Forging an Art

Courtesy of Romantic Times Book Reviews, September 2009:

Contemporary:
Castell, Dianne. Hot and Irresistible
Dale, Lisa. It Happened One Night
Davis, Dee. Set Up in Soho
Donovan, Susan. Ain’t Too Proud to Beg
Halliday, Gemma. Scandal Sheet
Kauffman, Donna. A Great Kisser
Kendall, Karen. Take Me for a Ride
Mallery, Susan. Hot on Her Heels
Novak, Brenda, et al. The Night Before Christmas
Warren, Nancy, et al. A Very NASCAR Holiday

Erotica:
Alexander, Lacey. What She Needs
Hayes, Jasmine. Yours for the Night
Jones, Lisa Renee, et al. Wrapped in Seduction
Jordan, Crystal. Untamed
Lloyd, Joan Elizabeth. Flesh for Fantasy
Lyons, Susan, et al. Men on Fire
McIntyre, Amanda, et al. Winter’s Desire
MacNeal, Melissa. Sexual Secrets
O’Clare, Lorie. Seduction Island
Swann, Leda. Temptation
Whiteside, Diane. Captive Desires

Fantasy:
Howell, Morgan. Candle in the Storm
Taylor, Holly. May Earth Rise
Wilson, C.L. Queen of Song and Souls

Historical:
Bridges, Kate. Alaskan Renegade
Brighton, Lori. Wild Heart
Campbell, Anna. Captive of Sin
Enoch, Suzanne. The Care and Taming of a Rogue
Garlock, Dorothy. Leaving Whiskey Bend
Grothaus, Heather. Taming the Beast
Haeger, Diane. The Queen’s Mistake
Heath, Lorraine. Midnight Pleasures of a Scoundrel
Howell, Hannah. Wild Conquest
Hoyt, Elizabeth. To Desire a Devil
Hunter, Jillian. The Wicked Duke Takes a Wife
Laurens, Stephanie. The Untamed Bride
Lawson, Anthea. All He Desires
Layton, Edith. To Love a Wicked Lord
London, Julia. Courtesan’s Scandal
Lyon, Kate. Destiny’s Captive
McCabe, Amanda. The Winter Queen
MacTavish, Dawn. Counterfeit Lady
Metzger, Barbara. The Bargain Bride
Miller, Linda Lael. Creed Country Christmas
Mortimer, Carole. The Rake’s Wicked Proposal
Nash, Joy. Silver Silence
Petersen, Jenna. What the Duke Desires
Rosburg, Helen A. Lady Blue
Stone, Lyn, et al. A Regency Christmas

Inspirational:
Perry, Marta. Leah’s Choice

Mystery:
Baxter, Cynthia. Murder Had a Little Lamb
Caine, Leslie. Holly and Homicide
Coyle, Cleo. Holiday Grind
Harris, C.S. What Remains of Heaven
Harris, Charlaine. Grave Secret
Kingsbury, Kate. Decked With Folly
Viets, Elaine. Fashion Hound Murders
Washburn, Livia J. Huckleberry Finished
Washburn, Livia J. Killer Crabcakes

Paranormal:
Armintrout, Jennifer. Child of Darkness
Black, Shayla. Possess Me at Midnight
Butcher, Shannon K. Finding the Lost
Chapman, Janet. A Highlander Christmas
Cooke, Deborah. Winter Kiss
Francis, Diana P. Bitter Night
Graham, Heather. Home in Time for Christmas
Gray, Ava. Skin Game
Hall, Traci E. Beauty’s Curse
Kessler, Jackie. Road to Hell
Laurenston, Shelly. Mane Squeeze
MacAlister, Katie. Me and My Shadow
McCarty, Sarah. Caleb
Markham, Wendy. The Best Gift
Owens, Robin D. Heart Change
Pineriro, Caridad. Sins of the Flesh
Rosetti, Denise. Thief of Light
Singh, Nalini. Blaze of Memory
Sizemore, Susan. Dark Stranger
Stover, Deb. The Gift
Summers, Jordan. Crimson
Windsor, Anna. Captive Soul

Romantic Suspense:
Brant, Kylie. Waking the Dead
Burton, Mary. Dying Scream
Dane, Jordan. The Wrong Side of Dead
Howard, Linda. Ice
Lovelace, merline. All the Wrong Moves
Lyons, CJ. Urgent Care
Neggers, Carla. Cold River

