A Plotting Epiphany and my Top Ten Reads of 2011

I got lost in mulling yesterday and an epic workout and forgot to post.  I have not exactly been setting the world on fire with words this week.  I wasn’t burning to get back to the WIP and that led me to the conclusion that I wasn’t starting it the right way.  Which led to the mulling.  Plus family has been in town, so I haven’t been camped out at the computer for once.  But last night as we were coming home around 8:30 to drop off the dogs before heading to a movie (Mission Impossible, which was much better than I was expecting), I had an epiphany.  I wound up mostly changing the first quarter of the book except for the inciting incident and the FPP.  The prologue stays as is.  One scene can be adapted and moved to later.  And one scene…well I’m just losing.  It wasn’t a great scene anyway.  The important thing is that I’m EXCITED about this book again, which is what you SHOULD be at the start of a project!   So I’m jumping into that this morning after I finish rehydrating (MASSIVE dehydration headache when I woke up).

There seems to be a big trend right now flying across the blogosphere for readers to highlight their top 10 books of 2011, so I thought I’d get in on that.  I read 45 books this year.  29 of those were YA.   Not as many as I’d like but not bad, considering (I only managed 38 the year before).  I spent a lot more time writing than reading.  My top 10 (not all of which came out this year) are, in no particular order:

Daughter of Smoke and Bone: Because it was amazing and inventive and got under my skin.  I bought it in audio too.

The Scorpio Races: Subtle and creative, I’m STILL thinking about this book, weeks later.

The Iron Knight: The exciting conclusion of the Iron Fey series.  I love me some Ash. 

The Iron Duke: My first ever steampunk.  LOVED.  I’m currently reading the second book, Heart of Steel in audio.  The narrator’s fantastic.

Shatter Me:  Who knew present tense could be done WELL?  Loved the psychology behind this book.

The Demon’s Surrender: Exciting conclusion to The Demon’s Lexicon trilogy.  Nobody’s sense of humor is quite like Sarah’s.

Heroes Til Curfew:  Hello?  Superheroes, smoochies, butt kickage of our favorite bad guy?

Darkness Becomes Her: This one got big points with me for unexpected twist and creative world building.

Archangel’s Consort: Well, let’s face it, anything Nalini Singh is going on my automatic buy list as awesome.  Love the Guild Hunter series!

Archangel’s BladeWho knew she could make me really LIKE Demitri?

5 thoughts on “A Plotting Epiphany and my Top Ten Reads of 2011

  1. Good for you on the epiphany, and it’s good advice too. When you’re not looking forward to working on a new project, change something big.

    Thanks for the book recommendations. I hadn’t heard of any of these books. I got a sample of Darkness Becomes Her.

  2. You’re a much more successful reader than I am. I’m determined to get better in ’12. Good recommendations.

    I gave up on The Demon’s Lexicon series after what I viewed as the disappointing change of perspective in the second book. But it sounds like you liked the third book even with yet another POV change. I’ll have to check it out.

    Thanks again.

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