Hello, Readers!

Happy Black Friday if you're partaking in the chaos that is "the biggest gift shopping day of the year". I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving (I'll save my rant about how much I dislike the American History [cough, lies] about the first Thanksgiving for another post when I have time to link all of my sources... and stop swearing about it.)

I have another, short writing prompt story for you. The image prompt was of a waterspout above the ocean. It looks to me like a very mystical tentacle is reaching up from the depths of the ocean and punching a cloud. And viola: You get Pete the Kracken and the Angry Storm Cloud. Feel free to share what the image looks like to you in the comments section! (Err... please keep it clean xD).

Pete the Kracken and the Angry Storm Cloud

Tired of a cold and choppy ocean setting, Pete the Kracken decided it was high time he told that no good, sun-blocking, soggy rain cloud to move on! Or he’d move him along for him. Yeah!

At first, Pete, despite being infuriated with a week straight of no sunshine, was polite when interacting with the mopy, low-hanging piece of sky fluff. “Hello! You there, in the sky! Yes, you! The fluffy one blocking the sun! Do you mind shifting to the left by a country or two? It’s getting a little too chilly in my waves for September weather, buddy.”

When the large cloud simply blew Pete a raspberry in response, he surprisingly didn’t lose his cool. Instead, he tried again. 

“Look, Mister. Don’t make me count to three!”

This time the cloud spoke slowly in a voice of low rumbling thunder. “Didn’t know you could count so high down there. Ha! Ha! Sorry Octo-Buddy. This here’s a prime sunbathing spot. I’m not moving.”

“Are you sure?” Pete asked, still trying to remain polite. “If you’re stuck or something, I could give you a nice push.”

More thunder rumbled as the cloud continued to laugh. “You? Push me? I’d like to see you try!”

“Only if you say please,” Pete responded, coiling his strongest tentacle for his best one-armed attack yet. He didn’t practice moon-jelly ball with the girl’s Kracken moon jelly team for no reason!

“Please?” The cloud continued to laugh. “As i-Ahhh!”

Pete let loose his best moon jelly pitch, punching straight through the cloud’s underbelly. Rain poured into the ocean and the little moon jelly reflected the sun’s light for a brief second before the cloud closed itself back up.

“I know you didn’t just punch me with a moon jelly,  Pete Kracken!” The cloud boomed, his anger so loud and tangible that sparks of lightning flew from his fluffy fists.

“Pete Kracken you get back here this instant!” The cloud continued to roar with a fury that shook the moon jelly and several drops of rain from his underside. His hot, angry shout was so strong that it began to churn the water far below. 

As soon as the cloud released its own wound up arm in search of him, Pete realized he had made a grave mistake in punching the giant, violent storm cloud. In terror, he dove in the deepest depths of the ocean to hide… and practice his moon jelly pitch. The next time that cloud was in his waves, he was going to send him clear to the moon! Just you wait and see!

It's All Chicken to Me

 Hello, Readers!

As promised, I have a second short story for you based on my local public library’s writer’s forum. I wish I could share the photo with you for this prompt, but I cannot find where the photo originated from, and I don’t want to steal another artist’s work.

Just know that the image was of two VERY judgemental chickens looking the photographer straight on. A red rooster stood on the left, a white hen on the right, and in the background, slightly blurred, between the two, was a second white hen who looked angier than a cat offended by a human sneeze. 

The image selected above is a placeholder image, if you will, found on Unsplash by Hanna Oliver @hanako87.

It’s All Chicken to Me

I cleared my throat, face growing hot, and tried again, “Bock? Bock bock bock bock, bock-bock.”

The two chickens just kept staring at me like I was offending their most ancient ancestors. Did I have my inflections wrong? No, no. I was fairly certain I sounded just like Peep when we had practiced together earlier today. 

“Uh,” why was my brain suddenly so empty? I knew more than just “Hello my name is Good Boy”. 

