This was only the second or third romantic comedy I've ever read, so I'm not really a good critic of such things. However, I stuck with this and likedThis was only the second or third romantic comedy I've ever read, so I'm not really a good critic of such things. However, I stuck with this and liked it for several reasons.
First, it's written in first person, present tense, which I llike. That's a hard venue to do because the readers is trapped in the lead character's head. If we don't relate to her, the book is shot. I found Rachel Solomon did a great job of characterizing Shay and of bringing out Dominic through actions and dialogue between the two. It's a difficult task, but she pulled it off. (I taught English at two universities. I know of what I speak).
Second, the dialogue itself was really good. Some say the jokes seemed forced, but I thought it read like natural conversations. Both used curse words a bit too much, though. I'm not a prude and in addition to collegiate level teaching, I worked at a daily newspaper for 20 years. Cursing was an art with reporters and editors. But I thought some of the things the two characters said used the bad words excessively and it hindered some of the dialogue. Other than that, she did a fine job.
The plot was good, although quick at times. It followed the formula romance writers use, I guess. Conflict early on, slow building attraction, sudden crisis that leads to "break up," a second chance, self-realization, resolution.
Again, I'm probably the worst demographic to read such a genre; I read it instead for the structure and mechanics of how Rachel Solomon did it. It was good enough for me to venture into whatever she writes next. ...more
This was the best of the Grafton books I've read so far over the years (although I've only read A-F). It's quick-paced, interesting and fun. It is a tThis was the best of the Grafton books I've read so far over the years (although I've only read A-F). It's quick-paced, interesting and fun. It is a time capsule of sorts, too. Pay phones, comments from the 1980s, life in that era shine through this making it a fun look back.
This one reminded me a bit of the John Sandford Davenport novels. Kinsley Milhone for to a California ocean town to help solve an old murder in the chance she can clear a suspect. She befriends the locals like Davenport did in the Sandford stuff. The hotel she stays at is somewhat creepy as are the owners.
The ending was somewhat rushed, explained in about three pages and while I seldomly figure out the bad guy early on, I saw this one coming. Still, this is a fun series worth the few days it takes to read each one. ...more
I don't write fiction, so I don't know the real mechanics behind creating good copy. I've been a newspaper and magazine writer for the past 40 years oI don't write fiction, so I don't know the real mechanics behind creating good copy. I've been a newspaper and magazine writer for the past 40 years or so. The techniques used for both fiction and reporting --building conflict, story-telling, etc., may overlap somewhat, but they are generally two competing types of discipline. So, I don't know real fiction writing. But I do read novels
Lisa Mangum has written a very uplifting, encouraging book on how to write good fiction. She goes from gathering the idea, writing vs. editing first drafts, grammar, character building, continuity and avoiding distractions. She admits writing is hard, but she remains upbeat and cheerful about the process. That's where this book sings, I think. After a section on the formulas of fiction that may seem quite complex, she urges the reader to be okay if overwhelmed at first.
She also includes "Story Time With Lisa," that includes some of her personal stories as an editor or writer that give the readers hope about their own successes. Overall, this has a "we're all in this together" feel.
It's a very good, entertaining read and for someone wanting to really get into fiction, this should be must-reading.
Sue Grafton published this in 1988, so it's a time capsule of sorts and a fun read. There's smoking in airplanes, pay telephones, older cop techniquesSue Grafton published this in 1988, so it's a time capsule of sorts and a fun read. There's smoking in airplanes, pay telephones, older cop techniques in gathering evidence, etc. So it's kind of a fun read looking back. The writing stands up over the years, too.
This is an easy read; it comes in at 226 pages and Grafton is a fine writer. The pace is quick and there's not a real deep plot with tons of characters. There's also more background of Kinsey Millhone's life in this one than in the previous novels.
Eventually, I guess, I'll read the Alphabet series over the years. It took me nearly 30 years to get to E, but I'll continue working my way through the rest whenever the mood strikes....more
I've read most of Robert Crais' books and really liked them. It's been a while since I dove into one and I grabbed this one from the library with antiI've read most of Robert Crais' books and really liked them. It's been a while since I dove into one and I grabbed this one from the library with anticipation.
However, I found this one flatter than most of his earlier novels. The usual humor in his earlier stories were absent and Joe Pike, an interesting character, was pretty lax. And this one was much darker than his others. I realize the subject calls for a bit more darkness... child abduction and serial killer stuff. But this read felt like Crais was dealing with a lot of depression or sorrow or something.
