BookReviewtoday

For years I stayed away from reading non fiction.  I think it was because of all the required reading I had to do when I was in university.  For years I associated non fiction with dry text book style writing.  But over the past couple of years, I’ve started slowly introducing non fiction into my reading.   

As a freelance writer who is just starting out, I have a gaggle of books on writing query letters, writing fiction, finding inspiration and writing exercises.  I love these types of non fiction books as I use them as resources, being able to read them a chapter at a time.  And they are the type of book that you can use and reuse time and again.  With the writing exercise books, it’s good just to open up to a page and go from there.

A good memoir, to me, is better than fiction. It is also a way to learn about something new without it seeming like work.  I find myself reading quite a few memoirs of people from other cultures.  I don’t travel so for me, it’s a way to discover new places from the comfort of my couch.

I’m starting to realize that regardless of the genre, a good book is a good book.  Who knows?  Maybe I’ll even give a romance a try.

If you are struggling with how to start a writing career, or have a manuscript and have no idea what to do with it, then you need to pick up a copy of How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead by Ariel Gore.  My husband bought this book and when I began my new freelance writing career last month, he lent it to me, telling me I had to read it.  Well, now I refuse to give it back. This book is not only a how to for becoming a literary star, it’s an inspirational book and I know that I will be rereading it for years to come.

Ariel takes you from making yourself sit down and write to promoting your finished copy and everything in between.  Interspersed with her story of how she went from a single mother on welfare to a published lit star are interviews with other famous writers.  There is so much  information and tips in this book that every time I picked it up to read  I felt a burst of creative energy.  And it was also encouraging to hear that published authors  sometimes struggle with writing, publicity and marketing.   I actually now feel like I can go out and conquer the literary world once step at a time.

I’m a big fan of the light mystery.  You know, the mystery series about the baker, or knitter or model.  There are certain ones I enjoy, like Diane Mott Davidson series about Goldy the caterer.  Well, I discovered a new fave, the coffeehouse mysteries by Cleo Coyle.  The main character, Clare, is the manager of an upscale New York coffeehouse. 

Last night I finished Through the Grinder.  Seems that some of the Village Blend’s female customers are killing themselves.  Only detective Quinn doesn’t think they are suicides and soon neither does Clare. With the help of her ex husband Matt, Clare tries to track down the killer.

Now, almost from the beginning I thought I knew who the killer was.  And I was disappointed .  I’m usually pretty sucky at guessing the killer so if I could figure it out, it must not be a very good book.

But of course I was 100 percent wrong and very surprised by the ending.  I really enjoyed this book. Although it was a murder mystery it was a fairly easy read and sometimes I need that.  I will admit at first that I thought the author went a little overboard with the coffee facts, but once I realized that a love of coffee was a central part to Clare’s personality, it didn’t bother me.  I know I will definitely be reading more from  Cleo Coyle.

I love reading books about vampires.  I always have.  And even though I’ve technically been an adult for many a moon, I still enjoy reading Young Adult novels.  Particularly supernatural YA novels.  I ‘m not a big fan of romance or erotica, and I find that quite a few of the adult books on the supernatural are just bodice rippers in disguise.  So more and more when I need a fix, I head towards the teen section.  While there may be some romance, it won’t be the hot and heavy kind.

Last week on a trip to the book store, I picked up Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast.  While I haven’t had the time to read it yet, I keep looking at it longingly.  I think maybe this week end I’ll treat myself. The book is about a school for fledgling vamypres. Sounds right up my ally.   I’ll let you know how it is.

While I will read almost any genre, my favorite has always been mystery.  When I discovered Kathy Reichs (my hero) and Patricia Cornwell, I became a huge fan of the forensic mystery.  The Devil’s Bones by Jefferson Bass sounded right up my alley, so when it became available through the HarperCollins Canada reading group I was very happy.  Then I discovered that Jefferson Bass is actually the pen name of two writers, Jon Jefferson and Dr. Bill Bass.  The name Bill Bass might not mean much to you, but to me it meant that there was almost no chance that I would hate this book.  Dr. Bass is the founder of the Body Farm at the University of Tennessee.  It’s here that bodies are studied in different states of decay.  The work done at the Body Farm helps with murder investigations everywhere.

I loved this book.  Loved it!  While the science and explanations of forensics, particularly the description of cremation were quite graphic, the witty dialogue was the perfect balance.   It was also clear that all of the joking and teasing between the three main characters, forensic anthropologist Brockton, his protégé Miranda and criminalist Art helped them all to keep sane while working some pretty disturbing murders.. And the plot kept me guessing right up until the end.

If you are fan of mysteries, especially forensic mysteries, you have to give this book a go.  I promise you won’t be disappointed

While I had heard of Terry Pratchett, and my husband is a huge Discworld fan, I had never read one of his books.  When I came across Johnny and the Dead, the first in a trilogy about an English boy who could communicate with the dead, I figured this would be the perfect introduction to Pratchett for me.

Johnny Maxwell is twelve and can see the dead.  This would be a problem in and of itself, except it seems that in Johnny’s life nothing is that simple.  The town has decided to build on the cemetery, and as you can well imagine, when the dead find out they aren’t all that happy about it.  So they turn to Johnny for help and ask him to stop the construction.  Johnny does the best he can with the help of his friends Bigmac, Yo-less and Wobbler.

