The Gin Closet by Leslie Jamison
This novel begins with twenty-something Stella helping her grandmother, who is going downhill with dementia. After her death, Stella searches for her long-lost aunt and fins her an alcoholic living in a trailer park. The two women are both struggling through some difficult psychological and emotional issues, and they learn by attempting to help each other that they can only really work to help themselves. This book is depressing, very angsty, and takes some mental effort to get through, but the payoff is well worth it. The writing style is gorgeous and leaves you with a sad but overall reassuring feeling.
Let the Dark Flower Blossom by Nora Labiner
Strange and mysterious, this novel is a unique twist on the writer's experience of life, tracing the days of a writer and his twin sister during a relationship with their college friend and past his murder. The style is odd and winding but beautifully renders emotions through single-sentence paragraphs and evocative word choice. It often has the appearance of poetry but is definitely prose, detailing the inner life of this writer as he dives into his sister's and friend's minds, discerning the motives behind murder. This is a literary mystery with a confusing but surprising ending.
American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell
This collection of short stories is set in Michigan (my home state) and follows a handful of characters through some rough and raw experiences. There are meth addicts, domestic violence victims, and people living in poverty in these pages, each possessing their own degree of likability. Some are hard to understand because of their inconsiderate decisions, others are hard to pity be of their self-destructiveness. Overall, though, each character reveals something subtle about the human condition.
Brief Encounters with the Enemy by Said Sayrafiezadeh
Each of these short stories has a similar plot line and writing style, leaving each one feeling not quite unique from the collection. However, this sameness is necessary to reveal the themes of the book, more a novel in short stories than a short story collection. The inhabitants of a city, usually lower-class men in their twenties or thirties, tackle the mundaneness of 9 to 5 life, the predictability of relationships, and the blindness of war. The writing is bleak and straightforward which, in the case of the themes, is perfect for the stories. It's tough to get through and emotionally harrowing, and this book left me with residual emotional anxiety from the reminder that my life is not all that different from the young people in these stories. It's very affecting and depressing, not suggested for the lighthearted. Needless to say, the writing style is effective.
Books I Read This Month - October 2013
No Animals We Could Name by Ted Sanders
This is a collection of short stories by the winner of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference Bakeless Prize. Overall, this is a spectacular collection. My favorites would have to be the three-part story, "Airbag," and the story, "Putting the Lizard to Sleep." When I first started reading, I was incredibly annoyed at the passive voice in the first and second stories. However, halfway through the second one, "Flouder," I got an idea for a short story that would work perfectly with the slow pace and extended moments of passive voice, so it's not all bad, apparently. Excellent voice and unique observations make this collection a great read for literary-minded readers and writers.
Saints and Sinners by Edna O'Brien
I have been reading a lot of short stories to help hone my own craft and to prepare for an MFA Creative Writing program, so I read this collection this month as well. I'll be honest, I wasn't too fond of this one. The characters were great and relatable, and sad in their human way, which is the goal of literary fiction, but sometimes the prose seemed a bit drab, though perhaps it was just in comparison to the book I read just before it.
The House at the End of Hope Street by
This book is girly, romancey, supernaturally, light and fluffy, and generally not very ... me. But somehow I found it charming and could not put it down. This is likely because of the strong main character, who I could relate to quite a lot. Problems I had with it: written in the present tense, except for flashbacks, character perspective changes pretty much every page, overdone use of dead literary figures as the main characters support and inspiration. But somehow, I really don't know how, I enjoyed it.
Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell
Spectacular. Gorgeous. I can't rave enough. It's not that there were any amazing themes that really resonated with me (which is the reason why I usually feel this passionate about a good book), but I cannot count the number of times I got caught up in Karen Russell's prose. Beautiful writing style, absolutely original premises, fully fleshed-out and rich characters, settings, and worlds, and syntax to die for. Every other page, I found myself thinking, "I wish I could write like this ... I want to write like this."
This is a collection of short stories by the winner of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference Bakeless Prize. Overall, this is a spectacular collection. My favorites would have to be the three-part story, "Airbag," and the story, "Putting the Lizard to Sleep." When I first started reading, I was incredibly annoyed at the passive voice in the first and second stories. However, halfway through the second one, "Flouder," I got an idea for a short story that would work perfectly with the slow pace and extended moments of passive voice, so it's not all bad, apparently. Excellent voice and unique observations make this collection a great read for literary-minded readers and writers.
