Tag: Books

Joy School, by Elizabeth Berg

9 Comments

Cover ImageFinished 2-17-09, rating 4.5/5, fiction, pub. 1997

This is the thing about strong people: you can mostly be scared of them but sometimes the way they are makes you feel safe.

page 108, hardcover

Katie and her father have moved to Missouri from Texas just as Katie is entering the insecurity and wonder of her teen years.  Her mother is dead, her sister is pregnant, her father is distant, and she is mostly ignored at school.  She thinks maybe the only people who like her are the cafeteria ladies because they always give her seconds.  Then she meets Jimmy, the much older manager of a gas station and her luck seems to be changing.  She begins spending more time with the married Jimmy and even finds a few friends along the way.

Katie’s story covers all of the universal feelings of youth.  Loneliness, awkwardness, confusion, and fear all come together for the perfect storm we call  puberty.  I was touched by Katie and when she was uncomfortable or horrified, so was I  because the memories all came back to me.  She was heartbreak and humor at once.  She had me laughing out loud (her first experience at the drive-in was priceless) and also cringing at her optimistic view of a future with Jimmy.

I love this book.  There is something distinctive about the words Elizabeth Berg chooses and I am immediately engaged.  I recognize myself in her characters and I think you will too.  If you haven’t read her, you should!

This book stands on its own as a wonderful read, but it is a sequel to Durable Goods.  I did not know this until I was finished reading it and it really made me mad.  I think you should read this book, but I also think you should read Durable Goods first (even though I haven’t read it myself!).

Highly recommended.

The Red Siren, by M.L. Tyndall

4 Comments

The Red SirenFinished 2-15-09, rating 3/5, inspirational fiction, pub. 2008

Charles Towne Belles. Book 1

Dajon’s exuberance sank to the floor.  “Your daughters?”  his voice squeaked.

“Why yes.  There is no better man than you to be their guardian in my absence.  With the Spanish and Indian attacks of late, not to mention the savage nature of some of the settlers, they need a naval officer to protect them.”

No promotion?  Dajon’s breath halted in his throat.  He wiped the sweat from his brow.  A guardian?  Of women?  Every encounter he’d ever had with females had ended in disaster.

Chapter 2

It is 1718 and the Westcott sisters – Faith, Hope, and Grace- are in the Carolinas with their father, Rear Admiral of the British Royal Army.  Having already married off their oldest sister to an abusive brute, Faith is afraid of the same fate befalling her, so she has secretly been a pirate captain for over five years.  She hopes to amass a fortune so great that neither she nor her sisters will be forced into marriage.

When the Admiral must go back to Europe he leaves Captain Dajon White in charge of his daughters.  Dajon’s duty in the Navy is to protect the Carolina shore from pirates and this causes much concern for Faith, who finds herself drawn to Dajon.  Dajon has been duped by the lady pirate before and he suspects Faith, but his growing feelings for her cloud his judgement.

I did enjoy this historical inspirational romance.  It had adventure and danger and a wonderful message of God’s forgiveness and redemption.  Faith had lost her belief in God when her mother died, and it wasn’t until the God-fearing Dajon entered her life that she began to reconnect with God.  Dajon was a good man and it was nice to see chivalry and honor in a hero.

While I liked it, I did not love it.  I found all three sisters a little selfish and too modern for the times.  And I found it difficult to envision Faith as the captain of a pirate ship.  The way in which men were betrayed in this book made me question how this pretty girl commanded a ship full of obedient men.

If you like historical romances or inspirational fiction I think you’ll enjoy it.

I received this from LibraryThing to review.

Teaser Tuesday – Joy School

18 Comments

teasertuesdays3TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

  • Grab your current read.
    Let the book fall open to a random page.
    Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
    You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
    Please avoid spoilers!

“They’re fourteen, and they’re twins, Greg and Marsha.  I believe they are relatives of the devil.”

–Joy School by Elizabeth Berg, page 21

I’m loving this book so far!  Grab your book and leavea comment 🙂

Plum Spooky, by Janet Evanovich

3 Comments

Cover ImageFinished 2-13-09, rating 3.5/5, mystery, pub. 2009

Elmer came back to the table, and Grandma trotted in with coffee and half an apple pie.  She served the coffee and pie, and Elmer reached for the cream and farted.

Broomph!

Flames shot out of Elmer’s ass, set his pants on fire, and ignited the upholstered seat on the cherrywood side chair.  Elmer jumped up and dropped his pants, drawers and all.

“Holy crap,” my father said.  “That smells like the slaughterhouse burned down.”

Chapter 22

This Between-the Numbers Stephanie Plum novel was a welcome surprise.  I have complained about the first two being too short in length, humor, and plot, but this one was fun and funny.  And it was just long enough to make it feel worth my time.

Diesel, the mysterious, world travelling, superpower infused hunk of a bounty hunter, is back in Stephanie’s life and bed.  The two are searching for geeky nerd Munch and ice-cold murderer Wulf.  The chase leads them to New Jersey’s Pine Barrens where any number of kooky characters live.  Carl the monkey joins them and spends most of the book playing video games and flipping people his middle finger. 

Diesel is front and center and Lula is spandex deep in her wedding plans to Tank.  Both Ranger and Joe were minor players, but I was okay with that, because I do get tired of Stephanie being in love with them both.   It did maybe lack a little romance.

This book had a farting theme.  Lula sneezed and farted most of the way through and then Elmer the Fire Farter takes the stage to catch things on fire with his rear end gas. 

