Suspend Your Disbelief

Archive for December, 2011

Shop Talk |

Book-of-the-Week Winners: East of the West

by Jeremiah Chamberlin

Last week we featured East of the West, by Miroslav Penkov, as our Book-of-the-Week title, and we’re pleased to announce the winners. Congratulations to: Jane Roper (@janeroper) Janet Somerville (@janetsomerville) Theo Ward (@theopward) To claim your free subscription, please email us at the following address: winners [at] fictionwritersreview.com If you’d like to be eligible for future giveaways, please visit our Twitter Page and “follow” us!


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Bookish Gift Idea #6: "Dear Sugar" mugs

by Celeste Ng

Every writer—no, everyone—should know Sugar, The Rumpus’s wise and warm advice columnist. Reading the “Dear Sugar” column is a reminder of what it means to be part of the human experience. (And seriously—every writer should read this one, at least.) The Rumpus offers two mugs emblazoned with some of Sugar’s best advice: “Be brave enough to break your own heart“—from the advice she’d give her 20-year-old self—and the very classic “Write like a motherfucker” from arguably her most famous column. Try not writing with THAT on your desk. Both mugs are available in The Rumpus shop. And check back here […]


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Melbourne. Santiago. But not…

by Celeste Ng

National Geographic recently released a list of the “Top 10 Literary Cities.” But it seems a bit controversial to me. Here’s the ranking: 1. Edinburgh, Scotland 2. Dublin, Ireland 3. London, England 4. Paris, France 5. St. Petersburg, Russia 6. Stockholm, Sweden 7. Portland, Oregon, USA 8. Washington, D.C., USA 9. Melbourne, Australia 10. Santiago, Chile You read that right: Portland, Oregon, is in the top 10, but New York City is not. It’s hard to argue with some of the choices on the list—London, Paris, St. Petersburg—but New Yorkers, what gives?


Reviews |

The Angel Makers, by Jessica Gregson

Ever wish your problems would disappear? Jessica Gregson’s history-laced debut (released this week in the U.S. by Soho Press) follows a village of Hungarian women who “make angels” of abusive husbands. But it doesn’t end there. Yank on your rain boots and follow her into a complicated rural wasteland for a bracing read.


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Whittle a spoon, write more?

by Celeste Ng

If you’re not a geek (and I use that term as a positive term), you may not know who Mark Frauenfelder is.  But you need not be a geek to learn from his recent post on LifeHacker.  Frauenfelder is editor of DIY-geek-tech MAKE Magazine, and two of his tips on accomplishing more in the day are useful to creative writers, too. The first is a time-honored writing trick—he talks about going into “Robot Mode” when running down his to-do list: I don’t think about how many items are on the list or how many I have left to accomplish. I […]


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Bookish Gift #4: Subscriptions to Literary Magazines

by Celeste Ng

Think of them as the literary equivalent of beer-of-the-month clubs. For less than the price of a hardback book, you can send an entire year’s worth of brand-new literature straight to a friend or loved one’s mailbox. And you’ll be supporting organizations that, in turn, support emerging and established writers alike. But which magazine to pick? It’s hard to go wrong with lit mags, but here are some of our favorites (click on any title to learn more): Old stalwarts like Ploughshares, The Paris Review, and Glimmer Train offer a buffet of treats to the omnivorous reader. Got a friend […]


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Bookish Gift Idea #3: Posters to encourage reading (for kids)

by Celeste Ng

Here’s a gift for a young reader in your life—or any reader who is young at heart and has a little wall space to fill. Remember those “Give a hoot–read a book” posters at the public library when you were a kid? Here’s a roundup of newer, cooler versions to spruce up a book nook or bedroom. Above, the Edgar Allen Poe “READ” print is available from MonsterGallery. Or how about this lovely hand-drawn fox with a Faulkner quote, from Gayana? This cheerful giraffe from Bunch of Bees offers some reading-related wisdom: Check back every day in December for another […]


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A writing space too beautiful to write in

by Celeste Ng

Okay, this might be the writer’s cabin to end all writer’s cabins. In fact, I’m not sure you can even call this amazing flip-down, glass-walled writing retreat with 360-degree views a “cabin.” Says dornob.com: At 500 square feet, it is not a huge retreat but it serves its purpose perfectly: fold-up sides keep it secure when not in use, while doubling as privacy screens, light blocks and thermal barriers as desired. Essentially a glass house on the inside, folding down three of the four exterior walls gives the occupant a nearly 360-degree connection to the surrounding context. With a writing […]


Shop Talk |

Bookish Gift Idea #2: Sense and sensibility Cuff

by Celeste Ng

This wide brass cuff is pretty on its own—but when you add the text of Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, it’s elevated to a fitting gift for a bookworm. The designer, Jezebel Charms on etsy, describes itself as “literary jewelry with a steampunk edge” and makes versions with quotes from other Austen novels, Shakespeare, Dickens, the Brontes, and more. Or, for the gents, how about a pair of Dracula cufflinks—complete with drops of blood? Available from Jezebel Charms on etsy. And check back every day in December for another bookish gift idea from FWR!




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