“Uh, Bock!” No. No. That wasn’t hello, it was bathroom. “Uhh…”

“Oh! Bock bock, bock bock bock.” I sat back on my haunches and raised my front legs, tucking my paws under my armpits to mimic wings. I flapped my legs and the feathers Peep and I had gathered and glued to my fur with pigsty mud began to molt off of me, drifting to the ground like light, powdery snow. 

The two chickens continued to look at me like I was using every chicken swear in the book… 

Peep wouldn’t have lied to me, right? No, no. Maybe I just had the wing movements wrong? I was pretty nervous. 

“Um, bock, bock, bock, bockbockbockbock-bock?” I tried again, flapping my forelegs quicker than before. More feathers swirled around me and the very judgmental chickens. 

What on earth was I doing wrong? This conversation shouldn’t be so difficult! Peep spoke fluent dog and chicken perfectly. 

When the Rooster cocked his head to the side, large beady eyes still focused on me and my incoherent chicken attempts, I panicked and turned tail. “PEEP!” I barked in despair.

As I ran away, I heard one of the chickens hiss in perfect dog, “What on earth was he wearing?”

“Wearing?” The Rooster demanded. “I hardly noticed. I was too busy worrying over how obsessed he was with eating our poop. He knows that can’t possibly be good for him, right?”

*Author’s Note: Yes, for those of you that heard the original version of this story, I did change the ending. After doing some quick Googleing, dogs aren’t as affected by grain in their diet. As long as the chicken feed isn’t medicated and a doggo isn’t eating ALL the chicken feed, it really isn’t that bad for them--so I decided to have Good Boy talking (bocking??) about something the chickens might be more concerned about.

 Hello, Readers! 

Boy, it sure has been a while since I’ve posted again, hasn’t it. Sorry! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying life. I wish I could tell you that I’ve been keeping up with writing (you know as this is NaNoWriMo)--but aside from a monthly prompt through a program I help facilitate at work… I’m really behind.

I can share with you a couple of the super short stories I’ve created thanks to some of those prompts! Below is a story that was created with an intriguing image that I found on McKenna’s author’s blog here. The image can be found to the left. 

To me, it looks like a pale, human hand reaching out of a hedge or bushes--but it can be hard to tell if the owner of the hand is standing and reaching through the bushes, or has fallen and is requesting help. Readers, what do you see? Feel free to share your short story responses to this image in the comments below!

The Mirror Bush

“Help! Arthur! Stop laughing at me and give me a hand!”

I couldn’t help my laughter. I knew it was rude, but it was just so… predictable. My twin was always stumbling about. Why would a last minute trip to Gran’s be any different? Especially given that the trip was on foot through the dense forest between our house and hers?

“Arthur!” She called again. But this time her tone was different. It was no longer annoyed but awed. “Give me your hand. You must see this!”

“If it’s another of your spider tricks I won’t do it!”

“No spiders,” she promised, reaching her hand back toward me once more. “But really. You must see this.”

“Can’t you stand up first, silly?” I demanded, reaching down for her hand.

 It struck me as odd that she had fallen into a bush and suddenly vanished, only her hand and wrist visible to me. But I didn’t have much time to ponder the oddity. As soon as our fingers brushed the weightless sensation of falling from a cliff sent my stomach rocketing into my throat.

“Ah!” I cried out, much like my twin had only moments before. I slammed my eyes shut and tried to shield my face with my hands. 

What was going on? I hadn’t even stumbled! Jillian was the one who tripped! And yet…

“I am standing,” Jillian whispered, and with her words, the falling sensation faded and my stomach returned to my abdomen. I opened my eyes, taking in the wonder in her eyes and the flushed color in her round cheeks. “That’s the thing of it. It’s like I never fell at all… except…”

“That falling sensation,” I finished for her. “It was like I was skydiving out of a rocketship or something-but! I didn’t even stumble. I just reached for your hand!”