Saints and Sinners by Edna O'Brien
I have been reading a lot of short stories to help hone my own craft and to prepare for an MFA Creative Writing program, so I read this collection this month as well. I'll be honest, I wasn't too fond of this one. The characters were great and relatable, and sad in their human way, which is the goal of literary fiction, but sometimes the prose seemed a bit drab, though perhaps it was just in comparison to the book I read just before it.
The House at the End of Hope Street by
This book is girly, romancey, supernaturally, light and fluffy, and generally not very ... me. But somehow I found it charming and could not put it down. This is likely because of the strong main character, who I could relate to quite a lot. Problems I had with it: written in the present tense, except for flashbacks, character perspective changes pretty much every page, overdone use of dead literary figures as the main characters support and inspiration. But somehow, I really don't know how, I enjoyed it.
Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell
Spectacular. Gorgeous. I can't rave enough. It's not that there were any amazing themes that really resonated with me (which is the reason why I usually feel this passionate about a good book), but I cannot count the number of times I got caught up in Karen Russell's prose. Beautiful writing style, absolutely original premises, fully fleshed-out and rich characters, settings, and worlds, and syntax to die for. Every other page, I found myself thinking, "I wish I could write like this ... I want to write like this."
The Vanished Knight: The War of Six Crowns by M. Gerrick (Review and Interview)
"She’d never been to a boarding school before, but it was a school
just the same as all the others. Except that here the students wore
black and blue uniforms—a good reminder as any of the pain they could
inflict if she let them."
Book Blurb:
Since the death of her parents, Callan Blair has been shunted from one foster family to another, her dangerous secret forcing the move each time. Her latest foster family quickly ships her off to an exclusive boarding school in the Cumbrian countryside. While her foster-brother James makes it his mission to get Callan expelled, a nearby ancient castle holds the secret doorway to another land...
When Callan is forced through the doorway, she finds herself in the magical continent of Tardith, where she’s shocked to learn her schoolmates Gawain and Darrion are respected soldiers in service to the king of Nordaine, one of Tardith's realms. More than that, the two are potential heirs to the Black Knight—Nordaine's crown prince.
But when the Black Knight fails to return from a mysterious trip, the realm teeters on the brink of war. Darrion and Gawain set out to find him, while Callan discovers there is more to her family history than she thought. The elves are claiming she is their princess.
Now with Darrion growing ever more antagonistic and her friendship with Gawain blossoming, Callan must decide whether to stay in Nordaine—where her secret grows ever more threatening—or go to the elves and uncover the truth about her family before war sets the realms afire.
Review:
With her sad, resigned cynicism and her muted self-consciousness, Callan Blair makes for an immediately likable protagonist who is easy to root for in this interesting, mysterious portal-fantasy novel, The Vanished Knight by M. Gerrick (pen name of Misha Gericke, who blogs here).
Gericke (or Gerrick, if you prefer) does an excellent job with characterization. Some characters start off at the beginning of the book acting a bit like archetypes—such as James, Callen's foster brother who is both attractive and arrogant in his upper-class snobbery, and Phipps, the castle guard who threatens expulsion to all who disobey even the smallest of rules. But, as it turns out, these archetypes are actually only the outer layers to the characters, which peel away as the adventure progresses and they reveal more of their true selves.
Callan's character is very well-developed, as she has both flaws and positive traits, both fears and desires. Her backstory and her life outside the fantasy realm are realistic, making the transition through the portal more accessible and believable.
Descriptions of action are dynamic and engaging, tracing the flowing moves of sword fights. The pacing of this novel is excellent and remains exciting page after page. The mystery behind who Callan's real parents are, where the Black Knight disappeared to, and who will be chosen as the next king keep the suspense going. I am eagerly anticipating the sequel!
Now, how about an interview with the author, Misha Gericke?
Writers often use the mantra "Write what you know." This usually turns into characters as manifestations of the author's traits. How much of Callan is you?
Hahaha oooh this is tricky. I see her as a person of her own, but in fact, I guess you can say that each of the characters have an aspect of my personality. Which is interesting, given how much they clash.
