Sheila's Guests and Reviews

My husband used to tell me he only liked "real" science fiction, not that "fantasy" stuff. So it's kind of surprising to find him thoroughly hooked on fantasies like Game of Thrones and Mistborn. But it's satisfying too. It seems what makes fantasy work for him is when it has a well-imagined, logical worldview, when magic obeys its rules rather than making them up to change with the novel's changing needs, and where characters become real and believable rather than cardboard cutouts. That being so, it's not surprising he loves Harry Potter (definitely logical) and Mistborn too. Meanwhile I just love fantasy, always have done and doubtless always will. But what makes it fantasy? Is it magic? Is it different worlds (but surely they're part of science fiction too)? Is it swords and sorcery and dragons? Gods and goddesses? And what makes fantasy different from (hard) science fiction? I suspect for my husband at least, real (hard) science fiction ...

Sometimes I want a book that will take me out of myself, out of my world and all the cares of my world, and away into somewhere safe where problems are solved, disasters averted, and relationships healed. Then I'll read a cozy mystery perhaps, an fast-moving thriller, or a romance, and I'll enjoy the gentle respite they offer. Other times I want something to absorb my attention, involving my thoughts and concerns in someone else's life, with that gentle hint that what I learn might, maybe, help in my own. Then I'll go for something literary; something longer perhaps, or more "different," more intriguing. And sometimes one book will fulfill both purposes. I've read a number of mystery novels recently, and some of them certainly leave me seeing the real world, or real history, slightly differently. Others just offer rest and relaxation. And all are fun. So here are just a few book reviews for you. Drink coffee. Enjoy! First are a couple of stories fr...

Today I'm delighted to be part of Greg Messel's blog tour for his new novel Dreams that never were, so let me tell you a little bit about it... Dreams that never were by Greg Messel The sixties… swinging sixties… Vietnam… Kennedy… Were the disillusioned young adults of the sixties so different from those of today? Greg Messel’s novel, Dreams that never were, tells the first person story of a reporter following the rise of Robert Kennedy, just as that rise came to an end. It’s a story that feels intensely personal and real, told with a thoroughly convincing voice. And it combines an authentic sense for time and place with heart-searching timeless questions, romance and excitement. By the end of the story, the reader is just as deeply invested in a man whose future is just beginning, as in another whose dreams are tragically done. Just maybe, the reader might also feel some small investment in today’s fallen dreams. Dreams for America’s future (now our past) threa...

I love children's books, and I love the connection between story and illustration. But what about the connection between story and title? Or story and dog? That'll Do Pippin is a very cool title to a book with a very cool cover - well, seriously cool if, like me, you happen to be seriously fond of dogs. But what has Pippin been doing? THAT'LL DO PIPPIN! by Anne Kaufmann Title : THAT’LL DO PIPPIN! Author : Anne Kaufmann Publisher : Brownridge Publishing Pages : 68 Genre : Children’s Picture Book Pippin and Nigel are two charming puppy brothers who live on a wonderful farm. They are best buddies and do everything together. They are full of mischief, energy and fun! Pippin is the smaller puppy who wants with all his heart to be like his brother Nigel. Nigel is brave. Nigel is strong. Nigel is smart. One day, the puppies escape from their yard into the woods where they experience many adventures. Nigel is always there to help and pr...

They warned me not to call my novels literary when querying agents or publishers. Literary is in the eye of the expert, they said. Literary sounds like you don't think it will sell. Literary narrows the audience. But I love literary fiction! I read recently that literary writing really doesn't sell, and the authors, for the most part, rely on (sadly decreasing) sponsorship. And yet, if a book is described as literary, I will almost certainly pick it up and look at it. Will I buy it? That probably depends on the story grabbing me too, and the random page I turn to in the middle to look at the writing. But literary catches my eye. Does it catch yours? Nancy Freund Bill's memoir, The Red Ribbon , might well be described as literary, and rightly so. The writing is clear, evocative, and down to earth. The terror--death by lightning strike--is all too vivid and real. Yet the author draws readers into the aftermath without pathos, inviting us to walk a path, see paths not take...

Do those lazy hazy days of summer demand beach reads or serious reads? Warm breezes blow. The lawn needs mowing. The weeds are scattering seeds (most especially yellow weeds of the dandelion persuasion). So what will you read? For me, a beach read in warm weather just might send me to sleep. Eyes heavy when the sun's too bright and tired when the sun goes in, and waiting tasks that demand a level of attention I'm not willing to give... and words that need to lead me to deeper thoughts if they're going to distract me... better sleep, or I'll have to work. No, in warm lazy weather, when there's too much to be done, my best hope is a slow and serious read; something to grab my assumptions and turn them into questions awaiting answer, to turn presumption on end, and to sumptuously guide... So here are some reviews of serious reads, all demanding serious coffee to be savored with the words. I thought The Secret of Magic by Deborah Johnson might be a book to add to...

I like mysteries. Sometimes I like them just as quick reads with satisfying characters and that sense of having completed a jigsaw puzzle at the end. My husband does complex puzzles on his tablet while I read on mine. But sometimes I like a mystery with deeper characters and plot, the sort of book that keeps me up in the evening while husband plays chess. And maybe that's the difference - mysteries like chess or like jigsaws. Here are a few "chess" jigsaws, worthy of reading long and late in the day. Find some coffee and see if any of them entice you. First is the third omnibus edition of Inspector Morse novels by Colin Dexter . Why can't I find copies of the first and second omnibi? Anyway, this third one starts with the first Morse novel, so it's very satisfying seeing him slightly younger at his first meeting with Lewis. Find some elegant, complex four-star coffee to go with these well-structured mysteries. Still in England, my next new favorite detective...