On Writing by Stephen King

Genre: Nonfiction - Reference: Writing Skills
Rating: 5/5

I'll admit I have never actually read a novel by Stephen King, but I constantly (like, almost every day it seems) hear someone mention his name, see a meme with him or one of his stories or characters, or see people talking about one of his books or a movie made from it. He is ubiquitous in the book world. I started collecting his books to read when I have time, but I thought this one would be a good one to start with. I'm not actually a writer, and I don't believe I have the talent to become one (and I really don't have a desire to write either). However, I am a freelance editor, so I have been attempting to "get into the head of the writer" as it were. At this point in my life, I have a real need to understand literature from every perspective to be a better editor. I chose this as one of the first since it is also a memoir and I wanted to learn more about Stephen King.
I am glad I read this, and I really have almost nothing negative to say about it other than the fact that I wish he would have labelled the chapter sections a little better for easier reference. I have had to dog-ear, highlight, and put little sticky notes on the pages of interest to come back to later.

His advice on writing (which starts about halfway into the actual book) is, as promised, concise and to the point. LOVE that. He covers most aspects writers are interested in: how to create good characters, what to do about plotting, how to approach theme, etc. He also talks a lot about his more global views on writing. For example, he suggests setting aside a certain amount of time each day and having a word goal; doing the first draft quickly and then setting it aside for a few weeks before tackling the revisions; putting together a team of friends to give you advice and opinions on the story after the second draft is completed, etc. I found all of that fascinating from an objective standpoint, since of course I will likely not be doing that. But it is truly interesting to see how his mind works.

One thing in particular I was surprised to read was that he believes plotting makes for an artificial book. Again, my mind is not that of a writer, but I always imagine writers making all these detailed plans and outlines about their book to make sure that they can stay on track. I cannot IMAGINE sitting down to write and just letting the characters go where they want to go. This is foreign to me! I actually did a quick poll on my editing Facebook page and discovered that the majority of my writing followers are in fact "pantsters," which is to say that they do not plot. Anyway, this was a learning experience for me in many ways. All of what he had to say was valuable to me because I am at the point where I need to soak up as much of this as possible. It was all relevant.
The sections on his personal life I found entertaining and interesting. At first, I thought I might be a little bored and was eager to get to the "meat" of the book, but I found myself wanting to read more and more about his life and experiences as a young writer. He is, of course, a talented writer and knows how to draw you in, even in a non-fiction book! The section about getting hit by a car was also interesting.

I appreciate the fact that he included a section of self edits at the end. It will be helpful to look over and study because edits from an author are definitely different from edits from an editor.
I am also looking forward to making my way through his list of books he has read recently (at least, the books he read in and around 1999). There were quite a few unfamiliar authors as well as quite a few that I recognized. If those books are worthy of his time, they are worthy of mine, so I look forward to reading them.

I would recommend this book to anyone in the writing world, not just authors. I think it can help editors and teachers too. And honestly, if people who aren't in the writing world want to read it, I am sure they would find the information interesting as well.

Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

Genre: "Christian" Personal Growth/Self Help
Rating: 3/5 stars

*The following review is quite long and will likely ruffle feathers. This is my brutally honest opinion about this book. I mostly liked this book but would only recommend with caution for my Christian friends or my stay-at-home mom friends.

This book is fascinatingly frustrating. I started out loving it and understanding why it is a bestseller. As the book went on, I became more and more irritated and then frankly upset. The good chapters are interspersed with the frustrating chapters.

There were a couple of concepts early on that stuck out to me and seemed helpful:
(1) We should keep the promises we make to ourselves. This chapter really spoke to me because it is a concept that has literally never occurred to me (and I am what most people would consider a "go-getter." If I want/need something, I usually make it happen. But I began to realize while listening to this chapter that lately I truly haven't been prioritizing the promises and commitments that I make to myself, big or small. When you constantly break even small promises to yourself, it trains you that this is acceptable behavior and it damages your ability to commit and follow through on anything! At first it seems selfish that you would prioritize what you need. However, what it really does is help you be wiser about the kinds of commitments you are making.
(2) It's a lie that you are only worth something if you are producing. I'm not an extreme workaholic like the author explains that she is, although if I had a job outside the home, I can certainly see myself having this issue. This chapter hit hard because I definitely feel like I always have to be doing something. If I am sitting down, I can't just BE.

