“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
It could be my experience in customer service that has inspired me to write this post, however, this is something I've always believed to some degree: Books are better than people. Don't believe me? You will soon. Books are always available. If you are up in the middle of the night, you can just roll over… Continue reading Why Books Are Better Than People
WARNING: POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE SECOND BOOK IN THE OUTLANDER SERIES, A DRAGONFLY IN AMBER. READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION. My relationship with the Outlander series so far is mired by indecision. There's so much to adore about these books: the remarkable characters, the rich descriptions, the sexy-fun times, the action-packed storyline that constantly… Continue reading Damn you, Outlander Series: Thoughts on A Dragonfly in Amber
WARNING: CONTAINS MILD TO SIGNIFICANT SPOILERS FOR THE BOOK. The Terror and her flagship, Erebus, are stranded in the arctic. Their food source is contaminated. Sickness is rampant. Their ships have been ravaged by ice. And no rescue is expected. .......Oh, and, also, there's an immortal polar bear demon that can only be appeased by… Continue reading Thoughts on “The Terror” by Dan Simmons
This may make me sound like a traitor to readers everywhere, but I am generally not a fan of big books, specifically ones that exceed 450 pages in length. That's not to say I don't like any large books. One of my favorite books of all time, Gone With The Wind, is nearly 1,000 pages long. However,… Continue reading TL;DR: The Problem With Big Books
I can say with unshakeable certainty that Rebecca is one of the best horror novels I've ever read. It wasn't an action-packed gore-fest like many books of the same genre, but in my mind that's what makes it one of the greats. It's a British novel positively dripping with atmosphere and dramatic tension with an excellent… Continue reading My Emotionally Abusive Relationship with Daphne Du Maurier
It's been an inexcusably long time since I update this blog, I know. I try to update at least once a week, but this obviously hasn't been happening recently. I have a good reason for this, however...... Okay, not a good reason, but it is a reason nonetheless. You see, I've actually been writing recently.… Continue reading I’m Still Alive and Also Writing Things, or Going on a Writing Bender
WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE BOOK OUTLANDER AHEAD. Strap in, folks, this is gonna be a long review. Then again this was a long book, so what do you expect? What I liked: The great characters. I didn't always like Claire, but she always felt like a person and not just a vassal through which the author… Continue reading Thoughts on “Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon
Is there anything quite as beautiful as writing the first draft of a story? Every moment is primed with intrigue, wonder, and mystery. You just paint everything on the metaphorical canvass as you see it in your mind's eye. Ideas pour forth from you like a soda fountain filled with Mentos You pat yourself on… Continue reading Editing is the Worst Thing Ever
WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE NOVEL. As an avid fan of du Maurier's Rebecca, I have to confess that I was a bit disappointed with My Cousin Rachel. It started off very strong with little Philip coming face to face with the corpse of a man who had been hanged for murdering his wife, a scene… Continue reading Thoughts on “My Cousin Rachel” by Daphne du Maurier
Perhaps I'm just whingeing over semantics here, but I had to get this off my chest. When I purchased the audiobook for Neil Gaiman's book on short stories I was very excited. Not only am I a fan of Gaiman's writing, I am also a big fan of his narration. His dulcet tones and faint… Continue reading Why I’m Disappointed By Neil Gaiman’s “Trigger Warning”
The Crooked Pen 