Conversationsanachronisms / authenticity / believability / book errors / book plots / Historical Fantasy / language31 Comments
Jayne: Our next topic for discussion is “anachronisms.” Do anachronisms bother you? Or not? Are any types worse than others? Language, culture, legal stuff, character actions, titles, anything else? Can you tolerate a certain amount or is there a point beyond which you throw up your hands and say “No ... more >
B- Reviews / Book Reviews / C+ Reviewscommunication / community / family relationships / Fantasy / friendship / goblins / language / middle grade / thiefNo Comments
A group of goblins steal a boy’s ability to apologize in this lively middle-grade fantasy from Nebula Award-winning author Fran Wilde No matter how much trouble Sam gets in, he knows that he can always rely on his magic word, “sorry,” to get him out of a pinch. Teasing his ... more >
B- Reviews / Book Reviews14th century / aristocrats / class differences / death / disease / England / Historical fiction / language / LGBTQIA characters / medieval / plague / working class2 Comments
Three journeys. One road. England, 1348. A gentlewoman flees an odious arranged marriage, a Scots proctor sets out for Avignon, and a young plowman in search of freedom is on his way to volunteer with a company of archers. All come together on the road to Calais. Coming in their ... more >
B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended ReadsEnglish grammar / language / non-fiction / punctuation4 Comments
For anyone who wants to make fewer (not less) grammar mistakes, a lively, effective, and witty guide to all the ins and outs of the English language, reminiscent of the New York Times bestseller Eats, Shoots & Leaves. Our language is changing, literary levels are declining, and our grasp of ... more >
B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Readsediting / English grammar / language / non-fiction / writing6 Comments
We all write, all the time: books, blogs, emails. Lots and lots of emails. And we all want to write better. Benjamin Dreyer is here to help. As Random House’s copy chief, Dreyer has upheld the standards of the legendary publisher for more than two decades. He is beloved by ... more >
A- Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Readsdictionaries / dictionary / English grammar / language / non-fiction7 Comments
“We think of English as a fortress to be defended, but a better analogy is to think of English as a child. We love and nurture it into being, and once it gains gross motor skills, it starts going exactly where we don’t want it to go: it heads right ... more >