Later on, I also truly enjoyed the chapter on weight and the chapter on alcohol. Lately, there has been a lot of uproar about people who say that being obese isn't healthy. (They are pretty much crucified on social media as "attacking women.") While the attitude to accept yourself no matter what might be okay for our mental health, it's not healthy for us physically. The author makes it a point to emphasize that our weight and appearance aren't the things that matter most: how we take of our bodies is what matters most. I appreciate this immensely, and it somehow seems to be a little bit of a unique message in our society. We have one camp saying there's no problem being 600 pounds, while the other condemns women who don't meet their standard of beauty. Hollis's message on weight and taking care of yourself is solid (although I personally don't agree when she says that it's a "very simple" matter of calories in vs. calories out. It's absolutely more complicated in many cases. Metabolism and the human body are necessarily complicated. But that's a minor quibble in an otherwise great chapter.
What she says about alcohol is also insightful. We sometimes don't even realize how much we are relying on it until it is too late. Drinking is SO societally acceptable, and we don't realize we are using alcohol as a crutch, and then it starts to do more and more damage. This chapter is a good one.

While there is much wonderful insight to be gleaned from this book, there are some things that I wholeheartedly disagree with and did not care for about this book. When I got to the chapter "Loving Him is Enough for Me," I thought it was going to be a great chapter for all those women who allow themselves to be mistreated because they just can't let go of that one toxic relationship, that one person they love so much they can't even stand it. Then she told a story about a person who treated her terribly and about how she stood up to him... and then took him back (that person was her husband). Now, it's great that she and her husband are happy together. That's wonderful. But she undermined her entire point (the chapter wasn't about mercy or forgiveness, either of which would have been a totally fine theme.) So this chapter was really just confusing and irritating. The chapter on sex was needlessly awkward and not at all helpful to me personally, although I am sure it could be helpful to others.

As I continued on in this book, it became clear to me that she is using MANY of her chapters to justify her choice to be not only a working mom but be a working mom who is largely absent from the home. She brings up "her media company with millions of followers" in nearly every chapter and talks about "following her dreams" almost as much. She even says at one point that she knows her children will understand and essentially forgive her absence when they are older because they will know that she was setting an example to "follow her dreams." No. Just no.
Children know that you are absent because your job is more important. When they get older, they will know that you were absent because your job was more important. That's how it works.
In the chapter about "making yourself smaller," she goes on and on about how she spent years struggling with "mom guilt" about not being there like other moms. And she essentially equates "being small" with "limiting yourself" and staying home and taking care of kids. She pretty much mocks the working moms that say that being a mother is their main job (she says they are so much MORE than just a mother, like it's somehow BAD to believe that motherhood is your main calling?) AND (this made me almost want to stop reading) she throws out the line "men never get asked if they are guilty for not being home" and talks about the "patriarchy." Gag. Then she said something about how the world will tell her sons that their possibilities are endless, but it will tell her daughter something different. Again, NO. That's false, and I'm honestly pretty ticked off that I got most of the way into the book without realizing that she was going to be throwing out the feminist agenda.

There are some really great chapters, some very insightful and profound words of wisdom in this book (For example, I was almost clapping when she said that writing was a divine gift from God. Onw thing she didn't say but that I believe is that it is a divine pursuit because it is an actual aspect of God's character. We love creating because HE is the ultimate creator!) but they are almost overwhelmed by a clear message of justification for being mostly absent from the home and pursuing her own goals with abandon. She is very confident and says she has made peace with her decisions in her life, but it's a little too much whining and lamenting followed by justification for me to believe that. ***Please don't misunderstand me, I don't think that working moms are doing ANYTHING wrong by being working moms. But this author in particular makes it very clear that her career (her "dream") is THE most important thing. It comes across like the kids are an accessory. That, I do disagree with. There is a difference between being confident and empowered and being selfish. The Bible verses and biblical concepts that are at first thrown out seemingly randomly become very trite as the book goes on because she is using them (again) to justify how she wants to live her life. And the "judge not" messages that are thrown in at every opportunity are shallow, especially when you understand that MOST people use that message to make themselves feel better about how they are living their life.
Women DO need to understand concepts like "You are not measured by your productivity" or "Don't let people push you around." So some of what she has to say is spot on and uplifting. However, women don't need to be fed the feminist LIE that they are somehow victims that have to overcome a patriarchal society, and that being at "home in the kitchen" makes you LESS. Women DON'T need to be told that staying at home makes them less worthwhile than someone who is "pursuing their dream."  Selfishness is not godly.

It is my opinion that sometimes being "liberated" isn't the best thing. Sometimes we need to be grounded. Sometimes we don't need to have our heads in the clouds. Sometimes we can't have it all. Sacrifices have to be made. No one should have to live life full of guilt, but we can't delude ourselves into thinking that if we are pursuing our own personal "dream" all day every day, that's not going to have consequences. I think that's where this book misses the mark. Women (people in general) should be happy, fulfilled, and confident in themselves, and I am happy to have heard the concepts of this book, BUT we have to be realistic and realize that humility and selflessness do not make us less!

Overall, I think this book has the potential to help a lot of women (and, based on reviews, it HAS helped a lot of people.) So many of the concepts are incredibly powerful and positive. The author clearly has a passion for empowering women, and she is confident, intelligent, and has a reasonably good head on her shoulders. Just because I intensely disagree with her on several key things doesn't make this a bad book. However, women should approach this book with caution.

The Secret Trials by Tara Benham

Genre: Dystopian
Rating: 4/5 stars

Fanya has returned from her trials in Chernobyl and continues training for what she believes is a minor leadership position of some sort. Radek, Lukas, and her other friends are still around, acclimating to their new jobs, but they seem to have more freedom than she does, and she is still getting the impression that important things are being kept from her. When she is told that her leadership position is MUCH more prestigious than she ever expected, she is shocked and confused. As she uses her new power to investigate the cloning that is going on in the community, she discovers many unsettling things.

I was eager to read this second installment since the last book did leave off on a bit of a cliffhanger. We are sort of thrust into action in this book. Fanya is currently extremely interested (obsessed even) with the fact that the government has been making clones and almost no one knows about it. She suspects that her friend Dobra is one, and spends a lot of time researching as much as she can about the cloning. Dobra happens to work in the cloning lab, so Fanya is soon able to gain access to most of the information she wants. The events of the past, as with most dystopian novels, are very disturbing (think eugenics that occur in sort of a soft/gentle way and are organized to make them gradual and almost unnoticeable.)
When Fanya is finally given her place in the government, she is overwhelmed. I found the events in her new living quarters really interesting in a "Princess Diaries" way. She is not eager to be "served" or treated as any sort of royalty, but it is still kind of fun to see her get her own house with a huge closet, food delivered to her, and people to do her hair and set out clothes. The shopping trip in town is kind of a refreshing change of pace from the serious events of the book.
One of the things that's really irritating to me, though, is how she has been "thrust" into this position. I get really tired of plots that rely on the main characters being kept in the dark. They are always angsty about not knowing anything, and that's completely understandable. It's unrealistic in most of these situations for someone to be told SO little. For example, there are several times in the book where she is all of a sudden asked to give a speech, and she manages to do so fairly well but begins with phrases like: "Please excuse me, I was literally told that I would be speaking five minutes ago." This comes across as really unprofessional, so I am at a loss as to why a government would keep her in the dark for her WHOLE life about almost everything and then all of a sudden be like: "Okay, you're in charge now. Have fun." I guess this is supposed to be the intriguing/compelling part of the story? It just doesn't make any sense to me. I am hoping it will be explained in the last book. It seems like something you would do to someone you WANTED to fail or someone you wanted to pin something major on. And I am also at a loss as to why they would choose a clear nonconformist to rule a heavily regulated society that is based on eugenics. That seems like a recipe for disaster on their part anyway.
I did buy my copy from Amazon, but I am wondering if I got an unedited copy somehow. It was riddled with comma splices, many other errors, and weird typos. I think this book could be terrific with some work.
This series really is very fascinating though! I read this book in essentially a day (that's rare for me.) It is pretty compelling, and I do want answers to a lot of the questions Fanya has! I want to know who she will choose to marry (I hope it's Radek!) and I do hope she can somehow set her society on a less odious/unpleasant path. She has certainly stirred things up, and I am eager to see how the story resolves. I haven't seen any indication of a publication date for the last book, but I hope it's soon!

