Author: cbanister

Let’s face it: There are a seemingly infinite number of books about writing, but how do you distinguish a helpful resource from the hype-y ones that guarantee, say, a bestseller in one month flat? Well first things first, like those get-rich schemes that pop up in infomercials late at night, anything that sounds too good to be true probably is. The truth is, great writing simply can’t be rushed. It’s a joyful yet painstaking process that requires time, effort and determination (and a killer critique partner wouldn’t hurt either). There’s a good chance you’ll want to rip up whatever you’re… Continue reading

Flashing way, way back to my elementary and middle school days when we were rewarded with coupons for free personal-sized pizza from Pizza Hut based on how many books we read over break, summer has always been synonymous with reading for me. Even without the free pizza, it’s a habit that’s stuck with me through adulthood with summer being peak reading season since I’ve always been, well, more of an indoor person. Especially when it’s approximately 1,439 degrees here. I thoroughly enjoyed the bulk of what I read this summer — domestic thrillers, biographies, cookbooks, general fiction, even an unexpectedly… Continue reading

It’s quite possible that DFW hasn’t gotten the memo that it’s, well, summer (and I’m more than okay with that). Instead of clocking in at roughly 2,318 degrees, June has been nice and mild. Sunny. Not humid. Temps climbing not much higher than the upper 80s.  In other words, pretty incredible for North Texas. “Pretty incredible” could also sum up the novels I’ve recently finished reading. While completely different genres, they all captured my attention in that frantic, I-can’t-turn-the-pages-quickly-enough way. I kickstarted my summer reading with The Last Mrs. Parrish, which has been compared to super twisty psychological thrillers like… Continue reading