Title: Judge (Wess'har Wars, bk. 6)
Author: Karen Traviss
Genre: sci-fi
Length: 391 pages
Plot Basics --- SPOILER ALERT
The Eqbas Vorhi have arrived at Earth, ready to restore the planet's climate, ecology and reduce the human population to more suitable levels. But it's politics as usual on Earth, and the world's superpowers are not so happy about this plan, even though they had time to prepare for it. Moreover, Shan Frankland and the detachment of Royal Marines who originally went to Cavanaugh's Star, are trying to find the last of the government officials responsible for the cobalt bombing on Bezer'ej -- and trying to keep Shan, Ade and Aras out of the hands of those who would use the c'naatat organism for bad ends. Unbeknownst to them, there is one more carrier of c'naatat on Earth with the power to ruin the entire mission...
Banter Points: Word Nerd really enjoyed this series. The science fiction was great (no moments of super-gadgetry that got our heroes out of a jam...). One of the things that made the science fiction good was that it was easy to imagine the current state of things evolving (devolving?) to the point where they were in the series. The characters were terrific throughout, adapting and changing giving the situations they found themselves in.
Bummer Points: Another spoiler alert here... Word Nerd lost it when one of the characters died. She didn't realize at all how attached she was to this character.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Top-notch sci-fi for fans of the genre.
30 June 2009
16 June 2009
Airplane books
Word Nerd taking several trips in the next few weeks involving jet planes, so it's time for some airplane books again.
She's pretty set on her reading list for her first trip. The books she's packing are:
Running Blind, Lee Child
Judge, Karen Traviss
The Last Coyote, Michael Connelly
She's got a second trip in three weeks and she's not as sure for this trip. What she's thinking so far is:
The Masque of the Black Tulip, Lauren Willig
The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde (this would be a second reading)
??
??
??
It's a trip to the west coast which means she'll have PLENTY of reading time on the plane.
Any other suggestions for the second trip?
She's pretty set on her reading list for her first trip. The books she's packing are:
Running Blind, Lee Child
Judge, Karen Traviss
The Last Coyote, Michael Connelly
She's got a second trip in three weeks and she's not as sure for this trip. What she's thinking so far is:
The Masque of the Black Tulip, Lauren Willig
The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde (this would be a second reading)
??
??
??
It's a trip to the west coast which means she'll have PLENTY of reading time on the plane.
Any other suggestions for the second trip?
15 June 2009
Book Banter -- Perfect Fifths
Title: Perfect Fifths (Jessica Darling, bk 5)
Author: Megan McCafferty
Length: ~250
Genre: chick-lit
Plot Basics: It's been a few years since Jessica turned down Marcus's proposal. Now, she's rushing through the airport to try to catch a flight to the Caribbean for a friend's wedding, when she literally runs into him. Stuck for a while at the airport, they talk about what's gone before and what might be next for them.
Banter Points: This series just makes me (me, yes, me) smile. (if you've read the books, you'll understand why Word Nerd needed to drop the third person for a moment there...) Jessica's voice is so strong and Marcus is such a compelling character. Also -- the haiku section. Wow.
Bummer Points: Part of this book is written from Marcus' perspective which is a departure from the other books in the series which are only from Jessica's POV. It adds something, but on the other hand, it sort of changes the feel of the books.
Word Nerd Recommendation: If you like romantic comedies, this is a series for you.
Author: Megan McCafferty
Length: ~250
Genre: chick-lit
Plot Basics: It's been a few years since Jessica turned down Marcus's proposal. Now, she's rushing through the airport to try to catch a flight to the Caribbean for a friend's wedding, when she literally runs into him. Stuck for a while at the airport, they talk about what's gone before and what might be next for them.
Banter Points: This series just makes me (me, yes, me) smile. (if you've read the books, you'll understand why Word Nerd needed to drop the third person for a moment there...) Jessica's voice is so strong and Marcus is such a compelling character. Also -- the haiku section. Wow.
Bummer Points: Part of this book is written from Marcus' perspective which is a departure from the other books in the series which are only from Jessica's POV. It adds something, but on the other hand, it sort of changes the feel of the books.
Word Nerd Recommendation: If you like romantic comedies, this is a series for you.
