false 31 82 73 true 5638204 read 1 true 621998 currently-reading 8 true 621997 to-read 35 false 640726 fiction 14 false 642728 bio-memoir 12 false 642725 non-fiction 8 false 633122 favorites 2 false 5317288 vacation-reading 1 false 7543570 sci-fi 1 false 2436244 misc 1 false 633130 urban-planning 1 false 643728 poetry http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77090705 Between Good and Ghetto: African American Girls and Inner City Violence (Series in Childhood Studies) by Nikki Jones
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76530203 The Help (Hardcover) by Kathryn Stockett
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76050755 A Tale of Two Cities (Paperback) by Charles Dickens
bookshelves: currently-reading
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73448796 to: Nova Swing (Paperback) by M. John Harrison
bookshelves: fiction, sci-fi
Perhaps I should preface this review by saying that I do not own many science fiction books. In fact, save for this book and maybe "Time Traveler's Wife" if you want to get technical, all of the sci-fi books in my personal library are by Octavia Butler. She was an awesome writer and her work sets a very high bar for me in terms of sci-fi writing.

All of that said, I was not exactly wowed by M. John Harrison's "Nova Swing," but it is an interesting read. It's a noir-ish futuristic tale in a world where people can planet hop, get tattoos that change and become "tailored" to be nearly invincible fighters, half-horse buggy pullers or prostitutes with all the "right" equipment.

The world that Harrison describes seems to be full of many interesting things, but for some reason, it takes a while for the book to get where it's going. I had to force myself along at several points in the book (including the beginning) and at times it seems like there is jut not enough description. This is a crazy little world in this book. The reader needs to be able to visualize it.

The great thing about this book for me personally though, is that I am currently working on the draft of my first novel and though I don't love this book, it has inspired me to think more about the "whys" in my own book.

In sci-fi, a lot of times the author is introducing the reader to something new. There are terms, laws and just general procedures that the writer must figure out how to communicate to the reader without turning the book into dry exposition. When you come across a term or an action in a sci-fi book that you are not familiar with, you automatically think "Well, why did that happen?" or "Why did that person say that?" and you try to use the text to deduce the answer. In non-sci-fi works we often take for granted the motivations of the characters, but as a writer, I need to be crystal clear on what motivates my characters. That sounds like a fairly simple idea, but it's something that is easily lost when the story is unfolding and new plot twists jump on the page.

"Nova Swing" is not something I would recommend to someone who is new to science fiction, but a more seasoned sci-fi reader might find it enjoyable.

]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71821021 to: The Time Traveler's Wife (Paperback) by Audrey Niffenegger
bookshelves: fiction
This book was so sugar sweet! I mean that in a good way. I don't often read "romance stories," so this was a bit of a departure for me, but well worth it. This is Audrey Niffenegger's first novel and she does an excellent job of mixing genres and creating a smart, truly engaging read. The idea of time travel and romance and science could end up being a bungled mess of dates and poorly written cookie cutter love scenes, but Niffenegger does a great job of being anything but cookie cutter. I loved this book. The ending is satisfying and there are some truly beautiful moments here. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70889163 to: The Souls of Black Folk (Penguin Classics) by W.E.B. DuBois
bookshelves: non-fiction
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66552195 to: Outliers (Hardcover) by Malcolm Gladwell
bookshelves: non-fiction
If you have ever thought about how success happens or how/why billionaires and other exceptional people got to the place in life, this is your book. It's full of interesting and useful information. Read it! ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66551863 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1) by Stieg Larsson
bookshelves: fiction
This is another vacation book and I don't rate vacation books. It's a pretty engaging crime thriller with lots of really really really sick things in it. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61103533 Girl on the Couch: Life, Love, and Confessions of a Normal Neurotic (Paperback) by Lorna Martin
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61044554 One Fifth Avenue (Audio CD) by Candace Bushnell
bookshelves: vacation-reading
I am a HUGE SATC fan, but interestingly enough, I've never read the book. This book, One Fifth Avenue, is the first Candace Bushnell book I've ever read. Since I read it on vacation, I won't rate it, but I will say that it was pretty entertaining. Bushnell did a good job of creating interesting characters that pull readers into the storyline. If you want a glimpse into the lives of super rich Manhattanites and those who strive to be them, this is your book. ]]>