Friday, January 31, 2014

Staff Selections: Danielle Furr


Hello readers! This year we will be featuring library staff at the beginning of each month to recognize all the hard work they do here. For the month of February our staff selection falls on Danielle Furr.  

Danielle Furr is a circulation assistant at Samuels Public Library


I have been coming to Samuels Library for as long as I can remember. It was always the highlight of the week to come in with my family and fill up bags with new books to read, or old favorites to reread. I love working here now, being on the other side of the desk when families check books out. I also love seeing the same excitement in their eyes that was in mine when coming to the library twenty years ago. To me, libraries are a chance to broaden your horizons and learn new things about the world around you and I feel blessed to have a part in that experience for our patrons.

Favorite genre: SciFi/Fantasy

Favorite authors: J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Jane Austen, Alexandre Dumas, Sir Walter Scott, Michael J. Sullivan, Karen Hancock, Ted Dekker, Merrie Haskell

Currently reading: The Talisman by Sir Walter Scott and Missing Member by Joann Powers

Recently read: The Belgariad by David Eddings, the first two books in the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, and Death at Seaworld: Shamu and the dark side of killer whales in captivity by David Kirby


Favorite classic: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Dracula by Bram Stoker, and Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

All-time favorite books/series: The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings/Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien, Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, Martyr's Song series by Ted Dekker, and the Black Stallion books by Walter Farley

Books I'm looking forward to: The Last Hunt by Bruce Coville (finally the conclusion to the series after over ten years of waiting!)

How do I choose new books to read: Recommendations by other staff members, and books that look interesting as I check them in.

Favorite Poem: She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron and Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats

Favorite Short Story: The Lady or the Tiger? by Frank R. Stockton

Favorite play: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Books vs e-books: I definitely prefer books. I like the weight in my hands and the smell of paper and the sound of turning pages.

Character traits that you like most in a book: I like characters who are willing to adapt to situations and take charge of their own responses and actions, and think for themselves. Also I like underdogs who refuse to give up no matter what gets thrown at them. I have put down books in disgust before because the main character is too whiny or too wrapped up in pleasing someone else.

Favorite aspect of a book: I like the escapism--the chance to use your imagination and go somewhere entirely new and forget about real life for the time that you are immersed in a story.

How much description do you enjoy in a book: It depends on how well done it is and whether or not the plot gets bogged down in descriptions. On the whole, however, I prefer to let my imagination do most of the work and a lot of the time, even if the author does describe characters, I still form my own mental image of how I think they look that is often completely different from how the author described them!



If you like J.R.R. Tolkien as much as Danielle, then here is a read alike guide. This guide, and many like it can be found in our library. Just as at the Adult Reference desk and we will be happy to assist you. 

Click to Enlarge! 


Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Advice from our Local Authors

If you were unable to make the authors fair last week but are still curious as to what went on – don’t fear! Below you can find the answers to questions that audience members asked our esteemed authors, and if you have any of your own leave them in the comments. We may be able to get an answer for you.

All about Publishing
With each book you write you have to be able to think “How should I publish this book?” Should you go independent, commercial, or self-publish?
If you are going to go the self-publishing route then you really have to be able to edit your own work.

All about Marketing
You are responsible for marketing your own book. You (the author) need to be able to nurture your work so it thrives.
Selling a book is very different than writing that book. If you are really going to sell it then you REALLY need to go out there and just do it.
Covers are essential to how a book sells and how they are marketed in stores. Make sure your cover expresses what you want your book to say.

All about Agents
How do you get an agent? Go on an agent’s website and there are usually instructions to follow in order to contact them. The trick is to find the appropriate agent for your genre.
When asked about how she got an agent, Christine Andreae shared her story. “Just by sheer luck… a friend typed it up for me and sent it to a college roommate who just happened to be a big time editor. She didn’t like it, but she thought someone else might. In one year I got 23 rejections from agents, but finally I was able to get my hands on one.”

Fiction writing
Fiction books seem to be harder to get published, so if you are writing in a genre, the trick is to write in a series. That way the selling point is that the audience is already invested in the characters and the trials they have (and will) face.

