Stories and Events
Book Reviews
My favorite books - reviews by Janice Boling
Do you like to read? As you will see, I don't usually read or write about the most popular genres. Instead, I look for books that don't fit into a category, those that are few and far between.
If I can't find anything unusual, I tend to pick biographies, science fiction, short story collections, occasional mysteries, and anything translated from another language into English. Some of my favorite books are those that teach me about other cultures. I review the books that stick in my mind and that I think are worth reading twice.
Here are a few good ones:
Poster of Kim Jong II provided by Wiki Commons
The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson
(More will be added soon.)
*A note to beginning and self-published authors - If you like to read as much as I do, a good book is precious. A badly written book is offensive and a disgrace to the industry. I can not stand to pick up a book and find spelling mistakes on the first page, but even that is better than a boring story or undeveloped characters.
For goodness sake, get an editor or someone that will tell you the truth! Authors should at least get a knowledgeable friend to look things over before sending their manuscript to print. Does your story flow? Are the characters relatable? If not, please read a stack of good books before you write anything else.
Of course, it is worth wading through the slush pile when you finally find a gem. I know there are lots out there.