Category: Uncategorized
Your Teen Book Buying Guide for the Holidays
Are you looking to buy a book for a teen in your life but have no idea what teens these days are reading? I may not be completely up to date with the latest books, but below are some great books for all kinds of teens, complete with age suggestions. Best of all, if you click the links to read the reviews, you’ll discover a convenient link to Amazon and Barnes and Noble if you think you’ve found a good gift. Please note that my age recommendations are very subjective: all teens are different, so make your judgment based on the individual.
For the history buff:
The Song of Troy by Colleen McCullough (Age 15+)
The tale of Troy is ancient, but it’s also timeless. In Colleen McCullough’s The Song of Troy, she brings all of the legendary figures to life as humans, not as the legends they are now. They’re flawed, but you can also detect the grand themes running through the novel.
Run Like Jäger by Karen Bass (Ages 12-16)
This is for a younger audience, mainly because it doesn’t have as much explicit content as my other recommendations. It follows the story of Kurt, an exchange student in Germany, as he tries to figure out what his grandfather did in WWII and why he won’t talk about it. It’s a deep examination of the nature of right and wrong, but it also lets the reader come to their own conclusion about Kurt’s grandfather and his actions.
Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn (Age 14+)
This book is definitely great for someone who likes history, but loves romance more. It’s not entirely historically accurate, but you get the gist of the time periods the two lovers are in and their incredible journey through the centuries. It does have brief sexual content, so it’s not recommended for sensitive teens. Continue reading
What Makes You Stop Reading a Book?
I came across this article by author Terri Ponce via her Twitter feed about what made her put down a book. With her permission I decided to shamelessly steal borrow her great idea for my own article.
As a book reviewer I like to think I have two great perspectives: one is the average reader and the other is a critical eye for dissecting the elements of a plot, world-building and characters. I used to think I would be a fiction writer so I have read just as much, if not more, than many authors about how to structure a plot, how to build unique fantasy worlds and create believable characters that people can relate to. The fact I am also an enthusiastic amateur historian (very amateur) definitely helps in dissecting historical fiction. At the same time, I am also reading for entertainment and generally know what the average reader will and won’t enjoy.
So what makes me stop reading a book? A lot of things, as it turns out:
1. Unrelatable characters.
This is a personal thing, but characters make the story. I can sort of forgive a terrible premise if the characters are amazing, but I cannot forgive an amazing premise with terrible characters. Characters generally drive the story forward and although it’s not so bad in third person, bad characters in first person are agonizingly painful. Why? Because you’re stuck in their heads with no chance of escaping.
By terrible characters I mean Mary Sues or Gary Stus. In female characters it means they’re absolutely gorgeous (but don’t know it) so everyone falls in love with them and in fantasy they will have all of the awesome powers or abilities no one else does. They are basically vessels for the author’s wish fulfillment and it really is tiresome. As for Gary Stus, think James Bond: beds all of the women, is supercool, always has a witty comeback and knows everything. Continue reading
Look What Just Arrived! (#5)
Well, I went book shopping in Ottawa and was extremely lucky because Chapters had a sale where you could buy three books and get the fourth free. I bought eight books there, four of which were Christmas presents. Anyway, here are the books I bought in the store:
- The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
- Pillars of Rome by Jack Ludlow
- Claudius the God by Robert Graves
- World War Z
- Antony & Cleopatra by Colleen McCullough
The Crystal Cave is a book I just happened to stumble across and picked it up because it is about Merlin. As you are probably well aware by now, I love the Arthurian legends. Pillars of Rome by Jack Ludlow is also a chance find but I picked it up because I love ancient Rome. Claudius the God by Robert Graves was certainly not chance and it was hidden so well that I actually had to ask one of the clerks to help me find it. I found it and would have liked to find a more…tasteful…cover but that was the only version they had. Since I’m desperate to hear of Claudius’ years as Emperor, I wasn’t too picky. And lucky me, I stumbled across a bunch of Colleen McCullough’s books! I picked up Antony and Cleopatra because the first book in her Roman series wasn’t available.
Now you’re probably wondering where World War Z fits into all of this. Well, I was sitting in the airport and noticed that my plane was going to be delayed so I immediately headed for the nearest bookstore. I hadn’t brought any of the books with me because they were too large to fit into the pocket of my laptop case. That’s why I bought World War Z: It was long enough to keep me occupied on the long flight back home, but not too long as to be bulky to carry around. Also, one of my friends who loves zombies recommended it. He doesn’t recommend books often, so when he does you know it’s good.
So what are you reading now?
Writers: Beware the False Editor
[Out of respect for the author involved, I will not be publishing his name.]
I recently read a self-published book that desperately needed editing. I’m talking about grammar mistakes galore, poor writing quality, a nonexistent plot, one dimensional characters…basically everything that give self-publishing a bad name. I emailed the author and politely suggested that he needed a good editor and his reply shocked me:
“I have already had a professional editor look over my work.” (Not a direct quote.)
His reply got me thinking and, by extension, researching. What I discovered was not all that shocking: many self-published novelists have been taken in by either malicious or clueless freelance editors. Now, there are some excellent freelance editors out there. But the big question is: How do you find editors who are competent? Continue reading
Remembrance Day
Veterans Day, Remembrance Sunday, Armistice Day, Remembrance Day. No matter where you live, it’s the same thing. Today we honour those who have sacrificed their lives for us and those who are currently putting their lives on the line.
Out of respect for those brave men and women I will not be posting a book review today. Instead, please take the few minutes you would normally spend reading my daily post to reflect on what Remembrance Day symbolizes and what it means to you.