Hello, friends, and welcome to my May Round Up! The spring weather has been gradually shifting to summer, flowers are starting to sprout, and school is letting out! We have a lot to get to, so let’s get started.
What I’ve Been Reading Recently:
Thirst by Varsha Bajaj
Quick Book Summary: Minni lives in Mumbai, where water shortages plague her town and where waiting for water can take hours of standing in line. When Minni witnesses a group of men stealing water and connects them to a man who she works for, she has to decide whether or not to expose him and lose her job…in a time where money is scarce and water is scarcer.
This book was incredible! I loved Ms. Bajaj’s writing and Minni’s dilemma, and this was a fun, fast read that I would recommend to any middle grade reader!
Trapped (Framed #3) by James Ponti
Quick Book Summary: Florian Bates is the second kid on the FBI’s speed dial (the other being his best friend Margaret), and for a good reason. Having solved multiple cases before using his theory T.O.A.S.T. (or the Theory Of All Small Things), Florian and Margaret now find themselves trying to clear a friend from a stolen book crime. If Florian and Margaret can’t figure it out, their friend will be behind bars for a very long time…so that’s why they’re going to figure it out…even if it means breaking into the Library of Congress.
If you asked me who my favorite mystery author was, I’d have to say James Ponti. He’s so good at what he does, and every new James Ponti book I read, I always love. While this was a reread, I liked seeing Florian and Margaret solve crimes once again, and I’d definitely recommend this book to any sleuth who likes to read!
What I’m Listening To Recently:
If you’ve been following The Kindness Cafe for a while, you know I’m a big musicals fan: Singin’ in the Rain, EPIC, and Newsies are some of my favorites. This month for my musicals class, we talked about the musical West Side Story, and I’ve been listening to a ton of the 2021 film’s music. I included one of my favorites, “Maria”, which is sung by the actor and singer Ansel Elgort! He does such a good job with this song, and it’s become one of my favorites recently!
I had heard of the band Walk Off The Earth before (one of their members, Sarah, was also in a music video with Lindsey Stirling!), but I had never really listened to their music, so I was pleasantly surprised when their song “On The Road” came up on my Discover Weekly on Spotify! This is a wonderful song about always showing up for yourself and being proud of who you are.
A Writing Update:
Last month, I said I was hoping to finish my writing outline for the second draft of my book.
That did not happen.
I made it about ⅔ through the outline before I realized I was stuck. In my first draft, to skip some time and get to the end of the book (let’s be honest, fifteen-year-old me really wanted to just FINISH IT ALREADY), I skipped a period of six months. When I got to that point in the outline, I realized I needed to keep those six months.
Problem: What did my characters DO during those six months? Thankfully, they were in one place the whole time, but I hardly knew anything about the place they were, the culture they were experiencing, and who they were living with. And I couldn’t really plot the chapters without knowing what was happening, right?
So I started worldbuilding, and boy, has it been helpful. I’ve already been able to nail down so many elements of the culture, and I know as soon as I finish, I’ll be able to return to my outline with ideas and hopefully finish it!
A Life Update:
May has been WILD! I’ve been finishing up yet another year of school, barraged with homework, assignments, writing, and especially MATH!
In my free time, I watched the season finales of both reality TV shows Survivor and The Amazing Race and the second Hunger Games movie, Catching Fire. I’ve also been anxiously watching the Sunrise on the Reaping casting announcements. Is anyone else as excited about Elle Fanning as Effie as I am?
I’d love to know about your adventures in May down below!
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A highlight of my May was an interview on a certain blog by a certain friend... ✨ Happy June, Addie!