Category: Writing

author: Gail Carriger
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2010/08/19
date added: 2010/08/20
shelves: fantasy, fiction, history
review:
A fun clever book, which reminds me quite a bit of the Amelia Peabody mysteries, which I LOVED when I was in high school. Only with supernatural critters & steampunk gear! A bit annoyed at the cliffhanger ending, but I suppose that’s just the way it works. Her POV handling seems to be getting more solid/consistent. It’s been 9 months since I read the first book, but I had few difficulties getting my bearings in this one…which is good since I imagine it’ll be at LEAST that long until I’ll be able to read the next one. (Not published until next month, not even on order at the library so far as I can tell.)

author: Gail Carriger
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2010/08/19
date added: 2010/08/20
shelves: fiction, fantasy, history
review:
A fun clever book, which reminds me quite a bit of the Amelia Peabody mysteries, which I LOVED when I was in high school. Only with supernatural critters & steampunk gear! A bit annoyed at the cliffhanger ending, but I suppose that’s just the way it works. Her POV handling seems to be getting more solid/consistent. It’s been 9 months since I read the first book, but I had few difficulties getting my bearings in this one…which is good since I imagine it’ll be at LEAST that long until I’ll be able to read the next one. (Not published until next month, not even on order at the library so far as I can tell.)

author: Tom Tucker
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2003
rating: 3
read at: 2010/08/17
date added: 2010/08/18
shelves: history, non-fiction, science
review:
Not as satisfying as I wanted it to be, honestly. Interesting to realize that Franklin almost certainly did not do the kite thing, and of course the wacky parlor-game atmosphere of early electrical science is always fun to read about. I think I actually wanted more details about Franklin’s other hoaxes, for one thing.

Also, Priestly comes off very badly in this book, which is a strange contrast to the Steven Johnson book I read last summer. In that, he seemed flawed but interesting, whereas Tucker is brutal about both his looks and his personality: basically, a sycophantic weirdo.

It’s one of those books that contrasts with other books I’ve read in a way that makes me wonder about the biases of all the authors. History can be interesting that way.

author: Tom Tucker
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.27
book published: 2003
rating: 3
read at: 2010/08/17
date added: 2010/08/18
shelves: history, non-fiction, science
review:
Not as satisfying as I wanted it to be, honestly. Interesting to realize that Franklin almost certainly did not do the kite thing, and of course the wacky parlor-game atmosphere of early electrical science is always fun to read about. I think I actually wanted more details about Franklin’s other hoaxes, for one thing.

Also, Priestly comes off very badly in this book, which is a strange contrast to the Steven Johnson book I read last summer. In that, he seemed flawed but interesting, whereas Tucker is brutal about both his looks and his personality: basically, a sycophantic weirdo.

It’s one of those books that contrasts with other books I’ve read in a way that makes me wonder about the biases of all the authors. History can be interesting that way.

author: Jonathan L. Howard
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2010/08/15
date added: 2010/08/18
shelves: fantasy, fiction, horror
review:
Weird and entertaining. (Weirdly entertaining?) Read mostly over the course of a day sitting out at the river!

author: Anne Lamott
name: Elaine
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1994
rating: 3
read at: 2010/08/01
date added: 2010/08/12
shelves: autobiography, non-fiction, writing
review:
I’m torn on this one. I guess it’s one of the classics of books on writing, and some of it was terribly inspiration in getting me to just keep writing already. But some of it was just too "fluffy" for me. So as to avoid getting into stereotypes, I’ll just leave it at that.

I think if you could remove some of the fluffy bits of this, and some of the business-hype-speak of Making Ideas Happen, and then put the two together, you’d have a damn fine book for writerly types.

author: Anne Lamott
name: Elaine
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1994
rating: 3
read at: 2010/08/01
date added: 2010/08/12
shelves: writing, non-fiction, autobiography
review:
I’m torn on this one. I guess it’s one of the classics of books on writing, and some of it was terribly inspiration in getting me to just keep writing already. But some of it was just too "fluffy" for me. So as to avoid getting into stereotypes, I’ll just leave it at that.

I think if you could remove some of the fluffy bits of this, and some of the business-hype-speak of Making Ideas Happen, and then put the two together, you’d have a damn fine book for writerly types.

author: Julie Sussman
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2005
rating: 2
read at: 2010/08/01
date added: 2010/08/12
shelves: non-fiction, reference
review:
This is the other book I got from the library. A few different helpful details, but didn’t like either the tone or the drawings as much as Auto Repair for Dummies

author: Julie Sussman
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2005
rating: 2
read at: 2010/08/01
date added: 2010/08/12
shelves: non-fiction, reference
review:
This is the other book I got from the library. A few different helpful details, but didn’t like either the tone or the drawings as much as Auto Repair for Dummies

author: Deanna Sclar
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.50
book published: 1976
rating: 4
read at: 2010/08/01
date added: 2010/08/12
shelves: wishlist, read-again, reference, non-fiction
review:
I know basically nothing about cars. Didn’t even get my license until I was 26. So I’m trying to learn, finally. I got this and one other book out of the library. Of the two, I liked this one better. Clear explanations, helpful pictures. I was able to check almost all the basic stuff under the hood of my truck, which made me feel really handy! (Also, I figured out that I was very low on coolant, and was able to top it off. Go me.) Never did finish it, for various reasons, but I think I want my own copy.