Recently I watched a Netflix series called Maid. In the final credits, the audience is told the the story was “inspired” by a book of the same name by Stephanie Land. It raised a question: what exactly does it mean to be “inspired” by a story? To find out, I re-read the book to compareContinue reading “Inspired By…”
Tag Archives: Bestsellers
Reading Double: Alice Feeney
In the name of diversity, I usually don’t read a particular author twice. There are exceptions. I have read pretty much everything Anne Tyler, Armistead Maupin, and Anne Lamott have written, and occasionally find an author I want to read more of. In the past few years, Joshilyn Jackson, Alex Michaelides, and Alice Feeney haveContinue reading “Reading Double: Alice Feeney”
Reading Double: Joshilyn Jackson
I think of books as authors’ children. They resemble each other, usually not identically, and occasionally you might find two that don’t seem at all similar. They all have the essence of their maker in them, though, which is why I rarely read the same author multiple times. There are exceptions – Anne Tyler, AnneContinue reading “Reading Double: Joshilyn Jackson”
Representation
There is a growing debate in the book world about representation. Strictly speaking, representation means that all voices are heard and that the portrayals are fair and accurate. Reading is often about character identification, and everyone — regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, or disability status — should easily find voices they canContinue reading “Representation”
The Trans Canon
Americans have been slow to acknowledge trans identities. It may reflect our lack of education, as gender nonconformity is nothing new and exists in nature and in other cultures. The male seahorse carries the babies and yet we blanch at the image of a pregnant trans man. Americans debate the mental health of trans peopleContinue reading “The Trans Canon”
I Dissent
Sometimes books and I just don’t click. Like a dud first date, it usually isn’t personal. There are different wavelengths and sometimes I am not on the same one with others. It gets worse when you slog through a tedious book only to log on to your favorite review site to find enraptured praise fromContinue reading “I Dissent”
Hook Me
A good opening to a novel should give you a visceral feel for everything that is to come. It is a first impression, and like the human counterpart of first impressions, it’s difficult to erase its impact. Hooking the reader immediately is a literary imperative. There are many ways to do it. You can startContinue reading “Hook Me”
How To Be A Best-selling Author
Writers seem to fall into two camps: those that aspire to best-seller status and those that don’t. The latter snort derisively at the lowbrow efforts that top the lists, perpetuating the stereotype that quality is an aquired taste. Others write intentionally towards sales, shuttling serious topics in favor of murder mysteries and epics. As someoneContinue reading “How To Be A Best-selling Author”
Cheap Applause
Ten years ago, I submitted my first novel to several literary agents. I had worked hard on it – multiple drafts and revisions after feedback from half a dozen beta readers – and was proud of the final product. It was a thrill to get “full” requests – a second step after agents have readContinue reading “Cheap Applause”
Girl, Revisited
One of the greatest disappointments of my reading life involves Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. Back in 2013, curious about this hot new title that I hadn’t yet started, I perused the Amazon reviews, unconcerned about spoiler warnings. Because of my impetuosity, I will never experience the pleasure of reading this seminal work without knowing beforehandContinue reading “Girl, Revisited”
Books Smitten 