But, okay, when I read an exciting book like that and then it’s over, I get…mopey. Does this happen to anyone else? It’s not just this time. It’s happened before. I seriously get so blah that often I’m cranky for the rest of the day.

Part of my crankiness is often that the house looks like the Hulk walked in and smacked it around a little. But maybe that’s it. I read this awesome book where everything is so exciting and cool and when it’s over I have to come back to boring reality. In the book I got to do cool and scary stuff and pretend I was someone else. Back in reality I have to do things like dishes and change diapers and dump out those nasty leftovers that have been in the fridge too long. Boo.

What I looked like yesterday when I longingly wished I could be fighting for my life like Tris in Divergent instead of just washing dishes. Sigh. What a better life she leads!

So seriously, am I weird and Emo or something? Or does this happen to anyone else? Spill it. I don’t want to be alone here.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

I am a coward.
I wanted to be heroic and I pretended I was. I have always been good at pretending….God, I tried hard last week. My God, I tried. But now I know that I am a coward. After the ridiculous deal I made with SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer von Lindon, I know I am a coward. And I’m going to give you anything you ask, everything I can remember. Absolutely Every Last Detail.
Read an excerpt
(Wein, Elizabeth. Code Name Verity. New York: Hyperion, 2012.)

I got this post all ready to go months ago when I read the book, and then I never actually sat down to write the review. With everything going on, me and blog posting haven’t gotten along. So maybe once a week posts?

Anyway, the book. LOVED it. This is my new favorite WWII book (sorry, Book Thief). It’s about a young British spy who is caught by the Germans. She tells the story about her and her best friend, a British pilot. I think their friendship is one of the absolute best in YA literature.

The story itself was very different from other WWII novels I’ve read too. It was the war from a different perspective–meaning it wasn’t focused on the Holocaust aspect. I’m sure there are other novels like this out there, but I haven’t read them. This story is more focused on pilots and spies and that sort of thing.

Also, compared to other WWII novels I’ve read, it wasn’t as depressingly heavy. It wasn’t a light read by any means (believe me, I still cried my eyes out at some parts), but there was a great balance of humor and total love for these two friends that it had a different feel to it. It didn’t leave me hating human kind (which I admit happens way too often with war stories and me).

Beautiful, beautiful story. A really great read. I totally recommend it.

*news about code name verity*

Author connect: Website | Blog | Twitter
Sequels: None
Similar books: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

——–***——–

*for writers*

Agent: Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown, Ltd.

A Page from Elizabeth Wein’s Book: So many things. But definitely the number one thing to take notes on is the friendship between Maddie and Julie. They are the ultimate best friends.

Filed under: Books & Reading, Writing Tagged: agents, authors, book quotes, characters, historical fiction, reviews, writing advice ]]> http://karenmkrueger.wordpress.com/2012/09/25/book-review-code-name-verity-by-elizabeth-wein/feed/ 2 Karen code name verity cover http://karenmkrueger.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/announcing-writer-therapy/ http://karenmkrueger.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/announcing-writer-therapy/#comments Wed, 22 Aug 2012 06:00:35 +0000 Karen Krueger http://karenmkrueger.wordpress.com/?p=1201 Continue reading →]]>

I’m so excited to announce my involvement in a new awesome webseries about writers: Writer Therapy! Yay!

What is Writer Therapy? Well. Let me tell you. From our website:

Writer Therapy is a comedy/drama webseries (12 episodes, 4-10 mins per episode) about best friends, true love, and most of all: writing that first novel. The web series follows the life and laughs of a critique group as they (try to) finish their manuscripts and get published.

The first season kicks off with Chersti, a recent college grad who has just finished her first manuscript. Fortunately, she has her critique group to help her through the querying process. Though the groups’ crazy antics—including everything from stalking famous authors to striking out on a personal quest—might deter them from actually writing, it is perfect research for their books, which will obviously be the BIGGEST thing since Harry Potter or Hunger Games.

Exciting, right? I play a rather quirky character who is always searching for a “Writing Muse” in the oddest places.

We launch the first two webisodes on September 20th. So first you should watch our trailer:

And then, because I know you’re going to be so excited, you should visit our website and follow us! We’re going to have some great contests going, so keep checking back.