Suspense:
Beres, Michael. Traffyck
Gagnon, Michelle. The Gatekeeper
Martin, P.D. The Killing Hands
Robb, J.D. Kindred in Death
Teller, Joseph. Depraved Indifference

Time Travel:
Halliday, Dawn, et al. A Highlander Christmas
Wolff, Veronica. Lord of the Highlands

Urban Fantasy:
Arthur, Keri. Bound to Shadows
Garey, Terri. Silent Night, Haunted Night
Hamilton, Laurell K. Divine Misdemeanors
Hamilton, Laurell K. et al. Never After
Handeland, Lori. Apocalypse Happens
Kenner, Julie. Tainted
Peeler, Nicole. Tempest Rising

Young Adult:
Cast, P.C. and Kristin. Tempted

*courtesy of Romantic Times Book Reviews magazine, August 2009.

Contemporary:
Allison, Liz, and Wendy Etherington. Winning It All
Angell, Kate, et. al. Santa, Honey
Dailey, Janet. Santa in a Stetson
DeLeon, Jana. Mischief in Mudbug
Dimon, HelenKay. Holding Out for a Hero
Garvey, Amy. Christmas Spirit
Holm, Stef Ann. All That You Are
Kaufmann, Donna, et. al. Kissing Santa Claus
Macomber, Debbie, et. al. That Holiday Feeling
McLane, LuAnn. He’s No Prince Charming
Phillips, Carly. Lucky Break
Wiggs, Susan. Lakeshore Christmas

Erotica:
Banks, Maya. Sweet Seduction
Carr, Susanna. The Year of Living Shamelessly
Fox, Cathryn. Instinctive
Harper, Vonna. Taming the Cougar
Hart, Megan. No Greater Pleasure
Lloyd, Joan Elizabeth. The Spicy Bedtime Companion
McCarty, Sarah. Tucker’s Claim
Mellor, P.J., et. al. Under the Covers
Pearce, Kate. Simply Wicked
Sunny. Lucinda, Dangerously
Templeton, Julia. Sinjin

Fantasy:
Andrews, Ilona. On the Edge
Carriger, Gail. Soulless
Gilman, Laura Anne. Flesh and Fire

Historical:
Ashley, Jennifer, et al. A Christmas Ball
Astor, Kristi. A Midnight Clear
Blake, Veronica. Black Horse
Bryant, Sarah. Sand Daughter
Carlyle, Liz. Wicked All Day
Caskie, Kathryn. The Most Wicked of Sins
Cornick, Nicola, et. al. Together by Christmas
Dare, Tessa. A Lady of Persuasion
Finch, Carol, et. al. Cowboy Christmas
Goodger, Jane. A Christmas Scandal
Hunter, Jillian. A Wicked Lord at the Wedding
Ivie, Jackie. Once Upon a Knight
Jewel, Carolyn. Indiscreet
Johnson, Angela. Vow of Seduction
Justiss, Julia. From Waif to Gentleman’s Wife
Kenny, Janette. A Cowboy Christmas
Killian, Kimberly. Highland Dragon
Kleypas, Lisa. Tempt Me at Twilight
MacGillivray, Deborah. One Snowy Knight
MacNish, Tracy. Stealing Midnight
Maguire, Margo. Taken by the Laird
Marlowe, Deb. Her Cinderella Season
Maxwell, Cathy. The Earl Claims His Wife
Michaels, Kasey. How to Tame a Lady
Raleigh, Deborah. Seduce Me by Christmas
Small, Bertrice. The Border Lord and the Lady
Smith, Kathryn. When Seducing a Duke
Thomas, Jodi. The Lone Texan
Welfonder, Sue-Ellen. A Highlander’s Temptation
Willingham, Michelle. Taming Her Irish Warrior

Mainstream Fiction:
Brant, Marilyn. According to Jane
Chamberlain, Holly. One Week in December
Coleman, Rowan. The Accidental Family
Harper, Sandra. Over the Holidays
Macomber, Debbie. The Perfect Christmas
Michaels, Fern. Razor Sharp
Thompson, Nancy Robards. An Angel in Provence

Mystery:
Beaton, M.C. There Goes the Bride
Childs, Laura. Tragic Magic
Crombie, Deborah. Necessary as Blood
Daniels, Casey. Dead Man Talking
Dunnett, Kaitlyn. A Wee Christmas Homicide
Ferris, Monica. Blackwork
Fiffer, Sharon. Scary Stuff
Fluke, Joanne. Plum Pudding Murder
Hamilton, Barbara. The Ninth Daughter
McCoy, Judi. Heir of the Dog
Watson, Wendy Lyn. I Scream, You Scream
Webb, Peggy. Elvis and the Grateful Dead