08 June 2009
Book Banter -- Ally
Title: Ally (Wess'har Wars, book 5)
Author: Karen Traviss
Length: 388 page
Genre: Sci-fi
Plot Basics: The wess'har from Eqbas Vorhi are determined to clean up the overpopulation and pollution on Umeh -- as a precursor to their voyage to Earth to fix its environmental problems. But to do that, they bring in yet another alien species, one that Shan Frankland dubs as being eco-jihadists for their radical commitment. Meanwhile, it's getting harder and harder to stop the spread of c'naatat and keeping it from heading back to Earth with the Eqbas.
Banter Points: Traviss continues to deliver in her sci-fi series here. Shan, Ade, Aras and the rest of the gang continue to have to make moral choices about the environment and the spread of c'naatat when those choices become less and less clear cut.
Bummer Points: This isn't the most dynamic book in the series. Some crazy stuff happens (Word Nerd won't spoil it for anyone), but it largely felt like a set up to book six which, since it ends the series, she think will have to be awesome.
Word Nerd Recommendation: This is some top-notch sci-fi. No super scientific gadgets to save the day. Just a bunch of aliens and a crazy virus.
Author: Karen Traviss
Length: 388 page
Genre: Sci-fi
Plot Basics: The wess'har from Eqbas Vorhi are determined to clean up the overpopulation and pollution on Umeh -- as a precursor to their voyage to Earth to fix its environmental problems. But to do that, they bring in yet another alien species, one that Shan Frankland dubs as being eco-jihadists for their radical commitment. Meanwhile, it's getting harder and harder to stop the spread of c'naatat and keeping it from heading back to Earth with the Eqbas.
Banter Points: Traviss continues to deliver in her sci-fi series here. Shan, Ade, Aras and the rest of the gang continue to have to make moral choices about the environment and the spread of c'naatat when those choices become less and less clear cut.
Bummer Points: This isn't the most dynamic book in the series. Some crazy stuff happens (Word Nerd won't spoil it for anyone), but it largely felt like a set up to book six which, since it ends the series, she think will have to be awesome.
Word Nerd Recommendation: This is some top-notch sci-fi. No super scientific gadgets to save the day. Just a bunch of aliens and a crazy virus.
01 June 2009
Book Banter -- The Gargoyle
Title: The Gargoyle
Author: Andrew Davidson
Length: ~400 pages
Genre: Literary fiction
Plot Basics: This captivating novel tells the story of a former playboy who is burned and disfigured in a fiery car accident. As he struggles to recover in the burn unit of the hospital, he meets a woman named Marianne Engel -- a possible psychiatric patient -- who tells him stories of loves found and lost... and a compelling story of their past lives when she was a nun and he a mercenary in Germany and the exquisite love story that blossomed around them. As she descends farther into her illness, he may just recover and learn what it is to love for real.
Banter Points: Word Nerd remembers reading really good reviews of this book when it first came out and it just took her awhile to get to it. The reviews, it's fair to say, were spot on. The Gargoyle is Davidson's first book, but it reads like a masterpiece. The characters are vivid and lyrical, the writing nimble and poetic as the story moves across time periods, countries and lifetimes.
Bummer Points: At first, Word Nerd really didn't like the fact that the narrator never has a name. By the end of the book, it was clear why he didn't.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Thumbs way up on this one. Definitely a top-ten book of 2009, with plenty of potential to be in the number one or two slot.
Author: Andrew Davidson
Length: ~400 pages
Genre: Literary fiction
Plot Basics: This captivating novel tells the story of a former playboy who is burned and disfigured in a fiery car accident. As he struggles to recover in the burn unit of the hospital, he meets a woman named Marianne Engel -- a possible psychiatric patient -- who tells him stories of loves found and lost... and a compelling story of their past lives when she was a nun and he a mercenary in Germany and the exquisite love story that blossomed around them. As she descends farther into her illness, he may just recover and learn what it is to love for real.
Banter Points: Word Nerd remembers reading really good reviews of this book when it first came out and it just took her awhile to get to it. The reviews, it's fair to say, were spot on. The Gargoyle is Davidson's first book, but it reads like a masterpiece. The characters are vivid and lyrical, the writing nimble and poetic as the story moves across time periods, countries and lifetimes.
Bummer Points: At first, Word Nerd really didn't like the fact that the narrator never has a name. By the end of the book, it was clear why he didn't.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Thumbs way up on this one. Definitely a top-ten book of 2009, with plenty of potential to be in the number one or two slot.