When you get that contract – What do you do?
Contracts are so exciting, and there is a great temptation to sign it but you really have to read it first. Usually, if there are terms you don’t like then you can negotiate.


And most importantly – ALWAYS COPYRIGHT. 

Thursday, January 23, 2014

How to Write: Helpful books that will assist you in writing

Saturday at Samuels Public Library we will be having our Local Authors Fair. To get you in the mood, here are some books that you might want to pick up while at the fair. Each book below will help you start (or even finish) whatever masterpiece you have been working on.

Maybe you should write a book by Ralph Daigh – Daigh gives all would be writers a kick in the pants to start writing their books. He takes the mystery out of the publishing process and shows you the pertinent steps you need to take in order to get your work into the editors' hands. His sole motivation is to help as well as encourage you to get your book in print. Any excuse that you may have regarding your marital, social or educational status in writing doesn't hold water with this man. Included in this work are profiles of authors he knows that share with you their experiences.

You can write a Mystery by Gillian Roberts - Have you ever thought about writing a mystery, and gave up the idea because you didn’t know where to begin? Now is your chance to write the mystery of your dreams. You Can Write a Mystery, written by Gillian Roberts, author of the Anthony Award-winning Amanda Pepper series, will help you start your mystery, and guide you through to the end. With this book you'll learn how to build your story from the ground up, based on what Roberts calls the "Seven Cs." Examples and exercises will help you complete your story—filled with cliffhangers, intriguing characters and hooks. This book offers practical suggestions for handling problems likely to arise during the writing process.

Writing a Thriller by Andre Jute – Aimed at the new writer, this book shows how perseverance, command of certain learnable techniques and determined practice can enable them to write successful thrillers. It covers choosing the initial theme of the story, the creation of the characters, detailed plotting, research, cutting, rewriting, writer's block and how to find and keep a publisher. This edition has been revised throughout and includes a new chapter on using history in thriller writing. This book demonstrates how to borrow and adapt from history and what conclusions to avoid. Andre Jute has written 19 novels, with nearly 100 editions in English and translations.

Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction by Patricia Highsmith – In this book, she analyzes the key elements of suspense fiction, drawing upon her own experience in four decades as a working writer. She talks about, among other topics; how to develop a complete story from an idea; what makes a plot gripping; the use (and abuse) of coincidence; characterization and the "likeable criminal"; going from first draft to final draft; and writing the suspense short story. Throughout the book, Highsmith illustrates her points with plentiful examples from her own work, and by discussing her own inspirations, false starts, dead ends, successes, and failures, she presents a lively and highly readable picture of the novelist at work.

How to write a book proposal by Michael Larsen – How to Write a Book Proposal is the resource for getting your work published. This newly revised edition of the Writer's Digest Books classic outlines how to create an effective, nonfiction book proposal in a clear, step-by-step manner. Author Michael Larsen also provides insider insights into the publishing industry as well as a plethora of newly updated information. You'll also find complete guidelines to becoming an effective self-promoter.

The Craft of Writing Science Fiction that Sells by Ben Bova – Ben Bova, best-selling author and six-time Hugo Award winner for Best Editor explains step by step all the elements you need to write professionally selling science fiction. Bova was editor of both Analog and Omni magazine, two of the best-ever markets for short fiction, as well as a best-selling novelist -- so nobody knows what sells better than Ben Bova. The book breaks down every aspect of writing and analyzes it in depth, including with complete example short stories that he examines for how they tick. The book targets science fiction in particular since it's one of the hardest genres to write, but his explanations are applicable to fiction of any genre. This is a must-read for anyone trying to break into the professional science fiction writing field.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Poetry by Nikki Moustaki – Discover the poet within! You've read poetry that has touched your heart, and you'd like to improve your own writing technique. But even though you have loads of inspiration, you're discovering that good instruction can be as elusive as a good metaphor. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Poetry will help you compose powerful, emotion-packed poems that you can be proud of. You'll learn simple explanations of poetry building blocks such as metaphor, imagery, symbolism and stanzas; steps to the poetic process; easy-to-follow guidelines for writing sonnets, sestinas, narrative poems and more; fun exercises to help you master the basics of poetry writing; cliches and other poetry pitfalls to avoid; advice on writers' conferences and workshops; tips on getting your poetry published; good poems that will inspire your own work; strategies to beat writer's block.

