[tweetmeme source=”jjdanz” only_single=false service=ht.ly] — I had never read any of Paolo Bacigalupi’s short stories before I delved into The Windup Girl. I want to now. I’d seen The Windup Girl on all kinds of lists last fall, but never really looked at the cover. The title didn’t appeal to me overly much. This spring, …
[tweetmeme source=”jjdanz” only_single=false service=ow.ly] Terabytes of bandwidth have been devoted to exploring literary versus genre fiction (See here, here, and here for examples). After reading many of these kinds of blog posts and articles, I am left with one question: Who cares? I love to read, but not just for the sake of reading. I …
[tweetmeme source=”jjdanz” only_single=false service=ow.ly] I cannot read enough about the craft of writing. I love it especially when the author offers insight to how he or she does what they do. That doesn’t mean I want to copy it, but there may be something in there that I haven’t yet considered. It’s like digging around …
My lovely wife and I have come to an agreement: She gets to spend $50 on art supplies and I get to spend $50 on whatever floats my boat. I’ve chosen books. More specifically, I intend to expand my writing library. Jeff VanderMeer posts his list of favorite books on writing at Booklifenow.com. Go check …
[tweetmeme source=”jjdanz” only_single=false service=bit.ly] Book reviews are hit or miss. They depend on the mood of the reviewer at the time of the review, the reviewer’s predilection (or lack thereof) of the genre of the book they review, and/or their personal feelings toward the author of the book they review. That said, there are four …
I posted the other day on my need to be better read in the steampunk genre (Since then I’ve received The Difference Engine and Boneshaker and have them piled comfortably on my desk, ready for reading). In addition, for the last seven or eight months I’ve periodically surfed the internet for information on anything from …
I’m working on a dream Though sometimes it feels so far away I’m working on a dream And i know it will be mine someday Rain pourin’ down, i swing my hammer My hands are rough from working on a dream Bruce Springsteen Working on a Dream I took the time this past Monday to …
I never read as much as I’d like. Does anyone? When I do read, I like the stories to be thought-provoking, and resonant. I like to care about the people about whom I’m reading, whether fiction or non-fiction. Of the books I read in 2009, these are the ones that lingered longest (in a good …
Today I’m participating in a mass blogging! WOW! Women On Writing has gathered a group of blogging buddies to write about family relationships. Why family relationships? We’re celebrating the release of Therese Walsh’s debut novel today. The Last Will of Moira Leahy, (Random House, October 13, 2009) is about a mysterious journey that helps a …
I spent time last night talking with a friend, Ben Curnett, who I don’t see that often. The conversation turned to books and he threw out a couple of books he had read and enjoyed. He mentioned Bernard Cornwell’s Arthur Books and Patrick Rothfuss’s Name of the Wind. I look forward to checking them out. …