Historical fiction can be challenging, both for writers and readers. It doesn’t take much — just a word, a name, a description — to bounce you right out of the story. In the Author’s Note at the end of Mistress of the Art of Death, Ariana Franklin says “It is almost impossible to write a comprehensible story set in the… Read more
Happy Wednesday, everybody! I am looking forward to seeing everyone’s words this week, even though I am a little short of words this week. I have a couple that I have scrounged from my online reading, and these are kind of fun to share: 1. Logomachy: A dispute over or about words “The surprising election results have opened the floodgates… Read more
It’s Tuesday! Time for another Teaser! You know how this works, pick up your current read, open it to a random page and give us 2 teaser sentences. No spoilers, please. Well today, I am between books, so I’ve got a really random teaser. I opened the next book on my list, The Devil’s Star, and picked a few sentences… Read more
I am in the middle of a stretch of 8 straight weeks on the road, so I was pleased to have a few new books to take along with me! Here are the newest additions to my bookshelves: First is a repeat author for me, Eric van Lustbader. (I reviewed his novel, First Daughter, back in August, 2008.) In this… Read more
Welcome back to the Friday Puzzler! I’m sorry I missed last week, but I’ve got a new puzzle this week, based on this week’s New York Times Best Sellers Lists. Enjoy! If you see this, you’ll need to upgrade your browser. Click here to play the crossword outside of the blog. Read more
Good morning and welcome to another Teaser Tuesday! You know the rules: open your current read, pick 2 teaser sentences and share them with the world. No spoiler, please and be sure to tell us a little about the book. That way, we can be first on the request list at the library. It’s been a slow reading week, so… Read more
You know, I am always getting announcements about new releases, and I think I ought to be sharing them with you. I was thinking about this today as I was exchanging some emails about the new Garth Stein novel, Raven Stole the Moon. Back in September, I reviewed Stein’s earlier novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain. I didn’t… Read more
It’s time for more new words! Today, my words are from Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin. I’m listening to this on audio, so thank heavens for Amazon and their “search inside” feature. At least I was able to go back and find some of the unfamiliar words I remembered. 1. Sheela-na-gig: a grotesque female figure with… Read more
Happy Tuesday! This promises to be a fun reading week for me — I am already caught up in my current read and I am listening to a great audiobook to go along with it. What could be better than 2 great books at once? You know how the Teaser works: take your current read, open to a random page… Read more
If you have a weak stomach, this book is not for you. Wake Up Dead is probably the most violent, bloody, gore-splattered book I’ve read in ages, and that’s really saying something. A gang war in Cape Town, South Africa’s ghettos provides the setting and the gang-bangers, drug lords, junkies and an honest-to-goodness cannibal provide the action. On a steamy… Read more