All Blog Posts Tagged 'reading' (108)

Sobbing on the Pages

I've never been much for sob stories. Of course, great literature tends to be tragic, and some of those stories are on my list of all-time favorites. I love reading versions of the King Arthur legend, for example, but I know that I'll be sad at the end because that "fleeting wisp of glory" could not sustain itself in the face of Man's corruption.

The best tragedies offer us some kind of hope, but even so, as I've gotten older, I find myself reading fewer books that I know can't end…

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Added by Peg Herring on May 19, 2010 at 10:26pm — 5 Comments

Judging Books

I am a person of strong opinions, at least where books are concerned. However, I'm not likely to share them publicly, as in "I hated Jane Smith's newest release because..." Here's why.

Book-loving is subjective for me, as I suspect it is for most. I can't get past a weak plot or an unlikeable protagonist or side trips that muddy the story for no reason. I am aware that these are my own prejudices, and I am also aware that others often don't mind such things. This does not… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on May 4, 2010 at 10:10pm — No Comments

The Tangled Web of a Mystery Plot

I hope all you mystery readers appreciate the work we writers put into killing people.

For me, a plot has to make sense, be satisfying, and follow logically. I try very hard to avoid TSTL moments (too stupid to live) where a character goes after the killer alone, at night, in a swamp, in high heels or whatever.

I want my readers to have a fair shot at identifying the killer, but I really hope they are surprised, too. In the book I finished reading this morning at breakfast, the…

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Added by Peg Herring on April 22, 2010 at 10:49pm — 8 Comments

Phoning It In

Just finished a book by an author I usually like. The plot was okay. The characters were there, and I knew what I needed to know about them. The ending was a culmination of plot events, and everything added up.

And I felt absolutely nothing.

I might have been reading the phone book or a cereal box for all the interest or excitement I got from the book. There was nothing wrong, not really, but something was just not right. I didn't care about the characters,…

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Added by Peg Herring on April 16, 2010 at 9:45pm — No Comments

New suspense/action novel: The Raven Affair

THE RAVEN AFFAIR was released on the 11th of February. An action/suspense novel in Ebook format, available online any day now. The paperback is due in March, check it out at www.SNEDELTON.com…

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Added by STEVEN NEDELTON on February 18, 2010 at 11:46am — No Comments

What Is Mystery? Final Chapter

This week I focused on MHO of what makes a good mystery: believability, the right sleuth, etc. Today I'll finish with the end, that final wrapping-up that either leaves the reader satisfied and wanting the next book from the author or...else.

Golden Age mysteries tended to have a rather lengthy scene where the sleuth replayed the whole scenario, pointing out clues and often ending with a dramatic accusation: "And that's how I deduced that (bum-bum-bum-bahhhh) the butler did…

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Added by Peg Herring on February 5, 2010 at 9:54pm — 3 Comments

What am I reading?

<img src="http://www.themanoftwistsandturns.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/mantel1.png" alt="" title="Wolf Hall" width="158" height="238" class="alignright size-full wp-image-875" />On the <a href="http://whatarewritersreading.blogspot.com/2010/01/matt-beynon-rees.html">"Writers Read" blog</a>, which is run by the indefatigable Marshal Zeringue, the latest post features my most recent reading. It's not what you might think -- in other words, it isn't detective fiction…

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Added by Matt Rees on February 5, 2010 at 10:44am — 1 Comment

What Is Mystery? Great Sleuths

Ask 2 readers what makes a great mystery and you'll get 2 answers, 6 for 6, 10 for 10, and so on. But they'll probably agree that the sleuth, protagonist, hero, or whatever has to appeal to the reader. Maybe he or she is sympathetic, like Odd Thomas, or heroic like Jack Reacher, or irritating-but-determined like Columbo. Somehow we have to want him to succeed, and we have to feel at the end that he has, even in noir, where success isn't always very successful.

How do sleuths go at… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on February 4, 2010 at 10:23pm — No Comments

What Is Mystery? Believability

The mystery I'm reading right now doesn't have it. The descriptions are artful, the plot moves along, the situation is unique and interesting. But I feel the author's hand on my shoulder, pushing me along, trying to make me believe what she needs me to believe in order to get to her conclusion.

Characters say things that sound, well, out of character, and I hear her yell, "THAT'S A CLUE, READER!" People explode with anger, blurting out their secrets when they should be cautious and… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on February 3, 2010 at 10:11pm — 6 Comments

What Is a Mystery?

Sounds like it might lead to a "Who's On First?" situation: "What is a mystery? I don't know; it's a mystery to me." When we say we love mysteries, what do we mean?

It could mean we love picking out clues in a story and separating them from the red herrings. Some of the greats of mystery excel at the casual reference that is so important later in the story or the item clutched in the dead man's hand that could be nothing, could be something.

