His entry begins:I’m often reading one or two books and listening to one. I read all kinds of novels—YA and adult; fantasy, SF, literary, and occasionally mystery. I’m probably most drawn to works that combine genres in satisfying and unexpected ways. I’m particularly drawn to writers who have a literary bent but wander into genre like Kate Atkinson, Elmore Leonard, Neil Gaiman, and Gabrielle Zevin—to name a few. Most recently, I finished Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel and listened to Thud by Terry Pratchett.About Utopia, Iowa, from the publisher:
Station Eleven is a novel that’s both literary and dystopian. Even though the plot sounded pretty familiar--another virus comes along and nearly everyone dies --I decided to try this one because I do like a good end of the world story and I’d heard good things about it. And it was great. What Emily St. John Mandel does is...[read on]
For the most part, aspiring screenwriter Jack Bell is just your typical Midwestern kid. He’s got a crush on his hot best friend, Ash. He’s coping with a suddenVisit Brian Yansky's website.frostiness between his once crazy-in-love parents. He’s debating where to go to college next year—or whether to go at all. But then there’s his gift (or curse): Jack can see dead people, just like the kid in The Sixth Sense. Lately, the ghosts are more distracting than usual, demanding that Jack get to the bottom of their mysterious deaths—all while avoiding the straitlaced Detective Bloodsmith, who doesn’t believe in gifts or curses and can’t help wondering why Jack keeps turning up at crime scenes. Is there a happily-ever-after in Jack’s future, or is that only the stuff of movies?
Writers Read: Brian Yansky.
--Marshal Zeringue
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