As for Callan, the most obvious bit to her that comes from my own experience is living with constant nightmares. I get night terrors, the intensity and frequency of which vary. But at the time I was rewriting the book (which is when her dreams started to feature) I was pretty much getting at least one night terror per night, every night, for months. It became a rather important part of the story, but when I was improvising it during the rewrite, I guess I was channeling my own feelings and fears onto the page. The nature of her dreams differ from mine, though.
Tell us about the world of Tardith. How did it develop in your mind?
Well... After the first inspiration came, I started thinking of the world I wanted to write about. And I wanted to be different, so I made the "world" a continent, and made the setting into four countries.
In a sense, I approached these four countries the same way I approach characterization. So I assumed (in my special special little mind) that Tardith and its countries existed. I also knew there'd need to be some sort of conflict between them, coming out of their history. (The same way I believe character conflicts need to come from their motivation.)
While I drafted, I started realizing that one country (Icaimerith) was the aggressor, one (Ladrien) was the scrappy Jack Russel that had been fighting Icaimerith off for centuries, one (Alfen Cairn) was actually in Icaimerith's sights and its king knows it, and one (Nordaine) despises, or at least ridicules the other three. Nordaine could counter-balance Icaimerith, but... well... due to one long and nasty history, they're simply not bothered to.
But then, of course, the war's coming, and suddenly Nordaine might just have to step up after all.
What is your writing process like? Do you plan ahead or just write as you go?
Mostly, I just write, discovering as I go, but making sure that everything I've learned before adds to the present discovery, or else the story wouldn't make sense. Usually, it's like a thinking game, where I contemplate what I know, and then see where I can take that knowledge within the overall story.
What has been the most challenging part of your writing and publishing journey so far? What's been the easiest? :)
Time-wise, drafting the story that would become The Vanished Knight and The Heir's Choice was the hardest. Took me about five years just to get that done.
Emotionally, querying was the hardest. The book simply wasn't standard fantasy fare. Still isn't, even if it might seem so. So I received a ton of rejections without, I feel, the agents even bothering to read anything I sent in except for the query.
Easiest was editing it. I spent so long locking up my inner editor that she had a field day when I unleashed her on my manuscript.
The Vanished Knight is the first in the series. Can you give away any fun teasers as to what's in store? :)
In the The Heir's Choice, Callan's the only person who can save Alfen Cairn (and if you've read The Vanished Knight, you could probably figure out why she wants to). Problem is, she owes Nordaine for saving her life, and they need her to act against Alfen Cairn's interests...
Author Bio:
M. Gerrick (AKA Misha Gericke) has basically created stories since before she could write. Many of those stories grew up with her and can be seen in her current projects. She lives close to Cape Town, with a view over False Bay and Table Mountain. If you’d like to contact her, feel free to mail her at warofsixcrowns(AT)gmail(DOT)com, Circle her on Google Plus, or follow her on Twitter. If you'd like to see her writer-side (beware, it's pretty insane), please feel free to check out her blog. You can also add The Vanished Knight on Goodreads.
Book Blurb:
Since the death of her parents, Callan Blair has been shunted from one foster family to another, her dangerous secret forcing the move each time. Her latest foster family quickly ships her off to an exclusive boarding school in the Cumbrian countryside. While her foster-brother James makes it his mission to get Callan expelled, a nearby ancient castle holds the secret doorway to another land...
When Callan is forced through the doorway, she finds herself in the magical continent of Tardith, where she’s shocked to learn her schoolmates Gawain and Darrion are respected soldiers in service to the king of Nordaine, one of Tardith's realms. More than that, the two are potential heirs to the Black Knight—Nordaine's crown prince.
But when the Black Knight fails to return from a mysterious trip, the realm teeters on the brink of war. Darrion and Gawain set out to find him, while Callan discovers there is more to her family history than she thought. The elves are claiming she is their princess.
Now with Darrion growing ever more antagonistic and her friendship with Gawain blossoming, Callan must decide whether to stay in Nordaine—where her secret grows ever more threatening—or go to the elves and uncover the truth about her family before war sets the realms afire.
Review:
With her sad, resigned cynicism and her muted self-consciousness, Callan Blair makes for an immediately likable protagonist who is easy to root for in this interesting, mysterious portal-fantasy novel, The Vanished Knight by M. Gerrick (pen name of Misha Gericke, who blogs here).
