This week, I finished my nonfiction book: The Fossil Hunter. The topic was really interesting and I enjoyed that part of it, but here's my issue with the book...... I understand that there is little primary historical data to use regarding the life of Mary Anning (who is the young woman who discovered many dinosaur fossils in the cliffs of Lyme Regis in the early 19th century and is a very interesting historical figure). My problem is that paragraph after paragraph started with things like "Mary likely did...." Or "Mary must have been devastated about....." Well... no... we can't really go there. If there isn't some diary page or letter, or some other secondary historical source, I don't think you, the writer of a nonfiction book, should make the jump that Mary was devastated about some happening. Maybe she was, but maybe she didn't care a fig about it.
Fascinating time and a really interesting woman - yes. For me, I enjoyed the historical fiction book about the same group of fossil hunters in the same time period, Remarkable Creatures, better. If you are writing fiction, then by all means you can make the mental jump someone was devastated about something. That sort of writing was jarring enough for me with The Fossil Hunter, I had a hard time pushing past it.
At any rate, this week, I received my auto-download of The House of Hawthorne, for my book published this year selection. I've become thoroughly engrossed in this story and am about halfway through the book already, enjoying it greatly! When I'm finished this, it'll be on to the The Joy Luck Club (and then I'll only be a few weeks behind......)
WEEKS & TOPICS
Fascinating time and a really interesting woman - yes. For me, I enjoyed the historical fiction book about the same group of fossil hunters in the same time period, Remarkable Creatures, better. If you are writing fiction, then by all means you can make the mental jump someone was devastated about something. That sort of writing was jarring enough for me with The Fossil Hunter, I had a hard time pushing past it.
At any rate, this week, I received my auto-download of The House of Hawthorne, for my book published this year selection. I've become thoroughly engrossed in this story and am about halfway through the book already, enjoying it greatly! When I'm finished this, it'll be on to the The Joy Luck Club (and then I'll only be a few weeks behind......)
WEEKS & TOPICS
1. a book with more than 500 pages: Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth. FINISHED.
2. a romance: Katherine by Anya Seton. FINISHED
4. a book published this year: The House of Hawthorne by Erika Robuck.
5. a book with a number in the title: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. FINISHED.
6. a book written by someone under 30: Eragon by Christopher Paolini. FINISHED.
7. a book with nonhuman characters: The Greyfriar by Susan Griffith. FINISHED.
8. a funny book: Bossypants by Tina Fey. FINISHED.
9. a book by a female author: Fever 1793 by Laurie Anderson. FINISHED.
10. a mystery or thriller: Séance in Sepia by Michelle Black. FINISHED.
12. a book of short stories: Tapping the Dream Tree by Charles deLint. FINISHED.
13. a book set in a different country: The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak. FINISHED.
14. a nonfiction book: The Fossil Hunter by Shelley Emling. FINISHED.
15. a popular author's first book: The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.
16. a book from your favorite author that you haven't read yet: Forests of the Heart by Charles deLint. FINISHED.
17. a book a friend recommended: Botelo by Alyson Hagy.
18. a Pulitzer-prize winning book: Andersonville by MacKinley Kantor.
19. a book based on a true story: The Wild Princess by Mary Hart Perry.
20. a book at the bottom of your to read list: Before I Go To Sleep by S.J Watson.
21. a book your mom or dad loves: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.
22. a book that scares you: The Blackhouse by Peter May.
23. a book more than 100 years old: Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte.
24. a book based entirely on its cover: Twilight of Avalon by Anna Elliot.
25. a book you were supposed to read in school but didn't: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.
26. a memoir: Two Rings by Millie Werber and Eve Keller
27. a book you can finish in a day
28. a book with antonyms in the title: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.
29. a book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit: Iceland by Betsy Tobin.
30. a book that came out the year you were born: Mary, Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser.
31. a book with bad reviews: Moon People?
32. a trilogy (the first): Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clarke.
33. a trilogy (the second) Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clarke.
34. a trilogy (the third) Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clarke.
35. a book from your childhood: Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. FINISHED.
36. a book with a love triangle: Muse by Mary Novak.
37. a book set in the future
38. a book set in high school: The Small Rain by Madeline L’Engle.
39. a book with a color in the title: A Cavern of Black Ice by J.V. Jones.
40. a book that made/makes you cry
41. a book with magic: Grave Witch by Kalayna Price.
42. a graphic novel
43. a book by an author you've never read before: My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira
44. a book you own but have never read: The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro.
45. a book that takes place in your hometown: Magic America by C.E. Medford.
46. a book that was originally written in another language: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
47. a book set during Christmas (or similar holiday): A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas.
48. a book written by an author with your same initials: Silver Lies by Ann Parker.
49. a play
50. a banned book: Beloved by Toni Morrison.
51. a book based on OR turned into a tv show: Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs.
52. a book you started but never finished: The Heresy of Dr. Dee by Phil Rickman.
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