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I ran across this blog post on the Tor/Forge Blog. I got such a laugh out of it, I wanted to share it with our readers. After all, a good belly laugh is good for your health. Top 10 Books to Use as Bludgeoning Weapons in a Pinch  https://www.torforgeblog.com/2021/11/07/top-10-books-to-use-as-bludgeoning-weapons-in-a-pinch NOVEMBER 7, 2021 RACHEL TAYLOR We’ve all been there: sometimes you’re peacefully reading your newest novel, only to see a cockroach scuttle by in front of your cozy armchair. Or you’ve got something that needs some light percussive recalibration to fix. Or your cousin has insulted your reading taste at Thanksgiving dinner, and all you have is the book you brought to the gathering to avoid talking to anyone. We’ve all had to use our books as bludgeoning weapons before, so here’s a list of SF/F doorstoppers that you can pitch in a pinch. By Yvonne Ye  #1: Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson Weighing in at a hefty 1232 pages, this latest installment in the Stormlight Archive will be sure to beat up your feelings while bludgeoning your enemies. Follow the Knights Radiant to war as tactical subterfuge, political maneuvering, and scientific innovation collide to change the very shape of Roshar’s future. For conducting guerilla warfare and internal sabotage in an occupied tower, the hardcover will be sure to deal maximum damage. For a stealth invasion of said tower, we suggest utilizing the paperback for its dexterity and flexibility. Find the paperback in stores near you on October 26th!  #2: Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson Book three of the Stormlight Archive actually outweighs book 4, coming in at an impressive 1248 pages. Add some psychic damage to your bludgeoning attack by shouting “YOU CANNOT HAVE MY PAIN” at your foes in time-honored Kholin tradition while hurling this brick.  #3: Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson Fervent collectors of Stormlight hardcover editions noticed that Words of Radiance, despite only having 1088 pages, is actually quite a bit chunkier than Oathbringer. This is because the paper weight dropped from a 45# stock to a 35# stock between printings (we could go on about book production and paper weight, but we’ll spare you for now). At any rate, this book lives up to its working title, The Book of Endless Pages, and comes pre-equipped with the best one-liner in the series (so far): “Honor is dead, but I’ll see what I can do.”  #4: To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini You thought we were going to go all the way with Stormlight titles, didn’t you? We thought about it but decided to branch out to Christopher Paolini’s debut adult novel, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. This galaxy-spanning odyssey of first contact and apocalypse earns its hefty page-count with its complexity and scope, and yes, if you were wondering, it outweighs each of the Eragon books at 880 pages. Bonus: you can also get it in paperback to realize your dual-wielding potential!  5: Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan The longest book in the Wheel of Time series, we think this book could also be a strong contender for any therapeutic smashin’ you might need (goodness knows Rand could use some therapeutic smashin’ throughout this book). But if you’re new to the Wheel of Time series, we recommend starting with the first book, The Eye of the World. We know that media tie-in covers can be somewhat divisive, but with the new edition of The Eye of the World coming in at 784 pages, it is an undisputed tome and thus highly suitable for a spot of bludgeoning when necessary.  6: The Ruin of Kings by Jenn LyonsCome see the book that Lev Grossman called “rich, cruel, gorgeous, brilliant, enthralling and deeply, deeply satisfying” — much like how you will both look and feel if you come to a book fight prepared with Jenn Lyons. With all five of the Chorus of Dragons series on hand, you’ll be well-stocked for either hurling or bludgeoning, or just curling up in a corner and reading all 2,784 pages (cumulative!) while the melee rages about you.  7: Death’s End by Cixin Liu, translated by Ken LiuClocking in at only 608 pages, this series-ender makes up for its lower page count with its absolutely badass title. We recommend this book for the aura of awe it will generate in your foes, along with its special Area-of-Effect abilities of inducing existential dread in your opponents and cautious hope in your allies.  8: Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn MuirAt a respectable 512 pages, Harrow is well-suited to fighters of smaller statures, delicate wrists, and a deeply murderous streak. Seriously, look me in the eyes and tell me that you wouldn’t bring a necromancer to a fight.  #9: Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw“But wait,” you say. “This is a novella, with only a measly 128 pages!” you scoff. “How can this be a good bludgeoning weapon?” you laugh. Just as there is a time and a place for every door-stopping saga, one must never underestimate the lethal capabilities of a well-crafted novella, and Cassandra Khaw’s latest is an exquisite weapon for the task. Lyrical, unflinching, dreadful, and vicious, Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a haunted-house novella perfectly-matched for those who are both courageous and deadly. A few well-placed bonks with this novella at high speed might just win your fight, and that book jacket alone may be enough to terrify most opponents into submission.  #10: Dawnshard by Brandon SandersonWe’re not done with Sanderson yet! With Dawnshard’s upcoming release for the first time in hardcover, it felt right to finish this list where we began — with the Stormlight Archive. At a petite 4.25” x 6.7” (and a healthy… 304 pages), Dawnshard may be small but it packs a punch. Its size makes it the perfect handbag bludgeoning weapon, featuring finely-tapered print-over-board corners and some truly earth-shattering Cosmere reveals. And come on — wouldn’t you want the Lopen by your side in a fight? Disclaimer: Tor does not actually encourage you to use your books as bludgeoning weapons. Please consider deploying your house slipper instead, as we cannot issue replacements should your copy become tragically stained by cockroach innards. About Tor Books and Forge Publishers TOR BOOKS is home to an internationally-renowned, multiple award-winning science fiction, fantasy, and horror publishing program. Tor also publishes mysteries; thrillers and suspense novels; other types of speculative fiction; movie, television, and computer game tie-in novels. FORGE publishes general fiction, both contemporary and historical; thrillers, mysteries, and suspense novels; westerns and Americana; military fiction and nonfiction; and more.  Blossoms in the Snow is a collection of poetry compiled over 50+ years of observing life with all its twists and turns, and bumps and bruises. Robert DeBurgh’s fascination with nature, aviation, science, and history provides the backdrop for his haiku, free verse, experimental, and traditional poems. But it’s his life experiences interwoven into each poem that shape each piece into a tale that grabs and holds the reader’s interest, possibly bringing a tear to the eye when Bob’s old dog crosses the Rainbow Bridge.
Help celebrate Robert’s birthday on April 26 by taking a few minutes to read some of his poetry. You’ll be glad you did! By Robert DeBurgh (Greta’s husband) Kindle - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B092SXPNW5/ Universal link - viewbook.at/blossomsinthesnow  In following up on my post about the Outsider Genre: Women’s Fiction, I thought I would share my thoughts on why we need this genre.
I’ve seen numerous comments across the internet claiming there are too many books about women. Of course, that rankled me a bit. Women’s fiction novels that fall outside of Romance and Chick Lit’ genres do tend to have a female protagonist. However, my sassy side says that even if there were more books with female protagonists, those commenters do not have to read them. SuperSummary did a study around female vs male protagonists in novels. In their control group 64.3% of fiction books had male protagonists compared to 25.6% with female protagonists. Nine percent had both female and male protagonists, leaving 1% with no gender assigned. They found on average that fiction books with male protagonists sold 10 million more copies than those with female protagonists. Okay, ladies, we need to start supporting the female protagonists (and their authors). Of course, this wasn’t an extensive study. Still, stories which deal with challenging life struggles for women are important. Studies indicate that women are more likely to seek mental health help than men, but they are just as likely to pass their challenges off as shortcomings instead. Books telling stories that reveal emotional struggles many women experience are important. It lets women know they are not alone in their struggles. I know this is true for an author if you are injecting your own struggle into the story. This is what happened for me when I wrote When the Walls Come Tumbling Down. Having lost my husband only a few months prior to writing this, the opportunity to merge some of my feelings into the main character proved cathartic. Even though the story involves solving a murder, the emotional struggles of Ashley as she works to move forward with her life are very real. Books which take us on a journey of personal growth by a woman protagonist, no matter the circumstances, are especially wonderful. It gives women hope that they, too, can rise above and become even stronger than they already are. Be sure to subscribe to the Sweet & Sassy blog, so you never miss out on any of our posts!  I read a very disheartening statistic in Dannye’s blog post, “Are Avid Readers More Likely to Succeed?” However, the National Endowment for the Arts has discovered that twice the number of seventeen-year-olds since the turn of the century no longer read for pleasure! What does that say about passing down our love of reading from one generation to the next? Has our love of technology replaced our love of reading books with our kids? I did an informal poll on Facebook and Twitter. I asked Baby Boomers, Gen Xs, Millennials, and Gen Zs if they had read or listened to traditional stories, folk tales, or nursery rhymes when they were kids. If yes, did or will they pass on the classic poems and stories to their own kids? The only responses I got were from boomers saying yes to both questions. Even though I’m friends with younger adults, none of them answered. Did that mean they had no idea what I was talking about, didn’t care, or were too busy to respond? I needed the answers, though. When all else fails, go to plan B, right? So I got online and googled it. The results surprised me!
