Over at On The Nightstand I am taking part in several challenges, one of which is “read 100 books in a year”. I did the same last year, reading (IIRC) 117 books, with the bulk of my reading happening between March and November. I did read a lot, but once I started up my book blog the amount of reading I did increased exponentially.

Anyway, it’s the 17th of January, and today I have reached the 10% mark of that goal – I finished East by Edith Pattou.

1. The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
2. Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins
3. Hidden Voices: The Orphan Musicians of Venice – Pat Lowery Collins (Review)
4. Hero – Perry Moore
5. Fade Out – Rachel Caine
6. The Luxe – Anna Godbersen (Review)
7. Along For The Ride – Sarah Dessen
8. The Changeover – Margaret Mahy (Review)
9. Enchanted Glass – Diana Wynne Jones (Review)
10. East – Edith Pattou (Review)

Now that I have reached that marker already, I’m going to slow down the reading a little bit for the rest of the month (I do have a few more books to read for review, with the one I am going to crack open tonight before bed being The Magician Of Hoad by Margaret Mahy) and focus much more on my writing for at least the next week – do a couple of word wars and things like that. I’m a little bit behind already on my Lionheart writing, but not too far that I cannot catch up on. Two days of writing and I’ll be right as rain.

Anyway, I’ll share with you the snippet of Lionheart that I posted over on Open Mic over at the blog of Michelle Zink, author of the wonderful Prophecy of the Sisters.

The lights flashed more and more frequently with each passing second, dancing about the blackness like countless stars moving rapidly across an otherwise empty night sky. There were no recognisable constellations, but as the shining particles moved about a shape began to form: small, delicate.

Human.

It was not until the glowing apparition spoke that Leander was able to recognise it.

“Help me, Leander,” begged the Eithne made of stars. “I don’t know where I am.” Her voice sounded tinny and from far away. “Please. I need your help.”

Voices of shadow strangers could not compel him to speak, nor being torn to shreds by some semi-invisible monster. But the mere sight of his little sister, especially when she was lost and in obvious distress, easily drew a single word from his mouth.

“Eithne?”

“Leander.”

She looked so utterly lost, forlorn and young that Leander instinctively reached out. He wanted to enfold her in his arms and comfort and protect her like he felt a big brother should, but each time he tried to touch her his hands passed straight through. Each time he tried the motion disturbed the shimmering dust particles, forcing them apart. It took a few seconds for them to reorganise themselves, taking longer each time.

Apart from her being a shimmery, off-white colour, and made of an infinite number of visibly separate particles, it was a very good likeness. It was unnerving, really.

“What are you doing here?”

The Eithne made of stars fluttered her eyelids frantically and chewed on her lips; the real Eithne did the same thing whenever she was anxious and scared.

“I don’t know,” she whispered. “Something’s happened. Something terrible.”