Summer Reading, Had Me a Blast: Beautiful

         Beautiful by Amy Reed is the story of Cassie's Go Ask Alice style transformation from a normal, small town teenager into an acid-taking, boy-hunting wild child. She is in a whirlpool of drugs, sex, and sociopaths that is threatening to drown her, all in the pursuit of being labelled beautiful.

         This book makes for an uncomfortable, often painful read. But that's the point. The writing is ugly, dwelling on every scab, barf, and dirty bed sheet Cassie's downward sweeps across. This isn't the sit-by-the-pool, candy-coated read you may be looking for this summer, but this book is fascinating. Cassie learns a few lessons along the way and there is a bright spot in her friend, Sarah, who is one of the few supporting characters that is not completely villainous. Even if you have to wait till the summer is over and the weather is dark and dreary enough to put you in the right mindset, pick up this book.

Next up on my summer reading list: Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

P.S.: Read Go Ask Alice first. That book is amazing.

Turtle on Busy Road, Halfway There: Writing Workout

         Sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, six word stories are always entertaining. But more than just being a quirky way to show off your literary talent, these stories teach an important lesson. Keep it brief. Cut away any redundancies to let the reader draw their own conclusions. Take for example the most famous six word story, supposedly written by Ernest Hemingway on a bet:

For sale: baby shoes, never worn

         Short, simple, and tragic. The narrator never tells us what happened, but we can read between the lines. Literal, detailed explanations are tedious. Create a few six word stories that tell a familiar tale in a brief, creative way. Feel free to post them bellow.

Here are a few of my favorites from http://www.sixwordstories.net:

Two wives, one funeral, no tears.

If you're rich, I am single.

Left handed woman seeks Mr. Right.

Summer Reading, Had Me a Blast: Vegan Virgin Valentine

         Mara Valentine is any parents' dream daughter. She is on the fast track to Yale and destined to be her school's valedictorian once she out performs her jerk of an ex-boyfriend. If only she could stop crushing on her twenty-two-year-old boss, James, and get her wild-child of a niece, V, out of her life.
         I had high hopes for this book after reading The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by the same author. Although Vegan Virgin Valentine was harder to get swept away with than Mackler's other  books, I was not disappointed in the story of Mara's senior year. Mackler breaks from traditional stereotypes (The honor student is always right, the slut is always wrong) and allows her characters to grow through realizing their flaws. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of V's story in the sort-of sequel, Guyaholic. 

Next up on my reading list: Beautiful by Amy Lynn Reed

My Favorite Writing Websites

Figment

Figment is the perfect site for writers of all ages. Post your writings for reviews and comments, read other people’s work, and join groups based on your interests. There are also frequent contests hosted by published authors. Figment’s claim to fame is the cell phone novel, because the site allows you to update your writing anytime from your mobile. You can check out my Figment profile here.

Teen Ink

This site will always have a special place in my heart because Teen Ink Magazine was the first place to ever publish me. With many writing websites, it’s easy to feel like you are just sending your work out into the abyss, where the chances of anyone reading it are slim unless you already have a network of followers. But Teen Ink has a team of editors that read the websites submissions and choose works to be published in their nationwide magazine. My Teen Ink Profile.

Writingforums.org

Although I’ve just started to explore this site, I have found writingforums.org to be the most active writing forum on the web. One of the most important writing practices is learning how to criticize other’s work, while accepting criticize on your own, and this forum offers workshops for just that. There are also threads for just about every other aspect of creating, from research to publishing. Come be my friend.

A short list of my favorite writing-themed tumblrs:

You Know You're A Writer When

Writing Questions Answered

Prompt Snaps

Summer Reading, Had Me a Blast: My Boyfriends' Dogs

         The first official book of the Summer! My Boyfriends' Dogs by Dandi Daley Mackall takes the reader through Bailey Daley's misguided dating life, involving three perfect dogs and three less-than-perfect boyfriends. With each relationship, Bailey attempts to change herself to find the happily ever after with her man, only to find out that the boy is never worth it. Through it all, she learns that love should be like pet ownership, your companion should love you just the way you are.
         The whole book I was screaming "He's not worth it!" But Bailey's blind love is relatable to anyone who has ever been a teenager. And she learns from her mistakes. She has the quirkiness of a side character, which is why I love that Mackall gave her the development of a main character. The writing is sometimes cliché (She just wants to be a gecko!) and some of the other important characters are pretty static, such as Bailey's best friend and her mom, but the message is sound. Don't change yourself for the one you're with. Also, dogs are always better than boys. I can agree with that.
         Next up on Emma's Summer Reading list: Vegan Virgin Valentine by Carolyn Mackler.



         It would be unfair to talk about fictional dogs without showing you a picture of my puppy:

Introductions are Lame

         Introductions are lame. Oh wait...I already said that in the title...Um...Uh.... *breathes heavily and looks down at feet* Hi and welcome to my blog. My name is Emma. *laughs nervously. Drops laptop.* Oh geez, I'm sorry. I'll just go.
         But in all seriousness, introductions are horribly awkward, even over the internet. All I wanted to say is: hi, I'm Emma and I'm an aspiring author. I created this blog because what better way to spend a beautiful summer than sitting in inside and blogging about reading and writing? *Drops laptop again* Oh god.