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Tag: Listicle
Operation 2022: Success! (Or Favorite Books From this Year)
Well, another year has come and (mostly) gone. It was another amazing reading year, making coming up with a list of favorites a delightfully difficult task. I kept thinking that I would only write a top ten, but after agonizing over which books to leave off, I told myself, "Self, it's your blog, dash it all! You can have a top twelve favorites list! No one can stop you!"
It was around this point that it occurred to me that I should probably stop talking to myself (although I am a very witty conversationalist) and just write the darn list. Without further ado, and in no particular order, I present my top TWELVE books of 2022.
The Shadow Glass by Josh Winning
A thrilling race against the clock to save the world from fantasy creatures from a cult 80s film. Perfect for fans of Henson Company puppet classics such as Labyrinth, Dark Crystal and The Never-Ending Story.
Jack Corman is failing at life.
Jobless, jaded and on the "wrong" side of thirty, he's facing the threat of eviction from his London flat while reeling from the sudden death of his father, one-time film director Bob Corman. Back in the eighties, Bob poured his heart and soul into the creation of his 1986 puppet fantasy The Shadow Glass, a film Jack loved as a child, idolising its fox-like hero Dune.
But The Shadow Glass flopped on release, deemed too scary for kids and too weird for adults, and Bob became a laughing stock, losing himself to booze and self-pity. Now, the film represents everything Jack hated about his father, and he lives with the fear that he'll end up a failure just like him.
In the wake of Bob's death, Jack returns to his decaying home, a place creaking with movie memorabilia and painful memories. Then, during a freak thunderstorm, the puppets in the attic start talking. Tipped into a desperate real-world quest to save London from the more nefarious of his father's creations, Jack teams up with excitable fanboy Toby and spiky studio executive Amelia to navigate the labyrinth of his father's legacy while conjuring the hero within––and igniting a Shadow Glass resurgence that could, finally, do his father proud. (Taken from Amazon)
"This book was a love story to the wonderful, imaginative things I grew up with, and I enjoyed every moment of it."
Slaying the Dragon: A Secret History of Dungeons and Dragons by Ben Riggs
Role-playing game historian Ben Riggs unveils the secret history of TSR― the company that unleashed imaginations with Dungeons & Dragons, was driven into ruin by disastrous management decisions, and then saved by their bitterest rival.
Co-created by wargame enthusiasts Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, the original Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game released by TSR (Tactical Studies Rules) in 1974 created a radical new medium: the role-playing game. For the next two decades, TSR rocketed to success, producing multiple editions of D&D, numerous settings for the game, magazines, video games, New York Times bestselling novels by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, and R. A. Salvatore, and even a TV show! But by 1997, a series of ruinous choices and failed projects brought TSR to the edge of doom―only to be saved by their fiercest competitor, Wizards of the Coast, the company behind the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering.
Unearthed from Ben Riggs's own adventurous campaign of in-depth research, interviews with major players, and acquisitions of secret documents, Slaying the Dragon reveals the true story of the rise and fall of TSR. Go behind the scenes of their Lake Geneva headquarters where innovative artists and writers redefined the sword and sorcery genre, managers and executives sabotaged their own success by alienating their top talent, ignoring their customer fanbase, accruing a mountain of debt, and agreeing to deals which, by the end, made them into a publishing company unable to publish so much as a postcard.
As epic and fantastic as the adventures TSR published, Slaying the Dragon is the legendary tale of the rise and fall of the company that created the role-playing game world. (Taken from Amazon)
"Slaying the Dragon: A Secret History of Dungeons & Dragons was a riveting look at the rise, fall, and reincarnation of TSR, the most honest one I've seen to date."
Dragons of Deceit (Dragonlance Destinies book 1) by Margaret Weist and Tracy Hickman
Destina Rosethorn—as her name implies—believes herself to be a favored child of destiny. But when her father dies in the War of the Lance, she watches her carefully constructed world come crashing down. She loses not only her beloved father but also the legacy he has left her: the family lands and castle. To save her father, she hatches a bold plan—to go back in time and prevent his death.
First, she has to secure the Device of Time Journeying, last known to be in the possession of the spirited kender Tasslehoff Burrfoot. But to change time, she'll need another magical artifact—the most powerful and dangerous artifact ever created. Destina's quest takes her from the dwarven kingdom of Thorbardin to the town of Solace and beyond, setting in motion a chain of disastrous events that threaten to divert the course of the River of Time, alter the past, and forever change the future. (Taken from Amazon)
"Unsurprisingly, Dragons of Deceit was incredible."
The Hero Interviews by Andi Ewington
Heroes… you can't swing a cat without hitting one. You can't even hatch a nefarious plan without some adventuring party invading your dungeon to thwart you. So, it stands to reason they're a force for good—right?
Well—yes and no…
Elburn Barr is a Loremaster who has turned his back on his family's tradition of adventuring and stepped out into the realm of heroes to interview a whole smörgåsbord board of fantastical characters from stoic, swear-shy Paladins through to invisible sword-carrying Mime Warriors.
Through his transcribed journal, he'll take a cheeky peek at the truth lurking behind the hero myth—and everything associated with them. Across his many encounters, he hopes to uncover his brother's fate—a brother who has been missing for ten summers after brazenly setting out to forge a heroic name for himself.
Will Elburn discover what really happened to his brother, or will he fail in his quest and become another casualty of the adventuring trade?
The Hero Interviews is a departure from the usual swords and sorcery yarn—it's a sometimes gritty, sometimes amusing, but completely bonkers look at the realm of heroes.
"It is a brilliantly funny book and one that had me laughing from start to finish."
Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans
"Empire of Exiles is spectacular, a feast for those who crave complex characters and sinister plots."
One Foot in the Fade by Luke Arnold
Welcome back to the streets of Sunder City, a darkly imagined world perfect for readers of Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher.
In a city that lost its magic, an angel falls in a downtown street. His wings are feathered, whole—undeniably magical—the man clearly flew, because he left one hell of a mess when he plummeted into the sidewalk.
But what sent him up? What brought him down? And will the answers help Fetch bring the magic back for good?
Working alongside necromancers, genies, and shadowy secret societies, through the wildest forests and dingiest dive bars, this case will leave its mark on Fetch's body, his soul, and the fate of the world. (taken from Amazon)
"One Foot in the Fade has everything I want in a fantasy book. "
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
High Fantasy with a double-shot of self-reinvention
Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv the orc barbarian cashes out of the warrior's life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen.
However, her dreams of a fresh start pulling shots instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune's shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners and a different kind of resolve.
A hot cup of fantasy slice-of-life with a dollop of romantic froth. (Taken from Amazon)
" The perfect book to read on a rainy day with a cup of your favorite hot beverage."
The Oleander Sword (Burning Kingdoms book 2) by Tasha Suri
The prophecy of the nameless god—the words that declared Malini the rightful empress of Parijatdvipa—has proven a blessing and curse. She is determined to claim the throne that fate offered her. But even with rage in her heart and the army of loyal men by her side, deposing her brother is going to be a brutal and bloody fight.
The power of the deathless waters flows through Priya's blood. Now a thrice born priestess and an Elder of Ahiranya, she dreams of seeing her country rid of the rot that plagues it: both Parijatdvipa's poisonous rule, and the blooming sickness that is spreading through all living things. But she doesn't yet understand the truth of the magic she carries.
Their chosen paths once pulled them apart. But Malini and Priya's souls remain as entwined as their destinies. And saving their kingdom from those who would rather see it burn will come at a terrible price. (Taken from Amazon)
"The Oleander Sword is beauty with teeth. It's a gorgeously written, breathtaking tale of manipulation, revenge, cruelty, and the things sacrificed in the quest for power. "
Small Angels by Laura Owen
Lucia and her sisters grew up on the edge of Mockbeggar Woods. They knew it well—its danger, but also its beauty. As a lonely teenager, Kate was drawn to these sisters, who were unlike anyone she'd ever met. But when they brought her into the woods, something dark was awakened, and Kate has never been able to escape the terrible truth of what happened there.