Also, the plot seemed more scripted in cliche. Drive around LA, ask people for clues, go to where the clues lead Elvis, seek more clues. Have some epiphany. Solve the crime.
Do you remember how blown away you were when you read Turow's first Rusty Sabich book, "Presumed Innocent?" I was an English teacher at a university iDo you remember how blown away you were when you read Turow's first Rusty Sabich book, "Presumed Innocent?" I was an English teacher at a university in Arkansas in 1991 when I read the book. I actually remember where I was when I finished it -- I was the basement snack center of the building where I taught. The book was so good I can recall the location where I read it.
Presumed Guilty, the third of the Sabich series, is the same type. It's sheer courtroom brilliance. But it also has more elements than just courtroom drama. Sabich's girlfriend's son is arrested for the murder of his bipolar girlfriend. Sabich is defending him, but in addition to trying to prove the kid's innocence, Sabich also has to deal with the loss of friendship, the stress on his relationship with the son's mother after a very revealing issue came up, the element of racial divisiveness, political shenanigans and legal corruptness and good ol' boy justice.
There's a lot going on in this book; it's kind of long; I read the large print version from our library and it weighed in at 730 pages. But it reads fast and the courtroom testimony moves quickly. This is one of those books that you don't realize you've read, say, 50 pages before you realize you've read that many.
I've read some reviews of other Turow books in which reviewers say he's lost his touch. That sure isn't the case with Presumed Guilty. I'd offer it as one of the best courtroom thrillers I've ever read. ...more
My wife and I have five cats; we tend to take in stray cats who show up and try to give them a good, safe home. I wish I had read this book before we My wife and I have five cats; we tend to take in stray cats who show up and try to give them a good, safe home. I wish I had read this book before we loaded the house with them.
This isn't really a book to read cover-to-cover in a sitting. Instead, it may be better to pore over chapters and read about something the cat owner is dealing with at the time. Lucy Hoiles includes everything.. and I mean everything... about dealing with cats. Feeding them, where to place food and water, an entire chapter on litter, socialization, communication, playing, introducing them to other cats and dogs. Outdoor vs. indoors.
This book has it all. It should be required reading at all pet stores and veterinarian offices.
There are a lot cat books out there, all with good advice. This one by Ms. Hoile is a keeper and a must read for all who want their cats to enjoy life more....more
I used to be a reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, I now work for a county prosecuting attorney's office and I wrote freelance features for thI used to be a reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, I now work for a county prosecuting attorney's office and I wrote freelance features for the magazine Janie Jones writes for (I once filled in for her column about long ago Arkansas murders).
So, who better to read this book?
Janie Jones does a great job researching this story that, despite having lived in Arkansas for a long while, I've never heard about before. James Hall was a drifter-type who killed for the sport of it, apparently. I think Janie has done a nice job of showing Hall's personality throughout the book.
The thing that impressed me the most was the second half of the book that included a lot of the trial transcripts. This was back in the 1940s. Things have changed a lot in court now and that obvious difference was interesting. It was a time when reporters had more access to defendants... Arkansas Democrat reporter Joe Wirges interviewed Hall often and went with police when Hall showed them where he killed his wife. It was also a time when court proceedings, executions and other legal matters were not delayed by the myriad of appeals that bog the court systems now.
This is a quick read of only about 140 pages or so. But it's packed with a culture of the south during the 1930s and 1940s. It's a good book for those interested in court, true crime tales, the post-Depression era and the south in general. ...more
John Feinstein can really get into the heart of whatever he's covering. He's shown that with the many books he's already written about college footbalJohn Feinstein can really get into the heart of whatever he's covering. He's shown that with the many books he's already written about college football, basketball, golf, pro quarterbacks, et al. This time, he takes on the Ivy League conference in football.
I am a huge football fan, poring over college scores and stats each week, but I tend to skip over the Ivy League games because they aren't that relevant to me. (I'm a Big 10 fan). But this book does get into the story and drama of the season and shows the true heart of college football. These guys don't have much hope of following into the pros, yet they play each week for the pride of their school,
I did find that Feinstein tended to repeat himself often in this short book. There were times when he referred to Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevin's bicycle accident and subsequent death several times as if they were the first reference to the incident. He also on at least five occasions, referred to the 1968 Harvard-Yale game that ended in a tie and wrote about the headline appearing "Harvard Beats Yale, 29-29".
