What I’m Reading:

Ø Hope you enjoy and find some good reads & check out the links below.

June 2010—Moving my stuff back to Arizona, so I whipped through piles of magazines, including National Geographic, The Writer, etc.

Stoner & Spaz, by Ron Koertge. Publisher Candlewick Press. Nicely written YA novel with lots of dialogue. A fast, entertaining read.

A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle. A friend gave this to me so she’d have someone to discuss it with her. Way too many words for something you’re not supposed to approach intellectually, and a lot of redundancy. It may help people who are not in touch with themselves or the universe, but they’ll have to plow through a lot of words to get to the essence.

Running Away, by Sheri McGuinn. Yes, I went back and read my own book again, and wrote all over it where I want to make changes for a new edition. While I’m not going to sanitize the language, it can be reduced to a level where schools will purchase it without losing the realism. That will make it possible for more readers to access the story.

May 2010—Read some back issues of National Geographic and odds and ends of other magazines, and a couple novels.

Relentless, by Dean Koontz. As always, solid writing of a thriller with so much more beneath the surface.

Cell, by Stephen King. Regular King fare. Another reliably good writer. Since this novel is a few years out, and obviously had to be written before the copyright date, there are technology details that are already outdated. It’s spooky to realize how quickly our world is changing.

April 2010—Checked out some YA novels and a few quick reads, as well as the usual magazines.

Homecoming, by Cynthia Voigt. One of a series of YA novels. I liked the story and the characters, but the travels went on so long that I found myself skimming large sections to get where the action moved forward.

Define “Normal”, by Julie Anne Peters. If you liked Running Away, you’ll like this novel. The author has a stack of YA novels on touchy subjects. Define Normal is also available on Kindle.

The Lost, a collection of four short works by JD Robb, Patricia Gaffney, Mary Blayney, and Ruth Ryan Langan. An excellent promotional tool to combine their works in one volume. Each one a decent story.

Fear the Worst, by Linwood Barclay. Nice plotting. I especially like the way the father’s emotions and behavior roller coaster.

Honeymoon, by James Patterson and Howard Roughan. Patterson is a master at marketing and I like the fact he brings along and gives credit to other authors. The story is a well-told thriller.

March 2010—Avoiding doing taxes, I dove into some reading this month. My Arizona friends should check out the March 2010 National Geographic, regardless of which side they take in the wolf controversy. Have also read a couple articles about Clark Little’s photographic specialty—taking photos inside the curl of waves. As for novels…

Tell Me Something True, by Leila Cobo. This is a neat book. There’s an element of suspense, and some danger, but mostly it’s the coming-of-age story of a girl between cultures (LA and Cali, Colombia). Nicely written.

The Scarecrow, by Michael Connelly. The reader gets to know who the villain is way ahead of the good guys, so Connelly has to maintain tension by making you unsure they’re going to figure it out. He does a good job of it. I especially like the final chapter. Do NOT read it first!

A Wicked Snow, by Gregg Olsen. Psychological thriller. Given a critical pen, I’d probably cut a lot to keep it moving faster, but the story’s good and it’s still a reasonably quick read for entertainment.

The Night Café, by Taylor Smith. A decent read, but why must adventure heroines be cast with a certain bumbling, need-to-be-taken-care of quality? It works better for Evanovich because her heroine is supposed to be funny. It’s a little annoying in this novel, though.

Boneman’s Daughters, by Ted Dekker. This one creeped me out, including the ending.

February 2010—I’ve been laid out with bronchitis, so besides watching too many movies, I’ve read a few novels for fun. Stayed away from the second-hand store this time so I wouldn’t get repeats. Have you learned to check the copyright dates at the mega stores? Those aren’t all new releases! And I’m not reviewing all the magazines I read each month. Only if there’s an especially exciting article. However, I continue to recommend The Writer, Writer’s Digest, National Geographic, and National Geographic Traveler.

The Little Death, by P.J. Parrish. Nicely plotted. Some rather kinky turns in the bedroom. Kept me going to the end.

Plum Spooky, Janet Evanovich. I can always depend on Stephanie Plum for a laugh-out-loud experience. I only wish the stories were longer. The characters and events are beyond belief, but that’s part of the fun.