Purchase HERE

Cryptofauna by Patrick Canning

Genre: Humorous Sci-Fi
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Jim is a young man working at St. Militrude's, an insane asylum/nursing home. After thinking "too hard" about life, he decides to end it all with some pills washed down with a can of root beer (because a resident had recently thrown all the cans of Coca Cola off the roof). He is interrupted by Oz, who is one of the residents of St. Mili's and also an "Operator" in a global game called Cryptofauna, and taken deep down into the basement. Jim is given a bag of turmeric and a dog and is then thrown into this game. Having been given very minimal instructions, Jim must survive and work toward completing three tasks, all while gathering a group of people to help him (his "Combo"). But he has a Rival to contend with, a nasty and not-so-intelligent man named Boyd. Jim must figure out how to make it through the game and stop Boyd's evil shenanigans in the process.

It is a rare thing indeed for a book to make me laugh as much as this one did. I found myself smiling, chuckling, and outright belly laughing on many occasions, and I have to say that this book was a supreme delight to read. It's quite bizarre -- think of a mix between Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and possibly Doctor Who (except that there is no time travel, and all the events take place on Earth).
The author has brilliantly written this book to allow readers to vividly visualize the wonderfully bizarre and crazy events. We sometimes are in the thick of things with Jim and company, and sometimes we get fascinating history lessons about some of the main characters. Each section has the same witty and hilarious style and pace that makes you want to keep reading to find out what happens next.
There are so many fascinating things about this book. Everything is bright and mentally engaging. One of my favorite parts was the underground Abbey in Boston, which boasted a labyrinth of libraries and other mentally stimulating rooms. Who wouldn't want to spend months soaking up as much knowledge as they could? (Even if you had to be surrounded by leprous monks who didn't sleep and who only ate carrots and drank dandelion wine?)
The cast of characters was  truly fun. Each had a unique personality, and I felt like I came to love them as family just as Jim did.
Although the details and exact purpose of the game Cryptofauna may still be vague in Jim's mind and my mind, this book is a true treat to read, certainly one of the funniest books I have read in a long time. I would recommend this book to anyone who is not easily offended and who loves quirky and bizarre but very interesting situations. *While it thrilled me to my core to read this book, there are some disturbing things and adult situations (think orgies, random cruel murders, and excessive drug use) so I wouldn't recommend the book for anyone who is too young for that kind of content.

I would eagerly read another book written by Patrick Canning, and I am likely going to purchase a paperback of this book for my library (I think this is one I will want to read again and again). I would also LOVE to see this made into a movie.

The Obsidian Shard by Kristy Nicolle

Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5

This review contains spoilers from previous books but not this book :-)

Sephy Sinclair has been through a lot. First, she finds out that she is the daughter of none other than the ruler of the underworld -- Hades. She is nearly killed by the Demon Lords and Pandora, who are scheming to take over Mortaria. Then she is actually killed by a measly human using Sephy's own opal blade. She struggles to adapt to the world (and Mortaria without her father, who gets killed by Pandora) when she is painfully resurrected by Luce. She must deal with the darkness that has been brought out in Luce and work to help restore her to the way she was before. Amidst all this, she is falling in love and does not want to admit it.

In this last installment, Sephy struggles against the realization that she must do something about the impending apocalypse. With the Hades and the Mortarian sun gone, the balance between worlds is precarious, and Pandora continues to scheme and plot. When Sephy is attacked in her own home, she realizes that, no matter how much she wants to be just a "normal girl," she is needed desperately by the world to restore order...