I think this was one of the coolest, funkiest young adult books I have read in a while. I have never seen dialogue like this anywhere before.  Witty and fast paced you really felt like you were listening to a bunch of twelve year old boys pick and tease each other.

And I have to say, since Terry is British, there was some dialect issues but nothing too serious.  And I read all the dialogue in my head in a British accent which was heaps of fun.

There are two more books in this series and I know I’ll read them as soon as I buy them.  And then I think I’ll borrow my hubby’s Discworld series.   And since Pratchett has written about a bazillion of them, it should keep me busy for the next little while.

As a self proclaimed book addict, I buy a lot of books.  A LOT of books.  This can get very expensive.  Which is why I was beyond giddy when I discovered bookmooch.com.  This wonderful little site is a great way to get rid of books you no longer want in exchange for books you are dying to read.  It’s %100 free to sign up and a cinch to use.  All you have to do is register and add books you no longer want to your inventory.

The whole thing is based on a points system.  You get 1/10^th of a point for each book you list in your inventory.  And all you need is one point to start mooching.  It’s one point to mooch from within your country and two points to mooch from anywhere else in the world.  If someone within your own country wants to mooch a book off of you, you get a point.  The best part is, if someone outside your country mooches from you, you get three whole points!  All you have to pay for is the shipping.

Being in Canada, this has been super duper for me.  Basically if someone from the US mooches from me, I get three points.  I can then turn around and mooch three books from Canada.  And as it’s cheaper for me to ship to the States (average is five bucks a book to the US, nine buck within Canada) I’m basically spending five dollars for three books.  Simple, eh?

This is a great way to get introduced to some new authors.  And if you don’t like them?  Pop them back into your inventory.

If you are a book lover like me, I strongly suggest that you sign up on this site.  It’s free and it’s fun!

Okay, I have a slight problem.  Well, I guess it’s more of an issue than a problem.  A hang up, if you will.   It’s no big secret that I’m a bit addicted to books.  I belong to several book clubs and through them have discovered some great new authors.  I troll forums and blogs to see who’s reading what and if there is enough stink about a book, I’ll probably pick it up. Now here’s the rub:  I hate Oprah.  I don’t watch her and if anyone tries to start an “Yesterday on Oprah” conversation with me, I usually stop them in their tracks.  But the Queen of daytime has a book club, and while I’m sure that there are some great books being promoted by Oprah, if I see a book with her stamp on it, I don’t pick it up.  I may go look for an earlier copy that doesn’t have her stamp of approval, as I did with Ann-Marie MacDonald’s Fall on Your Knees.  But if I see that Oprah book club logo on the cover I quickly put it back on the shelf like it has cooties.

I often wonder if I am missing out on some great books because of my Oprah prejudice.  It usually doesn’t bother me, but once in a while it nags at the book loving part of my brain.  But I figure there are enough great books out there without relying on Oprah to find them for me.

Every once in a while I’ll come across a book that has characters so vivid, so likeable and despicable that I find it impossible to set it down. This was the case with Mudbound by Hillary Jordan. (Read courtesy of HarperCollins Canada.) Set in 1946 rural Mississippi the story of the McAllan clan and their African American workers is told from several different points of view.  While at the onset this might seem a bit confusing, it only added to the characters and what they were going through together and individually.  Jordan managed to evoke a different voice with each character while keeping the overall tone of the book steady so the end result flowed and wasn’t in the least bit choppy.

The main themes of family, love and racism are dealt with in such a brutal way that it is almost painful at times, especially her handling of racism.  Jordan holds nothing back when dealing with the typical opinions towards African Americans during the 1940s.  While some of the language is harsh, none of it is exploitive:  it is all relevant to the larger story of a tragedy that could have and should have been avoidable.

Hillary Jordan’s Mudbound brings the reader smack dab into the middle of her characters’ lives, showing every aspect of their personalities in such a way that even their flaws seem oddly beautiful.   I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from her.

Well, I went on a little bit of a book shopping spree yesterday and I am beyond excited about what I picked up.  I bought four books, one fiction and three non fiction.

The novel I picked up is The Pact by Jodi Picoult.  As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I’ve never read one of her books, but I’ve heard good things about her writing.  The plot is  a bout a teenage suicide pact gone wrong and the repercussion after. I have a feeling this will be an emotional read.

Two of the non fiction books I bought have to do with green living, which is becoming a bit of a passion of mine. Green for Life: 200 Simple Eco-Ideas for Every Day  by Gillian Deacon will most likely turn into a well used reference book in my household. With each chapter being a how-to filled with green tips,  I can’t wait to dig in and start making some more simple changes.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver has been on my wish list for months now. It’s the story of a family attempting to grow all their own food for a year.  As this is something my husband and I hope to do when we purchase our farm, I think it will be a real eye opener for me.

Three Cups of Tea, written by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, is the story of  how Greg has come to build over fifty-five schools in Pakistan, most of them for girls.

I never used to read non fiction, but now I find that they rank as some of my favorite books.  

I honestly don’t know what book to read first.  Look for reviews of all four in the near future.