Month: January 2018

Changing Plans

~ afledglingadult ~ Leave a comment

I had a plan. To be fair I have had lots and lots and lots of plans. I’m pretty sure that my long and short term goals have changed like 20 times over the past 5 years. Even in the past month things have changed from the initial plan that I had when finishing my degree.

Plan A: I was rejected from. Rejected is my least favorite feeling and it definitely has put me in a moving forward slump out of new fear of rejection.

Plan B: I figure out is not what I wanted when I had to consider it seriously. Which was a bummer, I think but it would have been more of a bummer to actually go through with it and be completely miserable and not making any money

So it took a little step back and am letting myself be a little lost. I am still working/free-riding and working while gaining experience. So my currently plan is a large amalgam of back up plans while trying to figure my life out. I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WANT! This is largely keeping me from wanting to do anything or move in any particular direction.

Right now I am staying put until June I have a position until the primaries here in Maryland in June and then we (me and the candidate and my family) are re-evaluating. However, a lot may happen between now and then, my family may move away. We will see.

Plans will probably change a lot again likely soon. I am learning to accept it even though I really really hate it.

Monthly Recommendations: Best First in Series

~ afledglingadult ~ Leave a comment

Happy New Year and beginning on another year of monthly recommendations. Monthly Recommendations is a Goodreads group that picks a topic every month for lovely book nerds such as myself. This month we will be talking about ways to start of the new year right with brand new book series. As a disclaimer I am not including Harry Potter because whether or not you chose to continue the series I expect you to have read at least that one.

Children and Middle Grade 

Book of Names by John Peel (Diadem: Worlds of Magic) – My favorite series that no one has read. This first book starts off with three outcasts, Helaine, Score, and Pixel,  who come from different worlds, literally,  are brought together on the Inner Rim to be taught the art of magic.

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede (Enchanted Forest Chronicles) – A princess who doesn’t particularly like being proper or the idea of being married off runs away to become a dragon’s princess. There are wizards with magic sucking staffs, witches with crepe pans, stone princes, etc. Everything one could want in a fairy tale adjacent fantasy.

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Shadow Children) – In a dystopia where only two children are allowed per family, Luke is the third. A political thriller series that is written for a younger age group and one of my favorites. It’s also the first series I read where there were consequences for the main characters. Warning: tears happen. 

Young Adult

Legend by Marie Lu (Legend Trilogy) – Most people have read this but everyone who I have recommended it to has loved so if you haven’t yet read it. This dystopian trilogy follows a prodigy of the Republic, a police state, and a young unparalleled criminal mastermind. Also there is a plague. It is amazing and slightly scary and sad and perfect. Go!

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (Fire and Thorns) – Oh no, another fantasy series about a chosen one, no trust me it’s actually unlike anything I have ever read. In this Latin America inspired fantasy world the series delves deep into political intrigue and religion. Elisa is one of my favorite protagonists of all time and the story goes nowhere a reader expects it to.

Adult

Sheepfarmer’s Daughter by Elizabeth Moon (The Deeds of Paksinarrion) – Let’s see if I can mention Paks at least once a recommendations post until someone complains. This first book see Paks join the Duke’s recruits and join the army. It is an easy introduction to a fantasy world that is full of fighting and destruction. It’s great fantasy for those who don’t like magic because while this occurs in a fantasy world Paks herself only interacts with magic users, healers, gods, but is not one herself.

Another Fine Myth by Robert Lynn Asprin (Myth Adventures) – This long and epic fantasy series starts off in the normal way Skeeve, a magician’s apprentice, watches his master killed by an assassin shortly after summoning a demon, Ahaz. Ahaz and Skeeve must then work together. It amazing and hilarious and has one of my favorite dragons. Gleep. 

Looking forward

~ afledglingadult ~ Leave a comment

2017 was a weird year. There was a lot of good things: I finished my bachelors degree, I interned for a mayoral campaign, I lived and worked in Boston, I vacationed with my friends and boyfriend, I started reading and writing again.  There was also a lot of really bad things: the loss in my family, my mental health was bad and had significant relapse, I had to let go of friends that turned out not to be positive people in my life even though I thought they would last a lifetime.

2018 will be better. 2018 must be better even though it will be significantly harder than I would like transitioning into life after college, a long distance relationship, and still coping with lose and mental health. So I have some goals to keep progressing in my life.

Writing Goals:

  • Post on my blog once a week, deadline before midnight on Sunday (better than keeping track of 7 days)
  • Finish draft one of the novel I started at the end of 2017.
  • Enter 4 writing competitions for short stories or poetry

Reading Goals:

  • Read 100 books again this year:
    • including 5 books that come out in 2018
    • Read 5 new to me authors
  • Keep up with non-fiction reading that applies to my field (Political Science) now that I have left school — two courses of reading

Personal Goals:

  • Finally get a credit card because debit cards have kept me from ever over-drafting but also I need to build a credit score
  • Get a job, this is already underway I am working on a campaign for free but am not doing anything for money which currently am trying to fix. It would be fine with me to get experience for no money as long as I can build up savings at the same time.
  • Get better at technical baking,  I would like to learn how to make the different types of meringues and sponges (The Great British Bake Off changed my year)
  • See my now long distance boyfriend in person at least once, stretch goal is three times but this is probably not going to happen.