2010-01-23 Archive, Reading Writing

Reading, Writing

Ratings are: (A), (B), (C), (D), (F) for Aced, Brag-able, Competent, Dud or Foul:

This week I read:

"Shadowmancer," by G.P. Taylor, (B) (2003, 275 pages). I have seen this book in the library so often that I had to check it out to see if I had already read it. I hadn't. Having started the book with a display of demonic power, I was actually surprised at the number of technically correct references to biblical quotes used by the author.

"Sweep: Awakening" or "Awakening," by Cate Tiernan, (C) (2001, 188 pages). This is actually number five in a series of at least fifteen books. This story is told in first person by a teenage witch character. The plot contains a moderate amount of information about Wiccan practices, mixed with a touch of violence in the search for power (by the dark side).

"Safe as the Grave," by Caroline B. Cooney, (A) (1979, 48 pages, six chapters) Caroline B. Cooney is one of my favorite authors, so when I saw this book listed in the library, I put it on hold to check it out. I was surprised it was so short, but it is long enough to tell the story of a young girl who survives poison ivy to solve a mystery. Despite the title, there is no violence, other than thunderstorms.

This week I re-read:

"The Nine Lives of Chloe King: Vol. 2, The Stolen," by Celia Thomson, (B) (2004). This is the second in a series of three books, although the title implies that it may someday go as far as nine volumes. I have read all three of these at least twice, after finding them in the library several years ago. Lately, they have disappeared from the shelf so I finally gave up and ordered copies on-line. Volume 2 was the first to arrive. I enjoyed these books enough to keep looking for more. But, as the main plot tensions are resolved by book three, I'm not sure I'll ever see any more of them from the author. The characters are realistic (for fantasy) and memorable.

"Rough Weather," A Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker. (B) (2008, 301 pages). What can I say? The characters are stereotyped but memorable. The book is easy to read because the chapters are usually only four pages long, and the dialog is usually terse. (Sometimes everyone ends up talking like Spenser.) And Robert B. Parker has just died. The book list in this paperback says that he has left us with 37 Spenser novels (and, according to Meg Cabot's blog, never revealed Spenser's first name), eight Jesse Stone novels, six Sunny Randall novels, and fourteen other novels. And there is a preview of the 38th Spenser novel, "The Professional," in the back.
in the end of "Rough Weather," we read:

"... I opened the bottom drawer and took our a bottle of Bushmills Irish whiskey, and four of the little transparent plastic cups that always horrified Susan when I used them. I poured an inch of shiskey into each and handed out the cups."

Everyone stared at me.

I raised my cup.

"One for the road," I said.


{Goodbye, Robert B. Spenser. And, thank you.}

Writing this week:
Current word count: 29000 (for 2009 NANO, "Life Beyond Life")

Write well,

Logan