More books that are similar to this are:
Structuring your Novel by Robert C. Meredith
How to Write a Damn Good Novel, II: Advanced Techniques For Dramatic Storytelling by James N. Frey
How to Enjoy Writing: a book of aid and comfort by Janet Asimov
How to Write a Play by Raymond Hull
Writing for the Joy of it: a guide book for amateurs by Leonard L. Knott  

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Reading Lists - Latin American Fiction and Authors

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende - An orphan raised in Valparaiso, Chile, by a Victorian spinster and her rigid brother, vivacious young Eliza Sommers follows her lover to California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Entering a rough-and-tumble world of new arrivals driven mad by gold fever, Eliza moves in a society of single men and prostitutes with the help of her good friend and savior, the Chinese doctor Tao Chi'en. 

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendía family. Inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad, and alive with unforgettable men and women -- brimming with truth, compassion, and a lyrical magic that strikes the soul -- this novel is a masterpiece in the art of fiction.

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in tum-of-the-century Mexico became a best-selling phenomenon with its winning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho The Alchemist is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with the alchemist.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz Oscar is a sweet but disastrously overweight ghetto nerd who—from the New Jersey home he shares with his old world mother and rebellious sister—dreams of becoming the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien and, most of all, finding love. But Oscar may never get what he wants. Blame the fukú—a curse that has haunted Oscar’s family for generations, following them on their epic journey from Santo Domingo to the USA. Encapsulating Dominican-American history, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao opens our eyes to an astonishing vision of the contemporary American experience and explores the endless human capacity to persevere—and risk it all—in the name of love.

2666 by Roberto Bolano Three academics on the trail of a reclusive German author; a New York reporter on his first Mexican assignment; a widowed philosopher; a police detective in love with an elusive older woman--these are among the searchers drawn to the border city of Santa Teresa, where over the course of a decade hundreds of women have disappeared.

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez It is November 25, 1960, and three beautiful sisters have been found near their wrecked Jeep at the bottom of a 150-foot cliff on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. The official state newspaper reports their deaths as accidental. It does not mention that a fourth sister lives. Nor does it explain that the sisters were among the leading opponents of Gen. Rafael Leonidas Trujillo’s dictatorship. It doesn’t have to. Everybody knows of Las Mariposas—“The Butterflies.”

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver In The Lacuna, Barbara Kingsolver, the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Poisonwood Bible and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, tells the story of Harrison William Shepherd, a man caught between two worlds—an unforgettable protagonist whose search for identity will take readers to the heart of the twentieth century’s most tumultuous events.

The Invisible Mountain by Carolina de Roberts On the first day of the year 1900, a small town deep in the Uruguayan countryside gathers to witness a miracle—the mysterious reappearance Pajarita, a lost infant who will grow up to begin a lineage of fiercely independent women. Her daughter, Eva, a stubborn beauty intent on becoming a poet, overcomes a shattering betrayal to embark on a most unconventional path. And Eva's daughter, Salomé, awakens to both her sensuality and political convictions amid the violent turmoil of the late 1960s. 

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros Told in a series of vignettes – sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous – it is the story of a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. Few other books in our time have touched so many readers.

The Death of Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes As the novel opens, Artemio Cruz, the all-powerful newspaper magnate and land baron, lies confined to his bed and, in dreamlike flashes, recalls the pivotal episodes of his life. Carlos Fuentes manipulates the ensuing kaleidoscope of images with dazzling inventiveness, layering memory upon memory, from Cruz’s heroic campaigns during the Mexican Revolution, through his relentless climb from poverty to wealth, to his uneasy death. Perhaps Fuentes’s masterpiece, The Death of Artemio Cruz is a haunting voyage into the soul of modern Mexico.

