Category Archives: publishing

The Monday Book: A GONE PECAN by Dusty Thompson

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Okay, so this book is full of typos. And it’s more about being funny and enjoying the moment than pulling a plot together.

So?

It was such a fun read. The characters are so Southern-believable. I first encountered Thompson because of a Virginia Young Leaders speech her gave that is viewable online. I often used it in my speech classes. And one day I looked online to see if he’d speechified anything else, and whaddaya know, Thompson had written a book!

So I contacted him and said I reviewed them, and if he cared to send one…. which he did… about six months later with an apologetic note.

And that’s kind of how the writing goes – fun, not necessarily fast, no necessarily aiming for a goal. Just fun.

Maybe that’s why I liked it so much. Who cares whodunit or why? Just enjoy the ride. These people are so believably over the top. Southerners may get more out of this mystery than other readers, but the humor stretches wider than regional. It’s just, some of these people, well, I worked with them in college….

 

Please remember: there are more places to get self-published books than that A-word. Try Powell’s.

The Monday Book: NIGHT GARDEN by Carrie Mullins

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carrie mullinsI bought this book at the recent Appalachian Studies Association Conference, after a mutual friend introduced me to Carrie and announced it was her publication day. I’m glad I did, as I enjoyed Carrie’s writing. Very descriptive, which is not usually my thing, but the characters are well-drawn, which is.

The protagonist is a teen girl with a dead brother, difficult parents, and a teacher who helps her score substances. So it’s only natural that soon after she should have a boyfriend who edges toward emotionally abusive, and women around her who urge her to understand. The dysfunction here is told in third person but primarily from her point of view as she struggles to believe that Bobo (her boyfriend) loves her, that being pregnant isn’t so bad, that she has a good life. That she can get out.

It’s a story with a lot of detail in how the people live, and a building sense of emotional dread mixed with resignation and strength. You’re not really sure how it’s going to end, and I’m not putting any spoilers in here. If you like Appalachian dysfunction, delicate touches on tough subjects, or descriptive novels, NIGHT GARDEN is for you.