Words With an Author | Kim Cormack

Today's Words With an Author features Kim Cormack, author of the Children of Ankh series! 

   1. How did you get into writing? When did you first start writing?

   I’ve been writing since I was a teenager. Most of the time it was songs, or poetry and it progressed to children’s books, and then to this series. I started writing the children’s books because of a dream and I changed genres the same way.

   2. Where did you come up with the idea for The Children of Ankh series? Who/ what is your inspiration?

    “Sweet Sleep” was inspired by a nightmare. The nightmare began at the front door that wasn’t closed, swaying in the evening breeze and I woke up after the creepy song.” After that first nightmare the series sort of evolved by itself. I’ve always been fascinated by ancient symbolism. This series is about the journey of life, and what comes after. It’s about standing back up each time you fall. This series had a great deal of violence, but it serves a far greater purpose. It’s about the evolution of a soul.

   3. Are any of your characters based on people you actually know, if so which ones? 

    Some of the relationships in this series mirror ones I’ve had in the past. I’d say there’s a little bit of my essence in some of the main female characters.

   The friendships are quite close to my own, minus the murder and violence, of course. In real life my friends and I only plot our murder sprees over a glass of red wine and in jest. Nobody has ever gone through with it, that I’m aware of… I’ve never been contacted to hide a body.

   4. Have you written anything before The Children of Ankh series?

    I used to write children’s books. That answer will be totally hilarious once you’ve read the series.

   5. If you had to pick only five books from your bookshelf you could keep, what would they be? 

   I’m going to go full geek and full series on my book choices. How can you pick just one from these series?

   The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring… J.R.R Tolkien is amazing.

   The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe By C.S. Lewis

   The full Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

   Those books would keep me busy for a while.

   6. Who is your favorite character from any book and why?

   I’m off in my own little world with my characters; they’re like real in my heart. I’ve fallen in love with them. For me it’s a toss-up between Kayn and Lexy in the Children of Ankh series.

   7. How long did the writing process take for The Children of Ankh series? From conception of the story to final publication?

   The first book in the series took around three years to complete and find a publisher. “Enlightenment,” is coming out this month. “Enlightenment,” being book two in the series. I have a side series beginning in a few months. It revolves around Lexy’s character. Book three in The Children of Ankh series is scheduled to be released before the end of this year. 

   8. Who are some of your favorite authors?

   J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S Lewis. J.K. Rowling, and Stephen King.

   9. What actors/ actresses could you see playing the characters of your book?

   I think mine would have to be all unknown actors.

   10. How did you come up with the title and cover of The Children of Ankh series? Did they morph as you wrote the book, or were they constant?

   Oh, I have so many things planned for this series. I originally queried six books. Everything has changed now. I have a side series starting, and could probably carry on with the Children of Ankh series for quite a long time.

   11.  Are you planning to write any other books?

    I have a couple of books in the works that aren’t related to this series.  Sometimes, I need a change of scenery in my brain. I’ve got a lot planned for this year, but if I get motivated to finish them, I may find the time to release, “Bring out your Dead.” The other one is called, “The Repopulation Project.”

   12. What would your advice be to someone who's aspiring to be a writer?

   I’d say keep writing, but keep living your life because that’s where your material is going to come from. It’s a long road, but it’s worth it.

   13. Finally, just to wrap things up, what's your favorite color and why?

   Yellow, makes me feel peaceful. It’s always had a calming effect on me. I have no idea why that is...

Tuesday Talks | Audiobooks

It's Tuesday again; time for another Tuesday Talks! Tuesday Talks is a Goodreads group hosted by Jamie and Janelle where we discuss book-related topics every week. Today's discussion is on audiobooks.

Personally I am a fan of audiobooks. They're really convenient when I'm not in the position to read (if my head hurts, I'm driving, etc.) I think it is definitely considered reading since either way we get a story. It's great for multitasking and a great way for "nonreaders" to get involved in the literary world.

Though audiobooks have a lot of pros, they also have a lot of cons. One of the biggest ones is my attention span, or lack of. I'm not as much of an auditory learner as I am a visual one and while an audiobook is playing I frequently zone out and start thinking about random things from homework to life and end up missing a chunk of the book, which isn't really effective. Another thing I don't love about audiobooks is how slow the speakers of the book typically read. Audiobooks can take upwards of ten hours to finish but reading the same book would take me much less time. It's just more efficient for me to read a book than to listen to one.

