Category: book review
-
James Scott Bell on Writing: The Best Writing Advice I Know
I’ve been going back and looking at my blog entries from years ago, and I kept coming across advice from author James Scott Bell. I quote him a lot. Two books on writing craft I highly recommend are: He has more writing craft books on Amazon, and I just realized, “I need to read these.”…
-
Writing Advice from Chuck Palahniuk
Seasons greetings. Over the years I’ve quoted Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk on several occasions, so I decided to collect all his advice I’ve regurgitated on this blog into one entry. Below are some quote from his writing craft book Consider This that has spoken to me over the years: This is a link to…
-
Some books on writing craft
The following are two completely different books for the writer. One is about a structured process and the other is about organically discovering your creativity. We can benefit from both. Save the Cat Writes a Young Adult Novel by Jessica Brody I just finished Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat Writes a Young Adult Novel and…
-
Science Fiction & Fantasy I’ve Read Lately
I’ve been traveling in time with my speculative fiction reading lately. While the first two reviews below are recently released science fiction novels, the third review goes back a few years. Then I got brave. I read a fantasy from a few decades ago. Here’s what I thought: Cascade Failure by L. M. Sagas Science…
-
Scare Me Up: Horror Books for This Halloween Season
Last night I did this goofy thing in the spirit of Halloween. I turned off all the lights and listened to an audio version of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. It’s less than an hour long and super creepy. I recommend you do the same thing with a short and…
-
Book Buffet: Reviews of the Latest I’ve Read
I admit it. I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy. But this past summer, I managed to read several novels that did not fall into those categories. I’m so proud of myself. Here are my thoughts. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver A modern retelling of David Copperfield set in the Appalachian Mountains, this…
-
Science Fiction & Fantasy I’ve Read Lately
With all the crazy stuff happening in the world, I love a little escape time. In other words, I read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy this past summer. Here are my thoughts: The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie Dark fantasy; #1 The Blade Itself; #2 Before They Are Hanged; #3 The Last Argument…
-
Friday’s Findings: Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft
I just finished Janet Burroway’s Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft, 10th edition, and here are some takeaways: “Most writing is done between the mind and the hand, not between the hand and the page.” “Keep the journal regularly, at least at first. It doesn’t matter what you write and it doesn’t matter very…
-
Science Fiction & Fantasy I’ve Read Lately
Wow, I’ve read some great fantasy lately, and I want to share my thoughts with you. The first two reviews are of recently released novels (there may be spoilers ahead, but I’m trying to avoid them): A Whisper in the Walls by Scott Reintgen Waxways #2; Fantasy Ren Monroe’s ultimate goal is to avenge her…
Andrew M. Friday 