May 2012
6 posts
6 tags
REVIEW: "Ordinary Thunderstorms" by William Boyd
Link: amzn.to/KZKx9k
Grade: D+
L/C Ratio: 60/40 (This means I estimate the author devoted 60% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 40% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 35% - Escape from society 30% - Drug company drama 20% - Tour of London 15% - Intimate relationships
Boyd’s novel begins with an intriguing bang. The main...
8 tags
INDIE REVIEW: "Chill Run" by Russell Brooks
Link: amzn.to/JlGLuF
Grade: B
L/C Ratio: 20/80 (This means I estimate the author devoted 20% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 80% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 45% - Action thriller 35% - Corporate corruption 20% - Life of a struggling writer
Canada is a freaky place. Or at least that’s how it’s portrayed in...
6 tags
REVIEW: "The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had...
Link: amzn.to/JFx8nN
Grade: C-
L/C Ratio: 30/70 (This means I estimate the author devoted 30% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 70% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 40% - Surviving high school 25% - Sci-fi 25% - Friendship 10% - Adolescent romance
Employing first-person narrators is a risky endeavor. If the reader fails to connect with...
6 tags
REVIEW: "The Lost Men" by David A. Colon
Link: amzn.to/H3hep9
Grade: B
L/C Ratio: 80/20 (This means I estimate the author devoted 80% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 20% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 40% - Philosophy 30% - Post-Apocolypse 20% - Love 10% - Religion
Some passages in Colon’s debut read like biblical verses, and others sound like they were pulled from...
6 tags
REVIEW: "Freedom (TM)" by Daniel Suarez
Link: amzn.to/w66fyx
Grade: D+
L/C Ratio: 20/80 (This means I estimate the author devoted 20% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 80% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 30% - Destruction of civilization 30% - Technology 20% - Action thriller 20% - Science Fiction
As a hater of big books, nothing annoys me more than when an author spoils a...
6 tags
REVIEW: "From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy...
Link: amzn.to/JJByc3
Grade: B+
L/C Ratio: 40/60 (This means I estimate the author devoted 40% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 60% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 30% - Life of a detainee 25% - NYC fashion industry 20% - Humor 20% - Relationships 5% - Politics
I don’t typically consider suspected terrorists to be a source of...
April 2012
4 posts
6 tags
REVIEW: "The Unnamed" by Joshua Ferris
Link: amzn.to/I6ZYyI
Grade: A-
L/C Ratio: 70/30 (This means I estimate the author devoted 70% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 30% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 40% - Psychological illness 30% - Marriage 15% - Law firms 15% - Parenthood
Ferris’ 2007 debut, Then We Came to the End, examined the conscience of the modern day...
7 tags
INDIE REVIEW: "A Life Transparent" by Todd...
Link: amzn.to/z61sVU
Grade: B+
L/C Ratio: 40/60 (This means I estimate the author devoted 40% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 60% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 40% - Speculative fiction 40% - Sci-fi 10% - Brotherhood 10% - Marriage
Science fiction novels intimidate me because I worry my imagination may not be vibrant enough to...
6 tags
REVIEW: "The Bullpen Gospels" by Dirk Hayhurst
Link: amzn.to/HBlwCO
Grade: D
L/C Ratio: 10/90 (This means I estimate the author devoted 10% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 90% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 60% - Baseball 30% - Shenanigans 10% - Dysfunctional family
In search of something to get me in the mood for Opening Day, I picked up Hayhurst’s 2010 baseball memoir,...
6 tags
REVIEW: "The Snow Child" by Eowyn Ivey
Link: amzn.to/H9LsSJ
Grade: B
L/C Ratio: 80/20 (This means I estimate the author devoted 80% of her effort to creating a literary work of art and 20% of her effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 40% - Family dynamics 40% - Rural life 20% - Magic
The strength of Eowyn Ivey’s debut novel is its balance. Each time the voice and thoughts of Mabel, the...
March 2012
7 posts
7 tags
Support "Train Wreck" in the Amazon Breakthrough...
As I announced last week, Train Wreck has advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest.
You can check out all of the other quarterfinalists here and even read a sample from each book.
To help Train Wreck stand out from the competition, please take a minute to go to the “General Literature” section, click on my book, and download the free sample to your...
6 tags
REVIEW: "Skippy Dies" by Paul Murray
Link: amzn.to/H7jY0t
Grade: A
L/C Ratio: 60/40 (This means I estimate the author devoted 60% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 40% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 30% - Growing up 20% - Relationships 15% - Corrupt educators 15% - Humor 10% - World history 10% - The physics of the universe
Skippy Dies was published back in 2010, and...
5 tags
Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Update #2
Time for some more book bragging! Today, Train Wreck advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel competition.