Paranormal:
Armintrout, Jennifer. Queene of Light
Ashley, Amanda. Immortal Sins
Bangs, Nina. My Wicked Vampire
Black, Shayla. Seduce Me in Shadow
Brook, Meljean. Demon Forged
Delacroix, Claire. Guardian
Graham, Heather. Unhallowed Ground
Inclan, Jessica. The Beautiful Being
Jones, Lisa Renee, et. al. Awakening the Beast
Kenner, Julie. Demon Ex Machina
Klasky, Mindy. How Not to Make a Wish
Leigh, Lora, et. al. Hot for the Holidays
Macela, Ann. Wild Magic
Marsh, Anne. The Hunt
Neill, Chloe. Friday Night Bites
Perry, Kate. Chosen by Desire
Sands, Lynsay. The Renegade Hunter
Slade, Jessa. Seduced by Shadows
Ward, J.R. Covet
Warren, Christine. Big Bad Wolf
Windsor, Anna. Captive Spirit
York, Rebecca. Dragon Moon

Romantic Suspense:
Alden, Jami. Unleashed
Brant, Kylie. Waking Evil
Brothers, Marilee. Rock and Roll Queen of Bedlam
Butcher, Shannon K. Love You to Death
Cassidy, Carla. Up Close and Personal
Gerard, Cindy. Feel the Heat
Novak, Brenda. The Perfect Murder
O’Clare, Lorie. Long, Lean and Lethal
Rush, Jaime. Out of the Darkness
St. Claire, Roxanne. Make Her Pay
Tyler, Stephanie. Hard to Hold

Suspense:
Carroll, Margaret. Riptide
Johansen, Iris. Blood Game
Kava, Alex. Black Friday
Pinter, Jason. The Fury

Latest review up at BSCReview.com.

Originally published thirty years ago, this collection of essays, speeches, and introductions by Ursula K. Le Guin is a must for any writer, student, teacher, or reader of science fiction and fantasy.  My political and religious views could not be more different than this great writer’s, but as one who falls into the four aforementioned categories, I agree with her in most every other way, and am grateful that she has been around to give words to so much that defines the craft.  I can do no better than to note those parts of the collection that speak to me the most closely:

Absolute freedom is absolute responsibility.  The writer’s job, as I see it, is to tell the truth.

Artists are people who are not at all interested in the facts – only in the truth.  You get the facts from the outside.  The truth you get from inside.

If you want to strike out in any new direction – you go alone.  With a machete in your hand and the fear of God in your heart.

When the genuine myth rises into consciousness, that is always its message.  You must change your life.

Fantasy is the natural, the appropriate language for the recounting of the spiritual journey and the struggle of good and evil in the soul.

It is above all by the imagination that we achieve perception, and compassion, and hope.

There are, however, two instances in which I do not quite understand Le Guin’s stance.  Why is poetry held separate from fiction in these situations?  Maybe someone out there can offer insight:

The lovable rogue, the romantic criminal, the revolutionary Satan are essentially literary creations, not met with in daily life.  They are embodiments of desire, types of the soul; thus their vitality is immense and lasting; but they are better suited to poetry and drama than to the novel  (141).

Always the book one imagines and the book one writes are different things.  The one exists objectively, a scribbled manuscript or so many thousand printed copies.  The other exists subjectively.  It is the other’s first cause and final cause.  Toward it the written book, during its writing, continually strives, like the image in a mirror approaching the person moving toward it.  But they do not merge.  Only in poetry, which breaks all barriers, do the two ever meet, each becoming the other (140).

One of my reviewing compatriots at BSC compiled six interviews with a variety of individuals (including me) on the topic of fantasy/sci fi books – and the results, along with his comments, are here.