22 May 2009
Mo*Con
Word Nerd went to her first ever writers conference this past weekend. (And life has been really busy, which is why no blog until now...)
Mo*Con is put on by the Indiana Horror Writers Association. No, Word Nerd is not switching genres. And yes, it was still really fun and valuable.
The panels were good, but the best part was the amount of time left open for just talking to people. Word Nerd met several other burgeoning writers (is it pretentious for her to put herself in that category?), some published authors, a book buyer and a publisher. All in one day.
She's heard for a long time that the cons are the way to make connections and she sort of thought yeah, well, maybe someday. Not anymore. She needs to make time for the conventions now. Really. Even this relatively small one was hugely helpful.
And motivating.
Now, back to chapter 1 of the WIP.
Mo*Con is put on by the Indiana Horror Writers Association. No, Word Nerd is not switching genres. And yes, it was still really fun and valuable.
The panels were good, but the best part was the amount of time left open for just talking to people. Word Nerd met several other burgeoning writers (is it pretentious for her to put herself in that category?), some published authors, a book buyer and a publisher. All in one day.
She's heard for a long time that the cons are the way to make connections and she sort of thought yeah, well, maybe someday. Not anymore. She needs to make time for the conventions now. Really. Even this relatively small one was hugely helpful.
And motivating.
Now, back to chapter 1 of the WIP.
13 May 2009
Book Banter -- Deathwish
Title: Deathwish (Cal Leandros bk. 4)
Author: Rob Thurman
Length: ~370 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Plot Basics: Cal and his brother Niko are hired to find out who's stalking an old vampire, Seamus. At the same time, Cal is being watched by Auphe "cousins" and trying to keep ahead of them as well. When another younger vampire shows up, on the run for her thieving activities, Cal and Niko realize they can't keep all the people they care about safe with the Auphe still around and they launch a crazy plan to go up against the Auphe.
Banter Points: Word Nerd got in on the ground floor with this series and is glad she hung on to it. Thurman definitely has something to offer the urban fantasy niche with her wiseacre heros and fast, fast banter and action.
Bummer Points: This series had a note of finality to it, but Word Nerd checked on Thurman's website and the news is this isn't the end of Cal Leandros.
Word Nerd Recommendation: If you like this sort of thing, these are a worthwhile read.
Author: Rob Thurman
Length: ~370 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Plot Basics: Cal and his brother Niko are hired to find out who's stalking an old vampire, Seamus. At the same time, Cal is being watched by Auphe "cousins" and trying to keep ahead of them as well. When another younger vampire shows up, on the run for her thieving activities, Cal and Niko realize they can't keep all the people they care about safe with the Auphe still around and they launch a crazy plan to go up against the Auphe.
Banter Points: Word Nerd got in on the ground floor with this series and is glad she hung on to it. Thurman definitely has something to offer the urban fantasy niche with her wiseacre heros and fast, fast banter and action.
Bummer Points: This series had a note of finality to it, but Word Nerd checked on Thurman's website and the news is this isn't the end of Cal Leandros.
Word Nerd Recommendation: If you like this sort of thing, these are a worthwhile read.
08 May 2009
Book Banter -- Turn Coat
Title: Turn Coat (Dresden Files)
Author: Jim Butcher
Length: ~400 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Plot Basics: When the Warden Morgan shows up at Harry's door claiming he's innocent of a crime he's been accused of, Harry takes him in -- despite Morgan's past persecution of Harry. But harboring a fugitive from the Wizard's Council is no easy task. And Harry decides rather than just to try to keep Morgan safe, he's going to prove the Warden is innocent.
Banter Points: Word Nerd is just a big Harry Dresden fan and this one didn't disappoint.
Bummer Points: Word Nerd's caught up with the series, so now she has to wait like everyone else who's been reading this series for year until the new one comes out.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Read them.
Author: Jim Butcher
Length: ~400 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Plot Basics: When the Warden Morgan shows up at Harry's door claiming he's innocent of a crime he's been accused of, Harry takes him in -- despite Morgan's past persecution of Harry. But harboring a fugitive from the Wizard's Council is no easy task. And Harry decides rather than just to try to keep Morgan safe, he's going to prove the Warden is innocent.
Banter Points: Word Nerd is just a big Harry Dresden fan and this one didn't disappoint.
Bummer Points: Word Nerd's caught up with the series, so now she has to wait like everyone else who's been reading this series for year until the new one comes out.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Read them.