The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder "On Friday noon, July the twentieth, 1714, the finest bridge in all Peru broke and precipitated five travelers into the gulf below." With this celebrated sentence Thornton Wilder begins The Bridge of San Luis Rey, one of the towering achievements in American fiction and a novel read throughout the world. By chance, a monk witnesses the tragedy. Brother Juniper then embarks on a quest to prove that it was divine intervention rather than chance that led to the deaths of those who perished in the tragedy. His search leads to his own death -- and to the author's timeless investigation into the nature of love and the meaning of the human condition.


Friday, January 17, 2014

Local Authors Fair Part 2

The Authors Fair is growing closer, so here is a look at more of the people that will be featured. Enjoy, and remember, comments are welcome.


Zita the Spacegirl. Book 1, Far from home by Ben Hatke - Zita's life took a cosmic left turn in the blink of an eye. When her best friend is abducted by an alien doomsday cult, Zita leaps to the rescue and finds herself a stranger on a strange planet. Humanoid chickens and neurotic robots are shocking enough as new experiences go, but Zita is even more surprised to find herself taking on the role of intergalactic hero. Before long, aliens in all shapes and sizes don't even phase her. Neither do ancient prophecies, doomed planets, or even a friendly con man who takes a mysterious interest in Zita's quest.Zita the Spacegirl is a fun, captivating tale of friendship and redemption from Flight veteran Ben Hatke. It also has more whimsical, eye-catching, Miyazaki-esque monsters than you can shake a stick at.


How do you do, Mrs. Wiley? by Missi Magalis - How Do You Do, Mrs. Wiley? is the story of Grace Wiley, a strong and courageous, funny and loveable girl whose parent's marriage ends tragically, causing her to have to go live with her quirky grandmother, Gwen Wiley. Grace and her two best friends, Sadie Cooper and Ollie Clark, are unable to escape the curious guidance of this odd but loving grandmother. This story is packed with heartbreak and humor and will leave the reader missing the characters.



This is an excerpt from one of the poems on Jose Padua’s blog.
“I wonder how different
things would have been,
if instead of calling the first
track on Electric Ladyland,
“And the Gods Made Love,”
Jimi Hendrix had called it,
“And the Dogs Made Love”.”

Can I Just Take a Nap? by Ron Rauss - The newest winner of the General Mills Spoonfuls of Stories contest is a young boy who’s very tired from his busy day, but can’t seem to find enough peace and quiet to fall asleep. Can I Just Take a Nap? is the winner of the 4th annual Cheerios® New Author Contest. Selected from more than 8,000 entries by a team of editors, teachers, librarians, and General Mills staff, Can I Just Take a Nap? will also appear in a bilingual (English/Spanish) mini-paperback edition in 3 million specially marked boxes of Cheerios.


  
The Christmas Truce by William Shifflett - Tommy Howell loves Christmas invitations. But this year the celebration is threatened by a dreaded invitation to a place filled with memories of deception and pain. Recollections provoked by the invitation inflame the anger he's successfully avoided for years. It's the last place on earth he intends to go for Christmas, and he resolves to decline the invitation.
But something gets in his way: his children. He must confront his painful memories, a dark secret known only to himself, and the man behind it all.
Can he find the strength to forgive? Will he carry angry resentment the rest of his life or will this season of peace bring a Christmas Truce?


Wolf Pie by Brenda Seabrooke - These are the Pygg brothers: James, Marvin, and Lester. And when they get a visit from a wolf named Wilfong, what you think is going to happen doesn’t. And what you think couldn’t possibly happen actually might. But one thing that will definitely happen is that everyone is going to learn how to make wolf pie—and you know what the main ingredient in that is, right? (It’s probably not what you’re thinking.)





 Bloodroot Cantons: An Alternative Story of Virginia and the Blue Ridge by Larry Lamar Yates - In 1729, enslaved Africans made a well-planned, well-equipped flight from eastern Virginia to the Shenandoah Valley. Their brave effort, history records, ultimately failed. But in Bloodroot Cantons, history takes a different turn. The escaped Africans meet a Shawnee band, whose own ugly history with whites makes for an alliance that defeats the pursuing slavecatchers. The two linked communities create a refuge from British colonial power for native people and for the enslaved. Then call of justice, good farmland, and dissatisfaction with increasingly ungodly Pennsylvania, bring in a third group – Anabaptists and Quakers



The Authors Fair will be held at Samuels Public Library on Saturday, January 25th from 1-4 p.m. 

