Life Update (Summer 2017-Spring 2020)

Yes, you saw that right. It has been about 3 years since I have posted an update. I had to step away for a multitude of reasons and had a lot of healing in order to be where I am today. Life has been such a roller coaster and I was on a downslope for a really long time. Now I am at the point of an uphill, despite it being quarantine.

Home
The last time I updated you all. I didn't actually have an actual home yet, which was tough and I almost went back home in Scranton, PA. Thankfully, I preserved and really have made a life here in the Pacific Northwest. I lived in Federal Way, WA, for a year and a half where I dealt with a lot of hardship with an abusive narcissistic boyfriend. I managed to get out of that situation a little over a year ago and have been on the road to healing a few months before that.
Now I live close to the water in Tacoma with my two cats that have completely opposite personalities. My tortoiseshell tabby, Calypso, is more like a dog and responds when called. Arlo, my long-haired cat, is very much like a cat in that he is completely antisocial with pretty much everyone. He just started being friendly with me, but I only think that's because I am the one feeding him. I should also be getting a gecko very soon, too, so I am really excited to add to my little family of animals.

Work
My last update told you that I was working as a travel bank teller/member service member but that ended up not panning out. That's okay though because I got a job as a technical writer/instructional designer which is so much fun. I am always learning so many new things by working with all kinds of companies. I still work for the same company and I work from home so it's nice to be able to travel to visit family and other places.

Traveling
Unfortunately, the last two years have not had a ton of traveling but I did do a small trip to Portland, OR, soon after moving to the  Pacific Northwest and a couple trips last summer (2019). The church I have been attending since moving here had a mission trip to Liberia, which I joined. That was such an experience and I am glad that I went on it. I've always wanted to do a mission trip and felt like this was an excellent first mission trip. I also got to take my brother and sister on a trip to the beach when I went to visit my family. That was a really fun trip that felt rejuvenating.
Fortunately this year despite the Coronavirus, I have a few trips planned. In August, I am heading to Hawaii for a week, which has been on the top of my list of places to visit. That would mark state #26 out of 50!
I am currently planning a trip to France just to dip my toes to see what it may be like if I end up doing a Europe tour later on.

Reading and Writing

I haven't been reading and writing as I wanted to over the past 3 years since I have been doing so much, but I have done some of both. I have been staying very up-to-date on my favorite authors and have been reading all of their newest books. I have even gotten to meet Veronica Roth who wrote the Divergent series, which I partially wrote about in my senior thesis. I thought that was pretty cool that I was able to meet her. I almost got to see Veronica Roth again in April and was hoping to see Suzanne Collins near the around same time, too, but Coronavirus changed that. I am also looking forward to more authors to come visit the Seattle-Tacoma area in the future.

Other Fun Stuff
Even though I lacked traveling in the last year, I marked something off my bucket list, which is scuba diving. That was such an experience and I am so excited that I live in an area where I can do that. Because of Coronavirus, not many people are out and about diving so I haven't been doing it as often as I like.

I also got another tattoo to add to my tattoo collection in memory of a close childhood friend who I lost a little over 2 years ago.
During the quarantine on nice days, you'll find me hammocking at the park with a book and a
blanket enjoying the sun!

Finally, I really did some book housekeeping activities, which include painting my bookshelf to match, stamping my books with a personalized stamper, adding plastic protective covers on my beloved hardcovers, and creating a personal library so that I can help friends find recommendations.

Amy Tan's "Where the Past Begins" Book Discussion

***This event occurred on October 25, 2017, from 7:00pm-8:15pm in the Seattle Public Library in Seattle, WA***

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• Amy Tan builds her credibility as a writer from the very beginning (on page 3) of the novel by writing in the novel that the things she may remember may be inaccurate.
• This may seem like we shouldn't read it because it may not be completely true, but she follows what she has written with the fact that we revise how we see things as we get older and change. This is simply a matter of perception and perspective vs. reality.
• To continue to the idea of perception and perspective vs. reality, Tan continues to talk about how photographs also do the same thing. A photograph is indisputable and simply a snapshot of time, but there is no context to the photo. Questions come up: What happened to the photo? Why is the photo really taken? Who requested the photo? If it's posted, what were the feelings of the subjects before and after the picture was taken?
• Amy Tan primarily writes fiction, but Where the Past Begins is her first nonfiction or memoir.
• When asked whether the memoir was easier or harder to write she responds, "Writing this memoir is the hardest thing I have ever written but eventually became natural...it came pouring out of me."
• "This book I started out feeling insane but eventually I went on to enjoy the ride."
• Amy talks about how there is no set Asian American culture because every family is different especially as a different generation of Asian Americans live. She is a first-generation Asian American and remembers how her parents really wanted the best for her by expecting a great future. They wanted her to become a concert pianist or a neurosurgeon. Amy admitted that she didn't measure up in intelligence for being a neurosurgeon and didn't have the skill or passion to be a concert pianist. Her failure to live up to her parents' expectations has followed her in every little failure, even as a writer. I completely understand where Amy Tan is coming from.
• She gives advice to struggling writers:
• "Novelists need to lose their consciousness and write off the top of their heads. Then, they can revise it or toss it."
• Writers have to give 15-30 pages a week of their new work and must arc. The arc means a beginning that leads to a climax eventually ending with a resolution to that chapter or section of what you're writing.

Here are some pictures from the night.