04 May 2009
Book Banter -- Silk
Title: Silk
Author: Alessandro Baricco
Length: 132 pages
Genre: literary fiction
Plot Basics: In 1861, Herve Joncour undertakes a journey to Japan to get new silkworms to keep his French silk-making town running. While there, he sees a woman who completely captivates him -- although they never speak -- and Joncour changes his life because of it.
Banter Points: Word Nerd stumbled on this book while browsing shelves at the library and is grateful for this happy accident. Silk is beautiful for how short it is and the reader can't help but be swept up in Baricco's powerfully understated writing.
Bummer Points: Over too quickly...
Word Nerd Recommendation: Read it, preferably all in one sitting.
Author: Alessandro Baricco
Length: 132 pages
Genre: literary fiction
Plot Basics: In 1861, Herve Joncour undertakes a journey to Japan to get new silkworms to keep his French silk-making town running. While there, he sees a woman who completely captivates him -- although they never speak -- and Joncour changes his life because of it.
Banter Points: Word Nerd stumbled on this book while browsing shelves at the library and is grateful for this happy accident. Silk is beautiful for how short it is and the reader can't help but be swept up in Baricco's powerfully understated writing.
Bummer Points: Over too quickly...
Word Nerd Recommendation: Read it, preferably all in one sitting.
17 April 2009
Beta reading
A few months back, you may remember that Word Nerd talked about asking a few trusted readers to read her whole WIP and give feedback.
Well, as has been said, turnabout is fair play and so now Word Nerd is doing this for a writer pal and she's realizing just what hard work she subjected her friends to. This is a different kind of reading than just reading a book for fun. It's harder because you have to pay more attention and figure out how to tactfully explain problems and still give praise where praise is due. (It's so much easier to pick on the negatives.)
What this really brings Word Nerd to is a big THANK YOU for her magnificent seven who have read/are beta reading her WIP. She really didn't know what she was putting you through and you absolutely deserve every ounce of thanks and credit possible for helping make the WIP better.
Well, as has been said, turnabout is fair play and so now Word Nerd is doing this for a writer pal and she's realizing just what hard work she subjected her friends to. This is a different kind of reading than just reading a book for fun. It's harder because you have to pay more attention and figure out how to tactfully explain problems and still give praise where praise is due. (It's so much easier to pick on the negatives.)
What this really brings Word Nerd to is a big THANK YOU for her magnificent seven who have read/are beta reading her WIP. She really didn't know what she was putting you through and you absolutely deserve every ounce of thanks and credit possible for helping make the WIP better.
14 April 2009
Book Banter -- Matriarch
Title: Matriarch (Wess'har wars, bk. 4)
Author: Karen Traviss
Length: 381 pages
Genre: Sci-fi
Plot Basics: SPOILER ALERT
Things continue to deteriorate around the planets of Bezer'ej and Wess'ej as the Eqbas Vorhi ship prepares to restore ecological balance to the iseni before moving on to Earth. Meanwhile, as hard as Shan Frankland has tried to keep the c'naatat contained to herself, Aras and Ade, she is furious to learn that Rayat and Lindsey were infected. Shan struggles to keep her own moral compass as the Eqbas contemplate unleashing bioweapons on the iseni and what they will do to Earth when they get there.
Banter Points: The plot basics don't really cover this book very well. As Word Nerd has discovered in the past, writing these for the books well into a series is hard. Nevertheless, the series just keeps bringing it, adding plot twists and forcing characters to grow and adapt to the alien environments they find themselves in.
Bummer Points: Some of this book seemed a little light on action and a bit heavy on the philosophy.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Top-notch sci-fi here. Read it if you are a fan of the genre.
Author: Karen Traviss
Length: 381 pages
Genre: Sci-fi
Plot Basics: SPOILER ALERT
Things continue to deteriorate around the planets of Bezer'ej and Wess'ej as the Eqbas Vorhi ship prepares to restore ecological balance to the iseni before moving on to Earth. Meanwhile, as hard as Shan Frankland has tried to keep the c'naatat contained to herself, Aras and Ade, she is furious to learn that Rayat and Lindsey were infected. Shan struggles to keep her own moral compass as the Eqbas contemplate unleashing bioweapons on the iseni and what they will do to Earth when they get there.
