Favorite First Novels & NaNoWriMo

What's your favorite first? Oh come on. Every geeky reader has one.

 I think mine has to be The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver.

Writing Your Own First Novel?

Graphic novel, pulp fiction, love story, confession... whatever story you're sitting on, this could be your month!

November, of course, is NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month, for the uninitiated. If you're  not writing your first novel this month, why don't you share the title of the best first novel you've read so far, and tell us why you loved it?

 

Guest Posts Welcome! 

When I'm not reading I'm tweeting or liking and sharing all over Facebook. Get in touch about your favorite first novel. I'd welcome your guest post about it, whether you're the author or not ;)

~Diane Stresing

Heart in the Right Place - a new James Herriott?

Although my dad reads a lot, he recommends very few books. Don't get me wrong; he enjoys most of what he reads. But, he hates recommending a book to someone who then reads it, and doesn't like it. So, when he went out on a limb and said to me, "You might like this," you better believe I grabbed the book as soon as I could.

It was Carolyn Jourdan's Heart in the Right Place, a sort of family memoir. I found it to be a bit of an antidote to today's healthcare nightmares, although a very temporary one. (Sigh. Let's not go there today.)

Heart reminded me a little of the James Herriott books I loved so much as a kid, which is a great compliment. 

Jourdan begins her tale as a highly-paid, expensively dressed D.C. lawyer who goes home to temporarily fill in for her mom as her father's assistant-everything in his medical practice in rural Tennessee. As the weeks turn into months, Jourdan realizes she's been both humbled and improved by her stint as a "lowly" medical office receptionist.

Jourdan is a good storyteller, and she certainly has some stories to tell, so this non-fiction account is interesting but frankly not always compelling. OK, here I must admit that I was honestly hoping for something as fabulous as The Immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks, and folks, that's just not fair. Writers like Rebecca Skloot are extremely rare, and - let's hope - stories like Lacks' are even rarer.

Would I recommend Heart in the Right Place? Yes I would, and I'm glad my dad did. In addition to enjoying many of the stories, it made me wonder if the advancement of the medical profession might lie in offices like the Jourdans,' where the occasional farm animal seeks treatment along with its owner, and both get quality care. Yes, I recommend this title - and I'll read more from Carolyn Jourdan.

~Diane Stresing

A Fine and Private Place Not (just) for Halloween

Peter S. Beagle's A Fine and Private Place is not the sort of story I'm usually drawn to. If you recommended I read a book about a man who lives in a cemetery and talks to ghosts and a raven, I'd say thanks-but-no-thanks. So, good thing I didn't know that before I'd read a couple of pages. I found the writing so lovely, I couldn't help but keep reading.

Talking Animals and POV

Sure, I talk to my dog but I'm just not very patient with books featuring talking animals. However, the talking raven in A Fine and Private Place is a clearly deserving exception. He's a cranky but keen observer of the human condition and more to the point, human failings.

One thing I found especially interesting: while it's written in third person (limited), each chapter is told from a different character's perspective, and the narrator's voice changes appropriately for each. Although the storytelling technique is hardly unique, in this case, it's managed very deftly. (As I said, the narrator's voice changes appropriately for each...very well done.) It's the first Beagle book I've read, and it certainly won't be the last.

Good Halloween Read?

Now, let's not go jumping to conclusions - just because this fine story is set in a cemetery and the main character has ghosts for friends, you might think it's a perfect book for Halloween. It's not, really. Not that it's a poor choice for Halloween or Dia de los Muertos - I mean, gosh, there are ghosts galore, after all - I just think a well-told story makes a good read anytime. And to be clear, this book has no seasonal hook.

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

OK - so, yay! Talking birds aside, I have a new favorite author! #HappyReader 
Want to share some of your favorite books? Or ghastly titles you'd recommend for Halloween frights? Contact me on Twitter or via the Facebook page for my essay compilation, Dumb Things We Say to Dogs.  

What Makes Short Writing Worth Reading?

