Category: book review
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Friday’s Findings: Books on Writing
I’d like to share two books on writing I’ve recently purchased: Save the Cat Writes a Young Adult Novel by Jessica Brody Brody expounds on the Save the Cat beats with young adult novel examples. Even if you don’t write YA novels, or even if you are a pantser, you can probably mine out some…
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Friday’s Findings: Beasts of London Book Review
Hidden Secrets and Dangerous Choices Murders in Victorian-era London are so savage they baffle the local authorities. These killings are so gory , they couldn’t have been done by an ordinary human. Supernatural beasts are named as the likely suspects. The police turn to the only one with otherworldly experience: Cecil Morris. And the investigation…
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Terry Brooks: Sometimes the Magic Works (After 20 Years)
I attended the Imaginarium Convention last weekend, and Terry Brooks was a special guest. In 2003, I bought his book Sometimes the Magic Works, his half memoir, half writing instruction book. I read it and learned a lot. Since then, I’ve read many of his fantasy novels. At the conference, I asked him to sign…
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“Follow the Coin” Book Review: Blood for Coins
Blood for Coins was a first for me in several ways. It was the first book I’ve read by Cam Wolfe, a YouTuber who reviews novels in the fantasy, horror and science fiction genre. It was the first thing I read on my new Kindle Fire 8 which had just been delivered to my front…
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Oh, The Heights and Fights: A Door in the Dark, A Review
I miss the days when my book reading friends and I eagerly awaited the next Harry Potter tome. I’m always looking for a fantasy novel with the wizard academy trope, like The Magicians by Lev Grossman or Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. Even the Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo falls into that category.…
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Friday’s Findings: Storytelling Tips and Techniques
Got an extra Audible credit you want to use? Looking to take a creative writing class? Then I recommend Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques. This is part of The Great Courses Series on Audible. James Hynes, a writing professor and novelist, narrates this 24 lecture course on writing novels and short stories. I…
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Friday’s Findings: Discovering Flannery O’Connor
A couple months ago, my supervisor came into the office excited about a movie being filmed in town. Ethan Hawke had been spotted by the local paper at various locations: the zoo, Old Louisville, and nearby small towns. “He’s filming and directing a movie about Flannery O’Connor,” my boss exclaimed. She loves O’Connor’s short stories.…
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MY FAVORITE SF&F SHOWS, PART 7
Much to my chagrin, I’ve been doing more watching science fiction and fantasy shows than writing lately. But, thankfully, I’m back to writing now that these three shows have concluded: Shadow and Bone, Season 2 I just finished reading all of Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaworld novels before watching season 2 of Shadow and Bone. If you…
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Friday’s Findings: How to Write Fast
Some writers imagine the writing process as slow and meticulous. They take their time composing that first draft, lingering over it for months, maybe years. These writers are tortoises and they don’t mind. However, in How to Write Fast by Sean Platt and Neeve Silver, the writing process is the hare, not the tortoise. They…
Andrew M. Friday 