Gericke (or Gerrick, if you prefer) does an excellent job with characterization. Some characters start off at the beginning of the book acting a bit like archetypes—such as James, Callen's foster brother who is both attractive and arrogant in his upper-class snobbery, and Phipps, the castle guard who threatens expulsion to all who disobey even the smallest of rules. But, as it turns out, these archetypes are actually only the outer layers to the characters, which peel away as the adventure progresses and they reveal more of their true selves.
Callan's character is very well-developed, as she has both flaws and positive traits, both fears and desires. Her backstory and her life outside the fantasy realm are realistic, making the transition through the portal more accessible and believable.
Descriptions of action are dynamic and engaging, tracing the flowing moves of sword fights. The pacing of this novel is excellent and remains exciting page after page. The mystery behind who Callan's real parents are, where the Black Knight disappeared to, and who will be chosen as the next king keep the suspense going. I am eagerly anticipating the sequel!
Now, how about an interview with the author, Misha Gericke?
Writers often use the mantra "Write what you know." This usually turns into characters as manifestations of the author's traits. How much of Callan is you?
Hahaha oooh this is tricky. I see her as a person of her own, but in fact, I guess you can say that each of the characters have an aspect of my personality. Which is interesting, given how much they clash.
As for Callan, the most obvious bit to her that comes from my own experience is living with constant nightmares. I get night terrors, the intensity and frequency of which vary. But at the time I was rewriting the book (which is when her dreams started to feature) I was pretty much getting at least one night terror per night, every night, for months. It became a rather important part of the story, but when I was improvising it during the rewrite, I guess I was channeling my own feelings and fears onto the page. The nature of her dreams differ from mine, though.
Tell us about the world of Tardith. How did it develop in your mind?
Well... After the first inspiration came, I started thinking of the world I wanted to write about. And I wanted to be different, so I made the "world" a continent, and made the setting into four countries.
In a sense, I approached these four countries the same way I approach characterization. So I assumed (in my special special little mind) that Tardith and its countries existed. I also knew there'd need to be some sort of conflict between them, coming out of their history. (The same way I believe character conflicts need to come from their motivation.)
While I drafted, I started realizing that one country (Icaimerith) was the aggressor, one (Ladrien) was the scrappy Jack Russel that had been fighting Icaimerith off for centuries, one (Alfen Cairn) was actually in Icaimerith's sights and its king knows it, and one (Nordaine) despises, or at least ridicules the other three. Nordaine could counter-balance Icaimerith, but... well... due to one long and nasty history, they're simply not bothered to.
But then, of course, the war's coming, and suddenly Nordaine might just have to step up after all.
What is your writing process like? Do you plan ahead or just write as you go?
Mostly, I just write, discovering as I go, but making sure that everything I've learned before adds to the present discovery, or else the story wouldn't make sense. Usually, it's like a thinking game, where I contemplate what I know, and then see where I can take that knowledge within the overall story.
What has been the most challenging part of your writing and publishing journey so far? What's been the easiest? :)
Time-wise, drafting the story that would become The Vanished Knight and The Heir's Choice was the hardest. Took me about five years just to get that done.
Emotionally, querying was the hardest. The book simply wasn't standard fantasy fare. Still isn't, even if it might seem so. So I received a ton of rejections without, I feel, the agents even bothering to read anything I sent in except for the query.
Easiest was editing it. I spent so long locking up my inner editor that she had a field day when I unleashed her on my manuscript.
The Vanished Knight is the first in the series. Can you give away any fun teasers as to what's in store? :)
In the The Heir's Choice, Callan's the only person who can save Alfen Cairn (and if you've read The Vanished Knight, you could probably figure out why she wants to). Problem is, she owes Nordaine for saving her life, and they need her to act against Alfen Cairn's interests...
Author Bio:
M. Gerrick (AKA Misha Gericke) has basically created stories since before she could write. Many of those stories grew up with her and can be seen in her current projects. She lives close to Cape Town, with a view over False Bay and Table Mountain. If you’d like to contact her, feel free to mail her at warofsixcrowns(AT)gmail(DOT)com, Circle her on Google Plus, or follow her on Twitter. If you'd like to see her writer-side (beware, it's pretty insane), please feel free to check out her blog. You can also add The Vanished Knight on Goodreads.
