Margaret Forster...

I've been glomming her books over the last few months. I started with Diary of an Ordinary Woman, followed by The Memory Box and then Lady's Maid. Today I started one of her non-fiction books, Good Wives: Mary, Fanny, Jennie & Me 1845-2001.

A British writer of fiction (contemporary and historical) and non-fiction, she has a keen sense of story, characterization and pacing. Her books pull me right in and keep me turning the pages. I was up till almost 2 am on Saturday finishing Lady's Maid, which fictionalizes the life of the woman who served as maid and companion to Elizabeth Barrett Browning, both before and after her marriage. I look forward to finding a copy of Forster's bio of EBB as well.

Her voice, no matter what genre she writes, is clear and captivating. Reading her prose is a real treat and I'm learning a lot as a result.

So if you're looking for a good book to read, check your local library or bookstore and see if any of hers are in available - I doubt you'll be sorry.

Have you made any interesting, glom-worthy author discoveries recently?

Teresa

Currently Reading: Good Wives: Mary, Fannie, Jennie & Me 1845-2001 by Margaret Forster

Also Currently Reading: Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay
Link of the Day: Seduced by History - King Stephen vs Empress Maud

Afghanada...

Fellow CBC listeners will recognize that name.

For those who don't listen to the CBC (I know Americans do listen to it on the net), I recommend you tune in.

As a writer, this radio series set in Afghanistan, is a great example of how to create and bring to life compelling, complex characters. For non-writers, it's a fantastic story of men and women fighting against the odds in a war into which they were thrust, half a world away.

I've been listening since Season 1 (Season 3 started a couple of weeks ago). First with half an ear while I did other things and now, most of the time, with all my attention. The writers have drawn me into their story. As a radio drama it works differently from tv (well, I know that's obvious, but bear with me) - you listen to the voices to differentiate characters, but you also hear rather than see the action and in many ways it's even more vivid than watching it on tv. A novel writer can learn much from this - the ways to stir emotion. At the end of more than one episode I've been crying.

I'd hoped that they'd do a podcast of each episode after it airs, but instead the CBC has now released CDs of the first two seasons for those who want to catch up.

Anyone interested can catch it Wednesday nights at 11pm and Thursday mornings at 11:30 am.

I rarely talk politics on this blog (for obvious reasons), but I will say this - I might not agree with the war on some levels, but I am in FULL SUPPORT of ALL those fighting both in Afghanistan and Iraq. Those women and men are doing a job I can't even imagine taking on. Listening to Afghanada has brought that home to me in no uncertain terms. Granted, I did used to work for the military (I was a Buyer's Assistant at the head office of the retail store chain on the Canadian bases/air wings) - in fact, my first temp job involved writing up orders for shoes for to be sent overseas during the months before the Gulf War.

Teresa

Currently Reading: What Casanova Told Me by Susan Swan
Link of the Day: 100 Awesome Blogs for History Junkies