Elizabeth Laird
Crackers
Some writers stun me with the range of stories they write. Elizabeth Laird, for instance. Look at just the stories I’ve read by her: And now, Crackers, which is completely different from anything else…
Secret Friends
I love Elizabeth Laird. And Secret Friends was another beautiful read, a heartbreaking story about wanting to fit in, but never quite managing it. Lucy is the first to tease Rafaella, and this is…
Top Six Young Adult Books I Read in 2020
Top Six Young Adult Books I Read in 2020
I’ve already shared two lists of books, but I think it’s important to say – again – that reading levels differ widely, and in multiple ways. For instance, I know that as a child,…
Welcome to Nowhere
When I read books like Welcome to Nowhere, part of me reads with a sinking heart for I realise that I don’t have the courage to tell stories like this. Yes, I do know…
Top Ten: Young Adult Books in 2018
Top Ten: Young Adult Books in 2018
There’s so much happening in the world of Young Adult books! Some people may classify a few of these books as MG rather than YA, but again, I put forth the usual disclaimer –…
Paradise End
Especially when I’m struggling with my writing, I find myself wondering all kinds of things. What makes a good book? What keeps me reading? When do I roll my eyes at melodrama, and when…
The Witching Hour
Seventeenth century Scotland. The Presbyterians are convinced that the word of God is not equivalent to the word of King Charles, sitting far away in England. The Black Cuffs are everywhere, rounding up suspected Presbyterians because…
Oranges in No Man’s Land
I find that so may writers seem to have a compulsion to write long, complex, layered work. So many new books are thick paperbacks, full of things happening on every page. Oranges in No…