Chloe has been planning her dream wedding for months. She has the dress, the flowers, and the perfect venue: Small Angels, a charming old church set alongside dense, green woods in the village that her fiancé, Sam, and his sister, Kate, grew up in. But days before the ceremony, Chloe starts to learn of unsettling stories about Small Angels and Mockbeggar Woods. And worse, she begins to see, smell, and hear things that couldn't possibly be real.
Now, Kate is returning home for the first time in years—for Sam and Chloe's wedding. But the woods are stirring again, and Kate must reconnect with Lucia, her first love, to protect Chloe, the village, and herself. An unforgettable novel about the memories that hold us back and those that show us the way forward, this is storytelling at its most magical. Enter Small Angels, if you dare. (Taken from Amazon)
"Small Angels is lyrical and uncanny, a perfect spooky read."
The Hummingbird's Tear by C.M. Kerley
In the high towers of Castle Kraner the King has chosen to hide away, leaving his kingdom undefended, open to attack from men, monsters and magic users.His loyal son Prince Orren, despairing of his father's wilful ignorance, is doing all he can to gather the men and women he believes can help him avert the war before it starts, to save his land before it needs saving. Brennan and his young brother Calem find themselves drawn to Kraner; as their innate powers begin to manifest and they are woven into the mad schemes of rulers and invaders they must decide what to believe, who to trust, and how far they're willing to go to fight an enemy they can't see. (Taken from Amazon)
"The Hummingbird's Tear is a gem of a book and one that all fantasy readers should pick up."
Dragons of a Different Tail Edited by Marx Pyle
ighteen award-winning, veteran, and emerging authors bring you seventeen unique dragon tales that defy tradition. Winged serpents as large as continents, as well as those tiny enough to perch on the fingertip of a young girl. Dragons who inhabit the Wild West, Victorian London, Brooklyn, and a post-apocalyptic Earth. Scaly beasts who fight in the boxing ring, celebrate Christmas, and conquer the vast void of outer space. There are rockstars who meddle with dragon magic, clever and conniving shapeshifters, and powerfully exotic hybrids. Science fiction, urban fantasy, mystery, western, epic fantasy, YA fantasy…no matter the setting or the genre–here be dragons!
Join Asimov's Readers Award winner Timons Esaias, science fiction author Heidi Ruby Miller, post-apocalyptic author J. Thorn, along with K.W. Taylor, Sean Gibson and more as they put their personal twist on the usual dragon tale. (taken from Amazon)
"Dragons of a Different Tail was one of the most creative and entertaining anthologies I've had the pleasure of reading."
Strange Cargo (A Mennik Thorn Short Novel) by Patrick Samphire
What do a smuggling gang, a curse that won't go away, and a frequently lost dog have to do with each other?
Answer: they're all here to disrupt Mennik Thorn's hard-earned peace and quiet.
As the sole freelance mage in the city of Agatos, Mennik is used to some odd clients and awful jobs. But this time, one of his clients isn't giving him a choice. Mennik might have forgotten about the smugglers whose operations he disrupted, but they haven't forgotten about him. Now he is faced with a simple ultimatum: help them smuggle in an unknown, dangerous cargo or flee the city he loves forever.
Time is running out for Mennik to find an answer, and things are about to get completely out of control. (Taken from Amazon)
"Strange Cargo showcased all the things that I love about the series and made me hungry for more."
wittysarcasticbookclub Comedic Fantasy, Creeptastic, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Listicle, Nonfiction, Short Stories/Collections, Table Top Roleplaying Game, TTRPGs, Uncategorized, Urban Fantasy 8 Comments December 14, 2022 December 14, 2022
Quotables: Words that Stuck with Me in 2022
I don't think that you can be a reader and not love words. There is something special in the infinite combinations of letters and the amazing things that come from them. Sometimes a book quote comes along that just floors me, whether it hits in a way that feels incredibly personal or just makes me laugh until I get sick. I love looking back at the quotes that stuck with me throughout the year. Below are a few favorites from 2022. You can find my Quoatables posts from previous years here: 2020, 2021.
"She looked up at him, red eyes wet with tears "Our secrets and lies are the monsters we feed. You should know that."– The Monsters We Feed by Thomas Howard Riley
"That's the mark of real friendship, I think: to be the person you are when you're alone, but in front of someone else. Just as free. Just as messy. The kind of friend where you don't have to stress over every little thing you say, because one little fuck-up in front of them won't make them think any worse of you. A single impressive act won't alter things either, because they've seen enough of your failings not to put you on a pedestal. They know you. The "you" beneath the bullshit." – One Foot in the Fade by Luke Arnold
"This wasn't about using nostalgia as a shield, it was about celebrating the things that defined them, the characters that spoke to their heart's truth, the things that made them different and unique and powerful in their own special way. It united them."– The Shadow Glass by Josh Winning
"It wasn't the same song, it never is, each time you play it the song changes, but the feeling remains the same."– We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix
"I was just thinking that you don't have to forget who you were … because that's what brought you here."- Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
"Perhaps a story is simply a reminder to the reader that time is a funny thing: it stretches and snaps. It bends and wobbles. And it slows down when you move too fast."– The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
"But then, how were others to know that beneath her cloak of adept composure there existed a panicked thing, alternately crying and screaming and longing for a nap all while craving something glazed in sugar?"– Miss Percy's Guide to the Care & Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson
"There is nothing so broken it can't be repaired."– Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans
"Do you know what you'd do to stay alive? Most of us never have to make that call. Not so clearly that we have to weigh up our life against another's. Instead, we make that choice in a hundred little decisions every day, when we put our own life, and our own comforts, over everyone else. We all live our lives off the blood of other people; they're usually just far enough away from us that we can convince ourselves that it isn't the case." – One Foot in the Fade by Luke Arnold
"I read once that books bend both space and time, and the more books you have in one place, the more space and time will bend and twist and fold over itself. I'm not sure if that's true but it feels true. Of course, I read that in a book, and maybe the book was just bragging."– The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
Here's to many more amazing quotes! Happy reading!
wittysarcasticbookclub Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Listicle, Middle Grade, Mutterings, Uncategorized 6 Comments December 5, 2022
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas 2022: Children's Books Edition
I feel like this year has simultaneously dragged on for ages and jumped ahead in weird chunks. Either way, we're approaching that time of year when many of us buy books for all our friends, both being generous and pushy ("You need to read this now-look I've gotten it for you so there's no excuse!"). I've got a little guy who's in the delightful age of enjoying both picture books and chapter books for young readers, so this year's gift suggestions will be a little varied.
Here are a few that would make great gifts for younger readers!
The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster by Mo Willems
The Pigeon books are extremely popular in our household. They have colorful, fun illustrations and are full of reasons to shout (always a plus with my child). The simple language is perfect for early readers and the stories are always fun. My son doesn't have this latest addition yet, but I think there's a good chance that will change by Christmas.
Marty Pants by Mark Parisi
This is my first grader's new favorite series. It follows an incorrigible kid with a good imagination and a loose grip on reality. The situations he gets himself into are lighthearted and silly. My son is now writing Marty Pants fanfiction. I think that's a good recommendation for a book right there.
The Snatchabook by Helen Docherty and Thomas Docherty
This book is absolutely adorable! All the animals love their bedtime stories, but someone is stealing the books! It up to Eliza, a rabbit with a penchant for reading, to solve the mystery. The illustrations are wonderful and the mystery is cute and happily resolved. This is one of my favorite picture books that my little one and I read together this year.
Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet
This is about Tony Sarg, the inventor of the giant balloons for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The history is fascinating and it's engagingly told. The pictures are fantastic. This would be a great holiday gift seeing as, for many, the parade officially kicks off the Christmas excitement.
Geronimo Stilton graphic novels by Tom Angleberger
This series follows a hapless mouse detective as he …detects. My first grader loves these books.
The Lives of the Explorers by Kathleen Krull and Kathryn Hewitt
I don't think my youngest will ever outgrow his love of history. The books will just update as time goes on. This series has books covering scientists, artists, and writers…they're all great.
Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
I'm pretty sure this series needs no introduction. My youngest doesn't like Captain Underpants but there hasn't been a dog book that he doesn't like. With the number of books already released, this will keep your reader busy for some time.
Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis, Illustrated by Laura Cornell
This is a great book! It's brightly colored, fun, and perfect for little ones with big feelings. It validates all moods which I think is very important. There's a mood wheel at the back where kids can find their own moods.
Will your little ones find books under the tree this Christmas? What's on their reading wishlist?
wittysarcasticbookclub Children's Books, Listicle, Picture books, Uncategorized 6 Comments November 21, 2022
Books that Caught My 1st Grader's Eye
Well, as much as I want it to slow down, time keeps passing. My youngest is now a first grader and a precocious one at that. He enjoys a mix of picture and chapter books, with the occasional comic sneaking in as well. Here are a few that he loves and my thoughts on them.
Lives of the Scientists: Experiments, Explosions (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull and Kathyrn Hewitt
The "Lives of" books are actually a series, one that my youngest loves so much that he begged for them at Christmas last year. Some of them are tough to find, but they're worth the hunt. He loves the pictures and the history (if you've read my blog for a while, you know he's a little history buff. You should see the walls of the house. They're so covered with "history people" coloring pages, it looks a little like a murder board on a police procedural). I like the delivery: it doesn't talk down to kids, but it doesn't overload them either.
Bunnicula by James Howe
I've waited YEARS to share this one with my youngest! I have loved it since I was young, and both my kids also fell in love with the silly dog, paranoid cat, and (vampire?) rabbit. My son was on the edge of his seat and we split the reading time, which was awesome. He learned several new words and was proud of his ability to read a "big kid chapter book". We're continuing the series and are currently on book three.
My youngest loves the Dog Man books. I mean, he absolutely loves them. He knows when the next one is set to be released (March 28, 2023) and has to bring at least three books each time we go anywhere in the car. What do I think of them? To be honest, I'm not a big fan. The grammar is often purposefully wrong, which is difficult when I'm trying to teach him proper grammar (homeschool mom here). He loves them, though, and that's what matters. You can be sure he'll get a brand new copy of the latest Dog Man come March.
He also really enjoys Cat Kid Comic Club by the same author.
Bailey's Story: A Dog's Purpose Puppy Tale by W. Bruce Cameron
My youngest loves dogs. Unfortunately, our landlord won't let us own one, so my son lives the dog-owner life through books. He read this on his own and I'm so proud: it's meant for grades 4-6, so he's reading above his age level. and happily sounding out new words!
Nate the Great Talks Turkey by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Mitchell Sharmat
These books bring me back to my own childhood. They weren't favorites of mine, but they were always floating around the house. The same seems to be true now that I'm an adult. My youngest has read this a few times over the past month and is asking for a trip to the library to grab more.
What about you, parents and teachers? What do your first graders enjoy reading?
wittysarcasticbookclub Children's Books, Listicle, Picture books, Uncategorized 6 Comments November 4, 2022
Universal Monsters Book Tag: 2022
Happy almost-Halloween, for those who celebrate! I'm actually not that big on Halloween (I know, I'm weird), but I love the Universal Monsters. I created a book tag revolving around them a few years ago and I'm dusting if off again this year.
Feel free to do your own! Please tag me so I can see your answers. Enjoy!
Dracula- a book with a charismatic villain:
Yes, Lord Soth is a death knight. Yes, he could have prevented a world-ending disaster (a Cataclysm, if you will) and instead mucked it up. Yes, he's really not a good dude. But he is so much fun to read about! He's to Dragonlance as Boba Fett was to the original Star Wars movies: a mysterious, hardcore character whose legend builds with time.
The Invisible Man- a book that has more going on than meets the eye:
There are bands that sell out and then there are bands that sell…something. Trust Grady Hendrix to take the idea of an almost-made-it band and combine it with forces dark and sinister. I had to set aside all my preconceptions about We Sold Our Souls. There are twists upon turns and nothing is as it seems.
Wolfman- a complicated character:
Not only is this love letter to 80s fantasy movies absolutely genius, but Jack is also an incredibly complex character. He had a broken relationship with his dad, and both loves and resents the movie world that took up so much of his dad's attention. He's angry and grieving, uncertain and sad. His character growth throughout the book is through the roof. Basically, The Shadow Glass is amazing.
Frankenstein- a book with a misunderstood character:
As with all mysteries, everyone has secrets in Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone. There were a couple of characters in the book that were completely misunderstood by everyone else. Of course, I misunderstood certain motives and actions too, which is the point of a mystery. This was a fun one!
The Bride of Frankenstein- a sequel you enjoyed more than the first book:
I didn't think it was possible to enjoy the sequel more than Shadow of a Dead God, but Nectar for the God took all the (many) things that I loved about the first Mennik Thorn book and added new levels. The stakes were higher, the world became more fleshed out, and Mennik was…even more of a walking Murphy's Law. Seriously, you need to read this series.
Creature from the Black Lagoon- an incredibly unique book:
The Hero Interviews, aside from being uproariously funny, has an incredibly unique feature: footnotes. Elburn Barr, Loremaster and narrator extraordinaire, interviews heroes throughout the book. These interviews come complete with his tongue-in-cheek observations, given as footnotes that add an extra layer of hilarity to an already hysterical book. The Hero Interviews will be released December first, but you can preorder it now on Amazon.
The Mummy- a book that wraps up nicely (see what I did there?):
Legends and Lattes was a sweet delight. The book was the print version of a nice, cozy blanket. It left me smiling and feeling a little bit better about life. The ending was perfect (in fact, I really can't think of a single aspect of the book that wasn't).
wittysarcasticbookclub book tag, Comedic Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Listicle, Mutterings, Mystery, Uncategorized, Urban Fantasy 10 Comments October 22, 2022
Dragonlance Reading Order 2022
Logo Credit: Wizards of the Coast
The Dragonlance world is one I happily revisit every year. Rich in detail and huge in scope, the series itself boasts over one hundred novels, and the first book in a new trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, titled Dragons of Deceit, has just released.
If you've never read the series before, you might be wondering where to start. I'll admit, it can be pretty daunting. Here is my own reading order suggestion. Keep in mind, it is my opinion only, and I haven't listed every single book, rather sticking to the "main storyline" with side suggestions along the way.
First things first: The Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Dragons of Winter Night
Dragons of Spring Dawning
These are the basis of the entire world. Without these books, you won't understand much of what happens after. You won't be able to fully appreciate the books that take place before (that were nonetheless written later on). This is where you'll meet some of the best characters ever written. Yup, I mean ever.
Continuing on: The Dragonlance Legends by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Time of the Twins
War of the Twins
Test of the Twins
The Legends trilogy is meant to be read right after the Chronicles, despite later books being published that take place in-between the original Chronicles. Trust me, do not sandwich those books (the Lost Chronicles) in the middle of the original Chronicles trilogy! I promise, there's a place for them later on.
Connecting the old to the new:
The Second Generation by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Dragons of Summer Flame by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Now, at this point, after being emotionally devastated, you have a few choices: you can continue on with the "main storyline", OR you can explore the world a little bit. There's so much to see, after all! Keep reading the post to see where I would suggest going next in the main storyline. I'll add some book suggestions at the bottom of this post for those who want to wander around Krynn a bit.
Fleshing out the original books: The Lost Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Dragons of the Dwarven Depths
Dragons of the Highlord Skies
Dragons of the Hourglass Mage
These technically don't further the storyline, as they are meant to take place in-between events covered in the earliest books. They make the original story much bigger, though, and we get to see more of my favorite characters, which is always a plus.
Time to see what happens next: Dragons of a New Age trilogy by Jean Rabe
The Dawning of a New Age
The Day of the Tempest
The Eve of the Maelstrom
To be honest, the Jean Rabe books are probably the Dragonlance books that I've read the fewest amount of times. However, they do connect what came before with what comes next.