Readers, you're smart people. I would love your thoughts on what makes good copywriting, or - since
"content" is the term du jour, what makes for good content. And I'm talking about really good content. I'm talking about content that makes you want to read it, read it again, and maybe even share it.

I know readers are guilty of reading all sorts of things. I know, for example, you'll read advertisements and corporate blogs about products and services you're not at all interested in, just because the writing is good.

And I know it has to be really, really good to hook you and steal time away from reading something else - but I know you do it.

Earlier this year, I enjoyed a book about writing good, short copy. Now, I'd love to hear from you.

What short, sweet, or pithy pieces have hooked you lately?

Don't You Know There's A War On? By Avi

A 10-year-old boy trying to understand today's worldwide conflicts might find Avi's tale of the WW2 US homefront quaint. Or not. Here, a book report I dug out of one of my favorite fourth-grader's folders.
~ ~ ~ ~

I read Don’t You Know There’s a War On? by Avi.

It’s about a boy who is in 5^th grade in Brooklyn New York. World War II is going on.

Howie Krispers is the main character. He went to PS 8. (PS means Public School.) Howie’s best friend is Denny.  

Denny and Howie’s teacher, Miss Gossim is going to be fired because she is expecting a baby. They really like Miss Gossim, and they give a petition to the principal that says Miss Gossim should not be fired because she is expecting.

Miss Gossim gets to stay until the end of the school year.

Denny and Howie’s fathers are both fighting in the war. Both boys miss their dads. When Denny and Howie go to the movies at Victory Theater on Saturdays, they saw news about the war and everybody cheered when they saw Germans and Japanese soldiers surrendering.

Howie’s father came home, but the same day Denny got a notice that his dad was MIA, Missing in Action.

After the war was over, Howie moved to Long Island and he never saw Denny again. Miss Gossim was always his favorite teacher.

 ~ ~ ~ ~ 

I argued that the part about the principal may or may not be a spy was important, but said 10-yo didn't think so it was such a big deal. Which, frankly, bummed me out, since I've written a book about spies in the US during WW2. Oh well. Guess it's about time to hit that summer reading list...

Express Yourself Much? Books About Things We Say

As a reader, writer, and listener, I'm fascinated by words. (File under "no duh.")

It occurs to me that not only did I write a book about some of the dumb things we say, I've also read a quite a few books about the things we say (dumb or not).


I've really enjoyed Why Do We Say It? about expressions, colloquial and otherwise. I have to admit, though, I didn't gain much from reading Le Mot Juste.

It's a particular failing of mine; I just don't do French. #lesigh  

If you just can't get enough of the stories behind the words, I bet you'll like the Fun with Words site. It's not much in the way of eye candy, but if you're that into words, you probably don't care. 

Proof HuffPo isn't a Scientific Journal

Bananas are good.

PEOPLE, THINK. A study of 16 mice can only conclude one thing: "more study is needed." And hello, Journalism 101 - I think we can do better than regurgitate something a "sleep expert" uttered on the Today Show. Especially since that gem was something your average 10 yo knows:  “I think there is definitely a relationship… food regulates sleep.” SMH. This is why I kick myself whenever I read HuffPo. 

What are you reading? 

Parents Guide to Minecraft Reviewed by Admitted Non-Gamer

Think you need a PhD to figure out what Minecraft is all about? Well, maybe you do, maybe you don't. Dr. Lisa Regula read The Minecraft Guide For Parents by Cori Dusman, and now she's well on her way to understanding not only the game, but also the people who play. 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I have to start out by admitting my own bias, as a sort of disclosure - I’m not a gamer.  I’ve only started getting into board games even the slightest, and I’m still staunchly not a fan of video games; some have accused me of not knowing how to relax and have fun.  At the opposite end of spectrum is my husband, who was a serious video gamer up until we came to this town for grad school.  He made a reasonable recovery while he was in grad school, but has since been slipping into gaming habits, but with board games this time.  Thus it was no surprise when games for our (then seven year old) son became a fairly big point of contention in the house.  I wanted to wait until he was developmentally ready for video games; my significant other wanted to just let him have at it. 

