Hello, friends, and welcome to another monthly Round Up! A lot has happened this month that I’m so excited to get into…let’s dive in!
What I’ve Been Reading Recently:
Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins
Quick Book Summary: Katniss Everdeen has just returned from the 74th Annual Hunger Games, lavished with riches and fame. So why does everything feel so wrong? Not only is her best friend, Gale, not talking to her, but she’s not sure where she stands with her co-tribute Peeta. As tensions escalate during the long-dreaded Victory Tour and the President of Panem himself comes to give her advice, Katniss realizes that her actions have fueled an unrest that she might not be able to stop — even if she tries.
This book was so good…possibly one of the best I’ve ever read. Ms. Collins does such a good job balancing the tension of this book with sweet moments and plot twists that make you question everything. This was an incredible sequel that I can’t wait to reread over and over again.
Note: This book features lots of violence (since it’s set in a dystopian future), so I’d recommend it for 13+.
Early Thunder by Jean Fritz
Quick Book Summary: Daniel West has been a Tory all of his life, but as talk of revolution from England begins to surface in his hometown of Salem, Massachusetts, friends and family begin to break into factions: Whigs, Patriots, Tories, and people who don’t belong to any of them. With the arrival of a new stepmother and talk of war looming ever closer, Daniel must decide which side he’s on…before it’s too late.
This book was really good! I enjoyed Daniel and his dilemma, as well as the historical context of the period before the Revolutionary War. I’d definitely recommend it if you like historical fiction!
What I’ve Been Listening To Recently:
I’ve been following Katie Lynne Sharbaugh on Instagram for a while now, and I saw her new song, “Little Fortune (Stripped)”, on my Discover Weekly (Spotify) a few days ago! This song is so wholesome and talks about appreciating the little things in life, which I think is super important!
Lizzy Hilliard is one of my comfort musicians; she writes music that I feel like is tailored exactly to me! I loved “if you were a worm (bonus track)” and thought I’d share it with you! (Not that I’d ever be a worm, but this is such a cute, well-written song!)
(I also found this super cute animatic while I was searching for the video, so I thought I’d include this too!)
A Writing Update:
Well, I have a lot of fun news this month to share with you considering my writing! I explained in my map post a few weeks ago that I’ve been revising my newest draft using the reverse outlining method — which is basically when you revise after your first draft but before your second draft. Not to be lavish with my praise, but it is the best method I have ever used for a process like this.
When I first started outlining, I was a little terrified because I had so much plotting to do! Cutting chapters, stretching or reducing material, and adding a whole new Point Of View is a lot of work. But this method has worked so well that I’m already halfway through outlining my entire first book!
You might have noticed that I’ve been sharing a lot of writing content this month on my Substack too: my first-ever Character Profile (with another one coming out next month!) and my town fantasy map post. I’ve been hard at work on these exciting story updates this month, and my goal is to finish my updated outline next month, if possible!
A Life Update:
Life has been lifeing at full speed ahead – my family had lots of fun adventures this month, including camping one weekend and watching good movies and TV shows. We actually just watched The Lorax (based off of the picture book by Dr. Seuss), which was hilarious and definitely worth a rewatch, as well as the movie Wonderstruck (based on the book by Brian Selznick). My family is also looking forward to watching the second season of Andor, which is now out on Disney+!
I’d love to know how your April is going….pop a comment below!
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