Joyce Carol Oates always terrifies me (have I written that somewhere already?) so I am always on guard, anxious but excited, as I hold a new publication in hand – it is much like standing in line at the Millennium Force, blood rushing down into my toes, smiling and trembling at the same time.  I know that afterwards, my head will feel scrambled, and I will stumble down the steps and maybe even fall, as I did last summer; and with Oates, I know she will lead me somewhere that I may fall and stumble blindly towards that which I know to bring me out and away.  Obviously, some of her work is stronger and more influential than others, depending on the reader’s experience and expectations.  As the parent of an autistic child, I was particularly moved by Special, in which a younger daughter watches as her family is victimized by her developmentally disabled older sister, and the parents wrestle with their identities as parents, as a couple, and as individuals in search of hope for themselves and their children.  A Princeton Idyll takes that sharp rollercoaster turn when a former maid reveals too much too well to the idealistic granddaughter of a deceased logician.  One looks at the fragile photo on the back flap of the book jacket and wonders how that same temperate-looking creature can explore so well the terrifying workings of the mind.  She is both brave and brilliant, but does not seem to find anything extraordinary about herself. 

When discussing the short stories and novells I have been reading in the Nebula Awards Showcase 2009 – which features some fascinating work but also some with which I had some issues, both as a writer and a reader – I mentioned to my former husband, who is a sci fi/fantasy aficionado himself, that the work that failed to speak to me stood out as that which had unnecessaries, as I refer to them, bits that are not important.  If it is there, it had better be important.  During an interview with the Washington Post several years ago, Oates was asked about this exact phenomenon, and her response: There should really not be anything gratuitous in a work of art.  I smiled as I read that, thinking that there may be hope for me, as a writer, yet, to have something in common with such a great artist.

With a 2010 release date, Jane Yolen’s original action-fantasy graphic novel, The Last Dragon, will be worth the wait.  The Nebula and Caldecott award-winning writer covers all ages and genres – nothing seems out of her reach.  I am particularly fond of  her children’s and young adult books (How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? and Girl in a Cage, to name a couple of my favorites), and I have am pleased that she is in agreement with me on the subject of the Harry Potter series; that is, neither of us think they are well written.  It’s nice to have support from a reputable source in libraryland, especially when most librarians in my system are Rowling fans.

Review of Stephanie Spinner‘s latest at BSC.

*Courtesy of Romantic Times Book Reviews, January 2009:

Chick Lit:
Kala, Advaita. Almost Single

Contemporary:
Banks, Leanne. Trouble in High Heels
Hughes, Charlotte. Nutcase
James, Julie. Practice Makes Perfect
Kleypas, Lisa. Smooth Talking Stranger
Ledbetter, Suzann. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Leigh, Lora. Maverick
McLane, LuAnn. Redneck Cinderella
Miller, Linda Lael. Montana Creeds: Dylan

Erotica:
Amber, Elizabeth. Dominic
Devlin, Delilah. Texas Men
Hart, Carole. The Family Jewels
Hart, Megan, et. al. Naughty Bits
Hill, Joey W. A Vampire’s Claim
McCray, Cheyenne. Total Surrender
Mercury, Diana. Pleasures of the Forbidden Valley
Reynolds, Maya. Bad Boy
Schone, Robin. Cry for Passion
Stuart, Amie. Hittin’ It
Teglia, Charlene. Animal Attraction
Zedde, Fiona, et. al. Satisfy Me Tonight

Fantasy:
Lynch, Scott. The Republic of Thieves
Valente, Catherynne M. Palimpsest

Historical:
Balogh, Mary. First Comes Marriage
Barbieri, Elaine. The Rose & the Shield
Bryan, Emily. Vexing the Viscount
Carlyle, Liz. Tempted All Night
Cornick, Nicola. Kidnapped: His Innocent Mistress
Davidson, Carolyn. Eden
Greenwood, Leigh. Someone Like You
Greiman, Lois. Seduced By Your Spell
James, Samantha. Bride of a Wicked Scotsman
Johnson, Susan. Gorgeous as Sin
Jordan, Nicole. To Romance a Charming Rogue
Kelley, Christie. Every Time We Kiss
Laurens, Stephanie. Temptation and Surrender
McCarty, Monica. Highland Outlaw
Maitland, Joanna. His Cavalry Lady
Metzger, Barbara. The Wicked Ways of a True Hero
Nash, Sophie. Love With the Perfect Scoundrel
Neville, Miranda. Never Resist Temptation
Noble, Kate. Revealed
O’Brien, Anne. Conquering Knight, Captive Lady
Page, Sharon. The Club
Raleigh, Deborah. Seducing the Viscount
Raybourn, Deanna. Silent on the Moor
Warren, Tracy Anne. Tempted By His Kiss
Welfonder, Sue-Ellen. Seducing a Scottish Bride
Welsh, Kate. Questions of Honor
Wilkinson, Lisa Marie. Fire at Midnight
Williamson, Beth. The Education of Madeline
Wolf, Pearl. Too Hot For a Spy

