I'd never heard of Margaret Lucke. But a little over a year ago, in a fit of enthusiasm, I decided to buy a few books about writing short stories. I'm not sure what I wanted, exactly: some inspiration, some ideas, probably some magic formula that would enable me to write winning fiction.
I bought about three books, all at good prices from play.com, all with good reviews at Amazon.co.uk. I started one of the others first, but found it rather heavy going. It tried to persuade me to write in all kinds of genres which I have no interest in at all, and didn't actually give me the kind of help I wanted.
So I picked up 'Writing Great Short Stories', a title which is prefixed by 'Schaum's Quick Guide to'. It doesn't look an appealing cover, and I don't really like 'quick guide' books. Had it not been for the low price and encouraging reviews, it's not a book I would have glanced at more than once.
A reminder, yet again, NOT to judge a book by its cover. For this little 'quick guide' turned out to be an absolute gem. In only about 150 pages it manages to cover the essentials of plot, structure, characterisation, dialogue, and even finding one's own voice. It doesn't assume any experience, but it also doesn't assume total ignorance of short story writing. Nor does it focus on the technical details, although there's a brief question-and-answer appendix in the back dealing with these details.
I have dipped into this book many times over the past year. I re-read some chapters several times, and even did some of the many exercises provided at the end of each chapter. Not all of them - not even most of them. But sufficient to give me some ideas and inspiration, even if I haven't yet put most of them into practise.
I particularly liked the way that the exercises did not try and push me to experiment with different short story genres. They were general enough that I could try my hand at my own preferred styles, and do what I wanted with them. And I liked the way the book was written, too, in a light and friendly style. It was almost as if the author was sitting there, chatting through the basic principles of writing short stories.
I don't suppose there was anything I hadn't come across before at some point, probably online. But I've found this book invaluable, because it has so much of value inside it. I hate desecrating books, but it's a reference guide, and so - on the third or fourth read, I've marked certain passages or sentences in pencil, because I found them even more helpful than the rest.
Perhaps it wouldn't suit every potential writer, but for me it was undoubtedly the best book on writing I have ever read.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in fiction - even if you're planning to write a novel, much of the contents of this would probably still be appropriate.
Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 31st December 2008
I've read and very much enjoyed both the novels written by Alice Peterson, so was delighted to be offered this book to review for 'The Bookbag' site. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, once I realised it was basically an autobiography, and thought it might take me a week or two to read it. I do quite like autobiographical accounts, but often find them over-detailed and self-indulgent, or else confusing, as if the reader is expected to know a great deal about the person's life already.
I didn't find that 'Another Alice' fit into either of those categories. I started reading it last night, and found it so interesting that I put aside various other activities and finished it this morning. It's one of the most interesting and well-written autobiographies I have ever read.
Alice is eleven when the story begins, the youngest of four children. Her parents are loving and supportive, so when Alice develops a talent for tennis, they make some sacrifices to fund her lessons and kit, and spend a considerable amount of time driving her to and from tournaments. Alice is a very determined young lady, apparently destined for stardom.
We follow Alice through six years where tennis becomes increasingly important to her. By the time she's eighteen, she's considered one of the top eight young players in the UK.
Then disaster strikes. I already knew it would - the first chapter describes Alice at the age of 24, hoping that she can have a trial of a new drug, since she has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for the past six years.
The latter two-thirds of the book chart the many vain attempts made to discover a drug - or combination of drugs - that can help her. It also charts her descent from hope into despair, and then the gradual, slow acceptance of herself with this horrible disease.
The book is very well written. Alice comes across as a likeable, human and remarkably courageous person, due in part to her very supportive family. There's plenty of conversation and just the right amount of description; by the time I'd finished, I felt as if I knew Alice and her family well.
I also learned a great deal about rheumatoid arthritis and got quite an insight into the suffering of a young person - not just the physical pain, but the emotional and social problems that go alongside such an illness. It wasn't written with self-pity or any sense of trying to educate the reader, but was a very enjoyable and thought-provoking book.
Highly recommended. 'Another Alice' was previously published under the title 'A Will to Win'.
My longer review of 'Another Alice' is here on The Bookbag site.
I've been reading and enjoying novels by Erica James for about ten years now. She writes light women's fiction - perhaps it could even be termed 'chick-lit', although her novels seem to appeal more to the middle-aged than the young.
