Category: 3 Star Books

Craft & Technique, by Paul Raymond Martin

1 Comment

Finished 2-2-09, rating 3/5, writing instruction, pub. 2005

High tension dialogue calls for fewer beats (less stage business).  More beats will elongate a scene, as when characters get to know each other  over dinner.

Never resolve one conflict before presenting another.

The first idea that occurs to you for resolving a plot problem will be the first to occur to the reader as well.  So think again.

In fiction, as in real life, what is suggested is far more powerful than what is revealed.

This is just a sampling of the tips you will receive in this small book.  It looks and reads like the gift book Life”e Little Instruction Book, but is chock full of advice for writers, most specifically fiction writers.  There are more than 300 thoughtful reasons to buy this book.  It covers characterization, dialogue, plot, fiction techniques, style and voice.

There was no groundbreaking insight here, but I did enjoy it and think it worthwhile.  The suggestions were good and forced you to look at your own work and possibly find weak spots.  Some of what was covered I’ve read other places, but in this format it worked to jump start my thoughts and ideas, instead of making me want to take notes.

Included are quotes from established and diverse authors such as Mark Twain, David Sedaris,Virginia Woolf, Elmore Leonard, Vladimir Nabokov, and James Michener.  There were also a few exercises sprinkled throughout and some solid suggestions for name choice and editing dialogue.

This is not an instruction book.  It is more of an inspiration book.  I read the whole thing in a hour or so and came away with a few new insights and ideas and a renewed excitement to start writing.

This is a wonderful gift for the writer in your life.  It is published by Writer’s Digest Books and is on sale -50% off- for $4.50 (link here), which is a good deal for a thoughtful gift.

Green Goes With Everything, by Sloan Barnett

2 Comments

Cover ImageFinished 12-15-08, rating 3/5, personal/environmental health, pub. 2008

Simple Steps to a Healthier Life and a Cleaner Planet

This is a guide to help you clean up your life.  It covers dirt and germs, babies and everything associated with keeping them healthy, food choices, water, air, energy and more.  Barnett was inspired to become educated in the green movement when her son faced a life threatening asthma attack and she was convinced it was due to environmental triggers.  The chapters contain studies and science back up as well as many websites to help you further your knowledge.

I am not a green zealot, but the small things do irritate me.  Things like rinsing dishes before placing them in the dishwasher, bottled water, and not recycling are like nails on a chalkboard, and yet I am terribly remiss is turning the TV off (I like the noise and constant stream of news).  This book does a great job of pointing out some of the big things we miss in our lives that have an impact on our health and the environment.

The main problem with the book is a big one.  Barnett is the wife of Shaklee’s CEO and she makes no apologies in recommending their products at every turn.  The only times she does not recommend Shaklee products is when the company does not have a comparable product.  She did provide studies showing the Shaklee products were best in some of these areas, but it was distracting, annoying, and made me question her judgement when she kept pushing Shaklee.  It seemed odd for a book that wants you to make better choices to give you only one in many areas.

On the whole, I think this is a good book.  I took 2 pages of notes and plan on checking out some of the websites mentioned.  It also had tips for around the house that I plan on trying.  Some of the things I already knew – buy organic, read labels, buy new pots and pans… – but it is always good to be reminded  as I seem to get too busy to pay attention and fall back to some bad habits.

I checked this out of the library and that is my recommendation to you, unless you are not familiar with any of these issues.  Then I’d recommend picking up a copy, just be willing to read a lot of hype about Shaklee products.

The Handmaid and the Carpenter, by Elizabeth Berg

1 Comment

Cover ImageFinished listening to 12-8-08, rating 3/5, fiction, pub. 2006

This is the love story of Mary and Joseph.  We meet them as they meet each other and declare their intentions toward one other.  Mary is a brazen 13 year old girl who is visited by an angel and Joseph is an uncompromising 16 year old who lacks the faith to believe in the miracle of Mary’s Christ child.  This is their story and although it obviously includes Jesus the story ends with Joseph’s passing.

I listened to this on cd read by the author and thought it was a nice story for the season.  I think Berg took great liberties with the story, but for a short holiday read it was enjoyable.  It would be a nice gift for the sometime reader who doesn’t mind that Mary and Joseph might seem a but too human.

