Eat Your Vegetables!

I did not want to run this morning. I had a waffle for breakfast, the sun is really glaring, I was up freaking late last night, and, frankly, I'm a little hungover. But I took yesterday off to go crazy with the cleaning and cupcake and pizza making, so I knew I had to workout sometime today. This morning was ideal because I'm going two days without a hair wash, and it's business time. So I suited up in my cold weather gear, popped my headphones on, and busted a move outside.

I wish I could say it turned into a fantastic run. That I got out there and it was difficult at first, but I stuck with it, found my rhythm and had a blast. Yeah, not the case. I got out there, my legs felt heavy, my lungs burned, and my right knee turned into a little bitch. Even the music I chose was too slow. Boo and hiss. I didn't stop, though. I didn't quit my run or shorten it or even take a breather for half a block. I just ran. I was giving it the finger the whole time, but I kept with it.

And now? I should feel proud of myself for powering through, right? Well, mostly I feel like taking a shower and some ibuprofen. But I imagine I'll be grateful I didn't quit when summer rolls around and I'm not embarrassed to wear shorts in public.

Writing's a lot like this for me. Some days, I open my document and am overflowing with ideas. I can't wait to type, can't type fast enough. Writerly endorphins kick in and I feel so good. Then there are days, like the last few, when the idea of working on my novel makes me want to vomit. Some of that is a raging case of self-doubt (which seems to be viral this week), but most of it is pure laziness. I'm in a tough spot of editing, and I have several other projects that need real work. It's a lot, and I'd rather be reading, honestly. But I sit down and write. I curse and hate it, but I do it.

I call this "Eating Your Vegetables." You know you need to eat them, and they're not always asparagus with hollandaise. Sometimes they're just microwaved frozen peas that taste like crap, but will provide you with nutrients. And you need those nutrients to stay strong and healthy, so you suffer through. Because it's good for you.

Listening to: nothing. Isn't that strange?

xo. kb.

Books 2011

Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I find Goodreads to be very user-unfriendly. I don't want to rate the books I've read, don't want to post a review. I just want to add them to my "Read" list. So I'm making my own list here, just like I did for 2010. I'll update this post as I add books.

David Levithan
Boy Meets Boy
Are We There Yet?
John Green and David Levithan
Will Grayson, Will Grayson
John Green
Paper Towns
Looking For Alaska
An Abundance of Katherines
Jennifer Echols
Forget You
Ally Condie
Matched
Margaret Atwood
The Handmaid's Tale
Susan Colasanti
Something Like Fate
Jennifer Crusie
Getting Rid of Bradley
Strange Bedpersons
Maybe This Time
Crazy For You
Tell Me Lies
Fast Women
Faking It
Bet Me
The Cinderella Deal
Manhunting
Charlie All Night
Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer
Wild Ride
Don't Look Down
Agnes and the Hitman
Daisy Whitney
Mockingbirds
Katie Crouch
Girls In Trucks
Men And Dogs
Blake Nelson
Dream School
Lauren Oliver
Delirium
Melissa Marr
Fragile Eternity
Darkest Mercy
Tabitha Suzuma
Forbidden
Victoria Dahl
Lead Me On
Crazy For Love
One Week As Lovers
A Little Bit Wild
Start Me Up
Talk Me Down
Barry Lyga
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl
Goth Girl Rising
Hero-Type
Boy Toy
Nancy Werlin
Impossible
Extraordinary
April Lindner
Jane
Carrie Ryan
The Forest of Hands and Teeth
The Dead-Tossed Waves
The Dark and Hollow Places
Jay Asher
Thirteen Reasons Why
Julie Kagawa
The Iron King
The Iron Daughter
The Iron Queen
Lauren DeStefano
Wither (ARC)
Bill Cameron
Day One
County Line
Nick Hornby
High Fidelity
Emma Donoghue
Room
Christine Johnson
Clair de Lune
Stephanie Perkins
Anna and the French Kiss
Gayle Forman
Where She Went
Lisa & Laura Roecker
The Liar Society
Sara Zarr
Sweethearts
Sarah Ockler
Fixing Delilah
Holly Black
Valiant
Ironside
Tithe
Cassandra Clare
City of Bones
City of Ashes
City of Glass
City of Fallen Angels
Clockwork Angel
Jennifer Egan
A Visit From the Goon Squad
Hannah Moskowitz
Invincible Summer
Maureen Johnson
13 Little Blue Envelopes
Devilish
The Bermudez Triangle
Veronica Roth
Divergent
Jonathan Tropper
This Is Where I Leave You
Rob Bell
Love Wins
Lauren Kate
Fallen
Libba Bray
Beauty Queens
Tawna Fenske
Making Waves
Ilsa J. Bick
Ashes
Joe Schreiber
Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick
Elana Johnson
Possession
Sophie Littlefield
Banished
Myra McEntire
Hourglass