The Dhamon Saga by Jean Rabe:
Carrying on: The War of Souls trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Dragons of a Fallen Sun
Dragons of a Lost Star
Dragons of a Vanished Moon
Now, it's on to: The Dark Disciple trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Amber and Ashes
Amber and Iron
Amber and Blood
The first book in a new trilogy, Dragonlance Destinies by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman has just released!
Dragons of Deceit (Dragonlance Destinies book 1)
You could technically start reading Dragonlance here as the authors have given important information and history throughout the book, while avoiding the dreaded info dump (that they were able to do this speaks of their excellent writing abilities). In order to truly appreciate everything that happens, though, I would suggest at least reading the Chronicles and The War of Souls. But that's just me.
Now, you're technically more or less caught up on the main storyline. However, here's where it gets interesting: you'll notice that this is less than 100+ books. That means you get to pick and choose any side novels that catch your eye. I personally am a huge fan of the Meetings Sextet (which explain how our original companions met), the Preludes, and the Raistlin Chronicles. Honestly, anything written by Margaret Weis or Tracy Hickman is going to be gold. I'm also a big fan of the books written by Douglas Niles and Richard A. Knaak.
Time to gather up your maps, grab your hoopak, and head off for adventures!
wittysarcasticbookclub Dragonlance Week, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Listicle, Mutterings, Uncategorized 18 Comments August 2, 2022 August 3, 2022
Self-published Authors Appreciation Week: Great Series
This week has been focused on some of the awesome self-published books out there. If you'd like to join in the fun, feel free to shout about self-published authors on your various platforms. On Twitter, use #SPAAW, #SuperSp, #AwesomeIndies and I will add your links to the Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week Hub.
I'm excited to talk about some of the self-published series that I've enjoyed. This is just a few of them, but I definitely suggest picking them up.
-The Windshine Chronicles by Todd Sullivan:
Men from South Hanguk undertake quests to gain social standing, to stand above their peers, to make names for themselves.
To become heroes.
Few ever return.
Ha Jun, sixteen years old, possesses a glyph sword crafted in foreign lands. Alongside a soldier, a knight, and a monk, he travels across the country to destroy a demon lurking beyond the running trees of Naganeupseong Fortress. Accompanying them is the dark elf, Windshine, who emigrated to South Hanguk from her own war-torn country centuries ago.
Distrusted by the people of South Hanguk, Windshine has the Emperor's protection and is tasked with recording the valiant acts of quest groups battling creatures born from nightmares.
Ha Jun becomes drawn to Windshine as they near Naganeupseong Fortress, but when he discovers the blood connection between the demon and the dark elf, he will either succumb to his fear, or rise up and become a hero. (Taken from Amazon)
-The Mennik Thorn Series by Patrick Samphire:
If Mennik Thorn had known the morning would end with him being framed for murder, he would have stayed trapped in the cupboard.
It was only supposed to be one little job – a simple curse-breaking for Mennik to pay back a favor to his oldest friend. But then it all blew up in his face. Now he is wanted for murder by the mage-killing Ash Guard, his best friend is about to be executed, and something monstrous is killing all the witnesses.
So how is a down-on-his-luck mage, broke, traumatized, and with a habit of annoying the wrong people, supposed to prove his innocence when everyone believes he's guilty?
If he wants to get out of this, he is going to have to throw himself back into the corrupt world of the city's high mages, a world he fled years ago.
Even that may not be enough, because a new, dark power is rising in Agatos, and all that stands in its way is one second-rate mage…(Taken from Amazon)
-The Gifted and the Cursed series by Marcus Lee
In the Ember Kingdom, a dying land riven by famine and disease, Daleth the evil Witch-King plots his conquest of the neighbouring Freestates. Gifted with eternal youth, his vampiric power is responsible for the decay that afflicts his realm, and now other kingdoms must fall to quench his never-ending thirst for life.
However, on the cusp of the invasion, Maya, a peasant huntress, is arrested, Daleth's soldiers kill an old farmer's wife, and a young outcast is reluctantly enlisted into the Witch-King's army. Three seemingly innocuous events that nonetheless have the potential to alter the destiny of generations to come.
For Maya is gifted with the ability to heal and can influence the hearts and minds of men if she but finds the strength to do so. The young recruit carries a gift of reading thoughts and has no love for the king he serves. As for the vengeful farmer … he's an ancient warrior gifted in reaping souls who now seeks to fulfil a long-forgotten oath against unbeatable odds.
The world will soon be soaked by the blood of war, but with these three individuals' lives inescapably entwined, the faint light of hope begins to shine. Alliances will have to be forged, enemies convinced to become friends, and a flicker of love given a chance to become a flame for there to be a chance to fight the encroaching darkness of the Witch-King's evil. (Taken from Amazon)
Duckett and Dyer: Dicks For Hire series by G.M. Nair:
Michael Duckett is fed up with his life. His job is a drag, and his roommate and best friend of fifteen years, Stephanie Dyer, is only making him more anxious with her lazy irresponsibility. Things continue to escalate when they face the threat of imminent eviction from their palatial 5th floor walk-up and find that someone has been plastering ads all over the city for their Detective Agency.
The only problem is: Michael and Stephanie don't have one of those.
Despite their baffling levels of incompetence, Stephanie eagerly pursues this crazy scheme and drags Michael, kicking and screaming, into the fray. Stumbling upon a web of missing people curiously linked by a sexually audacious theoretical physicist and his experiments with the fabric of space-time, the two of them find that they are way out of their depth. But unless Michael and Stephanie can put their personal issues aside and patch up the hole they tore in the multi-verse, the concept of existence itself may, ironically, cease to exist. (Taken from Amazon)
The Royal Champion series by G.M. White:
A dead prince. A grieving king. A legendary swordsman accused of murder.
Loyalty counts for nothing when the king demands blood.
Royal champion, and confidant to the king, Belasko thought he was beyond intrigues and machinations. But when the grief-stricken King demands vengeance for his murdered son, Belasko discovers he is expendable. His options are clear: find the killer or die for a crime he didn't commit.
This breakneck fantasy thriller is perfect for fans of David Gemmell, Sebastien de Castell and Miles Cameron. Pick up your copy today! (Taken from Amazon)
*I am just starting The Swordsman's Intent (sort of a prequel) and am not up to date on the series-yet. I'm enjoying the heck out of what I've read so far.
wittysarcasticbookclub Fantasy, Fiction, Mutterings, Uncategorized Leave a comment July 28, 2022 July 28, 2022
Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week- The Weather Tag
This week marks the second annual Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week, where we shout about amazing self-published authors. There are no specific prompts: feel free to join in and talk about self-publish books that you love!
I'm doing a tag today. I don't do them all that often because I tend to lose track of the ones I wanted to do in the first place! This fun one comes from Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road.
Sunshine: A Book That Made You Smile-
First of all, the main character is a bard! That alone was enough to make me grin. The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True hilariously stomps its way through the fantasy genre, leaving no fantasy trop alone and taking no prisoners. It's loads of fun!
Rain: A Book You Couldn't Put Down-
The Mennik Thorn series has been difficult to put down from book one! There's so much going on and poor Mennik is such a disaster-magnet that I get sucked in immediately. The writing is superb, which just adds even more to the reading experience.
Wind: A Book that Blew You Away-
I will never stop talking about how amazing Dragon Mage is. It's a bit of a doorstop (over 800 pages) but it flies by because it so darn good! From the characters to the plot, author M.L. Spencer crafted an incredibly compelling novel.
Hurricane: A Tragic Book-
While many books I read have sad parts, I can't think of a book that I would classify as "tragic".
Blizzard: A Book You Had High Expectations For-
Several people who have great taste in books loved The Swordsman's Lament, so I was pretty sure I would too. It more than lived up to my expectations and kept me on the edge of my seat!
*Self-published Authors Appreciation Page Hub Page
wittysarcasticbookclub Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Mutterings, Uncategorized 2 Comments July 25, 2022 July 25, 2022
This week I'm celebrating the second year of Self-published Authors Appreciation Week. Basically, this week I'm focusing on the many, many amazing self-published authors whose books I've enjoyed. If you'd like to join in, it's simple: read self-published books, then shout about them on your blogs, YouTube channels, podcasts, etc.