Historical Fiction:
Kyle, Barbara. The King’s Daughter
Lebra, Joyce. The Scent of Sake
Lovejoy, Charlotte. Madame Bliss

Inspirational:
Efken, Meredith. Play It Again, SAHM

Mainstream Fiction:
Ball, Donna. A Year on Ladybug Fam
Barrett, Jo. Don’t Let It Be True
Center, Katherine. Everyone Is Beautiful
Flock, Elizabeth. Sleepwalking in Daylight
Fowler, Earlene. Love Mercy
Kelsey, Linda. Fifty is Not a Four Letter Word
Lopez, Josefina. Hungry Woman in Paris
Mallery, Susan. Sunset Bay
Schieber, Phyllis. Willing Spirits
Steel, Danielle. One Day at a Time
Welling, Tina. Fairy Tale Blues

Mystery:
Ash, Maureen. A Plague of Poison
Ault, Sandi. Wild Sorrow
Brightwell, Emily. Mrs. Jeffries in the Nick of Time
Childs, Laura. Oolong Dead
Dennison, Hannah. Scoop!
Emley, Dianne. The Deepest Cut
Fluke, Joanne. Cream Puff Murder
Laurie, Victoria. Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun
McCoy, Judi. Hounding the Pavement
Marberg, Peg. Fatal Flip
Pollero, Rhonda. Fat Chance

Paranormal:
Ashley, Jennifer, et. al. Immortals: The Reckoning
Benson, Tara. Death’s Daughter
Cassidy, Dakota. The Accidental Human
Davis, Lexi. The After Wife
Dayton, Gail. New Blood
Garey, Terri. You’re the One That I Haunt
Henry, Mark. Road Trip of the Living Dead
Ione, Larissa. Desire Unchained
Ivy, Alexandra. Darkness Revealed
Jones, Linda Winstead. Bride by Command
Kittredge, Caitlin. Second Skin
Lyone, Jennifer. Blood Magic
Madison, Tracy. A Taste of Magic
Stenzel, Natale. Between a Rock and a Heart Place
Thompson, Vicki Lewis. Casual Hex
Vaughn, Carrie. Kitty Raises Hell

Romantic Suspense:
Alden, Jami. Kept
Carr, Robyn. Temptation Ridge
Dodd, Christina. Danger in a Red Dress
Kauffman, Donna. Let Me In
Korzenko, Julie. Devil’s Gold
Robards, Karen. Pursuit

Suspense:
Carr, Eileen. Hold Back the Dark
Eisler, Barry. Fault Line
Gross, Andrew. Don’t Look Twice
Pinter, Jason. The Fury
Stevens, Amanda. The Whispering Room
Thompson, Carlene. You Can Run . . .

Time Travel:
Joyce, Brenda. Dark Victory
Mallory, Tess. Highland Rebel

Vampire:
Gleason, Colleen. As Shadows Fade
Showalter, Gena. The Vampire’s Bride
Singh, Nalini. Angel’s Blood

Young Adult:
Cast, P.C. Hunted

Latest review at BSC

Our cat friend checks out my next five books.  Yes, I know it was supposed to be six, but five plus one is too much math for me.  I should have asked my eight year old for help.

One of our teen patrons, preparing to re-take the ACT (“I didn’t think staying up all night on Friday would make a difference in my score”) alerted me to this site, which boosts your vocabulary while donating to the hungry:  Free Rice

Brought home the second volume of Flight yesterday as well as the fourth – when he finished the second, the LC said, well, I really like to read these in order, so where is three?  Three, I explained, is on its way from one of the branch libraries.  He sighed.  “I can’t read four without reading three first.”  Not sure if this is the autism or the 16 year old boy speaking here, but probably both.  The cat happily used volume four as a seat cushion when the book was left on the table.

Just posted new review at FBS for Lavinia, Le Guin’s latest.

as in the graphic novel, edited by Kazu Kibuishi, was just added to our young adult collection.  I brought it home to the LC, and left it on a table.  He picked it up, and finished it within an hour.  He made no comment, but laughed and said, “I’m done.”  All I can figure is that it was good enough to continue reading once he started, but nothing to crow about.  Reviews range from “must have” to “weird,” but in general it seems as if the art is more praiseworthy than the prose, and that the books (there are four) get better.  I did flip through it myself before bringing it home, and was struck only by the story by Khang Le, “Outside My Window.”  The art caught my eye, and the story was short and sweet.  So – I am off to dig up the other three volumes, two of which should be right outside my workroom door.

