4 Ways to (Legally) Get Free E-Books

1. Library

Your local library is probably the best source of free books full stop. With the rise of digital technology,  many libraries have started loaning out ebooks through systems like Overdrive. Check out your local library and see if they have a system to lend out ebooks.


2. Websites and Databases Dedicated to Out-of-Copyright Books

There are a wide range of websites and databases that compile books that have gone out of copyright, and that you can read legally for free. Probably the most well-known example is Project Gutenberg, but there are plenty of others.


3. Kindle Books

Not only are there Kindle editions of out of copyright works, but many authors offer their books for free for various reasons. Maybe it's a temporary promotion, maybe they make the first book in a series free to hook new readers, or maybe they are trying to get on a bestseller list. Searching the free ebooks section of Kindle and finding a gem can be tricky, but worth it.


4. Social Media

If an author or website puts an ebook up for free for a limited time, it can be difficult to catch the deal. One solution to this is to search hashtags like #freeebooks on your favorite social media sites. Most social media sites are arranged in chronological order, so you will be kept up to date with the latest deals.


Any cool tips for legally getting free ebooks? Leave them in the comments.

5 Cool Fantasy and Science Fiction Short Stories

Looking for a quick, fun read? Here are five short fantasy and science-fiction stories that you can find online.

"Clockwork Fairies" by Cat Rambo

This is a steampunk short story with an interesting premise. It combines elements of science-fiction and fantasy.

"Variations on an Apple" by Yoon Ha Lee

This re-telling of the judgment of Paris and the Trojan war has a striking writing style.


"16 September 1999: Interrogations" by Kate Matta

A 19-year-old girl breaks into the Metropolitan Museum of Art and tries to steal pistols. A series of interviews and police reports reveal why she did this. Given that "found footage" has become such a significant part of supernatural and horror cinema, it is interesting to see how it might work in literature.

"Those Who Watch" by Ruthanna Emrys

This eerie, Lovecraftian tale has the uncanny feel of the original stories, but updating it to a modern setting. If you love libraries, archives or old manuscripts then this story will be of particular interest to you.

"The Lizard Dance" by Gio Clairval and Jeff Vandermeer

I really enjoyed Jeff Vandermeer's Annihilation, and this story has some similarities, particularly with the seeming supernatural representation of nature.



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The Return

As some of you may have noticed, I have been absent from this blog for quite a while. This is partially because I had other priorities that I needed to focus on, and because I have been having some bad luck in terms of my reading. I have started reading and abandoned several books over the course of the last few weeks, because they were just too bad for me to bother finishing them.

If this were my job, I would probably have tried to finish them, and just written a bad review. However, I have so little time for reading right now that it just doesn't seem worth it.

Currently, I am midway through two different books, and have dealt with a lot of the issues that were taking up my time, so there will be many more musings coming your way.

Thoughts On: Trilogies

Untitled by Ginny is licensed under CC 2.0

There has been a lot of discussion about the recent trend of splitting the last film in a series into two parts, and the general conclusion is that it's an annoying money-making exercise that rarely results in better films.  However, I think it's time for the reading community to acknowledge that we have our own version of the two-part final film.

I'm talking about trilogies.

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril IX

Artwork by Abigail Larson

Sometimes you don't know that you want something until you find out that it exists.  Did I know that I wanted to participate in a challenge all about reading mystery, suspense, thrillers, dark fantasy, gothic fiction, horror, supernatural fiction and anything vaguely related to these genres? Not really.  However, the internet has shown its wonderful side, and has made me aware of just such a challenge.

R.eaders I.mibing P.eril is a reading challenge started by the blog Stainless Steel Droppings.  There are a few separate challenges involved, and I will be participating in Peril the Third. This requires you to read just one book that fulfills the genre requirements - anything that sends chills up your spine goes. The book I've chosen to read is Weaveworld by Clive Barker. I'm not really sure what to expect from it, but I'm excited to get started. What about you? Are you going to be reading along?

