Author: cherylmahoney

I'm a book review blogger and writer. I have published four novels, The Wanderers; The Storyteller and Her Sisters; and The People the Fairies Forget; and The Lioness and the Spellspinners. All can be found on Amazon as an ebook and paperback. In my day job, I'm a Marketing Specialist. Find me on Twitter (@MarvelousTales) and GoodReads (MarvelousTales).

Weighing Down the Shelves…

On By cherylmahoneyIn Ruminations14 Comments

Before I get to the actual focus of this post, just a note about novel news!  Last week I told you The Storyteller and Her Sisters was available for pre-order on Kindle.  If Kindle’s not your thing, you can now pre-order other ebook formats through Smashwords!  All ebooks will be delivered, and the paperback will go on sale, on October 10th.

Now on to other business…

I’m really dreadful at keeping up with Top Ten Tuesday (even though it’s such a cool meme!) but every so often I see that they’ve done a neat topic I’d like to write on…so even though it’s Friday, and even though this was the topic for several weeks ago, today I’m going to write about the Top Ten Authors I Own the Most Books By.

1) Edgar Rice Burroughs: 56
It helps that he was extremely prolific.  There’s probably still a good 15 books I don’t own.  Though perhaps I should point out, of my 56, 54 of them work with the same two plots: the hero is castaway or the heroine is kidnapped, or both.

2) L. M. Montgomery: 47
You expected this one, right?  That breaks down into 21 novels, 12 collections of short stories (200 total stories), 6 volumes of her journals (7, but one is an abridged version of 2 others), 3 books of letters, 2 books of poetry, 2 collections of early writings, and 1 autobiography.  And…that’s going to stay as-is because there’s nothing else to buy, until someone digs out another archive and publishes something new.  (Though I also have two biographies and two collections of critical essays…) Continue reading “Weighing Down the Shelves…” →

Quotable Madeleine L’Engle

On By cherylmahoneyIn Quotable3 Comments

“You have to write the book that wants to be written.”

– Madeleine L’Engle

Book Review: Because of Winn-Dixie

On By cherylmahoneyIn Juvenile, Reviews2 Comments

I recently did a reread (by audiobook) of Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo–and realized I’d forgotten pretty much all of the book–and remembered anew why I get so annoyed by the notion that kids books can’t deal with complex themes and ideas.

Because of Winn-Dixie is about India Opal, ten years old and newly moved to Naomi, Florida.  When she meets a stray dog in the produce section of a Winn-Dixie supermarket, she promptly dubs him Winn-Dixie and brings him home.  Winn-Dixie proves to the most charming and friendly of dogs, who helps Opal find new, somewhat unconventional friends.

This was a lovely book that is both a sweet and funny story about a childhood summer, and a deep and complex story about friendship, loss and the secrets everyone carries. Continue reading “Book Review: Because of Winn-Dixie” →

Book Review: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

On By cherylmahoneyIn Reviews20 Comments

I recently found myself with a long drive coming up and–no audiobook to hand!  So naturally I snatched up And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, read by Hugh Fraser–a narrator I’ve encountered with Christie before, and already on the shelf at my local library.

Even though I wasn’t thinking about the R.I.P. Challenge, I think my subconscious must have been at work–and since this fits the challenge and I listened to it at the right time, I’m counting it!

The story opens with ten people, unconnected to each other, all summoned by various means and reasons to visit a deserted island.  The eight guests and two servants are at the house on the island, but their host is unaccountably absent–and at dinner, a gramophone record plays with a chilling message.  Each individual is accused of being responsible for someone’s murder.  And then one by one, by different means and methods, people on the island begin to die.  The murderer must be among those who remain–but who?

Apart from Murder on the Orient Express, I think this is Christie’s most famous novel.  For that reason I’m glad I “read” it, although it was not my favorite Christie–which is a personal preference that others may not agree with! Continue reading “Book Review: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie” →

Imaginary Illustrations #2

On By cherylmahoneyIn Novel News2 Comments

Last week I started a new blog feature, sharing quotes from my (unillustrated) books, paired with pictures.  Today I have a quote from my upcoming book, The Storyteller and Her Sisters.  As you might guess, it’s from the titular Storyteller–and is a sentiment I can relate to!

I tell stories