One of my critique group partners just had her second baby. She’s still writing. She’s still planning on querying in the next couple months. And I couldn’t help thinking, “Geez, I suck. I had my second baby and he’s six months old and I still don’t get writing done. Writing? What’s that? I suck at time management and I suck at writing in general and every time I sit down to write I suck suck suck because I just can’t get anything good to come shooting out my fingers. And I’ve been writing this same stupid book for seriously forever. And what the heck is wrong with me?”

And then I tell myself that this attitude is totally not fair. I shouldn’t compare myself to my friend. She’s amazing, I’m not. Okay, no…she has a totally different situation than I do. (But maybe I still suck?)

This weekend I had this epiphany that I have really got to change my attitude about everything. It’s my attitude that sucks. I am in this whiney acting-like-a-two-year-old rut: Boo hoo hoo, poor me. But I guess we all get into that sometimes, right?

But what happens when you feel like the rut has become a ravine that requires you to be this uber rock climbing machine just to get out of it?

Yeah, still working on that one. Rock climbing is hard. If that metaphor were real, I’d be dead from falling down too many times. Anyway…

I read recently on a blog…not sure which one it is now, sorry…that this writer makes a list about things she loves about her WIP. I totally need to do that, because right now I want to divorce it, kick it to the curb, permanently evict it. Ok, not really, but I want it to at least write itself and be awesome.

Something I like about my WIP:
1. The world is awesome, even if nothing else is right now.

Yeah, I know. Attitude. I’m working on it. Sigh.

Photo by Scott Liddel

On Saturday night I got to see my younger sister in a play for the very first time…like, ever. She’s seven years younger than me and so I was away at college when she started acting in plays. Well finally, I saw her. And she was AWESOME. She played Amber in Hairspray. You know, the snotty blonde girl.

It was a community theatre production. The theatre itself is in the back corner of a thrift/antique store. So bizarre and odd, but so awesome. I love quirky things like that in real life. Maybe one day I’ll add it into a book.

Anyway, watching the play totally made me want to be in a play again. I was Maria in West Side Story my senior year of high school. I love musicals, and being in one was so so so fun. My problem is…I don’t know if I have time for more than one hobby. Ok, I know I don’t have time for another hobby. So I’m gonna say that if I weren’t a writer I would be in musicals. I’d sing big and somehow learn how to dance better and I’d be fabulous.

Hmm…maybe that’s why my MC in WITHOUT A SONG is a singer. I’m living vicariously through my characters.

What would you do if you weren’t writing?

what the heck is a beat board? and other ali secrets
from Ali Cross

To Blazes with Formula
from Jeff Hargett at Strands of Pattern

Taryn Albright’s Query Series: the Ugly, the Good, the Blah, Everything Else
from Taryn at A Fool’s Golden Paradise

I think it’s important that bloggers read this post and make sure they aren’t violating any copyright laws. I went and reviewed the permissions page from the website I got my blog’s photo from: Stock.xchng. From what I understand, I’m in the clear. But I’m considering getting my awesome photographer sister to take a new pic for me.

We’re all artists and none of us want to have someone stealing our work. It’s easy to not even think about that when we google an image. It’s floating around the internet for free use, right? Not necessarily. So just beware next time you decide to use a photo, and remember that photographers are just like you and me–they don’t want someone using their work without permission any more than we do.

I can’t remember where I read this now, but I recently found an article about how covers are a huge deal for teen readers…more than reviews and all that. Makes sense, right? Cool picture must mean cool book. And you of course want to feel cool if you’re walking around with it.

Here are some of my favorite covers:

Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie
 Love, love, love what they’ve done with these covers.
White space and awesomeness.

Ivy by Julie Hearn

I picked this book up 100% because of the cover. Isn’t it to die for?
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a story that stuck with me, but the cover…Love.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

They’ve redone the covers for these books to make them less childish, I suppose.
But I’m a sucker for illustrations like this.

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie RyanThese covers are so haunting and totally match the tone of the books.

Ok, your turn! What covers do you totally love? 

Tip Tuesday
from guest blogger Melanie Woods at Literary Rambles

Writer Survival Guide 101
from Heather Marie

Running and Writing
from Kevin at The Scribbler’s Cove

Five Ways to Avoid Your WIP
from Melissa Brady King

The taste of music
from Alex at The Liberated Way
(Not really writing related. Just cool and quirky. )