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Local Authors Fair

So do you want to publish a book, but don’t know how to go get started? Are you writing a book and have hit a wall? Or, are you like me and have so many ideas that you don’t even know what to do with yourself? Well… Did you know that Samuels Public Library is having a local authors fair on Saturday January 25, from 1-4 p.m.? Come and meet people who have struggled and succeeded in the endeavor of writing a book!

Here is just a small sample of the author’s books that will be at the fair, more will be added shortly.

Smoke Eaters by Christine Andreae – Three years after qualifying for high command in the Forest Service, Mattie McCulloch is finally assigned to her first big fire. She is the first woman to hold tbe job. Under her are seventeen hundred troops and an operation that costs one million dollars a day to run. Mattie is put in charge of the fire after the camp is plagued with racial troubles, but that is only the beginning of her problems. Her son Jim is stationed at Justice, and she is torn between motherly concern and her duties as commander. Mattie also has to deal with subordinates who do not want her in charge and a group af nudists who do not want any firefighters on their land. As the tension of the firefight heightens, readers also learn that there is a psychopath on the loose. In his diary he writes about the games he likes to play with fire, and the amount of rage he displays toward women is frightening. Soon he begins to focus on Mattie with obscene and threatening messages.

1,000 to 1! : claiming, breeding and racing thoroughbreds on a shoestring-and beating the odds by Malcolm Barr1,000 to 1" is an anecdotal story about the varied people--from a cabinet officer to a bell captain--who have owned inexpensive horses with the Hampshire partnerships, the people who have trained and cared for the horses, and the horses themselves. This is not a "how to" book since, during our 17 years in the business, despite business plans and racing plans and breeding plans, and, you name it, any other plans, the dynamics constantly changed, and we changed with them. Racing and breeding thoroughbreds always seem to us to be a seat of the pants enterprise, with change being a constant. It is a story about how to spin a $2,500 share into a two-year ownership involving three, four, and sometimes five cheap race horses who, somehow or other, managed to reach the winner's circle a phenomenal 20% of the time over a 17-year period, some years twice that often. It is a story of how a group of novices stumbled into breeding thoroughbreds successfully, accomplishing the near impossible--that is, seeing all the foals they sent to the races wind up in the winner's circle! It is also a story of blind faith, faith in our trainers, in our animals, and in our jockeys who give their best for our entertainment in what can be, and often is, the world's most dangerous sport.

The courageous follower : standing up to & for our leaders by Ira Chaleff – For every leader it is necessary to have followers who work closely with them to achieve their goals. The Courageous Follower gives followers the insights and tools needed to effectively partner with their leaders. The results it offers are nothing less than highly satisfying and productive working relationships, organizations that are saved from the consequences of serious missteps by leaders, and leaders whose careers are saved by honest and effective feedback from those who know them best. The third edition has a new chapter on what people can do when they don't have direct access to a leader, when orders that come down to them through a hierarchy seem ill-advised -- a skill whose need has been thrown into high relief by the recent failures of economic leaders.

Rapunzel let down : a fairy tale retold by Regina Doman – Hermes McCaffrey is sick and tired of sharing his life with his father’s political career and his overbearing older brothers. So during his family’s vacation in New England, when he meets Raphaela, a lovely and brilliant girl dreaming in a hidden tower, is it surprising that he wants her all to himself? But visiting Raphaela is dangerous, and not just because of her mother’s paranoia about strangers or her estate’s sinister caretaker. When Hermes decides to go too far, the results are devastating for Raphaela ... and for Hermes as well.
What happens when falling in love means falling into deep sin?