 So, the good news is reading isn’t a relic of the past, even though it is declining as a favorite way to spend free time. However, the terrible, awful, heart-breaking news is that only fifty percent of 6-8-year-olds read for fun, five to seven days a week. Even worse, the number drops to twenty-five percent for 15-17-year-olds. Yikes, how do we fix this?
And that leads us back to my original question, are parents still reading to their kids? Eighty-six percent of Baby Boomers who were read to as a child carried on the tradition with their own children. Yet in 2016, the non-profit organization, Read Aloud 15 Minutes found that fewer than half of parents read aloud to their children every day, and only thirty-four percent did so for at least fifteen minutes. I guess that accounts for the low number of children who read for pleasure now. My rant is not about turning your kid into a bookworm. Instead, my main concerns are preserving the benefits reading aloud brings to your baby and preschooler – building vocabulary, cognitive and social skills, and preparing for school. I’ll never give up on my crusade to continue inspiring and encouraging children to be the best they can be. The negative trend in reading aloud to children can be reversed. Will you all help spread the word? Kids today will be our leaders tomorrow. Let’s make them the best leaders we’ve ever had! Be sure to subscribe to the Sweet & Sassy blog, so you never miss out on any of our posts! When The Walls Come Tumbling Down is a touching, page-turning novel of triumph over fears and sorrows. As it unfolds, it reminds us that when a crack appears in our walls and widens, something new has a chance to appear. Two generations apart, Ashley Stanford and Claire Montoya have very little in common until their universes collide. Each has built walls in their life to survive. Ashley, however, has a head start of nearly six decades over Claire as a brick mason of the psyche. Tragedy has brought them together. For well over a decade, Ashley has been the caregiver for her husband, who now lives in a nursing home. Trying to rediscover her life, she meets Claire, who is homeless and being stalked by a local drug dealer for reporting him to the police. Ashley takes her in and soon discovers there is much more to her story than she could have imagined. After committing to helping Claire, Ashley is faced with her husband’s passing. To help her occupy her mind in her grief, Ashley joins Claire on a journey that could turn both their lives upside down forever. Here’s a review by a faithful fan: There are so many different levels to this novel. First, we experience the emotions and responsibilities that arise for Ashley as a caregiver who must relinquish her loved one to the care of others. Second, the inner turmoil of Ashley’s past and her current situation into which she has been thrown gives us an appreciation for the walls we often build. Third, when Ashley meets Claire Montoya, a young girl with walls of her own and a secretive past who needs help in more ways than even Ashley can imagine, their lives become intricately intertwined. I love the friendships that are formed throughout this book and how many lives are forever changed. It impressed me that you are never too old to start new beginnings and find that inner strength you never knew you had to start that next chapter in your life. Mrs. Williamsen has once again combined mystery, suspense, caring, and humor to make for a great read. Definitely another page turner! ~ S. Giarratana By Dannye Williamsen Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/When-Walls-Come-Tumbling-Down/dp/B08LNJL1PH Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/When-Walls-Come-Tumbling-Down-ebook/dp/B08LPX4GP3 Universal Link: viewbook.at/WallsTumblingDown   It’s great that there is an official day to call attention to books, no matter what day they do it! Sassy Scribblers love to read and write, and anything that encourages people to read is wonderful!
World Book Day World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. The first World Book Day was celebrated on 23 April in 1995 and continues to be celebrated on that day by one hundred countries. Sweden moved its date to April 13 due to Easter holidays. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a charity event is held annually on the first Thursday in March. Organizers in the UK moved the observance from April 23 to avoid clashes with Easter school holidays and with St George's Day. Conversely, the World Book Night event organized by independent charity The Reading Agency is held on 23 April. Interesting Book Facts 1. In 1455, the Gutenberg Bible was the first major book printed in Europe using Johannes Gutenberg’s movable metal-type printer. 2. Guess what some of the bestselling book written in English are, according to Business Insider. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (1605) 500 million copies A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. (1859) 200 million copies The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (1954) 150 million Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (1997) 120 million 3. Google says there were 129,864,880 books in existence in 2010. However, from 2011 to 2013 when indie publishing became active, there were 2,267,265 new books published worldwide. By 2016, it was estimated there were over 134 million! I am exogobsmacked! (beyond gobsmacked). 4. In 1994 Bill Gates paid $30.8 million for the Codex Leicester by Leonardo da Vinci. With inflation, this would be $54.4 million. Celebrate with Generosity Take this opportunity to gift loved ones a book on this day. Take advantage of Kindle Unlimited if you have it and download our books, which you can see on the other pages of our site. Spend the day reading and relax! Be sure to subscribe to the Sweet & Sassy blog, so you never miss out on any of our posts!  Having a computer is so convenient. All that information right at your fingertips – how did we ever live without it?