Thoughts On: The Chosen One

"Palantír" by Mr. Muggles is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Over the past few weeks, I've been thinking a lot about the "Chosen One" narrative. You know the one; a prophecy says that so-and-so is going to this great thing. You probably don't have to think too hard to think of stories that use this narrative.

However, in spite of its popularity, we seem to have a turbulent relationship with this idea. On the one hand some of the most popular, critically acclaimed and commercially successful stories ever written have used this narrative.  Paradoxically, many critics have complained incessantly that the "Chosen One" is an over-used cliché, and roundly trash stories that use it. So, why is this?

It could be that this is a trend that's run its course.  It was fun, but we've moved on. This is probably partially true, but I think there's more to it then that, particularly as whether or not a work is criticized for using the "Chosen One" narrative isn't directly related to when it was first created.

Maybe the "Chosen One" narrative is always annoying, and some works are just good enough to make up for the fact that they use it. Again, this explanation doesn't seem to add up.  More often than not, the "Chosen One" narrative is central to the story, and it seems a bit strange that other, more minor elements could make up for the central premise.

The solution I propose is probably a bit anticlimactic for such a long set-up, but here it goes: the "Chosen One" is a very convenient narrative device for bad writers, because it can be used to quickly and easily cover up flaws in their work, such as plot holes or pacing issues. Instead of readers wondering why a kid is saving the world instead of a qualified adult, or why an ordinary person can defeat a seemingly omnipotent villain, you can just toss in a prophecy and problem solved. If your protagonist has to learn something, and you can't be bothered to make the descriptions of their training interesting or well-researched, you can just make them the Chosen One and dispense with most of it, because the Chosen One can learn things super-fast, because... Chosen One!

Now, I'm not saying that the "Chosen One" narrative can't be used effectively. There are many talented writers who use it to talk about issues like destiny, free will, responsibility and duty. The key is to really think about what it means to be the Chosen One, or live in a world where the Chosen One exists, and make sure that it adds something to the story as opposed to just being a get-out-of-jail-free card.

What about you? Do you love the "Chosen One" narrative? Hate it? What's your favorite example of the Chosen One narrative being used well/poorly?

Book Review: How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

A few months back, I saw How I Live Now, and while there were certain aspects of the film that I enjoyed, it was also really confusing. I concluded that certain parts of the book had been edited out, so, I decided to read it. It turns out the book is better than the movie.

Both the book and the movie tell the story of Daisy, an American teenager who goes to live with relatives in England. There's a war brewing, and it isn't long before England is under occupation. The war changes everything on a macro level, and also serves as the catalyst for the growth of the characters.

I thought that the plot and the representation of war (both of them are closely interconnected) were handled well. The plot moved at a quick pace, but still left enough room for the characters to grow. The occupation was fairly well thought-out, but also managed to differentiate itself from many other depictions of war or life on the home front.

The style of writing, something akin to stream of consciousness, felt intuitive, and it was refreshing to see a writer exploring interesting narrative possibilities, especially in a book that was designed for a wide audience.  While I like more unusual or lyrical styles of narration, I can see how someone who doesn't might not like this.

The characters were well constructed, and even ones that were not central to the plot were still interesting and well-rounded.

Overall, a highly recommended read.

Chance of finding it in my imaginary bookstore? 90%

Book Review: Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett's Discworld series is an impressive beast: it totals 40 books, the first of which was published in 1983. Even though I've been a Pratchett fan for a while, I'm still working my way through them.

Raising Steam is the latest installment in the series.  It chronicles the arrival of the railway to Discworld. Dick Simnel, building on the work of his father, manages to harness the power of steam to create the Iron Girder, a prototype of the steam locomotive. With the help of Harry King, and later, Moist von Lipwig, the railway starts criss-crossing the world. However, getting the rest of Discworld on board (I'm sorry) proves to be quite difficult.

Pratchett tends to be a divisive writer: some people love him, others wonder why people read his work, and I don't think this will change any minds.  This novel is definitely in the classic Pratchett style, and, as you are probably able to tell, this is fine by me. This book is still as funny and pertinent as his earlier work.

This novel brings us another installment in the exploits of Moist von Lipwig, Lord Ventari, and Adora Belle Dearheart, among others, and the returning characters are just as charming and fun as usual. Not all of the characters grow and change, but there is still enough character development to keep the story engaging.

The plot is based on an interesting premise.  However, there are some points where it seems to drag a bit, and some of the plot development could have been set up better.

Chance of finding it in my imaginary bookstore? 90%

Book Review: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
(my own photo)

Outliers is the book in which Malcolm Gladwell outlines an idea which is either mindblowing, or mindblowingly obvious.  Simply put, while an individual's success and failures are often put down to talent and determination, more often than not, luck, opportunity and background play a significant, and often ignored, role.

Covering a range of outliers from tech tycoons to professional athletes to the citizens of Roseto, California this book suggests that while these individuals did have attributes that contributed to their success, they also were often fortunate enough to be presented with opportunities not available to their peers, or to have a background that gave them certain advantages. This book is also credited with bringing the 10,000 hour rule into the public consciousness.

I'm not really sure that how qualified I am to judge the actual content of the book: the ideas he puts forward seem to be accurate and well-supported by evidence, but I can't claim to be an expert on the subject matter.

The writing has a nice flow, and he manages to draw together a wide range of data, biographical detail, and other relevant information and communicate it clearly. This means that it is a quick, easy read.  If you agree with the conclusions that he draws, then it can seem a bit unnecessarily repetitive.

Chance of finding it in my imaginary bookstore? 85%

Book Review: Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
(my own photo)

Whether it's The Matrix, Harry Potter, or The Chronicles of Narnia, we all know stories that centre on the "Chosen One/s" attempt to defeat evil. Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy attempts to examine this trope by exploring a world in which the Chosen One has failed.

The Final Empire is the first book in this series. It focuses on a thieving crew, lead by Kelsier, and their attempt to overturn the Final Empire, a dystopian nation governed by the tyrannical Lord Ruler. The protagonist, Vin, learns that she is a Mistborn.  Mistborns have the ability to use Allomancy, a form of magic that uses metals to activate certain skills, such as becoming stronger and faster, or the ability to soothe other's emotions. Through the use of these capabilities, Vin and the rest of the crew attempt to gather an army, infiltrate the government, set the nobility against each other, and eventually destroy the Lord Ruler.

This book was an enjoyable, faced-paced read, with enough creativity to hold my interest over 643 pages.

The pacing was quick and tight, which means that it was a gripping read.  I also really appreciated the way that the plot was paced in terms of the series as a whole. Although this novel is part of a trilogy, and there is still more story to tell, the book was satisfying and enjoyable on its own. My friend recommended this book to me on the basis of the plot twists, and it delivered on that front.  While there were a few that I saw coming, that may have been due to the fact that I was looking out for them.  It is one of the few novels where you genuinely believe that the main characters could die early on in the series. Overall, the plot was one of the book's strengths.

The world-building was excellent. Many of the supernatural elements in the novel, such as Allomancy, aren't based on any particularly well-known myths and legends, but the ideas are still easy for the reader to follow. Even though there is a glossary at the back, most readers probably won't need to use it.

The book provides an interesting take on the "Chosen One" narrative. Certain elements of Vin's plot seem to be playing this idea fairly straight, but there are plenty of other aspects of the book that subvert this trope. While it is entirely possible to write a compelling "Chosen One" narrative, this idea has become slightly overplayed, and is often written poorly.  It is refreshing to see someone engaging with the idea in a slightly different manner.

