In detail
I have a question to pose today, when does enough research to make story details believable turn into an overload of useless facts? I’m currently reading Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse and while I love Clancy, the facts sometimes get in the way. Early in the novel John Kelly is pulling his boat from its slip … Continue reading
‘Tis the season (for Christmas books)
In the book world you can expect certain books to be published at certain times. January is full of self-help, diet, and exercise books for all those people making New Year’s resolutions. Summer sees loads of mysteries and an uptick in fiction for women, books about sisters and friends with images of women on beaches … Continue reading
Books for baby
At the end of October I gave birth to a handsome baby boy named Joe, which means I am typing this one-handed while the little guy sleeps against my chest. When we were leaving the hospital one of the techs came in and gave me two books, a paperback picture book and a board book. … Continue reading
The other guy
About a year ago I read the sci-fi/fantasy/comedy Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. The plot revolves around the search for the Anti-Christ, a young boy living in England. An angel and a demon are determined to work together to prevent the apocalypse because after all of their centuries living in our world … Continue reading
On the outs
September 30th marked my last day working at the bookstore. Now I’m just preparing for baby and trying to work on editing my novel between naps. There are a lot of naps. My first visit to the bookstore was the day after my last day. I had a huge stack of books to buy and … Continue reading
Let us now praise banned books
Last week was the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week. Each year the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom promotes awareness of challenged and banned books in the United States. Challenged books are books that individuals or groups have requested to be removed from library shelves or school curriculum. Books fall into the category … Continue reading
Reading with my ears
With this whole being pregnant thing going on, I’m exhausted all the time. Add in trying to get freelance writing work (impossible), preparing the nursery and learning everything about pregnancy and infants (daunting), and trying to secure a mortgage for our house (lots of paperwork), I haven’t had a lot of time to read books. … Continue reading
The great obligation
Book group started this week with me sequestered in the backyard. I had about half an hour to read the last 50 pages of The Great Gatsby and I was not allowed to enter the kitchen (my kitchen) and hang out with my friends until I was done. My friend Tiffany, who was the main … Continue reading
Hot stuff
Robin McKinley’s Dragonhaven is set in Smokehill National Park somewhere out west, where the major draw is a population of Draco australiensis — Let’s stop there. I love this novel about a national park with dragons, which is also a meditation on parenting, communication, and memory. The premise alone was enough to sell me on … Continue reading
Fifty shades of blah
I have mixed feelings about the “literary phenomenon” that is Fifty Shades of Grey. Mostly with the word “literary” being in any way associated with this book and partly with people recommending it so highly to strangers. Strangers like me, a bookseller who is paid to interact with you and doesn’t at all want to … Continue reading