June
DragonLight – Paul
Coffin County – Braunbeck
Cry Wolf: A Political Fable – Lake
Into the Storm – Anderson
Promise of the Wolves – Hearst
Steampunk – ed. VanderMeer
Bloodheir – Ruckley
Daemons Are Forever – Green
The Summer Palace – Watt-Evans
Hawkspar – Lisle
The Dead and the Gone – Pfeffer (YA)
The Demon Queen – Lewis (YA)
House of Many Ways – Wynne Jones (YA)
Frozen Fire – Bowler (YA)
Noman – Nicholson (YA)
The Last of the High Kings – Thompson (YA)
The Lost Art – Morden (YA) 

July

Victory of Eagles: A Novel of Temeraire – Novik
By Schism Rent Asunder – Weber
Mage-Guard of Hamor – Modesitt
Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy – ed. Schafer
The Word of God; or, Holy Writ Unwritten – Disch
The City in the Lake – Neumeier (YA) 

August

The Gypsy Morph – Brooks
The Last Theorem – Clarke/Pohl
Mars Life – Bova

 September

Faefever – Moning
The Stowaway: Stone of Tymora – Salvatore
A Dance With Dragons – Martin

 October

The Pirate King (Forgotten Realms) – Salvatore

 November

The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia – Sansweet/Hidalgo

The LC just finished the second in this series, Betrayal on Orbis 2.  When asked for an opinion, he characteristically stated “it was good” but also that he took a couple of days to finish it, when if something is “really, really good” he’ll read it in a day.  Normally he hovers in fantasy-land, preferably involving dragons, but the first title of this science fiction series by P.J. Haarsma left him asking if I could bring home the sequel, which was yet to be published at the time.  There will be more of these, he assured me, and asked if I could keep an eye out for them.

Writing the Lavinia review today, and should have it up by the end of the week.

Just got this in today – I ordered it not too long ago so I’m surprised at how fast it came in.  Greenwood’s An Unofficial Companion to the Novels of Terry Pratchett is edited by Andrew M. Butler, who teaches at Canterbury Christ Church University in the UK.  The entries are pretty comprehensive, from influences, characters, and themes, to adaptations, parodic sources, and locations.  There is a good sized bibliography and some hilarious photos of Discworld fans in costume (the one on page 141 is particularly amusing).  I have at least four other books I should be reading right now, but . . . it’s too hard not to look through it as it sits in front of me here at the reference desk.

When I went into the office today, a new ARC was waiting in my mailbox.  One of the perks of being a librarian.  Since I am a young adult librarian, usually they are YA titles or something like, and this is no exception.  It is Graceling by Kristin Cashore, with an October release date. Political intrigues, princesses, action, battles, and it looks like a case of OCD are all on the menu from this new author.  Since I have a full plate, I might pass this on the the LC for his brief opinion before hitting it myself.  I have to finish reading a Catherine Cookson biography tonight for work I am doing on an essay in an anthology due out next year.  No rest for the wicked, as my grandma says.

If you are not an eight year old girl, I warn you, you will lose.

I mention this because my own smallish child spent way too much time yesterday morning doing just that.

I do intend to keep this journal focused primarily on books and related subjects (I’m not sure what that might include so we’ll see what happens) but, as my grandma says, the road to hell is paved in just this manner. I might mention one of my children (herein referred to as Small Child and Large Child, as they are 8 and 16) or whatever else is on my mind at the time of posting, but books are the bomb. I can’t get enough, and the LC and SC can’t get enough either. I usually prefer historical fiction and fantasy, and nonfiction in the realm of history (English) or car racing. The LC adores fantasy, mostly dragon related, and I will include his comments on his reading here, too. Those comments may and probably will be limited to “very good” or “it sucked” because he is a sixteen year old boy. He just finished The Door Within trilogy by Wayne Thomas Batson within a matter of days (all three books in about three days) and said they were “very good,” so there you go.

I have written one book review for FBS – The Golden Rose – and am working on one for Lavinia by Ursula LeGuin, with whom you can never go wrong. I am reading Cozzens’s Guard of Honor on the advice of my dissertation advisor, also with whom I can never go wrong, and Enacting History in Henry James by Buelens.