Some of us love the chase; the… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on February 2, 2010 at 10:14pm — No Comments

Who Reads Mystery?

Smart people, of course!

Well, that's part of it. Mystery readers come in all shapes and sizes, but I've been to lots of conventions where they gather, and they are a dedicated lot. Authors sometimes cringe at the thought of meeting their fans, because they'll be put to the question: why was Character C's motive so weak? How did Character A travel from New York to L.A. so fast? And did you know that your Character B has blue eyes in book one and green eyes in book two?… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on February 1, 2010 at 10:09pm — No Comments

A reader's review of CROSSROADS by Steven Nedelton

“An exciting new book is out, Crossroads by Steven Nedelton. I recommend it highly, in fact I bought it. It is a mind bending thriller that deals with espionage, murder, revenge and mayhem. If you have ever ridden on a roller coaster, you had better keep your hands in the car with this one. This will keep you on the edge of your seat but at times there is NO edge. Mind control takes over leaving you grasping and gasping at this Ian Holm style story. It is, however, much more than that. You… Continue

Added by STEVEN NEDELTON on January 30, 2010 at 1:09pm — No Comments

An author's Advice to a Reader

I've been following a discussion on Goodreads that concerns historical novels and the "truth" they present. I also spent many, many years teaching history, using novels as a way to make the past more interesting to students than the history books seem able to do. What I see is that there are two purposes to reading historicals, and the wise reader understands what her goal is and then how much she cares about truth as opposed to an exciting story.

First and maybe foremost, we read… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on January 29, 2010 at 10:53pm — 1 Comment

End of second week of Book Tour

And I am over here http://asthepagesturn.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/motivate-the-muse-by-cozy-mystery-author-kim-smith/ chatting about how to tweak your muse and get it motivated!

Come by and have some fun!

Added by Kim Smith on January 16, 2010 at 3:53am — No Comments

Talking About Books

Met a friend for lunch yesterday for the express pleasure of talking about books, publishing, authors, reading, and writing. Some of you might have regular contact with others in the biz, but living in rural northern Michigan limits my opportunitites, and I'm lucky if I get to speak to someone who really knows the stresses of publishing once a month. I'm sure I bore my friends silly with talk of edits and pub dates, and many of them struggle to keep up with the argot.

But lunches… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on January 7, 2010 at 10:07pm — 1 Comment

Kinda Sick of Sick

I think I've hit the wall on serial killers. The book I'm reading, dubbed not-put-downable by lots of critics, languishes on my night stand, very probably because I don't care any more how many ways there are to die screaming.

I have the same feeling I had as a much younger woman when I began to realize that I didn't want to wade through sex scenes, no longer cared how the author described the fitting together of male and female anatomies. Enough. I get it. I'll skip to where the… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on December 28, 2009 at 8:57pm — 3 Comments

Second Gold Ring Question

Who in your life had the most influence on you as a reader/writer? I'm not talking about writers here, so don't say Shakespeare or John Irving. I mean who interested you in the printed word.

Aside from my teacher/reader/mother, I'd have to say our elementary school librarian, an elderly lady with the construction of a stork and a penchant for rococo jewelry. She read to us, and I couldn't wait to be able to devour those stories myself and not have to wait until next week to know the… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on December 22, 2009 at 9:53pm — 3 Comments

If You'd Read This One First, Then What?

I'm reading a book by an author I like very much...today. Since I like her current work, I went back to find her earlier books and, well, the one I bought just isn't as good.

Of course there's a learning curve, and some authors climb to better writing over time while others plummet downward, racing to keep a book a year in the hands of readers. And not every book can be a gem. But this book, unfocused, too cute in places, and unsure of what tone it wants to strike, got me thinking… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on December 4, 2009 at 10:22pm — 7 Comments

Reading Straight Through

I'm always flattered when a reader tells me he/she couldn't put one of my books down. It 's a high compliment to be told I caused a person to be so caught up in a story that he couldn't stop until the end. The best books, of course make us rather sad to get to that last page, but we rush ahead to it anyway, accepting the inevitable destination in exchange for the excitement of the journey.

I mentioned that I'm reading THE HOUSE AT RIVERTON by Kate Morton, and I was reluctant to put… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on December 2, 2009 at 10:55pm — No Comments

Germany Remembers Fall of Berlin Wall & CROSSROADS

Sphere: Famous Street Was Caught Between East and West

Merkel, who grew up in East Germany and was one of thousands to cross that night, recalled that "before the joy of freedom came, many people suffered."

She lauded Gorbachev, with whom she shared an umbrella amid a crush of hundreds, eager for a glimpse of the man many still consider a hero for his role in pushing reform in the Soviet Union.

THRILLER CROSSROADS provides some of the subtleties hidden… Continue

Added by STEVEN NEDELTON on November 14, 2009 at 8:00pm — No Comments