That being said, the book isn't perfect.  On the one hand, it seems to be conscious of trying to avoid a simplistic good guy/bad guy dichotomy, it often falls into that trap. There are some characters that seem quite complex at the beginning of the novel, but in the end their actions are explained in a way that allows them to be seen as either entirely "good" or utterly "evil".

While I don't know when I'll be able to read the next book, I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.
 
Chance of finding it in my imaginary bookstore?  85%

Thoughts On: "Liking" Characters

I like talking about books; I think it’s great that people can have different opinions on the same book.  However, there is one particular opinion that people seem to be very fond of expressing, and I really wish they wouldn’t.  It’s “I don’t like this book because I don’t like the main character.”

Now, characters have always been a huge part in my enjoyment of books; I find that I can forgive a lot in a book if the characters are interesting, realistic, and well written. However, sometimes when people say that they don’t like a character, they don’t mean that they don’t like how poorly written they are, but rather that they don’t like that character’s personality or agree with their choices.  In other words, if they met this character in real life, they wouldn’t be their friend.

The first issue I take with people who don’t like books because they don’t like the characters is that just because you don’t like a character’s personality doesn’t mean that the character can’t be realistic or interesting, or that their stories are not worth telling.  Take Sherlock Holmes, for example.  If you think about it, you probably wouldn’t want him as your friend, even if you disregard the cocaine; he’s obnoxious, a bit self-centred, and has no problem pointing out that he’s smarter than everyone else.  A lot of adaptations tend to avoid presenting these characteristics to make him more likable, but that’s a rant for another day. However, the fact that Sherlock isn’t particularly nice doesn’t mean that he’s not an interesting, well-rounded character, or that it’s not exciting to read about his detective-work.

A common complaint about characters is that they annoying whiners. Holden Caulfield, Sylvia Plath; they’re all just whingers who should stop being so miserable and self-absorbed. Because of this, their stories somehow become worse, or less valuable. However, it’s important to bear in mind that sometimes they are underlying issues that justify their complaints (abuse, clinical depression, etc.).  Even if a character is just being an angst-y teenager, I think if we’re all honest with ourselves we’ll admit that some people are like that in real life.  So, if it’s handled correctly, there’s no reason why there can’t be a place for moaning, and it doesn’t automatically make a book bad.

What if it’s not just a personality issue? What if the characters are morally despicable?  Well, I think then it largely comes down to an issue of framing; if the author seems to be presenting whatever horrible things the main characters are doing in a positive light, then yes, that can ruin a book.  However, a lot of books with immoral characters tend to make it clear that we’re not supposed to like those characters, or at the very least that we’re not supposed to agree with their choices.  Wuthering Heights springs to mind.

So please, dislike books because the characters are badly written, or unrealistic, or justify horrible ideas, but not because you wouldn’t be best friends.

Women in Horror Month and The Lottery

February is Women In Horror Month, an annual event that celebrates the achievements of female writers, artists and film-makers in the horror genre, and promoting the consumption of work within the horror genre created by women.

When I heard about this, I planned on reading Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, and maybe writing about it.  However, I then realized that February is both the shortest and one of the busiest months of the year.  So, I decided to read 'The Lottery' instead.

It seems a bit pointless to write a traditional review of this classic short story, suffice to say that my heart began to race from the first page. It was absolutely incredible, and demonstrates the capacity for social commentary that the horror genre has.

In the absence of a full review, allow me to get up on my soapbox for a second and encourage everyone to give horror a chance.  The horror genre has the ability to do so much more than just make the squeamish amongst us sick; it can advocate for social causes, it can be art.  The important thing is that we start expecting more of horror, and reject the idea that it's just a weird niche genre for sadists.

Have you read/seen something for Women in Horror Month?  If so, what was it?

Book review: Free Radicals: The Secret Anarchy of Science by Michael Brooks

Free Radicals by Michael Brooks
(my own photo)

If I was to pick one word to describe this book, it would probably be disappointing.  It wasn't great, and I've had so little time to do extra reading over the past month or two that I felt quite annoyed that I wasted my time on a sub-standard book.