That means it was selected as one of the top 250 entries in the general fiction category. You can check out the list of all the winners here.
Amazon is supposed to be posting excerpts of all the quarterfinalists soon, so I’ll post another update when that is...
7 tags
REVIEW: "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
Link: amzn.to/xDilxr
Grade: B
L/C Ratio: 10/90 (This means I estimate the author devoted 10% of her effort to creating a literary work of art and 90% of her effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 40% - Hunting for humans 30% - Coming of age 20% - Young love 10% - Oppressive government
No, this does not mean I have joined the world of young adult fiction. My decision...
6 tags
REVIEW: "The Ask" by Sam Lipsyte
Link: amzn.to/zXTNrd
Grade: F
L/C Ratio: 65/35 (This means I estimate the author devoted 65% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 35% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 30% - Collapse of American life 20% - Failing relationships 15% - Parenthood 15% - Comedy 10% - Office politics 10% - Visual arts
I can’t remember ever being this...
6 tags
REVIEW: "How It All Began" by Penelope Lively
Link: amzn.to/w4CX2M
Grade: B+
L/C Ratio: 60/40 (This means I estimate the author devoted 60% of her effort to creating a literary work of art and 40% of her effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 30% - Aging 30% - Relationships 20% - Literature & language 20% - Comedy
Without amassing an unwieldy page count, Penelope Lively manages to create a colorful cast of...
7 tags
Train Wreck Sale Alert!
You can now grab a copy of my debut novel, Train Wreck, in ebook format for just $2.99 or paperback for only $9.99.
It’s available from the following online locations:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo Store
Smashwords
February 2012
10 posts
6 tags
REVIEW: "Bite Me: A Love Story" by Christopher...
Link: amzn.to/ArcKxD
Grade: C+
L/C Ratio: 5/95 (This means I estimate the author devoted 5% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 95% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 50% - Vampires 50% - Comedy
Christopher Moore certainly has no trouble finding a literary voice in his writing. His characters are outrageous, and as a reader, you never...
5 tags
Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Update
I found out today that my debut novel, Train Wreck, has advanced to the second round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel competition!
That means it was selected as one of the top 1,000 entries in the general fiction category, and I’ll be receiving a book review from the Amazon editorial staff. Pretty cool, huh? You can check out the list of all the titles in the second round here.
The contest...
7 tags
GUEST REVIEW: "How I Became a Famous Novelist" by...
(This is a guest review by Heather. To submit your own, use the button in the column to the right.)
Link: amzn.to/yHmMDW
Grade: B+
L/C Ratio: 30/70 (This means Heather estimates the author devoted 30% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 70% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 50% - Writing 30% - Humor 10% - Revenge 10% - Food
Although...
6 tags
REVIEW: "Reamde" by Neal Stephenson
Link: amzn.to/z38Yih
Grade: D+
L/C Ratio: 10/90 (This means I estimate the author devoted 10% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 90% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 40% - International thriller 30% - Video gaming 20% - Lessons in kidnapping 10% - Terrorism
I’m beginning to think my aversion towards extremely long books is...
6 tags
Train Wreck now on sale at RiverRun Bookstore
I’ve got some exciting book news to share: my debut novel, Train Wreck, is now in stock at the RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth, NH!
RiverRun is an independent bookshop that does a great job supporting local self-published authors. They just reopened in a beautiful new Portsmouth location. For more information, check out their blog or follow them on Twitter.
6 tags
GUEST REVIEW: "One Day" by David Nicholls
(This is a guest review by Heather. To submit your own, use the button in the column to the right.)
Link: amzn.to/y6E09Z
Grade: C+
L/C Ratio: 60/40 (This means Heather estimates the author devoted 60% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 40% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 60% - Relationships 30% - Finding yourself 10% - Alcohol
I knew...
6 tags
REVIEW: "Star Island" by Carl Hiaasen
Link: amzn.to/wTCaOL
Grade: C+
L/C Ratio: 10/90 (This means I estimate the author devoted 10% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 90% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 40% - Celebrity culture 30% - PR crisis management 25% - Humor 5% - Environmental action
It’s tough to write funny, but Carl Hiaasen has found a pretty reliable...
6 tags
Don't be afraid of a self-publishing bubble
According to novelist Ewan Morrison, the outlook for self-published authors is growing bleaker by the day. We’re heading towards a bubble, he claims, which will mimic other market collapses in the history of our fickle economy.
Like the dotcom bubble, the commercial real estate bubble, the subprime mortgage bubble, the credit bubble and the derivative trading bubble before it, the DIY...