And there were losts of monkeys.  I actually kind of liked Carl in this one.  There was a scene with him eating mashed potatoes at the Plum dining room table that had me laughing out loud. 

I liked this book more than some of the more recent Stephanie Plum books and would recommend it to anyone who likes a little bit of wacky in their mysteries.  Or anyone who likes monkeys.  And farts.

 

Also reviewed at-

Books & other thoughts

Noble’s Book of Writing Blunders, by William Noble

Leave a comment

Noble's Book of Writing Blunders: And How to Avoid ThemFinished 2-10-09, rating 4, writing reference, pub. 2006

But if your confidence is bursting and you are sure your new approach will work, then go for it.  Never, ever, assume that you must march to the same beat as everyone else.

Think bravely!

Act honestly!

Write imaginatively!

And make your own rules.

Last lines of the book

When you read interviews with published authors the advice that is most often given is to write.  So, I have always viewed writing instruction books with a skeptical eye.  But, Writer’s Digest has all of these writing books on clearance and I decided to pick some up cheap.  This is the second one I’ve read and it was a good read. 

Each of the 29 blunders was covered in a chapter of 4-7 pages, which was long enough to address the issue and not too long as to make me close the book and not pick it back up.  These blunders were basic, but the way he wrote about each one took it one step further.  He didn’t only address point of view, slang, cliques, but also how each was perceived  by the reader.  Many of the blunders in this book he blames on laziness by the writer, but I also think a beginning writer faces the challenges he lays out.  Some of the chapters overlapped in content, but, for the most part, it was good. 

This book is written for the fiction writer.  He differentiates between the fiction narrative and journalism and how the rules for one are not the same as for the other.  These blunders are all about building tension in your story and keeping the reader invested in your book.

There are so many blunders that it is somewhat overwhelming.  If I was trying to remember everything in this book I wouldn’t be able to write a word!  That is why I quoted what I did at the top, because it was a great way to end the book.  I think my writing will be better off for having read this book.

Teaser Tuesday

11 Comments

 teasertuesdays3

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

  • Grab your current read.
    Let the book fall open to a random page.
    Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
    You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given    !
    Please avoid spoilers!

“I live in a one-bedroom, one-bath, unremarkable apartment in a three-story brick box of a building on the outskirts of Trenton, New Jersey.  Usually I live alone with my hamster Rex, but at eight-thirty this morning, my roommate list was enlarged to include Carl the Monkey.”

Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich, page 1

 

Tease me!

Scarlet Moon, by Debbie Viguie

3 Comments

Cover ImageFinished 2-8-09, rating 3.5/5, ya fiction, pub. 2004

“Darling child, what you do does not dictate who you are.  Clothed in furs and jewels you would be the same person as you are when covered with ash and soot.”

“Do you really think that’s true?”

“I know it is.  I loved your grandfather, and we were very different people.  In loving him, though, and marrying him, I didn’t lose myself.  Rather, I gained something I had long been in want of.  Love makes you more than what you are, not less…”

This slim youg adult novel is the retelling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood story and I was enchanted.  Ruth was attacked by a wolf in the woods as a child and saved by her brother, Stephen, when he attacks and wounds the wolf.  Ruth heals, but carries the wounds from the wolf into adulthood.  Her brother and cousin, Peter, go off to fight in Jerusalem and Ruth is left to help her father as a blacksmith.  She makes frequent trips to her Grandmother in the woods and learns from her the power of healing and an enlightened way of looking at the world.

Nine years after the wolf attack Peter returns home from fighting without Stephen and Ruth is heartbroken.  Even Peter’s spirit seems to be broken. Then one day Earl William walks into her life and everything changes.  Ruth suddenly feels like a woman.  Except that William is harboring a mysterious and dangerous secret that could devastate her.

I have never been a huge fan of the Red Riding Hood tale, but I really liked this adaptation.  Ruth is a strong and brave young lady and a perfect heroine for young adults (hormones included!).  The parts of the story told from William’s perspective were chilling and compelling. 

This is one of several fairy tale books from Viguie and I plan on reading more.  It was a pleasant way to spend a few hours!

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.

Teaser Tuesdays

5 Comments

teasertuesdays2TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

  • Grab your current read.
  • Let the book fall open to a random page.
  • Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
  • You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
  • Please avoid spoilers!

 

“In China, doctors are detectives of the soul.”  Then Sung leaned forward and said, “Hold your arm out.”

from The Stone Monkey by Jeffery Deaver, Chapter 19 

Go ahead.  Tease me.

Shortest Book Quiz

6 Comments
Since February is the shortest month I thought we’d take a look at the shortest books.  I’m accepting new book titles for the shortest books and will add them to this post. 
 
 For this week’s quiz I thought I’d start with a list from http://www.jokes2go.com/lists/list67.html.

Shortest Books Ever Written 

1. A Guide to Arab Democracies
2. A Journey through the Mind of Dennis Rodman 
3. Amelia Earhart's Guide to the Pacific Ocean
4. Career Opportunities for History Majors
5. Contraception by Pope John Paul II
6. Detroit - A Travel Guide
7. Different Ways to Spell "Bob"
8. Dr. Kevorkian's Collection of Motivational Speeches
9. Easy UNIX
10. Ethiopian Tips on World Dominance

Let’s hear your nominations for shortest book!

Stop Smoking with President Obama (Stacy)

Tips for a Happy Marriage by Liz Taylor (jb)

Hair by Donald Trump (jb)

A Teen’s Guide to Intellectually Stimulating Text-messaging (Elena)

Why I Love America by Osama Bin Laden (Jason)

Michigan: A Cultural Guide (Mark)