There were also repeated quotes from coaches and game recaps throughout the book. The book was short, only about 240 pages. Maybe he had to add that to make the printer's quota for pages.
But, still, this is a Feinstein book so the reader will learn new things. It was a quick read and the sports recaps were fun to read. I'll be sure to check out the Ivy League scores in the paper and online with more interest this coming fall. ...more
Lesley-Ann Jones gives a 3-dimensional look at Christine McVie and Fleetwood Mac. Because, perhaps, McVie was more private than the other band membersLesley-Ann Jones gives a 3-dimensional look at Christine McVie and Fleetwood Mac. Because, perhaps, McVie was more private than the other band members, there may not have been enough to write about her alone. So she included the other band members and I think that showed how McVie fit in with the dysfunctional, incestual-like group. I mean, they were trading each other off in relationships like a grade school prom.
The chapter on the recording of "Rumours" was worth the read itself. We've all heard about the love loses and drug use, but Jones shows it in action. She includes a lot of tidbits.. like when McVie recorded the song "Songbird" for the album, producers rented a theater on the campus of Cal-Berkley and used numerous pipe mikes to pick up more of the haunting ambience of the song. Stuff like that really made this book work.
The downside, I found, though, was too much speculation because Jones didn't have all the facts. She would write about groups performing in McVie's childhood town and suggested she may have been there. She also resorts to talking with a psychologist to give hints into what could have motivated McVie. I didn't think this worked too well.
There is a huge feel of nostalgia and it's hard to imagine the band, in whatever form they were in, began more than 50 years ago and their big heyday was in 1978. The music is still relevant.
This is a good book to get an inside look at Fleetwood Mac, Christine McVie's stablizing role with the band and the mishaps of being a star. ...more
This is a really good series. Marc Cameron can spin the action better than most and his writing is far above most of the authors in this genre. His deThis is a really good series. Marc Cameron can spin the action better than most and his writing is far above most of the authors in this genre. His descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness, scenery and cold are characters themselves.
Bone Rattle, the third in this series, begins a bit slowly, I thought. But eventually, it picks up and a few of the side plots all weave together. There is one issue I felt unresolved, though, about his sister-in-law's daughter. The daughter is faced with friends who like drugging and she's on that edge about what to do. Maybe it's a way to lead into the fourth book.
There's also a budding possible romance between Cutter and Mim that's been growing since the first novel. Mim was married to Cutter's brother who died in a drilling accident. Cutter is making sure Mim is okay and helping with her kids; it appears headed for more than just ol' Uncle Cutter coming over.
The action at the end is high paced and pretty nerve-wracking. If you're claustrophobic, there's a terrifying scene in which Cutter tries to escape a collapsed mine by swimming through a flooded underground tunnel without really knowing if there's air at the other end. Yeegads, that was rough.
To me, this is a far better series than the Reacher series or pretty much any other action/ mystery novels.
Once again, I failed to read the jacket copy close enough. I saw the baseball reference on the cover and I love sports. I was thinking I hadn't read eOnce again, I failed to read the jacket copy close enough. I saw the baseball reference on the cover and I love sports. I was thinking I hadn't read enough baseball in a while, even if this was fiction and a rom-com of sorts. In an attempt to try all genres, I dove into it thinking it would be a sort of Bull Durham type read. It was more of a Bull Crap type read.
A. It's an obvious copy of the Taylor Swift/Kelce romance going on. I've reached the point of total burnout on that and cringed when they showed Swift during the Super Bowl yesterday. I'm not a Swift hater, it's just that I want sports, not soap operas when I watch the games.
B. The chemistry between the two seemed forced for the novel alone. Maybe she wanted an older guy who was nearing the end of his career, but it was rushed perhaps for the sake of writing a short book. If Lacey was looking for some stable relationship, the book should have included more reasoning behind that. I mean, a hook up in some sleazy bar's bathroom ain't my version of everlasting love.
C. The cursing! I'm not a prude by any means. I worked as a newspaper reporter for three decades. The f-bombs were aplenty. But in this case, they are everywhere. Not just in dialogue, but in the regular copy. I saw that Katie Cotugno had written a few juvenile and young adult books before. Seems like she thought that to write an adult book, she had to shed all the nice stuff and bombard the reader. Again, I'm not some puritan. I just thought this was so overdone that it became annoying.