Here is a list of self-published authors I recommend. It's far from complete. Add to my monstrous TBR by giving me more suggestions!
Anca Antoci- Forget Me Not
Zack Argyle- Voice of War
Sue Bavey- Lucky Jack
Maria Blackrane- Blood, Fire, and Death
Jason and Rose Bishop- The Call
Satyros Phil Brucato- Red Shoes
Angela Boord- Fortune's Fool
Jenni Buchanan- Coming soon
Lee C. Conley- A Ritual of Bone
Mark Cushen- Little White Hands
J.D. Evans- Reign and Ruin
Sean Gibson- The Part About the Dragon was (Mostly) True
Peter Hartog- Bloodlines: An Empire City Special Crimes Novel
Ryan Howse- Red in Tooth and Claw
Jamie Jackson- Fear and Fury
C.M. Kerley- The Hummingbird's Tear
Bjørn Larssen- Why Odin Drinks
Marcus Lee- Kings and Daemons
K.R.R. Lockhaven- The Conjuring of Zoth-Avarex: The Self-Proclaimed Greatest Dragon in the Universe
Krystle Matar- Legacy of the Brightwash
G.M. Nair- Duckett and Dyer: Dicks for Hire
G.E. Newbegin- Pyramidion
Raina Nightingale- Kindred of the Sea
Roland O'Leary- The Hand of Fire
C.T. Phipps- The Supervillainy Saga
E.G. Radcliffe- The Hidden King
Whitney Reinhart- Saving Eva (currently out for BETA and Sensitivity reading)
Thomas Howard Riley- We Break Immortals
Kersten Espinosa Rosero- Burn Red Skies
Patrick Samphire- Shadow of a Dead God
Matthew Samuels- Parasites
Rachel Emma Shaw- Sacaran Nights
Brianna Sinder- Coming soon
P.J. Sky- A Girl Called Ari
Jeffrey Speight- Paladin Unbound
M.L. Spencer- Dragon Mage
P.L. Stuart- A Drowned Kingdom
Todd Sullivan- Hollow Men
Luke Tarzian- Vultures
Marian L. Thorpe- Empire's Daughter
H.L. Tinsley- We Men of Ash and Shadow
Keith Tokash- Iliad: The Reboot
M.L. Wang- The Sword of Kaigen
L.A. Wasielewski- The Alchemist: Dawn of Destiny
G.M. White- The Swordsman's Lament
D.H. Willison- Harpyness is Only Skin Deep
A.R. Witham- The Legend of Black Jack
Lyra Wolf- Truth and Other Lies: A Loki Norse Fantasy
Simon Van Der Velde- Backstories: Stories About People You Think You Know
wittysarcasticbookclub Mutterings, Uncategorized 1 Comment July 24, 2022 July 24, 2022
Fantasy Focus: Urban Fantasy
This year I'm doing a new series on my blog: Fantasy Focus. Each month, I'm focusing on a different fantasy subgenre. Fantasy is such a broad genre with so many different things to offer. So far, there have been focuses on Comedic Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Grimdark, and Epic/High Fantasy.
This month the focus is on urban fantasy, with fantastical elements showing up in the most unexpected of places. Below is a list of urban fantasy authors to check out as well as links to all of the interviews. The list is far from complete: tell me who I need to add!
Fantasy Focus: Urban Fantasy Featuring Matthew Samuels
Fantasy Focus: Urban Fantasy Featuring C. Thomas Lafollette
Fantasy Focus: Urban Fantasy Featuring Peter Hartog
Fantasy Focus: Urban Fantasy Featuring Satyros Phil Brucato
Fantasy Focus: Urban Fantasy Featuring Jamie Jackson
Fantasy Focus: Urban Fantasy Featuring G.E. Newbegin
Ilona Andrews- Kate Daniels series
Holly Black- Book of Night
Patricia Briggs- Mercy Thompson series
Jim Butcher- The Dresden Files series
Cassandra Clare- City of Bones
Neil Gaiman- Neverwhere
Kim Harrison- the Hollows series
Peter Hartog- The Guardian of Empire City series
Kevin Hearne- The Iron Druid series
Jamie Jackson- Adventures of a Villain-Leaning Humanoid series
C. Thomas Lafollette- Luke Irontree & the Last Vampire War
Seanan Mcguire- the October Daye series
Matthew Samuels- Small Places
C.L. Schneider- Nite Fire
David R. Slayton- White Trash Warlock
wittysarcasticbookclub Fantasy, Fiction, Uncategorized, Urban Fantasy 13 Comments May 29, 2022 June 16, 2022


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Traffic stop leads to a felony DUI arrest
Posted by wlpo on June 19, 2014
Usually a DUI arrest means a ride in the back of a squad car and calling a friend for bond money. It was more serious for a man stopped in Peru Wednesday night.
Arturo Rodriguez of La Salle was arrested for felony DUI, attempting to flee and elude police, obstructing identification, and having a suspended license. Rodriguez was taken to the La Salle County Jail.
U2 and Neil Diamond cover bands booked for Riverfest
If you're a fan of Neil Diamond or U2, you will like the entertainment at Ottawa Riverfest. The festival includes four nights of live music starting Thursday, July 31 with "Simply Diamond", a Neil Diamond tribute band from New York. On Saturday night, a U2 tribute band called "Without U2" will hit the Riverfest stage. They're from Chicago.
Other music headliners at Riverfest are regional country favorites "Brushville" and Colorado-based funk group "Euforquestra".
Men accused of vandalism in Morris
Spray-painting a police vehicle will get you in a lot of trouble. One man has been arrested and another is about to be in Morris.
Investigators say Dustin Ralls and Zhenia Buttry of Morris spray-painted several vehicles belonging to the Morris Police Department and Morris Fire Protection District. Police also say they vandalized a crashed car used to deter drunken driving at Morris High School.
Ralls was arrested Thursday for criminal defacement of property but officers are stilling looking for Buttry. If you have information, call the Morris Police Department.
Nearly five inches of rain falls in LaMoille in just 24 hours
If you live in LaMoille, chances you're trying to dry out.
Heavy rains Wednesday made many roads impassable and prompted a flash flood warning Wednesday night. According to the National Weather Service, over 4.5 inches of rain fell in LaMoille in just 24 hours.
There's a continued chance of showers and thunderstorms through the weekend.
Outdoors Expo planned in Spring Valley
If you're called the "Sauger capital of the world" it makes sense to have an outdoor expo.
Spring Valley is the site of an outdoors expo this Saturday along the 100 and 200 blocks of E. St. Paul Street. Festivities start in the morning with dog and fish shows along with a climbing wall, and vendor booths.
In the afternoon there will be raffles, live music and chances to try your hand at archery and gun range for free.
Utica restaurant to be featured on PBS station
A staple of the Illinois Valley is coming to a television near you.
Cajun Connection will be featured Friday night on the restaurant review show called "Check, Please!" on WTTW Channel 11 out of Chicago. The half-hour show was taped during a visit with "Cajun" Ron McFarlain and his wife Amy in October.
"Check, Please!" starts at 8pm.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


ARE CRUNCHES GOOD OR BAD?
There's been a lot of debate concerning whether the inclusion of crunches in your exercise workout routine is good or bad for you. This reminds me of the classic ying vs yang theory; good vs evil scenario. Well, crunches have a long history in the workout forum; and as is the case with traditional techniques, they always have some bad mouthing to be done about their efficiency.
Well, so let's take a more in depth look at crunches, or also known in a more savvy scientific name as lumber flexions. Hmm, so what are crunches? In my books, these are any exercises whose sole purpose is to strengthen the 29 core abdominal muscles found in your back, abdomen and pelvis.
The importance of these muscles is that they provide the main support to your spine that is vital for movement, support and balance. There's been a lot of negative publicity especially propagated by doctors that doing crunches actually increases back pains and back related injuries.
Their argument is that frequently doing them shortens these 29 groups of muscles in your abdomen known collectively as the rectus abdominus, which consequently results in a round back posture. However, this is not entirely true, and it actually depends on the intensity of crunches you do and how you actually do them.