I first read 'A Sense of Belonging' in 2000, and had entirely forgotten what it was about, so it felt like a good time to re-read. It's the story of a small community that develops when people move into some new houses on a redeveloped site in the countryside. It's a character-driven novel, which focuses on the lives of these diverse households.
First there are Tony and Amanda, the only married couple and a rather ill-assorted one. Tony's first wife died in an accident, and he married Amanda to give his daughter Hattie a mother. Unfortunately, Amanda is a social-climbing snob who manages to get on everyone's nerves.
Then there are Kate and Alec, an unmarried but apparently very compatible couple. Alec is about twenty years older than Kate, but deeply in love with her. The only fly in their marital ointment is Melissa, Alec's glamorous ex-wife, who he still works with. Then there's the problem that Kate would really like a baby, whereas Alec already has a grown-up daughter and even a grandson.
The main character of the book, however, is Jessica. She's a writer who we first meet in Corfu, on the point where she finishes her current novel, and says her goodbyes. She is leaving the philandering man she has been living with, and returning to the UK to keep an eye on her aging mother. Unfortunately, her mother, Anna, is fiercely independent and has no wish to have her daughter checking up on her.
And finally, there's Josh. Nobody knows much about Josh at first. He keeps himself to himself, and appears either shy or rather rude. Then he comes to Jessica's rescue, and finds himself thrown into the life of the community, whether he likes it or not. Josh has a secret which he doesn't want to talk about, and finds himself deeper and deeper in difficulties as time goes by.
Erica James has quite a gift of characterisation; a day after finishing this novel, I can still remember the names of most of the minor characters as well as the main protagonists, and many of the subplots which weave together nicely in this pleasant book. I read it at a busy time, just an hour or so in the evenings, and found it relaxing and enjoyable, but it wasn't so gripping that I couldn't put it down.
Sometimes when there are several characters I find it hard to remember who is whom, particularly if I read a book over four or five days, but I had no such trouble with 'A Sense of Belonging'. They all felt rounded and real (if a little caricatured at times).
The ending was mostly satisfactory, albeit somewhat predictable, but then I don't like novels to end with nasty shocks. The threads were nicely tidied up - some of them perhaps a little too tidily - and my only slight regret was that Oscar, Alec's rather delightful grandson, appeared to lose out on all counts.
All in all, recommended to anyone who enjoys light, character-driven women's novels. Still in print in both the UK and USA.
Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 30th December 2008
The late Lesslie Newbigin was a bishop in the Church of England, who settled for a while in Birmingham, where we used to live. I'd never read any of his books, but one of them was assigned to a theology course my younger son was doing last year, so I decided to read it.
'The other side of 1984' is a short book - only 75 pages - written as a paper. It raises some important questions about the future of western culture, and where the church fits in. The author believed that - in the UK, at least in the 1980s - the Enlightenment view of science as somehow 'superior' to religion was fast becoming obsolete.
He acknowledges in this book that we certainly do not wish to return to the Dark Ages, and, moreover, that science and technology have improved our lives in many important ways. Nevertheless, he believed that Christians needed to make a stand, not just in private but in public life too, so that the emergence of new societal structures would in some way reflect the ethos and morality of Scripture.
He asks three basic questions of the church: How can we determine 'dogma' without being dogmatic? How can we avoid the trap of 'state' religion? Does Scripture support the idea of using Christian morals in public life and politics?
I found it quite interesting, but a bit heavy-going, so I just read a few pages at a time, over about ten days. It was a bit dry in places, and since it's now nearly 25 years old it seems a bit dated. Still, the questions Lesslie Newbigin asks, and the issues he raises are interesting and somewhat thought-provoking too.
It seems that society has been in a state of change almost continually since the 1980s with people asking questions about science and/or religion and/or spirituality, with many new movements emerging due to dissatisfaction with the status quo.
There's an addendum at the end from someone writing from the point of view of non-Western (specifically Indian) Christians, which also raises some interesting issues from the global perspective.
Worth reading if you're interested in this kind of question, and like a somewhat dry theological approach. But I doubt if I'll read it again.
Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 24th December 2008
I have never heard of Galaxy Craze before. I wondered if her name was an unusual pseudonym, but apparently it is the author's real name.
I was sent her second novel 'Tiger, Tiger' by TheBookbag for review. I received it yesterday, read half of it last night, and finished it this morning. At a busy time of year. That's partly because it's quite a light, easy-to-read novel, and also partly because I found it quite compelling reading.