Fractured, by Karin Slaughter. Haven’t read one of her books in a while. The story’s got a good solid hook right at the start. The cover blurb has you wondering whether the mother really killed her daughter’s attacker with her bare hands or not. Piece by piece the events up to that moment become clear. The detectives have to determine who’s been victimized and who committed what crime. When they finally figure out the who’s, they still have to prove it. Excellent story-telling.

Daddy’s Little Girl, by Mary Higgins Clark. Clark mentions this is her first attempt to write a novel in first person. Part One, the first five chapters, deviate from that with an omniscient account of a murder committed twenty-three years earlier. For the remainder of the novel, she uses first person for the voice of the young sister of the victim, now grown and full of anger and guilt. Using first person limits what the reader can know to what the speaker knows. That eliminates a major tool for suspense that Clark used very effectively in her first novels, which let the reader slip into the villain’s viewpoint now and then while the victim carried on unaware of the danger. The result is a novel that is more a character study of the impact of a crime on the survivors than a true suspense novel. It was well written, just not what I expect from this writer.

January 2010—Focused on writing this month, but I did read my regular magazines, at least parts of them, and I made a trip to the used book store down the street to look for books for my reluctant-reader students. I found some for them, but what I read were a few I picked up, then realized I’d read them already when I got home and curled up with them. The good thing about that is the reading went faster and I got back to work! Plus it’s good for studying plot and character development.

Mystic River, by Dennis Lehane. Couldn’t remember whether I’d read it until I got into it, but it was worth the re-read. I kept seeing and hearing Kevin Bacon in his role as Sean Devine, but the book gives a lot more depth to the characters than a movie can.

The Vision, by Dean Koontz. Picked this up at the second hand store and realized quickly that it was a re-read, but I enjoy looking for the details that foreshadow the end.

Cold Fire, by Dean Koontz. Ditto.

December 2009—E Gads! I know I read some books this month, but not many with the holidays and working on my own writing. I grabbed a Janet Evanovich one weekend when I needed to laugh. I think it was 13, but it could have been 11. I did read magazines.

National Geographic, October 2009 issue. Especially taken with the article on Redwoods. Also covered: Bryde’s Whales, Indonesia, a different look at the Sahara Desert, and a Diamond Shipwreck.

National Geographic Traveler, January/February 2010 issue. Why I have wanderlust.

November 2009—Interesting month. I read several romance novels prior to writing the beginning of one for a contest, a Koontz novel that made me weep, and a J.D. Robb novel I don’t remember a week later…

? by Death, by J.D. Robb. While I read it, I enjoyed it, but I simply don’t remember the title or much of the story! Possibly because I read it in bits and pieces while visiting with family over Thanksgiving week. I prefer sinking into a novel.

Your Heart Belongs to Me, by Dean Koontz. Really, the tears poured out of me at the end of this novel.

Harlequin Presents:

Novels by Abby Green, Marion Lennox, Kate Hewitt, Jennie Lucas, Carole Mortimer, Miranda Lee.

Sorry to lump them all together, but I read several to get a feel for the current market. While each story was unique, there were underlying patterns that I’d expect to follow to write in the genre. And while at first I wasn’t sure I could write the same kind of scenes, it ended up being fun!

Read bits and pieces of several different magazines as well: The Writer, National Geographic, Ode, AARP Magazine.

October 2009—Well, polished the screenplay for Michael Dolan McCarthy this month as well as getting some other aspects of my writing organized better, so I just did a little recreational reading. My writing magazines are piling up!

Unseen, by Nancy Bush. A quick read. I did have the twist figured out early in the book.

Black Widow, by Randy White. If you like James Bond you’ll probably like the style. I don’t.

Bloodborn, by Kathryn Fox. She’s obviously done a lot of research on rape and sexual assault. At times it’s presented too obviously for a fictional work. I found the story depressingly realistic, and that made me realize some of my work probably has the same effect. Therefore, I’m looking at doing some lighter long projects.

Where There’s Fire, by Maureen McKade. A quick read. Left me neutral.

National Geographic, August 2009 & September 2009. So this is my main means of connecting with the rest of the world. The article I found most interesting was in September’s issue: “Plugging into the Sun” describes (and of course has outstanding photos of) the different ways solar energy is being used in different countries.