Do you know that a majority of us actually do crunches the wrong way? With upcoming modern technological innovations, the traditional floor crunch is becoming less popular and less effective in producing great muscle activity as compared to newer methods. So here is the ideal way of doing effective muscle crunches.
The first thing you have to do is lie on your back and preferably place your feet against a wall so that your knees and hips are at right angles to each other. Secondly, tighten the muscles of your abdomen and slowly raise your head and shoulders off the ground. Avoid placing your hands behind your head as this tends to strain your neck. Instead, cross your arms on your chest, then you can slowly begin to have a downward and upward motion as you perform your crunches. Crunches should also be accompanied with functional exercises like using a stability ball, or alternatively push-ups would be great.
Once you get the hang of crunches, the health benefits are enormous. You get hypertrophy of the abdominal muscles once enough subcutaneous fat has been depleted. This is famously as the six pack, which is seen as quite attractive especially for women when they spot a man with them. The health benefits range from increased fluid flow to the lumbar disc to also strengthening disc tissue and therefore increasing lumbar tolerance. Personally, I believe there's no such thing as the 'negative' health effects of crunches. If they are done properly, they have numerous health benefits; and they are definitely recommendable in your daily workout for a healthier, bigger and stronger you. Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to say that I am and always will be, pro crunching.


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NARRATIVE INDEX 1: The Metric
This is the first of three posts about what I believe to be a new and valuable communications tool. I have been trying since last September to interest the major political blogs in The Narrative Index (or N.I.) but they seem to be skeptical of both its newness and simplicity. Let's see what you think. The data speak for themselves.
DO THE MATH: Guess where these posts are going to lead.
AN INDEX OF NARRATIVE STRENGTH
Some texts grab your attention and don't let you go. Other texts put you to sleep. Wouldn't it be nice if there were a single number that reflected this property?
Just over four years ago when I came across the extremely simple concept of "The Rule of Replacing" (as espoused by the co-creators of the animated series "South Park") I found myself saying "surely it can't be that simple." Since then I've put that skepticism to the test though countless talks, a TEDMED presentation, a letter in Science, a webinar, and finally an entire book about it last fall titled, "Houston, We Have A Narrative."
My main activity this year is fulfilling the vision of the book — propagating the ABT Framework by creating Story Circles Narrative Fitness Training which you can read about on our website. The next event will involve 40 biologists from USDA, USFWS and USGS next week in Ft. Collins, Colorado.
As a result of all this effort, I'm now certain that narrative structure, at it's core, is indeed as simple as ABT. So what's next?
Last summer I had a new revelation about the ABT template. It was the thought that if you were to use the Rule of Replacing, all else equal, when you finished with a given text you would have altered the ratio of the number of "buts" to "ands." This ratio becomes a single number reflective of the strength of the narrative content of the material. Here's how it works.
THE "BUT" WORD
"But" is the word of contradiction in the ABT. It is the heart and soul of narrative. There are lots of other words of contradiction (however, despite, yet), BUT … if you were to quantify it, you would easily see that BUT is the most common.
In fact there is a website that presents the 5,000 most common words in The Corpus of Contemporary English. Here's how a few interesting words score on that list (how frequently they are used in the English language):
and – 3
but – 23
or – 32
while – 153
yet – 276
however – 285
despite – 772
instead – 997
"But" is the only connector word of contradiction in the top 100, aside from "or" which doesn't have any narrative strength.
More importantly, all you have to do is look at the front page of a newspaper to see that most stories (if they are written well) begin with a few facts then a "but" (I'm looking at the front page of the NY Times for Feb. 13, 2016 and I see three of the four stories above the fold have this structure — two using "but," one using "instead," — and now I'm looking at Sunday Feb. 21 and see 3 of the 5 stories on the front page open with the ABT structure — again two "buts" and an "instead").
"But" is central to having good narrative strength. At the other end of the spectrum (specifically "The Narrative Spectrum" as I labeled it in my book) is the template of, "And, And, And" text or AAA. This is text that is almost devoid of narrative content — just a string of comments tied together by the word of agreement, "and."
The bottom line is that the more times you are saying "but" relative to "and" the more narrative strength there is to the content you are presenting. To quantify this ratio I have created this single calculation:
THE NARRATIVE INDEX = Buts/Ands X 100
I've had lengthy discussions with colleagues — especially my old buddy Bill Dennison at University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, who will be posting his own essay tomorrow on applying the Narrative Index to the co-discoverers of the theory of evolution by means of natural selection, Charles Darwin versus Alfred Russell Wallace. Out of those discussions I've opted for simplicity by just keeping it as the ratio of buts to ands, multiplied by 100 to make it a whole number.
To calculate it for a given text, all you do is copy the material into a word processor, search for "and" and "but," record their abundances, then divide.
Here, let's do it for the story on Scalia on the front page of the Feb 15, 2016 NY Times.
And – 27
Narrative Index (But/And) X 100 = 37
That's actually a pretty high value, but to be expected for the front page of the NY Times — no room for ambling, unfocused AAA presentations there.
So that's how simple it is to calculate. Try it for yourself on a body of text. In the next post I'll set to work showing you the patterns that emerge for everyone from scientists to politicians.
NARRATIVE INDEX 2: The Baseline
I have proposed a Narrative Index for evaluating the "narrative strength" of any given text. It needs a substantial amount of text (at least a few thousand words) to have much reliability. But when you analyze large amounts of material throughout history, clear patterns emerge — especially for great communicators.
THE LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES: The perfect showcase for The Narrative Index
LINCOLN THE TORTOISE VS. DOUGLAS THE HARE
The famous Lincoln-Douglas debates provide the perfect starting point for seeing how much The Narrative Index reveals. In the summer of 1858 Abraham Lincoln — the Republican candidate for Senator from Illinois — squared off in seven debates with the incumbant Stephen Douglas.
All of the debates used the format of 60:90:30 — the opening candidate spoke for 60 minutes, the opponent got a 90 minute rebuttal, then the opener was given a half hour to finish. Just speeches, no questions from moderators. The debates drew huge audiences (tens of thousands) with the texts being widely printed in newspapers. There was some fudging of the transcripts by papers favorable to each candidate, but only minor variations. For my analysis I have used the version presented on the website of the National Park Service.
The result for each debate is a solid sample size of the candidates' rhetoric — around 10,000 words for each debater's individual performance. What you see in the figure above for their Narrative Index values is that they barely even overlapped. Douglas' highest value (15) was only a little more than Lincoln's lowest (13). Most of the time they weren't even close.
In simple terms, Abe was telling ABT's while Douglas was "Anding." Lincoln had much greater narrative strength. When you read the accounts of witnesses you hear color commentary bringing these data to life. Observers told about how confident and arrogant Douglas was at the start, viewing Lincoln as much less experienced and thinking he would be easily out-witted. But by the fourth debate the audiences were rallying for Abe as Douglas began to sweat. You can see when it came to narrative strength, he was dwarfed by Abe for the first four debates. In the fifth debate he stepped things up a bit, but by then it was too late and he was starting to get ill. By the end he was collapsing in defeat.
THE AAA'er VS. THE ABT'er
For the first four debates Douglas was below 10 while Abe was spiking up to 25. What does this mean specifically?
Look at their opening lines of the first debate. Douglas begins with a string of statements — he's pure "and, and, and" (AAA) in form:
Prior to 1854 this country was divided into two great political parties, known as the Whig and Democratic parties. Both were national and patriotic, advocating principles that were universal in their application. An old line Whig could proclaim his principles in Louisiana and Massachusetts alike. Whig principles had no boundary sectional line, they were not limited by the Ohio river, nor by the Potomac, nor by the line of the free and slave States …
Now look at Lincoln's opening — it's an ABT:
My fellow citizens: When a man hears himself somewhat misrepresented, it provokes him. At least, I find it so with myself; but when misrepresentation becomes very gross and palpable, it is more apt to amuse him. (THEREFORE) The first thing I see fit to notice, is the fact that Judge Douglas alleges, after running through the history of the old Democratic and the old Whig parties, that Judge Trumbull and myself made an arrangement in 1854 …
There you have the fundamental difference in style between the two speakers. Even more telling was one reporter who said, "Lincoln's "words did not flow in a rushing, unbroken stream like Douglas."
