My Sam Johnson by Wayne Jones is, as the title suggests, a biography for general readers. And what exactly does that men? Well, Sam Johnson is a famous 18th century writer, and as such, can be difficult to understand. Wayne has taken it upon himself to help us not only understand Sam's writing, but also Sam's personal life.
Sam Johnson starts out his life with an unusual illness that changes the way he looks. He hates his life circumstances and hates the idea of doing what his father does for a living - selling books. Ironically, it is access to these books that shapes Sam into the writer he eventually becomes. Wayne does a great job helping us understand the nuances of Sam's personality. In some ways, Sam reminds me of me when it comes to writing - he takes on more than he can chew and often doesn't give himself enough time to complete the project! I'd wager that he is a lot like many authors I know! I was most fascinated with his dictionary of the English language. Unlike many previous dictionaries, Sam included ordinary words and provided examples. And because Sam is Sam, he sometimes added definitions with a bias, which made me laugh out loud. This is a quick but fun read that will give you some insight into an author you may not know.
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Lessons in Evil is a novella by Babette Hughes. Babette is a 101-year-old who still finds joy in writing! And she hit her latest creation out of the park.
Annie Burg is an author who has been asked to write the unofficial biography of a very famous writer, Helga Hoffman. Annie doesn't want the assignment because of Helga's dismissive personality. Nonetheless, she takes it in hopes of restarting her career. But that is when everything turns sideways, and Annie finds herself in the middle of a Nazi-hunting investigation! I love Annie because I see her hang ups and all that is holding her back in life. I understand what drives her forward at the beginning of the story, but more importantly, what drives her at the end. The transformation is stunning. Add to that an antagonist you love to hate, and this novella has everything you need for a quick, satisfying read. Highly recommend! What Lies We Keep by Janet Roberts is a contemporary family fiction that seamlessly weaves cybersecurity with the lies we tell one another. Ted and Charlotte are on the road to "living the dream." Ted has a good job, they have a daughter, and are saving to buy their first home. But something is amiss.
Ted is hiding something and Charlotte, though she isn't sure what, is dragging him to marital counseling in hopes of saving their marriage. But the lies go beyond Ted, with two good friends, a brother-in-law, and even her mother keeping things from her - things that shape her world. This is not merely a story of Ted's redemption, but of Charlotte's journey to find the truth - about her husband, about her marriage, about her friends - and mostly about herself. Great read! I was fortunate enough to get an advanced reader copy (ARC). This book will be available on May 7th. |
AuthorTeri M Brown, author of An Enemy Like Me and Sunflowers Beneath the Snow connects readers with characters they'd love to invite to lunch. Follow the Blog Using the RSS Feed link below:
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