Columns

Storyville: Ending 2019 with a Bang

December 31st, 2019

So, as we usher out 2019 (thank GOD, what a mess) and welcome in 2020, here are some ways writers can end the year with a BANG, and set themelves up for success, next year.

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The Top Most Stupidest 2020 Reading Goals and Challenges

December 30th, 2019

This is the year I figured out how to do reading goals: I’ll list the ones I’m NOT doing. Yes, that means the list is longer, but when 2021 rolls around and I haven’t accomplished anything on my list, I'll feel good about it.  Plus, there's nothing I like better than making fun of a genuine, thoughtful attempt at reading.  Let’s get down to business.

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Build Your Brand With An Author Tagline

December 27th, 2019

Photo by Pixabay If you thought becoming a bestseller was just about writing excellent material, it’s time to wake up. According to Publishers Weekly, on the print side of the self-publishing market alone, Amazon’s CreateSpace released 1.4 million titles in 2018. To put it plainly, the market is saturated, and nobody’s going to buy your book if you don’t give them a good reason.

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Why Boys And Men Should 100 Percent Read "Little Women"

December 24th, 2019

On Christmas Day 2019, the latest film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's seminal novel Little Women hits movie theaters.

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Xmas In Bizarro Land

December 23rd, 2019

Christmas is like a great sex worker: it facilitates a wide variety of preferences and experiences. Some people have a very Christ-in-Christmas kind of vibe. They like their Nativity scenes, their crowded late night church services, and settling in on Christmas Eve around a warm fireplace with a mug of boozy egg nog or Christ blood or whatever.

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8 Books for 8 Nights of Hanukkah

December 20th, 2019

Are you looking for stories about Hanukkah to teach little ones about the history of the holiday? Or maybe you want to provide young readers with books that reflect the customs and traditions their family enjoys during the month of December? Well, look no further, because this list delivers on both fronts with eight books to read during the eight nights of Hanukkah.

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10 Wintery Yule Books for the Solstice

December 19th, 2019

The Winter Solstice has come early for a lot of people in the Midwest and on the East Coast this year. Glittering blankets of white already coat plenty of lawns. The cold has struck many bones. Whether you enjoy catching snowflakes on your tongue or sipping hot cider under a blanket, there is something for everyone to enjoy about this time of year. For Pagans and less traditionally religious people, this is also a great time to share books with loved ones. People are spending more time indoors. Imaginations are running wild. A bit of magic lingers in the air.

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'The Handmaid's Tale': Sexy Costumes, Tasteless Photos, and the Limits of Fandom

December 18th, 2019

In the last little bit I’ve seen some weird Handmaid’s Tale stories. They got me thinking about fandom, fiction, and...damn, I can’t think of another F-word. We’ll come back to that. Let’s look at these stories one at a time.

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LitReactor Staff Picks: The Best Books of 2019 - Part III

December 17th, 2019

Another year has come and gone. You know what that means, don't you? Time for a bunch of strangers to tell you what was good! And why should you care what the LitReactor staff thinks are the best books of the year? Trick question! You shouldn't. But what they have to say might interest you nonetheless, because they are good-looking and knowledgeable and they read like the wind. So for those who care, we submit for your approval/derision some of LitReactor's favorite reads of 2019 (part 3).

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Six Things to Know Going Into Netflix's Adaptation of "The Witcher"

December 17th, 2019

In 1993, Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski published The Last Wish, the first installment of a then-unknown fantasy series, The Witcher. The final book, Season of Storms, came out twenty years later in 2013 — and in the interim, a cult following grew not only in Eastern Europe, but internationally.

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