At 870 pages, this is a very long book. It takes a dedicated child reader to finish, but Rowling seems to draw those in abundance. Needless to say, the book covers a lot of ground. Within, the home of Sirius Black has become headquarters for those who believe Voldemort is back and are working to […]
The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien, 1936, Book Review
Bilbo Baggins was a respectable hobbit. He “never had any adventures or did anything unexpected.” Until the wizard Gandalf and an unexpected party of 13 dwarves arrived one day on his doorstep. Suddenly, he found himself off to the Lonely Mountain to retrieve the dwarves’ stolen treasure from Smaug the dragon. The Hobbit is a year-long […]
Indie Endeavors, Part 4 – Cover Images
So you’re thinking of self-publishing? Jump into my how-to series… Part 1: My Eight-Year Journey Part 2: Tradtional vs. Self-Publishing Part 3: A Word About Editing Before you publish your manuscript, you must design a cover. Even an ebook has a cover image associated with it. It’s the first thing your potential readers will see, and you know what they say […]
The Book of Three (Chronicles of Prydain, 1) by Lloyd Alexander, 1964
Though I have heard of the Chronicles of Prydain, and over the years have even gleaned some knowledge of Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper, and Hen Wen, his oracular sow, I’ve never had occasion to delve into the series until this winter. I was hugely impressed. The prose is gorgeous, the characters unique and well-developed and the […]
Indie Endeavors, part 3 – A Word About Editing
So you’re thinking of self-publishing? Jump into my how-to series… Part 1: My Eight-Year Journey Part 2: Traditional vs. Self-Publishing In my first post, I shared the path that led to my own decision to self-publish. In my second, I briefly compared traditional and self publishing. Now it’s time to get to the nitty-gritty. How […]
The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), by Rick Riordan, 2009, Book Review
I’m done. I read the last book. Mr. Riordan has certainly written a rousing tale. In The Last Olympian, the epic battle that’s been building between Kronos, Lord of the Titans, and the Olympian gods comes about at last, and Percy, of course, features prominently. Finally, we learn the Great Prophecy in its entirety, and after […]
Knee-Knock Rise, by Natalie Babbitt, 1970, Book Review
In a land of flat plains there sits a ridge of hill, and on the very top one, the one always embraced by a cloak of mist, there dwells a beast. The people of Instep, the town closest to Kneeknock Rise, hold a fair each autumn, when the weather turns surly and the Megrimum atop […]
Indie Endeavors, part 2 – Traditional vs. Self-Publishing
So you’re thinking of self-publishing? Jump into my how-to series… Read part 1: My Eight-Year Journey. Before I get into the nuts and bolts of self-publishing, I’ll take a week to lay the process alongside traditional publishing and see how it stacks up. Having never been published by the mainstream industry, I admit I’m no authority. […]
Cycles, by Lois D. Brown, Book Review
I always tread cautiously when my blog attracts requests for book reviews. I see a wide range of talent and professionalism, but Cycles, by Lois D. Brown, I am pleased to say, rates among the best stories I’ve received. Within, an accident leaves13-year-old Renee Beaumont’s life completely shaken. Not only does she narrowly escape death, […]
The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog, by John R. Erickson, 1983, Book Review
Hank is an Australian shepherd employed on an American ranch. Being “Head of Ranch Security,” as he proudly informs us, “requires a keen mind, a thick skin, and a peculiar devotion to duty. I mean, you put in sixteen-eighteen hours a day. You’re on call day and night. Your life is on the line every […]