Most people have a particularly understanding of how science and the scientific world works. Science it typically presented as completely objective, as a discipline where everyone is motivated purely by the desire to advance our understanding of the universe.  Now, this is probably true of certain individuals working in science, but it's not the whole truth.  

As someone who's interested in science and ethics I've been thinking a lot about the ideas brought up in this book, and I've done a lot of reading in this area.  As a result, it did cover a lot of territory that I have some familiarity with.  Unfortunately, it was covered quite poorly.  The book is clearly designed to reach a certain conclusion; if something it doesn't fit, it's either not mentioned or brushed over. Even with all of the cherry-picking, the conclusion still seems forced. 

Even if you discount the issues with the content, it just isn't a well-written book.  It jumps really suddenly from one topic to another.  I also take issue with his use of the word 'anarchy'.  I understand that it's supposed to be a keyword that ties the whole book together, but he uses the word in so many different ways, very few of which have anything to do with the generally acknowledged definition of anarchy.  In one chapter, he uses the word anarchy to describe both a scientist sending another scientist a bottle of champagne, and a scientist destroying another scientist's career.

It's not a terrible book, but it is one that I could have happily lived my life without reading.

Chances of finding it in my imaginary bookstore? 45%

Poetry Project: Sestinas!

Sorry this edition is late, I was spectacularly busy.

I've found that my method of selecting poems was a bit too random.  So, I've decided to do a different theme each week.  This week, it's sestinas.

A sestina is a poetic form in which the last word in each line is rotated in a set pattern.  There are six stanzas, each containing six lines, and there is an envoi at the end consisting of three lines.  It creates some interesting effects, but is difficult to write, particularly because the line endings can sound repetitive.

I read a few sestinas this week, and the best one was probably A.E. Stallings' "Sestina: Like".  However, Algernon Swinburne gets an honorable mention for being amazing/crazy enough to write a double sestina, 'The Complaint of Lisa'

I have tried writing sestinas myself and, if you are brave enough to attempt one,  I've found that the sestin-a-matic is a really useful tool.  It will keep track of how the line endings change.

Poetry Project: Week 2

I know this is late, but please enjoy If You Forget Me by Pablo Neruda.

Poetry Project: Week 1

I've recently decided that I'm going to commit to reading one poem everyday.  I want to read more poetry, particularly from writers or movements that I haven't explored before.

I thought I might share my favourite poem that I read each week, because life is better with more poetry.

So, without further ado, this week's favourite is "The Café Filtre" by Paul Blackburn.

Just in case you missed me...

Hello there,

It's come to my attention that I haven't posted in ages, and I have been flattering myself, thinking that some of you are actually kind of sad about that.

In my defense, I have been incredibly busy, as I am writing and editing a magazine and we just launched our first issue.

If you want to check out our blog, where you can find the articles in our latest edition, some bonus reviews, and a print archive of all the previous issues, you can find it below 

Shakespeare Cinema Sins

One of the courses I'm taking this year is about Shakespeare, and it looks at both the text of the plays, but also how they're adapted on the stage and screen.  As a result, I've been watching a lot of different films based on Shakespeare plays.

While I've really enjoyed most of them, and I might make a recommendations post at some point in the future, this is not that post.  This is the post were I complain about things that so many of these films get wrong, and that really get on my nerves.

So, without further ado, here are my Top 3 Shakespeare Cinema Sins.

Book Review: Fire and Hemlock

As a fan of fantasy novels, I was always a little bit embarrassed that I had never read any of Dianne Wynn Jones' books.  However, after having read Fire and Hemlock, I think I was a bit hard on myself about it.

The book opens with the protagonist, Polly, looking at a photograph, and realizing that she only has a vague sense of how she got it and the events that followed.  As she looks back and tries to remember, she uncovers many new memories; about the photograph, about Thomas Lynn, and about stories that start to come true...