What do you guys think! Do you think audiobooks are considered as "real" reading? Let me know in the comments below! 

Free For All Friday | Writing Classes

Welcome to the first post of Friday Free For All, a weekly discussion where I pick a random topic to discuss on my blog! 

Today's discussion is going to be focused on writing classes. 

I've taken quite a few writing classes and as a result have written many papers, research papers, "feely" papers, prompt papers, etc. But the subjectivity of a writing class really deters me from loving the subject. 

Are papers graded on content? On grammar? On whether the teacher likes you or not? If I get an A, is it because my paper is actually good or it because the teacher just likes me enough to push my grade up to an A. Consequently, if I get a B, was my content bad or did the teacher just not accept and agree with my opinions. 

Honestly, this is one of the reasons I prefer subjects like math and science. There is one answer, and you're either right or wrong. There not that much room for subjectivity.

Last year, I had an English teacher whose grading system was incredibly confusing. Upon returning our papers, she's make comments about how fantastic our writing was and then we would be presented with a B. If my writing was fantastic, why didn't I get an A? Within the paper, there would be no commentary on any objective things I could improve: grammar, sentence structure, content, etc. That leads me to believe she just didn't agree with my topic, which is mildly annoying. 

I love writing, but the fact that someone else should judge my writing and grade it based on their subjectivity is mildly annoying. 

Do you guys experience the same things with your writing teachers, or is it just me? Let me know in the comments below! 

The Walking Fish | Kopel & Rachelle Burk

A humorous, exciting tale of an ordinary girl who makes an extraordinary scientific discovery—a blind fish that walks

When seventh-grader Alexis catches an unusual fish that looks like a living fossil, she sets off a frenzied scientific hunt for more of its kind. Alexis and her friend Darshan join the hunt, snorkeling, sounding the depths of Glacial Lake, even observing from a helicopter and exploring a cave. All the while, they fight to keep the selfish Dr. Mertz from claiming the discovery all for himself. When Alexis follows one final hunch, she risks her life and almost loses her friend. Walking Fish is a scientific adventure that provides a perfect combination of literacy and science.

Another first in my experimentations of other genres, and once again I was simultaneously surprised and impressed. I was ready to critique it as a middle-grade, not exactly comprehending what exactly that meant, but I went into it expecting a "middle grade read", something I, understandably, would not enjoy. However, it surpassed my expectations. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, the setting. It was a fantastic mix of creative and realistic. 

The protagonist Alexis has so much determination and perseverance, a quality that is incredibly inspirational to younger children. This is definitely a book I would recommend as a cute, young read either for yourself or a younger sibling/child. 

Tuesday Talks | Picking a Book

Welcome back to another blogisode of Tuesday Talks, a Goodreads group started by Janie and Janelle. This week's topic is how we pick the books we read. 

For a long time I tried to objectively pick books based on what I needed to read. Books I needed to review and books I read for fun would pile up and I would frequently alternate them, pushing the deadline books to the top of the list. 

At one point, since it was a trend on BookTube, I even created a TBR jar in which I put the names of all the books I haven't read and vowed to pick a book out of it every month and read it with the goal of reducing the number of TBR books on my shelfs. Unfortunately that idea died as soon as I found that effort was required in keeping my TBR jar up to date. 

All in all, though I try to set up a TBR, although I try to outline the books I want to read, it rarely ends up panning through. Usually something else will catch my eye and interest me and I'll end up picking it up and reading that instead. My books are usually picked off of a whim, usually answered by the question "what do I feel like reading today?" 

How do you guys pick your TBR pile? Or are you spontaneous like me? Let me know in the comments below! 

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold | Iain Reading

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is the thrilling first installment in a new series of adventure mystery stories that are one part travel, one part history and five parts adventure. This first book of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series introduces Kitty Hawk, an intrepid teenage pilot with her own De Havilland Beaver seaplane and a nose for mystery and intrigue. A cross between Amelia Earhart, Nancy Drew and Pippi Longstocking, Kitty is a quirky young heroine with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting herself into all kinds of precarious situations.

