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Book 2 of The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, by Diana Wynne Jones. …And when I got to Book 2 of the series, I said, “Oh!  This is the with Tacroy!” I suppose I should mention there’s a spoiler that follows.  There is one, and it’s in the very next sentence. This is the story of the […]

Book 1 of the Chronicles of Chrestomanci, by Diana Wynne Jones (1977).  When people say, “If you like Harry Potter, then you should read Diana Wynne Jones,” these are the books you should probably start with. I don’t remember Diana Wynne Jones books being around when I was a kid.  I’m pretty sure I would

Time to put my evil Ice Queen hat on. Winter & Depression: http://blog.deannaknippling.com/?p=1950 # Dipsomania: An insatiable, periodic craving for alcohol. http://wordsmith.org/awad. # Yes! One of the Picnic Basket cooking classes will have knife sharpening! http://foodie.deannaknippling.com/?p=2004 # @Three_Star_Dave I, for one, don't love you any less for not getting a Christmas card. in reply to

Here’s the length/naming convention guide from the SFWA: Novel — 40,000 words or more Novella — 17,500–39,999 words Novelette — 7,500–17,499 words Short Story — 7,499 words or fewer I have finished the first draft of my Chocolate Story novella, which is just over 20K. The end bugs me, because it’s cheesy, and cheesiness becomes

I’m trying to learn how to take better pictures. If you’ve known me for more than a month, you probably know that I get on wild hares to learn new things.  In fact, I go a little crazy if I don’t learn something new…about once a month or so.  These things don’t always turn out

I won’t catch everyone.  It’s just not possible. Thank you to Lee – your patience has seen me through more than just any trouble with our marriage, it’s seen me through days when I can’t believe in myself or anybody else.  Your sarcasm has seen me through everything else. To Ray – you have a

…everyone must read (The Guardian, U.K.) I’ve been looking for a reading project lately. I don’t think I can read 1000 novels a year. I mean, I could, if I didn’t have to do anything else. Also, I can pull out the ones I’ve read already, which should take care of about half. And if

A big thank you to Anu Garg, the only vocabulary website with insight into the human condition. A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg A Happy New Year to all the readers from all of us at Wordsmith.org meticulous PRONUNCIATION: (muh-TIK-yuh-luhs) MEANING: adjective: Extremely careful, precise, or thorough. ETYMOLOGY: From Latin meticulosus (fearful), from metus (fear). Originally the

by Diana Wynne Jones. A modern YA retelling of the Tam Lin and Thomas the Rhymer legends.  Recommended for YA fantasy fans.  Spoilers follow. DWJ is one of the great YA writers.  She writes stuff that takes complicated family situations that would make most people go mental, and makes them comprehensible to teens.  In F&H,

by Gene Wolfe. This is how the world ends, not with a bang, but with a recursive whimper.  “Somebody tell me what that was all about.” I’ve been reading trying to keep up with the Gene Wolfe Solar Cycle Book Club for the last year.  RTTW was the last book.  I put it down and