Book reviews ~ Letters to a Young Writer by Colum McCann & Vanishing Act by Thomas Perry

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Here are two book reviews for you, one fiction and one non-fiction. I highly recommend both, depending on what your interests are.

Letters to a Young Writer: Some Practical and Philosophical Advice byColum McCann – this is serious and funny at the same time and the perfect book whether you’re just interested in writing, or you’ve been writing. It’s very encouraging.

Vanishing Act (Jane Whitefield Book 1) by Thomas Perry – this is a suspense novel that does contain a lot of backstory, but the character development and suspense make it worth reading. There are many plot twists in this book that keep you glued to the page. Plus, it’s always best to read the first in a series, even if you skip around with later books.

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Review: Letters to a Young Writer by Colum McCann

Letters to a Young Writer: Some Practical and Philosophical Advice by Colum McCann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First, the title of this book may lead you to believe that this book is for young adults, not so. I believe the term "young writer" refers to a beginning writer, but this book could be read at any age and any stage in your writing journey. In fact, in one chapter he writes, "how old is the young writer? Seventeen, sixty, forty-six - who cares?" So be a brave writing soul and pick up this book, no matter what your age.

This is an excellent book that includes a lot of humor, as well as an abundance of encouragement and hints at what it takes to be a great writer. One of the funniest was the chapter titled: don't be a dick. He addresses the snooty attitude laden writer. The chapter goes deeper and funnier. I laughed out loud when I started the next chapter title: Then again don't be too nice (in your fiction anyway). I haven't written in a long time, but this book did jump start me right back again. Sometimes you need a book like this to give you a good kick in the pants (and encourage and instruct you as well).

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