“And look, Arthur! You haven’t even begun to take it all in,” She breathed, her usual bossiness masked by her continued awe. She stepped back gently, allowing me to see around her.

I don’t know what I was expecting to see, the inside of a bush, perhaps? Or maybe dense forest? Instead, I saw blue skies beneath my feet. Clouds floating away on a gentle breeze that blew across my ankles. 

My stomach flipped again and I began to feel lightheaded. I sank to my knees among the clouds.

“Sorry,” Jillian whispered. “I suppose I should have had you look up first.”

In an instant my eyes flicked from the bright blue sky beneath me, to the densely packed forest above. 

“But how?” I gasped, my brain failing to fully grasp the information being collected by my eyes.

“I dunno…” she whispered in response, arm outstretched high above her, reaching for the trees beyond her grasp. “ You don’t think…”

But she didn’t finish her thought and for once in my life, I didn’t rush to complete it for her. Instead, I forced her to say it herself.

“I don’t think what, Jilly?” I demanded, forcefully, intentionally, tearing my gaze away from the upside down tree directly above me, it’s full, vibrant crown of leaves reaching toward me instead of away. 

Her face was now pale, all excitement drained by her sudden realization. “Gran’s story,” she started, her voice sounding uncharacteristically uncertain. “About the mirror bush…”

“That’s just a story!” I exclaimed. “You know, to keep us from wandering off of the path between Gran’s house and ours.”

“But Arthur,” it had been years since I’d heard that pleading, whiny tone catch in her throat. “The sky and the ground are mirrored here, like they always were in Gran’s stories.”

“Oh,” the gravity of her realization and the topsy-turvy nature of oru situation gurgled hauntingly in my poor, nervous stomach. 

“Do you recall how the children got back to their world in that story, Jilly?” I asked softly, terrified of her answer, clinging to the feeble, flimsy hope that maybe, just maybe, I had remembered wrong.

“I do,” she whispered back, just as scared of her own answer as I was. “And I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

“You said there were no spiders!” I yelled angrily at her.

“I didn’t know… this isn’t some trick I concocted!” She argued back, her voice mirroring my own terrified rage. “I honestly just tripped!”

“Yeah and fell into an upside down world where elephant-sized spiders control the only portals back to our own world!” I cried, burying my head in my hands. “When Gran said your clumsiness was going to be the death of me I never imagined this.”

Lost in Translation Part II: The Reveals and Reviews

A Quick Recap:

The Lost in Translation Tag was created by Eryn @ Love Your Shelf, but I discovered it through Neri @ Postcards from La-La-Land & my post format will closely follow hers. You can see my original post here.

The Big Reveal:

Book 1 Translation : Guest List

English --> Croatian--> Malagasy--> Thai --> English

Actual Title: The Guest List by Lucy Foley 

The Review: 5/5 Stars

This is a drama filled, kept me on the edge of my seat, murder mystery that left me guessing time and time again. It's not for the weak of heart--there's lots of graphic sex scenes, explicit language, and trauma. Lots and lots of trauma. I have never wanted the death of a character quite as much as I have while listening to this novel--and the author's good, almost too good. I say this because the murder victim isn't revealed until the last quarter of the book. So as the story unfolds, readers have no idea who dies or who the murderer might be--but that doesn't stop readers from trying to figure out who-dun-it. 

Book 2 Translation: Woman of Air and Darkness

English --> Romanian --> Serbian --> Igbo --> English

Actual Title: Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

The Review: 5/5 Stars

This is an exciting and satisfying end to the Dark Artifices series. I love Cassandra Clare and the Shadow Hunter World she has created. I used to read these novels like candy and now I'm listening to them like candy as I drive between home, babysitters, and work. I do have to admit, I'm writing this review before actually finishing the novel (I have two discs left--out of 24). There's lots of demon slaying, world hopping, fairies, wizards, and forbidden love to go around and I'm loving every second of it.