My seat which is a row above the VIP section. I saw a seat empty next to an older couple and asked if it was taken. The man's response was perfect, "Yes, it's yours." Don't be afraid to ask for something like this for a popular event. I've definitely learned that after today.

I am next in line! She looks so happy to be seeing such a large turnout. I think Amy Tan was the perfect author to be my first meet and signing.

She is signing my book. I told her I finished it on Tuesday and thought it was really great. Her response was, "Thank you and that was fast."

Isn't it great?1 It says "Joy and Luck" which is a reference to her book The Joy Luck Club.

I am one happy reader and writer!

Review Wednesday: The Elite by Kiera Cass

*DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THE SELECTION. THERE MAY BE SOME SPOILER. If you want to read this series, read my review about The Selection by clicking on the link: Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

Title: The Elite (The Selection #2)

Author: Kiera Cass
1st Date of Publication: April 23, 2013

ISBN: 9780062059963
# of Pages: 336

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Society

Age Rating: 13

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Book Description:
The Selection began with thirty-five girls.
Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen?

America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.

Setting: Illea (United States) in the future

Point of View: 1st person- America Singer

Goodreads Rating: 4.02

My Rating: 4.00

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: Another gorgeous picture. I love the color of the dress, but the style of the weird folds in the dress turns me off a bit. I like how tough and menacing America looks as if she is ready to kill to get what she wants.
View on Title: The title again is intriguing. We find out at the end the Elite are the top 10 remaining bachelorettes in the palace, but there are only 6. The title makes you feel like these girls have power. Or don't they?

Pros:

• It feels like Maxon was not with America as much in this book as he was in The Selection, but I think that was intentional in order to show America's growing (and sometimes stunted) character development. You get a better look at America's character. As she grows to become more independent from her family, she acts on feelings of justice in very gray areas. I feel that this book is a great representation of America's continuous struggle of the reasons behind why she is still in The Selection and her feelings for the two men fighting for her. I feel that her feelings and actions are very normal and justified despite being a naive seventeen-year-old young woman who comes from a rough past.
• Maxon continues to surprise me. His flaws show even more and you realize more that he is a victim of all that's going on as much as the girls that willingly or unwillingly stayed in the castle. With Maxon's character, I actually fell deeper in love with his character because you understand his world and environment better despite how America is viewing and struggling with the Selection process. In some sense, he is also struggling in similar ways that America is, such as staying to himself and what he believes in. Plus, who doesn't like a man who knows what he wants and goes straight for it?
• You also get a better view of Maxon's other relationships, but from America's side so you're obviously not seeing the bigger picture of things, but the series is about her journey as one of the Selected. You can see how America deals with all the relationships that affect her and her relationship with Maxon.
• The side characters actually get more characterization and I have grown to appreciate certain characters more than others.
• Then you also have the rebels to consider. You get a little more of a glimpse of what the rebels want and how far they'll go when terrorizing the people in the palace. Based on the events in The Elite, I know that'll they play a huge role in The One.

Cons:

• Again, the love triangle is what I like the least. America cannot decide who she wants: Maxon or Aspen. But, she always tends to lean toward the Maxon side.
• We can't forget about him even if we try. At the beginning of The Selection, I actually liked him until he was a complete manipulative jerk to her. I personally am perturbed every time he comes into the novel. I just want to grab onto America's shoulders and shake her while telling her, "Girl, he dumped you and he is totally manipulating you. Tell him to leave!" What Aspen does throughout this book is very wrong and could easily get her killed, especially with how deep Maxon's feelings are for America. His presence and actions come off as manipulative to me since he was the one who was selfish before she became one of the Selected and continues to be selfish while living and "protecting" her in the palace. Unfortunately, America doesn't see it.
• I felt that the Marlee situation was cruel and unnecessary, but I feel like this was the way Cass was trying to kill off one of your favorite characters without the actual killing.
• I'm also not a fan of King Clarkson, Maxon's father. He is very manipulative in a different extreme from Aspen. As you find out how he deals with everything from country to rebels to even his own son, you hate him even more.

Critics' Reviews:

"The Elite seems like a mix between The Bachelor, The Hunger Games, and Downton Abbey, but it is set in the future after the United States falls to China. Part of the plot involves learning how the United States became Illéa, a monarchy. Some parts of the story lack background information, but possibly the next book will answer these questions. There is a lot going on here, but readers can pick up with this book and, for the most part, make sense of it." --School Library Journal

"The plot moves more quickly in book two as rebel attacks intensify and the girls become more competitive, ratcheting up the tension. Some secrets of Illea's past are revealed—a history hidden behind castle walls that contradicts the oral history embraced by Illea's people. It is a welcome addition to the series, as details about the dystopian kingdom come to light that were only previously sketched out. America's character is more fully developed; in simple prose readers see the complicated feelings that can evolve when one feels love for two individuals—albeit a very different kind of love for each. Aspen is America's "one constant." He represents America's link to the past, and her inability to move forward. Prince Maxon, however, clearly has a hold on her heart, but that hold brings with it America's encroaching adulthood—adulthood she is not ready to embrace. The dystopian elements take a backseat to the romance, and because of this, public and school librarians may find this work appeals more to readers of romance writers like Sarah MacLean and Anna Godberson rather than to fans of The Hunger Games." --VOYA

Kiera Cass's Website:

http://www.kieracass.com/

Other Recommendations:

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Entwined by Heather Dixon