Books I’ve Read In The Last Few Months.

To wrap up the second last day of Book Month, here’s a look at some of the books I’ve read (that I remember anyway) in the last few months. (Although I should be able to remember since I have notebooks for writing lists of the books I read).

                               

Concert pianist Diana is finally ready to marry her longtime fiance, Arie; she’s even composing a beautiful love song for him, and finishes it while on tour. Before she can play it for him, though, tragedy strikes and Diana is lost to Arie forever. But her song might not be.

In Australia, the world has gone quiet for Arie and he lives his life accordingly, struggling to cope with his loss.

In Scotland, a woman named Evie is taking stock of her life after the end of another lackluster almost-relationship. Years of wandering the globe and failing to publish her poetry have taken their toll, and she might finally be ready to find what her travels have never been able to give her: a real home.

And through a quirk of fate or circumstance, Diana’s song is passed from musician to musician. By winding its way around the world, it just might bring these two lost souls together. With heart-wrenching emotion, The Last Love Song explores what it means to be lost, what it means to be found, and the power of music to bring people together.

The UK version is quite a gorgeous cover. Bright red with an embossed gold bird and title, it’s one of the nicest for a contemporary women’s fiction I’ve seen.

Whereas the US version, right, made me cry when I first saw it because it conveys scenes from the book. Yes, scenes that made me cry, god damnit.

 

I’ve read a few business books these last months…

 

How does plot influence story structure? What’s the difference between plotting for commercial and literary fiction? How do you revise a plot or structure that’s gone off course? With Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure, you’ll discover the answers to these questions and more.

Award-winning author James Scott Bell offers clear, concise information that will help you create a believable and memorable plot, including: – Techniques for crafting strong beginnings, middles, and ends

– Easy-to-understand plotting diagrams and charts

– Brainstorming techniques for original plot ideas

– Thought-provoking exercises at the end of each chapter

– Story structure models and methods for all genres

– Tips and tools for correcting common plot problems Filled with plot examples from popular novels, comprehensive checklists, and practical hands-on guidance.

 

Enthrall your readers, love the process, & become the writer you are meant to be!

Writers are given a wealthy of opportunities to cultivate a successful writing life, break out, and find an audience for their work. Yet so many writers, from beginners to veterans, find their careers stuck in neutral. The solution is simple: Just write. Write yourself past fears, doubts, and setbacks, and use your desire for writing excellence to deeply immerse yourself in the craft.

In Just Write, best-selling author and veteran writing coach James Scott Bell shows you how to develop unforgettable stories while leading a rewarding writing life. You’ll learn how to master the nuances of fiction, discover what readers really want, and persevere through the challenges of getting started, conquering writer’s block, and dealing with rejection. Look inside to discover how to: – Brainstorm new concepts for your fiction and develop a believable premise.

– Create memorable characters that keep your readers coming back for more.

– Study classic & contemporary novels to improve your writing.

– Effectively market yourself as a writer.

– Manage your time to maintain peak efficiency.

Fulfilling writing careers are developed through hard work, an investment in practice, and complete dedication to the process. Don’t succumb to excuses or procrastination. Dive into your career with gusto and enthusiasm. Fall in love with writing every day. Just write.

 

Georgia Richter and Deborah Hunn look at the business of becoming an author. In a friendly, informative and practical way they share all you need to know about inspiration and research, preparing to submit to a publisher, creating an author brand, legal, ethical and moral considerations, pitching and effective social media and much more.

 

 

 

 

Learn How to Create Stories That Captivate Agents, Editors, and Readers Alike!

Inside you’ll find the tools you need to build strong characters, keep your plots moving, master the art of dialogue, choose the right point of view, and more.

This comprehensive book on the art of novel and short story writing is packed with advice and instruction from best-selling authors and writing experts like Nancy Kress, Elizabeth Sims, Hallie Ephron, N.M. Kelby, Heather Sellers, and Donald Maass, plus a foreword by James Scott Bell. You’ll learn invaluable skills for mastering every area of the craft:

Define and refine your characters. Make your plot and conflict high-energy and intense. Hone your story’s point of view. Create a rich setting and backstory. Craft dialogue that rings true. Select the right words and descriptions throughout your story. Revise your story to perfection.

Throughout you’ll find supplemental sections that cover special topics like getting started, beating writer’s block, researching your work, and getting published. They’ll help you integrate your skills into a balanced, productive, and fulfilling career.

Whether you’re writing flash fiction, a short story, a novel, or an epic trilogy, you’ll come away with the tools you need for strong and effective storytelling.

 

And then there was this one…

 

CEO and entrepreneur Emma Isaacs forgot to draw up her life plan, and she doesn’t have a list of five-year goals. She doesn’t believe in work/life balance – after all she has five children and heads up Business Chicks, Australia’s largest community for women. Emma wants to show us that you can’t plan every detail and wait for the confidence to kick in before you begin; instead, take action now, do what feels right and figure the rest out as you go along. In other words, you’ve got to learn how to ‘wing it’ rather than wait.

Drawing on her own life and the stories of the many men and women she has met and interviewed – from Sir Richard Branson to Bill Gates to Girlboss Sophia Amoruso.

– Emma tells us how to:

* Turn a dream into a job

* Turn a job into a business

* Network like a champion

* Protect your time for the things that matter

* Get fired up not ground down by the kids/career juggle, and

* Understand that sometimes failure is part of the brief.

Emma shows us that often the only thing holding us back is ourselves; that you can follow your dreams; and that there’s no reason not to start doing so right now.

I was annoyed with this book, in the eye rolling way. The cover claims she’s the founder of Business Chicks, yet in the book it clearly says she bought the original company AND THEN made it bigger.

Second, the entire book was about two things. Talking about winging it, which is an age-old method of getting by, so nothing new on that front. And two, the constant repetition of how she moved overseas to start up the US leg of BC, or how she set up a gym on the floor above her business and finally decided it was too much work.

This book was completely useless for learning. It doesn’t teach you any of what the blurb suggests and is nothing but an egotistical nod to herself. How this woman keeps being paid for books that do nothing but talk about her is beyond me.

 

So there are most of the books I’ve read in the last few months.

 

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2 Comments

  1. The Tote Trove April 30, 2021 at 7:51 am

    The Lost Love Song sounds like a great read! I’m always looking for something like it, so I added it to my Amazon list. It’ll probably make me cry too! And the advice in Just Write seems spot on: “Write yourself past fears, doubts, and setbacks, and use your desire for writing excellence to deeply immerse yourself in the craft.”
    The Tote Trove recently posted…Sunday Dressed, Celestial Best: Playing at the Altar of AccessoriesMy Profile

    Reply
    1. Jewel Divas Style April 30, 2021 at 7:26 pm

      James Scott Bell definitely knows his stuff.

      Reply

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