Ishmael:An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit, by Daniel Quinn

4 Comments

Cover ImageFinished 12-6-08, rating 3/5, fiction, pub. 1992

“TEACHER seeks pupil.  Must have an earnest desire to save the world.  Apply in person.”   -Chapter 1

The narrator of this book answers this ad in the local paper and finds a full-grown gorilla, Ishmael, waiting for him in an office.  Ishmael and the narrator can talk to each other and Ishmael shares the truth about the history of the world and mankind.  The narrator is a willing, if somewhat daft, student and becomes convinced that everything the gorilla says is true, from his take on overpopulation and how it relates to feeding starving people to the destructive things Mother Culture teaches us that are ruining the planet.

Jason and I read this together and it took us over 6 months and not because it was long!  This book is an overly repetitive philosophy lesson.  It has some really interesting and thought-provoking ideas, but went out of the way to repeat each idea ten different ways so that it made me feel like I was back in school with a bad teacher.  There was no plot or storyline to follow, just a guy listening to a gorilla tell him what was wrong with the world and how to fix it. 

Okay, so if I disliked it so much why did I give it 3 stars?  The ideas themselves were good.  It didn’t necessarily change my view of the world, but it did reinforce some of what I already believed about man’s need to conquer the world at any cost.  Jason’s favorite part was the retelling of the Cain & Abel story to fit the philosophies of Ishmael. 

If you are looking for a good story, skip it.  If you want to be exposed to different ideas about the our society and the world I think you’ll probably get a lot out the book.  It won the Turner Tomorrow Fellowship , a half million dollar prize, when it was published.

Over Her Dead Body, by Kate White

2 Comments

Cover ImageFinished 10-21-08, rating 3/5, mystery, pub. 2005

True crime author Bailey Weggins is back in her fourth mystery in the Big Apple.  Bailey switches from one magazine job to another and is fast embroiled in a murder mystery.  Her nasty boss is murdered and there is no shortage of suspects and lies.  Bailey must work her way through the maze of red herrings and attempts on her life to find the truth and get the scoop for her story.

Bailey is a tough thirty-something divorcee living in Manhattan with a fun and feisty personality.  She’s like a big city Nancy Drew.

I’ve listened to two of this series on cd and really liked them, but this one was missing something for me.  It was still good, but Bailey felt a little tired.  I had no idea who did it until the very end, which was good, but the end didn’t really wow me after the multitude of possibilities. 

I would still love to hang out with Bailey and will read her other books.  Author, Kate White, is the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine.

Finding Grace: The Face of America’s Homeless, photographer Lynn Blodgett

2 Comments

The Face of America's HomelessFinished 9-26-08, rating 3/5, photography, pub. 2007

This is a coffee table book with a social conscience attached.  Blodgett went around the country to a dozen different cities and visited homeless shelters so he could photograph the people who used them to survive.  The photographs are all in black and white and he lets the photos alone tell the story.  I felt that he could have included more details about the people.  The photographs compelled me to want to know more, which may be the point, but it was a little unsatisfying.

The forward had some interesting statistics about the homeless (I wish I could include them, but I’ve lost the paper I wrote them down on) and it was heartbreaking to read how many are children, families, and women escaping abusive relationships.

I think this book is perfectly timed.  With the current forclosure rates and the state of our ecnomy as a whole, I think only more of our fellow citizens will be joining the plight of the homeless. 

This is not a book to lift your spirits or rattle of numbers and stories about the homeless.  This is a book to look into the faces of the forgotten, to appreciate what you have, and then to question how you might be able to help those people who need it.

This would probably be a great gift for photographers.

4th of July, by James Patterson

2 Comments

Cover ImageFinished 9-22-08, rating 3/5, fiction, pub. 2006

This the the 4th installment of the Women’s Murder Club

Lindsay, Claire, and Cindy are back to work another murder case or cases as it happens.  Lindsay finds herself on trial and on administrative leave after a shooting that leaves one teen dead and the teen’s brother paralyzed.  She decides to head out of town to her sister’s empty house for some much needed relaxation.  While there she becomes embroiled in the local murders terrorizing the local beach community.

Claire and Cindy make small appearances, but this is really Lindsay’s story.  Boyfriend Joe is back and her faithful furry companion, Martha, is a welcome addition for this dog lover.  And by the end of the book a new member is admitted to the murder club.