That says it all. The whole thing about the AAA is that it is the easy, default mode of communication — easy to spew out quickly (i.e. comes out as "a rushing, unbroken stream") because it doesn't involve the narrative parts of the brain — it's just shooting out statements.
Activating the narrative regions slows things down. Lincoln was clearly the more thoughtful speaker, constructing his ideas with more narrative structure.
Though he lost to Douglas in the 1859 election, he of course beat him for President the next year and went down in history as a great speaker. His two inaugural speeches scored 16 and 21, respectively for the N.I. His "House Divided" speech was a 21, his Cooper Union speech was 20, and of course his most famous speech, the Gettysburg Address, while too short to justify analysis (it has just 6 "ands" with 2 " buts" for an unusually high N.I. of 33) is just one big ABT of three paragraphs total.
Clearly Lincoln had deep narrative intuition. The Narrative Index gives us a means of quantifying this comparatively.
THE KENNEDY-NIXON DEBATES: RADIO VERSUS TELEVISION
Perhaps the second most famous set of debates in American History were the four held in 1960 between Presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. You can see Nixon out-scored Kennedy in terms of the Narrative Index for the first three debates, yet by the third one there was widespread agreement that Kennedy was winning. How could that have been? This is the exception that proves the rule.
For the first debate it was widely reported that polls of people listening on the radio had Nixon as the winner. There's your narrative content at work. When all that people received was the words through their radio, the narrative structure won out.
KENNEDY-NIXON. People heard Nixon win, but they saw Kennedy win.
But television viewers scored it differently. They scored the handsome, relaxed, young Kennedy — who came to be known as the first "telegenic President" — as much more effective than the nervous, sweaty Nixon with the five o'clock shadow. These were elements of communication left out of radio or the written text.
The Kennedy-Nixon debates (as wonderfully presented in David Halberstam's, "The Powers That Be") defined the beginning of "The Age of the Television President." Things were never the same. The divide between radio and television scoring for the first debate shows the relative importance of substance (what they were saying) versus style (how they looked).
INAUGURATION AND STATE OF THE UNION SPEECHES
Broader patterns emerge when you look at all the inauguration speeches of the Presidents. There's substantial variation and at least a few scores that are minor head scratchers. For example, Calvin Coolidge was known as "Silent Cal" — you wouldn't really expect him to have one of the highest values of all time (he scored a 29). But on the other hand, despite his penchant for few words, he was actually known as a skilled speaker. More importantly, of the six other of his speeches I've analyzed, the lowest was still a 14, so he wasn't devoid of narrative intuition.
FIREBRANDS AND DISHRAGS. Nixon bruises while Bush snoozes.
Equally somewhat disappointing is Obama. You'd hope he would score highly, but his two inaugurals are 11 and 15 while his State of the Union speeches range from 12 to 19. It seems to be the case he doesn't draw heavily on narrative structure. Of the 10 speeches I've analyzed, they range only from 9 to 18. I wish I could say his Reverend Wright speech was a barn burner — it's my favorite of his speeches — but it's only 15. I'm afraid the numbers are very consistent for him — never into the 20's. Which means you don't have to have a huge N.I. to be a great speaker, but it's still a significant characteristic of most effective communicators, and nobody has labeled Obama "The Great Communicator" as they did with Reagan.
It's clear a lot of early Presidents hardly ever said "but." But … there are interesting spikes with Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and eventually the ultimate monster of ambition, Nixon, who set the bar highest.
NARRATIVE ANEMIA
What's more interesting and even fun are the dishrags. Some folks just don't seem to bring any narrative content to what they have to say. Not surprisingly, they are all known as kind of wishy washy.
I'm talking about not just those early, polite Presidents, and not just Eisenhower who didn't score above 10 for either of his inaugurals nor any of his first five State of the Union speeches. The guy I'm talking about is George W. Bush.
Not only did Bush score a mere 5 for his second inaugural, it turns out none of his seven State of the Union speeches — not even after 9/11 — managed to score above 10. They were: 4, 2, 3 4, 5, 4, 4. Is that a surprise? Would anyone ever have called him a great speaker? He was the ultimate "And, And, Ander." It's kind of the whole spin Will Ferrell put on him — the guy speaking vacuous statements, reaching for something clever, ultimately only able to say, "strategery" — unable to turn a phrase.
In contrast, Nixon's State of the Union speeches for 1970 to 1974 were 27, 16, 23, 18. He always had something urgent and important to say. But did Nixon really have that good of a feel for narrative structure? Yes. Just look at how he opens his record-setting first inaugural (scored a 46).
He begins with an eloquent ABT:
"I ask you to share with me today the majesty of this moment. In the orderly transfer of power, we celebrate the unity that keeps us free. Each moment in history is a fleeting time, precious and unique. But some stand out as moments of beginning, in which courses are set that shape decades or centuries. This can be such a moment." (ominous opening words from the eventual captain of the Titanic)
MODERATORS: THE ABT DRIVERS
As you can imagine, countless fascinating observations begin to emerge from this single index. In the third and final post I will get deeply into the current Presidential Debates. But before I do, let's take a look at the basic dynamic of "ABT Driving." What I mean by this is using the ABT elements to basically "advance the narrative."
This is the fundamental need for narrative, in order to keep it interesting — it must be advanced. You must constantly be adding sources of contradiction, then driving for consequences. We can see this at work clearly with the moderators of today's television debates.
Television producers live in dread fear of boring their audience. It's the job of the moderators to prevent this by interrupting the debaters, and more importantly, interjecting conflict by squaring them off against each other. You hear the moderators saying over and over again, "Candidate A, last week you said X, BUT your opponent said Y, how do you reconcile this?" If they are doing their job properly they are constantly driving the narrative dynamics.
This ends up showing clearly in the collective N.I. value for the moderators of each debate. Look at the third Democrat Debate — they reached 56, which is unheard of for a speaker. And you can even add to that a fair amount of non-narrative logistics explanations and pleasantries. Clearly their job is to drive the conflict.
THE ABT DRIVERS: Clinton and Sanders are kind of a big whatever in narrative terms, but far more interesting is the role of the Moderators. It's their job to "advance the narrative." This is reflected in the N.I.
SO WHAT IF THERE WAS A PRESIDENT WHO NEVER, EVER SLIPPED BELOW A NARRATIVE INDEX OF 20?
Guess where this all leads. I've analyzed hundreds of speeches since last summer. I've found only one politician who has NEVER given a speech or debate performance below 20. Guess who …
NARRATIVE INDEX 2: The Candidates
The idea of a media-savvy Presidency began with Kennedy — the first "Television President." Then there was Reagan, someone trained for decades in television. Now there is Trump, a veteran creator of television. This is not a laughing matter. Television lives and dies on narrative. There has never been a politician with this deep of an intuition for narrative. There is a reason he has bamboozled the political establishment. Don't look to the standard political pundits for insight, their record on Trump is a mess at this point. His strength is clearly revealed by The Narrative Index. Beware.
IF YOU THINK STORYTELLING AND NARRATIVE ARE THE SAME, I've got a book to sell you.
TRUMP: THE HIGHEST NARRATIVE BATTING AVERAGE … EVER
I've been following Trump's performances for nearly a year using The Narrative Index which I laid out in the previous two blogs. At first I thought his high values were curious. Now I find them alarming.
There has never been a politician like Trump. Lots of political pundits are now trying to say this, but the problem is they are inarticulate, non-analytical, and just plain simplistic (NOT the same as simple) in their assessments. They analyze his speech and use of language, but fail to come up with anything more sophisticated than the idea that he talks on the level of a 3rd grader (Politico), a 4th grader (Newsweek), a 5th grader (NY Daily News), or uses lots of "us" and "they" pronouns (NY Times). Gee, way to bring out the heavy guns of analysis.
