Nicholas Bruner
Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Young Adult Author
Tag: book reviews
What I’m Reading: Writing the Breakout Novel
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass may be just what I needed at this point in my writing development. Strunk and White’s book was immensely useful long ago, but I’m long past the basic grammar and style advice they provide. Stephen King’s On Writing… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: Writing the Breakout Novel”
What I’m Reading: Conan
The current Conan the Barbarian comic series, put out by Dark Horse, is truly excellent. Bryan Wood, who was known to me previously for his thoroughly researched Northlanders series about Vikings, is the writer. For art, Dark Horse has put together a rotation of top-flight artists,… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: Conan”
What I’m Reading: The Child Who Never Grew
Pearl Buck’s The Child Who Never Grew is about her daughter, Carol, who suffered from mental retardation–developmental disability, I suppose we’d say today– and Buck’s search for an institution to house her once she reached the age of nine. It is also concerned with her inability at first to reconcile… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: The Child Who Never Grew”
What I’m Reading: Dial H for Hero
Dial H for Hero is a comic series written by China Mieville, whose day job is writing, I think, steam-punk novels. I’ve never read one, but maybe I should, judging from the quality of his comic writing. The comic is a revival of a DC… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: Dial H for Hero”
What I’m Reading: Becoming Billie Holiday
I bought this book intending to also get a CD of Billie Holiday’s music to go with it. That was four years ago, and not until recently did I acquire the CD! So, it’s been on my reading pile awhile. Before I started reading… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: Becoming Billie Holiday”
What I’m Reading: Looking for Alaska
Looking for Alaska (2005) is the first book by John Green, who’s become a leading YA author over the past several years. It follows high school junior Miles during his year at a boarding school in a small town in Alabama. He didn’t mind leaving… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: Looking for Alaska”
What I’m Reading: Marvel Comics The Untold Story
Sean Howe has written this extensively researched history of Marvel Comics, from its origins around 1940 as a quick cash-in on a fad by publisher Martin Goodman to the present day. He conducted more than a hundred interviews for the book and read seemingly every fanzine… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: Marvel Comics The Untold Story”
What I’m Reading: Just Write Here’s How
Children’s author Walter Dean Myers has had over 100 books published. He grew up in Harlem and his writing tends to take an inner city perspective, although he’s also written fantasy, non-fiction, and other types of books. This book is basically a description of… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: Just Write Here’s How”
