I'm going too say something which will probably annoy at least 50% of PBS members; as a rule I don't much care for female authors. There are excaptions - female authors I love: Margaret Atwood (occasionally), Annie Proulx (90% of the time), Barbara Tuchman (all the time).
I make no apologies for this; it's just the way I am, possibly because of my background. I graduated from an all-male Jesuit high school, then spent over 21 years in the military. I was single the first ten years and lived in the barracks (no co-ed barracks in those days). During my first marriage I spent 15 months in Korea without my wife, and a considerable amount of time separated from her while I was in the states - obviously not a very good marriage. I ended it after seven years. After a brief period of bachelorhood, my second marriage, which was very good, lasted 35 years till my died in 2010.
In my opinion, most female authors spend a lot of time describing how their female characters are dressed and how rooms are furnished. They are also mostly coming from another planet (the Mars/Venus thing). What really blows me away is when they try to get in a male character's head and attempt to think, talk, and act male (e.g. Gillian Flynn's best-seller "Gone Girl" which I was unable to finish although my brother thought it was great.
Having said all that, I loved Laura Bell's memoir; she shows a real feel for my favorite part of the country (Wyoming and Montana), and has a tremendous way with words. Her prose sometimes is almost poetry (which I don't normally even care for - go figure). I think she's a great writer and eagerly await her next offering. Her first book is now part of my permanent collection, along with Proulx and Tuchman.
I make no apologies for this; it's just the way I am, possibly because of my background. I graduated from an all-male Jesuit high school, then spent over 21 years in the military. I was single the first ten years and lived in the barracks (no co-ed barracks in those days). During my first marriage I spent 15 months in Korea without my wife, and a considerable amount of time separated from her while I was in the states - obviously not a very good marriage. I ended it after seven years. After a brief period of bachelorhood, my second marriage, which was very good, lasted 35 years till my died in 2010.
In my opinion, most female authors spend a lot of time describing how their female characters are dressed and how rooms are furnished. They are also mostly coming from another planet (the Mars/Venus thing). What really blows me away is when they try to get in a male character's head and attempt to think, talk, and act male (e.g. Gillian Flynn's best-seller "Gone Girl" which I was unable to finish although my brother thought it was great.
Having said all that, I loved Laura Bell's memoir; she shows a real feel for my favorite part of the country (Wyoming and Montana), and has a tremendous way with words. Her prose sometimes is almost poetry (which I don't normally even care for - go figure). I think she's a great writer and eagerly await her next offering. Her first book is now part of my permanent collection, along with Proulx and Tuchman.