I'll admit I fiercely disliked Sephy in the first book. She was selfish and not really that nice of a person. She has gone through incredible character growth throughout this series though. She never asked to inherit Hades's powers. She never asked to bear the responsibility of defeating Pandora, but she handles herself with much more grace in this book. She is less whiny.
The relationship between her and Xion is heartbreaking throughout the entire series, as first she finds herself attracted to him but pushes him away, saying she will never love him. He constantly brings out the best in her, and he is patient and loyal throughout. This book tore my heart open with Xion's ultimate fate, but what is a book if it doesn't elicit strong emotions?
I also love Luce's transformation through the series. She starts out as a very pleasant, friendly person who struggles from time to time with the darkness inside. When she succumbs, it is easy to understand why. We understand her motivation, but Thane does not, and her departure is incredibly selfish. I hate Thane for what she did, though it is also understandable.
Hades is probably one of my absolute favorite characters, and I missed seeing more from him in this book. I could honestly read an entire book from his POV. :-) I find the Higher Plains fascinating, and I loved how we did get to experience a bit of his presence near the end.
Jules is, of course, dependable and reliable as ever. I always enjoy reading anything about him. Sephy is surrounded by such an amazing, loving, caring group of people. I was honestly very happy with the ending to this book, and ending a series satisfactorily is a challenge for any author!
The events of this book are frankly mind-blowing. Sephy and the rest are like old friends, and each page was honestly thrilling.
I found Pandora to be sort of a puzzling villain. She came in a sort of black horse, and no one really took her seriously. But then she managed to pull off some pretty incredible and terrible things thanks to the box and the fickle loyalty of the Demon Lords. I found her to be a weaker villain in this book -- falling for stuff she shouldn't, trusting the Demon Lords too much (until it was too late), and not considering Sephy a serious threat. Her fate was also sort of confusing to me. I have trouble keeping track of where people can go and what powers they have. The last scene with her was pretty funny though :-)
I thought the section about them staying in a hotel and going to McDonald's was hilarious, and a much needed breath of fresh air after all of the intense action they have to go through.

I agree with the other reviewers that this is Kristy Nicolle's best work yet. I have the Tidal Kiss Trilogy sitting on my shelf and hope to crack that open soon. I am also looking forward to her next trilogy.

The Power of a Positive Mom

Genre: Christian Inspirational/Devotional
Rating: 5/5 stars 

I've had this book on my shelf a while, and I finally made the time to read it. I am very glad I did. I have already made plans to include this on my TBR list every year (along with books like "How to Win Friends and Influence People") and that is a rare thing, indeed. I almost never re-read anything. I feel that this book has a lot of helpful information for mothers of all ages, and the values of the author, Karol Ladd, align almost 100% with my own. This book is incredibly dense with inspirational words and practical ideas. I found myself dogearing pages to go back to (again, I never do that!) I love how each chapter has a scripture reading, prayer, and call to action. I have been journaling and working through the Bible in a year, and I was happy to include some of the activities in my journal. For example, she suggested making a list of all the positive qualities you see in your children (talents, character traits, etc.) and I found that to be very uplifting. I have not really sat and thought about the uniqueness of my children, and I want to start parenting them more toward their "bent" and demeanor as this author talks about. Some of the chapters were a little challenging to read, as I found myself making note of lots of things I could be doing better. The chapter on discipline I found very helpful, as she described what biblical discipline should look like (in very general terms.) Some of the "hands-off" "positive reinforcement"-only advice is very obviously not sustainable, and I needed to read this chapter as a reminder that discipline does, indeed, need to "hurt" in order to be effective BUT it also needs to come from a place of love, NEVER anger. That is what God does for us. There were, of course, a few chapters that I didn't relate to well. While I did enjoy the challenge of maintaining friendships (which I plan to do) I feel like much of these "relationship" chapters were written for very social people. When she suggested finding an older, mature Christian woman who is NOT a family member to meet with, I found myself getting a little overwhelmed. How am I supposed to have the time or emotional/mental energy for that? It causes enough anxiety just thinking about maintaining one or two strong friendships. It is something I will work on though. I know no man is an island.

Overall, I would recommend this book to ANY Christian mother with children in college and below. She is consistent in pointing back to scripture to justify all of her points. There is an awesome mixture of anecdotes and very practical advice. I ordered "The Power of a Positive Wife" and was thrilled to see that she had written that as well. Five stars!