Book 3: Fashion Again, Fashion Again

English --> Luxembourgish --> Maori --> Samoan --> English

Actual Title: Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes

The Review: 5/5 Stars

I love this book so, so, so much. First of all, it's a sports book that doesn't feel like a sports book. Sports books bore me. Maybe it's because this sport in particular is fencing--but I absolutely love the history, the moves and how the author ties it directly to the main character's every day feelings, challenges, and struggles.  This book is also super important because it's an own voices story about first hand colorism. The main character, Donte, and his brother  are biracial, but Donte has darker skin than his brother, and in a mostly all white prep school, readers get to see what colorism looks and feels like. It's an eye opening experience, but it doesn't feel like the book only serves the purpose of exposing or relating readers to these topics. The characters are so three dimensional and their growth is fantastic. This is a quick, fun read with lots of important topics and experiences. 

Lost in Translation Book Tag

Disclaimer:

The Lost in Translation Tag was created by Eryn @ Love Your Shelf, but I discovered it through Neri @ Postcards from La-La-Land & my post format will closely follow hers.

Rules:

• Pick the last book you read.
• Put that book in Google Translate and translate it into 3 different languages, then back to English. (Please put which languages you used to translate them!)
• See how close (or how far) it is to the original book title.
• Lastly, put the original book title at the bottom and talk about your last read!

Neri's Additions:

• Use 3 books instead of 1
• Don't give us the titles or reviews until your next post! 

Larkynn's Recent Reads:

Book 1: Guest List

English --> Croatian--> Malagasy--> Thai --> English

Book 2: Woman of Air and Darkness

English --> Romanian --> Serbian --> Igbo --> English

Book 3: Fashion Again, Fashion Again

English --> Luxembourgish --> Maori --> Samoan --> English

- - - - - - - - - - -

SPOILER ALERT: You guys, I am so sad that my titles are not as lost as Neri's! I'm apparently not reading books with hard enough titles to translate. 

Share your best guesses about what I've been reading in the comments! And feel free to consider yourself tagged if you find the prompt intriguing! 

Larkynn's Caramel Frappuccino Book Tag

RULES

1. LINK BACK TO NERISIREN’S POST.

2. THANK THE PERSON WHO TAGGED YOU AND LINK BACK TO THEIR POST.

3. DO THE PROMPTS.

4. TAG/SHOUT-OUT TO A FEW PEOPLE, IF YOU LIKE.

5. HAVE A HOLLY JOLLY GOOD TIME!

BONUS #1: REMOVE ONE OF THE PROMPTS AND REPLACE IT WITH YOUR OWN FAVORITE WINTER DRINK PROMPT!

BONUS #2: USE YOUR OWN SELFIE AS A HEADER (NON-OPTIONAL. P.S. PLZ DON’T USE MINE).

Thank Yous & Tags: A special shout out goes to both NeriSiren (who created this winter book tag) & Sarah Maree! They both tagged me. If you click on their names you can find their original posts. If this sounds like a fun post, consider yourself tagged!

Disclaimer: I’m not very creative when it comes to the things I drink and I’m also not very aware of a lot of Christmas cheer in the books I typically read. With that being said, some of these titles MAY stretch the limits of Christmas or winter or the described drink. 

The Prompts:

Hot Chocolate: The Quintessential Christmas / Winter Book

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

I don’t really read a lot of books that focus on Christmas. And if I’m being honest, aside from the Harry Potter books and a random YA novel, I don’t really remember too many of the books I’ve read TALKING about Christmas. So you get The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe because there’s a lot of snow in it :)

Horchata: A Book that’s Sweet & Spicy

The Inn at Ocean’s Edge by Colleen Coble

This is a sweet romance with scandalously spicy mystery. Claire joins her father on a business trip and is instantly overwhelmed with flashbacks and panic attacks that she cannot explain. Why would a place she's never been to feel so familiar?

