Author: Anita Miller
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BOOK GROUPIE: ‘Changes’ can break genre rut
One of the great pleasures of working on my Master of Fine Arts in writing popular fiction is that I’m required to read books in a variety of genres. The requirement breaks me away from my go-to mysteries and thriller genres, and often leaves me happily surprised.This semester, my MFA’s all-program read is Jim Butcher’s…
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BOOK GROUPIE: Honest, Pythagorean math makes good reading
Back in high school geometry class, I learned the Pythagorean Theorem, a2 + b2= c2. As a teenager, I would’ve bet I’d never enjoy a novel based on Pythagoras, the Greek mathematician for whom the theorem is named. And I would’ve lost that bet. Kevin Guilfoile’s “The Thousand” fuses Pythagorean mathematics, as well as science,…
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BOOK GROUPIE: A physical reaction to ‘Freedom’
I experienced a real physical reaction while reading Jonathan Franzen’s “Freedom.” After a couple hours with the novel, my cheeks grew hot and my ears took on a fiery red color. I became agitated and frustrated by the bad turns the characters’ lives took, characters who are basically good people. I sat with the book…
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BOOK GROUPIE: de Rosnay book a good choice
My husband went to the library recently and chose a book for me to read. Normally, he’d have as much luck choosing a book I’d enjoy as he would a swimsuit I’d wear. But this time luck was with us, and Tatiana de Rosnay’s “A Secret Kept” was a good fit. The book begins with…
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BOOK GROUPIE: Authors appreciate good books
Most of us are lucky enough to know people we can depend on, people we can trust for good, solid advice. When it comes to book recommendations, I often read the blurbs on book jackets. If I read a blurb from an author I enjoy reading, I trust the book they’re praising is also one…
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BOOK GROUPIE: Another thumbs-up for Jeannette Walls
Some time ago I featured Jeannette Walls’ “The Glass Castle” in this column. “The Glass Castle” is the most moving memoir I’ve ever read, and I wasn’t the only one affected by it. Shortly after the column published, I received numerous emails from readers who were also touched by the book. Memorable characters abound in…
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BOOK GROUPIE: Encourage kids to battle — with books
NOTE: Pikes Peak Library District does not have displays of books for the national America’s Battle of the Books. Area school districts have their own competitions. If your school doesn’t participate in an annual America’s Battle of the Books competition, please contact the school’s administration and find out why. If it’s due to a lack…
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BOOK GROUPIE: Suspend disbelief and enjoy Maberry
I’m working on my Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction. I enjoy the program for many reasons, but mostly because it requires a lot of reading. And while each student in the program has a particular writing emphasis — mine is the middle-grade genre — we’re required to read from a variety of…
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BOOK GROUPIE: Rediscovering ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’
I usually read several novels per week. I am a fast reader who loves books, so that’s not a challenge for me. For the past two weeks, however, I’ve read almost exclusively from one book and I’m still not done with it. Never before have I recommended a book I’ve not finished, but as I…
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BOOK GROUPIE: My ‘Harry Potter’ family
Every decade or so, a book or series comes along that truly affects lives. Most often these are poignant reflections of real times in history. I’m thinking of classics like “The Grapes of Wrath” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.”Certainly my family is well-read. My children have listened to and read more books than any other…