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Who's reading what out there? What would you like to tell the world about it?

Totally open to guest bloggers... 

Lies We Tell Ourselves: What's Wrong with the Truth?

I'm afraid this review can be summed up as "read that, not this."

"This" is Lies We Tell Ourselves, a historical fiction account of school integration in 1957. The book is fiction (the town in the book is Davisburg, not Little Rock) but the sheer terror of integration was real.

I'll say this first: Lies We Tell Ourselves tells a compelling story, and - this is important - it's fiction. So, it may not be appropriate to ding it for historical accuracy. I repeat - it is fiction, and it has gotten good reviews. (I wasn't captivated, but I'll admit the characters were well-developed and I cared about what happened to them.)

That said, while Robin Talley is an award-winning author, I am underwhelmed with the research (described in the book's chatty afterword) and suspect her bias (age, race, yep, I'm going there) significantly compromised the (real) story.

Sorry, folks. I'm all for imagination, but when it comes to historical fiction, I want to believe the author is a qualified guide. I'm sorry I read this when the nonfiction Warriors Don't Cry probably tells the story better, meaning, more accurately.

Sigh.

My recommendation:  Lies We Tell Ourselves is meant for teens, and may be appropriate for younger readers who aren't ready to deal with the story told in a more direct (gasp) historically accurate way. But for those who are, I think Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals would be reading more worth your time.  Beals' "research" started around 1955 - she was one of the Little Rock Nine. So, I suspect the details in her book would ring true. Not pretty. But true.

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.

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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.
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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.

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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...