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Buncombe Brief Book Review: The Last Juror by John Grisham
I’ve not read a great number of John Grisham’s books but The Last Juror is one that I really enjoyed because it was pretty much in the style of Grisham but also different enough that I didn’t feel like I was reading a legal thriller. And, in truth, it’s not really a legal thriller in the courtroom-drama vein. We follow Willie Traynor and a cast of characters as they are thrown into the middle of one of the biggest scandals/crimes in Clanton, Mississippi. The Padgitt family, a notorious group that is known for being a reclusive criminal family, has one of their own brought up on rape and murder charges.…
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Books From My Younger Days- The Giver by Lois Lowry
This book is one of my favorites from when I was a kid simply because it hit on a lot of “firsts” for me. It was the first dystopian-like book I’d read, it was the first book where I realized more was going on than just a basic story, and it was the first cliffhanger ending I had dealt with. While I don’t want to go into much detail of this book because if you’ve never read it I don’t want to spoil it but I will try to give a brief summary. The novel centers around Jonas, a young boy that’s lives in a very structured community where laws,…
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The Craft of Writing Fiction: Characters (Part 3)
We’ve talked a bit about the motives of a character but I want to focus more clearly on this aspect of writing here. Characters are one of the legs that hold up the chair that is your story. Without great characters you have a story that could possibly tumble over, fall flat, or just fail to draw in your reader. Even a captivating setting or premise is going to lose its hold on a reader if they don’t care about the people in the situation. What can go a long way in making these characters people that a reader cares about is their motivations. The motives of a character…
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Looking Back on 2019 National Library Week
We just completed National Library Week and the theme surrounded the idea that a library creates a strong community. This is one of the main reasons libraries are so very important to our towns and communities because they are a way to bring together people, be they in a small town or a large city. Here in North Carolina, we have plenty of both, with cities like Charlotte, Asheville, Raleigh, and Greensboro playing host to large numbers of people and small towns in our beautiful state seems to be innumerable. So, with this being the case bringing together people from a crowded city or pulling people in from more rural…
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Buncombe Graphic Novel Review: Locke and Key-Crown of Shadows
In this collection, the third in the series of Locke and Key, we see Dodge visit the spirit of Sam Lesser, the boy he used to kill Rendell Locke, which kicked off the events of the Locke children moving to Keyhouse in the first place. Sam, having been thrown through the Ghost Door, is understandably bitter at Dodge and the two have an altercation that ends with Sam giving a cryptic warning. Later, we see Kinsey exploring the a dangerous area near Keyhouse, which gives clues to some of the past surrounding the Locke family and their current residence. However, we see Dodge take possession of the Crown of Shadows,…
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The Short Story: A Beautiful Way To Tell A Tale
Authors from Flannery O’Connor to Stephen King have all published works of short stories and there are countless compilations of short stories from specific authors to collections of works that were published here and there by various writers. Some people may miss these as a novel is a time commitment and there are many who like to take their time reading a book or will devour multiple novels throughout the year. Yet, a short story, or collection of stories, may not fit together like a novel but are their own kind of magic that shouldn’t be overlooked. Short stories can be a few pages, or even a single page, or…
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Buncombe Graphic Novel Review: Locke and Key-Head Games
In this issue we learn more about Zack Wells, also known as Lucas Caravaggio. There is a long history for Lucas/Zack that extends beyond the Locke family and there are people still in Lovecraft that know Lucas/Zack. However, Zack is hell-bent on keeping his past and identity a secret because decades before something happened that has impacted a group of friends tied to the Locke family. Also, Bode discovers another key with amazing powers. For me, this was one of the more creative keys in the series and I wish it was in my possession. The Head Key allows the possessor to open their mind or someone else’s and will…
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Buncombe Brief Book Review-A Separate Peace by John Knowles
I recently reread A Separate Peace and I’m still not sure where I stand on the novel as a whole. I think it’s complex and has a lot of layers despite its simple story of two friends, Finny and Gene, and their school Devon. This novel starts out as a reflection by an adult Gene, who has returned to Devon to visit, and possibly just to relive his time there, but as we get deeper into the story, we see that the relationship between Finny and Gene gets complex. Finny is the athletic guy that seems to be able to do anything, is fearless, and outgoing to a fault. He…
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Banned Book Review-The Goosebumps Series By R.L. Stine
When I was in school we were required to read books, which were given a point value, and in order to get a good grade in English, we had to meet a set number of points by reading and taking tests on books. Now, I liked reading but having to read so as to earn points provided a mental block for me, because as a stubborn man, when I have to do something, even something I may want to do otherwise, I tend to buck at the assignment. However, the wonderful Goosebumps books by R.L. Stine saved my skin when I discovered a treasure trove of spooky and fun reads…
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They Filmed The Book: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (Part 2 of 3)
As we continue on in the series we see the action starting to pick up. Again, there will be spoilers and vagaries ahead so if you haven’t read the book or seen the show, but want to, please be aware. Now, as Jonathan Strange begins to increase in his knowledge of magic, thanks in part to his own skill, Mr. Norrell, and Mr. Norrell’s books, he is called to serve England in their war against France. Strange has to work hard to win the trust and admiration of the soldiers and the commanders but soon finds ways to make himself of use to the cause and is welcomed by the…