the investigation against the wishes of her family. What she doesn't expect to find are family secrets that may open up new wounds. Is Melissa alive or dead? With many twists and turns along the way, this story will keep you guessing until the very end.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

❤Meg❤

April Updates

First, I chose not to do the April A to Z Challenge this year. I had so much going on in March and the beginning of April. I knew I wouldn't have been able to put a lot of effort into the posts as much as I would have liked to. And since there's no linky list, it would have been harder for me to keep track during the first few days of the challenge.

The reason why I was so busy was I decided to do the show this year. I've been involved with community theatre for ten years now. Last year, I chose to do stage crew instead of acting. This year, we did Beauty and the Beast. It's a childhood and lifelong favorite of mine (and no, I haven't seen the live action movie yet) and I wanted to be a part of it. March was filled with rehearsals as the show was at the end of March and the beginning of April. We just closed this past Sunday, as we do two weekends. I had a lot of fun, but there were definitely some struggles and rough times during the course of these past three months. Our tech week, or as we actors call it hell week, was during the week of March 27. It was a really intense week with a lot of frustration and tears due to last minute changes to certain dances, multiple times. One dance was literally changed right after dress rehearsal (which is the night before opening night) and I was one of those in it. In the end, it was all worth it and the show was spectacular. Out of our six shows, four sold out. On Sunday, there were tears in our eyes when we sang Beauty and the Beast in the finale - sad that it was over with an amazing cast who gave it our all every night.

I will be writing about my theatre life in a post on my other blog right after I finish my long at series. I do have two posts already up, which will be linked down below. My third post will be out soon.

This year, I have read eight books so far and the book reviews for them will be up soon as well.

Meg's Long QT Journey Series:

The First Seizure

Second Time's the Charm (Or Not)

❤Meg❤