Book Review: Scrublands by Chris Hammer

Scrublands by Chris  Hammer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is Chris Hammer's first novel, but not his first book. It's more of a "Why dunnit?" than a "Who Dunnit? but intriguing enough to keep me reading. When his editor sends Martin Scarsden to write about the effects of a mass shooting in a small Australian town, he is more intrigued by the shooter than the aftermath. The shooter was a Catholic priest who seemed to go from sane and lucid to a killer in less than five minutes. He is also deeply intrigued by the owner of the dying town's only bookstore, a lovely and mysterious single mother named Mandalay, or Mandy. The more he investigates the tragedy, the darker the secrets are he uncovers, imperiling his job, his emotional stability and his very life.

There are plots and subplots that take a bit too long to interweave into the fabric of the novel, which is about 40 pages too long, but that is my only quibble. However, when all is revealed, and all the dark secrets brought to light, the ending is the reward for the patient reader.


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Snow Day?

We're expecting 6-12 inches of snow here in the CLE over the next few days. I'm off work and plan to spend the weekend writing and reading. I've got some great books to read.

1. The Scrublands by Chris Hammer
2. The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
3. The Witch Elm by Tana French

I'm halfway through The Scrublands, and it just proves that you can write a mystery/thriller in the present tense. It works well in this novel where the protagonist is out to find the truth about a shocking mass murder. We already know that the killer is also dead, that the events took place a year in the past, and that nobody can explain why it happened. It's also effective because the narrator is unreliable. First, he is suffering from PTSD, he's falling in love with a woman in the town, he's a reporter hanging on to his job. It's fascinating and involving.

As for writing? It's hard to write about hot, humid, stormy weather when it's going to be extremely cold! I hope to get at least a few words completed, though.

It's definitely a weekend to stay inside, stay safe and curl up with a good book.

Reading and Writing

"Before you become a writer you must first become a reader. Every hour spent reading is an hour spent learning to write; this continues to be true throughout a writer's life." --@RobGMacfarlane, Landmarks

I found this quote in my Twitter feed, quoted by perhaps the best known reader in the United States, the amazing Nancy Pearl.

Rob G. Macfarlane isn't the first person to say it. Just about every writer started out by being a voracious reader, myself included. I think everything we read leaves a footprint in our memory. I remember reading A Little Princess and falling in love with London; the fog and the attic with the view of chimney pots and rooftops, the gaslights, and the scenes Sara Crewe glimpsed through lighted windows.

I read Alistair McLean's The Guns of Navaronne, before I saw the movie, and wanted to know more about WWII. I learned about heroism, courage and strength against impossible odds. He also left an impression in my appreciation of a good thriller.

Nancy Drew and later, Agatha Christie, started me on a love of mysteries, which continues to this day.

My mother instilled him me a love of reading, encouraged my writing, and even when she was in her nineties and Alzheimers and old age left her unable to read, she still liked to be read to. The last book I read to her was A Little Princess, the first book she gave to me, and one her mother had given her as a child.

So, I read, and I write, and I learn something new every day.

Back to the Writing Life

After taking too much time to prepare for my presentation - which went swimmingly - thank you very much, I'm back to being just a librarian/writer at least for the weekend. Progress on my book? Coming along.

Meanwhile, I'm thinking about this entry from Career Authors:

Are You Making One of These Risky Moves

Apparently, yes, I am. Writing in the present tense. What are my feelings about this? I'm coming from a background of writing Fanfic, much of which is written in the present tense. It seems appropriate for mysteries and thrillers, when the action is so immediate to the protagonists. I don't believe it is for writers on literary fiction only, and as more younger readers take to the present tense both in fanfiction and in their current fiction, I believe they won't make that distinction, either.

I could be wrong, and I could be taking a risk, but why not? It couldn't be any riskier than daring to write to begin with and then putting your work out there, which is far more daunting than a mere grammatical format.

How to Start a Blog on Blogger.com for Beginners

Big Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow, I will be teaching a blogging class at the library. Am I qualified to do this? As a librarian, I have my doubts, but as a blogger, I can say, "Of course!"

As part of the class, here's an experiment. Adding a link to a blog from Masterfile Premiere.

Blogging for beginners

Okay, here we go. This will be part of the class.

New Year's Resolutions and Other Deceptions

New Year's resolutions are not for the faint of heart. Every year we make them and break them, and tell lies about them, knowing full well that that we're lying to ourselves about them. Once broken, we think, what's the use?

Suppose a runner resolves to win a marathon in the next year, but of the hundreds of runners who enter a marathon, there can be only one winner. Their resolution is kaput and they may feel they have failed.

Suppose, instead, their goal is to run a personal best, even by one-tenth of a second? Chances are they will be able to do that.

My goal is to finish my novel, but I may only finish the first draft. I'll still have done something I've never done before. I'll have exceeded my personal best. If I don't finish, then my goal is still out there waiting for me to catch up.

My resolution is to write when I can, and not to obsess about what I haven't done. My goal is set, but I've been kinder to myself. Take a page from business and try to set SMART goals.

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

When I sit down to write, I'll keep those in mind. 

• Specific: I will write when I have an hour to myself (30 minutes if that's all I have)
• Measurable: I will write at least 200 words
• Attainable: Even if those 200 words are dreck, they will still be there. 
• Relevant: If I only write 200 words a week, I will have at least 10,000 words that are new.
• Time-bound: One year to finish my first draft. 

Think I can do it?