Showing posts with label it's monday what are you reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label it's monday what are you reading. Show all posts

Monday, October 3, 2016

[Meme] It's Monday! What Are YOU Reading? + My "Acting" Debut

How is it already October? September was an incredibly busy month, what with BoucherCon and various writing/author-related activities. The last couple of weeks were especially busy as I helped my boyfriend prepare for his pilot reading. 

His dream is to be a TV screenwriter, which is what he went to school for, and lately has been taking classes at Second City and iO Chicago. Both these theaters are famous for comedy and improv, and October 1st was the reading of his original pilot script.




A pilot reading is exactly what it sounds like: a group of actors sit on stage, reading out the dialogue from the script to a live audience. The writer reads the stage directions, so that the audience has a sense of the context of the scene, but it's basically all dialogue. Pilot readings provide incredible feedback for the writer since how words "sound" on paper are very different from how they sound when actually spoken aloud. Plus, we could actually hear the audience's reaction to certain lines; if they laughed when they were supposed to, we nailed it. If the words felt clunky as we said them, or if there was zero reaction from the crowd, we knew it needed work.

I say "we" because even though it's my boyfriend's original script, I've read it over so many times and am the sounding board for all his ideas. Plus, I somehow got roped into being one of the actors.




In typical James (my bf) fashion, he was so focused on his script that he forgot to plan all the practical logistics til the last minute: contacting the actors, getting an artist to design programs, inviting people, etc. He ended up contacting the actors less than a week before the performance, and was only able to wrangle three actors, so he had me, his best friend Matt, and my friend Oscar fill in the rest. It was a little nerve-wracking, but a lot of fun and a great experience.

Now, on to my reading week.


Hosted @ The Book Date

Last week I managed to knock out three new release cozies, as well as finish an audiobook. Hoopla is such a glitchy app, but so useful during my daily commute.

What I Read Last Week:

This was a pretty lackluster lineup. The only new release I found worthwhile was The Book Club Murders. You can check out my mini review for all three here. The other three cozies I read the week before are reviewed here.

The audiobook to Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters was excellent. I can't believe it's taken me so long to start the Amelia Peabody series, but you better believe I'm going to continuing read/listening to it.

Goodreads

Goodreads

Goodreads
Goodreads


What I'm Currently Reading:

I'm about 1/3 of the way through A Kind of Justice and I'm liking it a lot. It took me a while to get into; not sure if it's because of the writing style or the fact that it's the second book in the series (I own the first, but haven't read it yet), but once I did, I really started to admire the protagonist, a transsexual woman trying to make it in the world. I'm trying to make an effort to read more diverse fiction, and this is a good start.

Goodreads

Goodreads

Goodreads

Goodreads

What's Up Next:


I'm still trying to get my NetGalley list under control, but after next week, I think I can finally start fitting in more of my library reads. Or, heaven forbid, I might actually start reading the giant stacks of books that I've bought but haven't touched. We'll see how it goes.

Goodreads
Goodreads


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What are your plans now that Fall's here? Was your September as jam-packed as mine? What reads are you looking forward to? 

I'm sorry that I've been terrible with responding to comments, but I plan on catching up with all of them soon, and also with all the blogs I need to visit. Chat with you all soon!



Monday, September 26, 2016

It's Monday! What Are YOU Reading?

A bunch of cozies are about to come out, so expect nothing but cutesy covers and adorable/ridiculous pun titles for the next two weeks. I've done a ton of reading, a bit of writing, and a whole lot of reviewing, so keep an eye out for that. And I know I still haven't blogged about my BoucherCon experience, but the longer I wait, the lazier I get. I might manage a very short update sometime this week, but if not, here's my favorite photo from the convention:


The legendary Sara Paretsky. We're totally gonna become besties


Time to organize my week by posting about what I've read, what I'm currently reading, and what I plan on reading in the near future.


Hosted @ The Book Date
What I Read Last Week:

Mostly cozies, but I managed to pull myself away from my usual cache of mysteries to read Americanah and it was fantastic. Definitely need to read more of her stuff.

Review later this week
Review later this week
Review later this week


Absolutely wonderful. 5 stars
Review here

What I'm Currently Reading:


All NetGalley cozies set to come out September 27th

Goodreads
Goodreads
Goodreads


Goodreads





















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What have you been reading lately? Which of these picks are you most interested in? Let me know in the comments!

Monday, August 29, 2016

It's Monday! What Are YOU Reading? #6

Hey everyone! I feel like I'm finally back on track, with quite a few reviews under my belt and some decent work on my sloooowly growing manuscript.

Hosted @ The Book Date

A decent amount of reading and reviews this week, with plans for lots more ahead.

What I Read Last Week:

Review here
Review here
Review here
























What I'm Currently Reading:

All NetGalley picks (still trying to whittle down my list)

NetGalley
NetGalley
NetGalley

What's Up Next:

These next two books are for the September '16 Serial Reader Challenge in the Cozy Mystery Corner Goodreads Group

Goodreads
Goodreads




















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Which reads and reviews are you most looking forward to?





Monday, August 22, 2016

It's Monday! What are YOU Reading? #5

Hey everyone, it's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry for disappearing for like, two weeks, but I still haven't found the right balance between work/writing/social life just yet. 


 
Hosted @ The Book Date

I may not have been doing a lot of writing, but I've been doing a WHOLE lotta reading. This Monday meme is where I talk about what I have/am/will be reading this week.

What I Read Last Week:



Review later this week
Loved it! Review later this week





What I Am Currently Reading:
Trying to complete my group reads and whittle down my NetGalley list.
August 2016 Group Read for Women of Mystery
Review later this week
NetGalley
Review next week
NetGalley
What's Up Next:
All upcoming NetGalley picks

NetGalley
NetGalley
NetGalley
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What are you reading? Which of these reads appeals to you?