March 18, 2006 [sorry this was posted late - webmaster]

Book of the Week: Summer at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn

This week, I’m reading a book that’s been on my TBR stack for months. It’s Summer at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn. I’ve enjoyed several books by Shinn in the past, but I think Summer will be my favorite. It’s the story of Coriel, the illegitimate daughter of the late head of a noble house, and her gradual coming of age both in years and in sophistication as she spends her summers with her highborn connections. In the winter, Corie stays with her grandmother, a witch and wisewoman. She gains knowledge of a different kind from the grandmother, who is unworldly and undemonstrative.

The charm of the book lies in the character of Corie, who grows from being a very straightforward teenager with a realistic view of her position in the scheme of things to being a young woman who learns it’s wise to conceal knowledge and feelings in the political landmine that is castle living. Corie has a charming nature, since she’s artless but realistic, grounded in common sense but capable of enjoying the moment to its fullest. Corie’s flaw (and her most endearing quality) is that she has no artifice, and often doesn’t recognize what’s right in front of her. When she finally wakes up to facts, she faces them squarely, with no attempt to sweep them under her mental rug.

I have always admired Shinn’s simple style, and this book is a great example of the wedding of style and subject. This book would be super gift for any young woman thirteen and up.

Blog

It’s been a good week in a professional way. I got the editorial changes done to GRAVE SURPRISE, sent it back to my editor, worked on a short story for an anthology Toni Kelner and I are assembling, answered the questions in an email interview, sent a file of GRAVE SURPRISE to my new English publisher, cleaned up a few things, and made some much needed phone calls.

Personally, it wasn’t quite as happy and satisfying, but life is going on. My son left for boot camp, my daughter played two softball games, my husband came back from a business trip, and my older son talked about dropping one of his courses. Very much business as usual, though we are still in a bit of a turmoil over Middle Son’s departure.

I saw the cover of MY BIG FAT SUPERNATURAL WEDDING, and I think it’s delightful. Picture a Goth wedding cake. I can hardly wait to read the other stories.

Pretty soon, there’ll be reviews of DEFINITELY DEAD popping up here and there, and I’ll have to go through the ordeal of being bombarded with judgments. I’ve been a published writer for twenty-five years, and every time I go through the same thing. Every time I promise myself I won’t read the reviews, and every time, I cheat. What really matters is how the readers like a book, but no matter how often I tell myself that, I find a bad review hurts just as much as it did years ago. You’d think I’d grow immune, but I don’t know of any writer who is, and I know a heck of a lot of writers.

I hope you all enjoy DEFINITELY DEAD.

--Charlaine Harris