Sig-o won; I came home one day last summer to find them playing LEGO Star Wars on the PS3. 

Now that Pandora’s Box was opened, we began the refining process of what games to allow, under what rules, for how long, etc.  Every parent out there knows the drill, I’m sure.  Eventually, child’s preferences also became clear, and Minecraft has been a staple ever since.  We have the pocket edition for iPad and for Android, but have been struggling with limits and, frankly, our child’s obsession with the game.  It’s not just playing the game at this point, but talking constantly about the game, drawing and planning for the game, trying to convince us to give him more time for the game.  I was hoping that this book would have a little bit of advice on how to handle all this (and maybe some hints to help him do the tougher stuff he wanted to do).

Whew.  And here you thought you were reading a book review, not a confessional, huh? 

The book itself is pretty comprehensive.  It covers building advice for parents, really basic details on Minecraft for those of us who are only being pulled kicking and screaming into the Minecraft world, technical details of purchasing and installing Minecraft, information on online communities, and- most importantly from my perspective- suggestions for improving game behavior, limiting obsession, online safety, conflicts around the game, and even addiction (no, we don’t think it’s necessary to put our son in a 12-step program yet, but the summer’s only half done).

The topics are addressed thoroughly, but not extensively, so your questions are answered (or you have tools to answer those questions) without feeling drowned in details.  The glossary is helpful in letting parents and kids speak the same language and better communicate with each other and other gamers.  The parent-child computer contract is something that sig-o and I are looking forward to trying with our child, but it’s still a work in progress.  My biggest critique is that, like most other Minecraft books I’ve found, this is written very much for the computer-based game, so not everything is applicable to our editions.  From a marketing perspective, this is part of the brilliance of Minecraft, having stripped down but free or cheap options seems to open up the game to a more diverse gamer group.  In reality, it serves as a dealer’s first, cheap sale to get you hooked on the item.  And believe me, most of the kids I know with the cheap versions end up spending a significant amount of time whining that they want to be able to do what all their friends can do on the computer version, which is very not-free/cheap.  Dusman’s son was 11 when he found Minecraft, and I have no doubt that that is a far more appropriate age to begin gaming- and her discussion of the game is from that older child perspective- but the issues that Dusman brings up and gives suggestions for can be applied with or without modification to a wide range of ages.

As games go, Minecraft is a better option than most of what else is out there, and this book is a great introduction for parents to the world of Minecraft, no matter what level their kids are at.  I’m still not sold on video games as wonderful, amazing things that every child has a right to play, but this is definitely a “know your child” area; my child is prone to obsession and fixation, and gets emotionally ramped up easily (as do I).  For more laid back kids and parents, this might be less a problem.  Either way, The Minecraft Guide for Parents is a solid tool with well-researched advice that has real potential to help families cross the turbulent water of computer game negotiations. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
If I could play video games, I'd create a world called Thanks and send Dr. Lisa Regula an invitation to join - as a trusted player, course, and I would certainly not rig it with dynamite. ;) Seriously, I'm no gamer and yet I'm raising one, so my gratitude runs deep for this, Dr. Regula's second guest review on this. The first explored another world I've yet to enter, where I suspect my son will venture, too. 


## Follow my reading adventures on Facebook, Tweet along, or tell me you want your review here - guest reviewers are always welcome in my world! No dynamite, I promise. 

Toltec Wisdom in The Four Agreements

Oh, the wisdom we've lost over the ages. Don Miguel Ruiz aimed to recapture some of the intrinsic knowledge he was exposed to, but perhaps didn't fully absorb, growing up in rural Mexico.

More about the Toltec civilization can be found in the Ancient History Encyclopedia. 

Ruiz's short book, The Four Agreements, spent several years on the NYT best sellers list. Apparently, a lot of us are searching for simple truths and a little more agreement in our lives.

