Keeping on the trend of reading habit posts inspired by conversations, I wanted to discuss the value of YA fiction. Mainstream YA can get a lot of flack in conservative Christian circles, and for good reason. It’s often shallow, riddled with unnecessarily mature content, and contains little moral value for a young reader looking toward literature for characters to look up to, or even to gain a greater appreciation for the craft of writing. However, I still read YA and I still think that mainstream young adult novels—even those less solid books—have value of a non-literary variety. Here’s why. Continue reading “Why I Read YA (even though it often stinks)”
Tag: Reading
Reading for Writing: What Authors Should Read
I’m guessing that everyone here is a reader. I’m also guessing that most of you authors began writing out of a love for reading. When you started, reading was a grand escape and a fun leisure activity, and you read whatever you wanted whenever you wanted, but now that you’re an author you hear people saying “Read these books to improve your craft!” “Don’t read those or you’ll take too much inspiration for your own books and write a copy!” and other dos and don’ts that could make reading less enjoyable. We start reading for writing instead of reading for reading, which has its benefits but also its drawbacks. Here’s what I personally think authors should read (hint: it’s pretty much everything) and why each category is beneficial. Continue reading “Reading for Writing: What Authors Should Read”
Book Review: Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy
In the interest of full disclosure, I’m going to start off by saying that I’m a Christian and thus don’t agree with the lifestyle choices of the LGBTQ+ community. I won this book in a giveaway, and if I had read the reviews to see that Once & Future had heavy LGBTQ+ themes, I probably wouldn’t have entered the giveaway at the time. However, I respect the individuals who identify with the LGBTQ+ community and decided to read this book out of a desire to better understand those individuals. Unfortunately, this turned out not to be the best book for that as the writing didn’t do the community justice (in my opinion, as an outsider). Continue reading “Book Review: Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy”
Book Review: Slave of the Sea by Dawn Dagger
Levanine’s life as a slave is insignificant. She has always been property; bound to her owner, content to serve quietly where no one can cause her harm. However, when her master sells her to pay a debt, her false safety is shattered, and she finds herself offered as a sex slave on the continent of Dreanis.
Fearful and hopeless, Levanine expects the worst to happen. Nothing could prepare her to be suddenly swept onto a pirate ship by an infamous captain whose interests are a mystery to her. Forced to think on her feet, the silent girl must overcome a lifetime of servitude to survive on a ship where everything is trying to destroy her.
As sea monsters, mutinies, and ghosts wreak havoc on the ship and its crew, Levanine realizes that she doesn’t have the luxury of simply surviving until they arrive at Avondella, her continent of redemption. Levanine must decide whether she will die the person she has always been, a meek nobody… or will she make a name for herself at sea? Continue reading “Book Review: Slave of the Sea by Dawn Dagger”
PFW Sale Announcement!
Sooooo, my favorite group of indie authors ever (if you haven’t heard of the Phoenix Fiction Writers by now you’re either new or you’ve not been paying any attention) holds a sale every year, so you can get a good number of their books and their merch at a significant discount. If you’ve been procrastinating Continue reading “PFW Sale Announcement!”