Eggnog / Pumpkin Spiced Drinks: You Either Love It or You Hate It

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

This was one of my guilty pleasure reads in highschool. I’m not sure I could re-read it as an adult. But boy oh boy do I still enjoy memes, gifs, and fanfiction revolving around this world created by Stephanie Meyer. And I think her world definitely has some influence in the worlds I create as well. I’m a 30 year old who’s still way too obsessed with vampires and werewolves... 

Hot Caramel Apple Cider: A Seasonal Twist OR Cultural Fusion

Dragon Pear by Yoon Ha Lee

This book feels like a magical space western / Korean Mythology cross over and I LOVE IT. Min is a gumiho, or a shapeshifting, charm bearing fox creature that has the ability to take on a human form. As a child she has always been taught to never reveal her true form because the humans are frightened of fox spirits. The old stories claim that fox spirits would lure humans to drain away their life forces. Dragons, Goblins, and Tigers, while still looked down upon by most humans for being supernaturals are at least allowed to use their magic freely. When a strange investigator shows up at Min's house calling her older brother Jun a deserter, all bets are off in Min's mind as she takes off on a daring space adventure to find her brother, clear his name, and bring him home safely to their mother.

Monster Energy Zero Ultra: A Book Character That Gets You Fired Up for Much Needed Change

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett & On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Okay, this one was a HARD decision and I think it comes down to a tie. In The Grace Year, Tierney is a clever, resourceful girl that lives outside the demanding rules of her society. When every girl turns 15 she comes into her magic, magic that is used to seduce and manipulate men. The only way to purge their bodies of the magic is for the girls to be locked in a secure camp for a whole year. At the end of the day, Tierney is the only one who can see their society for what it is, and also knows the first steps toward making everything better.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

On the Come Up features Bri- a sixteen year old rapper of color who just wants to make it big. Instead, she gets busted at school for selling candy bars and the security guards at school treat her like a drug dealer. Bri uses her words and rhymes to not only make it big, but to find herself and encourage real change in her community. You cannot stop her on the come up. 

Peppermint Hot Chocolate: A Jazzed Up/ Twisted Classic that Should’ve Been Left Alone OR a Book that Still Makes you Salty

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. 

I’m going to say it, and I know this isn’t going to surprise ANYONE who follows me regularly but, The Cursed Child STILL makes me salty. IT IS NOT CANON--IT’S A POORLY WRITTEN FANFICTION. End rant. 

Alcoholic Strawberry Daiquiri: A Book That’s Trying To Do Too Many Things (OR That One Element that Bugs you About an Otherwise Good Story)

Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi

This is a sequel to an absolutely FABULOUS book. This one is not so much. The characters feel like they’re completely destroyed and the entire novel is 400+ pages of the main characters arguing about going to war / attacking each other and failing to make any headway. 

Caramel Frappuccino: The Series You Drop Everything Else For

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger 

This is one of my all-time favorite books series. It features elves, dwarves, goblins, gnomes, humans, trolls, alicorns & more. To mere humans, it looks like magic, but really, it’s all super advanced science and I love it. While the books do get dark, the world itself (has a LOT of its own problems) is so vibrant and wonderful. 

Hot Chocolate with ALL da Marshmallows: A Delightfully Frosty Character

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Della (short for Delicious, but she NEVER lets anybody call her that because it’s weird AND the last time a teacher tried to use her full name a boy LICKED her to see if her name was a good fit) is fierce, strong, loyal, clever, and she doesn’t take snow from anybody. ♥

Chai Latte: A Book That’s Cozier Than Your Favorite Fuzzy Pink Unicorn Socks

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins

This is a wonderful, hint-of-magic, small town cozy read about a librarian that can really read a book and the people of her town. It’s also about a woman who lost her sister, gained a teenager, and has also found herself tasked with taking care of her elderly foster mother. 

Iced Sun Tea: A Book That’s Totally Out-of-Season But You Don’t Give a Flying Reindeer

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

This one is totally more of a Halloween read since it involves witches and werewolves, BUT it’s actually great anytime of year, no matter what anybody else says! 

Cinnamon Dolce Latte: Your Favorite Seasonal Themed Momement in a Book

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

The moment when Harry realizes that there are Christmas presents waiting for him under the tree--it’s the most Christmas-y memory I have from reading xD

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What have you been reading?

Reading Updates

Happy New Year, Readers! 

I know 2020 was one, uh …  interesting ride, at least for me. I hope this blog post finds you and your loved ones well. If not, please know that you and yours are in my thoughts during these scary and trying times.

A quick shout out here to Neri @Post Cards from La-La-Land, as she does posts like this every year to review the materials and projects she has been working on. I’m stealing her idea because I have been so behind on posting updates! 

Armed with a Bingo Update:

I didn't get my whole Bingo card filled in this year--but I was close!

A Book Published in 2020: Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

A Book in the Middle of a Series: Mermaid Moon by Colleen Coble

A Book from the Last Decade (2010-2019): A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth

A Young Adult Novel: The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

A Nonfiction Book: Online Searching by Karen Markey

A Memoir: We are Displaced by Malala Yousafzai

A Book by and Indie Author: Positivity Camp by Sarah Maree

A Book You Saw Someone Else Reading: Fated by Benedict Jacka

A Book with a Color in its Name: White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism By Robin DiAngelo

A Bestseller Book: The Inn at Ocean’s Edge by Colleen Coble

A Book You Meant to Read Last Year: The Line Tender by Kate Allen

A Book with Food Included in the Title: Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

Previous squares:

A Book of Your Choice: Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Kelly Entrada

A Book that was Gifted / Borrowed: The Next Great Paulie Fink by Ali Benjamin

A Book with Multiple POVs: Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins

A Dystopian Novel: Internment by Samira Ahmed

A Book Written in a Format Other Than Third Person: Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

A Book about Friendship/Family: Best Friends by Shannon Hale

A Fantasy/ Science Fiction: Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

A Book with a Beautiful Cover: Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly

Squares that Still Need Filled:

1. An Anthology or Poetry Collection

2. A Book that a Friend Recommends

3. A Book that has a Number in the Title

1. A Book Longer than 500 Pages--Yes that’s TWO Spaces

Mock Newbery 2020 Update:

Titles Completed:

1. Interment by Samira Ahmed

2. The Line Tender by Kate Allen

3. The Next Great Paulie Fink by Ali Benjamin

4. The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

5. New Kid by Jerry Craft

6. Best Friends by Shannon Hale

7. Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly

8. Other Words For Home by Jasmine Warga

9. Song for a Whale By Lynne Kelly

10. Because of the Rabbit by Cythia Lord

11. Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

Titles Yet to Read:

1. Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams

2. Caught! Nabbing History’s Most Wanted

3. Orange for the Sunsets by Tinea Athaide

4. This Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story in the Fight for School Equality by Jo Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy

5. The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

6. Sal & Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez

7. Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmitdt

8. Planet Earth is Blue by Nichole Panteleakos 

9. A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée

Actual 2020 Newbery Winners:

• Newbery: New Kid by Jerry Craft

• Honor Books: The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christain McKay Heidicker, Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga, and Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams

Mock Newbery 2021:

Titles Completed:

1. Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

2. Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk

3. Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson

4. Black is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy

5. Snapdragon by Kat Leyh

6. When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

7. Kent State by Deborah Wiles

8. Go with the Flow by Lily Williams

9. The List of Things that Will Not Change by Rebeca Stead

10. Fighting Words by Kimberly Bruebaker Bradley

11. Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom

12. The Summer We Found the Baby by Amy Hest

13. All He Knew by Helen Frost

Titles Yet to Read:

1. From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

2. When you Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

3. The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman

4. A Game of Fox & Squirrels by Jenn Reese

5. Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park

6. Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte

7. Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Other Titles I’ve Read This Year:

What have you been reading? Share your thoughts and comments below!

Happiest of Winter Holidays to you, Readers!

-Larkynn