This free ebook is available to download after subscribing to the author’s newsletter. It includes two short stories, deleted chapters from his novelsThis free ebook is available to download after subscribing to the author’s newsletter. It includes two short stories, deleted chapters from his novels, numerous interviews, essays, and advice for aspiring writers. One of the essays is his appreciation of Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. Reading it at a young age is what made him focus on becoming a writer.
There’s a lot of content for a free book and I found it all interesting. I enjoyed the stories, the interviews and essays gave lots of insight into the author, and I found the writing advice really helpful, especially the chapter on a writing course that he taught at the Birmingham Library....more
This is a collection of essays about the author’s love of books and language. While I enjoyed some essays more than others I liked this collection a lThis is a collection of essays about the author’s love of books and language. While I enjoyed some essays more than others I liked this collection a lot. The following are my favorite chapters.
My Odd Shelf - The author writes that she believes everyone’s library has an Odd Shelf, a shelf of books “whose subject matter is completely unrelated to the rest of the library, yet which, upon closer inspection, reveals a good deal about its owner.” Her Odd Shelf holds sixty-four books about polar exploration. I guess I have an Odd Shelf as well. I have a growing collection of books on day laborers, the underclass, and the homeless of contemporary Japan.
Never Do That to a Book - She writes about how different people handle books and what she finds acceptable and what she doesn’t. She writes in her books and instead of using bookmarks she lays them down face down and open.
The only books I write in are books that I’m studying and I use a highlighter in those. I’ve started using tabs in books recently to keep track of interesting passages. Someone I follow on Instagram mentioned using tabs to keep track of character introductions in long novels. I’m stealing that idea. I do use bookmarks, I have quite a collection, but I also lay books open face down sometimes. I didn’t realize that it’s considered a no-no by some.
When I was younger I tried to keep my paperbacks in perfect condition but now it doesn’t bother me so much if they’re a little worn. It means that it’s been read. I don’t like cracked spines though but sometimes that can’t be helped with older paperbacks. One thing I really dislike is dog-earing a page.
I also read lots of books on Kindle but I’ll always prefer paper.
Words on a Flyleaf - She writes about things written in books. Depending on the book and how much is written in it I like reading notes and messages written in books by previous owners.
Eternal Ink - She talks about fountain pens and how she prefers to write in ink as opposed to pencil, something I’ve become more interested in.
My Ancestral Castles - One thing she mentions in this chapter is building castles out of her father’s collection of twenty two Anthony Trollope novels as a child. Trollope is an author I discovered just recently.
She also writes about how some of her friends complain that their kids don’t read even though the parents have placed lots of books in their children’s rooms. But she noticed that there were no other books to be found in her friend’s houses. She grew up with books in almost every room in the house and saw her parents reading quite often. This really spoke to me as I’m pretty sure I got my love of reading from my father. We always had books in the house, I saw him reading often, and he took me to my first used bookstore.
The P. M.’s Empire of Books - Here she writes about how to organize a book collection based on a slim 29-page book she found in a secondhand bookstore titled On Books and the Housing of Them by someone named William Gladstone. When she bought it she thought surely it couldn’t be that Gladstone. But later she learned that it was. Not only was he a book collector, he was the Prime Minister of England four times. In the book he gives detailed instructions on how to organize books as efficiently as possible.
Secondhand Prose - She writes about her love of used book stores, something I love dearly myself.
The author writes with humor and her love of books and language comes through clearly. It was an enjoyable read....more
A collection of essays about the author’s experiences growing up and living in California in the 60s. Topics include a murder trial, Joan Baez, John WA collection of essays about the author’s experiences growing up and living in California in the 60s. Topics include a murder trial, Joan Baez, John Wayne, and the aimless youth of San Francisco’s counterculture district, Haight-Ashbury.
There are also essays on morality, self-respect, and on keeping a notebook.
In addition she writes about her visit to Pearl Harbor and the eight years she lived in New York City. Those are two of my favorites.
Her descriptions of places are clear and her observations are astute. Very enjoyable read....more
A collection of essays about life in America covering education, labor, the economy, race, and the media. She brings up some very sobering facts. SomeA collection of essays about life in America covering education, labor, the economy, race, and the media. She brings up some very sobering facts. Some people don't like that and say that she’s overreacting. That’s how I felt when I first encountered her on Twitter in 2016. It didn't take long for me to realize that she was pointing out things that the mainstream media often glosses over or just ignores. She’s been studying autocratic states for over a decade. Comparing what’s happened in those states to what is happening in America today is alarming. The idea that "it can't happen here" is not so far fetched anymore.
There is some repetition in the articles and reading everything all at once can be depressing, but she writes with sincerity and empathy, and in the end, hope....more
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