Authors often use literary references in their writing. This one was particularly impressive. War. A fiery explosion. A distant parachute. And the most significant thing . . . was a tiny, suspended, comma. Our protagonist was determined to risk her life, just to save that little thing.

It’s early in the year, but I think The Nightingale will be one of my favorite 2024 reads. Kristin Hannah places some beautiful and descriptive lines within a poignant plot fleshed out with engaging characters. If you’ve not read any Hannah, I’d recommend her work (especially The Nightingale)! Check her out in GoodReads!

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Soups and puddings illicit often thoughts of comfort foods. The addition of “soft foods” takes this in an entirely new direction. Suddenly we’re thinking those that can’t chew. Again, Hannah teases us with a feeling we know and enjoy . . . and then she spins it, so we have lost something.

It’s early in the year, but I think The Nightingale will be one of my favorite 2024 reads. Kristin Hannah places some beautiful and descriptive lines within a poignant plot fleshed out with engaging characters. If you’ve not read any Hannah, I’d recommend her work (especially The Nightingale)! Check her out in GoodReads!

I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

Can you use characters from one story to describe a character in your own? I think so, if you anticipate that most of your audience can use your reference to infer those characteristics. For me, who was terrified by the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, it worked beautifully.

It’s early in the year, but Boys Life will undoubtedly be one of my favorite 2024 reads–I’m surprised I hadn’t come across it before, as it was published in 1991. Robert McCammon weaves mystery, magic, and murder creatively in this 1960s era Americana novel. He also packs his imaginative tale with some fun descriptive language. If you’ve not read any Boys Life, or if you’ve got a teen or young adult who likes a surreal mystery with fun characters, I’d definitely recommend this novel Check it out in GoodReads!

I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

Death and destruction dominate Parable of the Sower. I didn’t love the read, but there are always a few lines that jog a memory. Discovering that our parents are old for the first time is, for many, memorable experience. Butler captured that moment here and well.

Parable of the Sower is one of the more depressing and hopeless books I’ve read in a while. As many anti-Christian books do, it capitalizes on a Christian theme or passage, and twist it into a non-Christian tale. In the story, our protagonist leads a group of survivors through a desolate, dangerous, and dystopian modern day California. The world is Godless, and the characters double down on living the same way, while justifying it. “We only kill people who threaten us.” “We only steal from other people.” “God is Change”…and we “try to shape God.” While there is some creativity, sharing people’s pain, a pyro drug that makes people want to start fires, Butler avoids much descriptive language, writing as desolate as the premise itself. Nonetheless, there were a a handful of interesting lines that were worth posting about. Long to short, I don’t recommend the book, unless you’re after a depressing, soulless, dystopian novel. Equally depressing is the number of people who rated it highly in GoodReads. You can see some of those in GoodReads. I guess I prefer hope and faith.

I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

As long as there are novels, there will be antagonists. A challenge is uncovering why the character has become mean, vindictive, or just or just downright evil. This short sentence gives tremendous insight…while letting the reader’s imagination run wild.

It’s early in the year, but Boys Life will undoubtedly be one of my favorite 2024 reads–I’m surprised I hadn’t come across it before, as it was published in 1991. Robert McCammon weaves mystery, magic, and murder creatively in this 1960s era Americana novel. He also packs his imaginative tale with some fun descriptive language. If you’ve not read any Boys Life, or if you’ve got a teen or young adult who likes a surreal mystery with fun characters, I’d definitely recommend this novel Check it out in GoodReads!

I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

Hannah’s description of dawn, often used to signify optimism or a bright new day, sets the scene well. The comparison of sunrise to meatless broth also reinforces howthe meals have been for these characters. Another great simile.

It’s early in the year, but I think The Nightingale will be one of my favorite 2024 reads. Kristin Hannah places some beautiful and descriptive lines within a poignant plot fleshed out with engaging characters. If you’ve not read any Hannah, I’d recommend her work (especially The Nightingale)! Check her out in GoodReads!

I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

Another one from the Nightingale: Unlike burned popcorn, there is still something sweet and savory about burned caramel. It’s both delicious and damaged. It makes you wonder if Isabelle was conflicted. Did she truly think it was terrible . . . or was there still something she enjoyed about the situation?

It’s early in the year, but I think The Nightingale will be one of my favorite 2024 reads. Kristin Hannah places some beautiful and descriptive lines within a poignant plot fleshed out with engaging characters. If you’ve not read any Hannah, I’d recommend her work (especially The Nightingale)! Check her out in GoodReads!

I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

Describing feelings is a challenge. How can you capture surprise or fear or shock without writing “I was shocked!” This short description is great. We’ve all been zapped.

It’s early in the year, but Boys Life will undoubtedly be one of my favorite 2024 reads–I’m surprised I hadn’t come across it before, as it was published in 1991. Robert McCammon weaves mystery, magic, and murder creatively in this 1960s era Americana novel. He also packs his imaginative tale with some fun descriptive language. If you’ve not read any Boys Life, or if you’ve got a teen or young adult who likes a surreal mystery with fun characters, I’d definitely recommend this novel Check it out in GoodReads!

I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

The teenage boy in me chuckled at this one. Gotta love the dads and authors who aren’t afraid to make a bodily function joke from time to time.

It’s early in the year, but Boys Life will undoubtedly be one of my favorite 2024 reads–I’m surprised I hadn’t come across it before, as it was published in 1991. Robert McCammon weaves mystery, magic, and murder creatively in this 1960s era Americana novel. He also packs his imaginative tale with some fun descriptive language. If you’ve not read any Boys Life, or if you’ve got a teen or young adult who likes a surreal mystery with fun characters, I’d definitely recommend this novel Check it out in GoodReads!

I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

In realistic fiction, we don’t actually imagine the woman slithering on her belly, but Hannah’s quick description immediately describes the kind of character we’re facing. I love those descriptive lines.

“The woman moved like a viper in the reeds.”

Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale

It’s early in the year, but I think The Nightingale will be one of my favorite 2024 reads. Kristin Hannah places some beautiful and descriptive lines within a poignant plot fleshed out with engaging characters. If you’ve not read any Hannah, I’d recommend her work (especially The Nightingale)! Check her out in GoodReads!

I regularly share great descriptive lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

This passage sets the stage for a wild and imaginative ride through a small town called Zephyr, Alabama in the 1960s.

It’s early in the year, but Boys Life will undoubtedly be one of my favorite 2024 reads–I’m surprised I hadn’t come across it before, as it was published in 1991. Robert McCammon weaves mystery, magic, and murder creatively in this 1960s era Americana novel. He also packs his imaginative tale with some fun descriptive language. If you’ve not read any Boys Life, or if you’ve got a teen or young adult who likes a surreal mystery with fun characters, I’d definitely recommend this novel Check it out in GoodReads!

I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!