Defeated by pneumonia, the dead Cubas chooses to find a pastime and recount the many experiences of life and thoughts. These memoirs thus relate the successes and failures of Bras Cubas in the form of his posthumous autobiography. As the title suggests, the protagonist and narrator is the deceased Bras Cubas, writing from beyond the grave. The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas, an unbearably undiscovered and under-appreciated work of literature, was written by Brazilian author Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis and published in 1881. ― Machado de Assis, The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas Each period in life is a new edition that corrects the preceding one and that in turn will be corrected by the next, until publication of the definitive edition, which the publisher donates to the worms.” “Let Pascal say that man is a thinking reed.
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They cut to commercial at the height of the scene’s intensity, not at its resolution. Heaven forbid our readers do that with our masterpieces, right?īut I’ve found that the following formula works pretty well to keep readers reading: End chapters with a cliffhanger as often as possible. We’ve all started books we’ve never finished. And while that’s important (and extremely daunting), it’s equally important to keep the reader reading all the way until THE END. Because, let’s face it. Often writers are told to work on the hook of their story, making readers interested in the characters and setting within the first page or two. Because if they were willing to give up sleep, they must have really liked the book. When this happens to me, I swallow a grin and say, “Oh, I’m sorry I kept you up so late.” But really, I’m not sorry. I stayed up until four in the morning to finish your book.” And then they go on to complain about how they’re going to fall asleep in class or at an important meeting. One of the best things an author can hear from a reader is, “I’m so exhausted. But as she digs into the night that Elora went missing, she begins to realize that everybody in town is hiding something – her grandmother Honey her childhood crush Hart and even her late mother, whose secrets continue to call to Grey from beyond the grave. Grey can’t believe that Elora vanished into thin air any more than she can believe that nobody in a town full of psychics knows what happened. This tiny town, where seventeen-year-old Grey spends her summers, is the self-proclaimed Psychic Capital of the World–and the place where Elora Pellerin, Grey’s best friend, disappeared six months earlier. La Cachette, Louisiana, is the worst place to be if you have something to hide. Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers SainĪ teen girl disappears from her small town deep in the bayou, where magic festers beneath the surface of the swamp like water rot, in this chilling debut supernatural thriller for fans of Natasha Preston, Karen McManus, and Rory Power. In his early twenties, he met the woman of his dreams, Margaret Lewis. Later, President Harry Truman formally integrated the military in 1948, the first government institution to take this step.įollowing his military service, Reggie returned home to Los Angeles, beginning his civilian career as a mail carrier then a worker in an ice cream factory. These airmen dominated the enemy so thoroughly in their sorties, bomber pilots specifically requested Tuskegee pilots as their preferred escorts. Reggie lent his talents to this all-Black flying corps, now celebrated as the famed Tuskegee Airmen. After passing the test and enlisting, he was sent to pilot training at an airfield in Alabama designated for a new, segregated program considered by bureaucrats to be a doomed experiment at best. At the time, Black men in the Army and Navy were relegated to nothing more than cooks or other support/service roles. A friend encouraged Reggie to take a placement test for the Army Air Corps. school system attending Foshay and Berendo Junior High Schools, and Los Angeles Polytechnic High School, graduating in the midst of World War II. Reginald, affectionately known as Reggie, matriculated through the L.A. Claudius, grandfather William, and great-grandfather John Ballard, the first Black landowner in the east Santa Monica mountains. He was a fourth generation Angeleno following father Dr. Reginald Ballard Sr., the youngest of two sons, was born in Los Angeles, California to Dr. These sleuths may still be in school-and working out of a supply closet with smartphones-but Cavallaro’s crackling dialogue, well-drawn characters, and complicated relationships make this feel like a seamless and sharp renewal of Doyle’s series.Īn explosive mystery featuring a dynamic duo. Although death, drugs, rape, and betrayal make for a grim tale, slapstick humor and wit enliven the story. While Watson wants to solve the case, he is equally absorbed in decoding enigmatic Charlotte, who is cunning, cruel, and fragile. When a student turns up dead after harassing Holmes and fighting with Watson, and his death scene is staged like “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” Watson and Holmes become both suspects and detectives…and where there’s a mystery, there might be Moriartys. Like Sherlock, genius Charlotte plays violin, dabbles in disguises, conducts forensic experiments, and has a weakness for opiates. Watson but aiming to manage his money better-yet lives in hope of befriending classmate (and predestined companion) Charlotte Holmes. He tries to vent his rage on the rugby field during practice and hone his writing skills at night-emulating Dr. Stuck at Sherringford, a Connecticut boarding school, Londoner James Watson craves excitement, action, and romance. Watson’s and Holmes’ descendants try to live up to and with their ancestors’ legacies in this debut. |