A Book Reviewer's Best Friend - The Synonym Finder

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Words, words and more words - these are the all important tools of the trade for any writer.

Sometimes the joy of stringing them together into something eloquent is indescribable. You know exactly what you want to impart to the reader but you're stuck for the right word to convey the meaning. And sometimes you find the right word and overuse it.

Whether you're writing a novel, a non-fiction article or a book review you want to make your point and keep the reader's interest. Using the same hackneyed expressions is one sure way to lose them. Unfortunately that happens a lot in book reviews. The same words keep turning up time after time.

That's why I call THE SYNONYM FINDER a book reviewer's best friend.

Example: If you read book reviews you'll see the word intriguing pop up a lot.

What if you're writing a review and want an alternative, but you just can't think of one?

Grab a copy of J.I. Rodale's THE SYNONYM FINDER. Look up the word intriguing and you'll find: interesting, absorbing, appealing, fascinating, stimulating, arousing, stirring, exciting, beguiling, diverting, charming, captivating, seductive, engaging, inviting and winning.

That's only one example. This thesaurus contains an astounding 1,500,000 words. If you can't find what you're looking for here it ain't been said yet.

It's in dictionary format which I find much easier to use than one organized by subject. There are subdivisions for different parts of speech and different meanings of the same word; also includes slang, archaic, scientific and other special terms.

I can't recommend it highly enough. My own paperback copy is so dog-eared; I've put the hardback version on my wish list.

If you do any kind of writing THE SYNONYM FINDER is absolutely vital, indispensable, essential, compulsory and a necessity.

Grand Central Publishing 1361 pages ISBN: 978-0-446-37029-5

Gail writes romance, paranormal and otherwise as Gale Stanley.
CALL OF THE WILDS - Available now at Amazon & Bookstrand
SILENT KNIGHTS - coming October 2010 - Silver Publishing
MATING CALL - coming November 2010 - Siren-Bookstrand
POINT OF BEGINNING - coming January 2011 - Silver Publishing
http://galestanley.net/
http://galestanley.blogspot.com/

The Elements of Style - Is it Relevant Today?

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Although THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE has been around even longer than I have its just as relevant today as it was almost ninety years ago. Every English major and writer is familiar with this little gem privately published by William Strunk, Jr. in 1919 for his students at Cornell. Although it's been revised several times it remains pretty close to the original. It's hard to improve on perfection.

Few books come close to emulating this one. Several dictionaries and a five hundred page college handbook on grammar, punctuation, mechanics and spelling sit next to my computer but THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE is the one I reach for most often. It addresses the most common problems a writer encounters.

When I'm writing my ideas spew like lava. What's left is a hodgepodge of word soup in desperate need of editing. The most obvious problem is misuse of punctuation. It's either in the wrong place or non-existent. A quick read of the first chapter, "Elementary Rules of Usage," tells me where to put those pesky periods, commas, colons and semicolons.

Also invaluable is the advice offered on colloquialisms, exclamations, hyphens, headings, margins, numerals and titles which are addressed in "A Few Matters of Form."

The technical aspects of composition are important, but clear and concise presentation of content is essential. More and more web writers are creating blogs and web sites and the competition is fierce. Readers don't have the time or patience to slog through sloppy or bloated posts. You want to keep the web surfers reading because jumping to another site is just a mouse click away.

The chapter on "An Approach to Style" has helped me energize my own blog posts and web site. "Write with nouns and verbs," "do not overwrite" and "avoid the pretentious, the coy, and the cute" is timeless advice that will help anyone who writes understand how to make the words flow. And stressed above all is - "clarity, clarity, clarity."

THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE is not meant to be a complete guide to grammar and writing, but a compact reference filled with common sense and the basics. In that regard it succeeds admirably.

William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White with a foreword by Roger Angell Illustrated by Maira Kalman, whose whimsical drawings give the book a fresh and updated look. Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Pub. Date: October 2005 ISBN-13: 978-1-59420-069-4 145 pp

Gail writes romance, paranormal and otherwise as Gale Stanley.
CALL OF THE WILDS - Available now at Amazon & Bookstrand
SILENT KNIGHTS - coming October 2010 - Silver Publishing
MATING CALL - coming November 2010 - Siren-Bookstrand
POINT OF BEGINNING - coming January 2011 - Silver Publishing
http://galestanley.net/
http://galestanley.blogspot.com/

Book Lust by Nancy Pearl - Book Review

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Nancy Pearl is a long-time librarian and writes book reviews for both local and national publications. Her book expertise and recommendations are gathered in Book Lust, a compilation of books of all genres for every mood, moment, and reason as is her catch-phrase.

Thumbing through Book Lust, you'll find the most intriguing categories and descriptions of novels and non-fiction you most likely would never have thought to pick up! Pearl writes small plot summaries and shares personal thoughts on each title; just enough for a sample you'll want to indulge more in.

I have chosen HUNDREDS of titles from Book Lust, yet it still constantly presents a multitude of new suggestions each time I pick it up. There are probably thousands of recommendations within Pearl's masterpiece!

Pearl peppers Book Lust with several obscure, unique and intriguing categories; such as Black Humor, Elvis on my Mind, New Orleans, and Techno-Thrillers...it really is hard to single out just a few because all the categories are amazing. Pearl also features sections showcasing specific authors; such as Ian McEwan, Connie Willis, and Hamilton Basso, just to name a few. It will be nearly impossible for you to pick up this title and not walk away with some great ideas for your book wish list.

I am proud to say I've discovered some new favorite books through this title that I'll never forget such as Miss Lizzie by Walter Sattherthwait, as well as some not-so-good titles like The Lecturer's Tale by James Hynes.

Book lovers MUST pick up a copy of Book Lust if you haven't already! You're really missing out!

Read more book reviews by Dreamworld Books at http://dreamworldbooks.com/. Books reviews on all genres by the world's most prolific reader!