31 Days of Spoooktacular: The Gauntlet

Way back in the beginning, you may recall that I said that 31 Days of Spoooktacular was part of how I planned to force writing to become a habit for me. Writing has always been something I do sporadically, intermittently and with no true pattern. Even over the course of this year, where I've given myself … Continue reading 31 Days of Spoooktacular: The Gauntlet →

The Death of a Year

Let's see if I can remember how to do this. We'll start with an opening sentence and take it from there. Oh hi! I don't really know if there are people who still read this. It's been about, oh, two months since I last updated. I'll make the assumption that everyone who reads my blog … Continue reading The Death of a Year →

Book Review: Un Lun Dun by China Mieville

In recent years, young adult fiction has morphed from Fear Street thrillers and gothic romances into books that transcend age. From books like The Hunger Games to The Book Thief, young adult books have attracted the notice of critics and people way too old to be shopping in a section that also peddles Gossip Girl … Continue reading Book Review: Un Lun Dun by China Mieville →

Where did all the bookstores go?

Bookstores, the ones built of brick and mortar anyway, are in serious trouble. The two big heavyweights, Barnes and Noble and Borders, are suffering and they're struggling to survive. Given that Amazon.com now sells close to 50% of all book sales in North America, it looks like the only place someone might see Barnes and … Continue reading Where did all the bookstores go? →

Major Diskovery

I haven't been to a used bookstore since I left Durham. I used to go to Nice Price Books when I lived down there, but lately I've been deprived. I missed the smell of old books and browsing through stacks, not knowing what I'm going to find. That's the major appeal of a used bookstore: … Continue reading Major Diskovery →

Book Review: Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds

It's been a while since I've read any new science fiction, meaning anything written in the last twenty years. Usually I just stick with Neal Stephenson, with occasional flirtations with folks like William Gibson and Orson Scott Card. Most of the time though, I stick with the old timers: Bradbury, Asimov, Heinlein, those guys. They've … Continue reading Book Review: Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds →