Penelope Lively is, in my humble opinion, one of the few truly fine writers working today and I use the word ‘fine’ intentionally for when I think of her writing I think of spare, uncluttered prose, clearly drawn characters, efficiently described but physically real settings, effectively communicated emotions and precisely imagined and true-to-life behaviour. Penelope [...]
Filed under: Fiction, Literary Prizes, Literature | Tagged: Family Album, Penelope Lively | Leave a Comment »
Werewolves, sound great don’t they?
Oh, who am I kidding! Edward! Edward! I’ll never leave you! …Ahem! Did I say that out aloud? Surely we can all get along together – human, vampire and werewolf?
Filed under: Fiction, Paranormal, Young Adult | Tagged: Linger, Maggie Stiefvater, Shiver | 1 Comment »
Do you think its time for a fun read? Yes? I offer you Jane Green. If you have not read Jane Green in the past – a gentle warning – she is addictive. For those already hooked on her fun, vibrant, moving novels – your new fix is almost here! Click Here To Pre-Order Promises [...]
Filed under: Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Jane Green, Love Verb, Promises to Keep | Leave a Comment »
Also, it is terribly important to write. Writing is like a sport. If you don’t train you don’t improve. There is no magic bullet workshop; there is no writing guru who can tell you a sure fire way to do it. You just have to WRITE. In fact I have an acronym for it:
Write
Read
Interest in people-listen and learn, be inspired by friends, family or even strangers
Tenacity of spirit (you’ll need it for the submission rejection rollercoaster!)
Enjoy the journey of writing; stop thinking of publication as the destination
Filed under: Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Harlequin Mills and Boon, Melanie Milburne | 3 Comments »
Filled with relentless drinking in seamy bars and glamorous nightclubs, wild, drug-fuelled parties, and dispassionate sexual encounters, Less Than Zero – narrated by Clay, an eighteen-year-old student returning home to Los Angeles for Christmas – is a fierce coming-of-age story, justifiably celebrated for its unflinching depiction of hedonistic youth, its brutal portrayal of the inexorable consequences of such moral depravity, and its author’s refusal to condone or chastise such behaviour.
Filed under: Fiction, Literature | Tagged: Bret Easton Ellis, Imperial Bedrooms, Less Than Zero | Leave a Comment »
‘Pronto! (Ready!), Italians say when they answer the telephone. And ready they are – to talk, laugh, curse, debate, woo, sing, lament. Their native tongue conveys a sense of something coming alive …’ For anyone who has ever travelled to Italy or simply dreams of going there one day, the fantasy of living la dolce [...]
Filed under: Biography/Memoir, cook books, Design and Style, History, Non Fiction, Politics, Travel Writing | Tagged: Dianne Hales, Italy, La Bella Lingua | Leave a Comment »
The author hopes his drawings help readers better understand and care for their bodies. “I would simply wish that people would be a little more conscious of their body and the way in which it functions, which can help them in many fields, because we live with our bodies all our life, and as elders say, ‘Know yourself.’ It is the beginning of wisdom.”
Filed under: Non Fiction | Tagged: Frederic Delavier, Strength Training Anatomy | Leave a Comment »
IN A DARK SQUALID PRISON A BABY GIRL IS BORN . . . Little Amy Dorrit grows up in the Marshalsea debtors’ jail, looking after her father who has been an inmate there for many years. During the day she goes to work as a seamstress for a strange old lady, Mrs Clennam. When Mrs [...]
Filed under: Fiction, Literature, Writing tips | Tagged: Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit | 2 Comments »