The Prodigal by Michael Hurley
Adrian Sharpe is a lawyer—and a very good one—who has charmed his way to the top with his clever and sneaky ways of getting out trouble. He and two of his coworkers take a vacation on the island of Ocracoke, where Adrian encounters a handful of unusual locals who leave him both confused and intrigued. After he returns home, he learns of a medical malpractice case that he had completely forgotten about and which starts that day. This scenario does not seem that realistic, but Hurley pulls it off excellently with his gorgeous writing style, gift for description, and a creation of a distinct tone and atmosphere. The section detailing the trial also is quite long, and though it is a very enjoyable read while reading it, after finishing that section, it seems like the amount of detail did not necessarily serve a purpose. However, upon further inspection, it becomes apparent that most every paragraph does at least something to further develop and reveal Adrian's character. He has both flaws and positive qualities, which make him a someone readers will want both to root for and to hope for personal growth and change.
After the trial and an unfortunate series of events, Adrian is offered the opportunity to return to Ocracoke Island. Each character there has their own personality and background that tie into the story nicely and influence that plot. On the island, Adrian seems to move into the backdrop of the plot as other, more interesting characters come forward—and Adrian also seems to stick out to the reader (but not to the characters) like a sore thumb on the island. The eclectic nature of the population of the island keeps the story engaging, even when it pushes the level of realism. Perhaps it is this edge-of-realistic atmosphere that contributes to the magic of the writing. Hurley has incredible skill in creating a mystical and mysterious tone, especially at the start of the book. The small town community atmosphere is also well-developed, especially in scenes that take place in the bar. A large portion of the book, in the final third, takes place on the boat, The Prodigal, as Adrian and his friends are racing against the main antagonist; once again, here, the descriptions of the setting and of the relationships between the characters are gorgeously wrought, but some of the events aren't entirely realistic. And, once again (again), Hurley pulls it off wonderfully with his romantic-sounding prose.
One thing that bothered me was the level of nudity in the book. I was in no way offended by it (though maybe conservative readers would be) but it did make me roll my eyes sometimes, when it seemed unnecessary. "Really? She's naked again? Why?" Sometimes it made sense, but it seemed that every other page had someone not wearing any clothing for little to no reason.
I would love to read more about the two lovers in the prologue, honestly, and I was disappointed that Hurley didn't fully flesh out their story. Overall, though, The Prodigal is a beautiful read. It is one I would feel compelled to recommend to romance fans and maybe historical fiction fans (even though it takes place in present day, it has a sort of historical fiction feel to it), albeit with a disclaimer about the nudity—but this shouldn't stop anyone from reading.
Books I Read This Month - August 2013
Apparently I went on a science fiction and
historical kick this month, with four books that each take place in the past,
two of them with science fiction elements, and all with some real events. Must
just have been the mood I was in.
Equilateral
by Ken Kalfus
A physicist has a plan to dig a hundreds-of-miles
wide equilateral triangle into the Sahara desert to attract Martians by
lighting it on fire as a signal on the night that Mars is closest to Earth.
Fascinating premise, and I was super excited to read this book. The jargon and
scientific language slowed down the plot a bit, but I am educated in science
enough understand it completely. The characters are so dynamic, well-defined,
and interesting. A great read for those
who enjoy sci-fi rather than historical fiction.
The Movement
of the Stars by Amy Brill
A twenty-something girl who has grown up in a
Quaker community in the 1800s has a dream of discovering a new comet and has no
interest in getting married, as her family wishes her to do. But then she meets
a foreign sailor who she begins teaching navigation skills, and she falls in
love. I didn’t think the sailor character was very believable, and though he was
a very sweet guy, I wasn’t entirely sure what she saw in him—or what he saw in
her. Though the characters and premise were not original or quite deep enough
for my liking, I did enjoy the writing style of this book.
Bright and
Distant Shores by Dominic Smith
Extremely thorough and rich detail—so much the
plot was too slow for my tastes, but also so much that a vivid image of the
setting could be immediately conjured, almost dreamlike—made this book a deep,
fantastic read. The level of detail could sometimes make the story boring, but
I generally found myself caught up in the imagery. It’s a story set partly in
turn-of-the-century Chicago, partly in some Pacific islands, where a museum
item collector sailed to bring back native islanders for a museum exhibition. I
would highly recommend this read for those with the time, intellect, and
attention-span to make it through.