6 tags
REVIEW: "The Angel Esmeralda" by Don DeLillo
Link: amzn.to/ypehPF
Grade: B-
L/C Ratio: 80/20 (This means I estimate the author devoted 80% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 20% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 40% - Cultural exploration 30% - Investigation of the human condition 30% - Crumbling of society
When people ask about my favorite authors, Don DeLillo is always on the...
6 tags
GUEST REVIEW: "Into the Forest" by Jean Hegland
(This is a guest review by Heather. To submit your own, use the button in the column to the right.)
Link: amzn.to/w3X3hH
Grade: A-
L/C Ratio: 70/30 (This means Heather estimates the author devoted 70% of her effort to creating a literary work of art and 30% of her effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 40% - Family 30% - Coming of age 20% - Nature 10% - Apocalyptic
...
6 tags
REVIEW: "How Lucky You Can Be" by Buster Olney
Link: amzn.to/ADylNS
Grade: C-
L/C Ratio: 40/60 (This means I estimate the author devoted 40% of his effort to creating a non-fiction work of art and 60% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 40% - Overcoming tragedy 30% - Coaching 20% - Basketball 10% - Midwest community spirit
I consider Buster Olney to be one of the top sports reporters in America, so when...
January 2012
14 posts
6 tags
GUEST REVIEW: "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by...
(This is a guest review by Heather. To submit your own, use the button in the column to the right.)
Link: amzn.to/y8S8aX
Grade: B
L/C Ratio: 40/60 (This means Heather estimates the author devoted 40% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 60% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 50% - Family dynamics 30% - Auto racing 10% - Terminal illness 10%...
6 tags
REVIEW: "The Snowman" by Jo Nesbo
Link: amzn.to/x7uoi1
Grade: C
L/C Ratio: 20/80 (This means I estimate the author devoted 20% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 80% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 50% - Detective mystery 30% - Action/Adventure 10% - Horror 10% - Romance
I don’t know what is wrong with me. This is twice in a row I’ve broken my own rule and...
8 tags
The story behind the paperback edition of Train...
In case you haven’t heard, my debut novel is now available in paperback and on sale at Amazon. With the self-publishing community growing so feverishly, I thought I’d share the experience of printing my first book.
I released Train Wreck as an ebook in September of last year, and the question I got more than any was: “When will it be available in paperback?” I told people...
6 tags
GUEST REVIEW: "The Lace Reader" by Brunonia Barry
(This is a guest review by Heather. To submit your own, use the button in the column to the right.)
Link: amzn.to/wXTEMf
Grade: B-
L/C Ratio: 60/40 (This means Heather estimates the author devoted 60% of her effort to creating a literary work of art and 40% of her effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 40% - Dysfunctional family relationships 30% - Supernatural 30%...
5 tags
Train Wreck now available in PAPERBACK!
I am beyond excited to announce that Train Wreck is now available IN PAPERBACK! That’s right – real, physical paper.
You can get it at Amazon right now for the low price of $12.99 – amzn.com/1468177206
And for those of you with Amazon Prime, Train Wreck can be on your bookshelf in just two days with free shipping.
If by some chance you are interested in purchasing five or more copies, contact...
6 tags
REVIEW: "One of Our Thursdays Is Missing" by...
Link: amzn.to/yJv3RL
Grade: A-
L/C Ratio: 50/50 (This means I estimate the author devoted 50% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 50% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 50% - Epic literary fantasy 30% - Detective mystery 20% - Satire of the publishing industry
As a rule, I do not dabble in book series. This is partly because they tend to...
6 tags
GUEST REVIEW: "The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift...
(This is a guest review by Heather. To submit your own, use the button in the column to the right.)
Link: amzn.to/zevzBL
Grade: B+
L/C Ratio: 40/60 (This means Heather estimates the author devoted 40% of his effort to creating a nonfiction work of art and 60% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 50% - Humor 30% - Travel 10% - Politics 10% - Romance
I wasn’t...
4 tags
New site features: Ask Box & Guest Reviews
I wanted to introduce two new features to the site that will hopefully make it a little more interactive.
The “Ask Bennett” button in the right column lets you send a quick question to me (either as yourself or anonymously). You can use this to ask me about my book reviews, my writing or whatever else you want. Also use this button if you have a book you think I should review.
In...
6 tags
REVIEW: "11/22/63" by Stephen King
Link: amzn.to/wc3seE
Grade: C-
L/C Ratio: 20/80 (This means I estimate the author devoted 20% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 80% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 50% - Sappy love story 25% - Time travel 15% - Cultural inspection 10% - US history
I want to make it clear up front that I am a Stephen King novice. Prior to 11/22/63, the...
9 tags
Train Wreck now available on Smashwords →
For those who don’t own a Kindle or Nook, you can now purchase my debut novel through Smashwords. Just download the EPUB or PDF version and then transfer it to your Kobo, Sony Reader or other ebook device.