Instead of following his family's Toltec healing tradition, Ruiz went to medical school and became a surgeon, like several other authors* I enjoy. Coincidence? OK. Or maybe I have a thing for writers influenced by their near-death experiences. Hm.

Is this self-help book worth a read? Well, if you're looking for a headache cure and suspect the answer might lie within your own head, yep. Definitely worth reading.

The Four Agreements are: 

1. Be Impeccable with your Word
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally (Less Spock-like than it sounds)
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
4. Always Do Your Best (Don't worry, no Tiger-mom stuff here. Think Stuart Smalley instead. Your best will vary with your health, mood, energy level - and that's OK.)

My thoughts? If you're looking for answers - or just about anything - you can find it in a book :D

~Diane Stresing

*Michael Creighton, Atul Gawande, Abraham Verghese.

Your Recommendations Should Be Here

This is a shameless plea for guest posts.

I started this blog so long ago I can't remember exactly when, but I remember exactly why: Because there are too many books and too little time, to read books that aren't good for you - whatever that means.


OK, there was another reason, and that was just to keep track of what I read. My memory ain't what it used to be, you know.

Anyway, thanks to a few new developments in this particular chapter of my life, managing my blogs has fallen way, way, way down on my list of priorities. In other words: HELP!

If you've ever wanted to post a book review at a piddly little blog with a great big goal of helping readers find books that they'll enjoy, learn from, and later enthusiastically recommend to others, this is your chance!

Wanna write a guest post/commentary/book review? Contact me in comments here, on the Facebook page devoted to this blog, or on Twitter. Thanks!

~Diane Stresing

Timeless stories ~ Which authors have delivered for you?

C.S. Lewis created worlds and told stories that are as full of wonder and enchantment today as they were 65 years ago. Sixty-five years ago!

Which stories do you find stay fresh and amazing long, long, lonnng after publication? And - for bonus points :) - why?

What to Read After Catching Fire? For Kids, Maybe Not Divergent

As you may remember, I had only a niggling little worry about my 10 yo reading The Hunger Games.

With good intentions, I thought: I'll read it first, to make sure it's O.K. for him. Of course I didn't; I had three other books open at the time. He couldn't put the thing down, of course, then cruised through Catching Fire and was ready for Mockingjay by the time I gave in to that voice in my head, put down what I was reading, and got hooked.

Is Suzanne Collins' very awesome series too violent or scary for kids? Bah. Any book that can hook a tween that snugly has my vote for the Who-Cares-Let-em-Read Award.

So What about Divergent - OK for Kids? 

I'm not so sure Divergent is the answer. 

Disclosure: No, I haven't read it yet. (Want to provide a guest post about it? Awesome! Contact me here!!)

What I do know is that thanks to Suzanne Collins, my son and a handful of his friends have turned into my favorite kind of snobs. You probably know (and love) some of them - the ones who want to read the book before they see the movie, and who always, always judge the film by the story that inspired it. 

#LoveThoseGuys

Reluctant Readers Hungry for More?

If your tween or young teen is hungry for more after devouring The Hunger Games trilogy, the most obvious place to go next is another Suzanne Collins series. Gregor the Overlander hooked my boy before we were out of the library parking lot. 

#Score

Another option, that also has the power to hook young boys (and is not at all violent) is Matthew Cody's Powerless. Good news: Cody followed up with two more featuring the same team of super kids. 

Happy reading!!

RU Reading on Twitter? 

I am, and if you read my Twitter feed, you'll see my reading is all over the place. Feel free to read along or join the conversation there, or on my much quieter Facebook page. 

Catching Fire Spreads Reading Fever

Review by a 4th-grade guest blogger

Catching Fire  By Suzanne Collins

After the 74^th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Melark return home to District 12 but they are still afraid President Snow and others in the Capitol are thirsty for revenge.

Relationships Katniss had at home have changed forever. Gale doesn’t trust Katniss or Peeta, and none of them can go back to their old lives. Katniss wants to run away, but before she can the Capitol announces she and Peeta must return to the deadly ring for an unusual Quarter Quell. Before the games begin again, President Snow visits Katniss to threaten her personally. Then she learns she is the Mockingjay, the one who inspired other districts to start uprisings.