September 2009—I gave myself this month to get the teaching job under control without jumping on myself for not doing enough writing, so I finished quite a bit of reading at the end of the days. You can tell I prefer thrillers. This month’s selection included several with endings that surprised me, which is highly unusual and cause for a re-read to see how they slipped in the details I apparently missed. I don’t think they were guilty of deux ex machina.

Black Out, by Lisa Unger. Excellent psychological suspense novel. The author structured the telling of the story in such a way that it brings the reader inside the mental instability of the main character, leaving both reader and character uncertain what is real and what is not. A keeper that will be re-read for learning purposes.

It Only Takes a Moment, by Mary Jane Clark. She led me astray and I didn’t figure out the ending. I’ll probably re-read it to make sure she didn’t cheat, but from a quick scan, I think she handled the scenes deftly to mislead the reader.

Say Goodbye, by Lisa Gardner. This is another I’ll have to re-read to examine the plot construction and delivery of details, because there were elements in the ending that I didn’t see coming.

The Bodies Left Behind, by Jeffery Deaver. This novel has the same problem I have to fix in Michael Dolan McCarthy—there’s way too much attention to detail in a journey and it makes the story DRAG. Besides which, he had his characters worried about the perils of berry bushes while they were being stalked by killers. Must be a city boy. However, he did have a well-supported twist at the end that I hadn’t anticipated. He let his main character be duped as well and berate herself for missing all the signs, so I know they were all there without re-reading. My only question is whether the dragging in the middle helped bore me enough to miss the essential clues. It may have been deliberate.

Therapy, Jonathan Kellerman. I have a feeling I read this before, and I should have put it down. Way too much talking between the protagonist and his supporting character about how it might turn out. Got the feeling the author was trying to decide who done it himself.

The Writer September 2009

This issue was geared more to non-fiction writers, but did give me several additions to my “to read” list and a couple smaller publishers that might be willing to look at my work.

August 2009—I’ve been reading novels at the end of the day when I’m too exhausted to do anything else. Left my TV in storage, so all I have to do is resist renting movies and limit theater visits.

Runaways, V.C. Andrews. I picked this up at a second-hand bookstore near my new apartment because of the title (which is so close to my Running Away) and because it had a tape with it that might help a challenged reader at school. Now, V.C. Andrews did not write this book—her family chose to let her name sell the work of other writers after her death. I have issues with manipulating the purchasers that way, but if the ghost writer(s) are being paid decently and can put it on a resume when they submit under their own name, then it’s serving a purpose. I wouldn’t turn down the job myself. As for this novel, the story-telling is good enough to keep a teen reading, and I can believe the really nice people they run into because they do hit a few rotten ones as well, but the main characters are entirely too shockable for girls who’ve been brought up in foster care and they come across as types instead of real people. I’d still have it in my classroom if I had any girls in there, but I’m hoping I did a better job of making my characters real in Running Away.

Smoke Screen, Sandra Brown. Well, maybe it was just because I was so tired when I was reading, but she got me. I didn’t know how the twist would go at the end. It’s billed as suspense, but there’s a romance-novel feel to it as well. The romantic thread develops through almost instantaneous attraction and is revealed through the characters’ thoughts as much as their actions.

Dead and Alive, Dean Koontz. Zombies and their cousins are not my preferred genre, but Koontz does such a nice job writing from their point of view and making it clear they think like the movie versions move. He’s also crafted the story nicely to flow from one point of view to another.

July 2009—Made a deliberate effort to get to some of the dozens of books I’ve been meaning to read because they’ve been recommended by a friend, author, or in an article.

Wild Indigo, Sandi Ault. Jamaica Wild is a Bureau of Land Management agent who witnesses a death and questions whether it was truly an accident, then is blamed for causing it herself. Nicely maintained suspense on a backdrop of an imaginary Pueblo, which is based on the author’s authentic research but deliberately a fictional composite. Dog/wolf lovers will also love this novel, as her roommate is a wolf. However, there is a dash of romance as well.

The Executioners, John D. MacDonald. This slim suspense novel was instantly recognized as the source for the movie Cape Fear, which was an excellent film. I whipped right through the book to find out how closely they matched. The psychological impact’s the same, but the action/visuals were suitably increased for the film & everything was updated. If it weren’t for the Freudian references, I’d have been surprised to see the copyright was more than fifty years ago.