Pastwatch:
The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card
Half of this book is a historical account of
Christopher Columbus’ life, and the other half is the account of a distant
future community where a machine can peek into the past and observe. But one
girl believes she can develop the technology to actually travel back and change
Columbus’ mind about his journey across the ocean in order to divert the
corruption of Christianity—and even more terrifying, she believes that someone
has already done this before. I loved the plot, though the historical story
line wasn’t all that engaging, and, to be honest, the conversation taking place
in the future story line wasn’t all that exciting either. Maybe it was just the
premise that kept me reading, wanting to know how the plot would resolve.
Peace, Aimee
Books I’ve Read in the Past Seven Months
Since the beginning of 2013, I have had pretty
much zero time to read. I moved. I work full time. I’m in college full time. I
write. I have people with whom I enjoy speaking on a semi-daily basis. I also
need to sleep sometimes. In the absence of free time in which I could pick up a
book in which to immerse myself, I found myself surrounded by books—hundreds
every day (due both to my job and to my large collection at home)—all of which
were calling out to me, yearning for my attention. So, as you can imagine, when
the semester ended in May, I devoted myself to my long-lost friends and
reacquainted myself with the language that I’d thought had slipped away from me
for good. But of course, it hadn’t. Those precious books had been there for me
all along, supporting me from a distance with their elusive metaphors and
sing-song voices.
Here are the results—the books I’ve read in the
past seven months (January 1, 2013 through July 31,
2013), NOT including anything I’ve read for work or school:
A
Light-Hearted Look at Murder by Mark Watson
This was an offbeat, sad, and quirky reintroduction
to reading after a long, busy break. I was expecting, based on the premise,
that this would be a hilarious book, but it was actually quite depressing. It’s
about a girl who begins writing letters to a man in prison through a
companionship program, but since his letters come in German, she must rely on
the translations provided by her lazy roommate. In the letters, this man describes
his years in college, when he acted as a Hitler impersonator and dated a seven
foot tall girl. His voice in the letters is deep and engaging, but the story is
full of sadness, and the ending is especially unsatisfying emotionally—though
not narratively.
The End of
Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
When his avid reader mother is diagnosed with
advanced pancreatic cancer and given only a few months to live, editor Will
Schwalbe begins sharing his thoughts on books he’s read when he accompanies her
on trips to treatment appointments. Their meetings turn into a book club of
sorts, and they read various books they’ve wanted to read their whole lives, as
well as rereading favorites and foraying into new genres. As they both confront
Schwalbe’s mother’s imminent death, this memoir unfolds into a touching ode to
her life. More about his mother than about the books they read, The End of Your Life Book Club is a
definite tearjerker, but also a must read for writers and anyone who’s ever had
a mother. After reading it, I gave it to mine for Mother’s Day.
The
Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis
I’d heard so many wonderful things about this book
that I decided to read it, despite it being young adult, which I do not read
very often. Sort of a story within a story, this book follows a teenage girl as
she develops a relationship with a drug dealer who is caring for his young
sister after their mother has disappeared. I had the notion that I would love this
book based on the first chapter, but the more I read, the more I despised the
narrator, this teenage girl. Young adult is a genre populated with weak female
leads, and it is a genre that needs them the most. This drug dealer, while
hurting deeply, did some terrible things to this girl, unforgiveable even in
his sympathetic situation—and the narrator stayed with him. That really upset
me and ruined the book for me, I have to say. Her actions were meant to be seen
as forgiving and compassionate, but she just seemed needy and submissive to his
abuse. The characters were extremely well developed, and the writing was, no
doubt, absolutely beautiful, but I found it hard to stick with some of the
characters’ actions and to understand their motivations.
On the Beach
by Nevil Shute
The end of humanity is approaching. After a
nuclear war that wiped out most of the planet, only Australia is left, and the
inhabitants know that the radiation is wafting their way. With only a few weeks
before they will die, this small community inquires about how and when it will
happen while simultaneously hoping it will not. Kind of a slow progression
toward their deaths, and hugely sad, this book is not for those who want a
tightly wrapped ending. A focus on the present moment and the hope derived from
that type of life manifests here. It’s a whisper instead of a bang sort of
deal.
