Classic Fiction When people are asked about classic fiction, many name their favorites: Jane Eyre, The Count of Monte Cristo, Anna Karenina or anything by Jane Austen. Classics may be why so many people love to read, to get lost in a book and take a vicarious adventure, whether in war or in love. Then …
The summer flew past in a whirlwind of travel, lots of out of town company, the loss of my father, and plans for a move. And of course, the preparations for publishing Flight of the Spark! (In case you missed the news, it will be out December 3.) In the middle of all that, of …
Summer was way too short this year, with the snow handing around into April. And now we’ve got an early fall heralded by lots of chilly rain. But as quick as the summer was, I still had time to read. These are three of best. I hadn’t intended to read books that made me think …
I’m going out on a limb here. I’m recommending that people buy a book I’ve never read. But it’s more about the principle of the thing, rather than what’s in the book. Amelie Wen Zhao was getting ready to publish her debut novel, a YA fantasy called Blood Heir. It’s about a fictional empire where …
This summer I’ve been reading a lot of indie fiction. Some people turn their noses up at anything not traditionally published, but I’ve found there are plenty of gems out there for those willing to take a chance on an unknown author. This month I’ve reviewed four of the best indies I’ve read in the …
Winter didn’t want to give up easily this year. Five inches of snow in April thwarted my outdoor plans. So what to do when winter won’t give up? Read books, of course! Here are the best of what I’ve read during this season we are optimistically calling “spring.” Scarlet and Cress A few months ago, …
This winter we endured the joy and delight of the polar vortex, when the temperature plummeted well below zero and made walking to the mailbox into a frigid hike. All that cold made winter sports unappealing, so I spent more time exploring the world of books. Since I’m writing mostly fantasy, that’s what’s I’ve been …
Bridger: A Dystopian Serial is a science fiction story told in serial form that takes the reader on a cross-world adventure full of danger, lies and romance. After I read the first installment, I was hooked. What’s it about? Global war has bled Earth, and Char, almost dry. She has sacrificed her health and marriage …
Reading is a refuge, an escape, a guilty pleasure, a doorway to other worlds, a way to live through others. And reading also helps me become a better writer. Thinking ahead to 2019, I’ve put together a list of books I want to read Survive by Vera Nazarian. This is the fourth book in …
Fall’s cooler weather always has me searching for great reads, and I’m thrilled to have stumbled on a few. These are the best I came across. The Way of Kings A few years back, I picked up Words of Radiance, the second in Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight series. I was so taken with the world Sanderson …