After leaving her home in the western Canadian fishing village of Tofino to spend the summer in Alaska studying humpback whales Kitty finds herself caught up in an unforgettable adventure involving stolen gold, devious criminals, ghostly shipwrecks, and bone-chilling curses. Kitty's adventure begins with the lingering mystery of a sunken ship called the Clara Nevada and as the plot continues to unfold this spirited story will have armchair explorers and amateur detectives alike anxiously following every twist and turn as they are swept along through the history of the Klondike Gold Rush to a suspenseful final climatic chase across the rugged terrain of Canada's Yukon, the harsh land made famous in the stories and poems of such writers as Jack London, Robert Service and Pierre Berton. It is a riveting tale that brings to glorious life the landscape and history of Alaska's inside passage and Canada's Yukon, as Kitty is caught up in an epic mystery set against the backdrop of the scenery of the Klondike Gold Rush.

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is a perfect book to fire the imagination of readers of all ages. Filled with fascinating and highly Google-able locations and history this book will inspire anyone to learn and experience more for themselves as Kitty prepares for her next adventure - flying around the world!

I will admit, I am pleasantly surprised by this book. Prior to accepting it for review, I was slightly skeptical. The cover, the protagonist's name, everything about it just screamed "middle-grade" (something I hadn't tried, and, at the moment, didn't want to try), but the words "Yukon Gold" caught my eye and I began reading it. 

Over the summer, my family and I had travelled to Alaska, and I found it incredibly interesting to see the same scenes I've experienced manifested into a book. As Kitty travels throughout Alaska, to cities like Haines, Juneau, and Dyea, I find myself comparing my adventures with hers, reliving my vacation.

The plot itself was also quite interesting, though it could have been better spread out throughout the book. I felt as though the first half was relatively uneventful, while the second half was jam packed with the majority of the plot. The reader isn't even introduced to "the curse" until at least three-fourths of the way into the book. But I absolutely loved the bits and pieces of real history Iain intertwined into his plot, from the ghost town of Dyea to the sinking of the Clara Nevada.

For me, the biggest surprise was Kitty Hawk. The idea of a seventeen-year old named Kitty flying to Alaska by herself seemed somewhat ludicrous to me, but I really enjoyed her as a character. She had very realistic characteristics and a likable personality. While I'm still skeptical of her parents' decision of letting her fly alone, I think Iain did a very good job of making the entire situation seem realistic. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but I would definitely recommend it to a slightly younger audience, though there's nothing preventing anyone from enjoying this adventurous novel.

Girl Online | Zoe Sugg

I had no idea GirlOnline would take off the way it has - I can't believe I now have 5432 followers, thanks so much! - and the thought of opening up to you all about this is terrifying, but here goes...

Penny has a secret.

Under the alias GirlOnline, she blogs about school dramas, boys, her mad, whirlwind family - and the panic attacks she's suffered from lately. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets the gorgeous, guitar-strumming Noah. Suddenly Penny is falling in love - and capturing every moment of it on her blog.

But Noah has a secret too. One that threatens to ruin Penny's cover - and her closest friendship - forever.

Before I even begin to discuss the book and how conflicted I am, I want to spend a little time talking about the author and the "scandal" that surrounded this book. Apparently, Zoella, YouTube beauty vlogger, decided to write and publish a book, a YA fiction book at that, and with over a million subscribers, she did just that. Girl Online has had record sales in its first week, comparable to those of Harry Potter, but of course there's a catch. This book was ghostwritten, meaning that while Zoe might have had the idea, there was a person (or a group of people) behind the scenes actually putting the words together. To be quite honest, I didn't know ghost writing was a frequented route for many authors, but it only makes sense when so many celebrities have their own book. I admit, I was hesitant to read her book. The plot seemed uninteresting, and the fact that Zoe didn't write the book herself yet took credit anyways is oddly unnerving. 

I will also admit that after reading this book I am pleasantly surprised. I think this would make a good coming of age book for girls between the ages of 11 and 15, anyone younger may not understand the "coming of age" aspect of this book, and anyone older might see through the plot and characters, finding the glaring gaps between the story and reality.

Even as I type this, I'm still conflicted about how I feel. Whilst I read it, emotions of giddiness and adorableness bubbled up inside me, due to the romance BUT the sharp deviations from reality really brought the book down for me. Do I recommend it? I have no idea. It's definitely not a bad read, but the lack of realism may be a turn off for some people.