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Writing and Reading and Editing, O My!
I am a writer, reviewer, teacher, and editor. I pick up and discard new obsessions on a regular basis. Right now I'm wild about the work of Brandon Sanderson and Bryce Moore. Longer-running favorites include Patricia McKillip and Mary Gentle. Information about me and my humble scribblings may be found at http://www.leonawisoker.com
Currently reading
Writing the Breakout Novel
What Would Aristotle Do? Self-Control Through the Power of Reason
Coyote Wisdom: Healing Power in Native American Stories
Plants of Power: Native American Ceremony and the Use of Sacred Plants
Tolkien and the Study of His Sources: Critical Essays
The Wizard of Oz as American Myth: A Critical Study of Six Versions of the Story, 1900-2007
The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook
Oy Vey! Isn't a Strategy: 25 Solutions for Personal and Professional Success
Caution: Faulty thinking can be harmful to your happiness: logic for everyday living
Engaging, amusing, and thought provoking. Now and again they do wander a bit into "huh? wtf?" territory, but otherwise solidly good reading.
I may not be doing this one justice, as I read it all in one gulp and rather fast; but it didn't impress me. It's hard to interest me in a "hardboiled detective" male character who complains about women; it worked for Nero Wolfe, but set in a modern world, it's just an annoying and outdated attitude. And while I see a lot of potential in the setup, something about the execution falls flat to my ear. I'll try reading on in the series in hopes that the writing improves enough to justify all the hype and fuss.
I knew I loved Holly Lisle's ebooks on how to write, but I was terrified I wouldn't like her fiction writing. Finally, I borrowed a copy from a friend, and found that I had nothing to fear: Lisle is an EXCELLENT writer. And good at writing smoking hot scenes, too ... this book held me captivated, and I couldn't stop reading until I finished it all. Around 2 am, if I recall....
Ferradiddledumday: An Appalachian Version of Rumpelstiltskin
This book is billed as "An Appalachian Version of Rumplestiltskin", and fills that description very well indeed. From the cover shot of rolling hills to the rough illustrations and the language used ("Oh, Pa ... Surely they'd not do that."), this book takes the reader into what is, for me at least, a whole new world. I found this book well-crafted, with deft touches like marking the passing of time by calling out what local plants are in bloom throughout the story. While the basic story remains the same underneath, it's been given a very attractive and interesting new coat. It is obviously designed to be read aloud, and given that I've heard the author read in public before, I couldn't help hearing her rich voice in my head throughout. It made the book a very fun read, and I suspect parents who like reading to their kids, or kids that like hearing books read to them, will love this remake as much, if not more than, the original.
The Witness Tree and the Shadow of the Noose: Mystery, Lies, and Spies in Manassas
Given that I usually find war-history stories, of whatever era, boring, this was a surprisingly fun read. Aimed at kids in middle school, the story follows a twelve year old boy in today's world as he unravels the mystery behind the "evil" Civil War era ghost banging around the creepy old house his family just moved into. The background information on the Civil War is kept light and often amusing, and doesn't feel at all dreary or boring. The main character, Jake Salmon, isn't the most brilliant, brave, or strong kid in school; he's an average pre-teen trying to muddle through like everyone else. What I liked most about this book is that the author doesn't stick to just one thread; she braids Jake's school problems together with his ghost problems, and finds a way to make them reflect off each other and convey an important lesson about doing the right thing in the end, all without being preachy or "infodumping". I would definitely recommend this book, and anything else by this author.
A Night In The Lonesome October
I wrote a review of this audio book for Green Man Review; it will be up sometime in the coming month. http://www.greenmanreview.com
Star God
For people who crave old-style writing along the lines of Asimov and Heinlein, this book is perfect. It is short enough to be devoured in a single sitting (err ... then again, I read fast!), and intriguing enough in concept to keep you turning pages. Wold has a deft hand with dialogue and descriptions, and this book was a pleasure to read.
Reading Allen Wold's "Star Gods" made me want to look back at my early favorites, but I've somewhat lost my taste for early sci-fi; so I picked this book off the shelf instead. Heinlein was a superb fantasy writer; from start to finish this book had me hooked all over again. It contains two stories I consider "classics": "--And He Built A Crooked House" (although, arguably, that should be sci-fi not fantasy), and "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag" (which I remember vividly but had to skip over this time because it STILL gives me nightmares to read -- take that, Stephen King!)Also in the mix are fabulous fantastical tales mixing magic with commerce and politics ("Magic, Inc.") and a bittersweet take on dying ("The Man Who Traveled in Elephants"). I highly recommend this book as a crossover that even hard sf buffs will enjoy, given Heinlein's practical and logical approach to fantasy.
This novel was a fun, light read, with more than one passage that made me laugh out loud. There are two reasons it got three instead of five stars for me: 1)The editing problems--font size changes mid-page for no reason, and there are just a few more typos and technical errors than I'm willing to forgive.
2)A couple of the stories seem to have no particular point, or perhaps I'm simply missing the joke.
However, the puns I did understand are marvelous; the illustrations (by Richard Svensson) are well-drawn; the introduction and closing pages are as silly as the cover promises, and I definitely found a few names in this anthology (Danny Birt, Dan Devine, Gustavo Bondoni, Robert J. Santa) that I'll be watching for in the future.
Complete review of the entire series is available on Green Man Review:http://greenmanreview.com/book/book_goodkind_swordominibus.html
Complete review of the entire series is available on Green Man Review:http://greenmanreview.com/book/book_goodkind_swordominibus.html
Complete review of the entire series is available on Green Man Review:http://greenmanreview.com/book/book_goodkind_swordominibus.html
Complete review of the entire series is available on Green Man Review:http://greenmanreview.com/book/book_goodkind_swordominibus.html