The Turquoise Lament, John D. MacDonald. Almost put this one down. It was published fifteen years after The Executioners, and it’s as if someone insisted on more description. It slowed the action, especially at the beginning. I much preferred the earlier book.

Breaking Dawn, Stephanie Meyers. Someone finally got the message to Meyers that Jacob and company are shape-shifters, not werewolves, which probably pleases those who are really into werewolf and vampire stories. Frankly, I’m reading the series because it’s selling to my audience. I want to know why they are willing to plow through that many pages. I think it’s because, despite flaws in detail and the writer’s verbosity, the readers can identify with the characters and want things to turn out okay for them, and the story keeps them in sufficient peril to keep those pages turning.

The Road, Cormac McCarthy. This is an apocalyptic tale of a father and young son traveling alone through the wasteland. It was a short novel, but I skimmed through the last third (at least), wishing he’s made it a short story. I did finish it however, because I wanted to see how the author pulled together an ending.

Empire Falls, Richard Russo. The novel really captures the feel of a small town and the story pulled me right into it. If you’ve always lived in the suburbs or city, it’s a glimpse at a different life. The DVD has an excellent cast, but had to compress so much that you probably will enjoy it more if you read the book first.

The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison. One of the reasons to read fiction is to understand people outside one’s immediate experience. This novel was definitely worth reading on that account alone. As a writer, the structure of the story telling was also fascinating. She has one first-person narrator, who is actually witness to the central character, and then goes into third person in various times to make all the other key characters whole. Recommend it especially for writers.

June 2009 – I’ve been too busy to read anything but my magazines the last two months—time for a book!

National Geographic May & June 2009

The June issue has fantastic articles including: “The End of Plenty” and “The Forgotten Faithful”. The latter is about the Arab Christians… remember where Christianity started? The May issue has articles on turning urban roofs into green zones and about how close we are to cloning a mammoth…should we? There were plenty of other articles in both issues, of course. These are the ones that were most interesting to me.

The Writer July 2009

This issue focused on making a living as a freelancer in a tough economy, with several articles giving suggestions. There were also articles on the value of a conference critique, remembering to use non-web research, an interview with Alice Hoffman, and lots more. I’m letting my subscription expire only because I’m not sure what my address will be.

May 2009

The Writer June 2009

More on e-books, markets, and contests. Ways to live and write abroad. A lovely article by Ken Follett noting that good literature and commercial fiction have not always been separate entities. Nine Questions for Self-Publishers, by Lisa Safran, and how to write for college magazines. And these were just the articles that grabbed my interest.

The Writer May 2009

There were several articles on making a living as a writer, the new trend of “book trailers” similar to movie trailers, and some encouragement to write and publish e-books. As always, this is best for non-fiction unless you have or are developing a base of readers.

I reviewed my notes in: Straczynski’s Scriptwriting, Field’s Screenplay, and Successful Scriptwriting by Wolff & Cox.

I also read a young adult fantasy manuscript and gave detailed notes to the author—a colleague I met at a conference.

April 2009

The Writer April 2009

It’s important to keep working on your craft, so I’m happy to say I’m actually keeping up with my professional reading! About a third of the pages in this issue ended up folded in half, which means I’m going to go back and add notes from those pages to my files, or rip out entire articles for filing, or add websites to my “to visit” list. This month, the majority of the articles were about how to “Get Connected, Get Published” and included excellent “Tips on finding the right writers conference” by Jennifer McCord. Then, in keeping with that theme, the Markets section was devoted to Conferences this month. One of the reasons I like this magazine is that they regularly work on a theme and connect advice with practical information.

Eclipse, Stephanie Meyer

I was relieved that the heroine is finally having some doubts or at least realizing what she’s planning on sacrificing by becoming a vampire. I’ll probably read the next because, of course, I’m hoping the under “dog” wins the girl in the end.

National Geographic April 2009

Actually read it the month it came, cover to cover! Since I’m living in Arizona, the articles about the Australian drought and the changing patterns of rainfall worldwide pulled me in quickly. “Vanishing Amphibians” was more frightening than Stephen King’s stories. And I now know about the resurrection of religion in Russia and Egypt’s female king.