The story is told by the teenage May. Her brother Eden is six years younger than she is, but they have become quite close; possibly due to their parents' unpredictable relationship.
Their mother Lucy decides to take them to a Hindu style ashram community in California. They go for a fortnight, and their stay extends, apparently indefinitely. May doesn't like it at first. But then she becomes intimate with Sati, a rather manipulative girl. This could have been sordid, but somehow it wasn't; possibly because it's told from the perspective of relative innocence.
Everything changes when Sati's mother gives birth to a baby and decides to give the baby to Parvati, the spiritual leader of the ashram. Lucy has to make some difficult decisions, related to the overall theme about the balance of family life and spirituality. Seeing it from May's point of view rather than Lucy's own makes it all the more powerful. It almost feels at times as if May is the adult, and her volatile mother a child she finds frustrating, but loves dearly.
I gather that this is a sequel to the author's first novel, 'By the Shore', which explores May and Eden's parents' relationship more thoroughly. It's a tribute to the author that it didn't feel like a sequel; there were no dull flashbacks, no irrelevant characters who clearly had some other story elsewhere. Recommended to anyone wanting a light, yet thought-provoking read.
My longer review of Tiger, Tiger is here at the Bookbag site.
I first came across Janette Oke's writing about fifteen years ago, when we were living in the USA. I liked what I read, although it was fairly lightweight, and over the years have collected a few of her books to read and re-read. They are not all in print in the UK, so I was pleased when a who friend left the country recently decided to give me some of her books by this author.
'Love's Abiding Joy' is fourth in the 'Love Comes Softly' series about a growing family in the pioneer days in the USA. The first novel in the eight-volume series is called 'Love Comes Softly'. I haven't read that for about fifteen years, but somehow still remember clearly the difficult marriage of convenience between Clark and Marty, and the way that love started to grow as they helped each other deal with loneliness and the many problems of life in those times.
I read 'Love's Enduring Promise' a couple of months ago; I don't have the third in the series, but it apparently involves Missie, Clark's oldest daughter, moving 'out West' with her new husband.
In 'Love's Abiding Joy', Clark and Marty decide to go on a long train journey to visit Missie, and to meet their two young grandsons for the first time. The rest of their family is almost grown up, and quite capable of looking after their farm and house for a month in their absence.
There's great joy in the reunion - enough to make tears come to my eyes more than once - but then a tragic incident means that their return must be delayed for many more months.
Somehow, despite this being very light reading, and not exactly great literature, Janette Oke's characters get under my skin. I feel as if I almost know them. It helps to have read the earlier books, or at least one or two of them, because there are a fairly large number of characters mentioned. Although this story is complete in itself, some of the names might be confusing to anyone who had not read anything else in the series.
Since it's American Christian fiction (despite the author being Canadian!) there's a certain amount of obligatory evangelism. It's done well, slipped into relevant conversations without feeling forced or pushy. Christianity is very important to Marty and Clark and their family, so it's only natural that they talk about such things, and care about the eternal destinies of their friends.
It's also very moving. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but found myself reading when I should have been doing other things, and finished it within about 24 hours. It's not a long book, and would be suitable for children or teenagers. Like the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, this gives a good idea of some of the experiences of living in the pioneer times.
Recommended to anyone who likes this kind of book, and who wants a light unchallenging read.
Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 20th December 2008
I do like Jane Aiken Hodge's novels, both her historical ones and her more contemporary novels set in the mid-20th century. Unfortunately most of her work is out of print these days, although her novels can sometimes be found second-hand.
I bought 'Watch the wall, my darling' nearly thirty years ago, for a few pence from a church fete. I read it then, and again in 1986. But for some reason I didn't pick it up again until recently.
I had entirely forgotten what it was about, other than that it was something to do with smuggling. But that was because of the title, half of the line, 'Watch the wall, my darling, while the gentlemen go by' - a phrase apparently used to encourage people to turn a blind eye to the rampant smuggling that went on in previous centuries.
This story is about Christina Tretton, a courageous and intelligent young woman who was brought up in the USA. After the death of her father, she returns to her family home in Sussex, during the time of the Napoleonic wars.
Christina is caught up immediately in intrigue and danger, involving smuggling and more; she finds herself attracted to her cousin Ross, yet not sure how far she can trust him. She also has to deal with a crusty old grandfather, her rather foppish cousin Richard, and Ross's fussy and not very bright mother.