NONE of the shallow, silly analyses are worth reading nor have sustained any useful lines of thought.
But narrative is different. It is the core of human culture. It goes back at least 4,000 years. It is the essence of how we communicate. So let's begin with one important point.
REAGAN WAS A STORYTELLER, TRUMP IS A MASTER OF NARRATIVE
This is the simplest way to convey the distinction between these two terms. Storytelling and narrative are not the same.
Reagan, who came to be adored as "The Great Communicator," was beloved for his storytelling skills. But in contrast, nobody has ever loved a story told by Trump. He's not a good storyteller. His stories are choppy, not much fun, and waste little time in getting to the point (which is what he lives for). Yet Trump is a master of narrative.
How could this be? Aren't storytelling and narrative the same thing? No.
In my book I offered up the simple definition of narrative as, "The series of events that occur in the search for a solution to a problem." That's it. That's what the narrative dynamic is about.
Narrative is the driving force at the core of a story. All good stories are built around the search for the solution to a problem. Whether it's figuring out the murderer, finding your way home, or defeating a threat, it is all about problem/solution. But a story involves many more elements wrapped around the narrative core.
Reagan was a storyteller. He knew how to present stories with all their warmth, humor and emotion. His stories were always about problems. Trump doesn't give much of a crap about the warmth, humor or emotion. He's mostly just about problem-solution, over and over again, all day long.
You hear it in Trump's speeches and debate performances — very tight narrative loops of problem-solution. "Jeb's a great guy, but he's weak (PROBLEM), therefore he needs to go home (SOLUTION)." "We love our Mexican friends, but too many are illegal (PROBLEM), therefore we need to build a wall (SOLUTION)." "Muslims are mostly okay, but some are terrorists (PROBLEM), therefore we need to stop their entry (SOLUTION)." "Our country used to be great, but now it's slipped in the world (PROBLEM), therefore we need to Make America Great Again (SOLUTION)."
You hear narrative structure in almost everything he says, and it manifests itself in part through the use of the word "but." It's not the only important narrative word, but as I explained in the earlier posts, it's the most common. Trump uses it more than any other politician. Ever.
THE REPUBLICAN DEBATES
There have been nine Republican debates so far. Trump has scored a Narrative Index above 20 for every performance. No one else has done this. Same thing for all his speeches. Same thing for all his press conferences. I've analyzed a total of 23 performances. Not just always above 20, he's scored as high as 58 in his June 28 interview with Jake Tapper. The man breathes narrative structure.
TRUMP OWNS MSNBC
Of course he doesn't own the network, but I've watched in disbelief since last summer as MSNBC has literally given over their network to him. Has anyone spoken out about this? Trump brags of all the free media exposure he scores. I thought MSNBC is left leaning. And yet, since last summer, night after night they have literally pre-empted their programming to cover just about every speech or press conference Trump has given.
They haven't done this for ANY other candidate. Not even close. Not Hillary, not Bernie — not a one of them. Why?
The simple, non-quantitative answer is that "Trump is entertainment." What does this mean? That he is funny? He's not really that funny — not like a stand up comic, or any funnier than several other candidates. Is it that he's crude and outlandish? There have been plenty of crude and outlandish politicians in the past. None have ever earned free air time by the hour.
The simple answer is that Trump delivers "concision." He is physically constructed for the medium of television. He speaks in closed loops that have narrative structure. Yes, he repeats the same stuff, but so what. It's about the smaller scale dynamic of each narrative loop. He starts a loop (addressing a problem), gets quickly to the "but" then quickly to the "therefore." This is what I've been talking about with the Narrative Index. He has deep narrative intuition. And this is what television doesn't just seek — it demands.
TELEVISION DEMANDS NARRATIVE, TRUMP DELIVERS
I don't have the time and resources for massive data analysis. Hopefully someone else does. It would be nice to have a larger sample size than this. But look at the pattern for the N.I. for three PBS documentary shows plus "Cosmos." I analyzed 4 of each and all 13 episodes of "Cosmos." All of them average over 20 for their N.I. More data are needed to say it with complete confidence, but I'd be willing to bet there is a functional "narrative threshold" to television programming which is probably about 20. TV just has no tolerance for "and, and, and" drivel. Nor does Trump.
PRE-ADAPTED TO THE TV LANDSCAPE. Trump's average Narrative Index of 28 matches what television demands. He is truly the candidate for today's media-driven society. No other candidate is close.
TRUMP (THE DEALMAKER) KNOWS NARRATIVE
Trump embodies every principle of my book. He breathes narrative. Why? Because he's a dealmaker. We all know this. It's what his book is about. He wants to get to the "but" (what's the problem that's holding us up?) then immediately get to the "therefore." He wants to advance the narrative, yet he also wants to "stay on narrative."
What do we mean by staying on narrative? It means stating your narrative theme at the start of your journey ("To Make America Great Again"). Repeating it endlessly throughout the journey. Then eventually coming full circle by achieving it, which is his dream. He is the only one with this clearly defined narrative dynamic.
This is what I mean between simple versus a simpleton. If you think Trump is a simpleton with how he is running his campaign it is you who is the simpleton. This man knows the power of simplicity, and there is an age old adage that "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."
YOU SHOULD PUT THE NARRATIVE INDEX TO WORK
As I explained in the first of these three blogposts, the Narrative Index is very simple to calculate. Just copy, paste, count and divide.
You should put it to work with lots of stuff. Think of any text in the world. How much narrative strength does it have? You definitely need over 1,000 words, and I'd still be cautious until you're getting closer to 10,000 words. But when you're past 50,000 words the patterns appear pretty robust — as was the case for the Lincoln-Douglas debates.
FUN WITH THE NARRATIVE INDEX!
One immediate application is my friend Bill Dennison who has applied it to the works of the co-discoverers of The Theory of Evolution By Means of Natural Selection, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace. He just posted his very nice essay using the N.I. which provides at least one explanation of why one man became famous for eternity while the other largely vanished.
You can also put it to work with literary texts. Remember last year when literary experts were debating whether the new novel from Harper Lee, "Go Set A Watchman," might simply be an early draft of her masterpiece, "To Kill A Mockingbird"? If you go with the assumption that the revision process for a story involves in part a variation of The Rule of Replacing (replacing "ands" with "buts") then you would predict Watchman would be more of an AAA work while Mockingbird is more ABT.
The Narrative Index matches this prediction.Watchman scores an N.I. of 17 while Mockingbird scores a 24. It's not the definitive proof, but is at least quantitative and in the case of these novels the sample size of total words is pretty large.
THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE: HILLARY VERSUS TRUMP
From the start of the current Presidential campaign, Hillary has lacked the basic narrative elements that Trump has a mastery of. She never developed a simple, singular slogan. Even Bernie managed it with his "eat the rich" theme. When quizzed on Bernie's approach to Wall Street she takes the AAA approach of "it's not that simple." She doesn't drill into problem-solution dynamics the way Trump does, and now, most distressing, the numbers are stark for The Narrative Index.
Trump is never below 20 in the more than 20 performances of his I have analyzed. She ends up with an average of 14 (for 21 performances) with 6 of the scores being below 10, and only 5 over 20. In simple terms, she delivers half the narrative heft of Trump.
So what does this mean? It's pretty simple. Do the math. She needs to get more focused, even at the finest scales of how she communicates. It's a short attention span world today. Trump is pre-adapted to it. Hillary is communicating like the 90's.
But here's one glimmer of hope. The highest score I've ever found for her was a 27, which is right at Trump's level. Guess where it was from. Her Wellesley College student commencement speech of 1969.


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Voting Results: What next to order for the library?
*sigh* I guess that means I need to read Twilight this summer before I think about ordering it.
Rangers Apprentice and Eragon, we have one from each series to start with so I may look at completing those series next since it would be a partial order.
Then I will consider Twilight, Dragon Ball Z, & Fabelhaven for this next fall.
Great article in support of libraries published a couple of weeks ago by te Chron. Thanks Houston!! WTG - they get the importance of libraries/librarians.