One of the undeniable pleasures of reading is learning new things. Nonfiction is all about information. How lucky for readers. I read more in the fiction/memoir genres, which are less known to impart knowledge. But those titles can also surprise me at times with new facts. You never know what new information will come yourContinue reading “Reading Fun Facts”
Author Archives: Xandra
For Information’s Sake
Information is competing for people’s attention constantly, often with the goal of selling. Algorithms cater to preferences, and every keystroke you make sends a signal that impacts what you see. Books provide information in a different way. While every writer is selling their conclusion, they do it with little or no aim at consumption. WithoutContinue reading “For Information’s Sake”
Dark Days
Unlike the autobiography, which is a chronological narrative of a person’s life, the memoir offers a season of life. Some memoirists write mainly about their faith, relationship changes, or a year-long project they undertook. It takes courage to write honestly. As a memoirist, you should have insight into yourself and others. There is usually theContinue reading “Dark Days”
Single in the Aughts
Publishing reflects life. If something is topical, relatable, and trending, you will quickly see book projects that touch on it in some ways. Contrary to the idea that copycat projects flounder, there are often multiple competing titles within a subgenre. A few years back, before anyone had heard of catfishing, there were several books aboutContinue reading “Single in the Aughts”
Suspense Sampler
PD James has said that murder mysteries hit a popularity peak during WW2, when uncertainty was at an apex. On its surface this seems peculiar. Why would people respond to dire world events with stories of unnatural death? She explains the paradox this way: crime story conclusions restore a sense of order in turbulent times.Continue reading “Suspense Sampler”
Lightbulb Reading
One of the greatest pleasures of reading is also the most elusive. Every once in a while, you find between the pages something that pings an internal knowing, a feeling that you recognize but can’t name. I don’t know how anyone does this, but it’s part of the magic artists possess. If a writer canContinue reading “Lightbulb Reading”
Something New
With so many books out there, it can be challenging to identify truly original ideas in fiction. What may seem fresh to one person might be a labored repeat to someone else. Before I had read extensively in the suspense genre, I was pretty easily impressed. As a more seasoned reader now, I have grownContinue reading “Something New”
Troubled Times
We are living in undeniably turbulent times. We follow the news at our own peril: stories of mass murder, political assassination, and illegal war fill our social media feeds on a regular basis. What can one do, other than absorb the blows and be thankful for comparative good fortune? Since my own faith is tenuous,Continue reading “Troubled Times”
New York Stories
One of the pleasures of reading is armchair travel. Sometimes the location is new and unexplored; other times it is familiar. New York, for me, is a bit of both. After living there briefly years ago, it’s that rare city that is simultaneously intimate and foreign. Fortunately, there are no shortage of ways to returnContinue reading “New York Stories”
Breadth of Life
Many great books touch indirectly on abortion. A masterpiece like Random Family depicts the gritty reality of urban poverty. The main character, Jessica, has three children by the time she’s nineteen, often leaving childcare in the hands of her mother or her queer friend Milagros. Implicit in this story is the burden that motherhood casts.Continue reading “Breadth of Life”
Books Smitten 