I had just finished high school when I joined a site called LibraryThing. I’d seen an article in Writer’s Digest that spoke highly of it. I created an account, felt a thrill of adding books I owned and books I’d read, and began to explore. It was on the forums that I found it, a… Continue reading 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die: The Experience of Following a Recommended Reading List
Should You Read Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin?
“Before Mazer invented himself as Mazer, he was Samson Mazer, and before he was Samson Mazer, he was Samson Masur–a change of two letters that transformed him from a nice, ostensibly Jewish boy to a Professional Builder of Worlds–and for most of his youth he was Sam, S.A.M. on the hall of fame of his… Continue reading Should You Read Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin?
Should You Read Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks?
“The ship didn’t even have a name. It had no human crew because the factory craft which constructed it had been evacuated long ago. It had no life-support or accommodation units for the same reason. It had no class number or fleet designation because it was a mongrel made from bits and pieces of different… Continue reading Should You Read Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks?
Critique Circle Premium Review
I’ve reviewed the basic features of this website where writers can exchange critiques before, but today I want to look at the features it offers to paying members. What are they? Do they provide a benefit? As someone who’s been a premium member for over a year now, I want to give my thoughts. As… Continue reading Critique Circle Premium Review
Should You Read Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson?
“The night before the summer solstice, five girls hid in a treehouse. The shack, much too nice to call a shack, was sturdy enough, cradled in the arthritic branches of a three-hundred-year-old oak. Below, in Vance Hall, preparations for tomorrow’s festivities were finalised. It was more an excuse for the grown-ups to fetch up the… Continue reading Should You Read Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson?
Handling Criticism
There are few things in life quite like being told that something you’ve poured your heart into isn’t good enough. It hurts, of course, like a sharp sting or a festering wound, but honest criticism can be the only way to see the flaws that were hidden in our blind spots. If we want to… Continue reading Handling Criticism
Should You Read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde?
“The studio was filled with the rich odour of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden, there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac, or the more delicate perfume of the pink-flowering thorn. “From the corner of the divan of Persian saddle-bags on which… Continue reading Should You Read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde?
Should You Read The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin?
The City We Became is an urban fantasy that reads like a love letter to the city of New York. A love letter that recognizes the city’s flaws and struggles and the atrocities of its past, while showing the reader why even the residents who claim to hate it never want to leave.
What’s Taking So Long? A Novel Update
Those who read the last post related to my novel-in-progress may remember that I had a “nearly completed rewrite” as of last December. Some of you, possibly, are wondering what happened with that. Others, if I may be so fortunate, might be newcomers curious about when they can expect to see the published version of… Continue reading What’s Taking So Long? A Novel Update
The Writing of Fahrenheit 451
One of the things that most impressed me on my reread of this book was the quality of the writing. More than the plot, the premise, the passages explaining how the dystopia came to be, it was the simple beauty and originality of the sentences that kept me reading on. I’m not usually one to… Continue reading The Writing of Fahrenheit 451
Shannon Fallon 