Timeline, Michael Crichton

Thought I’d missed this one, until I started reading it at home. Then I compulsively skimmed through it to remember how the story developed and ended. What I’ll miss is Crichton’s research and bibliographies. The introductory discussion “Science at the End of the Century” drew credible parallels and the scientific references at the end of this novel are on my reading list, along with another hundred books.

Everything’s Eventual, 14 Dark Tales, Stephen King

I suspect Mr. King and I read some of the same books as kids: Twilight Zone collections, the complete Sherlock Holmes, a collection of medical investigations (12? Blue Men), O. Henry, horse stories, dog stories, and scads of others. Short story collections were common. I still prefer reading a story in one sitting—when it’s a novel length, I set aside a few days of down time and snarl at anyone who interrupts. Hopefully the advent of online outlets for short stories will help generate enough sales to get the traditional publishers to risk more anthologies. As for this collection, my favorites are Autopsy Room Four (though I’d tweak the ending), The Man in the Black Suit, and The Road Virus Heads North. However, reading them at bedtime on the edge of wilderness was probably not my best idea.

March 2009

Writer’s Digest, August 2008 issue

Soon I’ll be revising my screenplay of Running Away and writing one for Michael Dolan McCarthy, so when I saw “Screenwriting” on the cover, I borrowed this issue from the library. This series of articles on screenwriting reminded me of things I already knew, but helped me get into screenwriting mode. I’ll also be skimming through all the notes and books I have on screenwriting before beginning my task. (I’ve been alternating subscriptions between Writer’s Digest and The Writer; when finances improve, I’ll be getting both so I can cannibalize the pages.)

The Forester’s Log, Mary Stuever

Mary’s naturalist parents supported her solo trek of the continental divide as a teenager. She completed a degree in forestry and has worked for over twenty years as a forester in many capacities. A few samples: fire-fighter, developer of educational programs, and five years as leader of the White Mountain Apache efforts to rehabilitate their forests after the Rodeo-Chediski Fire (over half of the 500,000 acres burned were on the reservation). She also published a monthly log during that time. This book is a selection of those essays, grouped into five chapters: Fire, Forestry, Burn Area Rehabilitation, Environmental Education, and Recreation. A good read for naturalists, those interested in creating a sustainable environment or developing environmental education programs, and any girl/woman looking for alternative role models.

Her poetically detailed descriptions of the forest make me realize how much I don’t see.

The Wealthy Writer, Michael Meanwell

An excellent resource for anyone who would like to make a good living writing. While the advice is geared for commercial writing, much of it is also applicable to those who only write fiction, as you still need to set up as a business, handle contacts, build a website, and sell your work.

February 2009

The Writer

Caught up on a stack of back issues. If you are a writer and have never looked at this magazine, check it out.

Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen

One of the best pieces of fiction I’ve read lately. The author researched traveling circuses circa the 1930’s and used those details to bring her fictional account alive. Anyone who’s wanted to be in a circus will find it fascinating. She also did a wonderful job with her elderly male narrator, going between his clear memories and his less certain present. Available most everywhere.

Plum Lucky, Janet Evanovich

This book literally made me laugh out loud, as I knew it would. Whenever I need a break from work and/or worry, I know I can escape with one of Janet’s Stephanie Plum stories. The website is a fun place for fans, too. Her books are everywhere.

January, 2009

Twilight and New Moon, Stephanie Meyer

Checked out this series that’s so popular with young adults, and I can understand why. There’s a neat mix of everyday teen detail mixed with the vampire and werewolf aspects. The characters interact realistically. It’s a quick read. However, I share the vampire boyfriend’s concern that the heroine’s sacrificial desire to give up her life to be with him forever is unhealthy. It hits me as a throwback to the pre-liberation concept of a woman’s place. Hopefully, that’s not what teenagers are getting from it. You know you can find these books.

National Geographic Magazine

Caught up on back issues. What I love about this magazine is that they carry stories about research months, sometimes years, before it hits headlines as if it were new information. Well, I also love the pictures and the glimpses it gives into other ways of living and the way it tickles my adventurer’s bone to go do new things and see new places.