After ten days of Mexican sun, I am sad and happy to be home.  Vacations are good for the soul.  Unfortunately, the rejection mill doesn’t stop because one is taking a break from one’s life.

I got a form rejection via email while I was lying by the pool sipping pina coladas (admittedly, there are worse times to be rejected).

And in the massive stack of mail waiting for me when I got home last night, there were a couple more.

Can I just say (if I haven’t said this already) that snail mail rejections sting less.  I think because as soon as I see one, I know exactly what it’s going to say.  With email, there’s that little speck of hope that maybe it’ll be a request, which is why it stings when I click on it and it’s not.

I did finish two of the five books I brought.  The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein has officially won Favorite Book of the Year for me, beating out a lot of other really great books.  If you want to read a book with voice, read this book. If you want a book with a lovable protagonist, read this book.  If you like dogs or racing, read this book. If for no other reason than because I said so, READ THIS BOOK.

I also read Fangland by John Marks.  I have mixed feelings about this one.  A literary vampire novel it is.  It’s scary, definitely.  But it was so weird!  Which I think is good, because days later I’m still thinking about it and still creeped out by it.  Beautiful writing and sort of a modern retelling of Dracula, though it fizzled a little once the story left Transylvania and headed to New York.  Cool ending, though.

I got through a third of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire before I allowed myself to give up.  I was trying to force myself to get through it, but then I remembered I was on vacation and I don’t have to read it.  Not for me.

I got through a third of The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacqueline Mitchard.  Narrative was a bit heavy and passive for my tastes.  It probably didn’t help that I’ve already seen the movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer and that I know how it ends.  But I’ll give her next book a shot (the sequel is No Time to Wave Goodbye).

I’m giving myself the weekend to get things organized around the house, before officially getting back to a writing schedule on Monday.  I flunked NaNo this year.  But it’s okay, the book’s not going anywhere.

Can Christmas really be just two weeks away?