Banter Points: The plot basics don't really cover this book very well. As Word Nerd has discovered in the past, writing these for the books well into a series is hard. Nevertheless, the series just keeps bringing it, adding plot twists and forcing characters to grow and adapt to the alien environments they find themselves in.
Bummer Points: Some of this book seemed a little light on action and a bit heavy on the philosophy.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Top-notch sci-fi here. Read it if you are a fan of the genre.
07 April 2009
Book Banter -- Greywalker
Title: Greywalker
Author: Kat Richardson
Length: 341 page
Genre: urban fantasy
Plot Basics: P.I Harper Blaine dies for a whole two minutes after the vicious attack of a small-time crook she's chasing. When she recovers, she discovers that she can see into the Grey, the shadowy realm between life and death. Her Greywalking ability leads her into the territory of vampirs, ghosts and one terrifying antique that could destroy much of Seattle if Harper doesn't figure out how to stop it.
Banter Points: Word Nerd was jonesing for some good urban fantasy and had seen the Greywalker books while browsing at a book store. The concept of the Grey is cool and again, its nice to see a book with vampires in it where they are still scary guys and not the main squeeze of the female protagonist.
Bummer Points: This book sort of screamed first novel. There were lots of info dumps and lots of places where Richardson had to spell out how the Grey worked. Word Nerd felt like she didn't get to know Harper well enough, or that the stakes were never high enough for her personally.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Word Nerd will tackle the next two books in the series, hoping that Richardson improves with time. There's enough good about these to make it worth it.
Author: Kat Richardson
Length: 341 page
Genre: urban fantasy
Plot Basics: P.I Harper Blaine dies for a whole two minutes after the vicious attack of a small-time crook she's chasing. When she recovers, she discovers that she can see into the Grey, the shadowy realm between life and death. Her Greywalking ability leads her into the territory of vampirs, ghosts and one terrifying antique that could destroy much of Seattle if Harper doesn't figure out how to stop it.
Banter Points: Word Nerd was jonesing for some good urban fantasy and had seen the Greywalker books while browsing at a book store. The concept of the Grey is cool and again, its nice to see a book with vampires in it where they are still scary guys and not the main squeeze of the female protagonist.
Bummer Points: This book sort of screamed first novel. There were lots of info dumps and lots of places where Richardson had to spell out how the Grey worked. Word Nerd felt like she didn't get to know Harper well enough, or that the stakes were never high enough for her personally.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Word Nerd will tackle the next two books in the series, hoping that Richardson improves with time. There's enough good about these to make it worth it.
06 April 2009
March and Literary Year Bibliometer
Word Nerd crunched her reading stats a week ago, but just kept forgetting to post. Here are the salient numbers.
March 2009
8 books
2743 pages
88 pages/day average
2009 YTD
23 books
March also saw the end of the 2008-09 Literary Year. Word Nerd's seventh such LY was right on par with the others. (The Literary Year marks when Word Nerd began keeping her book list during her last year of college).
LY 2008-09
96 books
Seven Year Total = 573
March 2009
8 books
2743 pages
88 pages/day average
2009 YTD
23 books
March also saw the end of the 2008-09 Literary Year. Word Nerd's seventh such LY was right on par with the others. (The Literary Year marks when Word Nerd began keeping her book list during her last year of college).
LY 2008-09
96 books
Seven Year Total = 573
30 March 2009
Book Banter -- Illegal
Title: Illegal
Author: Paul Levine
Length: 367 pages
Genre: legal mystery
Plot Basics: Hot-shot lawyer Jimmy "Royal" Payne is watching his career go down the drain after he was set up on a sting operation to bribe a judge. But when he finds a young Mexican boy, Tino, who was separated from his mother during a border crossing, Payne takes it upon himself to reunite the family, amidst a growing wave of anti-immigration sentiment.
Banter Points: This is definitely a book for the times, given the political debates about immigration. Jimmy Payne was reminiscent of Levine's other lawyer hero, Steve Solomon from the "Solomon v. Lord" series, but had his own set of hang-ups that made the two characters different. Tino was a great character, full of a youthful feistiness, that made him a treat to read about.
Bummer Points: This is definitely a book for the times. Levine's cultural references (to things like the flop of the last Indiana Jones movie) were very specific and likely will lose their punch in a few years. The plot is rather predictable as well and while Jimmy Payne is not Steve Solomon, the characters are quite similar. Overall, it seems like Payne is sort of recycled from Solomon.
