October Reading
The Wish by Gail Carson Levine ***
This book, by the author of Ella Enchanted was loaned to me by a friend. I read it in one sitting. I can't say it was the most awesome book ever, but I definitely think I would have enjoyed it a lot when I was about 12. Wilma Sturtz is one of the most unpopular girls at Claverford, a private middle school in New York City. She's smart and she's nice, but she just can't break into the "in" crowd, and she's afraid befriending other unpopular kids will ruin any chance she might have at a social life. One day, Wilma gives up her subway seat to an old lady. The witch -- for so she is -- rewards Wilma by granting her wish: to be the most popular kid at her school. Suddenly everyone loves her, wants to hang out with her, is telling her secrets, and all the boys want her to go to the dance with them. But it's not as good as Wilma expected. Every time she makes a new friend, she finds herself wondering if that person would really like her without the spell. Things get worse when Wilma realises that the spell only applies to kids at Claverford, and that the magic will run out in three weeks when eighth grade is over. It's a pretty thinly-veiled morality tale about the disappointments of superficial popularity, but with good tips on how to really get people to like you: Be kind, be confident, and don't take yourself too seriously. While the story is simple, Levine is an excellent writer. Her turns of phrase are wonderful and her characters are all unique and believable. A good one for kids who are worried about fitting in.
How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman *****
This book may be one of the best chance purchases I have ever made at a book store. Not only is it jam-packed with really excellent writing advice, it is also laugh-out-loud funny. Examples include references to Underpants Gnomes, Leonard Cohen, and characters who "go through the motions of the plot with the vacancy of bored minimum-wage employees". There were a few examples that could have been straight out of the "Twilight" series, a few which seemed to refer to the "Harry Potter" books, dozens that I have seen time and again in fanfiction, and even one or two which *cough cough* I recognised from my own writing. We all have room for improvement, so if you are serious about writing fiction, if you enjoy publishing fanfic online, or if you just think bad writing is utterly hilarious, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
"Giving a reader a sex scene that is only half right is like giving her only half of a kitten. It is not half as cute as a whole kitten; it is a bloody, godawful mess. A half-right sex scene is not half as hot; it actually moves into the negative numbers, draining any heat from the surrounding material." (p. 226)
Literary Agents by Michael Larsen ****
Since I'm starting to do some more serious work on my writing, I've also been doing some research about the ins and outs of the publishing industry. One of the big questions for any writer or prospective writer is, "Do I need an agent?" Michael Larsen is a literary agent, so of course he is of the opinion that it's an absolute necessity for an author to have an agent. However, if his assessment of the publication process is remotely accurate, I have to say, I see his point. Agents know the publishing industry. They know how to sell what and to whom. Me, I don't have a clue. I just want to write. So the idea is, I write my manuscript, I send it to an agent, she gets excited about it and agrees to take me on as a client. She then takes over the business of selling the manuscript to a publisher. In return for this service, the agent gets 10% to 15% if and when the book sells. This seems entirely reasonable to me. I don't know the publishing industry at all, and the research necessary alone would seriously cut into my writing time. Besides this, many publishers do not accept un-agented manuscripts anymore. The only real issue I had with this book is that, since it was published in 1996, it is outdated. I'm sure the industry has been revolutionised by universal email and internet use. I learned a lot, though, and I'll be looking into getting more up-to-date information on the industry.
An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon **** (No Spoilers)
This, the new seventh book in Gabaldon's "Outlander" series, is clearly written for the fans. I strongly caution new readers of the series not to start here. Veteran fan that I am, I was lost for the first several chapters, due to not having read the sixth book since it came out almost four years ago. However, once I got into the meat of the new story, there was plenty to entertain me, and I finished the book in about a week. I was a bit bored with the descriptions of Revolutionary War battles, and just about anything that happened on a boat, but for those readers like me who love character development, there is plenty here to love. Many old names from the past re-emerge, and there are a few rather surprising new viewpoints. I found myself humming "It's a small world after all..." several time, as it seems like nearly every character in the series is within a couple of degrees of every other character (e.g., a character from the "Lord John" books who appears to have ties separately to both Claire and Fergus), but these connections amused me greatly, and I am loathe to count them as flaws. Another thing I really liked about this book was the even-handedness with which Gabaldon deals with the American Revolution. As an American, educated mainly in the American public education system, I can't help but feel that my understanding of that conflict is a little lop-sided. I was pleased to find in this book the perspectives of a number of sympathetic characters on both sides of the conflict. The book did, however, end on a cliffhanger for just about every major character, which means I am going to have to do a complete re-read before the next book comes out -- a daunting prospect in a series now exceeding 7000 pages (more, if one counts the "Lord John" books). I would especially have liked at least one more chapter of Roger and Brianna's story arc.
