Mid-Summer Book Reviews

Here are some short reviews of recent books I’ve read. Because of budget and space I get most of my books from the library or buy free or supper cheap Kindle books, so if it is noted I’ve purchased the book it means it is really, really worth having. Also, I hate book reviews that recap the story – Amazon or the back of the book can do that for the reviewer. What you get here is my simple option based on my personal likes. The books are listed in no particular order.

** = highly recommend read

Austinland by Shannon Hale **

A fun, fresh read with engaging characters and a charming setting. Ms. Hale’s unique voice and masterful use of similes really shines in this uplifting, engrossing story.  Autinland put a smile on my face and made my heart happy.

Clockwork Prince & Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

I really enjoyed the first three books in Ms. Clare’s Mortal Instruments series. I also liked Clockwork Angle, the first book in her Infernal Devices series. Unfortunately, Clockwork Prince dragged. I found too much repetition, too much emoting, and not enough action. Son2 started to read Clockwork Princess. I asked him how he liked it. He found it slower than Clockwork Prince and put it down after a couple of chapters. I didn’t even bother to read it. It’s a shame because I really like the world Ms. Clare has created. These two stories feel like they are packed with words just for the sake of making a thick book.

Imaginarium Geographica; Here There Be Dragons by James Owen **

I first found out about Mr. Owen and his writings from other authors I friended on my author Facebook page. After reading a few posts and checking out his web page I had to read his books. I read Here There Be Dragons out loud to Mr. W. He really liked it and I found it wonderful. Mr. Owens does a masterful job melding real history with fantasy. I must admit I cried at the end when the four main characters reveal their true and full names. When Son2 (age 16) read it he said, “Smart writing. There were even words I didn’t know.” This is high praise from my very Spock like child. I’m looking forward to reading the other books in this series.

Drawing Out the Dragons by James Owen **

I’m bought a copy for our bookshelf. Drawing Out the Dragons contains motivational, from the heart advice for anyone in a creative pursuit. It is written with young and young adult readers in mind, but I found it very useful for the moment I’m in – one in which I have too much on my plate and am making the transition from working part to being home with more time to focus on writing and being a wife/mom/homemaker (rolls which bring me the greatest joy and meaning). Thank you, Mr. Owen, for your wise words.  “Never, ever, sacrifice what you want the most, for what you want the most at that moment.” Son3 (age 14) got half way through the book when he got sick. He said he really liked what he read so far and is looking forward to finishing it when he is well.

Variant by Robison Wells

A great concept. I got impatient to know what was going on so though the story moved at a good pace I couldn’t read fast enough to see behind the mystery.  I really liked the last third of the story where the action speeds up and Benson’s eyes (and the readers) are finally opened. The ending keeps you hanging though with enough wrapped up to leave you stratified, but enough unsolved that you want to read more. I’ve never been a fan of first person, but Mr. Wells does a good job of keeping out too many “I’s”. The next book in the series, Feedback, is on my ‘to read’ list.  

Waiting Fate by W.B. Kinnette

(warning spoilers) A sweet, clean, formula romance. I read it at night when stress would wake me at 2 a.m. Parts of the book were page turners. Other parts made me groan. I love how Ivy had the courage to leave an abusive husband. I mentally screamed at the book when Ivy goes out of characters and meets him alone. I felt the author contrived the situation to rev up the drama. I also felt the dialog and social situations of these mid-20s college and working adults sounded more high school-ish. That could be because I’m surrounded by dynamic mid-20s adults and not ones still in an extended adolescence (which wasn’t how these characters were set up to be so there was a discord in the description of the characters and what they said and what they did for recreation).  I purchased for my Kindle at either a free or cheep price.

Dancing on Broken Glass by Ka Hancock **

Read with a box of tissues handy. Ms. Hancock touches on the issues of love, cancer, mental issues, and family. This was an emotional, tough, and satisfying read for me. My mother had a fight with cancer and is doing well now. My step-brother deals with manic depression and schizophrenia.  Throughout the story you will cry with the characters, you will rejoice with them, and you will take them into your heart. For those times you feel you just can’t do it you can turn to Micky and Lucy and know if they could find the courage and strength to go on, so can you. A triumph of love and spirit. I’m buying a copy for my mom. I’m looking forward to Ms. Hancock’s next book.

Out of the Dark by David Weber

(warning spoilers) I love Mr. Weber’s Honor Harrington books, minus all the paragraphs of technical details. I love the idea of aliens invading earth and us humans triumphing. So, when I found this book I thought I’d like it too. And parts I did. I like the aliens he created, very clever. I really liked the different story lines taking place on different continents knowing Mr. Weber would tie it all into together. And then vampires?!  I could have even bought the vampire bit if somehow he tied it into the alien theme. Maybe the vampire crashed landed on earth ages ago, tried to use his power to concur the earthlings, found their will indomitable, went into hiding, observing, began to admire them and then became their champion, but no. No explanation what-so-ever, just here’s a vampire swallow it. Sorry, in my household we just couldn’t. We had a good laugh over it and talked about ways we could have made the ending fit with the rest of the story. Other than the ending that skewed way off course it’s a good book (again minus all the technical details that bog the story down- but those parts are easy to skip). 