Word Nerd Recommendation: It's a good airplane read, but if you are looking for a gripping legal thriller, this isn't it.
Author: Paul Levine
Length: 367 pages
Genre: legal mystery
Plot Basics: Hot-shot lawyer Jimmy "Royal" Payne is watching his career go down the drain after he was set up on a sting operation to bribe a judge. But when he finds a young Mexican boy, Tino, who was separated from his mother during a border crossing, Payne takes it upon himself to reunite the family, amidst a growing wave of anti-immigration sentiment.
Banter Points: This is definitely a book for the times, given the political debates about immigration. Jimmy Payne was reminiscent of Levine's other lawyer hero, Steve Solomon from the "Solomon v. Lord" series, but had his own set of hang-ups that made the two characters different. Tino was a great character, full of a youthful feistiness, that made him a treat to read about.
Bummer Points: This is definitely a book for the times. Levine's cultural references (to things like the flop of the last Indiana Jones movie) were very specific and likely will lose their punch in a few years. The plot is rather predictable as well and while Jimmy Payne is not Steve Solomon, the characters are quite similar. Overall, it seems like Payne is sort of recycled from Solomon.
Word Nerd Recommendation: It's a good airplane read, but if you are looking for a gripping legal thriller, this isn't it.
24 March 2009
Book Banter -- The Domino Men
Title: The Domino Men
Author: Jonathan Barnes
Length: 382 pages
Genre: modern fantasy
Plot Basics: Henry Lamb is a file clerk for the national civil service archive. When his grandfather has a stroke, Henry is recruited by a shadowy agency called the Directorate to continue his grandfather's secret work -- which Henry knows nothing about. He ends up on a mad-cap search for a woman named Estella and pursued (or led) to her by the mysterious Domino Men, all in an attempt to stop London from falling victim to the Leviathan, who is owed the whole city from a Faustian bargain made years ago by Queen Victoria.
Banter Points: So, the plot summary sounds weird, that's because the book's weird, but it's AMAZINGLY so. The plot unfolds very naturally, actually, and brings the reader along so gently that you forget just how strange this whole set-up really is.
Word Nerd is amazed at Barnes' sophomore offering after she was less than thrilled with his debut, "The Somnambulist." Henry Lamb is a delightful character, sort of Arthur Dent-ish in his approach to suddenly having to save the world. The whole book has a bit of a feel of Hitchhiker's Guide to it... if you infuse that with a big does of H.P. Lovecraft and a splash of "V for Vendetta."
Bummer Points: Word Nerd can't say what she thinks is a bummer without ruining the book. Sorry. She's staying spoiler free here today.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Two thumbs way up. Fans of quiet horror and modern fantasy, this is a must-read. Watch for The Domino Men on Word Nerd's Top Ten in 2009.
Author: Jonathan Barnes
Length: 382 pages
Genre: modern fantasy
Plot Basics: Henry Lamb is a file clerk for the national civil service archive. When his grandfather has a stroke, Henry is recruited by a shadowy agency called the Directorate to continue his grandfather's secret work -- which Henry knows nothing about. He ends up on a mad-cap search for a woman named Estella and pursued (or led) to her by the mysterious Domino Men, all in an attempt to stop London from falling victim to the Leviathan, who is owed the whole city from a Faustian bargain made years ago by Queen Victoria.
Banter Points: So, the plot summary sounds weird, that's because the book's weird, but it's AMAZINGLY so. The plot unfolds very naturally, actually, and brings the reader along so gently that you forget just how strange this whole set-up really is.
Word Nerd is amazed at Barnes' sophomore offering after she was less than thrilled with his debut, "The Somnambulist." Henry Lamb is a delightful character, sort of Arthur Dent-ish in his approach to suddenly having to save the world. The whole book has a bit of a feel of Hitchhiker's Guide to it... if you infuse that with a big does of H.P. Lovecraft and a splash of "V for Vendetta."
Bummer Points: Word Nerd can't say what she thinks is a bummer without ruining the book. Sorry. She's staying spoiler free here today.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Two thumbs way up. Fans of quiet horror and modern fantasy, this is a must-read. Watch for The Domino Men on Word Nerd's Top Ten in 2009.