This book, by the author of Ella Enchanted was loaned to me by a friend. I read it in one sitting. I can't say it was the most awesome book ever, but I definitely think I would have enjoyed it a lot when I was about 12. Wilma Sturtz is one of the most unpopular girls at Claverford, a private middle school in New York City. She's smart and she's nice, but she just can't break into the "in" crowd, and she's afraid befriending other unpopular kids will ruin any chance she might have at a social life. One day, Wilma gives up her subway seat to an old lady. The witch -- for so she is -- rewards Wilma by granting her wish: to be the most popular kid at her school. Suddenly everyone loves her, wants to hang out with her, is telling her secrets, and all the boys want her to go to the dance with them. But it's not as good as Wilma expected. Every time she makes a new friend, she finds herself wondering if that person would really like her without the spell. Things get worse when Wilma realises that the spell only applies to kids at Claverford, and that the magic will run out in three weeks when eighth grade is over. It's a pretty thinly-veiled morality tale about the disappointments of superficial popularity, but with good tips on how to really get people to like you: Be kind, be confident, and don't take yourself too seriously. While the story is simple, Levine is an excellent writer. Her turns of phrase are wonderful and her characters are all unique and believable. A good one for kids who are worried about fitting in.
How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman *****
This book may be one of the best chance purchases I have ever made at a book store. Not only is it jam-packed with really excellent writing advice, it is also laugh-out-loud funny. Examples include references to Underpants Gnomes, Leonard Cohen, and characters who "go through the motions of the plot with the vacancy of bored minimum-wage employees". There were a few examples that could have been straight out of the "Twilight" series, a few which seemed to refer to the "Harry Potter" books, dozens that I have seen time and again in fanfiction, and even one or two which *cough cough* I recognised from my own writing. We all have room for improvement, so if you are serious about writing fiction, if you enjoy publishing fanfic online, or if you just think bad writing is utterly hilarious, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
"Giving a reader a sex scene that is only half right is like giving her only half of a kitten. It is not half as cute as a whole kitten; it is a bloody, godawful mess. A half-right sex scene is not half as hot; it actually moves into the negative numbers, draining any heat from the surrounding material." (p. 226)
Literary Agents by Michael Larsen ****
Since I'm starting to do some more serious work on my writing, I've also been doing some research about the ins and outs of the publishing industry. One of the big questions for any writer or prospective writer is, "Do I need an agent?" Michael Larsen is a literary agent, so of course he is of the opinion that it's an absolute necessity for an author to have an agent. However, if his assessment of the publication process is remotely accurate, I have to say, I see his point. Agents know the publishing industry. They know how to sell what and to whom. Me, I don't have a clue. I just want to write. So the idea is, I write my manuscript, I send it to an agent, she gets excited about it and agrees to take me on as a client. She then takes over the business of selling the manuscript to a publisher. In return for this service, the agent gets 10% to 15% if and when the book sells. This seems entirely reasonable to me. I don't know the publishing industry at all, and the research necessary alone would seriously cut into my writing time. Besides this, many publishers do not accept un-agented manuscripts anymore. The only real issue I had with this book is that, since it was published in 1996, it is outdated. I'm sure the industry has been revolutionised by universal email and internet use. I learned a lot, though, and I'll be looking into getting more up-to-date information on the industry.
An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon **** (No Spoilers)
This, the new seventh book in Gabaldon's "Outlander" series, is clearly written for the fans. I strongly caution new readers of the series not to start here. Veteran fan that I am, I was lost for the first several chapters, due to not having read the sixth book since it came out almost four years ago. However, once I got into the meat of the new story, there was plenty to entertain me, and I finished the book in about a week. I was a bit bored with the descriptions of Revolutionary War battles, and just about anything that happened on a boat, but for those readers like me who love character development, there is plenty here to love. Many old names from the past re-emerge, and there are a few rather surprising new viewpoints. I found myself humming "It's a small world after all..." several time, as it seems like nearly every character in the series is within a couple of degrees of every other character (e.g., a character from the "Lord John" books who appears to have ties separately to both Claire and Fergus), but these connections amused me greatly, and I am loathe to count them as flaws. Another thing I really liked about this book was the even-handedness with which Gabaldon deals with the American Revolution. As an American, educated mainly in the American public education system, I can't help but feel that my understanding of that conflict is a little lop-sided. I was pleased to find in this book the perspectives of a number of sympathetic characters on both sides of the conflict. The book did, however, end on a cliffhanger for just about every major character, which means I am going to have to do a complete re-read before the next book comes out -- a daunting prospect in a series now exceeding 7000 pages (more, if one counts the "Lord John" books). I would especially have liked at least one more chapter of Roger and Brianna's story arc.