And thanks to the Smashwords distribution network, Train Wreck will soon be available in the Kobo Store, the Apple iBookstore and the Sony Reader Store. I’ll post the details as...
6 tags
REVIEW: "We The Animals" by Justin Torres
Link: amzn.to/rKabg0
Grade: C+
L/C Ratio: 80/20 (This means I estimate the author devoted 80% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 20% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown: 40% - Dysfunctional family relationships 30% - Reality of poverty 20% - Coming of age 10% - Brotherhood bonding
I imagine there is an early draft of We The Animals that...
5 tags
A new approach to book reviews
Book reviews annoy me. I look to them for recommendations of what to read and what to stay away from, but instead I usually get seven paragraphs of plot regurgitation and a couple sentences about the author’s writing style. So basically, it’s Sparknotes for grownups garnished with some generic criticism. Blah!
I plan to post more frequently on this blog, and part of that effort will...
9 tags
Bennett's Tech Tips for 2012
In the second half of last year, I stopped blogging about technology on a regular basis and spent more time focusing on other writing projects. I know it was hard on all of you. Computers and the Internet are scary things, and you probably feel lost right now.
To help get you back on track, here are five tips geared towards embracing technology in the new year. And don’t forget to follow...
December 2011
2 posts
5 tags
Bennett's List of the Best Books of 2011
I consumed over 30 books in 2011 (my second year as a Kindle owner). But at the end of October, I started to panic. The year was almost over, and I had yet to read something that I felt deserved a five-star rating. Looking over my finished reading list, I noticed the problem. I wasn’t being strict enough when choosing books. My Amazon shopping cart was growing out of control because I had a...
8 tags
Check out Train Wreck on Book Riot →
I’m running an advertising campaign for my debut novel, Train Wreck, on Book Riot right now. Book Riot is a fun book blog for readers and writers, and the folks over there post a lot of great content on the current literary scene.
September 2011
1 post
8 tags
TRAIN WRECK now available on Kindle & Nook
My first novel, TRAIN WRECK, is available today as an ebook on the Kindle and Nook platforms.
To check out the Kindle version, go here: http://amzn.com/B005KDD3TC
To check out the Nook version, go here: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1105281380
Don’t worry if you don’t own an e-reader. Thanks to the Kindle & Nook apps, you can download and read TRAIN WRECK on almost any...
August 2011
1 post
9 tags
Why hasn't Apple killed desktop icons yet?
Mac OS X Lion is a couple weeks old, and although I’m still a tad skeptical about the blending of the iPad and Mac operating systems, I’m trying my best to embrace the changes and new features.
But there’s one change that seems obvious to me, and I’m confused as to why Apple declined to make the switch in Lion.
I’m talking about the desktop.
Since the birth of...
June 2011
2 posts
10 tags
Recapping the 2011 WWDC keynote
I demanded titillation, and Apple delivered. Let’s jump right into the highlights of Monday’s keynote announcement.
iOS 5 stole the show. The look of the new notification system blew me away, and I love that Apple will be making the lock screen useful with widgets.
Lion is enroute. The next version of Mac OS X was the only software product Apple discussed on Monday that will be...
10 tags
This week will be one giant Apple orgasm
Don’t be upset. I know it’s June and you were certain Apple was going to announce an iPhone 5 this month (even though I warned you three months ago that it wasn’t gonna happen). But really – don’t be upset. Apple’s developer conference, known as WWDC, kicks off tomorrow with a Steve Jobs’ keynote presentation that is guaranteed to titillate the tech world.
...
May 2011
14 posts
5 tags
One day you will yell at your cell phone to charge...
The biggest drawback to almost every smartphone on the market these days is battery life. Heavy mobile users are lucky if they can get through an entire day without having to plug in to an outlet.
But according to a group of Korean researchers, there may someday be alternative methods for charging electronics. They’ve been focused on one method that is extra alternative: noise. These...
6 tags
Could canceled TV shows be rescued by Netflix?
Peter Kafka over at All Things Digital thinks Netflix might get into the business of saving television shows that are axed by major networks. And in this blog post, he suggests that “The Event” (which was officially cut from the NBC lineup last week) could be a good candidate for such a strategy.
The prospect of Netflix digging through network TV trash is a realistic one, especially...
7 tags
Honeybees are afraid of your cell phone
A Swiss researcher named Daniel Favre has written a paper about the connection between honeybees and electromagnetic waves originating from mobile phones. His study found that bees do not like having these types of waves around them and their hives.
As it’s prone to do, the media jumped to rather outrageous conclusions and produced articles like this one, which claims that cell phones are...