Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review: The Best American Short Stories 2015 Edited by T.C. Boyle and Heidi Pitlor; Part Two: Imbalance in Story Anthologies

Today is Sunday, and I do laundry for my son and myself on Sundays.  I make sure that I am in the laundry room with our two loads at eight o’clock in the morning, which is the earliest permissible time … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Best American Short Stories 2015 Edited by T.C. Boyle and Heidi Pitlor; Part One: Subjectivity in Short Story Appreciation

Reading the collection “The Best American Short Stories 2015” edited by T.C. Boyle had a curious effect on me.  Well, to clarify, I haven’t read it all yet.  I’m several stories in.  I’ve been reading modern short stories recently because … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews, On Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

I occasionally like to read books about writing, to see what other writers have to say about it.  I came across this book at a Seattle Friends of the Library book sale.  It was almost free so, since I had … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews, On Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Everything’s Eventual: 14 Dark Tales by Stephen King

I hope it doesn’t sound like a contradiction when I say that I admire much of Stephen King’s work but have read little of it.  For the most part I have seen the films, and that has been good enough … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow

A quote by Scott Joplin, a famous ragtime musician, at the beginning of this novel, affirming that ragtime can never be played fast, gives away the style and tone.  It starts very slowly, with descriptions of the main characters, where … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Seattle City of Literature: Reflections From a Community of Writers, Edited by Ryan Boudinot

This book, though entertaining enough in its own way, disappointed me.  It’s my fault, really.  Too often my appreciation for things depends in a large part on my expectations.  I was on one of my forays to the Amazon physical … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson

In my last post I wrote down some thoughts this book inspired in me about how its themes relate to the world of publishing.  Now I want to directly confront what it says about global economics.  The basic premise of … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2105 edited by Joe Hill and John Joseph Adams

I picked up this anthology recently when I went to check out the new physical Amazon book store in University Village shopping mall in Seattle.  I had heard through the online short story market grapevine that Adams was soliciting story … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Ballad of Beta 2 by Samuel R. Delany

I went to a Halloween party held by a local writers group and among the festivities was a book exchange.  I brought a suitably creepy Stephen King novel and came away with this one.  “The Ballad of Beta 2” is … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews, On Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss

This book is not only fascinating, exciting, surprising, adventurous, eye-opening, invigorating, and educating but it’s well-written too.  You’ve heard of Alexander Dumas, of course, the author who wrote “The Three Musketeers,” “The Count of Monte Cristo,” and other tales of … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment