Nicholas Bruner
Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Young Adult Author
Tag: book reviews
What I’m Reading: Complete Peanuts, 1977-78
The Complete Peanuts is a project to publish every strip of Charles Schulz’s Peanuts, from its inception in 1951 to its final panel in 2000. It’s a gargantuan undertaking, and a new volume covering two years is issued every six months. The project is… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: Complete Peanuts, 1977-78”
What I’m Reading: The Graveyard Book
The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, tells the story of Bod Owens, a boy who is raised in a graveyard. His entire family is killed when he’s a toddler and he himself escapes only by lucky accident. When he wanders into the local cemetery later that night, the… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: The Graveyard Book”
What I’m Reading: Hell Phone
I typically read a few YA or middle grade novels a year, usually when my wife, a YA librarian, finds a book she thinks I’ll find funny. But since my WiP is a scary middle grade novel, I recently asked her to bring some YA horror home. One of… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: Hell Phone”
What I’m Reading: Superparenting for ADD
No, not a comic series, although maybe Superparent would be a good character! Rather, Drs. Edward Hallowell and Peter Jensen have written a book encouraging parents to focus on the strengths of an ADD (that is, a hyperactive) child. For those looking for a general… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: Superparenting for ADD”
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”
