Janet Morrison's Blog, page 23

One of the Most Banned Books in the US: Sold, by Patricia McCormick

It is seldom that a character in a book grabs me by the throat and won’t let me go, but that’s exactly what happened the moment I started reading Sold, by Patricia McCormick. In case you don’t know, this is one of the most banned books in the United States. Knowing that makes me furious … Continue reading One of the Most Banned Books in the US: Sold, by Patricia McCormick →

Some books I read in October 2023

Being the first Monday in November, it’s time for me to blog about some of the books I read in October. Although October seemed to fly by, it also seems like a long time since I listened to the first book on my reading list for the month. Time is a steady yet elusive thing. … Continue reading Some books I read in October 2023 →

How do you decide what to read next?

My question for you today is, “How do you decide what to read next?” Is it FOMO (fear of missing out)? Do you scan the NY Times Bestseller List every week and take your reading cues from it? Do you just read books in a certain genre and never dip your toes in something different … Continue reading How do you decide what to read next? →

How publishing a cookbook helped me as a writer

Since my main interests in writing are historical fiction and history, it would seem that publishing a cookbook has nothing to do with either one of those or my pursuit of a career as a writer. I beg to differ. If one wants practice in proofreading, I recommend they proofread a cookbook. At least two … Continue reading How publishing a cookbook helped me as a writer →

As a Reader of Historical Novels, Do You Read the Author’s Notes Before or After you Read the Book?

Do you like having Author’s Notes at the end of an historical novel so you’ll know what was true, what was fiction, and what actually happened but was adjusted time-wise or by location to fit the flow of the story? The Author’s Notes are almost always found at the back of an historical novel. I … Continue reading As a Reader of Historical Novels, Do You Read the Author’s Notes Before or After you Read the Book? →

The Wide Range of Books I Read in September 2023

Although September gave me 30 days in which to read, I had more books on my list to read than time allowed. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the three novels and the one nonfiction book I managed to squeeze into my schedule. You Can Run, by Karen Cleveland Karen Cleveland is a former CIA analyst. She writes … Continue reading The Wide Range of Books I Read in September 2023 →

The Aunts in the Kitchen: Southern Family Recipes

When my sister, Marie, and I were growing up in the 1950s, Sunday afternoons occasionally called for our family to get in our parents’ Ford two-door sedan and ride a few miles to visit our mother’s paternal aunts. I knew that the elderly ladies we visited were Aunt Lula, Aunt Sallie, and Aunt Ella, but … Continue reading The Aunts in the Kitchen: Southern Family Recipes →

A Recent Attack on an Historical Novel

Here I go again, blogging about book banning. It’s too important to sweep under the rug. Today’s blog post is longer than most of mine, but this is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. It is a topic that is indicative of the trouble our world is in today. A small … Continue reading A Recent Attack on an Historical Novel →

How much Regional Accent and Dialect is Too Much in Historical Fiction?

When it comes to using dialect or regional accents in a novel, there are no definitive rules. It depends on the writer’s voice, the genre, and personal taste. Personal taste is where the rubber meets the road. Too much of something like dialect in a novel sort of falls into the “I know it when … Continue reading How much Regional Accent and Dialect is Too Much in Historical Fiction? →

#OnThisDay: September 11, 2001

In memory of the 2,977 innocent victims who died 22 years ago today in the Twin Towers in New York, the crash of hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and The Pentagon in Washington, DC. A day that all of us who were alive on that day will forever remember with unspeakable sadness. … Continue reading #OnThisDay: September 11, 2001 →