Go on - I dare you!

You are a risk taker

You are awesome

Those words rang through my head as I woke. Totally cool way to start the day. Especially since I was heading off the run the furthest distance I’ve ever run in my life – the Stake’s 5K Fun Run (3.11 miles to be exact). I signed my name under the oldest age category. There were four others on the list. We started out running. Person after person passed me. I thought of the hare and tortoise. Slow and steady and I’d finish the race. My goal – to finish having run the whole way, hopefully under 45 minutes. Sooner than expected I hit that spot where breathing becomes easy and I don’t even notice my body moving. I passed the half way mark, glad I did't take the cup of water, because now I was queasy. Deep breaths, keep moving. Further down the trail I started to get bored, but some deer bounding along in the ravine provided a beautiful distraction and I got my motivation again. As I ran along I worked out a scene in one of my books. Then the rain started. And I turned the corner. And the wind blew in my face as I ran uphill by the horse arena filled with dung and the diesel truck belched as it passed. And I felt great.  So I picked up speed and crossed the finish line at 40:11 minutes.

FIRST PLACE!!

(for my group)

I AM awesome.

Not so sure about me being a risk taker – more like daring.

What do you do that for you is personally daring and awesome?

Because let me tell you –

 YOU are awesome!

And that goal, whatever it is, you CAN achieve it.

Go on – Do it – I dare you to take that risk. 

(Now to get dressed in medieval clothes and go to the Renaissance Fair with my family.)

LDStorymaker 2013

The writing community is an amazingly generous and encouraging association. Its members will freely tell you writing is a difficult, solitary endeavor, getting published even harder but, here – I’ll spend the next three days with you showing you how to succeed. Authors will spend hours on blogs, web sites, and books that help writers of all levels develop their craft. They are a generous bunch. 

This last week I had the opportunity to attend my second ever writing conference. Over the past three years, since I first put my fingers to the keyboard to type out the scene that persisted in haunting my every moment, I’ve been studying the craft and business of writing. I know I still have a lot to learn, but some of what I did learn at the classes last week surprised me. 

For instance: how did I get to be the age I am and not know that when you write ellipses, those three periods that show words are left off, there is supposed to be a space between each dot. It should not be written (…) but (. . .). No one ever told me that. It was not in any of the grammar and punctuation lessons I taught my kids over twenty years of home schooling, and the two formats don’t look that much different on paper.  

Another thing I learned, when you are writing with indented paragraphs, Word will automatically put an extra space after each paragraph like it does when you write non-indented paragraph, such as this blog post. You need to fix your settings so it does not do that. By the way this is important because agents and publisher usually want your manuscript double spaced, with indented paragraphs, and with no extra lines between paragraphs. They also usually like it submitted in Rich Text Formant (RFT). I had noticed the extra space in my document, but since it seemed to standard settings I thought it was supposed to be that way. In a couple of classes it was mentioned it shouldn’t be that way and later my daughter showed me how to fix it. 

I’ve had a couple of lessons at writing group and have read ideas about mapping your manuscript, but none have clicked in the way Hannah Bowman taught this concept. Her class on “plot, structure and pushing your characters” was clear and concise. She gave solid concrete examples, had time for us to practice, and time for us to share. This was very helpful for me as outlines don’t work well for me. I’ve always loved maps, from following our road trip on the map when I was a kid, to charting our course as we sailed the Chesapeake as a teen, to playing for hours on Google maps today. So having a simple and effective way to “map” my story and give the plot twist and turns a visual component is very helpful. 

There were other concepts, (deeper, broader, my mind is so full it might explode) than ellipsis and spacing issues, which I learned, but mostly I relished the support and comrade shown to all 450 attendees. If it is possible, I encourage you to attend a conference or join a writing group. If you are not sure where to get started check with your local library, they will often host writing classes and other writing events. Get out there and rub shoulders with the published and unpublished authors in your region. 

Are you attending any conferences this season?

What is the most surprising thing you learned?

Busy - Good - Full

Life has been unbalanced.Busy, good, full – off-kilter. With a coworker on maternity I’ve been working twice as many hours as normal – busy. My wonderful, darling mother-in-law came for a visit – good. Also, I’ve painted my bedroom, continued with running, and celebrated my twenty-six anniversary with my amazing, I’m-so-in-love-with-him Mr. W – full. 

Added to this mix of fun and exciting things (because even though life’s been keeping me on my toes, I do find it fun) I had a writing group meeting with Josh and Scott from Fox Hollow Publications.