This week is a freebie, which means we get to come up with our own topic. I tend to think that writers, like most people, get better at what they do with practice. Over the years I’ve read a number of debut novels that I found particularly striking because they demonstrate a high level of […]
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(Feature Photo by Moritz Knöringer on Unsplash ) After the debacle of 2021, I’ve been awaiting the arrival of 2022 with high ambivalence. When I woke up this morning and remembered that today is the first day of 2022, the phrase guarded optimism immediately came to mind. So, in the spirit of guarded optimism, I
Literary Hub has assembled an informative round-up of 2021’s biggest literary stories. They published it in three parts: The Biggest Literary Stories of the Year: 50 to 31 The Biggest Literary Stories of the Year: 30 to 11 The 10 Biggest Literary Stories of the Year Others got in on the “biggest literary events of
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I had intended to have a much fuller report of my 2021 reading to post, but time has caught up with me. So here’s the short version. I read 41 books this year, with a total of 13,139 pages. Shortest book: The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (164 pages) Longest book: Second Generation by
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I’ve been unable to stop reading all the articles about Joan Didion that have appeared since the announcement of her death yesterday. As a nonfiction writer, I knew her through her perceptive nonfiction pieces. But these articles have made me realize that I need to read her fiction as well. Joan Didion, ‘Goodbye to All
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Related Post: Best Books Lists I Whether you’re celebrating the shortest (in the northern hemisphere) or the longest (southern hemisphere) day of the year, here’s the final installment of lists rounding up the best books of 2021. Goodreads Choice Awards: Best Books of 2021 This is the landing page for the Goodreads Choice Awards, chosen
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Just as Christmas lights seem to go up earlier every year, so does the appearance of annual best books lists. This year they started showing up even before Halloween. B&N Best of the Year: Crime Fiction Edition From Barnes & Noble, via Novel Suspects. Best Books 2021 This page is the portal into Publishers Weekly’s
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Top 10 Christmas crime stories This list is from last year, but I came across it too late to include it in any of my holiday posts back then. So let’s enjoy it this year. 10 December eBook Deals for Quiet Nights by the Fire December eBook deals from Simon & Schuster. 33 Best Christmas
Which Book Should You Read First in 2021? This quiz from Book Riot can help you answer the question. “Personally, I’m usually looking for something I think will be a 5-star read to start off the year,” writes quizster Rachel Brittain. 13 New Books to Watch For in January News flash! There’s a new book
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Most of the annual best books of the year lists refer only to books published during the stated calendar year. But my annual list always refers to books I read this year, regardless of when they were published. Here, then, are the 10 best books I read this year, listed alphabetically by author, plus 5
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