The Mockingjay Started a War

In the Quarter Quell, Katniss finds some of her enemies are working with her and Peeta. Near the end of the games, the mysterious District 13 rescues her, Finnick, and Beetee. When she wakes up, she finds out the war has broken out and District 12 was bombed to nothingness. Katniss the Mockingjay has started a war, but she doesn’t like what’s happening because of it.

# # 

You too can offer a guest post on this blog! Contact me via comments or Twitter if you're interested. 

~Diane Stresing

Good Books Teach, Reach Far and Wide

Image from Smithsonian article on Lacks. 

My fourth-grader is fascinated, nearly to the point of obsession (which is totally normal for a fourth-grader) with Guinness World Records. Ask any librarian; the books are hot-hot-hot in the children's department.

I'll admit I've become a little jaded re: his litany of mosts, bests, firsts, tallests, etc, etc. When he started telling me about the oldest cells in the world, however, I snapped to attention.

I knew he was talking about Henrietta Lacks. And the cool thing is, he knew it too. He remembered my reaction when I read Rebecca Skloot's excellent report on Lacks' amazing, sometimes horrifying medical history. Lacks died in 1959. Her cells are still alive.

My son made a connection. Whether I can credit Guinness or Skloot is unclear. But the connection is undeniable.

My point, of course, is reading that reading is AWESOME. And if you haven't read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, you really should.

Books, Dogs, and Over-population

So many books, too little time. I'm in complete agreement with that t-shirt slogan. So why in the world would I bring another book - two, even! - into this world? Mhmmm. Well, you do have a point.

I'll admit that the absurdity of it hit me like a lead thesaurus while I was editing my second book in a coffee shop. In the rather fashionable (quaint-but-practical) custom of so many coffee shops, the walls in my favorite refueling spot (hello, Scribbles!) are lined with books.

Books without homes.

They are books with fine pedigrees, too - Michael Creighton's works stand next to spines bearing names like James Joyce and John Green and other folks you've heard of. Folks you've read or will read, when you have time.

And that brings me to my point. See, I really do have one!

Hoards of abandoned books can languish on shelves, or even in boxes, for years - each one will be revived and spring forth with new life the minute a loving owner picks it up.

That's not how it works for abandoned dogs. Or cats. Or any animal. So please, please, please - if you're any kind of human at all - spay and neuter your pets. Never, ever, ever, ever dump an animal.

Once you've mastered that, well then, you're ready to pass along your books to other readers who will pick them up and love them. ;)

~Diane Stresing

Finally, Hungry no More

Yep, that's right - I'm done. Am I the last person here to read The Hunger Games? Or does a review of the first in Suzanne Collins' super-popular series still require a spoiler alert?

Let me know ... I'm crafting my summary now. With help from my 10yo, who will probably get the byline ;)

Just What the World Needs - Another Self-Published Book

A book of personal essays, yet. Insert eye-roll here.

Obviously, this is an obligatory post of self-promotion.

So, have you read my new book yet?

Speaking of personal essays...

17 That Just Might Change Your Life

Tips from Writer's Digest about crafting reader-friendly personal essays  and

Places to publish them! 

Warm Up with a Trip to Summer Falls

Has the current deep freeze made you feel like you need a doctor?

Try Dr. Who, in Summer Falls.

Image from http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/summer-falls

Not only does the title recall higher temperatures and the book get a good review, this guest post received a very warm welcome when it initially published last May. In fact, it was the most-read post of 2013!

So, what are you waiting for? Summer?

Anderson Gets It

“If things like . . . PTSD upset adults like me, what do they feel like to the teens who are trapped by them?” -- Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Speak, and other books you should be reading. 

Seriously, if you need another reason to pick up a book by this outstanding YA author (whose titles are most certainly good enough for adults to read!) please click immediately to her interview recently published in BookPage. 

Thank you.