Steven E. Wedel's Blog, page 32
July 20, 2012
Libraries and librarians
So, I finished up my library book tour yesterday in the nice little town of Blanchard, Okla. I had a good time at each stop and met some great readers (Heidi, Kyler, Lauryn), aspiring writers (Kimberly and Amanda), and some fantastic librarians each time. For the record, I suck at remembering names and have included the above because they’ve Facebook-friended me or e-mailed me or something. If you were there, I enjoyed meeting you, too!
Anyway, my point in all this was to talk about the influe...
July 18, 2012
Review: Paladin of Souls
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After finishing The Curse of Chalion, I couldn’t wait to get back to this fabulous world Lois McMaster Bujold created. While I gave the first book five stars, this one only gets four, though I’d still highly recommend it.
Paladin of Souls takes up the story of Ista, a character we met in the first book, as she goes on a pilgrimage to holy sites. However, things quickly go wrong due to a sudden increase in the number of elemental...
July 13, 2012
Summer goals
I’ve managed to stay crazy busy this summer, and that’s a good thing. I’ve set a goal of being self-employed as a full-time writer by this time next year, so that means a lot of production this summer. I have been, and will continue to be busy in these last few weeks of summer vacation from teaching. My latest solo young adult novel, Afterlife, is finished and in the hands of a few beta readers. Another first-draft project was wrapped up yesterday, with revision to start immediately, and I pl...
July 8, 2012
Review: Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
While waiting for A Game of Thrones to arrive in the mail, I cast around for something short to read and ended up re-reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull, something I haven’t read for several years, but something I always learn from.
This is one of several books I have to thank Virginia Atchinson for introducing me to. She was the librarian at Longfellow Jr. High School in Enid, OK, when I was there. She also taught the advanc...
July 6, 2012
Review: The Island of Dr. Moreau
The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Four stars, or only three? I went back and forth on this one. I love that there is so much going on beneath the surface of the text, especially when you consider the debate over evolution and scientific advancement vs. religion and morality that was happening when Wells wrote this novel. Is Moreau playing God? If you liked Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, you’ll love this book.
So, why only three stars? Mostly for the cliche of using...
Review: A Princess of Mars
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I came to Edgar Rice Burroughs rather late, especially considering I was an avid fan of the old Tarzan TV show in the 1970s and the older films, regardless of who played the ape man. So it was about five years ago I finally read the first couple of Tarzan novels. They’re fun, but don’t stand up well to logic.
It took a boring afternoon and a decision to visit the dollar movie theater to see John Carter to bring me around to re...
July 4, 2012
Review: Tuesdays with Morrie
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I read this because a colleague wants us to teach it to sophomores this school year. She, a Jodi Picoult fan, loved it. I guess if you like that kind of stuff it’s a great book. I found it rather shallow, filled with platitudes and hollow appeals to pathos that never felt fully fleshed out. (Like Picoult’s writing.) You want to lead the reader to a mind-altering aphorism, that’s fine, but ending the chapter there and changing gears...
June 30, 2012
Library tour dates
The Pioneer Library System tour takes a week off for Independence Day celebrations, but will pick up again on July 9. Here are the dates and the names of the great authors who’ll be with me. I hope to see you at one of the stops!
July 9 — I’ll be part of a panel discussing the mysteries of paranormal and fantasy young adult fiction at Pioneer Library System’s new South Oklahoma City branch. The event starts at 2 p.m. and will include Tara Hudson and Sharon Sala.
July 10 — I’ll be part of a pane...
June 27, 2012
Review: The Curse of Chalion
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I remember a few decades ago reading Bujold’s The Spirit Ring when it was new. At the time I thought it a fine story and she a very talented author. Then I kind of quite reading heroic fantasy for a long, long time. The Curse of Chalion has reminded me just how great the genre can be and what a fantastic author Bujold is.
This book is such a fine mix of a very well developed fantasy world, complex theology, political intrigu...
June 24, 2012
After Obsession goes to Germany
Today I added my signature to a contract that will see After Obsession, the young adult novel written with mega-star Carrie Jones, published in Germany. Woohoo! Many thanks to Edward Necarsulmer IV at McIntosh & Otis, Inc. for his untiring efforts in our bid for world domination. Or at least global saturation.
My paternal great-grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Germany, so this is a translation that is special to me. I look forward to seeing it.
