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I seen the movie before I read the book. He has an interesting voice, some of the lines could stand by themselves as poetry rather than prose. It was sad but I enjoyed it.

This is a great romance. The Time Traveller in this case has no idea where he is when he wakes up, he is alone and must fend for himself and he always meets up with his wife in the end. Definitely one of the most unusual romances I have ever read. Also the prose is gorgeous, I would definitely recommend it.

This is the first book I have read of Sara Gruen's, in fact it may be her first novel. It was recommended by a friend and they were not wrong.

The story centers on an old man named Jakob. One day the circus comes to town across the street from the nursing home he is in and it stirs up all sorts of memories as he used to work at a circus during the Depression.

The work switches between then and now, there is action, drama, mystery and romance. It is a very well-told tale, the writer has a very good voice, especially the parts featuring older Jakob. One of my favourite parts was the ending, it is perfect. Water For Elephants is a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Ursula K. LeGuin is a science fiction writer first and foremost so she is used to making sure things are logical. That is not to say that other writers are not logical, but when you build worlds you have to ensure that things make sense and all bases are covered. She uses the same sort of practical logic in teaching people how to write.

She includes alot of exercises for solo users as well as for those who wish to start or be part of a writing group, that's the beauty of this book. I buy alot of writing books and there are very few I would recommend, this is one of them.

Its a bit nuts and bolts in some parts but some people need that more than others, especially if its been years since you've had somebody really critique your work, you may have picked up some bad habits. You can't break the rules until you've internalized them right? Right.

Mary Roach's work is fascinating, she is a journalist so she gets to the bottom of things. She breaks things down for the layman yet she does not make it so simple that you feel she is pandering to the masses. Its a very thorough report on the things cadavers are used for now and through history. It sounds morbid but it is not, well not really. If you are in any way squeamish or prone to nightmares you should avoid this book, otherwise I see no reason not to read it.

This book is what happens when you cross a writer's manual with Zen Buddhism.

No its not religious, at least not in a dogmatic way. Goldberg is a practitioner of Zen and she uses alot of its meditation principles to jump start her writing. Things like mastering your monkey mind and writing as walking meditation.

I would say the greatest thing about this book is that it helps you ensure your hand is always moving, which is really the secret of writing, constant production. The editing comes after, Goldberg is in the business of inspiring you and getting on your ass to actually write.

The premise of this book is simple, the gods exist because we believe in them. The bulk of the story takes place in America, a land with duplicate copies of the gods because the immigrants who crossed over brought their beliefs with them. As belief grew their gods got stronger but as belief waned then their gods weakened.

The title character is Shadow, an ex-con who is back in town for a funeral. He gets hired by a man named Mr. Wednesday, if you know your mythology you'll realize who alot of these characters are as you go along, Odin, Anansi the Spider Man, etc.

You just can't go wrong with Neil Gaiman...

I loved the movie. I loved the book. There are some important differences in the book that are not shown onscreen during the movie and a couple characters completely written out, like the Post Mistress who is responsible for the newsletters that move the bulk of the story forward in time.

Really though that isn't a complaint, I just enjoy every piece of writing I have ever read from Fannie Flagg. I think it has to do with being from the South, its not to say all Southerners would make good writers, but many of my favourite authors are Southern.

In this case the characters are so well-written and rounded out that you feel you know them. You would not go wrong in reading this book.

McCullers is on top of her game with this collection, yet I am only going to focus on the title novella, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe.

The story is about three characters, Miss Amelia, the richest woman in town; Lymon, a dwarf who comes to town claiming to be her cousin; and Marvin, a man just returning from jail who just so happens to be her ex-husband.

Chaos ensues. This is a very well written morality tale. However, its a very murky sort of morality, you don't feel like you've been beaten over the head with a Bible when you're done. It is an interesting work philosophically, McCullers has a wonderful theory about the Lover and the Beloved which is an interesting dynamic illustrated in the story. I would recommend any of her works but this most of all.

I do not think morbidity plays into the subject matter at all, obituaries are about celebrating a life, not celebrating the end of life.

Its a real insiders look at what goes behind the scenes at the major papers as well as some of the small presses and magazines and the scrambling that goes on when some VIP passes on. It talks about people who honour their subjects and those who paved the way for the sort of obit we see alot of now; in which everybody is celebrated--not simply the celebrities or world leaders.

Some of the examples she provides are just fascinating, striking, evocative, entertaining pieces of writing. This is an interesting book.