The book's concept was quite interesting, and supernatural aspects of the novel were very well integrated. I thought the world-building was excellent.  Unlike most fantasy novels, most of the "rules" of the world aren't revealed until very late in the plot. However, there was still a sense that the world had always operated according to those rules, and they didn't have a deus ex machina feel to them.

I thought that the characters were reasonably well written.  There were some complex, dynamic ones that I really enjoyed, but there were also a few characters that were just a bit too flat given their relative importance in the book.

I would have to say that the prose itself was the weakest element of this novel.  It just seemed really clunky.  The dialogue sounded like it was from 1940, even though the book is probably meant to be set in the 70's or the 80's.

I was kind of disappointed with this book, so I think I'll end this review on a question to all the Dianne Wynn Jones fans out there.  Have I got it wrong?  Is Fire and Hemlock just not her best novel?  Which book would you recommend?

Chance of finding it in my imaginary bookstore? 65%

In Defense of Nanowrimo

I've been reading a blog called The Literary Mercenary for a while now, and normally I think it's interesting and I tend to agree with a lot of what he writes. However, he recently wrote a post about Nanowrimo which was generally really negative about the whole concept.  I was going to write a comment about why I disagreed with him, but then I realized that I needed more space to fully articulate what I had to say.

As some of you know, during the summer I participated in Camp Nanowrimo, which is basically Nanowrimo in July.  I enjoyed the experience, I thought that it was useful and I think that my writing benefitted from it.  I don't agree with the idea that people who've never done it before have to be "warned" about it.

His main issue seems to be with the word count; he says that 50,000 words is an arbitrary number, and that most people just end up writing words for the sake of getting the word count.  I take issues with this on a number of levels.  Firstly, yes, 50,000 words is arbitrary, but it's not ridiculously arbitrary.  Most novels do come in at around the 50,000 word mark, and many have much more.  The Great Gatsby is generally seen as a relatively short novel, and it has about 47,000 words.  Secondly, at least in Camp Nanowrimo, they have introduced a new facility which allows you to chose your own word count goal.  Finally, I think that there are benefits to having to reach a certain word count, even if it is a tad arbitrary.  I'm a perfectionist, and I could probably spend the rest of my life on the rough draft of a novel, and it still wouldn't be good enough for me.  So, for people like me, it's actually helpful to have a sense that you just have to put words on paper; it doesn't matter if they're perfect, just as long as they exist.

He also takes issue with the fact that Nanowrimo doesn't give you time to go back and edit your work. Now, while they don't really advertise the fact that much, Nanowrimo is really supposed to be just a rough draft.  If the novel is good, then you can go back and edit it, and if it's not, then it's not a complete disaster; you've only spent a month on it as opposed to half a year.

The other issue he has is with the "spirit" of Nanowrimo.  He claims that people feel that Nanowrimo is a way to churn out a novel to earn some quick cash.  Although I've personally never experienced this, I am willing to accept that this attitude exists.  However, I think he is wrong to suggest that this is an outlook that Nanowrimo encourages.  I have never found anyone from the organization suggesting that novel-writing is lucrative or easy.  If some individuals have latched on to this idea form who knows where, then that's bad, but Nanowrimo isn't responsible.  If anything, it does the opposite.  Anyone who starts out thinking that this is going to be a walk in the park is going to be sorely disappointed.

Finally, he claims that Nanowrimo doesn't make you a better writer.  Everyone's different, my personal experience is that it has improved my writing.  The novel I wrote this year is significantly better than the one I wrote last year.  Novel writing (like most other things) is something that you need to practice to get better at.  Writing short stories and poetry isn't automatically going to make you a good novelist; they are different art forms.  Nanowrimo provides you with an opportunity to get that practice.

Nanowrimo isn't perfect; but it isn't the bucket of excrement that he claims it is.