Books Read - March 2005

[mabfan]

Here's the list of books I read this past month. The numbering is for the whole year, so I suspect that I'll reach 50 books well before the end of 2005. I'm not including extensive commentary in this post, becuase I don't have the time to write about every single book; however, I will make a few individual posts about some of these books later on. (If you have a specific request, feel free to ask.)

#12 Comic Books and Other Necessities of Life by Mark Evanier

#13 Wertham Was Right: Another Collection of POV Columns by Mark Evanier

#14 Superheroes in My Pants by Mark Evanier

(The above are three essay collections about the comic book field and Evanier's obsessions. Quite enjoyable)

#15 Robert's Rules of Writing: 101 Unconventional Lessons Every Writer Needs to Know by Robert Masello

(I gave this one five stars on an Amazon review. If you're a writer, buy it and read it.)

#16 All the Flowers Are Dying" by Lawrence Block

(First post-9/11 Matthew Scudder novel.)

#17 Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure by James Scott Belll

#18 Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief by Bill Mason with Lee Gruenfeld

#19 The Martian Child by David Gerrold

#20 The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain

#21 Try and Stop Me by Bennett Cerf

#22 Seven Spells to Sunday by Andre Norton & Phyllis Miller

(Re-read this one in the wake of Norton's passing.)

#23 Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book by Gerard Jones

Comments

[ffoeg.livejournal.com]

What did you think of Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure? And have you read the one in that same series by Nancy Kress on character? Any comments?

I've been thinking that I could use a booster course on characters; they tend towards passive witnesses to the plot going on around them. (But no, I'm not going to read Orson Scott Card's book.)

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

I have all four in the series, but I've only read the Plot & Structure one. It was pretty good. There was a lot I already knew, but it presented it in new ways.

You might also want to check out Nancy Kress's other book, Dynamic Characters. And frankly, the Card book is excellent, although I understand why you might not want to read it.

[kuroshii.livejournal.com]

Writer's Digest Books actually has two series: "Elements of Fiction Writing" (which has five books, including Kress' Beginnings, Middles, and Ends and Card's Characters & Viewpoint), and "Write Great Fiction" which Plot & Structure is in but I didn't realise Dynamic Characters was part of the series as well.

They have similar "packaging," so the consumer/reader will relate the two. Dynamic Characters is missing the black banding.

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

Actually, "Dynamic Characters" is not part of either series; it's its own separate book. That's why it's not being packaged in the same way as either the Elements of Fiction Writing series or the Write Great Fiction series.

One of these days I ought to post an annotated bibliography of every book on writing I own.

[kuroshii.livejournal.com]

Ah! ffoeg said it was in the series so I thought maybe I was looking at it wrong on the website (I don't own it yet myself). But I am so with you on the collection of books about writing! As for me, they fill three cubbies of my huge cubic bookcase...five if you include reference and "writing exercise" books. And we won't go in to my (ahem) collection of notebooks! My boyfriend will no longer "let" me in to places like Staples or OfficeMax unsupervised. ;)

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

Aha! I see your confusion. There's one more point you've missed.

Nancy Kress has published three books with Writer's Digest.

"Beginnings, Middles, and Ends" is part of the Elements of Fiction Writing series.

"Dynamic Characters" is a stand-alone.

And "Characters, Emotion, and Viewpoint" is brand new, and part of the Write Great Fiction series.

I think you were finding the second when Geoff was referring to the third.

[kuroshii.livejournal.com]

I think you were finding the second when Geoff was referring to the third.

I'm sure you're right!

[neilfein.livejournal.com]

> #19 The Martian Child by David Gerrold

Was a good book, although I though it got a little artificial-feeling in places. Am still waiting for him to finish the next Chtorr (http://www.gerrold.com/chtorr-FAQ/page.htm) book.

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

I'm waiting for the next Chtorr book as well. I suppose I could have prodded him when I saw him at Noreascon, but it seemed slightly rude. :-)