Interconnected book blogging

My posting of my Case Histories review at the Metaxucafe "litblog network" (the quotes are because I can't think of myself as being a "litblogger", sounds too important) has resulted in a comment from David Thayer, who says: "Maxine, if your found CASE HISTORIES disappointing at the end ONE GOOD TURN may disappoint sooner. There is plenty of marvelous prose, some great scenes but not much narrative drive."

And wouldn't you know, a review of One Good Turn has just popped up -- on The Millions blog.  "Where Case Histories was dark and brooding, .........One Good Turn is antic and madcap", writes C. Max Magee. I've already put One Good Turn on my Christmas list and sent said list off up the chimney to Santa Claus (sorry, Debra),  I can't do a product recall, so I'll just have to grin and enjoy the "confection" if it appears under the tree.

While on the topic of Metaxucafe, by the way, the best comment on the tedious OJ book saga is there, by the irrepressible Steve of Sand Storm, whose laconic yet spot-on humour is often to be found in blog comments wherever you go . Thanks for the smile, Steve.

Kimbofo at Reading Matters reviews Christine Falls and gives it 4 stars. She writes of author Benjamin Black (aka John Banville): "he has toned down his usual feats of literary flamboyance: the writing is very immediate and easy to comprehend, so there's no need to keep a dictionary at hand." (I've just discovered that Kimbofo has another blog, Kimbofo, whose template is the very same black template that I applied to Petrona for about 24 hours, until I was forced by reader demand to return to white. I can therefore pop over to Kimbofo every now and again when I am feeling nostalgic -- and those of you who missed Petrona in black can see what you are missing by visiting there too.)

One thing about this lovely big type is that it makes posts very long, so I will stop here and return later to write more in another post if I have the time and energy before I fall asleep.

Comments

[Susan Balée]

Alas, I think David may be right. I still enjoyed _One Good Turn_, but I liked CH better and I *really* didn't like one aspect of the ending of OGT. On the other hand, I did feel it had a great deal of wit and good writing.

And I've reviewed it for Frank though I fear my review suffered from the same problem that dogs Atkinson in it: Wordiness (I need to cut a couple hundred words, sez Frank, and as soon as I'm not on painkillers for a freaked-out tooth, I will). In fact, my husband keeps exclaiming, "This book is good but GOD is it WORDY."

Jeez. Even this post about it is repetitive and wordy. Hmmm. What does it all mean, Maxine????

[Maxine]

Oh, repetitive and wordy, I know about that. When in editor mode, I can slash and burn with the best of them. But when writing a post (or review) I keep telling myself "keep it short, keep it short", and just look at me! (especially with this darn large type. Great for reading, but embarrassing for writing at my kind of ramble).

I do hope your tooth recovers soon. I can tell you from personal experience, having your wisdom tooth pulled is worse pain than childbirth....#

But wordy books, now, an American (north) disease? I am just thinking of Margaret Atwood's latest at more than 600 pages. My god, Oryx and Crake was turge turge turge and I am sure it can't have been anything like 600 pages. (I haven't been able to face another Atwood since. Give me Marge Piercy or Carol Shields or Sue Miller or Anne Tyler in preference any day.)

See, Susan, I am with you on wordiness! My deepest commiserations on that tooth, though.

[Equiano]

I sense regret about the black background, Maxine?! I didn't weigh in on the original debate because (ahem) I'd read you regardless of your background (couldn't resist that - sorry!). My two cents worth? Black looks amazing at a glance and for overall effect, but when you actually get down to reading, any light script on a dark background is heavy going (and I have perfect vision, as yet), especially if you've already spent hours at work on a computer which I suspect many of your readers have. If you're not happy with this version, experiment away...

[Steve Clackson]

Maxine I'm glad you had a chuckle and you are more than welcome!

[Debra Hamel]

I really do like the big type. A relief. One of my favorite templates, by the way, is David Montgomery's: http://www.crimefictionblog.com/

[Maxine]

David Montgomery's blog is tops for content, that's for sure. I haven't really noticed its design but I guess in designer world that's a compliment. If I didn't respect David's content so much I would never have bothered with that women detective authors "bandiage".

Equiano, yes there is something about a dark background that appeals to me. It gives a blog a sort of shivery mystique. I really love my sorely negelected blog "loopholes of retreat" because it is so dark.

Minx, whose blog is very dark, told me once that light type on dark background is the most "accessible" style -- but I think most of my readers disagree. But because of all this blog design business, I've had to upgrade to "nervous nellie" typepad, which lets me have 3 blogs, so I might sneak a black one if I can think of anything to put on it!

Steve-- keep up the laconic humour. Love it!