Book Reports

Every year, at least for the past three, I've sought out book challenges and signed up for several. Read a book, write a review. I recall those days of forced, coerced, demanded from -- book reviews, at that time teachers referred to them as book reports.

Most students stood in front of the class, hands clentching a piece of paper and attempting to recall what it was that they had liked about the book. It wasn't enough to say that you liked a book, you were expected to outline reasons.

And if I dislike a book I can't simply say that, I must assiduously describe the reasons for my dislike. This can't be a thumbs down -- it must be balanced dislike.

I recently finished The Danish Girl. it isn't enough to say-- before anyone thought it was possible, a young man has extensive surgery and becomes a woman. Unfortunately the physician pushed for more radical surgery and the patient succumbs to the ravishes of the mistakes..

A memoir with a catchy title is a rehash of the yearly quota of how-to writing books. Nothing new, nothing eye opening.

A mystery that is part psychological and part southern gothic with an ending that disappoints.

Now I need to blow up those short phrases and sound like a literary critic or a copy-cat.