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drblockbooks's reviews
92 reviews
Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari
5.0
A well written and thought provoking book. I respect that the author is clear when science he is reviewing is disputed. I'd recommend this book to anyone who feels like their attention and ability to focus is slipping. I'd also recommend this book to anyone who uses social media and anyone who has children or is planning to have children.
Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel by Lisa Cron
5.0
For me, this is a 5-star craft book. For others, I'm sure it won't be.
Much of Cron's book is about things you've heard before about story structure and what entices people to keep reading. (On that note, I feel like the subtitle of this book is a bit misleading as there isn't a ton of "brain science" discussed. I was expecting citations to all sorts of fMRI studies and psychological studies, but basically the book is devoid of those things.)
However...
This book contains a method for developing a novel-length story that is new to me. I tend to write with minimal outlining, so Cron's method -- which is a form of outlining, but not what you'd think of as a traditional numbered outline -- was intriguing. The best part is that she includes a case study of an author starting with a basic idea and fleshing it out using her method. I can see the usefulness of Cron's method and intend to apply it on a future book.
So, if you are a writer or want to be one, I recommend reading this book. You may hate it or think it is stupid, but it is important to expose yourself to this technique, which to me seems helpful.
Feel free to comment on this review and let me know what you thought about this book after you read it.
Much of Cron's book is about things you've heard before about story structure and what entices people to keep reading. (On that note, I feel like the subtitle of this book is a bit misleading as there isn't a ton of "brain science" discussed. I was expecting citations to all sorts of fMRI studies and psychological studies, but basically the book is devoid of those things.)
However...
This book contains a method for developing a novel-length story that is new to me. I tend to write with minimal outlining, so Cron's method -- which is a form of outlining, but not what you'd think of as a traditional numbered outline -- was intriguing. The best part is that she includes a case study of an author starting with a basic idea and fleshing it out using her method. I can see the usefulness of Cron's method and intend to apply it on a future book.
So, if you are a writer or want to be one, I recommend reading this book. You may hate it or think it is stupid, but it is important to expose yourself to this technique, which to me seems helpful.
Feel free to comment on this review and let me know what you thought about this book after you read it.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
A short novella about one man's response to discovering a dark secret that everyone around him seems to already know. A good read and masterclass in character development over a very short space. Not much really happens in the world itself during this story; it is almost entirely about the main character's observations and internal struggle.