false 29 280 209 true 5646469 read 2 true 4626885 currently-reading 69 true 4626884 to-read 41 false 4637517 2009 37 false 6410391 classic-fiction 32 false 5011580 childhood-loves 20 false 4708380 bio-and-memoir 16 false 4708396 writing-teaching-reading 14 false 4708397 nonfiction 12 false 4708348 religion-and-spirituality 10 false 4638551 favorites 10 false 6593461 pulitzer-winners 10 false 4637620 poetry 9 false 7180165 the-holocaust 6 false 6761072 china 5 false 5362698 graphic-novels 4 false 4771744 to-purchase 3 false 6872295 iran 3 false 4915761 to-finish 3 false 7126812 young-adult 1 false 7192071 first-reads http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76001230 The Outlander (Paperback) by Gil Adamson
bookshelves: currently-reading
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74337605 to: Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife (Hardcover) by Francine Prose
bookshelves: 2009, first-reads, nonfiction, the-holocaust
This book is a history of the diary, its author, and the diary's journey to publication. Though I knew the diary had been edited by her father, I did not know Anne aspired to be a writer and revised her diary in the hope that others might read it. Prose discusses Anne's development as a writer by comparing her original entries with the revised entries. Prose also discusses the controversy surrounding the play, the film, and those that deny the authenticity of the diary. Last, and especially interesting to me, she discussed how the diary is discussed and taught in schools.
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77044009 The Book Thief (Hardcover) by Markus Zusak
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77043269 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Paperback) by Sherman Alexie
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76421913 Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (Revised and Expanded Edition) by Steven D. Levitt
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76419958 Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle (Hardcover) by Chris Hedges
bookshelves: currently-reading, nonfiction
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74345533 to: A Mercy (Vintage International) by Toni Morrison
bookshelves: 2009
This book was a challenge. I like that. While I love to effortlessly fall into a book and let it take me into the story, I also love the experience of struggling and re-reading and working through a book.

During the 1600's, when this book is set, life was hard, especially for minorities and women. The world Toni Morrison describes does not leave much room for kindness. Nothing is easy. As the narrative came to a close, I began to wonder what "mercy" was in this world at all. And then, suddenly and unexpectedly, Morrison shows us.

Like the life Morrison portrays in "A Mercy," this book is not effortless, but I appreciate that like her characters must go through life without guidance, her readers have the same experience. We are not guided. We are not given answers, just a story. The rest is up to us. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75135618 The Electric Michelangelo (Paperback) by Sarah Hall
bookshelves: to-read
The title and premise of this novel intrigue me enough to add it to my list. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74524728 American Chinatown: A People's History of Five Neighborhoods (Hardcover) by Bonnie Tsui
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73628628 to: On Writing (Hardcover) by Stephen King
bookshelves: 2009, writing-teaching-reading

I've never written fiction, so I was curious to see if what King had to say about writing would parallel any of my own beliefs. What I love about the type of writing that I've done (non-fiction, researched-based papers) is that I don't know what I'm writing when I begin to write. The act of writing teaches me something and makes connections for me along the way. For some reason, I've always thought of writing fiction as a different process. I pictured fiction writers plotting our their stories and then crafting the story around their plot. However, the process that King describes is similar to mine. He discovers the story along the way.

Though he describes the process as very organic, he is not dramatic. He's very straightforward with his advice -read A LOT, write A LOT, and don't use adverbs unless it's absolutely necessary. It's a nice balance because he gives useful concrete advice, but he doesn't boil it down to a formula. (In fact, he specifically states that there is no "secret" to writing a novel.)

I'm not much for the horror genre. This is first book by King I've read, but I understand now why his fans love him so. He draws you in, communicates well, and has a refreshing sincerity. I would recommend this to anyone interested in writing fiction or interested in the writing process. ]]>