Patchett and Gabaldon

An old friend sent me this collection of Ann Patchett's essays and I devoured it almost at one sitting. It's an eclectic assortment that includes some excellent advice for writers and for people trying to stay in a marriage and for people trying to get out of one. Also there is a dog. And nuns. The NY TImes has a really good review HERE. Highly recommended.

And now I need to seek out her other books. I've read and enjoyed BEL CANTO and THE PATRON SAINT OF LIARS -- now I want to read TRUTH & BEAUTY.

An ex-student of mine, who probably remembered my saying I thought sex scenes were hard difficult to write and not be unintentionally funny, brought Gabaldon's bookette to my attention. Gabaldon writes quite a few sex scenes and she does it with a deft touch  hand pen.There's lots of good writing advice for sex scenes and scenes in general in this Kindle Singles ebook (119 pp.). 

And if you just want to read the racy bits, that's exactly what Gabaldon uses for examples. Plus, she's funny. Intentionally. Also highly recommended, mainly for writers and Gabaldon fans but also for anyone interested in the craft. Of writing, that is. Here's a LINK.

Recent Good Reading

 I loved McCracken's bittersweet tale of the love that develops between a lonely young librarian and a boy who can't stop growing.  It's a fascinating look at quirky personalities, the difficulty of being different, and the nature of love itself. And the words, the words! the wonderful use of language -- such a delight! The Guardian has a nice review of it HERE.  But what I really would like to know is what any of my librarian or ex-librarian friends think about the main character's musings on her profession. 

Admittedly, the book is set in mid-twentieth century America -- long before librarians had computers and all that comes with them as a part of their job description. Back when there were library cards of the sort I was longing for ... 

Ann Patchett's tale -- also replete with quirky personalities and bittersweet love and also set in the Fifties -- takes place in a rather charming home for unwed mothers, run by (mostly) very pleasant nuns. It's the story of Rose, pregnant and fleeing a stultifying marriage, who seeks refuge at the home and stays on ... 

It's a strangely charming story that makes me hope that some of the girls who disappeared mysteriously from high school, only to return some months later, accompanied by whispers and rumors, were at a place equally pleasant. The New York Times has more HERE.

Liz Zelvin's ebook (below) is a fine read for adults and young adults -- and I hope a lot of them read it for a look at the effect Columbus had on the world he 'discovered,'  for an understanding of the European/Christian view of  'savages,' and, as well, for a glimpse into the world of the hidden Jews -- those Spanish Jews trying to avoid the horrors of the Inquisition.  This book would be a great addition to school  curricula.

It's a bargain at 99 cents HERE.

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