23 March 2009
Rewrites
Word Nerd worked this weekend on finishing rewrites to chapters 27 and 28 of the WIP. She was really hoping she was past this point of ripping out sections and adding new, but that wasn't the way of it. In fact, this weekend, she wrote in a new minor character (!) to really bring the scenes to life. A little bit of back work will get this person into some earlier chapters too, until her big scenes in these chapters.
This new character isn't long for this world, but giving her a few scenes and a name keeps her from being a throw-away character. It would be easier to just make her a nobody, but doing that deprives the main character of some actions and reactions to a real character. Giving a minor character a bit of a personality helps to make the story feel less wooden and gives minor characters some bit of purpose and motivation.
Word Nerd knows enough about this character that were she so inclined, she could write a separate short story about her. One of the other minor characters from the WIP may just get her own short story because she won't leave Word Nerd alone.
The editing now is back on track and Word Nerd hopes to be done with this process soon.
This new character isn't long for this world, but giving her a few scenes and a name keeps her from being a throw-away character. It would be easier to just make her a nobody, but doing that deprives the main character of some actions and reactions to a real character. Giving a minor character a bit of a personality helps to make the story feel less wooden and gives minor characters some bit of purpose and motivation.
Word Nerd knows enough about this character that were she so inclined, she could write a separate short story about her. One of the other minor characters from the WIP may just get her own short story because she won't leave Word Nerd alone.
The editing now is back on track and Word Nerd hopes to be done with this process soon.
17 March 2009
Book Banter -- The Black Ice
Title: The Black Ice (Harry Bosch, bk. 2)
Author: Michael Connelly
Length: ~400 pages
Genre: mystery
Plot Basics: LAPD Detective Harry Bosch doesn't get the call about the apparent suicide of another cop, because the department is determined to keep it under wraps. Bosch realizes there is more to the case than what it seems, particularly as it intersects with another murder investigation he's working on. Soon, Harry is tracking drug smugglers running black ice from Mexico into California and the cartel is gunning for him as he tries to figure out who really killed whom.
Banter Points: It was nice to get back to Harry Bosch soon after reading the first one in this series because the bigger plot line about what happened to Harry was fresher. Word Nerd didn't like this one quite as well as the Black Echo, but it was still a good series mystery read.
Bummer Points: See above.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Word Nerd's sticking with the series, largely in preparation for Bouchercon.
Author: Michael Connelly
Length: ~400 pages
Genre: mystery
Plot Basics: LAPD Detective Harry Bosch doesn't get the call about the apparent suicide of another cop, because the department is determined to keep it under wraps. Bosch realizes there is more to the case than what it seems, particularly as it intersects with another murder investigation he's working on. Soon, Harry is tracking drug smugglers running black ice from Mexico into California and the cartel is gunning for him as he tries to figure out who really killed whom.
Banter Points: It was nice to get back to Harry Bosch soon after reading the first one in this series because the bigger plot line about what happened to Harry was fresher. Word Nerd didn't like this one quite as well as the Black Echo, but it was still a good series mystery read.
Bummer Points: See above.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Word Nerd's sticking with the series, largely in preparation for Bouchercon.
10 March 2009
Back to the paper and pencil
Word Nerd has barely written anything in the past two weeks because everything has been so busy.
Last night, knowing she needed to get back into revisions, Word Nerd pulled out the paper and pencil to use to rewrite a chapter or two of the WIP. It's a section she's not sure about -- whether it needs a rewrite at all, or just pretty major edit. So far, it's a mix of both, keeping some sections of the chapter and overhauling the boring parts.
It's sort of ironic, that these two chapters were the last one that Word Nerd wrote by hand before switching to writing on the computer to finish off the book, and now she's redoing them by hand. The few pages she wrote last night went well. There's something more visceral about writing by hand than on the computer.
Hopefully this will get her back in the swing of things to finish off this last set of revisions. Somebody tell her that she needs to finish this book again.
Last night, knowing she needed to get back into revisions, Word Nerd pulled out the paper and pencil to use to rewrite a chapter or two of the WIP. It's a section she's not sure about -- whether it needs a rewrite at all, or just pretty major edit. So far, it's a mix of both, keeping some sections of the chapter and overhauling the boring parts.
It's sort of ironic, that these two chapters were the last one that Word Nerd wrote by hand before switching to writing on the computer to finish off the book, and now she's redoing them by hand. The few pages she wrote last night went well. There's something more visceral about writing by hand than on the computer.