Demystifying Mysticism Gratitude As Gift by Robert Colacurio – Jesus gave the key to the Kingdom and to life more abundant when he gave us the example of children. This book explores the idea that people are most themselves when they achieve the seriousness of children at play. When folks are most themselves, they naturally experience the beginnings of mystic perception. The demystifi cation of mysticism starts as simply as the focused attention of children at play, and takes small steps that, slowly but surely, lead to a life changing relationship with the Divine and the entire universe. Although this book is not intended to be a how-to manual, it nevertheless brings the demystifi cation of mysticism down to daily experiences that can be practiced by anyone. Mystic perception just penetrates beyond their surface appearances. Once even the fundamentals of mystic perception become clarifi ed in practice, sacred space opens up as one s natural environment. Within the environment of sacred space, gratitude as a gift giving exchange becomes the natural relationship one comes to enjoy with the entire universe.

The Lost Tribe of Us by Heather Davis –In The Lost Tribe of Us, Heather Davis offers her readers vivid, occasionally comic, more often gut-wrenching poems that, in the first part of the book, engage with the lives of members of a large family-all the vulnerabilities and pathos of poverty: repossessed cars, joblessness, leaky roofs, too small houses, second-hand clothing and teen-age pregnancy. Later, the scope of the poems widens to include aspects of the world at large: war, terrorism, rape, imprisonment, incest, mental illness, much of what troubled flesh is heir to. But to say simply that the poems are about big subjects that really matter is not to do them justice. They are invariably characterized by exquisite formal control, the always lovely deployment of language that is a delight to the eye and ear. The Lost Tribe of Us, is a wonderful first book by an exceptionally gifted poet.

Stonewall Jackson and Winchester, Virginia by Jerry Holsworth – The relationship between Stonewall Jackson and the town of Winchester, Virginia, began in June 1861 and lasted until his untimely death on May 10, 1863. Jackson's values and beliefs reflected sentiments of the vast majority of the people of the Shenandoah Valley. This, coupled with his spectacular successes on the battlefield, endeared Jackson to the people of Winchester, helping to form a remarkable bond between the general and the townspeople that is still remembered today. Local historian Jerry Holsworth chronicles the relationship between Jackson and the soldiers and townspeople of Winchester with information gathered from diaries, letters, journals and newspaper articles. Holsworth also recounts stories of the 1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign, the battles that forever cemented Jackson's place in Winchester history


Washington, DC : a photographic portrait by Jake McGuire – This photographic portrait is a celebration of Washington, DC, the capital city of the world's greatest democracy. Jake McGuire has not only captured the famous "post card" vies of this great city, he has captured its many moods and seasons. Enjoy our nation's capital, a city with no equal in the world.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Staff Selections: Michal Ashby

Hello readers! This year we will be featuring library staff at the beginning of each month to recognize all the hard work they do here. This month our staff selection falls on Michal Ashby. 

Michal Ashby is the Children’s librarian at Samuels Public Library

As the head of the youth services department for the past 7 years I have had the pleasure of watching the children in this community grow. It has been so rewarding to watch them grow from story time children to independent readers who love the library! This library means so much to me; in truth it feels like my second home. Last year when I had my first child, I received a tremendous amount of warmth and support from both parents and staff!  I am so grateful to be part of such a wonderful community!

Favorite genre: Historical Fiction

Favorite authors: Rosalind Laker, Jean Plaidy, Isak Dinesen, F.G Cottam, Frances Mayes, Anais Nin, Jane Austen, Roald Dahl, Mary Downing Hahn, Carrie Ryan, Holly Black, Charles Higson, Kate Mosse, Mandy Aftel

Favorite classic: Pride and Prejudice

Favorite poems: Lola Ridge "New Orleans" and "Patterns" by Amy Lowell

Favorite plays: Glass Menagerie (T.Williams) and Death of a Salesman (A. Miller)

If you could ask your favorite author a question, what would you ask? I would ask Isak Dinesen about the most important thing she learned from her life… and if she had a piece of advice...what would it be?

Like the same authors as Michal? Want to read similar authors or genre of books? Try the Literature Map! It’s a free tool on the internet that allows readers to type in any author and it generates other authors who have a similar writing style! Neat, right?