What time is it in London? What’s the weather forecast for tomorrow? What’s the difference between affect and effect? What is a digital footprint? How do you make chicken and dumplings in a crockpot? How about those times when you’re sitting in a doctor’s waiting room? Forget the dog-eared issues of Modern Kitchens languishing on the magazine rack. Instead, pull up your Kindle app, a game, or the latest news on your phone. I mean, what did we do before smartphones if we needed directions to a new restaurant in an unfamiliar city? (Do fold-out maps still exist anymore? Hmm, I guess I’ll have to google it.) Modern technology is incredible as long as it’s working correctly. Like it or not, we’ve grown dependent on it—especially the younger folks who never knew life before smart devices. The digital age is here to stay, but I’m not going to abandon my books or my handwritten to-do list. I believe electronics can peacefully co-exist with the old-fashioned way of doing things in our homes, at work, and school. Paper, pencils, and books, as well as computers, are very much a part of education today. Students read text from print books as well as on the screen. My question is, does book vs. screen make any difference in how well they retain the information? I’m not the first person to wonder about this. Studies have been conducted to measure and compare how well students learn from both sources. The research shows that when people read on-screen, they don’t remember the information as well as when it’s read in print. A 2018 in-depth evaluation of fifty-four studies that compared digital against print reading found that comprehension was better overall when people read from print rather than digital. Maryanne Wolf, a neuroscientist specializing in how the brain reads, says that reading is not an inborn talent. Our brains have no particular network of cells dedicated to this task. As an example, one section of our brain is used to recognize letters and makes different connections between the cells necessary for reading online as opposed to reading in print. Naomi Baron, a scientist at the American University in Washington, DC, studies language and reading and refers to how a person’s mindset determines the effort we put into reading. If we think it will be easy reading, we won’t put in as much effort. Text messages and short posts comprise the majority of social media, so the reader scans over the pages quickly, skimming the text faster than if it were on paper. Plus, scrolling on a small screen distracts the reader, making it harder to retain information. Then we have the pop-up notifications, along with all the bells and whistles from emails and texts diverting our attention, too. There are also other factors to take into consideration. A fictional story is easier to remember than a historical or scientific piece, so reading a fantasy novel on a small device would be comparable to print but trying to memorize the elements on the periodic table would be extremely difficult. Then again, we can’t forget the advantages of modern technology. A tablet beats out print for being able to modify the size of letters and offers a variety of fonts for people with reading difficulties. The use of hyperlinks also allows access to additional information. Digital books are also more economical, environmentally friendly, and it’s easier to carry a tablet around than a bunch of heavy books. Print and digital each have their advantages and disadvantages. Common sense should guide a person in choosing the best method for reading fiction/nonfiction. Whether it’s for pleasure or learning, use whatever method is most comfortable and works best for you. For myself, I prefer digital when I’m reading fiction, mainly for the convenience of having all my TBR books in one place, and I can take them with me when on the go. But then again, there’s nothing like the smell and feel of a book in my hands. So when I’m sitting in one spot, give me a book. For the serious stuff, it’s a toss-up. I do a lot of research for articles and blog posts, and it’s a lot easier to use my laptop’s search engine than to locate books with the info I need. On the other hand, to learn something new, I need a printed text to reread until I remember it. How about you, does it make any difference? What are your preferences? Be sure to subscribe to the Sweet & Sassy blog, so you never miss out on any of our posts!  Patchy’s at it again. Summertime is a great time to go to the beach or go camping, but as usual, the curious dog gets into trouble and Calico is right by his side. The two friends meet several interesting characters and learn some valuable lessons while enjoying the warm days during Patchy and Calico’s Summer Vacation.
Children will chuckle following the two lovable creatures to the beach where Patchy comes nose to claw with a fiddler crab, or when they take a walk through the woods and meet a not-too-friendly bear who can’t decide whether to help the two lost campers or eat them. In the other stories, children will enjoy reading about how Patchy and Calico accidentally join the circus, take an unplanned boat ride, and get caught sneaking into a school classroom. So plan ahead for your kid’s summer holiday and get them a copy of Patchy and Calico’s Summer Vacation. By Greta Burroughs Kindle - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008UDGKWG/ Universal link - viewbook.at/pandcsummervacation |
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