It was an exciting story, with believable people whom I quickly cared about. Great for general social history too, and understanding a little more about this period in history, although the fictional subplots are the most significant in the book.
Recommended to anyone who likes light historical novels, if you can find it second-hand or in your library.
Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 18th December 2008
I've been enjoying the novels by Marcia Willett for over ten years, now. I came across one by accident in a charity shop, and was so impressed that I've gradually been collecting them all. And this year, I've begun re-reading them.
I first read 'Hattie's mill' seven years ago. I don't really remember it at all, but apparently I found it a bit slow-moving. This time, however, I very much enjoyed it. Yes, it's not the most exciting fast-paced novel, but that meant I could read for half an hour or so in the evening over a week or so, without feeling that I couldn't put it down.
The story is about Hattie, an independent middle-aged woman who decides to buy an old mill, which has two attached cottages. She renovates them all, and then lets out the cottages to various people.
The story is about the growing community that develops, with a number of different sub-plots related to each of them. There's Miggy, for instance, who falls in love with Toby, a boatyard worker. Both are in difficult, sometimes painful marriages, and the author sensitively explores their burdens of the past, and the difficulties and baggage that can come with new relationships.
Miggy's daughter Daisy, who is ten at the start of the book, and sixteen by the end, is a delightful, imaginative girl who loves to sail. Georgia, Toby's daughter, is sixteen at the start of the book, and very resentful of her father's new wife. But she matures, and develops into a likeable young woman, partly due to the gentle influence of Miggy.
Then there's Joss, who plans to travel on his yacht once he's finished all the repairs that need to be done, but then he gets strongly attracted to someone else who moves into the little community.... and some others. Some hours after finishing the book I can still remember all the names and some of the details, which shows that the characters must have been reasonably well-drawn and memorable, as well as interesting. Sometimes I can finish a book without ever managing to sort out the different people in it!
There's another interesting subplot which involves a couple who came into one of Marcia Willett's earlier books. Sarah only had a tiny role in 'Those who serve', though her philandering husband Nick had a rather larger one. In this book, Sarah is an old and close friend of Hattie, and we learn a great deal more about her, and her side of the story.
The book is complete in itself - there's no need to have read anything else by this author - but I rather like the small continuities that she writes into her books, letting loyal readers know a little bit more about situations and people who have come into earlier books.
All in all, I enjoyed 'Hattie's Mill'. Recommended to anyone who likes gentle women's fiction that's mainly character-based. Not currently in print in the USA, though it is in the UK, and fairly widely available second-hand.
Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 17th December 2008
I've read a few children's novels by Madeleine L'Engle, the best-known of which is probably 'A Wrinkle in Time'. I read this classic to my sons when they were about ten and twelve, and then we bought some of her other books.
However I hadn't read any of her non-fiction writing until I came across 'Walking on Water' in a charity shop, fairly recently. I've been reading it over the past few days, and have found it inspiring, thought-provoking, and very readable. Indeed, when I finished it this morning, I went right back to the beginning and re-read the first chapter.
The book is, basically, short snippets gathered together in chapters. It recounts some of the author's own questions and journey through life, in particular as she considers questions such as, 'What is Christian art?' She takes the viewpoint that bad art - whether or not it involves Christian/religious symbolism - is not Christian, because it does not glorify God.
She also believes that good art - whether painting, craftwork, music or writing - will always, in some way, resemble prayer and the process of giving birth. I had not really thought of it this way before, but agree with her wholeheartedly.
There is something of God the Creator in us all, whether or not we acknowledge him, and creativity or beauty that shows something of his worth is, in some sense, 'Christian' whether or not the creator of the work is a believer.
With anecdotes and questions, ponderings and quotations that she wrote down in a notebook over the years, Madeleine L'Engle manages to address many deep questions without ever becoming over-technical or theological.
Highly recommended for anyone who ever wondered what 'Christian art' might be - or even whether such a concept exists - or who is involved in any way in creative work such as music, art or writing. I shall be looking out for more of this author's writing now, although unfortunately most of her non-fiction books seem to be out of print currently.
'Walking on Water', however, is regularly re-printed.
Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 15th December 2008
I've been reading books by Terry Pratchett for at least fifteen years. The earliest series I read was the Nome or Bromeliad trilogy, which I read aloud to my sons when they were around six and eight. We all enjoyed them then, but I don't think I read them again until recently.
