The thesaurus is an important tool for writers. Some have one in their brain, some in book format, and some rely on the online versions. This quote stuck out because we often hear of people devouring or inhaling books . . . it may be the first time I heard about them being eaten .Continue reading “We “devour” books. Do we “eat” them? from Boys Life, by Robert McCammon (6)”
Tag Archives: Suddenly Rural Girl
A Review of The Manic Mission, by C.J. Simone
I struggle with book and movies that depict bad thing happening to children. The Shack comes to mind. Yet sometimes the very real and very painful is what ultimately forces a character to make the right decisions. C.J. Simone took that route with this YA novel, and she rightly includes trigger warnings, because she dealsContinue reading “A Review of The Manic Mission, by C.J. Simone”
“I’m Marilyn…” from The Red Texts Club, by Andrea VanRyken
Villains, throughout history, have been depicted as having a physical appearance that is unnerving. I enjoyed VanRynken’s description of Marilyn, whose face adjusted unnaturally, like tectonic plates, even while she smiled. It also sets the stage for the shiftiness of the character later. The Red Texts Club digs deeply and creatively into the teenage mind—moreContinue reading ““I’m Marilyn…” from The Red Texts Club, by Andrea VanRyken”
A Sweet and Effervescent Tale for Cowgirls
I’m from rural America and am partial to westerns, cowboys, and dialogue as cut and dried as jerky. A hint of romance can be nice, too. I got a taste of that right away in A Cowboy’s Heart with well-written lines like “The simple cadence of a horse’s steady gait soothed Anna’s soul like anContinue reading “A Sweet and Effervescent Tale for Cowgirls”
“…his true nature deep in his eyes…” from Boys Life, by Robert McCammon (14)
Sometimes a character is hideous, and we immediately recognize the danger–Dracula, zombies, werewolves, Hal from Space Odyssey, or even Biff Tannen from Back to the Future. At other times, we catch a flicker of evil, and that subtle flash can be as terrifying as the more overt villains. Here’s another quote from Boys Life, whichContinue reading ““…his true nature deep in his eyes…” from Boys Life, by Robert McCammon (14)”
“Something dangerous lurked…” from The Red Texts Club, by Andrea VanRyken
Sometimes not giving detailed descriptions is more powerful than spelling-things-out too clearly. I liked this vague illustration of danger, just out of sight, leaving the reader’s imagination to fill in the rest. The Red Texts Club digs deeply and creatively into the teenage mind—more specifically the minds of teens dealing with depression. I struggled aContinue reading ““Something dangerous lurked…” from The Red Texts Club, by Andrea VanRyken”
“I had never seen a black Jesus before…” from Boys Life, by Robert McCammon (13)
Let’s return to another from McCammon. When did you see something that challenged your view of the world? This description is a simple and powerful reminder that most of us have preconceived ideas that need some light. It’s early in the year, but Boys Life will undoubtedly be one of my favorite 2024 reads–I’m surprisedContinue reading ““I had never seen a black Jesus before…” from Boys Life, by Robert McCammon (13)”
“the battle is oriented around the seed” –from Seed of God, Jesus Christ, by Kenneth McRae
Seed of God, Jesus Christ is a well-researched summary that lays out the historical evidence for Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. It also takes an interesting angle: it begins with the premise that there were two “seeds” on different paths that unfolded (and continue to unfold) throughout human history: The first, Jesus Christ, results inContinue reading ““the battle is oriented around the seed” –from Seed of God, Jesus Christ, by Kenneth McRae”
“…hawk-faced woman” from Parable of the Sower, by Octavia E. Butler
I’m a mix of Scandinavian, German, English, Irish, and South Dakotan:). Somehow my skin color turned out somewhere between peach, tan, and white, but I’m so much more than my skin color; so are you. I don’t want to be characterized by my skin color; neither do you. Yet those obsessed with race and skinContinue reading ““…hawk-faced woman” from Parable of the Sower, by Octavia E. Butler”
“Hands that…could crush bowling balls” from Boys Life, by Robert McCammon (12)
Like Andre The Giant in The Princess Bride, who says “it’s not my fault I’m the biggest and the strongest; I don’t even exercise,” this character is incredibly intimidating to our protagonist . . . and yet even the biggest and the strongest have weaknesses. I love this character description by McCammon. It’s early inContinue reading ““Hands that…could crush bowling balls” from Boys Life, by Robert McCammon (12)”
“…who would torture?” from Parable of the Sower, by Octavia E. Butler
One of the few creative aspects of Parable of the Sower, is that the protagonist feels the pain of those she sees in pain; this means she suffers, even becoming incapacitated, when she sees someone else badly injured. Imagine what she feels when she shoots and kills people: she experiences their death before falling unconscious.Continue reading ““…who would torture?” from Parable of the Sower, by Octavia E. Butler”
“…as frail as young trees…” from Boys Life, by Robert McCammon (11)
A coming of age novel often incorporates maturing realizations. In this one, our protagonist realizes that he and his home could both be blown or swept away–a shocking revelation for a kid. 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 itContinue reading ““…as frail as young trees…” from Boys Life, by Robert McCammon (11)”