Book Review: Hexes and Hemlines (A Witchcraft Mystery #3)

Hexes and Hemlines by Juliet Blackwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another excellent supernatural/witchcraft mystery read by an excellent voice talent. I'm really enjoying this series and am sad to see that there's only one more book for me to listen to!

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Finding Time To Read

You've probably heard the advice that to be a good writer, you have to read, but if you're a writer with a day job, you're already a bit pressed for time. If you've got the double-whammy of being a parent, as some of you do, time is incredibly short.

I listen to books while going for a walk during lunch. I subscribe to Audible, but I also get audio books from my local library or from LibriVox. Never heard of LibriVox? LibriVox provides free downloadable audiobooks read by volunteers from around the world.

The books are public domain, which means, usually, that they're very old. But there are some gems if you want something unusual. For example, search by category and enter mythology or history. Or, if you like looking back at the roots of the horror genre, search for Edgar Allan Poe or Arthur Machen. (Machen was a Welsh mystic and writer who wrote in the supernatural, horror, and fantasy genres. Apparently Stephen King called Machen's The Great God Pan "Maybe the best [horror story] in the English language" (quoted from http://stephenking.com/stephens_messages.html).

If you're outside the US, though, pay attention to this disclaimer on the LibriVox site:

LibriVox recordings are Public Domain in the USA. If you are not in the USA, please verify the copyright status of these works in your own country before downloading, otherwise you may be violating copyright laws.

Another option is to read before you go to bed. For me, that doesn't usually work out well. If I'm tired, it's only a paragraph or two before I'm out. If I'm not tired, a good book will keep me awake way too long. Still, sometimes I hit that sweet spot between the two and get in a half hour or more of good reading time.

I was listening to the Writing Excuses podcast the other day and learned of another way to get in more reading time. Mary Robinette Kowal uses her lunch time to read since you can't type much while you've got a fork in your hand.

So there's a thought for you: Bring your lunch to work. Read while you eat. And after you finish? Take that quick walk around the parking lot and "read" some more!

Book Review: In a Witch's Wardrobe (A Witchcraft Mystery #4)

In a Witch's Wardrobe by Juliet Blackwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of the things I really enjoy about Juliet Blackwell's "A Witchcraft Mystery" series is that she's able to create a world in which natural witches and witches who had no skills before training exist side by side, each learning and practicing differently, but each having an effect.

I also like the way she uses real magical theory in her novels. For example, her character Lily Ivory describes the difference between binding and banishing. Blackwell's description is similar to the one in one of my own novels, which makes me believe that she did her homework researching.

I love all of her characters, and the voice talent on the audiobook really brings them to life. Still, I'm pretty sure, though, that if I read a text version of her books that I'd find them just as distinct and interesting.

Definitely recommended for those who enjoy reading books with realistic witch characters that can still excite and fascinate.

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Book Review: The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't remember reading this in high school, but even if I did, it's good that I read it now.

Reading it now, after living a bit, I appreciate the difference in class, especially back then, having seen class distinctions change over time. At this time of my life, I've known many self-made people and a few born into money, something I hadn't experienced in high school.

More than that, I could appreciate the beauty of Fitzgerald's prose. I was thoroughly surprised by it. When younger, I would have been too worried about getting a good grade and noticing what I was supposed to notice to actually enjoy it.

This version of the audiobook was read by Tim Robbins who does a great job with all the voices. My only complaint was that when he spoke the part of Tom Buchanan, it was VERY loud, which took a little getting used to when I was wearing earbuds, and some of the dialog spoken by Jordan Baker was too soft. I realize that the volume goes with the character, though, and eventually I got used to it (or they mixed it differently).

The recording includes a selection of letters written by Fitzgerald to his editor, Maxwell Perkins, his agent, Harold Ober, and friends and associates. I know those letters wouldn't have meant as much to me in the days before I knew anything about agents, editors, and the publishing business


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Book Review: Deadlocked, by Charlaine Harris

Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second-to-last book in the Sookie Stackhouse series and many of the Goodreads, Amazon, and Audible reviews are not very glowing.

A common complaint is that there's not enough action and sex, and too much uninteresting detail. (One person complained that Sookie spent so much time cooking that she now knows how to make sweet potato pie.)