This year, however, I read 'Truckers' in May, and 'Diggers' in August. So it was more than time to read the third book in the trilogy.
'Wings' follows the adventures of Masklin and his two companions Angalo and Gurder, who set off to the airport part-way through 'Diggers'. Unlikely though it may seem, they managed to get on board a plane that took them to Florida, in the hope of seeing 'Grandson Richard, 39', who was in fact the grandson of the founders of Arnold Bros, the store featured in the book 'Truckers'.
They take with them the 'Thing' - a small computer which knows that the nomes originally came from another planet, and that a spaceship has been waiting for them for about fifteen thousand years...
Yes, it's all slightly surreal, and entirely unbelievable. Yet in Pratchett's hands even the most bizarre storylines seem realistic and exciting. There's humour, there's the typical sideways glances at humanity and its quirks, and there are even things to think about. Why, for instance, do we have so many legends about 'little people'?
Although written for children, the language is not childish; thus it's an enjoyable light read for adults or teenagers as well as confident readers of about eight or nine upwards. And, as I remember from all those years ago, it works very well as a read-aloud for younger children so long as they have reasonable concentration span.
'Wings' would be hard to read as a standalone story; it is much best to read it after both 'Truckers' and 'Diggers', as the three are closely linked. Without knowledge of the first two, many of the references in 'wings' would be lost.
All three are excellent light reading, which I'd recommend to anyone who likes this style of book and doesn't mind a bit of nonsense.
Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 9th December 2008
I do like Maeve Binchy's novels. I only started reading them about eleven years ago, and while I quite liked them then, I'm enjoying them considerably more on re-reading.
I first read 'The Copper Beech' about ten years ago, and recently read it again. It's basically a series of interwoven character studies, in the form of a saga style novel. Each lengthy chapter tells different parts of a story of a small town community in Ireland, in the middle and late twentieth century. The book opens by introducing us to Father Gunn, a Catholic priest in Shancarrig.
We also read the description of a large beech tree, which gives shade in the grounds of a primary school. The school is being honoured with a visit from the Bishop, and we meet several characters from the town as they prepare for the visit, including some mischievous children.
There are then several sections to the book, each written from the perspective of one of the people in the town. They usually start in the person's childhood, showing their upbringing and introducing some of their friends. There's a section about the village school teacher, a section about the young doctor, and many more.
There are ongoing threads running through the book, gradually giving more clues and insights as we wonder who marries whom? Will Maura get her dream of a house of her own? What happens in Leo's family that makes her draw back from the rest of the community?
It's very well written, with excellent characterisations, and most of the questions do get answered by the end. Perhaps it's a bit slow-moving at times, and certainly there's no great excitement or intrigue. But for someone like me who enjoys reading about people, I found this a very enjoyable book.
Recommended. First published in 1992 and still in print.
Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 6th December 2008
I do like CS Lewis's writing. From his well-known Narnia series for children through to his thought-provoking and logical Christian apologetics, he had a wonderful way with words. I've read almost all his books at least twice, some of them considerably more times.
I first read Lewis's autobiography 'Surprised by Joy' in my late teens, and at least once more since then, but not for at least ten years. So I picked it up again recently, recalling only approximations of his story. I knew he had an idyllic childhood, and a terrible time at school in his teens. I knew, too, that he went on to study at Oxford, and was a most reluctant convert to Christianity. But I'd quite forgotten the structure of this book.
It was written in 1955, when Lewis was in his late fifties. It begins with his early life, and brings to life a great deal of interesting social history as well as personal reflections and feelings. Lewis is honest without being over-dramatic, and charts his life as a narrative; he deliberately leaves out some episodes or incidents that have little bearing on his gradual leaning towards God, and focuses considerably on his state of mind, and the people around him.
He acknowledges many faults in himself - sins of the flesh, and the intellect - and comes across as a likeable child, and young man. There is a fair amount of philosophical reflecting, and many literary and classical references, not all of which rang any bells for me. But somehow, it didn't matter. This book isn't so academic that it can't be read by anyone - indeed, despite being fifty years old, it hardly even appears dated.
I loved it when I first read it, and enjoyed it as much, if not more, on this most recent re-read. Highly recommended to anyone wanting to know more about CS Lewis.
Almost continually in print for over sixty years, 'Surprised by Joy' can be found in many editions on both sides of the Atlantic.
Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 3rd December 2008
