I’m going to take a couple days off to celebrate and sleep and say more than two words at a time to my family. But until normal life resumes, I had to share this with everyone who’s been cheering me on from afar.

I didn’t even hit 10,000 words until November 20th. But then I went and finished a day early.

Although, for future reference, I can’t say I’d recommend the “80% in 10 days” technique. Squeezing those last few thousand from my poor, numb fingers was more painful than…I don’t know what. I just wrote enough metaphors for a year, so I have none left for you right now.

Thanks to everyone who cheered me on. But a special thanks to my hubby Erik for taking the lion’s share of parenting duties these last 10 days so I could live out my dream of being a Comeback Queen.

Final official total: 50,079.

My efforts for NaNoWriMo this year have been less than ideal. A cold that traveled from one family member to another and an out-of-town work conference conspired to bring me down. But I’m determined to not give up.

Days Left: 9
Words Written: 12,159
Words Left to Write: 37,841
Approximate Number of Hours That Equates To: 38

I plan to write at least 8 hours a day tomorrow and both days next weekend, then that leaves only 14 hours in 6 weekdays. Thank goodness I have use-it-or-lose-it vacation hours I can burn next week.

After I finish this novel—and I will finish—then I can tackle the stack of finished but unreviewed books on my kitchen counter.

Can you trust me? Compare our taste!

Title: My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters
Author: Sydney Salter
Category: Fiction, Young Adult
Why I Read It: I went to a writing workshop where this book was recommended.

Summary: Soon-to-be-a-senior Jory has a Super Schnozz, so she gets a job and starts saving up money for plastic surgery. Maybe then Tyler Briggs will notice her.

Stopped on Page: 22
Why I Stopped: Another casualty of that string of great books. This may be a good book, but for me, it didn’t compare to the ones I’d just finished.

The main reason I stopped reading is that the voice sounded too young for a girl who’s about to be a senior. An example, where Jory is talking about getting to borrow the family minivan after having an accident in her car:

I was still slightly shocked that Mom had let me drop her off at work early and borrow the minivan. Like I keep saying, it was an accident! I thought I was hitting the brakes, but I was hitting the gas instead. It was only in the movie-theater parking lot, and I totally blame the guy for looking like Tyler Briggs. Really, it was no big deal. Except that I lost my car. One little mistake and my car becomes too expensive to insure. (You’d think the Mercedes I hit would’ve had a sturdier bumper!)

Your Turn: Should I have kept going? Or was I right to stop?

Note: As an aspiring author, I respect the extraordinary amount of effort that goes into writing a book. I did not write this review in order to be unfair or negative about the book. My goal is simply to articulate why the book wasn’t for me.

Can you trust me? Compare our taste!

Audience Pick!

Title: The Truth about Forever
Author: Sarah Dessen
Category: Fiction, Young Adult
Why I Read It: Because you told me to!

Summary: 16-year-old Macy just lost her father. Unlike her older sister, she didn’t let her grief show. She was the one who kept it all together. She has a safe boyfriend, a safe summer job, a safe life. So why would she trade all that in for a job with a chaotic catering company?

Stopped on Page: 82
Why I Stopped: I usually enjoy Dessen’s books. But after a string of books that nearly destroyed my will to write, I couldn’t get into this one.

Reasons I couldn’t get into this book:

• You’re tellin’ me—I felt like I was getting told a whole lot without being able to see and discover things for myself.
• Flashback whiplash—They made it hard to get into the here and now of Macy’s life.
• Romantic let-down—When I started this book, I was expecting a good romance. But by page 82, Macy had just noticed a cute boy and they hadn’t had much real interaction. I wanted things to move a little faster in that department.

Still, I will probably go back to this one someday. The timing just wasn’t right this go-round.

Your Turn: Should I have kept going? Or was I right to stop?

Note: As an aspiring author, I respect the extraordinary amount of effort that goes into writing a book. I did not write this review in order to be unfair or negative about the book. My goal is simply to articulate why the book wasn’t for me.