Hopefully this will get her back in the swing of things to finish off this last set of revisions. Somebody tell her that she needs to finish this book again.
05 March 2009
Book Banter -- The Black Echo
Title: The Black Echo (Harry Bosch, bk. 1)
Author: Michael Connelly
Length: ~400 pages
Genre: Mystery
Plot Basics: LAPD Detective Harry Bosch gets a call on a weekend afternoon about a dead body in a drainage tunnel. The police believe that the man OD'ed, but Bosch recognizes the man from serving with him in Vietnam and thinks the case is really a murder. The case takes Bosch deep into his past as a 'tunnel rat' during the war and helps the city and FBI solve an bank heist.
Banter Points: Word Nerd picked up the first of the Harry Bosch novels because Connelly is going to be the guest at Bouchercon this fall, which she is really hoping to attend. She thought it was a good idea to read some of his stuff before then. This was a good idea too because it was a good book. Bosch is the classic loner detective character, but Connelly does this well and makes Bosch likeable (sort of) despite his attitude.
Bummer Points: Word Nerd is looking at a long back list to get through all of the Harry Bosch novels.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Mystery fans, this is a well-known series in the genre that's worth exploring at least a little bit. Non-mystery fans, this is a pretty good heist story.
Author: Michael Connelly
Length: ~400 pages
Genre: Mystery
Plot Basics: LAPD Detective Harry Bosch gets a call on a weekend afternoon about a dead body in a drainage tunnel. The police believe that the man OD'ed, but Bosch recognizes the man from serving with him in Vietnam and thinks the case is really a murder. The case takes Bosch deep into his past as a 'tunnel rat' during the war and helps the city and FBI solve an bank heist.
Banter Points: Word Nerd picked up the first of the Harry Bosch novels because Connelly is going to be the guest at Bouchercon this fall, which she is really hoping to attend. She thought it was a good idea to read some of his stuff before then. This was a good idea too because it was a good book. Bosch is the classic loner detective character, but Connelly does this well and makes Bosch likeable (sort of) despite his attitude.
Bummer Points: Word Nerd is looking at a long back list to get through all of the Harry Bosch novels.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Mystery fans, this is a well-known series in the genre that's worth exploring at least a little bit. Non-mystery fans, this is a pretty good heist story.
26 February 2009
Book Banter -- Land of a Hundred Wonders
Title: Land of a Hundred Wonders
Author: Lesley Kagen
Length: ~280 pages
Genre: literary fiction
Plot Basics: Gibby McGraw is the local town reporter in her small Kentucky town... all part of her effort to become QR (quite right) after a devastating car accident killed her parents and made her NQR (not quite right). In her investigative reporting efforts, she stumbles across the biggest story possible in her town... but her easily distracted mind makes it hard for her to report and leads her to learning that those she thinks are QR have their own secrets.
Banter Points: Kagen is a master of colloquial dialogue. Many times this just comes off and strange in books, with characters dropping consonants/vowels, etc. but Kagen does it so well that it work.
Bummer Points: Word Nerd was really excited for this book after loving Kagen's debut novel, but was a little disappointed with this one. The book moves along fine until the end, which feels like one great big infodump of information that the reader had no clues about throughout the book. While it does a good job of disorienting Gibby, it's too deus ex machina for the reader, to reveal that many truths that were un-hinted at all along.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Read Kagen's first book first and then read this one, if you want.
Author: Lesley Kagen
Length: ~280 pages
Genre: literary fiction
Plot Basics: Gibby McGraw is the local town reporter in her small Kentucky town... all part of her effort to become QR (quite right) after a devastating car accident killed her parents and made her NQR (not quite right). In her investigative reporting efforts, she stumbles across the biggest story possible in her town... but her easily distracted mind makes it hard for her to report and leads her to learning that those she thinks are QR have their own secrets.
Banter Points: Kagen is a master of colloquial dialogue. Many times this just comes off and strange in books, with characters dropping consonants/vowels, etc. but Kagen does it so well that it work.
Bummer Points: Word Nerd was really excited for this book after loving Kagen's debut novel, but was a little disappointed with this one. The book moves along fine until the end, which feels like one great big infodump of information that the reader had no clues about throughout the book. While it does a good job of disorienting Gibby, it's too deus ex machina for the reader, to reveal that many truths that were un-hinted at all along.
Word Nerd Recommendation: Read Kagen's first book first and then read this one, if you want.
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