Friday, October 25, 2013

Feature and Follow - Bookgram

8474595901 873f4993f4 Feature & Follow #137 
 
Just to the right, the two white volumes are Fuller's Military History of the Western World. A very innocuous place for military books to be in the greenhouse!
 

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Throwback Thursday - Anne McCaffrey



Anne McCaffrey is best known for her Pern series of fantasy novels. She melded wonderful characters inside a fantasy planet that had elements of science fiction. In Pern the dragons were used to protect the inhabitants from the deadly Threads that would fall from the skies periodically. McCaffrey's novels were poignant stories of human emotion and frailty, often expressed in the protagonist's relationship with her dragon.

Although McCaffrey wrote other novels it was her Pern universe that attracted me and held me. I never read one I didn't like and would not recommend.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Throwback Thursday - Washington Irving and Poe




Some things are timeless. They are called classics. Washington Irving wrote the classic tale, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow almost 200 years ago. Just this year the story has been revamped and reworked for a modern TV show on Fox. The fact that the inspiration and basis of the plot is 193 years old is a tribute to Irving.


Irving's classic was one of the stories my friends and I would reenact as small boys as the night came earlier and Halloween approached.

A little later on my favorite scary stories were those written by Edgar Allan Poe. A true master, his stories are a little harder to read these days as much of the plots and settings were very period-specific. If the reader can pick up the jargon from an earlier century and enjoy the writing for its tight-knit suspense, Poe is a very enjoyable read.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Review - This is (Not) Your Grandmothers Poetry



This is (Not) Your Grandmothers Poetry by Marshall Armstrong

Marshall writes clearly on a variety of topics, all with an earthy, realistic, and slightly cynical bent. His ideas are clear and the presentation flows smoothly. The reader feels the emotion in the stories and the poems. One feels the sun, smells the dog, and hears the fury of the storm. My personal favorite poem is Real? I feel like that often. My favorite of his short prose works is My Dog Eats Frogs. It is exactly about what it says - the dog's perspective is superbly captured!

Marshall says in his introduction that the title was an attempt to "tell people this is not the kind of poetry you were force fed in high school." That is apt. Dry, hard to understand pentameter is NOT here. The poetry is clear, the prose even clearer and all with a refreshing voice.

This is (Not) Your Grandmothers Poetry is available at Smashwords.com.

About the author:


Marshall Armstrong lives, works, and writes in small town Minnesota. He found he "enjoyed poetry if it wasn't flowery and rhyming." He also found that he could write about anything.

He is happily married with children, grandchildren, and a dog, Sophie, who is both companion and featured in many of his stories and poems.

Find more of Marshall's work and the work he does on his website The Window.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Feature and Follow - Feature Your Own Favorite

8474595901 873f4993f4 Feature & Follow #137

There are so many wonderful bloggers... But I am highlighting Never Too Fond of Books because of the weekly feature Mandy hosts, Throwback Thursday. It is relatively unique in looking back at something one enjoyed a few years ago instead of forward to what's next. The feature provides a perspective as to how we got where we are and how things are changed, for better or not.


Thursday, October 10, 2013

Throwback Thursday - Back When We Were Grownups





I read this book many moons ago and it is not the type of novel I normally read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Tyler writes very well and you feel the emotions of the main character as she rebuilds parts of her life that she had lost through the simple, normal attrition we all go through. Her journey of rediscovery is a common theme but exceptionally well done by Tyler. Although the book was made into a movie (Hallmark Hall of Fame), I have not seen it.




File:BackWhenWeWereGrownUps.jpg

Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Never Too Fond of Books!

Here’s how it works:
  1. Pick any media (or non-media item) released more than 5 years ago. Remember to keep it book-related!
  2. Write up a short summary (include the title, author, and cover art, if applicable) and an explanation of why you love it.
  3. Link up your post at Never Too Fond of Books.
  4. Visit as many blogs as you can, reminisce about books you loved, and discover some “new” books for your TBR list – or some other classic!
Thanks for participating, and we look forward to seeing what you choose to remember!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Sales for October!


This is my third book of poetry. It is now available, in multiple ebook formats, on Smashwords for only 99 cents for the month of October.

**** These poems are more than just a collection of words, they are a diorama of life. - Linda Rye

**** Transitions touched my soul. - R. S. Rowland

**** The author is connecting with his audience. - Marshall Armstrong

See the full reviews on Smashwords.


Front Cover  File:Koko (Peter Straub novel) cover.jpg  File:InterviewWithTheVampire.jpg

Preread (paper) books

For October on Biblio.com:

Over 300 horror titles under $3.99 with FREE shipping!

Over 100 juvenile horror titles under $3.99 with FREE shipping!

Over 600 romantic suspense (Harlequin Intrigue) titles under $3.99 with FREE shipping!

All on our Biblio.com account, FindRomanceToRead.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Feature and Follow - What Am I Missing?

8474595901 873f4993f4 Feature & Follow #137

This week's question: What book have you not read that seemingly everyone else has?

The Hunger Games. Something by James Patterson. Anything by Stephen King. The Great Gatsby.

I must admit, only the first is a TBR...

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Throwback Thursday - Tom Clancy



RIP Tom Clancy.

Tom Clancy passed away this week. He will be remembered as the writer of massive military thrillers that, despite their size. kept readers enthralled. He also wrote many nonfiction books on the modern military.

His books combine immense technical detail and tight plot lines with plenty of action. The technical detail is presented as matter of fact and in language that the general reader can understand. The combination took him to the top of the bestseller lists again and again.

The most famous character of the Clancy books was Jack Ryan a "regular guy" who somehow saves the day repeatedly with his wits and toughness. My personal favorite Jack Ryan was played by Harrison Ford.

Did you ever read Clancy's novels?

Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Never Too Fond of Books!

Here’s how it works:
  1. Pick any media (or non-media item) released more than 5 years ago. Remember to keep it book-related!
  2. Write up a short summary (include the title, author, and cover art, if applicable) and an explanation of why you love it.
  3. Link up your post at Never Too Fond of Books.
  4. Visit as many blogs as you can, reminisce about books you loved, and discover some “new” books for your TBR list – or some other classic!
Thanks for participating, and we look forward to seeing what you choose to remember!