Elliot
Allagash by Simon Rich
Every time I think, “I should probably read some
young adult fiction. This one looks good,” I always feel I’ve made the wrong
decision. Maybe young adult is simply not my thing, and I should finally
recognize that and stop trying so hard to enjoy it. With this one, I felt the
wealthy, snobby Elliot was too archetypal, as was the quiet, smart narrator.
I’m sure there are a few middle-school kids who would love it, though.
The Memory
of Love by Linda Olsson
I read Linda Olsson’s previous two books and loved
them, but this one was slightly too pretentious for me. The main characters are
too introspective and self-absorbed, even when they seem to try to be helping
other people. Gorgeous prose at times, though, certainly.
Bootstrapper:
From Broke to Badass on a Northern Michigan Farm by Mardi Jo Link
I read this memoir because I know the author’s
family, and I work for the book review company she co-founded, ForeWord Reviews (Shameless plug. But seriously,book lovers should probably visit. You know, if you want to.). While the
premise does not seem all that engaging (newly divorced woman struggles through
raising three teenage boys on a farm), Mardi Jo Link is such an astoundingly
great writer that she drives her story forward with crazily badass strength.
It’s laugh-out-loud funny and a tear jerker at the same time. Highly
recommended.
Island
by Aldous Huxley
More an exposition on spirituality than a novel,
this is quite different from A Brave New
World, the only other of Huxley’s works I’ve read. A man crashes on an
island to discover a group of people who have lived separated from civilization
(by choice) for decades. Curiosity ensues. I recommend it for people with a
dozen hours to use reading spiritual texts or novels of the like who wish for a
change of pace. A slow pace, but one that takes you through a story that will
reveal wise insights into the way we behave.
Doctor Who:
Shroud of Sorrow by Tommy Donbavand
Because I’m a major nerd, I saw this book and
absolutely had to read it. It was pretty awesome. I’m definitely going to read
more of the Doctor Who books as I see them.
The Carriage
House by Louisa Hall
The father of three young women has a stroke, and
his long-time sort of girlfriend moves into his house to care for her—while his
dementia suffering wife is still living there. The three daughters come home as
well, and they lobby against the neighbors when they decide to tear down the
carriage house that is on their property after some lines have changed. The
girls (the oldest a young mother, the middle child a architecture student
contemplating getting back with her ex, and the youngest still in high school)
each tell their own side of the story, the author using perfect narrative
distance in a third-person point of view. There is humor, there is sadness, and
there is truth in these characters—they are whole people. As I was reading
this, I was thinking, “This is the type of book I want to write.”
Bay of Fires
by Poppy Gee
This reminded me of a less gory, less emotional,
more community-centered version of The
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. A fisherwoman visits her family on the Tasmanian
coast, where the body of a tourist washes up on the shore, reminding residents
of the disappearance of a teenage girl the previous year. The characterization
in the novel is marvelous. Poppy Gee gets so deep into each character’s head
you feel you can understand what they will do next and why. This does not make
the plot predictable though; you’ve got to continue reading to find out
who-dun-it (also easy to figure out) and to see where the relationships between
the characters will lead. I don’t really recommend it if you find the plot
interesting, but for writers, this is a must-read for skills in
characterization and narrative distance.
On Beauty
by Zadie Smith
A genius plot with characters who, while not
entirely likable, drive the story forward with their intricate and diverse
motivations. It captures a realistic picture of the relationship between
highbrow academia and inner city dignity. The characters are all relatable and
vividly real, though they are all extremely difficult to like, likely because they’re so real.
Best New
American Voices 2010
In an effort to read more short stories (and write
them) in preparation for applying to MFA programs this fall, I read this
collection of stories from the top MFA programs, hoping some of the talent
would rub off on me—or that I could recognize myself in them. These are all
fantastic stories, some of them I could see myself writing, some of them not
really fitting of my preferences, and others I wish I had written. This is probably the most important book I’ve read all
year so far.
The
Incurables by Mark Brazaitis
This collection of short stories I had the
impression by the cover and the author’s credentials would be absolutely
amazing, but I was vaguely disappointed. The author captured the mental states
of a handful of characters from a town in Ohio with imagination, but I wasn’t
extremely impressed. Great intent and decent hand at the craft, but this book
just wasn’t for me.
So there you go. The books I read in the past
seven months.
