I will be posting quite a few MG novel reviews for the next few weeks (each one published within the last 5 years) since it is a requirement for one of my classes: “Writing for the Middle Grade/YA Reader.” Since my own MG novel I’m working on is about a ghost mystery, I thought I’dContinue reading “Book Review: The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel”
Tag Archives: book recs
Book Review: The Portrait by Emilia Kelly
“There was a story in that painting, though I did not fully understand it. I merely knew that it was there.” — Thomas James, The Portrait, 136-137 This is one of the self-published books I’ve had on my TBR shelf since I attended Storymakers conference this year and it did not disappoint (this review doesContinue reading “Book Review: The Portrait by Emilia Kelly”
Book Review: Writing Picture Books Revised and Expanded Edition: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication by Ann Whitford Paul
This was another required text for my grad certificate class “Writing Children’s Picture Books” and I learned a lot more than I expected from it regarding the picture book drafting process, such as the inclusion of figures of speech, format, book dummying, dialogue, and POV. Summary Paul takes her readers through the writing process pertainingContinue reading “Book Review: Writing Picture Books Revised and Expanded Edition: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication by Ann Whitford Paul”
Book Review: Secret of the Sonnets by Samantha Hastings
…“When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.” — William Shakespeare , excerpt from Sonnet 18 Summary This regency mystery centers around a woman named Miranda’s quest to find the lost manuscript of William Shakespeare. With theContinue reading “Book Review: Secret of the Sonnets by Samantha Hastings”
Storymakers Conference 2023: TBR’s
What a blessing it was to attend the 20th Anniversary of Storymakers Conference this month! I took advantage of opportunities to network with writers from Latter-day Saints who write in my genre, received instruction from experts in their writing field, and obtained feedback for my novel chapters. I also was pleased to learn the importanceContinue reading “Storymakers Conference 2023: TBR’s”
Series Review: Tales from the Haunted Mansion by Amicus Arcane, John Esposito, Kelley Jones
Being the fan of Disney’s The Haunted Mansion ride—and of ghost stories for all ages—that I am, I was ecstatic to hear from my aunt that she saw this collection at Costco. These four books each showcase short tales from the narration of the mansion librarian (who occasionally breaks the third wall and inserts hisContinue reading “Series Review: Tales from the Haunted Mansion by Amicus Arcane, John Esposito, Kelley Jones”
Book Review: Bloodline by Kathi Oram Peterson
This was a gem among the crime novels that I have seen at Deseret Book, mainly because it also had elements of historical fiction—a genre that I treasure. Summary Flight attendant Skye struggles to come to grips with her aunt’s sudden disappearance after she herself is rescued by a handsome Scottish stranger. However, after discoveringContinue reading “Book Review: Bloodline by Kathi Oram Peterson”
Book Review: To Die, To Sleep by Stephanie Black
Deseret Book sells far more thrillers than I would expect from a church bookstore, but each one I’ve read, I haven’t been disappointed. This one is no exception. It’s nice to read a genre that I like without the sex, swearing, and gratuitous violence that sometimes almost always seems to accompany the genre. Not toContinue reading “Book Review: To Die, To Sleep by Stephanie Black”
Book Review: Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
This one’s been on my TBR shelf for a while, but I finally got it from the library and read it. Time-travel and historical fiction are my favorite genres/plot devices (when done well) and this book does both. Summary In 1967, a young black woman named Dana and her white husband Kevin find themselves transportedContinue reading “Book Review: Kindred by Octavia E. Butler”
Book Review: A Revolution of Hearts by Rhonda Gibb Hinrichsen
I like to witness authors using familiar classics for the setting of their stories. Being the fan of The Scarlet Pimpernel that I am, I was intrigued that the author decided to tell her own story with this setting, so I decided to give it a chance. Summary Set in the backdrop of the FrenchContinue reading “Book Review: A Revolution of Hearts by Rhonda Gibb Hinrichsen”
