Writing and Reading

Since I finished the draft of The Stone Mason last week, I decided to take a few days off of writing and read.  Not that I need an excuse, but now I don’t feel guilty for spending too much time reading and not enough time writing.

It’s hard to find that balance.  As a writer, I always want to be learning.  And the best way to learn to write is to read.  On the other hand, if all I do is read, then I don’t have time to write.  It’s one of those conundrums that can sometimes suck all of my free time as I try to find a balance.  Fortunately, I don’t have any difficulty leaving my house a mess while I work on the two.

So this week, I started the Lunar series.  I’ve seen several people recommend it and I wanted to check it out for myself.  Plus, it’s a retelling of fairy tales, and I’m a sucker for those.  I’ll read any retelling available.

Picture taken by me

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going in, and I’ll admit, I wasn’t quite sure what to think.  A cyborg Cinderella?  I guess it’s been awhile since I’ve read anything that sci-fi.  After the first chapter though, I was hooked.  Most of the plot twists were pretty obvious after the first few chapters, and there were very few surprises.  What hooked me was the characters and the creative use of the fairy tale.  Honestly, think about it.  

A cyborg Cinderella. 

Of course, I immediately went to the next book, which is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.  Again, Meyer did a fantastic job of blending fairy tale with the futuristic alien invaded world she’d created in Cinder.  If I had the money, I would have jumped right into the third book.

Unfortunately, I don’t.  I spent it all on books.  So while I wait for the opportunity to read the next book, I’ve started revisions on the King’s Councilor. 

How about the rest of you?  Any advice on balancing writing and reading?  Any good book recommendations?