Peace, Aimee
White Cedar Press by Eric Burnett Timar
From New York to New Zealand to Miami, Tim
begrudgingly follows his boss’s wishes, conversing with authors regarding their
work, questioning coworkers, and attempting to piece together the implications
of White Cedar Press’s turn for the worse—implications for both the company and
for Tim’s own future.
Though the young editor is simultaneously working
on writing his own fantasy novel and struggling through a complicated
relationship, his loyalty remains with White Cedar Press, even through its usual
transformation. Tim continues to obey his orders and work on these humorous,
borderline-offensive projects, though he feels like the odd one out as his
colleagues jump aboard the press’s changing bandwagon. Questioning authority
(aloud) is not Tim’s strong suit. Tim often feels as though he’s the only one
driving the right way down a one-way street, but, as it turns out, some of the
odd books begin to sell decently well. Perhaps their creativity is what grabs
an audience.
White Cedar
Press is a well-written and delightful—though not revolutionary—comment on
the current publishing climate. Like the future of the publishing industry, the
novel’s ending is a bit vague, leaving the reader wishing it to be a bit more
defined. The humor and frustration along the way to this end, however, makes
for an entertaining read. Readers with knowledge of the publishing industry
will get more out of the book than those without.
Social Media Just for Writers by Frances Caballo (Part Two)
Lara!
Congratulations, Lara. I will be emailing you
shortly. Now, here is my review of Social
Media Just for Writers, which I would have posted on Tuesday had I not been
ridiculously bogged down with other responsibilities:
From Facebook to Twitter to Pinterest and more, the options for
networking and gaining readers are more plentiful than most writers
believe. By comparing the significant social media vehicles to writers
and artists who would have loved the tools had they lived in the modern
age, Frances Caballo outlines the best online marketing skills needed to
reach a wider readership. This guide is an invaluable source that takes
writers through a simple step-by-step process—led by writer and
communications marketer with over 23 years of experience—to develop
their knowledge of social media and to promote their books using the
internet.
For each media vehicle she outlines (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, blogs, and offline marketing) Caballo provides an in-depth step-by-step process that details how to set up a profile, develop a following, and maintain a presence. The approachability of the guide is excellent even for those writers who are unfamiliar with social media. Screenshots and hints and tips are easy to follow, while lists of applications for all media forms will aid writers in organizing their posting schedules and analyzing the number of followers and hits their sites get, to help them gauge the success of their marketing—and to help them decipher how they can improve.
Not only does Caballo
explain how to use social media successfully in order to promote a book, but
she also explores why these media
vehicles are useful for writers and why they work the way they do. If a writer
were to follow Caballo’s word to the tee, they could easily master the basics
of social media marketing by the time they finished reading the book. Online
marketing is essential for writers hoping to promote their book, and Caballo’s Social Media Just for Writers is an
invaluable source to teach those writers the ins and outs of the process. There
is nothing else like it out there that I know of—highly recommended.
Learn more about the book on Frances Caballo's website, or by visiting her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
Social Media Just for Writers by Frances Caballo
As a part of this book tour/review, I will be hosting a giveaway! Everyone who comments on this post will be put into a drawing for a copy of Social Media Just for Writers. I will announce the winner on Monday 28 January 2013.
Learn more about the book on Frances Caballo's website, or by visiting her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
Books Released This Month - January 2013
Fear of Beauty by Susan Froetschel
Fiction
15 January 2013
An Afghan women searches for her son's murderer while a US soldier attempts to escape the effects of a rough childhood, each learning the extent of cultural differences.
The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas
Historical Fiction
10 January 2013
During WWII, a newlywed couple leaves Wales for the first time in their lives to live at a missionary post in India.
The Day My Brain Exploded by Ashok Rajamani
Memoir
22 January 2013
The memoir of a young man's journey through the recovery from a brain aneurism.
Fiction
15 January 2013
An Afghan women searches for her son's murderer while a US soldier attempts to escape the effects of a rough childhood, each learning the extent of cultural differences.
The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas
Historical Fiction
10 January 2013
During WWII, a newlywed couple leaves Wales for the first time in their lives to live at a missionary post in India.
The Day My Brain Exploded by Ashok Rajamani
Memoir
22 January 2013
The memoir of a young man's journey through the recovery from a brain aneurism.
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