Shen Tai’s father, the great Kitan general Shen Gao, died haunted by an epic battle he led against the neighboring country of Tagura. He won the battle but in his old age he came to realize that the cost was too high. 40,000 casualties lie unburied in the beautiful meadow at Kuala Nor. Tai decides […]
Imagine, if you will, that Jane Austen can somehow receive letters from her modern-day readers, asking for her sage advice in love and marriage. That’s the premise for this charming little book. Part “autobiography”, part self-help book, and part critical analysis, Dear Jane Austen is full of practical advice for all women, no matter what […]
We all have characters we love. Let’s spotlight these fantastic creations! Whether you want to be friends with them or you have a full-blown crush on them, you know you love them and want everyone else to love them too! Most of you will probably post about how much you love each character, but this […]
Stefan Blau runs away from his home in Germany when he is a young man. He’s always dreamed of living in America. He eventually finds himself in New Hampshire, building a beautiful apartment building, running a restaurant, and doing his best to provide for his family. Honestly, this book might have suffered from too many […]
Lev Grossman, author of The Magicians, came to my local independent bookstore, Malaprops, a couple of weeks ago to promote the paperback release of his book. I had just finished reading and enjoying it, so I headed out to see what he had to say. He read us part of a short story set in […]
Quentin Coldwater is the top in his class. He’s also in love with his best friend’s girlfriend and unhappy at home. One day, he receives a manuscript that looks like an unpublished addition to his favorite fantasy series, set in a fantasy world called Fillory. In a roundabout way, this manuscript leads him through a […]
A few weeks ago I posted about author Masha Hamilton and her Afghan Women’s Writing Project. Check out my post if you missed it. This is a great project. I recommended the books A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, and Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi and […]
Happy Father’s Day to any fathers out there! Let me tell you about my dad. He can best be described by a conversation I had with my neighbor recently. I had been out of town, my parents had stopped by my house to water my plants and check the mail, and my dad and Neighbor […]
Locus Focus is hosted every Saturday at Shredded Cheddar. Write a post about your favorite setting and go share your link! Can you imagine Peter Pan without Neverland? Lemuel Gulliver without Lilliput and Brobdingnag? The Pied Piper without Hamelin? A good setting is more than just a backdrop! Join us every Saturday as we write […]
Catherine de Medici. I picked this up not knowing exactly who she was, knowing only that if she was “de Medici,” there would be lots of the drama that make the best historical fiction. Her parents died when she was young; she was held hostage in a convent in Florence when the Medicis were overthrown; […]
We all have characters we love. Let’s spotlight these fantastic creations! Whether you want to be friends with them or you have a full-blown crush on them, you know you love them and want everyone else to love them too! Most of you will probably post about how much you love each character, but this […]