D. Sports! I am pretty much obsessed with sports. I want stuff about sports to be authentic. In the book, there's reference that the baseball player is traveling for Game 4 of the playoff series. Teams never, ever travel for a Game 4. They always play Games 1 and 2 at the same stadium and then travel to the other team's stadium for Games 3 and 4 (and sometimes Game 5 if it's the old NBA). They never are on the road. Cotugno has the Baltimore Orioles on the road for Game 4. A minor part, but still annoying and by this time I was already annoyed.
E. The ending! Not to give it away, but it's like one of those movies where the payoff for the whole thing is approaching and then.. quick to black and role credits. Wha?
Maybe those who read tons of romance novels liked this. Me, who hasn't read many at all, was very disappointed by the whole thing. If I was scoring at home, No hits, no runs, several errors.
I hate giving low ratings for books. I mean, people spend time and energy writing them and I admire their skill, determination and stamina.
However, thI hate giving low ratings for books. I mean, people spend time and energy writing them and I admire their skill, determination and stamina.
However, there are times when things may go awry. This was one, I felt. I checked Evan James' book out from the library to read essays and perhaps learn how to write them. I freelance articles for magazines as a side gig and found that that article-writing pond is somewhat drying up. I thought it may be more lucrative to write essays for magazines or newspapers or websites and, hence, I got James' book as a primer.
I felt these essays, while well-written at times, seemed to ramble on without a clear focus. He watched the old Vincent Price movie "The Tingler" and his mother commented on it, for example. I was looking for some hook, some payoff as to why we were reading it. Not there.
There are also several stories about failed relationships he's had. Again, the only point I saw was that he shunned real commitment, a fact he admitted. Still, it was as if he wrote this and then ran out of steam or an idea to wrap it up. He also wrote of a summer job he had that he quit on the spot, and he told tales of his wanderlust of other countries, again in a seeming failure to commit to one location.
Many of the essays were about his reckless ways with gay relationships. I have nothing against being gay; my stepson is gay and he's one of the best people I know. However, James' book was, to copy a phrase from another reviewer here, "too gay." It was like every point he made had to include meeting up with some "bear" and having spontaneous sex immediately after. He almost made cliche of that sort of thing.
By the time his essay about admitting he was gay showed up in the book, the "headliner" if you will and the one that drew the most raves, the reader was bombarded already and the impact was less than it could have been....more
This one was a bit slower starting than the first one in the Cutter series, but still it's a good read. Cameron writes well; the descriptions of the hThis one was a bit slower starting than the first one in the Cutter series, but still it's a good read. Cameron writes well; the descriptions of the harsh Alaskan landscape and a major snowstorm are compelling and become a character in this book.
The premise is simple. Cutter and Lola are tasked to follow a judge to a remote Alaskan village for a case. The judge had received threats and they are taken seriously enough to send the two marshals out there. Mayhem ensues.
I thought Marc Cameron wrote well of the Alaskan culture and in carrying a few themes out from the first book. Looks like there may be a budding romance between Cutter and his sister-in-law who Cameron is helping after the death of her husband, his brother. Also, a reveal of why Cutter may be the way he is is shown. In the first book, Open Carry, there were hints. In this one, there is an explanation. The story line is done well.
A warning, though: There is a bad scene with a police dog being injured by a bad guy the dog is pursuing that may put off readers.
About 10 years ago, I went with a friend to a service at Central Baptist in Jonesboro, Ark. We went to a smaller section of the church complex called About 10 years ago, I went with a friend to a service at Central Baptist in Jonesboro, Ark. We went to a smaller section of the church complex called the Refuge and we watched as a really tall, bearded guy got on stage and began singing.
I was blown away by the talent; his husky, smokey, blues voice carried through the small auditorium and people were amazed. It's probably not appropriate, but hearing his voice made me want to pop open a Bud Light and light a cigarette, and I don't even drink or smoke. He was that good.
It was Zach Williams. I went back to that church several times after just to hear him sing.
I had heard some of his story, of his rough ways early on and his transformation into a Christian singer. So it was with interest that I picked up Rescue Story to learn more.
This is not a preachy book, nor does it appoint blame elsewhere, like at his parents for any dysfunctions. Instead, his folks gave him tons of grace and forgiveness, much, he learned later, as God does to his followers.
The only downside of this was the book was too short. I wanted to see more details about his rise to stardom and his work. I felt he glossed over how he went from playing in Jonesboro to being a Nashville star. The point of the book, though, and probably the reason for the shortness, was more of his reformation from his drug and alcohol life to his success through understanding grace and forgiveness. ...more
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