***** The Perks of Being a Wallflower Author: Stephen Chbosky First Edition: 1999 Original language: English Summary: Written in the form of letters to an anonymous “dear friend,” The Perks of Being a Wallflower recounts a young boy’s freshman year in high school in 1991-1992. Charlie is a sensitive boy, intelligent, with a “normal” […]
Tag Archives: fiction
Tell No One, Harlan Coben
posted by lasesana
** Tell No One: A Novel Author: Harlan Coben First Edition: 2000 Original language: English Awards: Barry Award Nominee for Best Novel (2002), Macavity Award Nominee for Best Mystery Novel (2002), Anthony Award Nominee for Best Novel (2002), Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2008) Summary: Dr. David Beck is still suffering from the murder of […]
Top Ten Books Read In 2012
posted by lasesana
WASHINGTON DC, December 28, 2012- I read a few books this year. I don’t know how many exactly, but probably not as many as I would have liked. I did read Fall of Giants, Shogun, and Tai Pan– all really long novels. It was a little difficult to pick my favorites, and since I have […]
December
07
10 Disturbing Novels
posted by lasesana
From my column in the Washington Times Communities WASHINGTON, DC, December 6, 2012- You know that book that you simply cannot put down? The one that you keep thinking about when you do put it down and way after you’ve finished reading it? The one that makes you just a little bit uncomfortable when you think […]
We Need to Talk About Kevin, Lionel Shriver
posted by lasesana
**** We Need to Talk About Kevin Author: Lionel Shriver First Edition: 2003 Original language: English Awards: 2005 Orange Prize for Fiction Summary: We Need to Talk About Kevin is an epistolary novel, written as letters from Eva Katchadourian to her husband Franklin in the wake of their son’s killing 11 people at his school. […]
Tai-Pan, James Clavell
posted by lasesana
****1/2 Tai-Pan (Asian Saga #2) Author: James Clavell First Edition: Atheneum, 1966 Original language: English Summary: The novel opens with the British seizure of Hong Kong after the first Opium War. Long and sweeping, covering the lives of many characters, the book focuses on Dirk Struan, the Tai-Pan, the most powerful trader in Asia and […]
King Rat, James Clavell
posted by lasesana
***** King Rat Asian Saga #1 Author: James Clavell First Edition: Marin Joseph, 1962 Original language: English Summary: King Rat follows the lives of the POWs at Changi Prison, in Singapore, during the last weeks of WWII. Clavell was himself a POW at Changi, and the story retells his experience. The story is mostly told […]
November
15
Savages, Don Winslow
posted by lasesana
*** Savages Author: Don Winslow First Edition: Simon & Schuster, 2010 Original language: English Awards: Barry Award Nominee for Best Novel (2011), Dilys Award Nominee (2011) Summary: Savages follows a few days in the life of Ben, Chon (formerly John), and O (short for Ophelia). Selling the best stuff on the market, Ben and Chon […]
The Art of Fielding, Chad Harbach
posted by lasesana
**** ½ The Art of Fielding Author: Chad Harbach First Edition: Back Bay Books, 2011 Original language: English Summary: Harbach’s novel deals with the life of Henry Skrimshander at Westish College. Henry, in his senior year of high school and with no prospects for college, is spotted by Mike Schwartz, who sees Henry’s potential right […]
October
28
Writing a Novel Using the Snowflake Method
posted by lasesana
There are several versions of the Snowflake Method to writing a novel. My personal favorite is Randy Ingermanson’s version on his website, AdvancedFictionWriting.com. I strongly suggest reading Ingermanson’s page on the Snowflake Method if you are about to put it into practice. I based my version largely on Ingermanson’s, but being a visual learner and […]
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