Patterson knows how to build suspense, but the way he does it sometimes feels lazy.  I felt that this book was aimed at those who have ADD and because of it there were a lot more loose ends than in the past books.  It is a page turner and a great quick read and sometimes that is just what I need.  If you liked the first three in this series you will like the change of scenery this one offers.

Full Cleveland, by Les Roberts

3 Comments

Cover ImageFinished 9-18-08, rating 3/5, mystery, pub. 1989

“Cleveland is a great city.  When the people who live here start believing it and stop heeding the knocks in the press and the bad jokes on television, things are going to be all right.”   -Chapter 7

Private detective and ex-cop Milan Jacovich is back in his second Cleveland mystery.  A few of his friends are back to help him in his latest case and his girlfriend, Mary, is there to add comfort.  Milan is hired to track down a man who has swindled local businesses and with this new job comes a sidekick appointed by the mob.  Sidekick Buddy provides extra muscle and some comic relief while the two of them track down suspects.  Milan is shot at and kills and drinks way too much.

This mystery series brings the neighborhoods of Cleveland, Ohio to life and anyone who enjoys reading and lives in the Cleveland area should really check this series out.  The first chapter took Milan and Mary to Johnny’s downtown, which is a favorite of mine and the neighborhoods are described with ethnic flavor and pride.  Actually, I think this series would be a perfect gift for anyone moving to the area.

I enjoyed the first book a little more than this one, but would still recommend this one.  Who knew Cleveland could be so exciting?

When A Man Loves A Woman, by La Connie Taylor-Jones

2 Comments

Cover ImageFinished 8-17-08, rating 3/5, romance, pub. 2008

Let me start by saying that I was sent this book to review for this blog.  I was curious to read it since I like romances.  This is most definitely a romance, but it was more than that.  Long after the romance had sorted itself out there was a mystery to be solved.

A.J. loved Vic and wanted nothing more that to spend the rest of his life married to her.  Vic was not willing to let her heart get broken again and resisted the urge to find love in his arms.  Their large families wanted them together as did A.J.’s twin daughters and A.J. was willing to use them to help his cause.  A car accident forced them into close quarters and into the middle of a police investigation.

This book has a lot to offer – A.J. is as close to perfect as a hero can get, Vic was a ‘hot’ size 14, there is a large cast of characters, and there is no shortage of action.  It was also wonderfully written.  That being said, some of these things were also a detriment.  I don’t trust a perfect man. Even in romance there should be no such thing.  And the extra storyline stemming from the car crash was a little too convenient and somewhat unbelievable. 

This was the second book written about the Baptiste family and I would recommend starting with the first one, When I’m With You.  Taylor-Jones plans to continue writing about this large family and another Baptiste brother in her next novel.  She is a talented author who received writing awards for her first book.  I don’t think that you will be bored or disappointed with this book.

3rd Degree, by James Patterson

3 Comments

Cover ImageFinished 8-6-08, rating 3/5, thriller, pub. 2004

“I have this very nice dog.  And my friends.  And this job.  And I’m good at it.  But I have no life.”   -Chapter 111

This is the third installment of the Women’s Murder Club.  The four women… homicide detective Lindsay, assistant DA Jill, medical examiner Claire, and reporter Cindy.

Lindsay witnesses a townhouse being blown to bits and rushes into the burning building and saves a child.  This begins the deadly terror that grips San Francisco at the hands of August Spies.  After the townhouse, a mall is blown up and ricin proves a bad end for a world renowned economist.  At the same time Jill comes clean about the abuse she’s suffered at the hands of her husband and Lindsay feels sparks around Joe, the point man from Homeland Security.  Then a shocking thing happens.  One of the four Murders Club women is murdered.

These books are so fast paced that I was almost done in no time at all, which was exactly what I wanted after Pillars of the Earth.  The problem is that nothing sticks.  The story was fast and kept me turning the pages, but I had no real emotional investment with the characters.  The death, while surprising, did not pack an emotional punch.  And I still think the relationship between the women feels off.  It is written by a man and you can tell.  For the page turner that it was it was good.  If you are looking to delve into the life of another character then you many need something more substantial.