Another complaint is that Harris spends too much time on minor characters. Admist chaos, we're learning that characters from the previous books are getting married or having children or working through tough couple times. Some reviewers thought that detracted from the mystery and thriller aspects.

In Harris's defense, one reviewer pointed out that this *is* the penultimate book, and that Harris has a lot of tying up of loose ends.

And that, I think, is the key to reading this book: Harris is tying up loose ends. She's also, as other readers complained, moving certain things in a different direction. To do that, she has to spend a lot of time on things that may seem trivial.

If you're a fan of the series, and you keep in mind that Harris is doing clean-up and setting the stage for the grand finale, you'll appreciate it more than if you're hoping for a sex romp or some of the humor of earlier books.

Johanna Parker's voice work on the Recorded Books audiobook version adeptly conveys the atmosphere of the anticipated end. I've loved listening to her narrate the series and hope she reads the final book.

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Book Review: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've always been fascinated with death. I don't know whether my interested in vampires, ghosts, and other things beyond the grave fed my interest or vice versa, but that, combined with a strong curiosity about the human body made this book a natural addition to my bookshelf.

Roach does not disappoint. She gives you the scientific detail, but explained in such a way that us mere mortals can not only comprehend, but appreciate, what she's telling us. Her dry humor comes through, especially since she's the one reading the book to us. (I listened to the audio edition.)

I loved this book. If you're fascinated with death, medicine, or general science, give it a shot.

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Book Review: Grave Surprise, by Charlaine Harris

Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the Harper Connelly series, so I expected myself to still be warming up to the premise and the characters. That wasn't a problem: the book spent a lot of time filling in the background and showing how the characters developed because of their pasts.

I think, though, that it spent too much time there. I don't think the pace suffered, really, but more the sense of delight and fascination that one feels getting to know a new series.

I liked it enough, though, to try the third book in the series.

P.S. I actually listened to the audio version, narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan, whose narration I enjoyed.


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Book Review: Writing, by Stephen King

On Writing by Stephen King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It's very rare that I have the time to read a book twice. It's also rare that I buy both a paper copy and an audio copy. It's rarer still that I do both.

With On Writing I did do both: Bought and read the paper copy, then bought the audio book so I could "read" it again.

The joy of the audiobook is that King reads it himself, and you get to hear the excitement and raw emotion behind the words. Oh, it's not that the master of horror couldn't get across those emotions by words alone, but to hear them, to feel his emotion in his voice, that is a treasure.

His advice, as both a writer and a teacher of writing, is excellent. His stories, especially ones from childhood, are priceless.

Recommended. Highly recommended.



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Book Review: Grave Sight, by Charlaine Harris

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I have two friends who were fans of Charlaine Harris' mysteries way before the Sookie Stackhouse series. They both recommended the Lily Bard series and this one, the Harper Connelly series. The premise of Harper Connelly's story interested me more, so I started with this one.

I'm not giving it 5 stars because it didn't knock my socks off, but I really did like it and enjoyed the character of Harper Collins. She's more intelligent and level-headed than Sookie Stackhouse, but I liked that.

I also liked the fact that although I started to guess the mystery, I couldn't figure out all of it, and when it was finally revealed, I didn't feel cheated.

The character of Tolliver, her brother, seemed uneven to me, but I'm not sure if that's because of the way he was written or the way he was performed. I listened to the audio version of this book, so it's hard to tell if that's the way Charlaine told it or the way Alyssa Bresnahan interpreted. I think her narration was great, but I just didn't "get" Tolliver.

I've listened to only one book in the series, though, so I can't really judge it. I've got the second book, Grave Surprise, loaded on my iPod and look forward to listening to it.

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Available in Kindle format

Did I mention that both of my books, Darksome Thirst and The Old Power Returns are available from Amazon in Kindle format? They're pretty inexpensive now, too. Apparently Darksome Thirst has been available for a while, but the publisher had some technical problems with The Old Power Returns.

Personally I'd love a Kindle, but I have to drive to my day job, which makes reading during the commute impossible. Lately I've been listening to audiobooks. I just finished listening to Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris, part of the Sookie Stackhouse series. The reader, Johanna Parker, is really, really good. Though her voice and characterization are slightly different from Anna Paquin's portrayal on True Blood, it's still not enough to jar you. I watch True Blood faithfully and still enjoy listening to the audiobooks on the drive into work.