Describe your latest book/project/work. I've been studying the life and work of photographer W. Eugene Smith for 13 years. My first book (Dream...
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I can't claim neutrality where Seanan McGuire is concerned -- I lapsed into unabashed fan status years ago. But if I hadn't already been hooked, Rosemary and Rue would've won me over anyway. The writing is crisp and vivid, the settings -- both San Francisco and Elsewhere -- are beautifully portrayed, and the characters come across as genuine personalities, not cookie-cutter mythical archetypes. Better yet, there's a twisty yet plausible plot that leads to a satisfyingly self-contained climax rather than a movie-serial cliffhanger. This is urban fantasy as it should be and too often isn't, with real emotion rather than painted-on angst.
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(12 of 13 readers found this comment helpful)
The title exactly describes what this book delivers: a sharply barbed, vividly opinionated survey of today's romance genre that's both entertaining and thought-provoking. It isn't a scholarly study (although it mentions a couple), a love letter to the genre (although its authors are long-standing and very well read fans), or a how-to-write primer (although there's a lot of useful material for those who'd like to break in). Those with no background whatsoever may wish for a more explicit glossary, but as a field guide to its chosen genre, I definitely recommend this.
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(3 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
For sheer all-around usefulness, you can't beat Betty Crocker. I literally wore out an older edition of this cookbook, and quickly found when shopping for a replacement that nothing else matches the range of recipes and clarity of presentation offered in this edition. There are many helpful new charts, tips, and photos; I've kept a few pages from the old binder, but I've learned more than I expected from the new material. Gourmets and foodies may look to trendier writers, but for everyday family cooking, there's no better basic cookbook than this.
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(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
This is a piratical adventure with its feet planted firmly on the foredeck -- lively but not over-the-top and clever without being self-conscious. Kestrel is a heroine with as much common sense as she has style, and the seafaring scenes will make your armchair sway as the waves get rough. It's rare for such a modern-minded yarn to so closely capture the tone of the good old-fashioned swashbucklers, but Massey has the ear to pull it off.
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(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Though she's better known for her teen horror novels (including the newly revived "Vampire Diaries" series), this deft fantasy -- pitched to a slightly younger audience -- may be L. J. Smith's very best work. The premise is right out of Eager or Nesbit: four youngsters discover magical goings-on in the spooky house next door. But the setting is modern suburbia, Smith's knack for making the extraordinary plausible is second to none, and the plot careens like a finely tuned Six Flags roller coaster. It's a real joy to see this book back in print at last.
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(2 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
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JCBunnell has commented on (12) products.
Rosemary and Rue: An October Daye Novel (Toby Daye) by Seanan Mcguire
JCBunnell, September 4, 2009
I can't claim neutrality where Seanan McGuire is concerned -- I lapsed into unabashed fan status years ago. But if I hadn't already been hooked, Rosemary and Rue would've won me over anyway. The writing is crisp and vivid, the settings -- both San Francisco and Elsewhere -- are beautifully portrayed, and the characters come across as genuine personalities, not cookie-cutter mythical archetypes. Better yet, there's a twisty yet plausible plot that leads to a satisfyingly self-contained climax rather than a movie-serial cliffhanger. This is urban fantasy as it should be and too often isn't, with real emotion rather than painted-on angst.(12 of 13 readers found this comment helpful)
Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches' Guide to Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan
JCBunnell, May 15, 2009
The title exactly describes what this book delivers: a sharply barbed, vividly opinionated survey of today's romance genre that's both entertaining and thought-provoking. It isn't a scholarly study (although it mentions a couple), a love letter to the genre (although its authors are long-standing and very well read fans), or a how-to-write primer (although there's a lot of useful material for those who'd like to break in). Those with no background whatsoever may wish for a more explicit glossary, but as a field guide to its chosen genre, I definitely recommend this.(3 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
Betty Crockers Cookbook 10TH Edition by Betty Crocker
JCBunnell, March 28, 2009
For sheer all-around usefulness, you can't beat Betty Crocker. I literally wore out an older edition of this cookbook, and quickly found when shopping for a replacement that nothing else matches the range of recipes and clarity of presentation offered in this edition. There are many helpful new charts, tips, and photos; I've kept a few pages from the old binder, but I've learned more than I expected from the new material. Gourmets and foodies may look to trendier writers, but for everyday family cooking, there's no better basic cookbook than this.(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Mad Kestrel by Misty Massey
JCBunnell, March 28, 2009
This is a piratical adventure with its feet planted firmly on the foredeck -- lively but not over-the-top and clever without being self-conscious. Kestrel is a heroine with as much common sense as she has style, and the seafaring scenes will make your armchair sway as the waves get rough. It's rare for such a modern-minded yarn to so closely capture the tone of the good old-fashioned swashbucklers, but Massey has the ear to pull it off.(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
The Night of the Solstice by L. J. Smith
JCBunnell, February 24, 2009
Though she's better known for her teen horror novels (including the newly revived "Vampire Diaries" series), this deft fantasy -- pitched to a slightly younger audience -- may be L. J. Smith's very best work. The premise is right out of Eager or Nesbit: four youngsters discover magical goings-on in the spooky house next door. But the setting is modern suburbia, Smith's knack for making the extraordinary plausible is second to none, and the plot careens like a finely tuned Six Flags roller coaster. It's a real joy to see this book back in print at last.(2 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
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